Krishna and His flute have a great relevance to Ashtang Yoga. Krishna's flute is also a great metaphor of Ashtang Yoga. Krishna himself was a great yogi, a perfect yogi. He was a true Raj Yogi. The whole purpose of Ashtang Yoga is to bring that understanding to these body doors so that the whole body becomes an instrument for the free flow of pure consciousness so that our own body becomes an instrument of divine melody.
There is a science for the flowing and blowing of this air through the flute. All flutists know this science and this secret of the free flow of air. There is also a complete science in the making of a flute. The size of the wholes. The distance between the wholes. The passage of air that passes through all these holes. The kind of bamboo. The burning of the bamboo. Is the flute bamboo straight or having a bend. All these matter a lot in the making of good flute. When the flute is good and when the flute player is good, the creation of a divine melody is easily possible. This is the reason why Krishna himself was a great flute player. This is the reason why his flute melody was enchanting and enlightening. This is the reason why people were mad for listening to his flute melody. He was really a wonderful person. There is also a great science in the free flow of the passage of air throughout the flute. Sometimes there are situations when the air blown inside the flute is obstructed. That is the reason all the flute players keep the flute clean. We all know that even air blocks are possible. The blockage of air can also be because of dust particles. All flutists use fine cloth and oil to clean the flute completely so that no air blockage is possible. This process helps them to keep their flutes clean and free of all air blockages. This is how great melody is possible. All great flute players know this secret. If the same understanding is extended spiritually the same secret can become the secret of all secrets.
Just imagine the case of our human body. There are eight doors to our body. There are eight layers. There are eight stages to pass through. These can become eight steps to the ultimate goal. These are: (1) Physical body, (2) Mind, the mental or intellectual body, (3) Thought body, (4) Heart or emotional body, (5) Feelings, the feeling body, (6) No-Mind or New Mind, (7) Silence or silent body and (8) Nirvana or Nirvanic body. Through these eight doors the divine comes and goes but we do not take note of. The whole purpose of Ashtang Yoga is to bring that understanding so that these eight layers or limbs become the doors to the divine. The whole process of Ashtang Yoga is to transform these bodies and attain to the bodiless body called the Nirvanic body. The purpose of all Hatha Yoga techniques is to make the physical body strong and agile and make it suitable for Pranayam and Meditation. The purpose of all pranayam or breathing techniques is to take the body above physical and make it ready and suitable for breathing. The whole purpose of meditation is to watch the body actions, to watch the thoughts and emotions, to watch the breathing and go beyond and transcendental. Becoming a pure witness and a pure consciousness is attaining to the Nirvanic Body.
Physicians have found now that the veins and arteries in our body which carry blood and oxygen can some time create a blockage. This blockage can be because of the accumulation of fats in the the arteries. Any obstruction in the free flow of oxygen and blood in the body results in ill-health. This blockage can be removed by removing the fat accumulation in the arteries. This can be the reason of ill-health on a physical level. Pranayam or breathing techniques can also help in regaining health in a big way. But on a spiritual level there can be other fats in our being which can become a great obstacle for the free flow of our consciousness. These fats can be ego, ignorance, lust, greed, anger, etc. Ashtang Yoga of Patanjali is a great science to overcome these barriers. That is the reason why Ashtang Yoga is a holistic and comprehensive science. Yoga helps in a great way in cleansing these blockages. Ill-health of our body can be because of these reasons, both physical and spiritual.
Forget about cleaning our body, mind and heart. Forget about cleaning the flute. I have heard that even a revolver and a rifle bore is occasionally cleaned by using a good gun oil for the free flow of the bullets. When we know that there is a need to clean the revolver, rifle and flute, why can't we think then that there can be such a need to clean our bodies? Ashtang Yoga is that technique to clean and cleanse or body so that our body can become a carrier of pure consciousness. This is the Nirvanic Body. This is the goal and purpose of Ashtang Yoga. This is the secret of Krishna's flute. This is the secret of Krishna's Raj Yoga. Let our body be a flute of that divine consciousness. Let that divinity be our melody. Let this be our ultimate goal. This is the 8th step of Ashtang Yoga.
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