Pandit Rajmani Tigunait
Karma Yoga In Action
In his evococative biography, Touched by Fire: The Ongoing Journey of a Spiritual Seeker, teacher Pandit Rajmani Tigunait PhD describes his own path of spiritual seeking and questioning, of meeting his spiritual teacher, Swami Rama, and the great benefits that can come from living the contemplative life. The title is a fitting one as his journey is truly ongoing and has continued throughout his entire life, from beginning his studies with Swami Rama as described in Fire to becoming his teacher’s successor in the lineage and serving as the spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.
Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is a role model of a person who combines a committed life of contemplative practice with family, living in community and an ongoing emphasis on Karma Yoga through engaged service in humanitarian projects around the world.
He is a prolific writer and teacher whose fourteen books include At the Eleventh Hour: The Biography of Swami Rama; Tantra Unveiled: Seducing the Forces of Matter and Spirit; The Power of Mantra and the Mystery of Initiation; and Lighting the Flame of Compassion. In addition, he is a frequent contributor to Yoga International magazine and teaches throughout the year, at the Himalayan Institute and worldwide.
Spearheaded by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, the reach of the Himalayan Institute (HI) has been expanded beyond its grounds with global humanitarian projects in Africa, India, Mexico and other locations that focus both on rural empowerment and environmental regeneration. They have launched a collaborative Help Africa Move Forward™ campaign with a HI Community Center in Cameroon.
Since Pandit Rajmani Tigunait emphasizes that the global and the local are intertwined and everything begins with our personal empowerment, he is in the midst of teaching a program in Living Tantra, a six-part course that explores the interconnected roots of Yoga, meditation and Ayurveda.
During the weekend of the International Association of Yoga Therapists’ October Research Conference held on the campus of the Himalayan Institute, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait took some time to talk to LA YOGA about Yoga and Ayurveda, the importance of personal practice, why study Tantra and how Karma Yoga can be an antidote to the collective sorrow circling the world today.
Felicia M. Tomasko: How do you see the integration of the traditions of Yoga and Ayurveda?
Pandit Rajmani Tigunait: Ayurveda and Yoga are interrelated sciences that come from the same philosophical orientation of Samkhya. Both are concerned with the eradication or elimination of pain.
The practice of Ayurveda contains the principles pertaining to diet, exercise, breathing, and how to keep one’s mental states healthy, less disturbed and less distracted. It also contains information about the physical aspects of healing in terms of providing treatment for different kinds of illnesses. In Yoga, greater emphasis is placed on removing mental pain through focusing on a much deeper level of healing and enlightenment. When it comes to a complete human being, the principles of Ayurveda and Yoga go hand in hand.
The ancient systems of Yoga and Ayurveda were already integrated. You may be trying your best to practice exercises, asanas, pranayama and mudras and you may still feel some discomfort in your body due to lack of stamina, strength and vitality, so Ayurveda is helpful. You may be doing your best to apply the practice of Ayurveda to yourself whether through panchakarma [cleansing techniques] or rejuvenation and things aren’t working out; that’s when you incorporate pranayama, asanas, relaxation, meditation and some of the contemplative techniques. Ayurveda and Yoga become more effective and more complete when they are practiced together. And as soon as you combine these two, you will feel much better.
FMT: How do you suggest that people, particularly people who are practitioners, stay focused on their personal practice?
PRT: So much of the energy of any healer is focused outward. If you do not have a way of replenishing yourself on the daily basis, it takes a toll on the body and mind. Healers must have love, kindness, compassion and a natural desire for spontaneously giving and serving. As a healer, you are not only offering an asana class or giving medicine; you are also sharing your love and compassion. That is shakti – energy and healing power.
Having a regular Yoga practice is necessary to charge the batteries of your body, mind and nervous system. With the help of Ayurveda you can learn how to manage your own health. But managing health is only one aspect of being truly healthy. Unless we tap into the most primordial healing force within ourselves, we can never really replenish ourselves on a regular basis nor can we guide our peers, students, clients or friends into lasting inner healing. Therefore establishing oneself in personal practice is very important.
Unless we tap into the most primordial healing force within ourselves, we can never really replenish ourselves on a regular basis nor can we guide our peers, students, clients or friends into lasting inner healing.
FMT: You are currently teaching a program called Living Tantra, which addresses this issue of establishing in personal practice as well as bringing together Yoga and Ayurveda on a practical basis. What is the overarching message that you are trying to communicate with this program?
PRT: With Living Tantra, I’m trying to make people aware of the fact that personal healing and personal empowerment are at the foundation of any kind of transformation. This is true whether we are trying to achieve transformation by practicing Yoga, practicing
Ayurveda or practicing any other form of healing.
The tantric model of healing has already been proven to be the most balanced, comprehensive and integrated system of healing. We do not need to reinvent this wheel again and again. People say, “I practice Yoga, homeopathy, breathing techniques, relaxation, biofeedback, Chinese medicine or Ayurveda.” Each of these different systems of healing, spirituality and physical therapy are all correct and wonderful. But the integrated application of these healing paradigms can become more complete and more effective. Yet people are trying to integrate these different paradigms in their own manner. Quite often the system of integrating these different paradigms becomes something of a collective: grab one system from here and one from there and just put them together. Still they remain disjointed.
Tantra has already created a cohesive system of putting these different paradigms together; because Tantra involves embracing different systems of health, healing and personal empowerment.
Some techniques of Tantra are more yogic, some more Ayurvedic, some more esoteric, some are more ritualistic and others are closer to religious practices, but when you put them together within the context of tantric philosophy, physics and spirituality, they automatically fit cohesively. This allows for the experience of comprehensive healing and empowerment leading to a much larger transformation at the level of our families and our society.
FMT: Is there something particular about this time in history? These teachings weren’t available for such a long time and have now become more available. Why do you think that’s the case?
PRT: Swami Vivekananda came to this country more than one hundred years ago, in 1893. At that time he introduced Eastern spirituality within the context of Hinduism. He chose Advaita Vedanta, the non-dualistic approach to spirituality. He hardly talked about Yoga. In fact, he didn’t have a very positive attitude toward Yoga when he introduced Indian spirituality here.
About ten years later, Swami Ram Tirtha came, another great master. His approach was a little wider; it was more related to Vedantic spirituality and selfless service, compassion, love and bhakti [devotion], but still within the model of Advaita or non-dualism. In 1920, Yogananda Paramahansa came and more in-depth communication began between India and the United States. Another 40 years later, in the 1960s, Yoga was actually introduced with great masters including Swami Satchidananda, Swami Muktananda, Swami Vishnudevananda and Swami Rama. Their approach to Yoga was much more comprehensive than what we see today, which is primarily asana-based Yoga.
By now, a lot of literature of the different paths and philosophies of Yoga has been published. And even though Yoga is quite often only taught as asana, we have access to so much information on Yoga that academies, colleges and universities are teaching Indian Philosophy.
Today, millions of people are practicing Yoga and there are millions more who are aware of Yoga as a system of spirituality and philosophy. Out of these tens of millions, there are a number of seekers who are looking for a wider range of Yoga and spirituality to address not just the needs of their bodies, but also the needs of their minds and souls. They are looking for the comprehensive Yoga that reinforces their interest in healing and empowerment and helps them promote healthy and long-lasting transformation in their families and in our society.
This is the time to introduce Yoga in its fullness, which is why I have introduced Living Tantra in which Tantra is Yoga, Yoga is Tantra, Ayurveda is Tantra and Tantra is Ayurveda.
The most comprehensive application of mantra, which is an integral part of meditation, is in Tantra. Most of the most complete information on Yantra, kundalini and chakras is in Tantra. Information on breathing and visualization is available in Tantra. If introduced in its purity and fullness, not just as sex or magic, Tantra can offer solutions to many of the problems which we as individuals and we as a society are facing.
FMT: From the way you’ve described this historical progression of ideas, the next step is to understand Tantra, the philosophy that ties it all together.
PRT: People are ready. Let’s say there are 30 million people practicing, some of them want to become happier and healthier. Out of those people, many know that if these sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda have endured, there must be something good in them. People are ready to receive a deeper level of Yoga, spirituality and meditation.
FMT: From what you’ve described, the individual, the community and society are interrelated. The Himalayan Institute is involved in cooperative projects in Africa and Mexico, with Tibetan refugees and here locally. How do we integrate the personal and the community work in terms of seva [selfless service]? How do they affect each other?
PRT: In our ignorance we may think that we are separate from this vast web of life, but thetruth is that we are an integral part of it. Years ago, I was going through an amazing phase in my own life: studying and practicing long hours of meditation. I felt a deep sense of sadness that used to overpower me. This lasted for a few years. One day I told my Master Swamiji [Swami Rama]. He was quiet for some time, and then he said that it’s not that I have some sadness of my own, but due to the nature of the practice with which I was involved, I was much more open to the world and to the rest of Mother Nature. My heart was sensing the dominant energy out there.
He explained that even though we have made great social and economic progress, nearly 300 million people in China alone are virtually homeless: floating from one construction site to another, living with less than one dollar a day. Put this together with another 400 million people in India and another 700 million in Africa and you have many millions who are suffering from poverty. One billion people go to bed hungry. This is a factory oozing out despair, sorrow, anger and grief every day, twenty-four hours a day.
You can imagine one billion human hearts emitting sorrow, grief, pain and misery every day. These clouds of anger, grief, and insecurity circle everywhere on the planet. Even those who are not so poor and those who are not suffering as much – they too are influenced by the pain, misery and suffering of others.
Because of this interconnectedness, when we serve and care for others, at some level we are caring, loving and paying attention to ourselves. If we understand the principle the principle of the whole planet as being one organic entity, then we find a great joy in serving and making a difference to others. When we can share a tiny part of the best of whatever we have, it literally multiplies in terms of the joy and satisfaction that we receive. An example of this principle is found in nature: Trees never eat their own fruit. They receive nourishment from the sun, the water and the soil and they share their fruit with the rest of the planet. We can learn from trees when we want to learn how to share. When we practice this, even in a small way, then knowing that we are instrumental in doing good for others transforms our simplest action into the most profound Karma Yoga. Karma Yoga performed with the right attitude and intention becomes a source of freedom.
FMT: As much as we can think: Okay, if we can practice enough, keep ourselves healthy, take the right herbs and everything else, it seems as though we can’t help but be affected by what goes on around us. Do you feel like the remedy we need for this is found in Karma Yoga?
Karma Yoga performed with the right attitude and intention becomes a source of freedom.
PRT: No doubt about it. There is a saying that karma comes back to you: “As you sow, so shall you reap.” What we do today as a community and as a society immediately reflects back on us as individuals. It is important to integrate the healing and enlightenment of others with our own personal empowerment, healing and enlightenment. In this way, our external world becomes conducive to our inner journey.
FMT: Yet it is easy for people to feel helpless or hopeless. What can be done to alleviate these feelings?
PRT: It can be helpful to become part of an institute, organization, nonprofit, community or group with a path-providing infrastructure that already has the means and tools for effective service. It can feel overwhelming and we can become disappointed if we’re trying to help and serve individually. When we work collectively and make strategic decisions about where to place our energy for Karma Yoga, then we can really have an impact with constructive seva [selfless service].
Community magnifies the power of Karma Yoga. The mantra: Sangam sharanam gacchami means let us take refuge. Let us join hands with a group of similarly-minded people. This is sangha. Once you join hands with a group of similarly-minded people, what automatically comes to you is dhammam sharanam gacchami. When you are empowered by the power of the sangha, you walk toward your dharma and dharma comes toward you. You embrace dharma and then automatically comes: buddham sharanam gaccham, Buddha the enlightened one inside you. The enlightened part of you manifests and you begin to realize that your efforts are never wasted. That is very fulfilling.
FMT: How do you suggest that people find their sangha?
PRT: Through whatever one is doing to connect with other spiritually and service-oriented like-minded people, whether through Yoga International, LA YOGA magazine, Yoga Journal, any number of conferences, local community events or searching on the internet. Seek and you will find; this is what the seeking is all about.
FMT: In this process of seeking, people often find that they are in the right place through their inner recognition. At the Himalayan Institute, you have a community of people who live in residence and a community of people who come here once or many times. In some ways this is a model of sangha.
PRT: We are so grateful to the Divine Being who has given us this fulfilling opportunity. Being in community creates an environment where you reflect on yourself spontaneously and effortlessly from every angle and from every vantage point.
It becomes easy to see who you are, where you are and what you want to become. You begin to see how life is a great gift. Living in this kind of community is rewarding because you can see each other, you can see yourself in others, and you can see each other
in yourself.
FMT: As the world is going through what it’s going through today where there is an increase in despair and worry and where more people are feeling ill or depressed in many ways, one of the antidotes is community, in addition to Karma Yoga, service, and the teachings of Tantra that brings all these things together. Thank you for your time talking about these teachings.
For more information on Living Tantra or the Himalayan Institute, please visit: himalayaninstitute.org.
Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.