Bhagavad Gita chapter 5 verse 7

“yogayukto visuddhatma vijitatma jitendriyah sarvabhutatmabhutatma kurvann api na lipyate”

 

“No taint (karmic involvement) touches the sanctified man of action who is engaged in divine communion (yoga), who has conquered ego consciousness (by attaining soul perception), who is victorious over his senses, and who feels his self as the Self existing in all beings.”

 

This verse is describing a process occurring within an individual as a result of freeing themselves from the control of the ego and the senses.

 

When a person is controlled by the ego their actions reflect the ego’s motive.  The focus of the ego is usually to control someone or something outside of itself for gain, or the perception of gain.  The ego drives our attention outside of ourselves.  When our attention is focused on the external world we usually suffer emotionally as a result of losing contact with ourselves.  For example, you see someone who you think is more attractive than yourself.  You either begin to feel inadequate, and need to make yourself feel superior to them, or you want to be like them and think of how to change yourself.  Either of these scenarios will cause you emotional pain.

 

When one has “conquered ego consciousness” their actions are no longer ruled by the ego.  Actions performed without ego are usually performed without motive for gain, but for the purpose of performing the action.  The act is performed without emotion or desire, but out of need either for yourself or someone else.  The action is performed without expectation, therefore the result of the action is one of purity, without intent.

 

It is this form of action the verse is referring to when stating “no taint (karmic involvement) touches the sanctified man of action.”

 

The senses also focus our attention outside of ourselves, usually effecting the actions we choose.  When we follow the stimulus brought to us by our senses we are following our desires.  When we our lead by our desires, we become entangled in a cycle of pleasure seeking, followed by pain.  When we begin to understand this pattern we can become objective about how to use the information our senses bring to us, through awareness of our emotional state, as we process this information.  We also begin to understand that joy must develop internally, and can not be sustained by anything outside of ourselves.

 

For example, by watching the changing of the seasons and the behavioral changes in both plants and animals, we begin to understand that everything needs a slower, quiet time in order to sustain periods of high energy and growth.  In nature the quiet dormant time of winter allows for the rebirth of spring and the abundance of summer.  Without winter there can be no summer.  Our bodies and lives are the same, we need times of quiet to create the energy we need to sustain our lives.  When we allow time to look into the darkness, we create our own light, just as in nature.

 

The process of using our senses to understand ourselves and our world is the act of being “victorious over our senses”  Acting without ego and using the senses as tools for understanding, allows insight into our true selves, or as stated in verse 7 “… (he) who feels his self as the Self existing in all beings.”

 

Vicious or Virtuous or Of-No-Quality

Life tends to be a vicious cycle.  We go on asking questions while the answer is embedded in the question.  When the questions arises, the answer gets hidden.  As the question gathers more intensity, the answer moves further away.  One thing leads to another until the cycle gets complete, goes full circle. 

To move in cycles and circles is boredom, adds more pressure to our being, makes us gravitate further to the centre of the earth.  It totally eliminates our childness in us, playfulness disappears. The charm is lost, charisma gets tainted with mud, the magnet of the earth bogs us down to the lava. This same routine is performed life after life.  We hardly change, we never change.  We assume we have changed. The mind paints the picture of change and con-vince us that we have changed. Mind disguises it’s cunningness by using the notion of Time as it’s mask.

This disguise is unmasked when the mind is put to rest, it’s viciousness is converted and transformed.  Whenever and wherever there is consciousness, there is a revolution against this atomic disaster.

Your consciousness has remained juvenile. The tragedy can be removed. You have remained in this revolution because you have an attachment to the routine.  All you need is to be being TOTAL, remain Of-No-Quality.

Yoga Sutras Study – 2.54

2.54

Svavisaya asmprayoge cittasya svarupanukarah iva indriyanam pratyaharah

 

Withdrawing the senses, mind and consciousness from contact with external objects, and then drawing them inwards towards the seer, is pratyahara.

 

In one of the famous pictures in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna is sitting on a five-horse chariot, holding the rein in his hand. The five horses represent the five senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching. Without discipline, the five senses are always searching for objects outside. Once the senses are attracted to a certain object, the mind starts to flow. Consciousness unites with the sensed objects and as a result we start judging the objects by what we see, hear, smell, taste and touch, or starting relating the true Self with these objects. For example, when a Chinese tastes Indian desert for the first time in life, he feels sweet and says “It is sweet”. However, to a Indian who has been growing up eating this kind of sweet food every day, he feels nothing particular and the desert is “just nice” to him. Similarly, when one feels cold, he says “I am cold”. However, it is the “sense” sending out the “cold” signal, he has been united with the senses but not the true Self.

 

Pratyahara is a state when senses are withdrew and directed inwards. When we engage ourselves with the senses, our energy is moving outward. You may have experienced that it is easier to feel tired walking in a shopping mall than in a park, assuming the same walking distance. That is because in a shopping mall, our senses are busy reaching out to different objects and the mind is restless; while walking in the park, we are more focused within. Energy should be retained. If we let the energy out all the time, in the long run, health status will be affected either physically or mentally.

 

In Ashtanga Vinyasa practice, we have been taught techniques to withdraw our senses and go within. By using Ujjayi breathing technique, we focus on the sound of breathing and do not attend to other environmental sounds. By following the dristi points, our eyes don’t move about and thus we drop the sense of seeing. Similarly, the sense of tactile is withdrawn by engaging ourselves in the practice of asana. This is called pratyahara. The same should happen in the practice of pranayama.

 

In the state of pratyahara, one merges with the true Self, the Nature. There’s no more attachment and desires, and pure intelligence and consciousness will flow freely.

 

Yoga Sutras Study – 2.49

2.49

Tasmin sati svasa prasvasayoh gativicchedah pranayamah

 

Pranayama is the regulation of the incoming and outgoing flow of breath with retention. It is to be practiced only after the previous limb (asana) is accomplished.

 

Here Patanjali emphasized on the proper order of yoga practice – pranayama is to be practiced only after asana is perfected. And in verse 2.47, Patanjali mentioned that perfection in asana is achieved only when the effort to perform it become effortless and the infinite being within is reached.

 

As we know, asana works on the physical body. Pranayama, on the other hand, works on the subtle plane. The word “pranayama” consists of two components, “prana” and “ayama”. Prana is the universal life force. It exists everywhere in the universe as physical energy, mental energy, intellectual energy, and so on. All vibrations in the universe are forms of prana. Ayama means to stretch, extend, expand, so on and so forth. So the word “pranayama” is actually to expand the vital force in the body. By practicing pranayama, we are self-energizing.

 

In this sutra, pranayama is understood as the regulation of breath. The regulation of breathing process consists of the regulation of inhalation, exhalation and retention. Normally our breath is irregular and unregulated. When the breath is fast and short, the mind is unstable. This is because pranayama is working on the pranamaya kosha, which is the subtle body. The movement of breath influences the movement of prana, which has an effect on the fluctuations of the mind. Therefore, if the movement of prana can be calmed and soothed, the mind is stable.

 

It is also noticed that small animals with short breath have a short life span; animals that breathe slowest, for example snake and turtle, could live up to hundreds of years. Based on this idea, yogis believe that regulation of breath could prolong one’s life span.

 

As mentioned earlier, asana is a prerequisite for pranayama. Further, one should keep in mind that pranayama can only be learned from a teacher but not from books. And it must be noted that pranayama cannot be practiced with an agitated mind, as it may worsen the situation. For beginners, it is suggested to start pranayama practice without breath retention. Retention can be added later when the body is used to it. For advanced practitioners, be careful when practicing intense pranayama, as pressure in the head can be increased tremendously. Try not to practice in polluted environment, as it is not so beneficial.

Yoga Sutras Study – 2.17

2.17

Drastrdrsyayoh samyogah heyahetuh

 

The cause of pain is the association or identification of the seer (atma) with the seen (prakrti) and the remedy lies in their dissociation.

 

After explaining five afflictions in previous sutras, Patanjali now focused on the cause of the afflictions. He concluded that all pain are caused from false union of the seer, which is the consciousness, and the seen, which can be the objects, our mind, ego and intellect.

 

Recall your memorable movie experiences. Did you ever identify yourself with the characters in the movie? Did your heart rate increase while watching the exciting fighting scenes? Did you cry with the characters when tragedy happened? All the feelings we experience while watching a movie, be it joy or sorrow, are due to the false identification of our true Self. We are sucked into the movie and thus forget we are just the observer.

 

Similarly, our daily life is like a cosmic play. Everyday we experience “good” or “bad” things which make us “happy” or “sad”. This is because our intelligence, mind, and ego keep relating us to the external objects. If you feel you are suffering now, probably you should ask yourself, “Who is suffering?” “Why suffer?” Ask a few times. Then you may realize that it is not you and there is nothing to suffer from. You are just the observer. It is the ego which identifies your true nature with external objects and environment, and thus causes suffering. By observing all these happenings, or experiencing certain pain, we are actually here to understand the transparency between the seer and the seen.

 

Things are easier said than done. Although we understand the meaning of this sutra, it is not easy to put it into practice. Meditation is certainly a good way, which dissolves ego and realizes the true Self. It should be practiced daily.

 

Another recommended technique is to offer everything to the Supreme. Remember, nature sees that everyone has equal parts of pleasure and sorrow. When we merge with nature, we can accept joy and pain equally. Sit still and give both joy and sorrow to the Supreme. In this way, ego will finally be dissolved and we realize that we are simply Divine’s instrument.

 

Yoga Sutras Study – 2.10

2.10

Te pratiprasavaheyah suksmah

 

Subtle afflictions are to be minimized and destroyed with the dissolution of mind.

 

In verses 2.3 to 2.9, Patanjali enumerates five afflictions (klesah) which prevent self-realization, namely avidya (ignorance), asmita (egoism), raga (attachment), dvesa (aversion) and abhinivesah (clinging to life). These five klesah can exist on the gross or subtle level. On the subtle level, they exist as samskaras, i.e. subconscious impressions, in the mind.

 

According to Ramana Maharshi, to control the mind, one needs to create a second mind. Similarly, to destroy the mind, one needs a second mind. Our mind is eternal and beyond destruction, therefore it is not appropriate to interpret this sutra as destroying the subtle state of afflictions by destroying the mind. Further, destroying the mind is similar to torturing the body, both are against the concept of “yoga” and increase ego.

 

Subtle afflictions start with attachment to life, move in the reverse order and eventually end with gross afflictions; therefore, Sadhakas must eliminate their roots at their very source before they can lead to great trouble. Only when the seeds are parched, the afflictions will not sprout. Since samskaras are not accessible to us through ordinary consciousness, or even meditation, the seeds cannot be parched through technique or emotion based approaches. Here Patanjali suggested that the root can only be eliminated by repeatedly identifying one with the true Self.

 

As we know, the father of the subtle afflictions is the mind. And it is the ego that keeps the mind busy. In daily life, we think, talk and act base on “I”, “my”, and “mine”. The ego thinks it is doing the practices and thinks it is itself releasing us of our ego. The ego thinks it is the doer and it is in charge of our lives. By focusing on the true Self, Sadhakas start to see that in fact it is the nature (prakrti) does everything, and the ego never did anything.

 

When the ego is silenced, the seed will no longer sprout. The subtle forms of afflictions will eventually be destroyed by the disappearance of the mind of the yogi.

 

Yoga Sutras Study – 2.1

2.1

Tapah svadhyaya iswarapranidhnani kriyayogah

 

Burning zeal in practice, self-study and study of scriptures, and surrender to Divine are the acts of yoga.

 

In the first verse of the second chapter, Sadhana Pada, Patanjali introduced the term “Kriya Yoga”. Kriya means action, but Patanjali’s Kriya Yoga has a wider definition than the “yoga of action”. Patanjali’s Kriya Yoga composes of three tiers, namely Tapas (austerity, religious spirit in practice), Svadhyaya (self-study) and Isvara Pranidhana (surrender to Divinity).

 

Tapas is usually understood as self-torture by many people, however, that is the extreme. Many people do take extreme forms of practice in order to gain supernatural powers (Siddhis), but according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita, these Siddhis may lead Sadhakas to more worldly desires and make them more egoistic, and thus are distractions of yoga. The word Tapas here actually means simplicity, truly understanding of oneself, and to perform one’s duty even in adverse situations. By practising Tapas, Sadhakas can be physically healthy, mentally strong and emotionally stable.

 

Svadhyaya means self-study, or study of the sacred scriptures. The word “study” here does not mean intellectual studies, but the realization of ancient wisdom. True knowledge is usually not gained suddenly or immediately. In order to realize the truth, Sadhakas need to repetitively hear the truth by studying sacred scriptures, such as Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and etc. Or Sadhakas could meditate frequently until the truth is revealed.

 

The last aspect of Kriya Yoga is Isvara Pranidhana, which means surrender oneself to the Supreme Being, the Divine. In yoga, we believe that human beings are not the centre of the world, but only creations of the Divine. Only in this way, by surrendering to the Supreme, Sadhakas can connect to the consciousness and enter higher state of yoga.

 

According to Patanjali, the purification process includes three steps – the purification of body, speech and mind. Sadhakas have to go through these steps to achieve perfection. Our bodies are purified by self-discipline, our words by self-study and our minds by surrender to Divinity. Tapas is a burning desire to reach perfection, it burns all impurities; Svadhyaya is the reflection of the True Self through self-study and continuously looking inward; Isvara Pranidhana is to purify the mind by love and surrender to Divinity.

The Night Surrounds Me

From a unknown poet:

Sometimes night surrounds me,

sometimes i summon the day.

Sometimes a radiance seeks me,

sometimes i radiate light.

How do i know when it is the voice of my being

and when it is the mind?

You know but you don’t know. You know but don’t know that you know.  You don’t know that you know, but you know you don’t know. When the mind speaks, it appears as imagination. When the mind uses the senses, it becomes audible, visible, tasteful, fragrant and touched.  When you can’t see but you saw, when can’t hear but you heard, when you can’t smell but you had the aroma, when you can’t taste but you savor, when nothing is claimed, divulged, opined or pronounced, then what comes up in the no-mind, Samadhi state.

Your experience is your mind. Your feelings are your mind. Your interpretations are your mind. It is your duality. Your egoistic tendency, superior or inferior both qualify. Experience is of the duality. Presence is of the non-dual.  When it is dark, you yearn for the light.  When it is day, you yearn for a shadow.  When it is cold, you crave for heat, when it is hot, you yearn for chill.  You go on playing hide-and-seek, of light and darkness, pain and pleasure, joy and sorrow, love and hate, truth and untruth.  You imagine it is the truth, you pretend that it is the truth.  Imagination has no barriers. 

What a duality?

The Path of Love

Kabir says,

The Path of Love is very narrow. There, two cannot walk.

It the path is very narrow how can two walk.  It only fits one. Impossible for two to walk the path. But to love, two is required.  How can we have dialogue with just one? Who are you conversing with?  You conversing with your imagination. The dialogue is with your imagination. This cannot be the real godliness when the dialogue is with your imagination.

When you are in love, there is no dialogue, it does not happen. We call it the sound of the “unstruck sound”. A hum, the sound of the eternal, which you hear all along. No dialogue, no words, no instructions, no shouting, no whispering, no sorrow.  The sound of Aum but not directed at anyone in particular, the opposite cease to exist.  The number 2 person disappears. You are all alone. Love blossoms.

Bliss. Total Bliss. Total Bliss Altogether. Total Bliss Altogether Everywhere. Total Bliss Altogether Everywhere Eternally.

Why is there a need for a Master? Why can’t i just read books, watch video, self-learn in the internet?

This question has arised in many people’s minds in the last 20 years that i have been exposed to the practice. Each time when i answer to the student’s queries regarding this, it is like climbing Mount Everest. If you have not climbed any mountain, or for that matter, any hill, you do not know the experience. The need for the Master is an important aspect of one’s Sadhana.

Catalytic agents are required so that most substances take active part in the reactions according to scientists. Without the presence of a catalyst, the reaction cannot happen. Like water is made from the combination of oxygen and hydrogen, but they combine only if electricity is present as a catalytic agent. If the all important electricity is not present, the reaction cannot take place. However, electricity does not have a direct role in the process of bringing both oxgen and hydrogen together. But the presence of electricity is critical to the process. The electricity does not change. As this example, there many examples as to why a catalytic agent is required for many chemical reactions. For the seeker in Sadhana, a catalytic agent is required to transform and transcend.

The Master is like a catalyst. The master does not do anything, he goes on performing his own tasks like electricity, but without the presence of the Master, nothing will happen to the student. In his radiant presence, something happens within the student. The student will be completely swamped in the energy field of the Master and strength arise in the student. The strength is the students’ not the Masters’. Music appears. Vibrancy starts. Dance begins. But without the Master, nothing will happen. A book, video, DVD, will not give you the impetus to radiate. No current can be produced, no enlightening energy field is created, just stale, old book, video and DVD.

When a sincere seeker sits with the master, both get fulfilled. The master is contented and seeker is also contented. When you melt with the Master, the transmission of the light and lamp happens radiantly. The initiation will arise, you will be able to practice the system systematically. Thousands of things happen at the same to the millions of cells in the body and brain. The initiation happens without any initiation. The seeker who sincerely takes to the spiritual path without the Master and begins to do systematic sadhana finds oneself face to face with certain peculiar difficulties and disappointing experiences. This may dismay and discourage the beginner. But these problems and obstacles are common to many aspirants. Therefore it is important to know and understand about them, and to implement suitable methods of overcoming them.

So don’t be misled by online Yoga teacher training, videos and books.