Yoga Stories from Guru Guptananda: How to be Happy and Healthy - Yoga Wisdom Explained

INTRODUCTION

FOR YOUNGER READERS

Greetings all young yogis out there! I’ve made this book for you. You are interested in yoga, you may even have a lovely athletic teacher, but they might never tell you what the ideas behind yoga are. That would be a pity because these ideas are actually the most important part of yoga.

The stories in this book are about the life of an Indian swami called Ramesh Guptananda. He was a teacher of yoga philosophy — that’s what swami means. Many funny and interesting things happened throughout his colourful life and this book features real-life stories about Guptananda and his family, to help explain different aspects of yoga.

In Chapter 1, you can find out about Guptananda, and this will help you to understand how the stories fitted together during his lifetime.

As you read, try to imagine a kind, elderly man with a gentle Indian accent is speaking to you about his life, it will add to your enjoyment of the book.

Sometimes Guptananda talks as if he is telling the story about another person, almost as if he is embarrassed to admit to some of the things he did in the past. After all, even a guru (a spiritual teacher) may not be perfect. Guptananda always takes care to admit the truth.

All the sections this font are for people who would like a little more information about yoga philosophy. Information for teachers and parents is at the back. If you just want to read the stories, read on.

In this book you will find the idea that there is more to life than what we can see, hear and feel. There are many religions in the world and they are all reaching out to a Higher Power, which some people call ‘God’, the ‘Source’, the ‘Great Spirit’ or the ‘Universe’ and other names too. This book has a Hindu background and the principles in it are very similar to the Ten Commandments of the Bible. However, this book is about spirituality rather than religion.

You don’t have to be religious to enjoy and learn from Guptananda’s stories. They are stories to make you smile and think.

CHAPTER 1

ABOUT GUPTANANDA

Guptananda always enjoyed helping others. Even as a small child he was deeply affected by other people’s needs. He had a gentle sense of humour and a kindness about him that draws us into his stories. He didn’t mind laughing at his own mistakes. This book is full of stories about his life from the age of four until his mid-twenties.

Ramesh Guptananda and his family lived very many years ago in Northern India in a comfortable house with grounds and servants’ quarters. They were Brahmins (from the priestly class) and Guptananda’s father was the chief scribe at the temple. His work was to write out and illustrate holy texts. His mother supervised the servants at home. Five servants looked after the house and grounds. Ramesh had a brother called Anil, who was born two years after him, and a sister Usha, who was four years younger than Ramesh. His family called him Ramu for short.

Ramesh was very proud to have a horse, Raja, whom he loved dearly and who features in some of the stories. At the age of sixteen, Ramesh decided to follow a spiritual path. He found a guru who was willing to take him on as a trainee monk, who he lived and travelled with for several years. In his twenties he thought that family life would suit him better. His uncle arranged a family gathering where he met a lovely girl, Meera, and they were married within a few short months. Ramesh then worked alongside his father as a scribe in the temple. After ten years of a very happy, though childless marriage, sadly, Meera died. Ramesh then decided to return to the path of the holy man, living and travelling with his guru, helping and advising people on their spiritual growth.

These tales are about family, temple and village life, providing funny or touching incidents that show us how the ‘values’ or ‘rules of life’ apply to everyday living. In this book, Guptananda explains some of the more important aspects of yoga and shows how they fit into ordinary lives.

Names of the main characters:

Ramesh Guptananda — often called Ramu by his family

Anil — Ramesh’s brother

Usha — Ramesh’s sister

Meera — Ramesh’s wife

Rajendra — Ramesh’s father

Mother — Ramesh’s mother

Uncle Sanjay

Arun — the gardener

CHAPTER 2

THE EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA

Younger readers might want to just skip on to the first story, but teachers, parents and yoga students need to read this section.

THE EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA EXPLAINED

The Eight Limbs of Yoga are different practices or skills that people can learn, in order to work towards reaching ‘enlightenment’. Some say yoga is the ‘Quest of the Soul’. Enlightenment could be described as a deep understanding of the meaning of life and our place in the world.

Patanjali, an ancient sage or wise man, described the eight limbs of yoga as follows:

1. Yamas

Controls or things we should avoid doing.

2. Niyamas

Self-disciplines or things we should do to be healthy and happy.

3. Asana

Postures and physical exercises to keep the body healthy.

4. Pranayama

Breath control.

5. Pratyahara

Withdrawal of the senses.

6. Dharana

Concentration.

7. Dhyana

Meditation.

8. Samadhi

Blissfulness, ecstasy.

First, we need to be living in harmony with ourselves and other people. This is where the moral code and code of conduct come in — the Yamas and Niyamas that make up the first two limbs of yoga. The Yamas are sometimes called controls or restraints*, because they are things we should not do. The Niyamas are self-disciplines, or ‘positive duties’; they are things we should do.

Then we need to improve our health and energy levels by practising physical exercises, the asanas, and breath control, known as pranayama. These are the third and fourth limbs.

If we are doing our best to follow the Yamas and Niyamas, and our health is good enough for us to be able to work on our minds without the distraction of pain, we may be ready to move on. The next limb will lead to the ability to meditate. Some people who are in pain a lot actually train themselves to meditate to relieve pain.

In order to begin to meditate, first of all we have to learn to withdraw the senses from all the distractions of daily life. All the sights, sounds, smells and feelings that constantly attract our minds can be shut out temporarily when we learn pratyahara or sense withdrawal — the fifth limb. We don’t try permanently to withdraw ourselves from what life has to offer. It is something we learn to do in order to meditate for short periods of time.

For those who have decided they want to follow the path of the monk or nun, and to devote themselves to the spiritual life, then a great deal of withdrawal from life’s normal activities is involved. This book is for ordinary people living in the world in a normal way.

When external things do not distract us then we can practise dharana or concentration — the sixth limb.

When we can concentrate on a chosen subject like a beautiful