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Spiritual Elevation happen through Yoga

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In this birth as a human, which is the highest life form known, and a rare event in a soul’s spiritual evolution, one has the highest chance of reaching the pinnacle of existence - the ultimate Truth, the ultimate destination of life — God realization.

 

Thus, our supreme duty is somehow or the other, to elevate ourselves from mundane to refined, matter to spirit, gross to subtle, from unintelligence to intelligence and then ultimately to God realization.

 

That is the final state of Liberation or Freedom or Mukti or Moksha or Nirvana as described in Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism), Buddhism, Jainism..

 

And as we become Free, we ought to help others be free. 

Like one lamp lighting another..

 

Yoga helps us get there.

 

Yoga as in:

• Unity in Diversity as is the central tenet of Vedanta

• Detached Inspired Action and Selfless Service as taught by Sri Krishna in The Bhagavad Gita.

 

Now who better as a teacher of Yoga other than the ultimate Yogi - Sri Krishna who through his Divine Song The Bhagavad Gita taught us:

• Yoga is Evenness of Mind              while performing ANY action.

• Yoga is Efficiency in Action            while maintaining a CALM composed mind.

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Now How exactly does this work?

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The key concept is that we all through our experiences of our Karma to learn and grow in our consciousness.

Such consciousness has 3 levels:

 

• Unconscious incompetence                (good anxiety, dissatisfaction with the material existence)

• Conscious competence                        (deliberate practice of Yoga)

• Unconscious competence                   (state of Bliss which becomes natural and effortless)

 

And if we pursue the discipline of Yoga sincerely and deliberately, then we realize that the material world is fools paradise. Because all material experience is temporary. The only permanent experiences we have are the Spiritual experiences.

Thus Spiritual anxiety is much better than material anxiety; so we help ourselves when we make spiritual plans and set spiritual goals for ourselves; for all other mundane and worldly plans 'try' but remain detached & dispassionate. Meaning if you have to pursue a job, deal with traffic, emotional ups and downs with human relations, 'try' your best remembering that they all are temporary. This is where the practice of Yoga per Bhagavad Gita helps.

Key in this is the deliberate practice of Yoga because its not time, its taste.

That is, even if the initial stages seem endless and dry, with patience the entire experience uplifts. But no-one else can do it for you, you have to do it yourself. You may learn some basics from others but the actual practice and effort is one's own. For time is short and life is ephemeral..

Hence the instruction given is "cheat death before it cheats you"

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One simple and sublime method available here is the deliberate, regular and sincere chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.

 

It works because Hare Krishna sound has Spiritual vibrations.

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Its True that through various life experiences, our existence & soul takes in these vibrations; we subject ourselves to vibrations..some helpful some not.

One has to remember that those advanced in spiritual path are careful of what they surround themselves with.

So why not subject ourselves to the Spiritual vibrations of Yoga and specifically like the Mahamantra?

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Then as Bhagavad Gita teaches us, the Lord never forsakes living entities because the Lord lives in every heart.

Even one single sincere spiritual step is reciprocated by Sri Krishna much more. 

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This is also reiterated in several places in the Bhagavad Gita. 

For instance: Chapter 8, verses 7 & 8:

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तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च |
मय्यर्पितमनोबुद्धिर्मामेवैष्यस्यसंशयम् || 7||

अभ्यासयोगयुक्तेन चेतसा नान्यगामिना |
परमं पुरुषं दिव्यं याति पार्थानुचिन्तयन् || 8||

 

tasmāt sarveṣhu kāleṣhu mām anusmara yudhya cha
mayyarpita-mano-buddhir mām evaiṣhyasyasanśhayam

abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena chetasā nānya-gāminā
paramaṁ puruṣhaṁ divyaṁ yāti pārthānuchintayan

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Sri Krishna is instructing Arjuna and through him All devotees thus:

 

Always remember Me and also do your duty of fighting the war (ie your duties).

With mind and intellect surrendered to Me, you will definitely attain Me.

With practice, when you constantly engage the mind in remembering Me, without deviating, you will certainly attain Me.