ADI YOGI – SHIVA MOHANJODARO INDUS VALLEY YOGI (PASHUPATI SHIVA -LORD OF ANIMALS 2600-1900 BCE)
International Yoga Day is celebrated on 21st June. Yoga Day started from 21st June 2015.Yoga Day was initiated by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi while addressing the Joint General Assembly in 2014.
Yoga is an invaluable gift of our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day. (India’s gift to the whole world.)
HISTORY :- The topic of my post is Yoga’s struggle against imperialism, and the role of Yoga in the development of India’s nationalism, but for this it is necessary to go a little into ancient history. In general, yoga means addition. But in the general sense, where addition is taken to mean numbers, or a collection of some objects, the collection of objects with different properties also comes under sum(yog)
Spiritually and religiously, the meaning of yoga remains the same, but Here the meaning of yoga becomes very wide. Threading humans, animals, nature, all together in one link is yoga. For more information on Hindu Civilization please visit:- https://nithinks.com/2020/12/03/hindu-philosophy-and-the-importance-of-peace-9-11-1893-9-112001/
FROM THE CITY OF THE OLDEST YOGI:-(ADI-YOGI)
One of the holiest of Hindus and one of the oldest cities in the world, Varanasi also has the distinction of being the city of Lord Shiva. The Vedas, the oldest religious texts of the Hindus, mention only the worship of nature. The deity that is first mentioned after the worship of nature is Shiva. For this reason Shiva is also called Adi-dev. In very ancient relics, Shiva is depicted in the posture of yoga, for this reason Shiva is also called Adi Yogi. There is a tradition to show the original form of Shiva along with nature, and also Shiva as the protector of nature. For a detailed explanation of the relationship between Shiva and Varanasi, please visit:- https://nithinks.com/2021/03/10/dawn-of-civilization-and-shiva-shiva-ganga-varanasi/
An artist’s imagination at the Ghat of Varanasi
The ancient idols of Gautam Buddha, Mahavir Swami are all depicted in the posture of meditation and yoga. It is clear from this that yoga and meditation are very ancient traditions of India.
Demolition of idols, temples, monasteries was a common practice in Islamic imperialism. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SUBJECT PLEASE VISIT :- https://nithinks.com/2019/10/07/islamic-imperialism-breaking-of-idols-hindu-struggle-past-present/ Due to which this art had almost disappeared in the branches of Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and all Hindu religions. Somehow it survived as it was passed on from one generation to another, it would be more correct to say that the art of yoga had gone into a coma for a few centuries. The art of yoga-meditation never got a chance to live freely in Islamic terrorism, imperialism, but this art did not even die due to being so deeply rooted in Hinduism. For more information about this subject please visit :- https://nithinks.com/2021/03/26/rangbhari-ekadsi-masan-holiashes-of-dead-persons/
MAHAVIR -SWAMI 
GAUTAM BUDHA
Hindu renaissance and re-establishment of yoga- meditation
With the end of hundreds of years of Islamic imperialism, a new era began, – British Imperialism. For more information about this subject please visit :- https://nithinks.com/2020/08/14/benares-rebellion-15august-1781/ Like every imperialism, it was also opposed to the native religion, culture. But a framework was developed to maintain the British Empire in the Far East. To maintain the strength of this structure (instead of rigidity, some flexibility was introduced after the First Revolt of 1857)The British Empire needed educated people, because it was not possible to bring people from England for every task, the result was the beginning of education loyal to the British Empire in India.
Kolkata Became the new Nalanda:
The white city of that time (most white people in Asia at that time lived in Kolkata) became the economic and political capital of India. The youth, who had received modern education in Kolkata, soon started working in the biggest industries of that time, railways and postal service. By the 1857 War of Independence in India, the British had understood that the native army could not be trusted completely, (the native army is completely traditional in religion and culture, and did not distance itself from its roots by providing a job to the East India Company) can be done.)
To rule the land of such vast vastness, there was a great need for a means of quick transport. (If needed, the British Army could be transported from one corner of India to another in 24 hours.)
Uninterrupted transmission of information (telegram, letter) was also very necessary to reach from one corner of the country to another. Because of this surprisingly the railway and postal department expanded very rapidly all over India. Bengali people were first appointed in these departments. This was also inevitable because Bengali people were the first to have access to modern education. Colonies, houses of Rail Dock Department started being built in every major city of the country. In this way a mini Bengal was formed in all the major cities of India. Another industry which was not supported by the government, but was growing rapidly in Bengal especially in Kolkata due to the spread of education– the development of printing press. A new era of books, newspapers, magazines took place from Kolkata, due to the rail network across the country, the printing press got its customers all over the country. Especially the Bengalis of Kolkata.
GITA A WAY OF VICTORY
Problem and Solution
Bengal was a strange situation in those days – on the one hand Christian missionaries were involved in the conversion of people, on the other hand the anger of the people was increasing in Hinduism due to hypocrisy, untouchability. In such a situation, Hinduism was finding itself helpless, when Bankim Chandra Chatterjee arrived under such circumstances. He had not said anything new – he had interpreted the Gita afresh. Amidst an atmosphere of despair, there was an assurance of victory in the verses of Gita. Shri Krishna chanted the mantra of Shakti during Kurukshetra, encouraging Arjuna the war-bearer. After a long time, those mantras again filled the youth with hope. In his novel Anand Math, Bankim Chandra wrote the valor of the revolutionaries who challenged the British and made the Indians realize that freedom is their first right, which is the solemn duty of every Indian to achieve. The novel, based on the revolt of the monks (YOGI)of Bengal against British imperialism, had a song on the worship of the motherland. The title of this song was —- Vande Mataram. Later this title became the epitome of opposition to British imperialism. Its popularity can be understood from the fact that it was accepted for greetings throughout the country. Now a new yoga tradition was born, got modern education, understanding of world politics, proud of religion on their culture, above hypocrisy, evils, narrow-mindedness, the new generation of Bengali youth in the spiritual color of yoga. Change in the traditions of Hindu religion, or the beginning of any new tradition is not possible without the approval of the holy city of Varanasi. For more information about this subject please visit https://nithinks.com/2021/01/25/bharat-mata-mandirmother-india-temple-and-vande-mataram/
THE CAPITAL OF ALL KNOWLEDGE:- CITY OF LIGHT
“The city illumines the truth and reveals reality. It does not bring new wonders into the scope of vision, but enables one to see what is already there. Where this eternal light intersects the earth, it is known as Kashi”(Varanasi).
Varanasi, is also called KASHI(ONE OF THE OLD NAME). The word Kashi has its origin from the word Kash. Its means light. Here light does not mean just light. Light here means “Light of knowledge”. Nalanda, Taxila, and Varanasi were the major centers of education in ancient times. For more information about city of light please visit :- https://nithinks.com/2020/12/01/dev-deepawali-festival-of-light-city-of-light/
New incarnation of yoga in the city of Adi-yogi
At the end of the eighteenth century, the British thought of opening the Banaras Sanskrit College in Varanasi. (S.N SEN, SANSKRIT COLLEGE AT BANARAS ,GERNAL GANGANATH RESEARCH PAGE 315)
The credit for understanding the importance of modern education and the introduction of modern education in Varanasi goes to Raja Jaynarayan Ghoshal. Raja Jaynarayan Ghoshal established a school for modern education in Varanasi in 1814. Today this school is known as Jaynarayan College. (Fort William College Kolkata was established by Lord Wellesley in 1800)When Lord Hastings came to Varanasi in September 1814, the foundation of this school had been laid. And the construction of the school was in progress, this event has been described by Hastings in his journal. In those days it was difficult to even talk about western education, so what to say about the English medium school of western education? A temple was also built in the same year 1814 by Jaynarayan Ghoshal to show himself as a Hindu religious person. The specialty of this temple was its unique structure. This temple is dedicated to Yoga and Tantra-Vidya ( doctrines or principles of the tantras, involving mantras, meditation, yoga, and ritual.) Soon this combination greatly influenced the younger generation, The teachings of Yoga and Gita were used as a weapon by the modern educated Bengali youth. Equally effective on both fronts. Against Christian missionaries and against Hindu superstitions.
Yoga Based on the Gita took the form of a Brahmastra during independence Movement
Gita-based yoga became an infallible weapon of nationalists across the country by moving beyond the boundaries of Bengal and Bengali railways, post office colonies. Nationalists like Tilak, Savarkar, Sachindra Nath Sanyal (Sachindra nath Sanyal was the founder of “Hindustan Republican Association” and political teacher(guru) of great revolutionaries like Chandrashekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Trilokya Chakraborty, Bhagwati Charan Vohra, Nalini Kishore Guh, Baba Prithvi Singh, Ras Bihari Bose, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Lala Hardayal, Ajit Singh .
The book “Bandi – jeevan” he wrote was called the Bible of Indian revolutionaries, which was translated into more than twenty-eight languages and countless people who read this book chose the path of revolution for the independence of the country. Marxist fake historians have marginalized them in writing their own history. ) Subhash Chandra Bose also used this new weapon in the best way in intense nationalism.
CONCENTRATING THE POWERS OF THE MIND IS THE ONLY WAY TO KNOWLEDGE.
FREEDOM OF THE SOUL IS THE GOAL OF ALL YOGAS
You must remember that freedom of the soul is the goal of all Yoga’s, and each one equally leads to the same result. By work alone men may get to where Buddha got largely by meditation or Christ by prayer. Buddha was a working Jnâni, Christ was a Bhakta, but the same goal was reached by both of them. The difficulty is here. Liberation means entire freedom — freedom from the bondage of good, as well as from the bondage of evil. A golden chain is as much a chain as an iron one. There is a thorn in my finger, and I use another to take the first one out; and when I have taken it out, I throw both of them aside; I have no necessity for keeping the second thorn, because both are thorns after all. So the bad tendencies are to be counteracted by the good ones, and the bad impressions on the mind should be removed by the fresh waves of good ones, until all that is evil almost disappears, or is subdued and held in control in a corner of the mind; but after that, the good tendencies have also to be conquered. Thus the “attached” becomes the “unattached”. Work, but let not the action or the thought produce a deep impression on the mind. Let the ripples come and go, let huge actions proceed from the muscles and the brain, but let them not make any deep impression on the soul. SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
For more information about Relevance of Vivekananda’s thoughts in present times please visit :- https://nithinks.com/2021/01/11/is-vivekananda-still-relevant-today-national-youth-day/ Swami Vivekananda a great sanyasi (Yogi) Who left an impact on the world’s finest minds of his time. introduced the western world to yoga and meditation for the first time. The great scientist Nikola Tesla, writer Aldous Huxley, Tolstoy, Ja de Salinger Rockefeller, Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Arvind Ghosh, Nivedita, Jamshedji Tata, Vimal Mitra, Shachindranath were influenced by his ideas. In 1890, Vivekananda came to Varanasi with Swami Akhandanand. The house where Vivekananda stayed in Varanasi was known as Bengali Deodhi. (Vivekananda stayed in this house in Varanasi in 1888 too.) This house belonged to Pramadadas Mitra ji, who was an eminent scholar of that time. He translated the British national anthem into Sanskrit and the Gita into English. for more information about vivekananda and varanasi please visit :- https://nithinks.com/2020/07/05/the-unknown-life-of-swami-vivekananda/
SHYAMCHARAN LAHIRI (LAHIRI- MAHASHAY)
He was born on 26 September 1828. Since childhood he was a devotee of Shiva. As a child, he went to Varanasi for his education. (It was a common practice in Bengal, parents used to send their children to Varanasi for education. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, a very famous social reformer of that time, was also educated in Varanasi.) His education was an example of changing times. Instead of taking admission in the old religious Sanskrit school in Varanasi, he joined the school of Jaynarayan Ghoshal. No doubt he must have been influenced by the personality of Jaynarayan Ghoshal and other thoughts.
He continued to practice yoga while living a household life. Later on, he made Mahavatar Baba ji his Guru and learned many esoteric sutras of yoga from him. He did a lot of work on Vedanta, Sankhya, and Yogadarshan, and also did a lot of writing work related to it.
He has also given a spiritual interpretation of the Gita, which has a very high status in the world of spirituality. On the basis of Gita, he again presented Kriya-Yoga. Kriya Yoga is such a method of yoga in which Pranayama has special importance, in simple words, Kriya Yoga is the cultivation of self-realization, God, and true knowledge in one equation. His chief disciples Pranavanand, Kesavananda, Yukteswar Giri gave more height to his tradition.
CONTROL OF THE MIND IS BETTER AND MORE DIFFICULT.
वसुधैव कुटुंबकम ( vasudhaiva kutumbakam)
Yogananda Paramhansa :- He was born in a Bengali family in Gorakhpur near Varanasi. His real name was Mukundlal Ghosh.His father’s name was Bhagwati-Charan Ghosh.His parents had received the education of Kriya Yoga from Lahiri ji Maharaj. He taught Kriya-Yoga to the whole world. His book on Kriya Yoga Autobiography of a Yogi is the most popular book on this subject. Full credit goes to him for popularizing Yoga and Kriya Yoga among common people all over the world, especially in America. After playing a major role in India’s nationalism, yoga is now striving in the role of cooperation at the international level. His book has brought a pleasant change in the lives of many people. Influenced by this book,(Autobiography of a yogi) George Harrison composed the famous song Dear One . and dedicated this song to Paramahansa Yogananda. Elvis Presley and Ravi Shankar were also greatly influenced by this book.
Tech -yogi and Brown Box:- Steve Jobs last gift
“A fascinating story about the famous co-founder of Apple and the yoga book that accompanied him since his teens until his last days. His last gift to all guests at his funeral held in Stanford”
ART OF YOGA
