Showing posts with label dhyãna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dhyãna. Show all posts
Monday, September 17, 2018
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Yoga is... (Yoga Sutras 4.27-34)... The End
I only know one thing...and that is that I know No-thing...
One of the things that made the Athenians mad enough to condemn Socrates to death is his inadvertent bringing God to be his witness at his trial. Let God, and in this case, Apollo, be my witness to testify that "I am not a wise man," Socrates says in so many words, causing a ruckus in the courtroom to say the least.
In Plato's Apology (which literally means a "defense") of Socrates, the accused relates the story of how once Chaerephon, a fellow Athenian, went to the Oracle at Delphi and asked her who is the wisest man in Athens? The answer was that no-one was wiser than Socrates, with the emphasis on not saying that Socrates was wisest, but that no one was wiser. Socrates took this challenge to heart and went around Athens trying to find someone wiser, or for that matter, who truly knew anything at all. His conclusion was that everyone claims to "know" something, but in reality, we do not really know and nobody had true wisdom as such. And, since Socrates never claimed to know anything, rather, as above, he claimed that the only thing he did know was that he did not know anything...(That is, by the way, Socratic irony par excellence), which means at least he was not a hypocrite about being wise. The Athenians were not amused and sentenced him to death.
We are approaching that sentiment very quickly in the closure of Patañjali's Yoga Sutras as we shall see momentarily. Similar, but different; different, yet similar.
In 4.26, we arrived at the state of mind in which one needs to be in to engage with the ultimate concept of Yoga, Kaivalya, and that mind is one that is fully attuned to the process of discernment and discrimination, that is viveka. Viveka is the path of conscious decisions and processing of information, having shed the veils of a-vidya and the fog of samskãras so that one can see things as they are and not how we want them to be, which are often dramatically different things.
So, the stage is set, the well is primed, and the mind is engaged in viveka, however, we are human after all, as 4.27 reminds us:
tac-chidreshu pratyaya-antarãni samskãrebhyah 4.27
or,
Other ideas/concepts/perceptions arise from the samskãras within the lapses (of the viveka-mind). 4.27
In other words, to paraphrase Horace's lament (via Pope), even Homer nods...When the mind is not fully engaged then we relapse into the perceptions and prejudices governed by the samskãras, or mental impressions. So, at times, we shall all fall back into old habits, and from that comes indiscretion and avidyã rears its ugly head.
4.28, however, reminds us that there is a remedy:
hãnam-eshãm kleshavad-uktam 4.28
The extinction/cessation of these lapses have already been spoken of, as with the kleshas. 4.28
Here, Patañjali reminds us of YS II.10-11 which tells us that when the mind is back in its original state (pre-tainted by samskãras and avidyã), then the kleshas are eliminated, and dhyãna is the key to that return. To return to those highly important sutras, that is when we learn that avidyã is the root of all kleshas, or obstacles to our Yogic path, and consequently the source of our suffering, or duhkham. And, it is at that point that Patañjali provides the 8-limb program, which culminates in the samyama of dhãranã-dhyãna-samãdhi, about which is the focus of Book III.
The lynchpin of the samyama triad, namely dhyãna, or intensive, focused meditation, is once again the answer to ridding ourselves of the kleshas, clearing out the storehouse of karma (YS 4.6), and now also the lapses in our discretion. But, once again, this is not mere navel-gazing, for as we also have seen, that leads to an infinite loop, which leads us nowhere.
Rather, it is intensive, focused meditation on the fact that the Seer (I) and the Seen (thou) are not separate. To see that in everything, at all times then is Kaivalya. Blake's oft-quoted quatrain from "Auguries of Innocence" comes to mind:
To see the World in a Grain of Sand,
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the Palm of your Hand,
And Eternity in an Hour...
One of the things that made the Athenians mad enough to condemn Socrates to death is his inadvertent bringing God to be his witness at his trial. Let God, and in this case, Apollo, be my witness to testify that "I am not a wise man," Socrates says in so many words, causing a ruckus in the courtroom to say the least.
In Plato's Apology (which literally means a "defense") of Socrates, the accused relates the story of how once Chaerephon, a fellow Athenian, went to the Oracle at Delphi and asked her who is the wisest man in Athens? The answer was that no-one was wiser than Socrates, with the emphasis on not saying that Socrates was wisest, but that no one was wiser. Socrates took this challenge to heart and went around Athens trying to find someone wiser, or for that matter, who truly knew anything at all. His conclusion was that everyone claims to "know" something, but in reality, we do not really know and nobody had true wisdom as such. And, since Socrates never claimed to know anything, rather, as above, he claimed that the only thing he did know was that he did not know anything...(That is, by the way, Socratic irony par excellence), which means at least he was not a hypocrite about being wise. The Athenians were not amused and sentenced him to death.
We are approaching that sentiment very quickly in the closure of Patañjali's Yoga Sutras as we shall see momentarily. Similar, but different; different, yet similar.
In 4.26, we arrived at the state of mind in which one needs to be in to engage with the ultimate concept of Yoga, Kaivalya, and that mind is one that is fully attuned to the process of discernment and discrimination, that is viveka. Viveka is the path of conscious decisions and processing of information, having shed the veils of a-vidya and the fog of samskãras so that one can see things as they are and not how we want them to be, which are often dramatically different things.
So, the stage is set, the well is primed, and the mind is engaged in viveka, however, we are human after all, as 4.27 reminds us:
tac-chidreshu pratyaya-antarãni samskãrebhyah 4.27
or,
Other ideas/concepts/perceptions arise from the samskãras within the lapses (of the viveka-mind). 4.27
In other words, to paraphrase Horace's lament (via Pope), even Homer nods...When the mind is not fully engaged then we relapse into the perceptions and prejudices governed by the samskãras, or mental impressions. So, at times, we shall all fall back into old habits, and from that comes indiscretion and avidyã rears its ugly head.
4.28, however, reminds us that there is a remedy:
hãnam-eshãm kleshavad-uktam 4.28
The extinction/cessation of these lapses have already been spoken of, as with the kleshas. 4.28
Here, Patañjali reminds us of YS II.10-11 which tells us that when the mind is back in its original state (pre-tainted by samskãras and avidyã), then the kleshas are eliminated, and dhyãna is the key to that return. To return to those highly important sutras, that is when we learn that avidyã is the root of all kleshas, or obstacles to our Yogic path, and consequently the source of our suffering, or duhkham. And, it is at that point that Patañjali provides the 8-limb program, which culminates in the samyama of dhãranã-dhyãna-samãdhi, about which is the focus of Book III.
The lynchpin of the samyama triad, namely dhyãna, or intensive, focused meditation, is once again the answer to ridding ourselves of the kleshas, clearing out the storehouse of karma (YS 4.6), and now also the lapses in our discretion. But, once again, this is not mere navel-gazing, for as we also have seen, that leads to an infinite loop, which leads us nowhere.
Rather, it is intensive, focused meditation on the fact that the Seer (I) and the Seen (thou) are not separate. To see that in everything, at all times then is Kaivalya. Blake's oft-quoted quatrain from "Auguries of Innocence" comes to mind:
To see the World in a Grain of Sand,
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the Palm of your Hand,
And Eternity in an Hour...
This is the vision, the discretion that Kaivalya requires through dhyãna. It is the conscious awareness that leads to letting go of the dualities to arrive at the ultimate singularity.
We continue then with 4.29-30 which introduces us to the most curious phrase in all of the sutras:
prasamkhyãne'apyakusIdasya sarvathã viveka-khyãter-dharma-meghah samãdhih 4.29
tatah kleshakarmanivrittih 4.30
Giving us,
The "dharma-cloud" of samãdhi comes for the one whom is even disinterested/dispassionate about the constant perception of viveka. 4.29
Then, the kleshas and karma (or karmic affliction) are released. 4.30
Or, read slightly differently together:
The samãdhi (total integration/synthesis of Yoga) of the dharma-megha (dharma-cloud) comes about for one who is utterly free of attachment, even from the process of viveka and then, the affliction of karma is released. 4.29-30
The dharma-megha, or Dharma-cloud, then is a curious entity that does not appear anywhere else in Sanskrit philosophy, but is vaguely Buddhist in context...treading the Dhamma-pada, or path of Dharma is the highest order of enlightenment for the jivan-mukti, or one who is released in this life-time. None of the commentators actually know what the dharma-megha is, so I am not going to speculate further than the visual of one being fully enraptured by Dharma, meaning, one who has found his or her Dharma in life via the path of Yoga and then lives it, rather than just talks about it. The samãdhi, or total integration and synthesis then of Yoga is now at hand.
The dharma-megha also sounds similar, yet different to the mystical Christian concept of "The cloude of unknowyng" or "The Cloud of Unknowing," a chiefly medieval concept (via Neo-Platonists...) that to know God, to truly know God, means to let go of everything one knows...to forget in order to remember. The Greek concept of Truth as well is a-letheia, or un-forgetting in order to remember what we have lost, looking at the Universe for what it is, not what we make it. The veil of illusion, of Mãya, or demonic magic that the Buddha overcomes is none other than the human constructs and concepts and prejudices that we build up for ourselves and promote as "truths," yet as Socrates found, they are not wisdom, but merely opinions.
And so, for the Yogi/ni, the dharma-cloud engulfs and enshrouds, but does not blind nor veil, but reveals, apo-kalyptestai...
tadã sarvãvarana-mala-ãpetasya jñãnasyãdantyãjñeyam-alam 4.31
or,
Then, from the infinity from the result of the maladies of concealments have been removed, there is little to be known. 4.31
In other words, when we know longer seek to know by reason, and have fully integrated the Dharma, there is nothing much to be known. In other words, when the Dharma is known, and one walks the walk, there is nothing really more to know. However, it is then a continuous process of integrity, not an easy path. But, as Mark Twain is attributed to have said once, "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." Here, if you live the Dharma, you don't need to know anything...Sounds easy, living it is another thing all together.
4.32 continues:
tatah kritãrthãnãm parinãma-krama-parisamãptir-gunãnãm 4.32
or,
From this, with their purposes now fulfilled, the sequence of permutations of the gunas comes to an end. 4.32
Echoing the Bhagavad Gita of Krishna's directive to Arjuna to eventually transcend the gunas, because Krishna is beyond the gunas, and Krishna is the Universe, when the Dharma-megha reigns supreme in the Yogi/ni's life, the gunas are irrelevant as they have served their purpose for the mundane, but now they are inconsequential.
And so, we come to the End with 4.33-34:
kshana-pratiyogI parinãmãparãnta-nirgrãhyah kramah 4.33
purushãrtha-shUnyãnãm gunãnãm pratiprasavah kaivalyam svarupa-pratishthã vã cit-shaktir-iti 4.34
Giving us,
The sequence (of permutations) is grasped at the extreme end of change, which corresponds to small increments of Time. 4.33
Ending with:
Kaivalya, the ultimate singularity of liberation, the returning to the original state of the gunas, devoid of all purpose for Purusha, is steadfast in one's own nature, known as the power of consciousness. 4.34
When there exists illusion of the separation between the Seer and the Seen (YS 3-4), this begins a series of perceived changes (parinãma) that are linked by infinitely small increments of Time (kshana), which causes the gunas to hold sway over our Self/Atman/Purusha because of the power of avidyã. Following the path of Yoga as has been laid out by Patañjali, these increments of Time no longer exist as in the state of Kaivalya, the Seer and the Seen are united (as they were never separate in reality) and the svarupa, or true form of our Selves is experienced by the samãdhi of the Dharma-megha, or the power of consciousness as true awareness...and the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind-stuff then happens.
Friday, August 31, 2018
Kaivalyam...And, Then There was ONE (Yoga Sutras 4.1-6)
And so, we move ever closer to the end.
Book IV will bring us challenges to be sure. The nominal title given to this Book is Kaivalya, which as we have seen means: to be utterly alone; a singularity. However, this singularity is no less than the pinnacle of self-awareness, the goal of Yoga, which is why we began this journey. Book IV is no longer a road map as we have seen in Book II with the introduction of the 8 Limbs of Yoga. It is not a cautionary tale of what could go wrong if we let our Ego be overcome by the powers of Siddhi as in Book III. And, though it will hearken back to the original explanation of the quest for Samãdhi in Book I, where we began, it shall move even further beyond...
One of the oft-quoted definitions of Yoga is from the Bhagavad Gita in 2.50 with the phrase: yogah karmasu kaushalam, or Yoga is skill in actions. A common crossover, and related, phrase that we also see in Zen is upaya kaushalya, or skillful/expedient means. Up to this point, we have been encountering a mixture of these two concepts on the path of Yoga, as being a sort of skillful means to navigate through actions. Now, however, it is time to see where that has led us with respect to avidyã, or ignorance, and the relationship to duhkham, or suffering, which from YS 2.16, we saw was the purpose of Yoga: to avoid suffering that has not yet manifested/happened.
In other words, what have we learned?
One of the words that has been coming up quite often and its importance being made more each time is the concept of parinãma, or change/evolution/transformation.
Why is this so important to our Yoga path? Simply put, without change, without an evolution of thinking from experience or without a transformation from what we were when we began, then nothing has happened. Or worse, we have been given vidyã, and yet we choose avidyã. In Book VI of Plato's Republic, there is the story that has generally become known as "The Allegory of the Cave."
It tells the story of our condition as being shackled to benches in a cave, with our backs to the opening of the cave. By way of the light source behind us, shadows of figures are cast upon the wall in front of us, with everyone believing, "this is reality." However, one prisoner escapes, crawls out of the cave and "sees the true Light" and is literally blinded for a while. When his sight returns, he is in awe of the Beauty he now see for the first time. He goes back to share this wonderful gift to his fellow prisoners of the cave. They promptly think him mad, and are annoyed that he disturbs their mindless and false entertainment of the shadows dancing on the wall. So, they do what we always do to those who wish to share vidyã to our avidyã. They kill him.
The Yoga Sutras, likewise, are offering a key to the shackles. And yet, in the name of "Yoga" so many people shun the hard work, the abhyãsa in favor of bumper-stickers turn it into a multi-billion dollar network, all the while apparently being oh-so appalled at those who dare to make money off of Yoga as it is not "real Yoga." And, yet, what is the "real" Yoga that they speak of? I wonder.
But, all in good time.
We begin with Book IV as we begin our end. It begins, however, a bit bumpy with some curiosities before we get back on track so to speak.
4.1 concludes the discussion of the Siddhis gained by various samyamas from Book III with a list of possible ways to obtain them:
janmaushadhi-mantra-tapah-samãdhijãh siddhayah 4.1
Or,
Siddhis are born from birth, herbal tonics, acts of austerity and samãdhi. 4.1
Although it is very straight forward, with no real room for further interpretation, it is odd that Book III was all about the relationship between samyama and siddhi, then we have 4.1, and these causes are not discussed further in any details. So, personally, 4.1 sticks out a bit like a sore thumb for me.
So, with that, we might move along to 4.2:
jãtyantara-parinãmah prakrityãpUrãt 4.2
Or,
Because of the abundance of Nature/Prakriti, there is an evolution/transformation in births. 4.2
There are a variety of interpretations for this sutra, but I am inclined to go with the concept that because of the abundance of Nature, there is diversity in Life...makes sense. More or less Darwin's theory of evolution (parinãma) in a Yogic nutshell. As we saw in Book III, parinãma is the essence of growth for the Yogi/ni as well. Without that evolution or transformation, there is no progress.
Moving onto 4.3, we arrive at an extended metaphor that is usually explained in terms of agricultural irrigation:
nimittam-aprayojakam prakritInãm varna-bhedas-tu tatah kshetrivat 4.3
Giving us,
Causality is ultimately non-useful, for natural modalities [parinãma/evolution/transformation]; as such, as a farmer irrigates a field, impediments are cut away.
The general analogy here is lost on modern ears, so it is best to defer to the commentaries about this metaphor. In traditional agriculture, the farmer would have little sluices/trenches in the ground and would move the earth to re-channel the water. Here, Patañjali is saying that ultimately the efficient cause of things is irrelevant because in the end, the obstacles must be cleared, which is again, the goal of Yoga here. There is cause and effect in the physical world, that is not to be denied, but what the Yogi/ni is moving towards is the free-flowing of the mind, devoid of the cluttering of obstacles caused by a-vidyã.
And, moving on, we arrive at:
nirmãna-cittãnyasmitã-mãtrãt 4.4
Or,
Transforming thoughts are solely the product of the Ego. 4.4
In other words, the sense of being "I" is what causes the perception of change. It is the first division of the mind, separating "I" from "everything else" and from there, one perceives change in Time and Space, whereas without that construct, there are no divisions as we shall see later in the chapter. The situational irony at hand is that kaivalya is the movement back to singularity, the all-encompassing "I" with no separation, but it is that very "I" that causes the separation, but also what is the Seer who must transcend itself...it is the Ouroboros of consciousness, the snake which swallows its own tail and ultimately disappears...
And, so, we move along to find out how, step by step.
pravritti-bhede prayojakam cittam-ekam-anekanãm 4.5
Giving us,
A single, necessary consciousness exists in the immanent division of [conceived] pluralities. 4.5
Here we begin our journey to catch the Bull as we see in the 10 Bulls story of Zen. The "Bull" is the Self or consciousness that one needs to catch and tame; but that is the illusion. The Bull was never lost, never not one with the boy. And, in the end, they are both transcended, which is then, and only then, the true singular consciousness, the kaivalya.
And, then,
tatra dhyãna-jam-anãshayam 4.6
As such, the freedom from karmic stock is born from intense concentration. 4.6
Dhyãna, then, the root of the word Zen itself as well, is the means towards the solution. What binds us to our prejudices and false perceptions is karma, or the deeds of our Past. Again, karma is neither good, nor bad, but it just is. Our Past simply is, but, it is the baggage the prohibits our freedom from a-vidyã... Dhyãna, the core element of the samyama that we learned about at length in Book III is again just the means, not the solution itself. For that, we need to go further...
To be continued...
Book IV will bring us challenges to be sure. The nominal title given to this Book is Kaivalya, which as we have seen means: to be utterly alone; a singularity. However, this singularity is no less than the pinnacle of self-awareness, the goal of Yoga, which is why we began this journey. Book IV is no longer a road map as we have seen in Book II with the introduction of the 8 Limbs of Yoga. It is not a cautionary tale of what could go wrong if we let our Ego be overcome by the powers of Siddhi as in Book III. And, though it will hearken back to the original explanation of the quest for Samãdhi in Book I, where we began, it shall move even further beyond...
One of the oft-quoted definitions of Yoga is from the Bhagavad Gita in 2.50 with the phrase: yogah karmasu kaushalam, or Yoga is skill in actions. A common crossover, and related, phrase that we also see in Zen is upaya kaushalya, or skillful/expedient means. Up to this point, we have been encountering a mixture of these two concepts on the path of Yoga, as being a sort of skillful means to navigate through actions. Now, however, it is time to see where that has led us with respect to avidyã, or ignorance, and the relationship to duhkham, or suffering, which from YS 2.16, we saw was the purpose of Yoga: to avoid suffering that has not yet manifested/happened.
In other words, what have we learned?
One of the words that has been coming up quite often and its importance being made more each time is the concept of parinãma, or change/evolution/transformation.
Why is this so important to our Yoga path? Simply put, without change, without an evolution of thinking from experience or without a transformation from what we were when we began, then nothing has happened. Or worse, we have been given vidyã, and yet we choose avidyã. In Book VI of Plato's Republic, there is the story that has generally become known as "The Allegory of the Cave."
It tells the story of our condition as being shackled to benches in a cave, with our backs to the opening of the cave. By way of the light source behind us, shadows of figures are cast upon the wall in front of us, with everyone believing, "this is reality." However, one prisoner escapes, crawls out of the cave and "sees the true Light" and is literally blinded for a while. When his sight returns, he is in awe of the Beauty he now see for the first time. He goes back to share this wonderful gift to his fellow prisoners of the cave. They promptly think him mad, and are annoyed that he disturbs their mindless and false entertainment of the shadows dancing on the wall. So, they do what we always do to those who wish to share vidyã to our avidyã. They kill him.
The Yoga Sutras, likewise, are offering a key to the shackles. And yet, in the name of "Yoga" so many people shun the hard work, the abhyãsa in favor of bumper-stickers turn it into a multi-billion dollar network, all the while apparently being oh-so appalled at those who dare to make money off of Yoga as it is not "real Yoga." And, yet, what is the "real" Yoga that they speak of? I wonder.
But, all in good time.
We begin with Book IV as we begin our end. It begins, however, a bit bumpy with some curiosities before we get back on track so to speak.
4.1 concludes the discussion of the Siddhis gained by various samyamas from Book III with a list of possible ways to obtain them:
janmaushadhi-mantra-tapah-samãdhijãh siddhayah 4.1
Or,
Siddhis are born from birth, herbal tonics, acts of austerity and samãdhi. 4.1
Although it is very straight forward, with no real room for further interpretation, it is odd that Book III was all about the relationship between samyama and siddhi, then we have 4.1, and these causes are not discussed further in any details. So, personally, 4.1 sticks out a bit like a sore thumb for me.
So, with that, we might move along to 4.2:
jãtyantara-parinãmah prakrityãpUrãt 4.2
Or,
Because of the abundance of Nature/Prakriti, there is an evolution/transformation in births. 4.2
There are a variety of interpretations for this sutra, but I am inclined to go with the concept that because of the abundance of Nature, there is diversity in Life...makes sense. More or less Darwin's theory of evolution (parinãma) in a Yogic nutshell. As we saw in Book III, parinãma is the essence of growth for the Yogi/ni as well. Without that evolution or transformation, there is no progress.
Moving onto 4.3, we arrive at an extended metaphor that is usually explained in terms of agricultural irrigation:
nimittam-aprayojakam prakritInãm varna-bhedas-tu tatah kshetrivat 4.3
Giving us,
Causality is ultimately non-useful, for natural modalities [parinãma/evolution/transformation]; as such, as a farmer irrigates a field, impediments are cut away.
The general analogy here is lost on modern ears, so it is best to defer to the commentaries about this metaphor. In traditional agriculture, the farmer would have little sluices/trenches in the ground and would move the earth to re-channel the water. Here, Patañjali is saying that ultimately the efficient cause of things is irrelevant because in the end, the obstacles must be cleared, which is again, the goal of Yoga here. There is cause and effect in the physical world, that is not to be denied, but what the Yogi/ni is moving towards is the free-flowing of the mind, devoid of the cluttering of obstacles caused by a-vidyã.
And, moving on, we arrive at:
nirmãna-cittãnyasmitã-mãtrãt 4.4
Or,
Transforming thoughts are solely the product of the Ego. 4.4
In other words, the sense of being "I" is what causes the perception of change. It is the first division of the mind, separating "I" from "everything else" and from there, one perceives change in Time and Space, whereas without that construct, there are no divisions as we shall see later in the chapter. The situational irony at hand is that kaivalya is the movement back to singularity, the all-encompassing "I" with no separation, but it is that very "I" that causes the separation, but also what is the Seer who must transcend itself...it is the Ouroboros of consciousness, the snake which swallows its own tail and ultimately disappears...
And, so, we move along to find out how, step by step.
pravritti-bhede prayojakam cittam-ekam-anekanãm 4.5
Giving us,
A single, necessary consciousness exists in the immanent division of [conceived] pluralities. 4.5
Here we begin our journey to catch the Bull as we see in the 10 Bulls story of Zen. The "Bull" is the Self or consciousness that one needs to catch and tame; but that is the illusion. The Bull was never lost, never not one with the boy. And, in the end, they are both transcended, which is then, and only then, the true singular consciousness, the kaivalya.
And, then,
tatra dhyãna-jam-anãshayam 4.6
As such, the freedom from karmic stock is born from intense concentration. 4.6
Dhyãna, then, the root of the word Zen itself as well, is the means towards the solution. What binds us to our prejudices and false perceptions is karma, or the deeds of our Past. Again, karma is neither good, nor bad, but it just is. Our Past simply is, but, it is the baggage the prohibits our freedom from a-vidyã... Dhyãna, the core element of the samyama that we learned about at length in Book III is again just the means, not the solution itself. For that, we need to go further...
To be continued...
Friday, August 24, 2018
Be Careful What You Ask For, Book III of Patañjali's Yoga Sutras
Turn and Face the Strange (Ch-ch-changes...YS 3.8-13)
Journey to the East (YS 3.14-16)
You Don't Say... (YS 3.17-20)
I am Superman, and I know what's happening... (YS 3.21-34)
And, Along came a Spider (YS 3.35-37)
Walk the Rice Paper, Young Grasshopper (YS 3.38-43)
The Measure of All Things (YS 3.43-48)
Divide and Conquer, Unite and Transcend (YS 3.49-55)
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Down the Rabbit Hole, Book III of the Yoga Sutras (3.1-7)
Last time we met, we had wrapped up the so-called Book/Chapter II, or Sãdhana, the chapter on Practice for the aspiring Yogi/ni. That section introduced and began to enumerate and elucidate the 8 Limbs of Yoga according to Patañjali, or what has come into the common parlance as the Ashtanga of Yoga. In Sãdhana, the first five limbs are discussed and/or defined, leaving us the trinity of Dhãranã-Dhyãna-Samãdhi for Book III, which we shall see shortly.
In review, the first five limbs are:
Yama
Ni-Yama
Ãsana
Prãnãyãma
Pratyãhãra
And, these are usually taken as the external limbs, while the remaining three are described as being more internal in 3.7 below.
Whether these three were originally split into a new chapter/book, we do not know. This division, as we saw between Books I and II has been recently applied with more modern editorial inclinations. In truth, the Sutras may have at one time not had any such divisions. But, as this is the commonly accepted break, then let's keep it simple and proceed with 3.1.
desha-bandhash-cittasya dhãrana 3.1
Or, literally,
Dhãrana is a fixed place of the mind 3.1
Dhãrana is usually translated as "concentration," which originally does mean "the action of centering" and that is usually "of the mind". So, this is not a very foreign concept as such. We have seen Dhãranã before in YS 2.53 and connection with the Fourth type of Prãnãyãma where it was in the plural, so it means that in that context, it is an action, rather than a state of Be-ing as we shall see with Samãdhi. As such, 3.1 could also be rendered as:
The fixing of a single place in the mind is Dhãranã. 3.1
Which would mean that there is still a division between the Seer and the Seen as the mind is being used to See, or fix, a place in the mind, which houses the Seer. So, we are merely peeking down into the Rabbit Hole and have not yet jumped down into it. So, let's continue.
YS 3.2 gives us another familiar verbal/grammatical clue with tatra that we have seen before:
tatra pratyayaikatãnatã dhyãnam 3.2
Or,
Then/at that point (of Dhãranã), Dhyãna [is] a fixed singularity of thought. 3.2
This takes us into the the Rabbit Hole. In Physics, a singularity is also known as a Black Hole as it takes in everything, including light. Dhyãna then becomes the Black (Rabbit) Hole of Yoga. Once the mind becomes a singularity, the Time and Place of the mind will no longer matter. Singularity is moving towards our ultimate goal, which is Kaivalyam. Dhãranã prompts the mind into intense concentration, and Dhyãna renders the fusion of thought and mind into this singularity of mind.
And, then, finally, we arrive at the 8th and final limb, and that which the entire first Chapter/Book was devoted to: Samãdhi, and we have
tad-evãrtha-mãtra-nirbhãsam svarupa-shunyam iva samãdhih 3.3
giving us
Samãdhi is as if being devoid of its own nature, that very Dhyãna shines forth as the only object/aim. 3.3
My own take on the translation of Samãdhi differs from most translations, so I will briefly note where I go with it. Broken down, the word comes from sama+ã+dhã, or going straight to its Ancient Greek cousing--> syn-thesis. Samãdhi is literally the synthesis of all of the previous 7 limbs, culminating in absolute integration. In Calculus, the answer to a derivative is found by breaking up the sum into manageable parts and then combining them, or integrating them into a synthesized whole. Samãdhi is precisely that. Patañjali has broken Yoga down into integral parts, and Samãdhi solves the equation of the Black (W)hole. And, in order to do that, the sva-rupa, or true nature itself is swallowed up into that Black Hole, literally the void, or shunyata as we see in 3.3.
Just as the Black Hole engulfs the light waves of everything that falls within its gravitational field, Samãdhi synthesizes even the true nature of the Soul/Mind/Self into the depths of Dhyãna. As we have seen before, Dhyãna is ultimately corrupted into the Japanese word, Zen, and there too via Buddhism, the concept of Shunyata (directly from the Sanskrit) comes into play, usually translated as "Emptiness". In Yoga, the shunya, or void is in connection with the experience, and ultimate state of Be-ing of Samãdhi. There is no here nor there any longer...it has become a singularity, which we shall ultimately see in Book IV, or Kaivalyam...
For now, we return to the Yogic trinity with 3.4:
trayam-ekatra samyamah 3.4
Or, simply
These three (Dhãranã-Dhyãna-Samãdhi) together as one are samyamah. 3.4
The rest of Book III is now dedicated to this Trinity, or samyamah.
Moving on to 3.5-3.6 then, we have:
taj-jayãt-prajñãlokah 3.5
tasya bhumishu viniyogah 3.6
Or,
From the mastery of that (samyamah) comes a vision of wisdom. 3.5
The application of that (wisdom from samyamah) occurs in stages. 3.6
In other words, it takes practice and time again. We are back to our concepts of Abhyãsa, or diligent practice, but now, it has a Method, that of the 8-limbs of Yoga, capped off by Samyamah. From here on out in the Yoga Sutras, the effects/results of the Ashtanga, and more specifically, the Samyamah will be the focus of the text. From here on out, we are in the Rabbit Hole, as we see in 3.7, we have turned inwards now, and that is where the real, real journey begins...
trayam-antarangam purvebhyah 3.7
(These) three are (more) internal limbs (from) those previous ones. 3.7
And, just how far down that black, rabbit hole goes, is yet to be seen.
Coming along?
In review, the first five limbs are:
Yama
Ni-Yama
Ãsana
Prãnãyãma
Pratyãhãra
And, these are usually taken as the external limbs, while the remaining three are described as being more internal in 3.7 below.
Whether these three were originally split into a new chapter/book, we do not know. This division, as we saw between Books I and II has been recently applied with more modern editorial inclinations. In truth, the Sutras may have at one time not had any such divisions. But, as this is the commonly accepted break, then let's keep it simple and proceed with 3.1.
desha-bandhash-cittasya dhãrana 3.1
Or, literally,
Dhãrana is a fixed place of the mind 3.1
Dhãrana is usually translated as "concentration," which originally does mean "the action of centering" and that is usually "of the mind". So, this is not a very foreign concept as such. We have seen Dhãranã before in YS 2.53 and connection with the Fourth type of Prãnãyãma where it was in the plural, so it means that in that context, it is an action, rather than a state of Be-ing as we shall see with Samãdhi. As such, 3.1 could also be rendered as:
The fixing of a single place in the mind is Dhãranã. 3.1
Which would mean that there is still a division between the Seer and the Seen as the mind is being used to See, or fix, a place in the mind, which houses the Seer. So, we are merely peeking down into the Rabbit Hole and have not yet jumped down into it. So, let's continue.
YS 3.2 gives us another familiar verbal/grammatical clue with tatra that we have seen before:
tatra pratyayaikatãnatã dhyãnam 3.2
Or,
Then/at that point (of Dhãranã), Dhyãna [is] a fixed singularity of thought. 3.2
This takes us into the the Rabbit Hole. In Physics, a singularity is also known as a Black Hole as it takes in everything, including light. Dhyãna then becomes the Black (Rabbit) Hole of Yoga. Once the mind becomes a singularity, the Time and Place of the mind will no longer matter. Singularity is moving towards our ultimate goal, which is Kaivalyam. Dhãranã prompts the mind into intense concentration, and Dhyãna renders the fusion of thought and mind into this singularity of mind.
And, then, finally, we arrive at the 8th and final limb, and that which the entire first Chapter/Book was devoted to: Samãdhi, and we have
tad-evãrtha-mãtra-nirbhãsam svarupa-shunyam iva samãdhih 3.3
giving us
Samãdhi is as if being devoid of its own nature, that very Dhyãna shines forth as the only object/aim. 3.3
My own take on the translation of Samãdhi differs from most translations, so I will briefly note where I go with it. Broken down, the word comes from sama+ã+dhã, or going straight to its Ancient Greek cousing--> syn-thesis. Samãdhi is literally the synthesis of all of the previous 7 limbs, culminating in absolute integration. In Calculus, the answer to a derivative is found by breaking up the sum into manageable parts and then combining them, or integrating them into a synthesized whole. Samãdhi is precisely that. Patañjali has broken Yoga down into integral parts, and Samãdhi solves the equation of the Black (W)hole. And, in order to do that, the sva-rupa, or true nature itself is swallowed up into that Black Hole, literally the void, or shunyata as we see in 3.3.
Just as the Black Hole engulfs the light waves of everything that falls within its gravitational field, Samãdhi synthesizes even the true nature of the Soul/Mind/Self into the depths of Dhyãna. As we have seen before, Dhyãna is ultimately corrupted into the Japanese word, Zen, and there too via Buddhism, the concept of Shunyata (directly from the Sanskrit) comes into play, usually translated as "Emptiness". In Yoga, the shunya, or void is in connection with the experience, and ultimate state of Be-ing of Samãdhi. There is no here nor there any longer...it has become a singularity, which we shall ultimately see in Book IV, or Kaivalyam...
For now, we return to the Yogic trinity with 3.4:
trayam-ekatra samyamah 3.4
Or, simply
These three (Dhãranã-Dhyãna-Samãdhi) together as one are samyamah. 3.4
The rest of Book III is now dedicated to this Trinity, or samyamah.
Moving on to 3.5-3.6 then, we have:
taj-jayãt-prajñãlokah 3.5
tasya bhumishu viniyogah 3.6
Or,
From the mastery of that (samyamah) comes a vision of wisdom. 3.5
The application of that (wisdom from samyamah) occurs in stages. 3.6
In other words, it takes practice and time again. We are back to our concepts of Abhyãsa, or diligent practice, but now, it has a Method, that of the 8-limbs of Yoga, capped off by Samyamah. From here on out in the Yoga Sutras, the effects/results of the Ashtanga, and more specifically, the Samyamah will be the focus of the text. From here on out, we are in the Rabbit Hole, as we see in 3.7, we have turned inwards now, and that is where the real, real journey begins...
trayam-antarangam purvebhyah 3.7
(These) three are (more) internal limbs (from) those previous ones. 3.7
And, just how far down that black, rabbit hole goes, is yet to be seen.
Coming along?
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Book 'Em Danno, Books I and II of Patañjali's Yoga Sutras, Translation and Commentary
Patañjali's Yoga Sutras: Translations and Commentary
Want Samãdhi to Love, Book I: Samãdhi
Stairway to Heaven, Book II :Sãdhanã
Want Samãdhi to Love, Book I: Samãdhi
Stairway to Heaven, Book II :Sãdhanã
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Breathe, Just Breathe...(Yoga Sutras 2.49-55)
In our last episode, we found out the unsettling, though grounded truth that ãsana according to Patañjali does not hold much sway in the overall picture of Yoga, and is certainly not the same sort of physical gymnastics that dominates the shalas of today. However, it is nonetheless highly significant as it is still an important means, though not the ends, for achieving Samãdhi. Without the proper foundation with ãsana, one could not move on to the fourth limb of Yoga, which is Prãnãyãma, or yogic breath control.
Although there is the tendency these days to say that the 8 limbs of Yoga, or the ashtanga of Patañjali, can be taken in any order, that is not entirely true either. They may not be literally one step after another, but there are verbal clues along the way as we shall see (and have seen), that do key us into the fact that we do need to have some things under control before moving on to the next, as we see with Prãnãyãma.
Having said that, and we will return to it, I do contend that Yamas and Ni-Yamas are to be practiced continuously for one simple reason...we are human, and humans are prone to being...well, human, and as the saying goes: to err is human... And, this is precisely why the Yoga Sutras are just that, human. At several times along the way, Patañjali says that we WILL falter and we WILL have obstacles and so forth. But, instead of staying down, we are to get back up and try it again, for a long period of time, with a diligent practice, namely abhyãsa, and Book II has been all about building our practice. Now that we are closing in on the final limbs of the 8-fold path, it bears repeating that these are not to be considered one-and-done events.
Just because we may be successful at one time in being filled with ahimsã or satya or asteya, does not mean that we shall ALWAYS be in such a state of being. In other words, it takes time. It takes effort. It takes patience. It takes being willing to fail and try again. It takes diligence. It takes reverence. It takes humility. It takes a lot. And, in the world of Veruca Salt where we all "want it now!" that is sometimes a jagged pill to swallow.
And, the modern Yoga world is not always as forgiving as it likes to present itself as you may have noticed. Although there is great talk about "non-judgement" and "universal love" reality in the world of mats and incense is not always so kind. It is quite a familiar experience to come across many a yogi or yogini who espouses some high ideals of this "non-judgement" and "ubiquitous love", but when one slips or falters, as Patañjali says again and again we shall...the judgement is often swift, hypocritical and long-lasting.
When met with just such attitudes of non-gratitude, which you will, then it is best to remember Luke Skywalker's words again, "Breathe, just breathe..." which is where we are now at with 2.49.
Having left off with the fact that ãsana (a steady, meditative seat) can lead to the release from dualities and opposites, we then read:
Although there is the tendency these days to say that the 8 limbs of Yoga, or the ashtanga of Patañjali, can be taken in any order, that is not entirely true either. They may not be literally one step after another, but there are verbal clues along the way as we shall see (and have seen), that do key us into the fact that we do need to have some things under control before moving on to the next, as we see with Prãnãyãma.
Having said that, and we will return to it, I do contend that Yamas and Ni-Yamas are to be practiced continuously for one simple reason...we are human, and humans are prone to being...well, human, and as the saying goes: to err is human... And, this is precisely why the Yoga Sutras are just that, human. At several times along the way, Patañjali says that we WILL falter and we WILL have obstacles and so forth. But, instead of staying down, we are to get back up and try it again, for a long period of time, with a diligent practice, namely abhyãsa, and Book II has been all about building our practice. Now that we are closing in on the final limbs of the 8-fold path, it bears repeating that these are not to be considered one-and-done events.
Just because we may be successful at one time in being filled with ahimsã or satya or asteya, does not mean that we shall ALWAYS be in such a state of being. In other words, it takes time. It takes effort. It takes patience. It takes being willing to fail and try again. It takes diligence. It takes reverence. It takes humility. It takes a lot. And, in the world of Veruca Salt where we all "want it now!" that is sometimes a jagged pill to swallow.
And, the modern Yoga world is not always as forgiving as it likes to present itself as you may have noticed. Although there is great talk about "non-judgement" and "universal love" reality in the world of mats and incense is not always so kind. It is quite a familiar experience to come across many a yogi or yogini who espouses some high ideals of this "non-judgement" and "ubiquitous love", but when one slips or falters, as Patañjali says again and again we shall...the judgement is often swift, hypocritical and long-lasting.
When met with just such attitudes of non-gratitude, which you will, then it is best to remember Luke Skywalker's words again, "Breathe, just breathe..." which is where we are now at with 2.49.
Having left off with the fact that ãsana (a steady, meditative seat) can lead to the release from dualities and opposites, we then read:
Tasmin sati
shvãsa-prashvãsayor-gati-vicchedah prãnãyãmah 2.49
When that (effect of ãsana) occurs, there
is a distinction of movement in the exhalation and inhalation, called
Prãnãyãma.
The tasmin sati is an unmistakeable verbal and grammatical marker that Prãnãyãma comes after the command of ãsana as it is a temporal locative absolute, which means that x happens and then y, and in this case, that means x=ãsana and y=prãnãyãma.
Again, this is when ãsana is strictly meant to be a meditative seat. In modern practice that is indeed more ãsana-based from the physical sense, we can use breath control to go deeper into a pose, and it becomes symbiotic rather than in stages. But, that is to add a modern interpretation, which is fine, so long as we do not quote Patañjali as saying this is the case. What is in the text is that after ãsana comes prãnãyãma, and as we will see, after prãnãyãma comes pratyãhãra...in successive stages.
[Quick note on the word prãnãyãma as it is a bit interesting. It is actually made up of several components: pra + <<an>> + ã + <<yam>>. Prãna, or life force/breath is pra + <<an>> and the root "an" is what comes into modern languages from Latin as the Soul, namely anima/animus and so forth.]
Moving on to 2.50-51, we see:
Bãhyãbhyantara-stambha-vrittih
desha-kãla-samkhyãbhih paridrishto dirgha-suksmah 2.50
Prãnãyãma is
manifested by long or short distinctions by time, place and counting and is the
movement of the external, internal and restraining [of the breath].
Bãhyãbhyantara-vishaya-ãksepi
caturthah 2.51
The fourth
[type/mode of Prãnãyãma] refers to the range of the internal and external
breath.
Both the text itself and the commentaries do not shed much light on the 4 types of Prãnãyãma, and to make matters more challenging, there is a pervasive mis-translation of ãksepi being "transcending" or "goes beyond", where as it means "referring to" or "hints at" or the like. So, 2.51 seems to be a bit redundant, or it means that the fourth type is about different types of breathing?? Again, this is one of those times that is not very clear in the text and/or commentary. In short, it seems that the breath control or regulation of prãnãyãma then can focus on: time, place (in the body), counts and range of breath. Note to self for a bit more investigation into this...
Then, we have another verbal marker that once x happens, then y can...However, there is one slight problem as we see in 2.52-53:
Tatah kshiyate
prakãshãvaranam 2.52
Then/at that
time, the concealment of clarity is destroyed.
Dhãranãsu ca
yogyatã manasah 2.53
And, the
suitability of the mind in acts of fixed concentration.
This seems somewhat straightforward,
BUT!! Taken
together as a single sutra, we get:
Then, the
concealment of clarity is destroyed within acts of fixed concentration and the
suitability of the mind (arises)!
The "ca" conjunction meaning "and" is tricky here as to what is linked by it. Because it follows dhãranãsu, normally we would then take everything before the "ca" to be 1 and everything afterwards to be 2, hence it makes much more sense to link these two sutras as one, continuous complex sentence. Moreover, the plural locative of dhãrana-->dhãranãsu makes it more logical to say that the concealment of clarity is destroyed by/within ACTS of intense, fixed meditation here. This is reminiscent of Bhagavad Gita 2.50's definition of Yoga as:
tasmād yogāya yujyasva
yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam
Which means:
Therefore, "yoke" yourself to Yoga, as Yoga is skill in ACTIONS. Usually this is translated as "skill in action", but it is clearly, as is here, plural and should be actions, just like above needs to be "acts of dhãrana".
What this implies is again the caveat that Patañjali gives us again and again, namely...this is not a one-and-done deal. It takes time and multiple actions...Practice and refinement take TIME.
And, what this is also doing is setting us up for the triad of samyama, or dhãrana-dhyãna-samãdhi that we will see in detail in Book III (another dubious division...).
For now, however, we have one more limb to deal with before moving to that trinity, and that is pratyãhãra, or withdrawal (of the senses). And, we will again see that now-familiar "tatah" marker meaning, then/at this time, signaling one thing happens before the next.
To wrap up Book II and the first 5 limbs then, we read:
Sva-vishaya-asamprayoge
cittasya svarupãnukãra ivendriyãnãm pratyãhãrah
2.54
Pratyãhãra of the
senses is like an imitation of the true nature of the mind in the absence of
contact with its own sensory objects.
Tatah paramã
vashyatendriyãnãm 2.55
Then/at that
time, it is/arises the ultimate command/control of the senses.
As with ãsana, then, there is not much to say. In fact, for as much attention the 8 limbs get in the modern-day Yoga world, there is surprisingly few words spent on some of the key concepts. More so, they are just common-sense guidelines that lead to the more esoterica such as Samãdhi and Kaivalyam, to which most of Books III and IV will be devoted.
Before moving onto the nominal section of Book III, though, it is important to pause again and consider that although the Yoga Sutras were written +/- 2,000 years ago, they are still highly applicable to a contemporary Yoga practice, and, moreover, are very pertinent and practical psychological tools that we can use to overcome daily obstacles. However, it then also needs to be reminded that when we do apply the Yoga Sutras to our 21st-century lives and Yoga practice, we do need to take the responsibility to acknowledge what is and what is not in the original Yoga Sutras, especially as teachers! There is a great deal of misinformation, miscommunication and consequently misusage of these powerful words. And, when that happens, and the veil or concealment of clarity is lifted as with the effects of Prãnãyãma, then there can be disillusionment instead of revelation.
And, with a little bit of common sense, we can avoid that disillusionment and avoid the hypocrisy and judgement that often accompanies it.
So, again, before moving back into the meta-physical, remembering the first 5 anga/limbs, we need to exhale, exhale, exhale....
Inhale...
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