Yoga Wisdom

From Chapter two of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: 

32. “Purity, contentment, intensity in spiritual practice, practice of learned personal mantras, and alignment of attention with the Eternal Self—the witnessing consciousness—are the internal disciplines, the niyamas.”

The niyamas are internal disciplines that make the practice of the yamas easier. Together the yamas and niyamas create a mental framework enabling proper interaction with the world so that the personal and universal purpose of life is assured.

33. “Upon elimination of opposing beliefs, there is the experience of their opposites.”

34. “Beliefs [at odds with yoga] such as violence result in pain and ignorance. These beliefs are upheld through direct action, the seeds of action, and the approval of action. They can be mild, moderate, or excessive in degree. When resolved through meditation on the results of these beliefs, their opposites prevail.”

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II. 31 “The universal disciplines are applicable irrespective of one’s state of life, place, time, or circumstance.”

Many people imagine that things will be different after they die.  Either they will be rewarded with an afterlife of eternal bliss or they will be roasting their toes in lakes of fire because of their past sins.  This may be true for those with a powerful enough imagination to sustain such a state, but for the knower of reality the future is no different than the present.  Neither death nor any other modification of the environment will do much to make a change in the current experiences of the knower.  

Death is often likened to casting off used garments.  The body falls and the soul carries on.  Keeping this in mind, remember the last time you changed your clothes.  Was your body radically different from the change?  Did your basic views on life change?  No they did not.  Changes to the body and mind structure only occur through effort.  The same is true about one’s general experience in life.

Remember that life is eternal.  Life is not bound by birth or death.  Birth and death are the two polarities in which life is temporarily confined for an incarnation.  Before birth, life is the same.  After death, life is still the same.  The quality of life can be improved through living in harmony with the natural laws of the universe.  If living in this way is not natural in the present moment this may take intention and commitment.  Otherwise, inertia will carry the force of the present onwards without change. 

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One of the common obstacles to yoga meditation is the inability to relax or experience clear states of consciousness because of the restlessness of the mind. This can be quite annoying for one intent on spiritual realization. The mind is a tool to be used. It is not who we are and it is not our slave driver, although this common misunderstanding does arise.

The mind is our soul’s interface with the world of form. Through the mind we interact with the world as it directs our outward actions and experiences. The power of thought channeled through the mind has the capacity to direct our lives precisely. Few know this. Those that do understand how to experience a life of their choosing. Those that do not know it are still experiencing a life of their choosing, albeit probably an unpleasant one.

For the average person the mind is filled with uncontrollable compulsive thought patterns. If they were to observe the contents of their mind they may find the same disarray reflected in their life situations. A powerful quote comes to my mind now.

“Though you may travel the world to find the beautiful, you must have it within you or you will find it not.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Yoga Sutras II.39 “Understanding of why births occur is founded in non-possessiveness.”

Possessiveness leads to attachment and aversion.  Before the actual realization dawns that all is consciousness and we are all of that, it may be helpful to imagine that happiness and peace are not achieved by the possessions we can gather and hold on to.  Neither is it had by acquiring something that appears to make another happy.  The down side of possessiveness is the great propensity it can create to disturb the mind.  It also greats an inertia towards desiring more and so worrying more in the event of losing what is gained. 

Traditionally speaking, the reason births occur is due to the presence of desire in the soul.  When there is a desire, the universe creates an opportunity for that desire to be had.  If that opportunity requires a new experience to be birthed, then that is what occurs.  The yama of non-possessiveness is extolled so that it is easy to relate to objects and people without attachment, and also to end the tedious wheel of rebirth.  Contrary to popular belief, we are not here to see how much we can “get into”, but to exhaust our desires so that we can direct our attention to what really matters, figuring out who we really are. 

Yoga Sutras 2.38 “When all conduct and desires lead to the Eternal Self, one obtains vital energy.”

Vital forces represent many kinds of energy.  Conservation of these forces in the context of this sutra implies dedication of them to the practice of yoga.  Our ultimate purpose on this earth is to realize our eternal self.  This is the purpose of all of consciousness on an absolute level.  When an individualized unit of the one field begins to consciously cooperate with this process, the one field takes great interest.  Then, all resources in the infinite universe become available to that purpose.  The vital energy obtained is in relation to the degree of harmony with the absolute universal process of Self-realization. 

As individualized units of the one field of consciousness we all have unique talents and goals to express.  Yoga meditation quickens our awakening.  So does expressing our talents and achieving our goals appropriately.  By dedicating our meditative practice and our actions in life to Self-realization all forms of vital energy are obtained to support the process.  This can manifest as health, abundant resources, or even supportive relationships.  Whatever is needed is provided. 

Yoga Sutras II.37 “When established in non stealing, all prosperity is attained.”

When a person engages in stealing, the person affirms a consciousness of lack. This strengthens the tendency to not have enough in life. The one consciousness responds to our individual states of being. When we steal, we are saying to the universe, “There is not enough resources for me, so I must take it from another.” The universe confirms the statement by making it a reality. The cycle continues. We live in an infinite universe with infinite resources. Living from a consciousness of lack denies this fact. By changing the pattern of lack to one of abundance, all is provided for. Stealing is harmful to those taken from as well as to the thief.

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Within the scope of the yamas is the practice of truth.  Many people can argue about the meaning of truth, but in this context it means being as honest as possible within a given situation.  We know when we are telling the truth and when we are not.  When practicing yoga we find that telling the truth as we know it supports our endeavors to clarifying our consciousness.  This occurs on many levels.

On the physical level it can be demonstrated that speaking a falsehood energetically weakens the body.  Kinesiologists have been utilizing this principle for a long time.  A muscle can be tested for strength while speaking the truth.  Muscles respond stronger when a statement is true rather than when it is weak.  When a statement is false the muscle tested will not be able to function with much strength.  By practice of truth we enable our bodies to be strong and optimally functional physically.

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