Yoga for Enlightenment

Ever wonder how to win the lottery? Thoughtful question. And, as you know, plenty of creative ideas abound. What’s this got to do with yoga, meditation and spiritual growth? Plenty. Too much, in fact. It turns out that the chances of achieving enlightenment as defined in the yogic traditions (Hindu, Tibetan Buddhist, Daoist) makes winning several hundred million dollars (or yuan or euros or what have you) in the lottery seem like a peaceful stroll through the park—nothing more taxing than going out for a walk and collecting on all the goodies: sunshine, fresh air, blue skies, good friends, good sights and sounds. In contrast, the slog to advanced awareness reeks and finds itself littered with perils, loopholes and impossible tasks. Good luck, getting enlightened!

So, then, how do all those yogis and mystics get so evolved and spiritually aware? The short answer is: they don’t. Compared to where you sit, they’re advanced, for sure. But compared to the benchmark of enlightenment, very few meet the mark. Most progress some distance and then fall by the wayside—either by choice—getting distracted by the endless attractions that drape this cosmos—or by coercion—running out of steam, meeting evil ends and, worst of all, lapsing into ignorance—outright folly or the epitome of hubris: thinking that they’ve arrived at the top.

Still, it’s possible. Some few great souls do achieve the immense presence and purity of truly awakened consciousness. And, to these great souls, we should all listen.

Jyotish Star Map

Here's the winning hand: we humans are not alone in this solar system, much less this galaxy or universe. In fact, the best, scientifically rigorous model for nature asserts—and proves—that our universe is but a small drop in a titanic effervescence of universes—a vast web of universes within universes within even more universes, and on and on—what is called a multiverse.

Now some of these other interstellar beings that we share this neck of the celestial woods with, are—very fortunately for us—earth-friendly. Over the aeons, at times, they have darted through this planetary system on their way to who knows where. But shards of ancient wisdom from all cultures still attest to their bygone sojourns amidst our fledgling human kind. The most marvelous—and useful—advanced knowledge about the structure of spacetime and this reality, gradually inveigled its way into the star maps of yore.

Once the acme of primeval wisdom, these antediluvian models have gradually fallen into disrepute under the burden of an ever-increasingly abstracted, yet successful, scientific paradigm. In short, astrology—the astronomy and secret mystical knowledge of the past—now has few safe harbors outside of traditional cultures, fringe movements, the occasional maverick thinker and, of course, many of the lost and misguided—human flotsam struggling to remain afloat and make sense of life.

Yoga for the Jyotish Star Map

The past may be gone and forgotten but it’s not a total washout. Especially in Jyotish (Vedic astrology), one finds evidence—not only of higher dimensions and their workings—but of a robust and workable model to navigate this universe and connect through to other universes in the multiverse. In the Hindu tradition, they call these other universes the higher lokas (or planes of existence). These are the dimensions (in modern parlance, one would say “other universes”) where the rishis (very advanced spiritual masters) reside. Sounds like a somewhat muffled and cryptic reference to higher extraterrestrial civilizations? You would be right, if you said yes.

So, the gist of Neidan Yoga lies here: tease out the best strands of the great traditional yoga streams, combine them with relevant modern knowledge and shape this numinous dough in accord with Jyotish. Braiding together all these strands, you gain health and success—not only for spiritual pursuits but for any and all worldly concerns as well. Not bad for a day’s work, eh? All this, thanks to the insights shared by our spacetime ET buddies long ago … and our own very diligent efforts.

Just Take the First Step

Is it really possible to do this? Yes. What's most important for anyone—whether high or low—is that she or he follows nature (called the Dao in Daoism). The two most practical ways to do this are to follow your heart in all that you do and to understand what you value most in life—what your short-term and long-term goals are. It may be nice to cultivate inner essence as a first priority but if a person's karma (fate) shows otherwise, then this gal or guy should be trimming the sails to accord with what the Dao (Spirit or Nature) is trying to teach her or him. It may be service, it may be having a good time, it may be cultivating essence as top dog. Who knows? It depends upon you and who you associate with ... and ... your karma.

So, enough with the theory, the rest of the pages to be developed and posted in this section on Sadhana are entirely about practice—the spiritual practice of yoga—and how to succeed at it. For further information about many of the concepts that are discussed here, you can check out the other pages on this website. They broadly explain the spiritual path and its variegated constituents, which together, sire a mighty living force (prana, lung, qi) to empower and enable you. Or, just check the web. The information is endless … what’s lacking is precise and sensible step-by-step instructions from start to finish. That’s where Neidan Yoga comes in: the details that work and enough information for you to get on with it and succeed.

Hold on to your hats! Here we go.