Mastery in Concentration YS I - 40

Pantanjali's Yoga Sutra I- 40- PARAMANU PARAMAMAHATTVANTO'SYA VASIKARAH- Gradually, one's mastery in concentration extends from the primal atom to the greatest magnitude.

"Once you have established yourself in deep meditation, using any one of the foregoing methods or anything selected by you, and have gained mastery over the mind, nothing is difficult for you to meditate on. It is simply for you to choose on what to meditate-- from an atom to the entire universe" - Swami Satchidananda

As one attempts to meditate in the beginning, one may find many many thoughts and may give up the practice. You can view this as cleaning process, a process that even makes you aware that you have so many thoughts and then bring your attention back to the process you were using like:

• the breath,
• blissful Light within
• a dream or deep sleep
• a great being or pure soul
• subtle sense perceptions
• anything you choose that is elevating

Remember as the sutra says mastery of concentration will expand from a primal atom - the most minute to greater magnitudes or dimensions. So start practicing now! This is a great way to end a year and start a new year.

Meditate - Elevate YS I - 39

Pantanjali's Yoga Sutra I-39 YATHABHIMATA DHYANAD VA- Or by meditating on anything one chooses that is elevating.

This a continuation of the last sutra I-38 which suggested the techniques of concentration on the experience of a dream or deep sleep. Here sutra I-39 addresses what one should meditate on to prevent obstacles and their accompaniments. Swami Satchidananda states that whatever you meditate on should not just appeal to you, but also be "elevating and good" as well. He states that Pantanjali clearly says that you can meditate on anything that elevates you, not limiting you to any one way. If you can't decide for yourself, then ask someone who you have faith in. It is only then that the teacher or the way (initiation ) will appear. The advantage here is that in stead of wasting time, you ask someone who already know the way.

Dreams or Deep Sleep YS I - 38

SVAPNA NIDRA JNANALAMBANAM VA - Or by concentrating on an experience had during dream or deep sleep. This is I-38 of Pantanjali's Yoga Sutra, which is another way that one can still the vrittis (modifications of the mind).

On this sutra Swami Satchidananda comments that sometimes we might dream of divine beings or feel that we have gone to a higher plane. By remembering them and thinking of them we can bring about serenity and one-pointedness. If you don' t dream, imagine or think about the peace of deep sleep. As sleep itself is very tamasic, or inert, you could imagine the peace of that sleep, not the sleep itself.

These are just suggestions of techniques to keep the mind serene. Of course not everyone will use these techniques as different strokes for different folks.

Concentrate on a Pure Soul YS I - 37

To steady and calm the mind, one can practice Pantanjali's Yoga Sutra I-37- VITA RAGA VISAYAM VA CITTAM- Or by concentrating on a great soul's mind which is totally freed from attachment to sense objects.

Here Swami Satchidananda states that a lot of people might not have much confidence in their own hearts. So a remedy to this is to think of someone with a noble heart, meditate on a heart that has given up attachment. Examples of these kind of people could be the Dalai Lama, Buddha, Jesus, Kabir, Rumi, Mother Teresa, Swami Muktananda, Swami Satchidananda, etc. So if you can't imagine your own heart being pure, dwell on someone's heart that has given up attachments to sense objects. Basically the main idea is to let the mind concentrate on something high and serene. or someone who has achieved this goal.

Blissful Light Within YS I - 36

Pantanjali's Yoga Sutra I-36 -VISOKA VA JYOTISMATI- Or by concentrating on the surpreme, everblissful Light within

To have steadiness of the mind one can imagine a brilliant divine light - a supreme Light within you. For this sutra Swami Satchidananda said "Visualize a brilliant globe in your heart representing your Divine Consciousness. Or imagine your heart to contain a beautiful glowing lotus." He says the mind gets easily absorbed visualizing and imagining and that you would have a nice experience. Then the imagining of this Light will eventually become a reality.

Are you Aware of Your Senses? YS I -35

Are you aware of your sense perceptions? You might answer an emphatic yes! You can see, hear, smell, taste or touch very well. But are you fully aware? How many times have you missed seeing something with your eyes wide open? Or how many times have you not heard something even though it was loud, or you were in the same area where the sound emanated from?

I have noticed that if for example I am writing this post and have the radio on, I might not really hear what was on the radio. My focus was so intent on this process of writing that I did not fully hear it. Or another example is that we can walk or drive a street all the time and never notice the details of the setting we are passing by.

Pantanjali's Yoga Sutra I-35 gives the example of using subtle sense perception to steady the mind. Yoga Sutra I-35 VISAYAVATI VA PRAVRTTIR UTPANNA MANASH STHITI NIBANDHANI - Or the concentration on subtle sense perceptions can cause steadiness of mind.

This sutra gives us the other side of sense awareness. Swami Satchidananda says of this sutra that "At certain points during the initial practice of concentration, various extraordinary sense perceptions occur." He says this process could be helpful in making the mind steady. He gives an example of concentrating on the nose, keeping the mind on the nose. With one pointedness, after a certain amount of time passing, you will experience an extraordinary smell. If you do experience it, then you have proof that the mind was one pointed. Swami Satchidananda gives another example with concentration on the tip of the tongue. If practiced deep enough you will get a taste without eating anything. Basically these experiences will give you confidence regarding concentration.

So we can use our awareness of our senses to heighten our concentration and bring one-pointedness. If this sounds interesting to you, try it out for yourself. There is nothing like direct experience to help us to understand our Self!

Happy Return of the Light!

HAPPY RETURN OF THE LIGHT!

Though many people are running around, being with family, partying and over eating, most do not really know of the significance of what this season really means. If one is aware of the I-Ching which is defined partly from Wikipedia as “Book of Changes” is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts.[1] The book is a symbol system used to identify order in random events. So for the event of Christmas I will refer to the 24th Hexagram Return (The Turning Point). (Hexagram 24 is named 復 (fù), "Returning". Other variations include "return (the turning point)". Its inner trigram is ☳ (震 zhèn) shake = (雷) thunder, and its outer trigram is ☷ (坤 kūn) field = (地) earth)


If you look at the Wilhelm/Baynes translation of "The I Ching or Book of Changes" you will see an explanation of the 24th Hexagram relating to this time of year. There is a reference to the dark lines have pushed all the light lines upward and out of the hexagram, and that light line enters the hexagram from below. It is stated that "The time for darkness is past. The winter solstice brings the victory of the light." This hexagram is linked to the December- January time period. Correlations of the powerful light that had been banished (the diminishing sunlight ) is now returning, however the return is gradual, based on nature making it a natural rising spontaneously.

So out with the old, in with the new. It is also noted that in China that it is celebrated as a time of rest at the onset of the new year. The movement is gradual, like planting a seed and nurturing it or slow like a return to health after illness or a return of understanding after an estrangement. So take your time and concentrate and be still. This is where a conscious yoga practice can help you focus to be calm, still and observant.

Happy Return of the Light! Check out www.bometernally for the workshop for the new year and celebrate the sun!

Take a Deep Breath! YS I - 34

Have you ever heard of taking a deep breath to calm yourself? I tell people on a daily basis in my classes to take a deep breath. Most adults do not breath properly. Ever notice how babies and toddlers breath? Their little bellies move up and down. When adults take a deep breath they raise their shoulders barely expanding their rib cage. According to Wikipedia Diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, belly breathing or deep breathing is the act of breathing deep into your lungs by flexing your diaphragm rather than breathing shallowly by flexing your rib cage. I notice that most adults are not aware of this breathing, unless they are singers who are familiar about diaphragmatic breathing. Check out the short video clip on the breath process here. During this holiday season there are lots of people out their not breathing deeply, and continued to be stressed.

You might wonder what does this have to do with Pantanjali's Yoga Sutra? Well if you look at Yoga Sutra I-34 PRACCHARDANA VIDHARANABHYAM VA PRANASYA - Or that calm is retained by the contolled exhalation or retention of the breath, you notice the breath is mentioned to keep calm. The word prana, Sanskrit for breath is in this sutra. Swami Satchidananda says of this sutra Pantanjali is not specific about the different kinds of breathing here, but indicates that we should just watch our breath. He mentions that in Buddhist meditation uses similar breathing practices with different names like in Hatha Yoga. Sathdtananda states the aim is to bring the two forces prana (the upward breath) and apana (the down breath) together, which is what Hatha Yoga is based on bringing that equilibrium of the two forces.

So basically to have peace of mind we need to be aware of our breath. If we can remember that the mind and the breath are connected. If we become the witness or the observer, we can see that what happens to the breath. One can think of a person who has a panic attack. Or if one is deeply engrossed in something, if you stop and notice how you were hardly breathing. This is why we take a deep breath afterwards. Swami Satchidananda says this proves that when one concentrates and becomes still the breath stops. This automatic retention of breath is called kevala kumbhaka. If you can regulate your breath (pranayama) you can regulate your mind. It only takes a few minutes to accomplish and if you are stressed, angry, agitated, take a deep breath!

Undisturbed Calmness YS I - 33

Do you find it challenging these days to remain calm? And it you do have moments of being calm, wouldn't you love to have that calmness undisturbed?

In the previous post, Swami Satchidananda explained how we could Practice Concentration from Yoga Sutras I-32. In the following Yoga Sutra I-33 he advises us on how this sutra can be very helpful in keeping a peaceful mind in our daily life.

MAITRI KARUNA MUDITOPEKSANAM SUKHA DUHKHA PUNYAPUNYA VISAYANAM BHAVANATAS CITTA PRASADANAM - By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and disregard toward the wicked, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness.

Here Swami Satchidananda also asks who would not like serenity of mind and happiness always? He points out that Pantanjali gives us four keys so that when we come across the four locks in the world we can open them. The four locks are sukha - happy, dukha - unhappy, punya - virtuous and apunya - wicked.

• For sukha the key is friendliness. An example is given that when we see others that have things we don't or attain fame, name or high position, if we are jealous it disturbs our serenity, not the other persons' serenity. Instead, by being happy for that person, making friends we keep our calmness.
• The key for unhappy people, dukha, is compassion. So even if others are suffering from their karma, by us lending a helping hand and being merciful, we can retain peace and poise of mind.
• Feeling delight is the key for the virtuous (punya) person. Instead of envying the person, we can imitate and appreciate the great qualities.
• Finally the key for apunya, wickedness is indifference. Don't attempt to advise wicked people since they seldom take advice. If you do, you will lose your peace.

Swami Satchidananda ends his commentary on this sutra by telling us to always keep these keys in our pocket. "If you use the right key with the right person you will retain your peace....Remember, our goal is to keep a serene mind." Remembering this sutra will help alot.

Practice Concentration YS I - 32

In order to meditate one has to first be able to have sustained dharana or concentration. Dharana is the Sanskrit word for concentration. Look at the picture of this post. The man is sitting in a meditative posture with many pictures around his head. This is a great illustration of how it is when we attempt to sit and still the mind. The pictures are representative of the many thoughts, distractions which become obstacles. Thus many of us give up attempting to meditate.

Yoga Sutras I-32 TAT PRATISEDHARTHAM EKA TATTVABHYASAH - The practice of concentration on a single subject [or the use of technique] is the best way to prevent the obstacles and their accompaniments.

This sutra is telling us in order to prevent the obstacles/distractions we need to develop one pointedness . Swami Satchidananda states that we should not keep changing our object of concentration. It's like if one digging for a well, instead of digging many shallow ones, decide to stick to one and dig deep. If you have to use dynamite when encountering a rock, do it and continue to keep going down. So with the goal to make the mind steady, it does not matter what technique or object you use. It is not the symbol we use, like our ideas, objects or mantrams but the holding on to the symbol to take us to the goal. 'There are different strokes for different folks' thus different symbols for different people. Swami Satchidananda concludes with saying we want this one-pointed concentration to make the mind clear so we can transcend it.

Accompaniments to Mental Distractions YS I - 31

Yoga Sutras I-31- DUHKHA DAURMANASYANGMEJAYATVA SVASA PRASVASA VIKSEPA SAHABHUVAH - Accompaniments to the mental distractions include distress, despair, trembling of the body, and disturbed breathing.

All the descriptions in this sutra are symptoms of stress! We all experience stress symptoms at sometime or other and Swami Satchidananda said that the symptoms prevent concentration and meditation. He commented that we should not allow the body and mind to be tamasic or dull. The body and mind should always be sattvic (tranquil). According to Swami Satchidananda, tranquility "cannot be created all of a sudden by meditation alone". It is up to us to take care of our daily activities, movements, associations and what we eat. He states a sickly body will not allow one to sit much less allow the mind to meditate quietly. He further elaborates that weak nerves create tremors. If we keep our bodies in proper condition with the right diet, exercise, and enough rest it will not be lazy and dull.

This is why the physical yoga practice is so great! From my perspective it is the best daily activity that we can do. Whenever I practice the asanas (postures) I always feel so good afterwards. There is a saying among yoga practitioners that if something is bothering you, take it to the mat. Think about it. You physically stretch, stimulate your circulation and get rid of the blocks in the body. From my experience after the practice, my mind is so peaceful and I carry that sense of that peaceful awareness with me.

What one eats also affects whether one feels sluggish or energetic. If we don't get enough sleep we are cranky and not as alert. So be aware of any of the above symptoms you might be displaying. You might want to check out my yoga workshop for the new year. Go to http://www.bometernally.com/

Happy Winter Solstice!

Distractions that are Obstacles YS I - 30

YADHI STYANA SAMSAYA PRAMADALA-SYAVIRATI BHRANTIDARSANALABDHABHU-MIKATVANAVASTHITATVANI CITTAVIKSEPAS TE'NTARAYAH- Disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, failure to reach firm ground and slipping from the ground gained-these distractions of the mind-stuff are the obstacles.

The above statement is from Pantanjali's Yoga Sutras I-30. Swami Satchidananda describes the above examples of obstacles of being more or less like a chain. The first obstacle is a physical disease, which in turn makes one dull. Thus the mind becomes dull as you cannot think correctly. So here comes doubt, thus making one careless and lethargic. Now laziness manifests when the mind loses interest and alertness towards what we have as a goal. If nothing is done at this point, the mind will slow down and descend into sensual enjoyments. An example would be that I am typing this post and then I get distracted with the television and get engrossed in a show. Thus I lose the enthusiasm for the moment and get pulled off my course of completing this writing.

Swami Satchidananda states that these obstacles could be" summed up as the qualities of tamas or inertia, dullness." He goes on to address the slipping down from the progress (ground) one has gained. He gives the example of how as beginners we are enthusiastic about our practice. We may even be proud of our progress, however, all of sudden one day we lose that enthusiasm and slip to rock bottom. It happens to everybody at sometime. This is common as the mind can't function on the same level always. There are ups and downs. If our progress was steady all the time, "there would be no challenge, no game to it."

So Swami Satchidananda reminds us that Yoga is like an obstacle course, or race. Yog is there to let us see our strengths and realize our capabilities. It seems we learn more when we are challenged. I would say it wakes us up when things always seems the same. That is the challenge in completing the course. It is then we see our power and not become complacent.

Obstacles

Obstacles- can be defined as One that opposes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress;An obstruction, barrier, blockage, hindrance. We are all familiar with the experience of having obstacles in our lives in different situations. If we look at the Yoga Sutra, we can learn and gain more insight on obstacles.

Yoga SutraI-29 - TATAH PRATYAK CETANADHIGAMO-'PYANTARAYABHAVAS CA - From this practice all the obstacles disappear and simultaneously dawns knowledge of the inner Self. Here Swami Satchidananda comments that "You get in tune with the cosmic power." The tuning is in reference to japa , the repetition of the mantra OM that connects us with the infinite within us. See the previous post on sutra I-28 regarding reflection on the meaning.

So if you have read the previous posts on the mantra, on OM you might have gained some insight that this practice can plug you into your inner power. Swami Satchidananda says that the mind and body limit us. However, if we hold something infinite(like the mantra OM) we can raise ourselves from the finite objects (obstacles) that bind us and transcend them. With this method we can get rid of all the obstacles freeing our pathway.

Stayed tuned to the different kinds of obstacles.

OM - AUM YS I - 27

Om is such a vast subject. But then that is no surprise as it is the Name that gives the experience of the Divine Creator which is vast and limitless. Have you tried it yet? Have you felt the effect of OM? It truly brings us home, to that real place within us. It is within and without. It is everywhere - see AUM

To listen to the sound inside when one is quiet, one will notice a hum. That hum is called pranava. And pranava is connected to prana, the basic life force vibration that always exists whether it si manifested or not. Swami Satchidananda continues his commentary of OM in the Yoga Sutra - I -27 stating that no one can stop that atomic vibration. So even without repeating it, the sound continues to vibrate within you. He states that no one invented OM and it does not belong to any one country or religion. It is universal. God Himself manifested as OM.

Swami Satchidananda concludes his commentary giving an example of how a word might be interpreted differently by different people. So he relates that some might say OM as Amen, Ameen, or Mmmmm. In other words, one Truth is seen or expressed in many ways. This is the greatness of the basic seed word OM.

So practice repeating and listening to the sound of OM. It is written that chanting OM for 15 minutes everyday can have a remarkable effect on you. You can calm your mind, settling your vrittis (modifications of the mind, thoughts) and even realize your Self!

AUM YS I - 27

I am fascinated with the word and the sound Om. In this post it is written as AUM. I start all my yoga classes with the sounding or singing of Om. We do it at seven times. I have found out when I conducted classes on chanting that the longer we chant the sound the deeper experience of how powerful AUM is .

Continuing with Pantanjali's Yoga Sutras I - 27 TASYA VACAKAH PRANAVAH translated as - The word expressive of Isvara is the mystic sound OM. [Note: OM is God's name as well as form.]

Swami Satchidananda elaborates in his commentary that "That if you close your eyes and ears, sit quietly, allow the mind to be completely silent and then listen within, you will hear Him humming. He talks to us always, but we talk so loud we fail to hear His speech." He goes on to say we have to understand why we should give a name to something for which the Sanskrit term is "padartha". Without words, it would be difficult to convey what we are thinking.

Satchidananda states "The Bible says, 'In the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God."And the Hindu Vedas say, "The name of Brahman is OM, and OM is Brahman Himself." The Wikipedia defines as the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this Universe.[1]

He continues to explain why OM is so rich, so deep and capable of representing the omnipresent, no beginning or ending God. The A in AUM is the beginning of all sounds. It is pointed out that every language begins with the letter A or "ah". As the sound arises between the tongue and palate up to the lips the U or "oo" sound is made. Then the closing of the lips makes the M sound. In summary the A is the creation, U is the preservation and M is the culmination. OM is the origin, the seed where all other sounds come from.

After the verbal sound ends there is still a vibration. This vibration is unspoken, or anagata, sound that is always in you. This sound vibration can never be eliminated or ended. One can listen to it when one is silent.

To be continued in the next post.

OM YS I - 27

Om, sanskrit: ॐ often Aum, is a sacred syllable of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Om is reputed to be the resonant vibrational tone of the non-dualistic universe as a whole. In Buddhism, Om corresponds to the crown chakra and white light.

In Pantanjali's Yoga Sutras I - 27 TASYA VACAKAH PRANAVAH is translated as - The word expressive of Isvara is the mystic sound OM. [Note: OM is God's name as well as form.] Ishvara (Sanskrit: Īśvara ईश्वर, meaning controller or the Supreme controller[1] (i.e. 'God') in a monotheistic sense or as an Ishta-deva of monistic thought.

Swami Satchidananda's commentary of this Yoga Sutra says Pantanjali wants to give the supreme Purusha( In Samkhya, a school of Hindu philosophy, Purusha is pure consciousness) a name because it is difficult to understand anything without a name. Check out this short video clip on OM.

There is much more to say about this small word that is infinitely huge. To be continued in the next post.

Reflection upon Meaning YS I - 28

In the previous post I mentioned mantra and japa. I will now link that with the Yoga Sutras (YS) I-28 -TAJJAPAS TADARTHA BHAVANAM- To repeat it with reflection upon its meaning is an aid.

Swami Satchidananda's comment is that in this sutra the practice of Japa is addressed. He states that it is a very powerful technique which is also the easiest, simplest and the best. He also says that most religion has some repetition of God's name. In the Hindu system a mantram or mystic word is given to the student to repeat. "The meaning of mantram is 'that which keeps the mind steady and produces the proper effect'. Its repetition is called japa."

It is easiest because it is portable. One does not have to go some place or do it at a particular time. The constant repetition or japa links the mind to God through the mantram while doing worldly pursuits. The meaning is not necessary in the beginning of the practice. When it becomes a firm habit, then you can wonder what you are repeating. Just like as you think, so you become, knowingly or unknowingly the qualities will come to you from the thing named. Swami Satchinanda mentions the mantra OM, which is the basis for all mantras. Further elaborated is how we can see the power of words in modern day advertisements. So with a pure mind, with japa you repeat the word and later feel the meaning.

Swami Muktananda says it is very important that the mantra is repeated with the goal of the mantra as one's own Self. Abusive words affects us immediately because we identify with the word. With the mantra japa we should identify with the object (God) . The mind will gradually merge into the mantra and become one with the Self.

Mantra

In the previous posts of Pantanjali's Yoga Sutras , practice is mentioned as a way to bring the vrittis (modifications of the mind - thoughts) under control. That practice is with continous effort ( see that post). In "Mystery of the Mind" by Swami Muktananda he states one of the greatest practices, among many, is mantra repetition. The Wikipedia states "A mantra (Devanāgarī मन्त्र) (or mantram) is a religious or mystical syllable or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language. Their use varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra. They are primarily used as spiritual conduits, words or vibrations that instill one-pointed concentration in the devotee."

And Mantra Japa means repetition of mantra. Japa (Sanskrit: जप) is a spiritual discipline involving the meditative repetition of a mantra or name of God. The mantra or name may be spoken softly, enough for the practitioner to hear it, or it may be spoken purely within the reciter's mind. Japa may be performed while sitting in a meditation posture, while performing other activities, or as part of formal worship in group settings. The practice of repetitive prayer is present in varied forms within most religions in the world, although the religions of India generally give more emphasis to it as a specific discipline.

Swami Muktananda states "A mantra is a cosmic word or sound vibration. In fact, mantra is a vibration of the Self." Words are mantras that connects us with objects. In the same way, the mantra, which is the name of God, connects us to God.

Listen to the mantra Om. Does it make you feel one-pointed?

Higher form of Vairagya YS I - 16

The following Yoga Sutra is a spin off of the previous Yoga Sutra I-15 in the last post.

Yoga Sutras (YS) I- 16 -TAT PARAM PURUSA KHYATER GUNAVAITRSNYAM - When there is non-thirst for even the gunas (constituents of Nature) due to realization of the Purusha (true Self), that is supreme non-attachment.

Swami Satchidananda's commentary about this sutra is that "Pantanjali goes to explain the higher form of vairagya" (non-attachment). In ordinary vairagya there is the detachment of the mind from its personal desires and enjoyments. In other words, the mind might want something and you say no and it stays away. "But in the higher non-attachment you don't even think of attaching yourself". He asks us what will we do with the impressions that are already in the mind? "The memory of having experienced something will still be there." He says we just can't erase the impressions in the mind. They get erased at one point. That point is when we "succeed in going within and realizing the peace and joy of your own Self."

The essence of Swami Satchidananda's commentary is that of an analogy of discovering such peace and bliss like a brilliant sun, that the impressions of petty enjoyments experienced before would be like ordinary specks of light. He says "if that supreme non-attachment comes even once, even for a second, you experience that joy." He uses the example of finding a delicious dish in a restaurant and not wanting to go to others. If you achieve supreme vairagya then you can joy the world without getting lost in it.

Obviously this can get more complex with further dialogue. I will leave it here for now. I am sure at some point I will redress this again. Contemplate it for now.

Vairagya - Non-attachment YS I - 15

Vairāgya defined in the Wikipedia as (Devanagari:वैराग्य, also spelt as Vairagya) is a Sanskrit term used in Hindu philosophy that roughly translates as dispassion, detachment, or renunciation, in particular renunciation from the pains and pleasures in the material world.

Can it be easy to live with non- attachment in our lives? Given the everyday news stories there are a lot of events and even crimes that are committed due to attachment. We are attached to food, clothing preferences, where we live or want to live, the type of people we want to be or be around, etc.

It is stated in the Yoga Sutras (YS) I-15 DRSTANUSRAVIKA VISAYA VITRSNASYA VASIKARA SAMJNA VAIRAGYAM - The consciousness of self-mastery in one who is free from craving for objects seen or heard about is non-attachment. Swami Satchidananda's commentary here is "Normally the mind gets attached by seeing or hearing something." He describes the word vairagya (non-attachment) as literally meaning colorless. "Every desire brings its own color to the mind. The moment you color the mind, a ripple is formed, just as when a stone is thrown into a calm lake it creates waves in the water." He further states that as these stones get continually thrown in, there will be no peace of the mind and therefore there can be no steady practice. And you can't get what you want if your mind is distracted by other desires. Therefore it is essential that "non-attachment must always go with the practice."

Check out the video of non- attachment.

Continuous Effort YS I - 13, YS I - 14

One can view our life process as that which consists of continuous effort. Effort is defined as exertion of physical or mental power or the use of physical or mental energy to do something; exertion. Continuous is defined as uninterrupted in time; without cessation.

To answer the question how do we control the vrittis (modifications of the mind or thoughts) to have peace of mind, the term continuous effort comes into play to address this issue. In the Yoga Sutras (YS) I-13 - TATRA STHITAU YATNO'BHYASAH - Of these two, effort toward steadiness of mind is practice and YS I-14 -SA TU DIRGHA KALA NAIRANTARYA SATKARASEVITO DRDHABHUMIH - Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break and in all earnestness, the words effort and without break appear.

Continuing with Swami Satchidananda's commentary, he states for YS I - 13 that Pantanjali does not refer to continuous practice for just one or two days. This line means that you become eternally watchful, scrutinizing every thought, word and action. For YS I-14, he elaborates on "the first qualification for the practice is that it should be done for a long time." He further comments on how we want results immediately and that we do a practice for a few days and then state nothing happens and then we want a different practice. Swami Satchidananda's states that the second qualification is "without break" and the third qualification is "in all earnestness." In other words we should be serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous. He ends his comment here by stating "If you are unsettled and anxious to get the result, you are already disturbed; nothing done with that disturbed mind will have quality. So it is not only how long you practice, but with what patience, what earnestness and what quality also."

In "Mystery of the Mind" by Swami Muktananda, he interprets these sutras as seen in the previous post on Practice and Detachment . Swami Muktananda comments that "not everyone's mind is strong enough to maintain the constant awareness of unity." He states "for this reason Pantanjali gives various practices which are suitable for different seekers." He extols mantra repetition at this point.

As you can see, according to your mind, this can be a complex topic. So I will continue to make an effort to simplify it. Some of us may need time to digest it. This is why continuous effort is needed to get to that place of fully digesting material like this so it can help us grow more in awareness. Stay tuned.

Practice and Detachment

Addressing the title of this post, I'm sure we are all familiar with the word practice. Practice can be defined as doing something repeatedly; repetition; perform often. There are many things that we do in our lives that we "practice'. Then there is the word detachment. Detachment can be defined as separation; indifference; aloof. I'm sure that this word might represent a challenge in our lives pertaining to different areas in our lives. Like being detached from certain foods we like, TV shows we like to keep up with, or we must be up the news of the day, or gossiping, etc. You get the gist.

If you have been following this blog for the last five days, you know I have been talking about the vrittis (modifications of the mind, thought forms) that we all have. I have been referring to the Yoga Sutra (YS). Patanjali lists the five types of vrittis (mental modifications) as right knowledge, misconception, verbal delusion, sleep and memory."

So the next question is how do we control these thoughts to have peace of mind? In YS I-12 - ABHYASA VAIRAGYABHYAM TANNIRODHAH - These mental modificiations are restrained by practice and non-attachment. Swami Satchidananda's comment here is " On the positive side, you practice. On the other side, you detach yourself from the cause of these modifications. Pantanjali gives both a positive and negative approach to thought control."

Swami Muktananda, author of "Mystery of the Mind" comments on this same sutra "By intense practice and by detachment, they can be stilled". All five modifications of the mind can be brought under control by these two means: practice and detachment. (However, one must practice ceaselessly , since for so many years one has been practicing the five modifications of the mind.)" He further says that "there are many spiritual practices" and the best one is the identification awareness with the Truth. By practicing awareness of unity for long time,with reverence and devotion, one can become established in the nature of the Self.

In researching this topic I came across this short video clip. (Click video to access it.) And check out the following quote: "He who binds to himself a joy Does the winged life destroy;But he who kisses the joy as it flies Lives in Eternity's sunrise."
~ William Blake Quotes

Stay tuned to the various ways we can practice and become detached.

Memory - Smritih YS I - 11

Memory. What does that word bring to mind? Ironically you have to use memory to think about the word. A definition for memory is the ability of the mind to store and recall past sensations, thoughts, and knowledge. The Sanskrit word for memory is smritih.

This writing today continues with a review of the five vrittis (the modifications of the mind) in the Yoga Sutra (YS). The fifth and last vritti is YS I- 11 ANUBHUTA VISAYASAMPRAMOSAH SMRTIH. This means When a mental modification of an object previously experienced and not forgotten comes back to consciousness, that is memory. Swami Satchidananda's commentary of this sutra is that "memories create impressions in the mind" that come up to the surface from time to time whether we want them or not. He further states there are two ways memories surface: 1. as dreams when we sleep and 2. as daydreams during the day. "Both are impressions which, when formed, slowly descend to the bottom of the mind and come to the surface when they are rekindled for some reason." Satchidananda concludes his commentary he as explained what the five vrittis, thought forms, are that "must be controlled".

Swami Muktananda, author of "Mystery of the Mind" comments on this same sutra as the "memory is nothing but the impression of the other four modifications, that are not allowed to escape." To remind you again of the other four vrittis: right knowledge, misconception, verbal delusion and sleep. He gives an example how one could be sitting in meditation and a thought pops up of a fight twelve years ago with someone. Or a person who cannot forget a girl and the thought disturbs them. Muktananda says that "memory is the secretary of the other four vrittis ; no matter where one is, it opens the file and shows one what took place in the past." He concludes that we are not tortured by the mind but by the five vrittis. As long as these modifications are active we do not have peace and that we act according to the feelings of the mind.

Sleep / Nidra ( YS I - 10)

I'm sure we are all familiar with the word sleep. Ever since we were born, we have had to sleep everyday. Sleep is a natural state of bodily rest and essential for survival.

Nidra is the Sanskrit word for sleep. So as I continue with a review of the five vrittis (the modifications of the mind) in the Yoga Sutra I-10, the fourth type is ABHAVA PRATYAYALAMBANA VRTTIR NIDRA. Translated it means That mental modification supported by cognition of nothingness is sleep. Swami Satchidananda's commentary that "Normally, we say we do not have any thought in the mind during sleep. But actually we have the thought of having no thought." He furthers says that's why we can say we slept well. He continues to say that if there were no thought and we were completely unconscious, we would not feel that we had slept. He concludes that "All other thoughts are temporarily suspended except for this one thought of emptiness in the mind, which leaves its impression upon waking." With this information we can start to ask ourselves who is the one who is watching?

Now in "Mystery of the Mind" by Swami Muktananda, he interprets this sutra as Sleep is the modification based on the absence of any content in the mind. He talks of the nidra vritti as ignorance or lack of knowledge of true Reality. He further stated that this vritti not only operates during the sleep state. This sleep can also happen when one's eyes are open and appears to be listening. I'm sure everyone may have experienced this when maybe one has not had enough sleep and is in class trying to stay awake. Also some of us who are 'waking up' or are becoming more consciously aware can begin to see that some of the people around us are literally asleep.

Delusion - YS I - 9

This picture illustrates the next Yoga Sutra I-9 SABDAJNANANUPATI VASTU SUNYO VIKALPAH translated as An image that arises on hearing mere words without any reality [as its basis] is verbal delusion. The picture has the microphone from which we can hear sounds from.

We hear things all the time. If you listen to someone speak from a radio, on the telephone or in person we get different impressions all the time. And those impressions might not be true. The commentary from Swami Satchitananda on this sutra is that "in vikalpa (verbal delusion) there is nothing there , yet you still create some opinion about it." He gives an example of a guy taking his car to a garage and on the way all four of his tires are punctured. One might deduce that maybe the driver got into an accident, not really hearing the words and not taking time to think about what was actually said. This reminds me of how gossiping starts from hearsay.

Swami Muktananda, author of the book "Mystery of the Mind" refers to vikalpa vritti as "imagination or fantasy." " Imagination is the supporter of wrong knowledge." This brings to mind the times I hear someone over the radio or over the phone and I imagine how the person looks. Then when I actually see an image of the person or meet the person, they look completely different from what I imagined. Have you had that experience? Now you know that this is one of the mental modifications that we experience in the mind. So become mindful of your thoughts.

Stay tuned for the other vrittis (modifications of the mind)

What is your Life Saver? YS II - 33

What is your life saver? Technically one would picture a ring like in the picture on this post. A life saver is defined by www.thefreedictionary.com/lifestaver as :

1. an attendant employed at a beach or pool to protect swimmers from accidents and or
2. a life preserver in the form of a ring of buoyant material

Then you might wonder how does this apply to you? As you know, if you are a reader of this blog, that this blog entitled "Always Be Om," consists of yoga related information related to this theme. So in that context I am now using the live saver as a metaphor.

What got me to think of this subject is the energy of the time we are living in. According to the news we are in" a recession". This is affecting everyone, depending on how they see as I spoke about in the posts on "Thoughts as Eyeglasses" and "Taking Pictures". Thus, whatever we choose can fall between "Bondage and Liberation" for us.

So getting back to the original question of what is your life saver, for me it is my yoga practices. Case in point my practice of swadhyaya, self study which includes studying the yogic texts like the Guru Gita, which is latter part of the Skanda Purana. (The Guru Gita is a Hindu scripture of 182 verses, authored by the sage, Vyasa. It is a part of the larger Skanda Purana.) You can also see the post I did on swadhyaya.

I was feeling a little down noticing some thoughts I was having. I won't go into detail about the thoughts as what you focus on expands, however I do acknowledge the process. So I applied pratipaksha bhavana (a Sanskrit term)- When disturbed by negative thoughts, opposite ones should be thought of. Pratipaksha bhavana is a method which is given as a clue to control and obstruct thoughts in Yoga Sutra II - 33 - VITARKA BADHANE PRATIPAKSA BHAVANAM .

I had not sat down and chanted the Guru Gita for a long time, even though I do play the CD of it from time to time. So I sat down and recited this text. I cannot begin to describe how much better I felt! My focus was no longer on the thoughts I had or how I was going to solve the situation. I was studying my Self and refreshing my self with the text of the Guru Gita. This was better than attempting to numb myself with other alternatives, which as a yoga teacher I do not do anyway. But one can see pretty much that when others do not know of yogic/or other healthy alternatives that they may attempt to "escape" through other means such as drugs, alcohol, food, shopping,etc.

So hopefully I can probe you to ask yourself what do you use as a life saver? Is it a positive tool? Again for me, my tools are the many branches of yoga which are really life savers.

Stay tuned. Check out the workshop I will be doing on 12/14/08 at http://www.bometernally.com/

Misconception or False knowledge YS I - 6

It is evident to see in the news and in everyday life that there is a lot of misconception or false knowledge that runs the world. I could say look at the so called war that is happening in Iraq or what is happening to the Stock Market, the banking industry, real estate etc. Eventually the public learns of the "real" facts after the event of the misconception that was perpetrated. How does this fit in with yoga or Always Be Om?

Again I will refer to the Yoga Sutras as a continuation of "YS I-6 Pramana Viparyaya Vikalpa Nidra Smrtayah Patanjali lists the five types of vrittis (mental modifications) as right knowledge, misconception, verbal delusion, sleep and memory." Misconception is the second of the five types of vrittis.

The commentary on this sutra by Swami Satchidananda simply gives the example of mistaking a coiled rope for a snake in the twilight. In reality there is no snake and in that light there is a false understanding. "But still it created a terror in your mind . Not only valid or right knowledge creates thought waves, but erroneous impressions also."

As stated in the beginning of this post, the terror created is evident in the news reports of the real estate debacle, the unstable stock market, etc. As we become more aware, we can observe these misconceptions in various events in our lives as well. If we study our thoughts carefully, we can begin to discern what is the valid or false knowledge operating in our life situations.

Pramana - Right Knowledge YS I - 6

This post is a continuation of yesterday's post in which I stated "In YS I-6 Pramana Viparyaya Vikalpa Nidra Smrtayah Patanjali lists the five types of vrittis (mental modifications) as right knowledge, misconception, verbal delusion, sleep and memory."

Today I will address Pramana which is translated as Right Knowledge. Pramana is a Sankrit word used in the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali. Pramana forms one part of a tripuţi (trio) concerning Pramā (the correct knowledge of any object arrived at by thorough reasoning, Sanskrit), namely:
1. Pramāta, the subject, the knower
2. Pramāņa, the means of obtaining the knowledge
3. Prameya, the object, the knowable

Knowledge can be defined as information we know through study, experience, education, perception, reasoning etc.

In Swami Satchidananda's commentary of this sutra, he states "Pantanjali calls valid knowledge is what you understand by seeing something yourself-direct perception. If you see something face-to-face you don't have any doubt. That is one way to get valid knowledge." Then he states another way is through inference (i.e. how humans draw conclusions) as if one saw smoke, one knows there cannot be smoke without fire. Or if " you see a cow giving milk, you infer the cows gives milk." A third way Satchidananda refers to is "a reliable authority or person who has really understood something tells you." And here he refers to holy scriptures. Here explains that "The words of prophets given through holy scriptures are finalized. They can't be modified."

So in regard to your thoughts of knowing the right or valid knowledge, we have to become more focused on the kinds or thoughts we have on a daily basis. Are we living our lives through right or valid knowledge? Especially with all the bombardment of other people's thoughts of their knowledge through media, associations, what we learn in school, in the work place, how are we affected? Dharana which is concentration and Dhyana which is meditation are great tools to see where we are at. See what methods works for you. Eventually, by being fully present we will have to leave all the thoughts and knowledge behind at some point if we are to have peace.

How is your Mind? YS I -5, YS I - 6, YS IV - 15

The mind can be defined as "The human consciousness that originates in the brain and is manifested especially in thought, perception, emotion, will, memory, and imagination" as per the http://www.freedictionary.com/.

The mind is such a vast subject and yet it is what is used to live through our days. In the Yoga Sutras (YS) IV - 15 Vastu Samye Citta Bhedat Tayor Vibhaktah Panthah is translated as " Due to difference in various minds, perception of even the same object may vary." This is very evident in how our day unfolds. We see this everyday in the news. Because there are differences in people' s minds there are uplifting events as one helping others or stealing and/or killing others. Due to these varying emotions and wills we vote for people, tolerate situations or petition for different beliefs we have. These differences are reflected in how we live, what we wear, how we eat and what we focus on.

It is interesting to note in the Yoga Sutras how Patanjali explains the vrittis:
Vritti (plural: Vrittis), in the context of Hinduism and its yoga stream, is the name given to different tendencies which come to our mind without our conscious knowledge. In YS I-5 Vrttayah Pancatayyah Klista Aklistah it is stated that there are five kinds of mental modifications which are either painful or painless. Swami Satchidananda's commentary of this sutra is to substitute "painful" or "painless" as "selfish" thoughts and "selfless" thoughts. Satchidananda states that "The selfish thoughts ultimately bring pain." and that selfless thoughts will bring peace. Near the end of this sutra commentary he states "In our daily lives we always work with these two categories of thoughts....We have to watch carefully the moment a thought-form arises in the mind. We become analysts. This itself is Yoga practice- watching our own thoughts and analyzing them."

In YS I-6 Pramana Viparyaya Vikalpa Nidra Smrtayah Patanjali lists the five types of vrittis (mental modifications) as right knowledge, misconception, verbal delusion, sleep and memory. As you can see this all affects the mind. How is your mind?

Study your mind and stay tuned.

Scriptures

Scriptures can be defined as a sacred writings or books. There are many kinds of scriptures from different religious paths like Christian, Hebrew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist. There are also scriptures from the yogic path like the Bhagavad Gita, The Ramayana, The Yoga Sutras, Shiva Sutras, The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, etc.

Reading scriptures that appeal to us are a great way to deal with our present day stresses and myriads of demands we have everyday. This is also a tool that is part of a yoga practice. Test it for yourself and see if can make a difference. The following quote sums it up nicely:

"The teachings of the scriptures add another, deeper dimension to your awareness of the value of life. They have the capacity to point you toward the light hidden in your own being. They can expand your understanding of the world you live in" - Swami Chidvilasananda