If you wish to know how you are doing in your practice - look at your reactions - look at your life. Unless we connect ‘off’ the mat, bringing our practice into daily life, then any insights and breakthroughs will be of no great value. You may be great at practising yoga on the mat, or sitting quietly in a room - But how are you at practising it in your relationships - with your mother, your son, your neighbour, your boss? As you will your body on the yoga mat to let go of tension and stress, do you remember to do the same with resentment and irritations in daily life? The next time you tell someone that you are sorry, even for bumping into them on the street - really feel it, do you mean it?
By answering questions like this - you will find out how you are doing in your practice. You may feel that you are not doing so well once you take a look at your yoga in your life - but this points out the areas that need practice. Just as it takes time to perfect a forward bend, bit by bit the spine becomes flexible and free, the same will happen with daily practice applied in other areas of your life. To be aware of what needs work is no bad thing.
The most powerful transformations are ones established over time, ones which have deeps roots. At times you will feel like you are getting nowhere, and then something will happen and your ‘new’ reaction will show you how far you have come. You will begin to have clarity in what once were confusing situations, and by really knowing who you are you will make decisions with detachment as well as love and compassion. When a fear arises, try not to stamp it out or ignore it, welcome it, acknowledge it. Just as in a yoga posture - find the edge and work with it - in time you find that the edge is not actually the place to be avoided but it is indeed your path - to be followed. By knowing this is the path you will come to realise that it is a journey and not a destination and small steps is the only way it can be travelled if you want to absorb all life has to offer. Run too fast and you may fall and hurt yourself, you will miss the beauty around you and the opportunity to engage fully with others.
‘Yoga is a journey, not a destination’ - there will always be somewhere to go. The next time you wish to measure your progress, take a look at your life as a whole - the emotions that arise in daily situations and the fears which arise in decision making, as well as during yoga postures.
Lorna Littlewing is the Webmaster of http://www.yogabhoga.co.uk, http://www.ompixels.com, and http://www.rawfoodhomepage.com
Showing posts with label Detachment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Detachment. Show all posts
February 25, 2009
Yogic Way of Controlling of Thoughts
As described in my earlier article… thoughts in the mind generate because we have five senses. So broadly there are five kinds of thoughts. Again each thought may either be of pleasure or of pain. This way there are ten types of thoughts. Patanjali further describes each of these ten types of thoughts may be based on proof(pramana), or an opposite(viparyay), or an alternative(vikalpa), or forming sleep(nidra) or forming memory(smriti).
Patanjali emphasized that thoghts based on proof should be accepted, because these are directly perceived. There are six things in the world which can be directly perceived; these are sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and soul(true self). While senses perceive sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, soul(atman) is perceived in the mind through total concentration(samadhi). No seventh thing exists in the whole universe that can be perceived directly. The thought of God and heaven as separate from soul is opposite to proven thought. This is because those who are unable to realise true self or are ignorant about the greatness of true self, depend upon alternative thought or dualism where soul is separate from and inferior to God. Such people remain in constant sleep and bear in themselves all past memories which include all traditional and religious believes and practices.
In order to control thoughts Patanjali teaches - thoughts may be controlled throgh practice(abhyasa) and detachment(vairagya)(I.12). Then he describes what practice is. Practice is to stay there carefully(I.13). But where is to stay? The answer lies in his previous instruction. A seer or practitioner should try to reach or stay there in true self.
In order to practice controlling of thoughts, one has to practice eight limbs(parts) of Yoga. The eight limbs of Yoga shall be described in a later article. At present, there are numerous Yoga shops operating accross the globe and selling yogic exercises, breathing exercises and meditation practices. But these are flawed and hazardous. Practitioners shall get the benefit of exercise only. They may not achieve the aim of Yoga, which is to realise true self.
This practice should continue regularly for a long time with sincerity and confidence(I.14). The final result may come later; but once a seeker starts practicing, he feels the difference. The body and mind becomes pure and light by dispelling undesirable elements like germs and disease from the body and evil thoughts from the mind. Mind becomes pure and intelligence becomes sharp. Such a mind overcomes ignorance, bondage and fear of death.
Now let us see what detachment(vairagya) is. Patanjali teaches - to remain dispassionate and to subjugate those things that are seen or heard of, is detachment(I.15). The world constitutes of all living beings and material things and to bring this world under control is subjugation(vashikara). Subjugation is not to bring everything under control through power, but to remain dispassionate to everything. This subjugation is detachment. One does not have to run away from the society; but by remaining in the society one may subjugate everything and develop detachment. Detachment is non-attraction. One should not be attracted to those things that are seen or heard of.
We see the attractive and beautiful objects of the world. But we should not be attracted towards them. Because the world is ultimately false. Objects that are seen and thoughts relating to them are based on proof. But they are of no use in realisation of true self. Similarly we should not believe those things that are heard of only. Gods and Goddesses, heaven and hell, angels and ghosts are only heard of. So Patanjali instructs a seer should not be attracted to those things that are either seen or heard of.
Author Mr Premansu Chand, 40, is and Indian and Govt. servent. He reads scriptures and practices Yoga. He has published a book “Quest for Truth: the spiritual and yogic way” recently. The aim is to spread true spiritualism and yoga.
http://www.bookstobelievein.com/questfortruth.php
premansu_chand@rediffmail.com
Patanjali emphasized that thoghts based on proof should be accepted, because these are directly perceived. There are six things in the world which can be directly perceived; these are sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and soul(true self). While senses perceive sight, sound, smell, taste and touch, soul(atman) is perceived in the mind through total concentration(samadhi). No seventh thing exists in the whole universe that can be perceived directly. The thought of God and heaven as separate from soul is opposite to proven thought. This is because those who are unable to realise true self or are ignorant about the greatness of true self, depend upon alternative thought or dualism where soul is separate from and inferior to God. Such people remain in constant sleep and bear in themselves all past memories which include all traditional and religious believes and practices.
In order to control thoughts Patanjali teaches - thoughts may be controlled throgh practice(abhyasa) and detachment(vairagya)(I.12). Then he describes what practice is. Practice is to stay there carefully(I.13). But where is to stay? The answer lies in his previous instruction. A seer or practitioner should try to reach or stay there in true self.
In order to practice controlling of thoughts, one has to practice eight limbs(parts) of Yoga. The eight limbs of Yoga shall be described in a later article. At present, there are numerous Yoga shops operating accross the globe and selling yogic exercises, breathing exercises and meditation practices. But these are flawed and hazardous. Practitioners shall get the benefit of exercise only. They may not achieve the aim of Yoga, which is to realise true self.
This practice should continue regularly for a long time with sincerity and confidence(I.14). The final result may come later; but once a seeker starts practicing, he feels the difference. The body and mind becomes pure and light by dispelling undesirable elements like germs and disease from the body and evil thoughts from the mind. Mind becomes pure and intelligence becomes sharp. Such a mind overcomes ignorance, bondage and fear of death.
Now let us see what detachment(vairagya) is. Patanjali teaches - to remain dispassionate and to subjugate those things that are seen or heard of, is detachment(I.15). The world constitutes of all living beings and material things and to bring this world under control is subjugation(vashikara). Subjugation is not to bring everything under control through power, but to remain dispassionate to everything. This subjugation is detachment. One does not have to run away from the society; but by remaining in the society one may subjugate everything and develop detachment. Detachment is non-attraction. One should not be attracted to those things that are seen or heard of.
We see the attractive and beautiful objects of the world. But we should not be attracted towards them. Because the world is ultimately false. Objects that are seen and thoughts relating to them are based on proof. But they are of no use in realisation of true self. Similarly we should not believe those things that are heard of only. Gods and Goddesses, heaven and hell, angels and ghosts are only heard of. So Patanjali instructs a seer should not be attracted to those things that are either seen or heard of.
Author Mr Premansu Chand, 40, is and Indian and Govt. servent. He reads scriptures and practices Yoga. He has published a book “Quest for Truth: the spiritual and yogic way” recently. The aim is to spread true spiritualism and yoga.
http://www.bookstobelievein.com/questfortruth.php
premansu_chand@rediffmail.com
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