Jnana Method of Self-Realization

Once while my physical body slept, Srila Yogeshwarananda operated a video of a Pakistani spy intrigue movie in my subtle head. About half way through the movie he stopped it and began explaining that in the practice of jnana, an ascetic may achieve mental pacification by executing thorough analysis in the head of the subtle body using the buddhi intellect analysis adjunct.

Jnana and jnana-yoga are two different practices but some feel that jnana and jnana yoga are the same. For the integrity of yoga, jnana yoga has to be yoga + jnana. Bhakti yoga has to be yoga + bhakti. Karma yoga has to be yoga + karma. Each requires that the ascetic master yoga first and then add the other aspect.

Apart from this we need to realize that bhakti by itself, jnana by itself and karma by itself are paths in their own right. Thus someone may use bhakti, jnana or karma alone and attain some advancement. We heard about persons who used bhakti for instance, that alone without yoga, and who succeeded in their spiritual quest.

While looking at that movie in my subtle head, Srila Yogesh showed that the operation of the intellect in processing what occurred in the video, caused the intellect to reach a stage of mental pacification which could be called a meditative state, all depending on how one defines meditation and on what result one aspires for.

This method of using the intellect to reach a meditative state is not the recommendation in the Yoga Sutras. There the shutting down of the intellect and the cessation of any ideas expressed by it is required.

And yet, it must be admitted that certain ways of processing information could cause the intellect to become pacified whereby the self feels relived of having to process mental information.