Balancing Poses Yoga
1) Aakarma-actions without fruitive reactions (also called niskarma).
2) Vikarma-unauthorized or sinful work (also called papi-karma).
3) Kukarma-acts against the principles of religion (also called ugra-karma).
4) Sat-karma-pious activities (also called punya-karma or dharma-kama).
After performing karma-yoga, when knowledge and renunciation increases, that stage is called jnana-yoga, or the yoga of acquiring spiritual knowledge. The jnana-yogi has to discriminate the difference between spirit and matter. Therefore one needs to acquire knowledge of philosophy and metaphysics in order to determine the difference between the two. This requires study of the Vedic literatures like Bhagavad-gita and the Shrimad Bhagavatam under the guidance of a bona-fide Vaishnava-acharya The Bhagavad-gita says. “After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Bg. 7.19) “Therefore the doubts which have arisen in your heart out of ignorance should be slashed by the weapon of knowledge. Armed with yoga, O Bharata, stand and fight.” (Bg. 4.42)
Balancing Poses Yoga Photo Gallery
From the platform of knowledge, jnana-yoga, one can proceeds to the next stage called bhakti-yoga, the topmost perfectional stage of all yoga practice. All other forms of yoga are meant to reach the point of bhakti or pure devotional service. The result of executing these three aspects of yoga results in three different destinations at the time of death for those who remain rooted to those practices without advancing further.
By karma-yoga one achieves swarga or heaven, by jnana-yoga one achieves the impersonal brahma-jyoti, and by bhakti-yoga, one achieves Vaikuntha, the spiritual Kingdom of God, which includes full cognizance of the transcendental existence of Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Shri Krishna. “One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” (Bg.18.54) In this verse the Supreme Brahman refers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Spirit. The yoga system takes the practitioner through three levels of spiritual realization; Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan realization.
