Interview with Dr Chandra Shekhar Bhatt
Author of VAJRAMUKTI YOGA
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How would you describe yourself?
- Dr Chandra Shekhar Bhatt, a black belt in karate and an authority in Yoga has developed a unique system for fitness combining Yoga and Karate known as Vajramukti. Says Dr Bhatt “the benefits of Vajramukti are manifold besides helping in metaphysical endeavors; the techniques help contain many diseases and even have sexual benefits".
Dr Chandra Shekhar has named this art Vajramukti which means action to liberation
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What place does writing hold in your life, how has been your writing journey so far? Who is your target Audience?
- Writing is like flowing in my life. Whatever happens in life affecting my being I like to scribble it and then present to the world for helping mankind. I do not write thinking about a specific type of audience. I write for myself, to be honest. The thoughts that remain buried inside me for a long time, I try to express those, what I went through by the evils done to me. I feel every reader is my audience, and I want each one of you to read my work surrounded by my philosophy of nonviolent art Vajramuktiyoga for healing helping mankind
Tell us something about the books that you have written and the story behind them.
- Who am I? Its a philosophical talks between me and my father here i am giving an extract of that book Extracts from the book Who am I? Philosophical talks between Dr Chandra Shekhar Bhatt and his father Pundit Tarashrikrishna Bhatt in the form of svetaketu Upanishad
Shekhar Tell me about reincarnation and your master's way about renunciation. When I had told you about mother’s love. You told me about unearthly love, explain me about this love.
Pitaji, here is the dialogue from Hindu scriptures to explain reincarnation between king and the learnt man Bhanto Nagasena : does rebirth takes place without anything transmigrating or passing over?
Yes your majesty, a man were light a light from another light, pray, would the one light have passed over (transmigrated) to the other light?
No, verily Bhanto
In exactly the same way, Your Majesty does rebirth takes place without anything transmigrating
Give another illustration
Do you remember, Your Majesty, having learnt, when you were a boy, some verse or other from your professor of poetry?
Yes Bhanto
Pray, Your Majesty. Did the verse pass over (transmigrate) to you from your teacher?
No, verily, Bhanto
In exactly the same way, your Majesty does rebirth take place without anything transmigrating.
Bhanto Nagasena, said the king, what it is that is born into the next existence.
Your Majesty, said the elder. It is name and form that is born into the new Existence.
My master never advocates the path of renunciation he says you live in the world, perform all the worldly duties yet try to remain detached.
Within these karmic entanglements we have to find our way for knowing who we are.
Real yoga
Yoga is often reduced to the asana alone just as martial arts are often reduced to only aerobic kicking and punching. The deeper meanings beneath the underlying philosophies are usually lost. While many of today's instructors struggle to maintain an air of tradition in their health club classrooms, the main marketing motivation for many of those clubs is the vain pursuit of a higher butt. While this might be a supplementary bonus, imagine Bodhidharma's reaction. This is most evident in cross training. Yoga is said to compliment martial arts and vice versa. In its actuality, both yoga and martial arts are complete systems. Study either one thoroughly and there is no need of anything else. The concept of complimentary training implies that there is a deficit. But after a thousand of years of research and development, neither yoga nor kung fu has any gaps to be filled. Both disciplines offer a fulfilling lifetime quest; all that need be done is that you pursue it for a lifetime. It is only our MTV- driven attention span that makes us move to the next thing before truly engaging the previous one. There have been some hybrids of kung fu and yoga-like 'Shaolin yoga' designed to catch our attention with the promise of filling the two 'needs' at once. For the most part, these mongrel schools are really marketing ploys, not actual innovation. Both compound the issue. As a matter of fact, there is already an eastern fusion of yoga to martial arts that completely omits Bodhidharma. The modern Indian master Chandra Shekhar Bhatt is an exponent of a hybrid of martial arts and yoga known as v a j r a m u k t I he has had enough of a following to publish books, but you would have to go all the way to Bombay to train with him.
Tao of Electricity
Traveling in “vijaydoot” the name of a product carrier ship, when we entered at Bengal harbor at Netaji Subhash dock going through the river seeing the greenness and people over there, years had passed after British invasion and industrial revolution but the greenness still remains, children’s playing, small huts people living in, still the beauty remains. The soul is there. But there in France when we were heading to Rouen, going from the river the same conditions prevailing, lands water greenery but more sophisticated. At France I was thinking with all modern amenities there is something missing later on I realized it was soul light of soul Due to the effects of wars and invasions resulting poverty the houses are small huts in Calcutta harbor, but advanced houses or huts with glassed doors the cars parked outside everything looking attractive at France. As we enter inside the houses became more prominent, the technology was superb, but at what cost of humanity and colonial extraction One side of the world had lost to poverty the other side is growing; it takes me back to the time when people from distant part used to come to India to learn at NALANDA and various books had been written on appreciation on the technology. They were doing surgery also at Nalanda but only if there wasn’t any other alternative, they believed in being with the nature, using natural herbs as medicine preparing it in natural way and being aware about all the herbs and plants and trees, talking with them, there were mantras being used at the time of breaking leaves or even wood from the trees, they used to request the plant and pray that we are taking it for the medicine or for prayer. There were even times fixed for breaking leaves one has to go through the descriptive calculated calendars as per astrology and astronomy. I used to discuss these things with my friends Unni, Mathews, thawal and my Chinese friend Yu Chu. Tao of Electricity is a journey towards unknown from material to metaphysics
Vajramukti yoga: Zen & martial arts. Probing in deeper subtle worlds by Dr Chandra Shekhar Bhatt
Vajramukti stress on inner tranquility forms the basis of relief from stress-related diseases of modern life the proverb the perfect swordsman avoids quarreling or fighting…the best thing is to be a victor without fighting. Chinese proverb for a layman, meditation and martial arts may be poles apart, a yogi and a karateka may be two different species. But for Dr Chandra Shekhar Bhatt these are two sides of same coin bhatt a leading exponent of yoga and a black belt in karate has evolved a new system called Vajramukti, a combination of yoga meditation and martial arts. Vajramukti means from action to liberation. This system helps a practitioner physically mentally emotionally and spiritually, works in prevention and rehabilitation in many diseases. Vajramukti can cure a number of ailments like varicose veins blood pressure diabetes chronic constipation excessive fats stress-related diseases arising from day to day functioning the fundamental idea of Vajramukti is to make human being exist in an atmosphere of awareness. Rid of all conditioning. Its central idea revolves around living from moment to moment because life is to be lived in the present. Our minds generally preoccupied with the past and future prevent us from living in the present, prevents us from appreciating what is. This lack of consciousness can cause a lack of happiness and peace. But one question which arises in the mind of a layman is how the seemingly irreconcilable systems like martial arts and yoga can combine to provide a viable system for a healthy mind and a healthy body. According to Dr Bhatt, the aims of martial arts and yoga are not very different. Both move in the same direction. Both help in creating more awareness, both ultimately strive for inner realization. Many Chinese martial arts believe that the systematic approach to fighting begins in china early in the 6th-century ad. Their belief is based on the legend of the Indian monk Bodhidharma who came to sang sheen in china and taught a more direct approach to Buddhism including long hours of static meditation. To help them withstand long hours of meditation. He taught them breathing techniques also stipulated exercises to help them develop both the strength and ability to defend themselves in remote mountainous areas where they lived. Many Chinese and Japanese martial arts are thought to have evolved from this tradition. According to some Chinese martial arts masters, it was Bodhidharma who introduced into china the notion of wu te or martial virtue, which encompasses the quality of restraint, discipline, humility, and respect. Prior to Bodhidharma's arrival, Chinese martial arts were trained primarily to fight and were prone to bully weaker people. But wu te propounded that the martial arts were really meant to promote health and spiritual development. Dr. Bhatt echoes similar ideas in his forthcoming book on Vajramukti he says that martial art is for the coordination of mind and body and not for street fighting. A roadside thug can teach anyone the basics of street fighting but it is only a real master who can teach martial arts. He says “when we are angry, we start clinging to anger and some chemicals are released into the bloodstream. We have created a situation where we will either fight or escape. If this anger is creatively used, we can work miracles,” he writes the body follows the dictates of the mind. The mind interprets someone as a friend or foe. When there is no friend or enemy, a higher path is opened before us. Awareness expands. Such a mind works from a space of total awareness. It is committed to nonviolence and love. It is only when one is calm and tranquil that one can observe life as it is. Vajramukti is a system that operates from a very high level of awareness. It refines body and mind; it also acts as a preventive and cure for many ailments. Through Vajramukti one becomes aware of even cells, muscles and tendons. Indian Express newspaper Mumbai why fights, wars, conflicts happen.
Is martial art necessary to learn by Dr Chandra Shekhar Bhatt
Martial arts for world peace
Dr Chandra shekhar Bhatt speaks for world peace through his nonviolent form of martial arts known as Vajramukti
VAJRAMUKTI VIEWING MARTIAL ARTS IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE
Express news service Mumbai BY Indian Express prestigious
Indian news paper
Spectacular kicks awesome punches, breathtaking acrobats and fearsome yells—scenes associated with martial arts, courtesy the big screen and blockbuster hits such as enter the dragon. Bruce lee and men of his elk did much to boost martial arts and their exploits captivated and fascinated wide-eyed audiences by the millions. Martial arts flourished the world over evident by the vast legion of fans and adherents. The brazen exploits on the screen. However, they are incongruous to the essence of the art, objectives of which are metaphysical and ironically focus on peace, harmony, and co-existence between man and the cosmos. Combat if at all associated with the art, is ethically restricted to self-defense. Chandra Shekhar Bhatt, while paying glowing tribute to Bruce lee “the master”, attempts to rid misconceptions connected with martial arts and what better way than to author Vajramukti, a book presenting a fusion of karate and mystic Indian discipline yoga, common in objective in seeking a higher plane in life en route to the search for absolute truth. Chandra Shekhar, a black belt in karate and an authority in yoga, emphasizes India's role in the origin of martial arts and traces the efforts of a Buddhist monk Bodhidharma in propagating it to china and the orient. Chandra Shekhar names his art Vajramukti which means action to liberation---action in terms of using the techniques of yoga and karate---that are meant to an end---that of controlling mind and body, enhancing discipline and nonviolence. The benefits of Vajramukti are manifold according to the author. Besides helping in metaphysical endeavors, the techniques endorsed help resist disease and even present sexual benefits. The book, with illustrations, touches on the history of the various martial arts disciplines, carries chapters on meditations and fasting, besides simple techniques in self-defense. Published by Vajramukti yoga foundations the 128-page book was released by the rotary club, Mumbai at the gar-ware clubhouse.
Can you What's the most moving or affecting thing a reader has said to you?
- Oh once someone in face book said -Sir your works on Vajramukti saved my life and its understandings. That was great feelings to help mankind.
What are your favorite three books, and why?
- Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Tao of physics because they take you from technology to inquiry into morals.
Who are your favorite three authors and what do you like the most about them?
- Oh there are many favorite authors i read but one name is rushing to my memory is 'John Gresham' author of 'The Firm', Richard Bach a pilot, Robert M Piercing the most what i like about them is depth on subject and quality and philosophy.
Tell us about the books that you are currently writing and their progress. What inspired you to write those books
- Currently I am working on my Autobiography and a book on metaphysical art of war. It was my long time interactions with Dr Ram Bhosle and my father, my teacher who wanted those stories of mine with different masters to be presented for the help and awareness of mankind. Dr Ram Bhosle lived with the deathless master's master for many months. Deathless master's description is given in the book Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yoganandaji.
Apart from writing, what goals do you want to achieve in life?
- Apart from writing, I want to be a good Martial artist, Philosopher and set up my art Vajramukti yoga schools around the world and help mankind.
What message do you want to share with budding writers?
- Please help all being to give birth to their own ideas and help all writers so all feel the value of writing.
What is your writing process, a typical writing day routine?
- There is no routine as such but i make a point to scribble some thought coming daily and then I play flute to remove the crystallization of mind so it flows without conditioning.
