The soul entering the body is pure, yet the body is not pure. Since the soul is energy, it is strength. The mind is also energy. However, the body is matter, made up of five elements. In the process of coming into being, the individual spirit goes through transformation from the purity of spirit to the impurity of matter.

The soul and the mind, both in the form of energy, become locked inside the material body. Therefore, the qualities or the nature the manifested being expresses is that of the body, tainted by the colours of maya. The nature of the body is material, sensorial and tamasic. Matter connects with bhoga, enjoyment, while energy connects with yoga, union and harmony.

That is why the body desires enjoyment. The body wants everything to be pleasurable and comfortable; it never wants to have any difficulty or pain. The mind, however, does not want enjoyment, as enjoyment makes the mind distracted. The mind wants peace. The body wants enjoyment and comfort, while the mind wants peace.

You must have experienced this in your life. In spite of having all kinds of comfort, luxuries, enjoyment and wealth, the mind is not at peace, as wealth, property and prosperity do not give peace. Rather, there is a greater feeling of restlessness.

The body’s nature, which is attracted to enjoyment, sensorial pleasure and comfort, is tamoguni, the quality of inertia, ignorance, darkness, negativity. When you are attracted towards the sense objects of enjoyment, it is an expression of tamoguna and when you make the effort to attain peace, it is an expression of sattwa guna, luminosity, peace, balance and purity. When you are attracted to enjoyment, the mind and behaviour are controlled by the senses and sense objects.

When the mind and body aspire for peace, you are separated from the sense objects. In the same manner that a tortoise withdraws its body parts into its shell, you gather yourself into your inner being and experience peace when the mind and senses are withdrawn from the sense objects.

Therefore, bhoga and yoga are two opposite poles in life. Enjoyment is an expression of tamoguna, whereas yoga is an expression of sattwa guna.

The journey that takes you from tamoguna towards sattwa guna is known as spirituality, and it involves the process of sadhana.

 Baidyanatheshwar Shankarbag (Shivalaya), Munger ,5 March 2013

 

From the book “Chapters of Spirituality, Yogadrishti Series”, pg. 15-16, Sw. Niranjanananda Saraswati

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Bhoga and yoga

The soul entering the body is pure, yet the body is not pure. Since the soul is energy, it is strength. The mind is also energy. However, the body is matter, made up of five elements. In the process of coming into being, the individual spirit goes through transformation from the purity of spirit to the impurity of matter.

The soul and the mind, both in the form of energy, become locked inside the material body. Therefore, the qualities or the nature the manifested being expresses is that of the body, tainted by the colours of maya. The nature of the body is material, sensorial and tamasic. Matter connects with bhoga, enjoyment, while energy connects with yoga, union and harmony.

That is why the body desires enjoyment. The body wants everything to be pleasurable and comfortable; it never wants to have any difficulty or pain. The mind, however, does not want enjoyment, as enjoyment makes the mind distracted. The mind wants peace. The body wants enjoyment and comfort, while the mind wants peace.

You must have experienced this in your life. In spite of having all kinds of comfort, luxuries, enjoyment and wealth, the mind is not at peace, as wealth, property and prosperity do not give peace. Rather, there is a greater feeling of restlessness.

The body’s nature, which is attracted to enjoyment, sensorial pleasure and comfort, is tamoguni, the quality of inertia, ignorance, darkness, negativity. When you are attracted towards the sense objects of enjoyment, it is an expression of tamoguna and when you make the effort to attain peace, it is an expression of sattwa guna, luminosity, peace, balance and purity. When you are attracted to enjoyment, the mind and behaviour are controlled by the senses and sense objects.

When the mind and body aspire for peace, you are separated from the sense objects. In the same manner that a tortoise withdraws its body parts into its shell, you gather yourself into your inner being and experience peace when the mind and senses are withdrawn from the sense objects.

Therefore, bhoga and yoga are two opposite poles in life. Enjoyment is an expression of tamoguna, whereas yoga is an expression of sattwa guna.

The journey that takes you from tamoguna towards sattwa guna is known as spirituality, and it involves the process of sadhana.

 Baidyanatheshwar Shankarbag (Shivalaya), Munger ,5 March 2013

 

From the book “Chapters of Spirituality, Yogadrishti Series”, pg. 15-16, Sw. Niranjanananda Saraswati