The Vedic Yoga

I could easily discern the Vedic roots of the Yoga tradition, its way of mantra and meditation and its understanding of the subtle body and the energies of consciousness.  Aurobindo’s insights in this direction were a  great help. I was only following a path that he had already opened out. However, I was astounded that few scholars had noticed it, even from India. For example, Radhakrishnan missed the boat on the Vedas, even though he knew Aurobindo directly. He preferred the views of Max Muller!

That the Rig Vedic deities are symbols of internal processes was self-evident to me. The Vedic fire on an inner level is the fire of consciousness, Chidagni. The Vedic Soma is the Ananda or Bliss. Indra is the Supreme Purusha or pure being and truth, sat or satya. Vedic mantras reflect the unfoldment of these principles on different planes and levels of the universe, outwardly and inwardly.

For example, Agni or fire on a physical level is the digestive fire. On the vital level it is the fire of prana or breath. On the mental level it is the fire of perception. In the buddhi or higher mind it is the flame of discrimination (viveka). On the spiritual plane it is the flame of awareness.

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