Overcoming vicissitudes in life: NJ Reddy, founder of Yoga Prana Vidya

Overcoming vicissitudes in life: NJ Reddy, founder of Yoga Prana Vidya

NJ ReddyUpdated: Friday, July 03, 2020, 02:02 AM IST
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Overcoming Vicissitudes in Life: NJ Reddy, founder of Yoga Prana Vidya | FPJ

Let us discuss today about overcoming difficulties or vicissitudes in life; rising above suffering or dukkha.

Suffering is a very tough word. To be more apt, there is ‘also’ dukkha in life. Actually, this is also the first Noble Truth of Lord Buddha, which was wrongly interpreted as, “life is suffering”. Life is full of happy situations and sad situations, hard times and pleasant times, pleasurable events, and disagreeable events. So, suffering is only part of it. That is to say, there is also difficulty in life; not that life is only Dukha!

There are many causes for this dukkha. To be able to come out of the vicissitudes or difficulties, you have to really explore the numerous reasons for the suffering. When you address the causes, you will certainly come out of the misery.

There are many causes. In this session, we shall discuss a few of them:

1. Life is governed by cycles. Also, life is governed by change. We term them as the “Law of cycles” and the “Law of change”.

In general, our expectation is that we should be in a happy and comfortable state and remain like that permanently. This is not practical. And these unrealistic expectations are the cause for some of these vicissitudes.

Why do we have these unrealistic expectations? This is because we are not able to understand the “Law of cycles” and “Law of change”.

After day comes night and after every night arises a new day. Every season is followed by a different season. This is the “Law of Cycles”. But in the long run, there is also a change taking place. You are moving from childhood to adulthood; further to middle age and then to old age. This is the “Law of change” and you do not want this to happen. After coming to a certain age, you do not want the body to grow any older. That is an unrealistic expectation. The “Law of change” is also known as the “Law of impermanence”.

If you understand these laws, your expectations will transform. You have to practice deep discernment. If you take a look at Sanathana Dharma or some of the theosophical studies, the first important point on the evolutionary path is using Viveka or discernment. We have to use our thinking faculty and understand where we are, what is expected, what is reasonable, what is practicable and what is real etc. When you understand and address the causes, you will flow with the cycle; you will flow with the change! Hence, the experience of these vicissitudes will be minimized.

Therefore, in physical life there are difficulties; obviously, they cannot be totally eliminated. However, by understanding, you can handle them better.

2. There are many levels of understanding the “Law of cycles” and the “Law of change”. We are born into this body. Whatever is born will cease to exist or get destroyed one day! What starts will certainly end. That is to say, everything or everyone is transient. You see that life is changing and people transit their bodies one day. But, when it comes to yourself, you think you are not going to leave the body. Get to reality, practice discernment!

Your physical life is not everlasting. Thus, it is too short to be wasted. There is a purpose for coming into the body. Discern this. Why do you come into the body? Look into the deeper cause.

Your body is supported by Mother Earth. Mother Earth is carrying your body and moving. You are a load on Mother Earth, maybe only micro, but still it is. You are consuming the resources of Mother Earth. What you discard is handled by Mother Earth. All this suggests that you are being sustained, maintained, supported, and provided by Mother Earth. We need energy to survive. We get energy from the Sun too. You must realize that your body is supported by many! Therefore, you have an obligation to give back something to Mother Earth and others. Also, you must have gratitude.

If you keep wallowing in these difficult situations, which are also undergoing change; and without considering it, get into sadness and remorse due to the past, you waste the present and destroy your future. Therefore, please recognize these laws; that the time in this physical world is transient and is very important! You do not have a lot of time to while away. Hence, you must let go of the unnecessary past and move forward.

3. Earth is changing too. It is undergoing a process. There is a greater cycle of yugas, i.e., golden age to dark age and so on. We shall discuss it in the coming sessions.

4. If everything is temporary, nothing is permanent, then why do we come and go? Is there a purpose? In all that is passing, in all the law of cycles and change, in all the difficulty, there is something that’s happening. You the soul is growing, which is permanent. You carry your spiritual development into future incarnations, that is undying.

There is something which is eternal and perpetual, that which you can carry on to the next incarnation! So, there is actually no death! It is only transitioning from one state to another state. You transit from this body to a higher body and to another higher body and then maybe to a still higher body. Then again you get back, for the purpose of further development.

5. There is another principle to be grasped, the “Law of Cause and Effect”. This is also termed as “Law of Karma” or “Law of Entitlement”. Its corollary is “As you sow, you reap”. It implies that for everything there is a purpose or a reason.

“Law of karma” is not fatalistic. It is an instrument for our evolution if we understand it. When you go through the vicissitudes, you become stronger and compassionate. If you realize that there is a purpose, you will not feel the difficulty. You will understand it and go through the course of action. It is like you undergo a trial. When you go for a test and pass it, you are boosted, you are ready for the next trial. It is a process.

Physical life is full of challenges and is a means for the development of the soul. If you understand this, you will have a positive attitude towards life. If you understand “Law of Cause and Effect”, you will not blame anybody for any testing situation. There is a rationale behind everything that happens.

Epictetus, a Greek philosopher, said that in God’s world there is nothing which is without a purpose. In everything, there is something to learn. This must be grasped.

To sum up, you must let go of the unnecessary past, explore the purposes, understand the “Law of Cycles”, “Law of Change”, “Law of Karma” and strengthen yourself. You must maintain your physical health, emotional balance and mental clarity. Hence, make appropriate lifestyle and livelihood changes in order to maintain and sustain good health and happiness. We will later discuss more on “Law of Karma”.

Yoga Prana Vidya system tries to address health at various levels. For the people who are not introduced to the system, we suggest them to at least practice the techniques which are available on the YPV Sadhana app. Additionally, Yoga Prana Vidya also has an energy healing methodology to address difficult health conditions. Through the process of healing, we can help people maintain emotional balance and improve their health. Thus, apart from addressing health at physical, emotional, and mental levels using the various techniques in the YPV Sadhana app, we can further support those who are not able to manage their health well, using energy healing. You may download the YPV Sadhana app and try the techniques for improving yourself.

You may join our daily Facebook live sessions at www.facebook.com/ShriNJReddy. Timings: Morning 7.15 AM, Afternoon 1.00 PM, Evening 6.30 PM.

These live sessions will be extended daily up to 30th June 2020. These sessions will help sustain and upgrade the Immune System, which is the present need of the hour.

You can also visit You Tube yogapranavidyaashram to see lectures by Shri NJ Reddy or visit website www.ypvgreatvision.com.

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