Purpose of Yoga by Shree Gopi Krishna

About the Author Writing with the authority of more than forty-five years of continuous experience of higher conscious states, GOPI KRISHNA has provided the world with a literal treasure of writings and discourses on the vast subjects of consciousness and evolution. During the last twenty years of his life, Gopi Krishna devoted his energies to presenting the world with his ideas about the present world condition and the future evolution of the human race. By the time he passed away in July 1984 at the age of 81, he was acclaimed as a leading authority on the science of Kundalini and Consciousness Research. Gopi Krishna’s quest was to bring awareness and understanding of the dangerous situation that mankind is in at present. He believed that the race is in a continuing state of evolution, but has now reached a crucial stage in this development. Mankind is on the verge of a giant leap toward higher states of consciousness but at the same time has the knowledge and means to destroy himself and the planet at the push of a button. He asserts that there are Divine Laws which are ruling our progress. The time has now come for mankind to understand these inviolable Laws and learn to live in harmony with his fellow human beings so that our evolution may proceed in a healthy way. Also Books by Gopi Krishna in UBSPD 1. Wonder of the Brain 2. Kundalini—The Secret of Yoga 3. The Evolution of Higher Consciousness THE PURPOSE OF YOGA GOPI KRISHNA UBSPD UBS Publishers’ Distributors Ltd. New Delhi Bombay Bangalore Madras Calcutta Patna Kanpur London UBS Publishers’ Distributors Ltd. 5 Ansari Road, New Delhi-I 10 002 Mumbai Bangalore Madras Calcutta Patna Kanpur London Copyright © Gopi Krishna Second Edition 1993 First Reprint 1993 Second Reprint 1994 Third Reprint 1996 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher Printed at Rajkamal Electric Press, B-35/9 G.T. Karnal Road Industrial Area, Delhi-I 10033 CONTENTS 1. The Purpose of Yoga 1 2. Evolution and the Science of Consciousness 9 3. The Role of Intellect 20 4. The Inadequacy of Science 32 5. The Direction of Future Research 41 6. The Sirius Mystery 51 7. The Riddle of the Mayan Calendar 67 8. The Marvels of the Great Pyramid 84 9. The Wonder-Grammar of Panini 95 10. Child Prodigies, Genius, Yoga and Evolution 113 11. The Practice of Yoga 126 12. References 141 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Sirius Diagrams 57 2. Pharaoh and Hawk-God 58 3. Caduceus or Staff of Hermes 69 4. Mayan Sacrificial Knife 70 5. Egyptian Queen 87 6. Goddess Durga 88 7. Panini’s Grammar and Commentary 99 8. Lord Shiva 106 9. Pharaoh with Serpent Symbol 107 1 THE PURPOSE OF YOGA In ordinary parlance the word “Yoga” is said to be derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj” which means to yoke. It is therefore interpreted to mean the union of individual consciousness or “Jiva-Atma” with Parmatma or Universal Being. In actual practice the world Yoga signifies both the object attained, namely, union of the Soul and the OverSoul, and also the method or methods by which this union is achieved. In the latter sense, as a practical method to achieve this unitive state, Yoga is divided into a number of branches signifying different types of disciplines undertaken to achieve the end. One form of these disciplines is known as Raja-Yoga, the other Hatha-Yoga, a third Bhakti-Yoga, a fourth Karma-Yoga; still others Jnana-Yoga, Mantra-Yoga, Laya-Yoga, Dhyana-Yoga, Kundalini-Yoga and the rest. The word Yoga as such is not mentioned in the Vedas, but it is obvious that the disciplines, prescribed in Yoga manuals, were well known and practised in the Vedic times. But, it appears to me that the very conception of the state to which Yoga leads has changed with the passage of time and, for the general masses of today, Yoga has now a different connotation from what it had for the adepts and masters of antiquity. From my own experience, based on the ideas expressed by seekers to me, it appears to me that the general impression prevailing about this Holy Science is that Yoga provides methods for a miraculous mental 2 The Purpose of Yoga leap into regions where the initiate can achieve unity with God or gain control of intelligent forces of nature to secure the state of the blessed for oneself. How these very desirable objectives can be achieved no one cares to explain or even to understand. What is generally supposed is that Yoga does possess some power to lift up the human mind out of the harsh, objective world of battle for existence, sickness and pain towards planes of wider understanding, lasting happiness, peace and even unrestricted power over the elements and forces of nature. These impressions are based on accounts contained in books, both ancient and modern, or hearsay. It is often with these ideas and images in their mind that seekers approach Holy Men and Spiritual Teachers to instruct them in the disciplines or to help in the solution of their problems But how is this exploit possible? What mysterious force comes into operation to bring about the wished for results? Are there secret, magically potent methods which transform the human mind in a surprising way, or does some Divine Power, propitiated by these practices, intervene to make the achievements possible? Admitting that Yoga has amazing possibilities, the question still remains: how does it work? What is the Cause behind? Have we any answer to it? Real mystical experience or Samadhi certainly is not self-hypnosis. All great illuminati have been geniuses of the highest order. No form of hypnosis can bestow the gift. What then is the explanation? To summarize briefly, the general image about Yoga is of a way to gain access to super-mundane realities as a means to gain self-awareness, union with God or a deeper insight into existence or to overcome or subdue the harsh realities of the material world. I wonder how many seekers after Yoga or even the venerable teachers of the discipline realize that, stated in rational terms, Yoga represents the activization of a normally sealed chamber in the brain with a consequent transfiguration of the whole human personality. There is absolutely nothing magical, miraculous or supernatural in the exploit. Yoga makes use of a hidden law of nature, controlling human evolution, as universal in its application The Purpose of Yoga 3 and as rigid in its operation as the Law of Gravity. The tragedy is that the modern world has produced no Copernicus or Galileo or Newton of the transcendental world. The result is that Yoga continues to be shrouded in mystery and obscurity, the well-guarded preserve of a few Yogis, occultists and the like, unknown to the world as the Greatest Secret of Nature still waiting to be discovered and acted upon by mankind as a whole. Yoga represents a new form of knowledge gained through the operation of a normally dormant, marvellous chamber in the brain, called Brahma-rendra by the ancient adepts, a new form of vision, known as the opening of the Third Eye or the Tenth Door or the Sixth Sense, and a new form of ideation, known as inspiration, “Shruti”, Revelation, Vahi, Afflatus, etc. In short, Yoga represents a paranormal activity of the brain from which all the great masterpieces of literature, art, philosophy, science and spiritual knowledge have originated and will continue to originate till the end of time. To me the greatest injustice done to this lofty science and the mighty Law of Nature, which it embodies, is to treat it as a privileged preserve of a few, however proficient in it they might be, or to reduce it to the level of a secret teaching or occult doctrine or to present it as a merchandise, procurable for a certain price in artistically bound packages suited to the pockets of the customers. Any attempt to present the Super-Science of Yoga in any form save that of a Universal Law of Evolution, is like an attempt made to treat as a personal possession, or a special commodity or a saleable merchandise the life-giving and world-illuminating light of the Sun. I am not exaggerating in the least, when I compare the universal law, associated with Yoga, to sunlight—the warm, life-bestowing radiance, the source of all the organic kingdom on the earth. What would it amount to if we call sunlight as our personal possession or our special gift or our special formula or select merchandise and not a Universal boon of Nature open and free to everyone? Can we appropriate the Law of Gravity as a personal secret communicable to the chosen only? In fact there was a time 4 The Purpose of Yoga when mechanical devices operating with the Law of Gravity, were used in Egypt and other seats of ancient culture, to overawe and mystify the congregations witnessing the “Mysteries”. Even a brave commander, like Alexander the Great, was awed into silence at one of these demonstrations. But with the widening of human knowledge trickery of this kind cannot work now except in the case of the extremely ignorant and credulous. When the law is known the shadows of secrecy must vanish forthwith.

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