Ashtanga Yoga in the Tradition of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Samadhi. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Samadhi. Mostrar todas las entradas
sábado, 7 de junio de 2014
kaivalya ligth on life BKS Iyengar
“The realized yogi continues to function and act in the world, but in a way that is free. He is free from desires of motivation and free from the fruit or rewards of action. The yogi is utterly disinterested but paradoxically full of the engagement of compassion. He is in the world but of it.”
B.K.S Iyengar
martes, 4 de marzo de 2014
The Eight Limbs of Yoga, and How They Work Together by Gregor Maehle
According to Patanjali there are eight “limbs” of
yoga. How they work together can be understood
from the following story:
Once upon a time a couple lived happily together
in a country that had an unjust king. The king
became jealous of their happiness and threw the
man into a prison tower. When his wife came to the
tower at night to comfort him, the man called down
to her that she should return the next night with a
long silken thread, a strong thread, a cord, a rope, a
beetle, and some honey. Although puzzled by the
request, the wife returned the next evening with all
the items. Her husband then asked her to tie the
silken thread to the beetle and smear honey onto its
antennae. She should then place the beetle on the
tower wall with its head facing upward. Smelling
the honey, the beetle started to climb up the tower
in expectation of finding more of it, dragging the
silken thread as it did so. When it reached the top
of the tower the man took hold of the silken thread
and called down to his wife that she should tie the
strong thread to the other end. Pulling the strong
thread up, he secured it also and instructed her
further to tie the cord to the other end. Once he had
the cord the rest happened quickly. With the rope
attached to the cord he pulled it up, secured one
end of it and, climbing down, escaped to freedom.
The couple are, of course, yogis. The prison tower
represents conditioned existence. The silken thread
symbolizes the purifying of the body through asana.
The strong thread represents pranayama, breath
extension, the cord symbolizes meditation, and the
rope stands for samadhi, the state of pure being.
Once this rope is held, freedom from conditioned
existence is possible.
Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga relate to Ashtanga
Vinyasa practice thus:
The first limb consists of a set of ethics, which
ensures that the yogi interacts in a harmonious way
with the surrounding community. The ethical precepts
are: not to harm others, to be truthful, not to
steal, to engage in intercourse only with one’s
partner, and to abstain from greed.
The second limb consists of observances, which
ensure that body and mind are not polluted once
they have been purified. Purification in yoga has
nothing to do with puritanism. Rather it refers to the
“stainability” of body and mind. “Stainability” is the
propensity of the body/mind to take on a conditioning
or imprint from the environment. The observances
are physical and mental cleanliness, contentment,
simplicity, study of sacred texts, and acceptance of
the existence of the Supreme Being. The first two
limbs are initially implemented from the outside, and
they form a platform from which practice is undertaken.
Once we are established in yoga they become
our second nature: they will arise naturally.
The third limb is asana. Many obstacles to knowing
one’s true nature are manifested in the body, for
example disease, sluggishness, and dullness. The
body profoundly influences and, if in bad condition,
impinges on the functioning of mind and intellect.
Through the practice of yoga asanas the body is
made “strong and light like the body of a lion,” to
quote Shri K. Pattabhi Jois. Only then will it provide
the ideal vehicle on the path of yoga.
As the Yoga Sutra explains,5 every thought, emotion,
and experience leaves a subconscious imprint
(samskara) in the mind. These imprints determine
who we will be in the future. According to the Brhad
Aranyaka Upanishad, as long as liberation is not
achieved, the soul, like a caterpillar that draws itself
from one blade of grass over to the next, will, by the
force of its impressions in this life, reach out and
draw itself over to a new body in a new life.
This means that the body we have today is nothing
but the accumulation of our past thoughts, emotions,
and actions. In fact our body is the crystallized
history of our past thoughts. This needs to be deeply
understood and contemplated. It means that asana is
the method that releases us from past conditioning,
stored in the body, to arrive in the present moment.
It is to be noted that practicing forcefully will only
superimpose a new layer of subconscious imprints
based on suffering and pain. It will also increase
identification with the body. In yoga, identification
with anything that is impermanent is called
ignorance (avidya).
This may sound rather abstract at first, but all
of us who have seen a loved one die will remember
the profound insight that, once death has set in, the
body looks just like an empty shell left behind. Since
the body is our vehicle and the storehouse of our
past, we want to practice asana to the point where it
serves us well, while releasing and letting go of the
past that is stored in it.
Yoga is the middle path between two extremes. On
the one hand, we can go to the extreme of practicing
fanatically and striving for an ideal while denying
the reality of this present moment. The problem
with this is that we are only ever relating to ourselves
as what we want to become in the future and
not as what we are right now. The other extreme is
advocated by some schools of psychotherapy that
focus on highlighting past traumas. If we do this,
these traumas can increase their grip on us, and we
relate to ourselves as we have in the past, defining
ourselves by the “stuff that’s coming up” and the
“process that we are going through.” Asana is an
invitation to say goodbye to these extremes and
arrive at the truth of the present moment.
How do past emotions, thoughts, and impressions
manifest in the body? Some students of yoga experience
a lot of anger on commencing forward bending.
This is due to past anger having been stored in the
hamstrings. If we consciously let go of the anger, the
emotion will disappear. If not, it will surface in some
other form, possibly as an act of aggression or as a
chronic disease. Other students feel like crying after
intense backbending. Emotional pain is stored in the
chest, where it functions like armor, hardening
around the heart. This armor may be dissolved
in backbending. If we let go of the armor, a feeling
of tremendous relief will result, sometimes
accompanied by crying.
Extreme stiffness can be related to mental rigidity
or the inability to let oneself be transported into
unknown situations. Extreme flexibility, on the other
hand, can be related to the inability to take a position
in life and to set boundaries. In this case, asana
practice needs to be more strength based, to create
a balance and to learn to resist being stretched to
inappropriate places. Asana invites us to acknowledge
the past and let it go. This will in turn bring us
into the present moment and allow us to let go of
limiting concepts such as who we think we are.
The fourth limb is pranayama. Prana is the life
force, also referred to as the inner breath; pranayama
means extension of prana. The yogis discovered that
the pulsating or oscillating of prana happens sim
ultaneously with the movements of the mind
(chitta vrtti). The practice of pranayama is the study
and exercise of one’s breath to a point where it is
appeased and does not agitate the mind.
In the vinyasa system, pranayama is practiced
through applying the Ujjayi breath. By slightly
constricting the glottis, the breath is stretched long.
We learn to let the movement follow the breath,
which eventually leads to the body effortlessly
riding the waves of the breath. At this point it is
not we who move the body, but rather the power
of prana. We become able to breathe into all parts of
the body, which is equivalent to spreading the prana
evenly throughout. This is ayama — the extension
of the breath.
The fifth limb is pratyahara — sense withdrawal.
The Maitri Upanishad says that, if one becomes
preoccupied with sense objects, the mind is fueled,
which will lead to delusion and suffering.6 If, however,
the fuel of the senses is withheld, then, like a
fire that dies down without fuel, the mind becomes
reabsorbed into its source, the heart. “Heart” in
yoga is a metaphor not for emotions but for our
center, which is consciousness or the self.
In Vinyasa Yoga, sense withdrawal is practiced
through drishti — focal point. Instead of looking
around while practicing asana, which leads to the
senses reaching out, we stay internal by turning
our gaze toward prescribed locations. The sense of
hearing is drawn in by listening to the sound of the
breath, which at the same time gives us feedback
about the quality of the asana. By keeping our
attention from reaching out, we develop what tantric
philosophy calls the center (madhya). By developing
the center, the mind is eventually suspended and
the prana, which is a manifestation of the female
aspect of creation, the Goddess or Shakti, ceases to
oscillate. Then the state of divine consciousness
(bhairava) is recognized.7
The sixth limb is dharana — concentration. If you
have tried to meditate on the empty space between
two thoughts, you will know that the mind has the
tendency to attach itself to the next thought arising.
Since all objects have form, and the witnessing
subject — the consciousness — is formless, it tends
to be overlooked by the mind. It takes a great deal
of focus to keep watching consciousness when dis -
tractions are available.
The practice of concentration, then, is a pre -
requisite and preparation for meditation proper. The
training of concentration enables us to stay focused
on whatever object is chosen. First, simple objects
are selected, which in turn prepare us for the
penultimate “object,” formless consciousness, which
is nothing but pure awareness.
Concentration in Vinyasa Yoga is practiced by
focusing on the bandhas. On an external level the
focus is on Mula and Uddiyana Bandha (pelvic and
lower abdominal locks), but on an internal level it is
on the bonding together of movement, breath, and
awareness (bandha = bonding). To achieve this
bonding, we have to let go of the beta brain-wave
pattern, which normally accompanies concentration.
Instead we need to shift to an alpha pattern, which
enables multiple focus and leads into simultaneous
awareness of everything, or being in this moment,
which is meditation.
The seventh limb is dhyana — meditation.
Meditation means to rest, uninfluenced, between the
extremes of the mind and suddenly just “be” instead
of “becoming.” The difference between this and the
previous limb is that, in concentration, there is a
conscious effort to exclude all thoughts that are not
relevant to our chosen object. In meditation there is
a constant flow of impressions from the object and
of awareness toward the object, without any effort
of the will. Typical objects chosen are the heart lotus,
the inner sound, the breath, the sense-of-I, the
process of perception, and intellect, one’s meditation
deity (ishtadevata) or the Supreme Being.
In Vinyasa Yoga, meditation starts when, rather
than doing the practice, we are being done or moved.
At this point we realize that, since we can watch the
body, we are not the body but a deeper-lying witnessing
entity. The vinyasa practice is the constant
coming and going of postures, the constant change
of form, which we never hold on to. It is itself a
meditation on impermanence. When we come to the
point of realizing that everything we have known so
far — the world, the body, the mind, and the practice
— is subject to constant change, we have arrived
at meditation on intelligence (buddhi).
Meditation does not, however, occur only in
dhyana, but in all stages of the practice. In fact the
Ashtanga Vinyasa system is a movement medi -
tation. First we meditate on the position of the body
in space, which is asana. Then we meditate on the
life force moving the body, which is pranayama.
The next stage is to meditate on the senses through
drishti and listening to the breath, which is pratyahara.
Meditating on the binding together of all
aspects of the practice is concentration (dharana).
The eighth limb, samadhi, is of two kinds —
objective and objectless. Objective samadhi is when
the mind for the first time, like a clear jewel, reflects
faithfully what it is directed at and does not just
produce another simulation of reality.8 In other
words the mind is clarified to an extent that it does
not modify sensory input at all. To experience this,
we have to “de-condition” ourselves to the extent
that we let go of all limiting and negative programs
of the past. Patanjali says, “Memory is purified, as if
emptied of its own form.”9 Then all that can be
known about an object is known.
Objectless samadhi is the highest form of yoga.
It does not depend on an object for its arising but,
rather, the witnessing subject or awareness, which is
our true nature, is revealed. In this samadhi the thought
waves are suspended, which leads to knowing of
that which was always there: consciousness or the
divine self. This final state is beyond achieving,
beyond doing, beyond practicing. It is a state of pure
ecstatic being described by the term kaivalya — a
state in which there is total freedom and independence
from any external stimulation whatsoever.
In the physical disciplines of yoga, samadhi is
reached by suspending the extremes of solar (pingala)
and lunar (ida) mind. This state arises when the inner
breath (prana) enters the central channel (sushumna).
Then truth or deep reality suddenly flashes forth.
yoga. How they work together can be understood
from the following story:
Once upon a time a couple lived happily together
in a country that had an unjust king. The king
became jealous of their happiness and threw the
man into a prison tower. When his wife came to the
tower at night to comfort him, the man called down
to her that she should return the next night with along silken thread, a strong thread, a cord, a rope, a
beetle, and some honey. Although puzzled by the
request, the wife returned the next evening with all
the items. Her husband then asked her to tie the
silken thread to the beetle and smear honey onto its
antennae. She should then place the beetle on the
tower wall with its head facing upward. Smelling
the honey, the beetle started to climb up the tower
in expectation of finding more of it, dragging the
silken thread as it did so. When it reached the top
of the tower the man took hold of the silken thread
and called down to his wife that she should tie the
strong thread to the other end. Pulling the strong
thread up, he secured it also and instructed her
further to tie the cord to the other end. Once he had
the cord the rest happened quickly. With the rope
attached to the cord he pulled it up, secured one
end of it and, climbing down, escaped to freedom.
The couple are, of course, yogis. The prison tower
represents conditioned existence. The silken thread
symbolizes the purifying of the body through asana.
The strong thread represents pranayama, breath
extension, the cord symbolizes meditation, and the
rope stands for samadhi, the state of pure being.
Once this rope is held, freedom from conditioned
existence is possible.
Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga relate to Ashtanga
Vinyasa practice thus:
The first limb consists of a set of ethics, which
ensures that the yogi interacts in a harmonious way
with the surrounding community. The ethical precepts
are: not to harm others, to be truthful, not to
steal, to engage in intercourse only with one’s
partner, and to abstain from greed.
The second limb consists of observances, which
ensure that body and mind are not polluted once
they have been purified. Purification in yoga has
nothing to do with puritanism. Rather it refers to the
“stainability” of body and mind. “Stainability” is the
propensity of the body/mind to take on a conditioning
or imprint from the environment. The observances
are physical and mental cleanliness, contentment,
simplicity, study of sacred texts, and acceptance of
the existence of the Supreme Being. The first two
limbs are initially implemented from the outside, and
they form a platform from which practice is undertaken.
Once we are established in yoga they become
our second nature: they will arise naturally.
The third limb is asana. Many obstacles to knowing
one’s true nature are manifested in the body, for
example disease, sluggishness, and dullness. The
body profoundly influences and, if in bad condition,
impinges on the functioning of mind and intellect.
Through the practice of yoga asanas the body is
made “strong and light like the body of a lion,” to
quote Shri K. Pattabhi Jois. Only then will it provide
the ideal vehicle on the path of yoga.
As the Yoga Sutra explains,5 every thought, emotion,
and experience leaves a subconscious imprint
(samskara) in the mind. These imprints determine
who we will be in the future. According to the Brhad
Aranyaka Upanishad, as long as liberation is not
achieved, the soul, like a caterpillar that draws itself
from one blade of grass over to the next, will, by the
force of its impressions in this life, reach out and
draw itself over to a new body in a new life.
This means that the body we have today is nothing
but the accumulation of our past thoughts, emotions,
and actions. In fact our body is the crystallized
history of our past thoughts. This needs to be deeply
understood and contemplated. It means that asana is
the method that releases us from past conditioning,
stored in the body, to arrive in the present moment.
It is to be noted that practicing forcefully will only
superimpose a new layer of subconscious imprints
based on suffering and pain. It will also increase
identification with the body. In yoga, identification
with anything that is impermanent is called
ignorance (avidya).
This may sound rather abstract at first, but all
of us who have seen a loved one die will remember
the profound insight that, once death has set in, the
body looks just like an empty shell left behind. Since
the body is our vehicle and the storehouse of our
past, we want to practice asana to the point where it
serves us well, while releasing and letting go of the
past that is stored in it.
Yoga is the middle path between two extremes. On
the one hand, we can go to the extreme of practicing
fanatically and striving for an ideal while denying
the reality of this present moment. The problem
with this is that we are only ever relating to ourselves
as what we want to become in the future and
not as what we are right now. The other extreme is
advocated by some schools of psychotherapy that
focus on highlighting past traumas. If we do this,
these traumas can increase their grip on us, and we
relate to ourselves as we have in the past, defining
ourselves by the “stuff that’s coming up” and the
“process that we are going through.” Asana is an
invitation to say goodbye to these extremes and
arrive at the truth of the present moment.
How do past emotions, thoughts, and impressions
manifest in the body? Some students of yoga experience
a lot of anger on commencing forward bending.
This is due to past anger having been stored in the
hamstrings. If we consciously let go of the anger, the
emotion will disappear. If not, it will surface in some
other form, possibly as an act of aggression or as a
chronic disease. Other students feel like crying after
intense backbending. Emotional pain is stored in the
chest, where it functions like armor, hardening
around the heart. This armor may be dissolved
in backbending. If we let go of the armor, a feeling
of tremendous relief will result, sometimes
accompanied by crying.
Extreme stiffness can be related to mental rigidity
or the inability to let oneself be transported into
unknown situations. Extreme flexibility, on the other
hand, can be related to the inability to take a position
in life and to set boundaries. In this case, asana
practice needs to be more strength based, to create
a balance and to learn to resist being stretched to
inappropriate places. Asana invites us to acknowledge
the past and let it go. This will in turn bring us
into the present moment and allow us to let go of
limiting concepts such as who we think we are.
The fourth limb is pranayama. Prana is the life
force, also referred to as the inner breath; pranayama
means extension of prana. The yogis discovered that
the pulsating or oscillating of prana happens sim
ultaneously with the movements of the mind
(chitta vrtti). The practice of pranayama is the study
and exercise of one’s breath to a point where it is
appeased and does not agitate the mind.
In the vinyasa system, pranayama is practiced
through applying the Ujjayi breath. By slightly
constricting the glottis, the breath is stretched long.
We learn to let the movement follow the breath,
which eventually leads to the body effortlessly
riding the waves of the breath. At this point it is
not we who move the body, but rather the power
of prana. We become able to breathe into all parts of
the body, which is equivalent to spreading the prana
evenly throughout. This is ayama — the extension
of the breath.
The fifth limb is pratyahara — sense withdrawal.
The Maitri Upanishad says that, if one becomes
preoccupied with sense objects, the mind is fueled,
which will lead to delusion and suffering.6 If, however,
the fuel of the senses is withheld, then, like a
fire that dies down without fuel, the mind becomes
reabsorbed into its source, the heart. “Heart” in
yoga is a metaphor not for emotions but for our
center, which is consciousness or the self.
In Vinyasa Yoga, sense withdrawal is practiced
through drishti — focal point. Instead of looking
around while practicing asana, which leads to the
senses reaching out, we stay internal by turning
our gaze toward prescribed locations. The sense of
hearing is drawn in by listening to the sound of the
breath, which at the same time gives us feedback
about the quality of the asana. By keeping our
attention from reaching out, we develop what tantric
philosophy calls the center (madhya). By developing
the center, the mind is eventually suspended and
the prana, which is a manifestation of the female
aspect of creation, the Goddess or Shakti, ceases to
oscillate. Then the state of divine consciousness
(bhairava) is recognized.7
The sixth limb is dharana — concentration. If you
have tried to meditate on the empty space between
two thoughts, you will know that the mind has the
tendency to attach itself to the next thought arising.
Since all objects have form, and the witnessing
subject — the consciousness — is formless, it tends
to be overlooked by the mind. It takes a great deal
of focus to keep watching consciousness when dis -
tractions are available.
The practice of concentration, then, is a pre -
requisite and preparation for meditation proper. The
training of concentration enables us to stay focused
on whatever object is chosen. First, simple objects
are selected, which in turn prepare us for the
penultimate “object,” formless consciousness, which
is nothing but pure awareness.
Concentration in Vinyasa Yoga is practiced by
focusing on the bandhas. On an external level the
focus is on Mula and Uddiyana Bandha (pelvic and
lower abdominal locks), but on an internal level it is
on the bonding together of movement, breath, and
awareness (bandha = bonding). To achieve this
bonding, we have to let go of the beta brain-wave
pattern, which normally accompanies concentration.
Instead we need to shift to an alpha pattern, which
enables multiple focus and leads into simultaneous
awareness of everything, or being in this moment,
which is meditation.
The seventh limb is dhyana — meditation.
Meditation means to rest, uninfluenced, between the
extremes of the mind and suddenly just “be” instead
of “becoming.” The difference between this and the
previous limb is that, in concentration, there is a
conscious effort to exclude all thoughts that are not
relevant to our chosen object. In meditation there is
a constant flow of impressions from the object and
of awareness toward the object, without any effort
of the will. Typical objects chosen are the heart lotus,
the inner sound, the breath, the sense-of-I, the
process of perception, and intellect, one’s meditation
deity (ishtadevata) or the Supreme Being.
In Vinyasa Yoga, meditation starts when, rather
than doing the practice, we are being done or moved.
At this point we realize that, since we can watch the
body, we are not the body but a deeper-lying witnessing
entity. The vinyasa practice is the constant
coming and going of postures, the constant change
of form, which we never hold on to. It is itself a
meditation on impermanence. When we come to the
point of realizing that everything we have known so
far — the world, the body, the mind, and the practice
— is subject to constant change, we have arrived
at meditation on intelligence (buddhi).
Meditation does not, however, occur only in
dhyana, but in all stages of the practice. In fact the
Ashtanga Vinyasa system is a movement medi -
tation. First we meditate on the position of the body
in space, which is asana. Then we meditate on the
life force moving the body, which is pranayama.
The next stage is to meditate on the senses through
drishti and listening to the breath, which is pratyahara.
Meditating on the binding together of all
aspects of the practice is concentration (dharana).
The eighth limb, samadhi, is of two kinds —
objective and objectless. Objective samadhi is when
the mind for the first time, like a clear jewel, reflects
faithfully what it is directed at and does not just
produce another simulation of reality.8 In other
words the mind is clarified to an extent that it does
not modify sensory input at all. To experience this,
we have to “de-condition” ourselves to the extent
that we let go of all limiting and negative programs
of the past. Patanjali says, “Memory is purified, as if
emptied of its own form.”9 Then all that can be
known about an object is known.
Objectless samadhi is the highest form of yoga.
It does not depend on an object for its arising but,
rather, the witnessing subject or awareness, which is
our true nature, is revealed. In this samadhi the thought
waves are suspended, which leads to knowing of
that which was always there: consciousness or the
divine self. This final state is beyond achieving,
beyond doing, beyond practicing. It is a state of pure
ecstatic being described by the term kaivalya — a
state in which there is total freedom and independence
from any external stimulation whatsoever.
In the physical disciplines of yoga, samadhi is
reached by suspending the extremes of solar (pingala)
and lunar (ida) mind. This state arises when the inner
breath (prana) enters the central channel (sushumna).
Then truth or deep reality suddenly flashes forth.
jueves, 20 de febrero de 2014
From Hatha yoga pradipika with Hans Ulrich Rieker commentary -Quote 8
"After the vibration has pierced the last knot
[the agna chakra], the forehead's center [of consciousness], it rises to the divine place. With this the
fourth stage sets in, where one hears the sound of the flute and the vina"
Let us stop analyzing. Our experience does not suffice to understand the meaning of the sound of the
flute of Krishna, or the vina of the divine messenger, Narada. Those who have experienced this high
state have become teachers from whose lips flowed the Vedas, the Eddas, the Avestas, the Sermon of
the Mount, the Koran. The sounds now grow ever more subtle, yet more powerful. They are sounds
that proclaim the Eternal Wisdom of God, the power of Ultimate Truth undisturbed and unimpeded
by the word. Nothing is understood, everything known. The gates of the Kingdom of Heaven fly
open, the eternal light is manifest) the music of the spheres rings out.
"When the mind becomes unified, this is raja yoga. The yogi, now master of creation and
destruction, becomes one with God. −−Whether or not you call it liberation, here is eternal bliss. The
bliss of dissolution [laya] is obtained only through raja yoga. −−There are many who are merely
hatha yogins, without the knowledge of raja yoga. They are simple practicers who will never reap
the [real] fruits of their efforts. I believe that concentration on the space between the eyebrows is
the best way to reach samadhi in a short time. For those of small intellect this is the easiest means to
attain to raja yoga."
The state of dissolution [laya] arising from the [inner sound] nada creates this spontaneous
experience. −−[All] yogis who have reached the state of samadhi through this concentration on nada
have experienced a bliss in their hearts that surpasses all description and can be known only by a
god. −−The silent ascetic, having closed his ears, listens [attentively] to the sound in his heart until
he attains the state of oneness with all [samadhi]. −−The power of inner sound gradually surpasses
the external sounds. Thus the yogi can overcome the weakness of the mind and reach his goal in 15
days.
The power of the internal sound, its meaning as an audible designation of our personality, is a
thousand times stronger than the logical combination of the sounds of letters which has really no
meaning at all. The pronouncing of the name−word is purely inner sound.
Now the mantra is that name which is the common property of both the jivatman and the
paramatman (the self and the Self).
At first it is separateness that impinges upon our ears. There is still an I and a Thou, the one who
perceives and the one who is perceived: the dynamic mind is active. In the inner sense, however, all
separative tendencies, all sound−conditioned differentiations cease according to the degree of their
inner refinement, i.e. the degree to which they sink and become one with the static mind. The mantra
becomes the true name.
At the beginning of an acquaintance a name only tells us who the person is. Later on it stands for the
sum total of what the person is, what we have experienced with that person. The name then does not
merely speak of the "Thou," but equally of the "I" and its relationship to "Thou."
[the agna chakra], the forehead's center [of consciousness], it rises to the divine place. With this the
Let us stop analyzing. Our experience does not suffice to understand the meaning of the sound of the
flute of Krishna, or the vina of the divine messenger, Narada. Those who have experienced this high
state have become teachers from whose lips flowed the Vedas, the Eddas, the Avestas, the Sermon of
the Mount, the Koran. The sounds now grow ever more subtle, yet more powerful. They are sounds
that proclaim the Eternal Wisdom of God, the power of Ultimate Truth undisturbed and unimpeded
by the word. Nothing is understood, everything known. The gates of the Kingdom of Heaven fly
open, the eternal light is manifest) the music of the spheres rings out.
"When the mind becomes unified, this is raja yoga. The yogi, now master of creation and
destruction, becomes one with God. −−Whether or not you call it liberation, here is eternal bliss. The
bliss of dissolution [laya] is obtained only through raja yoga. −−There are many who are merely
hatha yogins, without the knowledge of raja yoga. They are simple practicers who will never reap
the [real] fruits of their efforts. I believe that concentration on the space between the eyebrows is
the best way to reach samadhi in a short time. For those of small intellect this is the easiest means to
attain to raja yoga."
The state of dissolution [laya] arising from the [inner sound] nada creates this spontaneous
experience. −−[All] yogis who have reached the state of samadhi through this concentration on nada
have experienced a bliss in their hearts that surpasses all description and can be known only by a
god. −−The silent ascetic, having closed his ears, listens [attentively] to the sound in his heart until
he attains the state of oneness with all [samadhi]. −−The power of inner sound gradually surpasses
the external sounds. Thus the yogi can overcome the weakness of the mind and reach his goal in 15
days.
The power of the internal sound, its meaning as an audible designation of our personality, is a
thousand times stronger than the logical combination of the sounds of letters which has really no
meaning at all. The pronouncing of the name−word is purely inner sound.
Now the mantra is that name which is the common property of both the jivatman and the
paramatman (the self and the Self).
At first it is separateness that impinges upon our ears. There is still an I and a Thou, the one who
perceives and the one who is perceived: the dynamic mind is active. In the inner sense, however, all
separative tendencies, all sound−conditioned differentiations cease according to the degree of their
inner refinement, i.e. the degree to which they sink and become one with the static mind. The mantra
becomes the true name.
At the beginning of an acquaintance a name only tells us who the person is. Later on it stands for the
sum total of what the person is, what we have experienced with that person. The name then does not
merely speak of the "Thou," but equally of the "I" and its relationship to "Thou."
miércoles, 19 de febrero de 2014
From Hatha yoga pradipika with Hans Ulrich Rieker commentary -Quote 7
"Dissolution [laya] depends on nada. Laya produces prana. Prana is the lord of the mind [mano]; mind is the
lord of the senses [indriyas]. When mind is absorbed in itself it is called moksha [liberation]. Call it
this or that; when mind and prana are absorbed in each other the immeasurable joy of samadhi
ensues."
We enter a church and feel the sattva element that governs the lofty sacred room. Something like a
shiver of enchantment pene−
trates us. It is bindu that (for a moment) transfigures us. We know that it has to do with the divine, to
which this place is dedicated. We know it, but the inner concept of this "divine" is more than the
word; it is that which speaks within us, nada. Let us recognize this: not the specific term "the divine"
exercises its power, but the "inner something" that vibrates with this concept. Then the concept as
such, with its thought content, dissolves (laya), and what remains is the experience of the spirit. This
phrase, "experience of the spirit," already contains the duality: prana (experience) and spirit.
So much for our everyday experience. For the yogi approaching samadhi, the process is reversed: he
has recognized the meaningful germ, bindu, within himself, and knows that the divine vibrations in
him were merely released by the sattva element in the outside stimulation.
Therefore, like the ancient master mystics, he turns inward and finds liberation in detachment from
the releasing element. For liberation means "nothing but" freedom from exterior influences.
lord of the senses [indriyas]. When mind is absorbed in itself it is called moksha [liberation]. Call it
ensues."
We enter a church and feel the sattva element that governs the lofty sacred room. Something like a
shiver of enchantment pene−
trates us. It is bindu that (for a moment) transfigures us. We know that it has to do with the divine, to
which this place is dedicated. We know it, but the inner concept of this "divine" is more than the
word; it is that which speaks within us, nada. Let us recognize this: not the specific term "the divine"
exercises its power, but the "inner something" that vibrates with this concept. Then the concept as
such, with its thought content, dissolves (laya), and what remains is the experience of the spirit. This
phrase, "experience of the spirit," already contains the duality: prana (experience) and spirit.
So much for our everyday experience. For the yogi approaching samadhi, the process is reversed: he
has recognized the meaningful germ, bindu, within himself, and knows that the divine vibrations in
him were merely released by the sattva element in the outside stimulation.
Therefore, like the ancient master mystics, he turns inward and finds liberation in detachment from
the releasing element. For liberation means "nothing but" freedom from exterior influences.
From Hatha yoga pradipika with Hans Ulrich Rieker commentary -Quote 6
"There are 72,000 nadis in this cage [body]. Sushumna is the central nadi which contains the
shabhavi shakti. This has the property of bestowing bliss upon the yogi. All others are then useless.
−−Guide the prana into the sushumna and kindle the gastric fire and awaken the kundalini. Only
when prana fiows through the sushumna wilt there be samadhi. All other methods are futile. When
breath is suspended then [discursive] thinking also is suspended. He who has power over his mind
can also control prana.
[For] the two causes that activate the mind are prana [respiration] and the sources of karma
[vasanas, latent tendencies]. Death of one [of these] is the death of the other. When mind is
absorbed, breathing subsides: when prana is absorbed in the sushumna [not available to the body]
then mind also is absorbed."
The deepest sense of this yoga will be understood only by one who is convinced that from physical
process to psychological experience and religious phenomena there is one straight (if usually secret)
path, and that none of the three can exist and function by itself. He who is prepared to familiarize
himself with what naturally seems to be a strange terminology will find not only confirmation of the
most modern knowledge, but the possibility of new insights as well, for the problem of relationship
between the inner and outer worlds will always be a
topical one as long as the human race exists. The last word on it can never be expected, for each
culture, even each phase of individual life presents new perspectives. It is by the great visionary
works of antiquity that we are most deeply touched−− we who have become so clever.
"Mind and prana are related to each other like milk and water. If the one dries up the other one
also dries up. In whatever chakra the prana is concentrated mind becomes fixed, and where the mind
is fixed prana is conquered"
The fact that men's cultural levels differ so greatly is not simply a problem of society; nor does it
depend on ambition, or even on intelligence. It is really the chakras that cause stratification in
culture.
Genius is the product of the highest development potential of that chakra by which it lives. As long
as our mind is not nourished by that same chakra we only comprehend the lower levels. At the
highest level our understanding is no longer limited. There we need no intellectual hints; we perceive
the spirit everywhere, even in silence.
The chakra determines whatever level of development we are on, and this level determines the measure of our consciousness.
shabhavi shakti. This has the property of bestowing bliss upon the yogi. All others are then useless.
−−Guide the prana into the sushumna and kindle the gastric fire and awaken the kundalini. Only
breath is suspended then [discursive] thinking also is suspended. He who has power over his mind
can also control prana.
[For] the two causes that activate the mind are prana [respiration] and the sources of karma
[vasanas, latent tendencies]. Death of one [of these] is the death of the other. When mind is
absorbed, breathing subsides: when prana is absorbed in the sushumna [not available to the body]
then mind also is absorbed."
The deepest sense of this yoga will be understood only by one who is convinced that from physical
process to psychological experience and religious phenomena there is one straight (if usually secret)
path, and that none of the three can exist and function by itself. He who is prepared to familiarize
himself with what naturally seems to be a strange terminology will find not only confirmation of the
most modern knowledge, but the possibility of new insights as well, for the problem of relationship
between the inner and outer worlds will always be a
topical one as long as the human race exists. The last word on it can never be expected, for each
culture, even each phase of individual life presents new perspectives. It is by the great visionary
works of antiquity that we are most deeply touched−− we who have become so clever.
"Mind and prana are related to each other like milk and water. If the one dries up the other one
also dries up. In whatever chakra the prana is concentrated mind becomes fixed, and where the mind
is fixed prana is conquered"
The fact that men's cultural levels differ so greatly is not simply a problem of society; nor does it
depend on ambition, or even on intelligence. It is really the chakras that cause stratification in
culture.
Genius is the product of the highest development potential of that chakra by which it lives. As long
as our mind is not nourished by that same chakra we only comprehend the lower levels. At the
highest level our understanding is no longer limited. There we need no intellectual hints; we perceive
the spirit everywhere, even in silence.
The chakra determines whatever level of development we are on, and this level determines the measure of our consciousness.
sábado, 28 de diciembre de 2013
Sandilya Upanishad quotes
This
body is ninety-six digits in length.
Prana
extends twelve digits beyond the body. He who through,
the
practice of yoga reduces his prana within his body to make
it
equal to or not less than the fire in it becomes the greatest
the
yogins. In
men, the region of fire which is triangular in
form
and brilliant as the molten gold is situated in the middle
of
the body
Lying
in the middle of the navel and
above
it, is the seat of kundalini. The kundalini sakti is of the
form
of eight prakrtis (matter) and coils itself eight ways or
(times).
The movement of vayus (vital airs) checks duly the
food
and drink all round by the side of skandha(the web of life)
It
closes by
its
head (the opening of) the brahmarandhra, and during the
time
of (the practice of) yoga is awakened by the fire (in the
apana);
then it shines with great brilliancy in the akas of the
heart in the shape of wisdom.
Situated
at
the
back of the anus, it is attached to the spinal column and
extends
to the brahmarandhra of the head and is invisible
and
subtle and is vaishnavi (or has the sakti force of Vishnu).
On
the left of Sushumna is situated Ida and on the right is
Pingala.
The moon moves in Ida and the sun in Pingala.
The
moon is of the nature of tamas and the sun of rajas.
The
poison share is of the sun and the nectar of the moon.
They
both direct (or indicate) time and Sushumna, is the enjoyer
(or consumer) of time.
By
the
contraction
of the muscles of the neck and by the contraction
of
the one below (viz.,) Apana, the Prana (breath) goes into the
Sushumna
which is in the middle from the west nadi.
Drawing
up the Apana and forcing down the Prana from the throat,
the
yogin free from old age becomes a youth of sixteen.
Having
by contraction opened the door of kundalini, one
should
force open the door of moksha. Closing with her mouth
the
door through which one ought to go, the kundalini sleeps
spiral
in form and coiled up like a serpent. He who causes this
kundalini
to move he is an emancipated person. If this kundalini
were
to sleep in the upper part of the neck of any yogin, it goes
towards
his emancipation. (If it were to sleep) in the lower part
(of
the body), it is for the bondage of the ignorant. Leaving the
two
nadis, Ida and the other (Pingala), it (prana) should move
in the Sushumna. That is the supreme seat of
Vishnu.
Samadhi
is the union of the Jivatma (individual self) and
the
Paramatma (higher self) without ,the threefold state, (viz.,
the
knower, the known, and the knowledge). It is of the nature
of extreme bliss and pure consciousness.
miércoles, 6 de noviembre de 2013
viernes, 27 de septiembre de 2013
From Yoga Taravali by Sri Shankaracharya
I bow to the two lotus feet
of the (plurality of ) Gurus
Which awaken insight into
the happiness of pure Being,
Which are the complete
absorption, the jungle physician,
which eliminate the delusion
caused by the poisonous herb of
Samsara (conditioned existence).
There are 125,000 (meaning,
numberless) methods of laya
(yogic disolution) described
by Lord Siva in the world.
It is my opinion that nada
-anusandhana (pursuit of
“Inner Sound”) into the
deepest samadhi is the best
of all these layas.
With full exhaling, full
inhaling, and retention
of the breath, all of the
nadis are cleaned out. Then
through the anahata cakra
(the heart/ “wheel of the
unstruck sound”) many types
of internal sound are
expressed inside.
Obeisances to you,
Nadanusandhana (also a name
of Siva). The practice of you
gives birth to experience of the
highest truth. By your kindness
and with the internal breath,
may my mind dissolve into the
lotus feet of Visnu.
They say that jalandhara,
uddyiana, and mula bandhas
are deep in the throat, the
abdomen, and the root of the
anus. Having established these
three bandhas all around,
where is the dread of the noose
of time?
By uddiyana, jalandhara, and
mula bandhas the sleeping
serpent wakes up (makes an
about face) turns back, and
enters the susumna (central
channel). Then the coming
and going of the breath ceases.
By constantly squeezing the
Apana Vayu a bright torch
of fire rises up from the
muladhaara. Because of that
heat streams of nectar fall from
the moon (at the root of the
palate) to be drunk by the
fortunate.
The shining of the effulgent Paramatma
totally destroys the darkness of ignorance.
O Wonder! The Awakened One,
who has no fault (no imperfection) in their seeing,
sees not a “thing” in this whole world!
 |
Sri Shankaracharya
jueves, 20 de junio de 2013
The Eight Limbs, "Agni" and The origin of yoga from the book The intermediate Series by Gregor Maehle
The Eight LimbsPatanjali had achieved the state of samadhi, which refers to an experience of oceanic or divine ecstasy. Today the term ecstasy often connotes a drug-induced stateof euphoria or the peak of sexual pleasure, but there is a passage in the scriptures where in samadhi is said to have about a trillion times the intensity of sexual pleasure. In other words, it is far beyond anything you can imagine in normal experience. Because he existed continually in this state of absolute freedom, Patanjali described a path that could lead all of us to it. He asked himself, Which state immediately precedes divine ecstasy? The answer was meditation (dhyana). Samadhiis our true nature, but we cannot receive it if our minds are too busy to listen, he reasoned; therefore, the path to samadhi lies in quieting the mind, which isaccomplished when one achieves the state of
Agni
Agni represents the inner fire in yoga. Accordingly, the sushumna, visualized red, is called the fire nadi. Inner fire is created through ritualistic practice (tapas)such as asana. The term tapas is derived from the verb root tap, to cook. Inner heat, produced by correct forms of exertion, is used to burn toxins and impurities.such as asana. The term tapas is derived from the verb root tap, to cook. Inner heat, produced by correct forms of exertion, is used to burn toxins and impurities.Any such activity brings about sweat, which is the water produced by the heated body.14 Sweat has an important function in yoga. Shri B.N. S. Iyengar
repeatedly instructed me that “sweat goes to the next life.” This means, on one hand, that the fruit produced by right exertion is not lost when the mortal body is shed; and onthe other hand, that creative power is ascribed to the sweat itself. In the Puranas there are several incidences of procreation happening when a drop of sweat falls offthe brow of a celestial or rishi, and a new powerful being springs up from it. Procreation in the Golden Age (Satya Yuga) was thought to be possible withoutintercourse; the father merely wiped the sweat off his brow and rubbed it on the skin of his wife. Finally, the medieval Hatha texts inform us that the sweat producedby practice should not be wiped off but rubbed back into the skin. By this method, inner glow (tejas) is restored. Tejas is another form of Agni.
The origin of yoga
The Supreme Being in the form of Lord Shiva is credited with the authorship of yoga (in the Mahabharata, Shiva is called Yogeshvara, Lord of Yoga) because many myths about the origin of yoga start with a dialogue between him and the mother of the universe, Uma Parvati, often called Shakti.On one occasion when the Lord was teaching, the serpent of infinity, Ananta, was hiding close by and eaves dropped on the secret teaching. (Of course,Ananta is yet another aspect of the same Supreme Being, manifesting for the promulgation of the eternal teaching.) After he had heard enough, Ananta tried to slither away undetected, but Shiva apprehended him, having been aware of his presence all along. For his transgression, he sentenced Ananta to the task of relating this secret teaching (yoga) to the human beings. Ananta, the one-thousand-headed celestial cobra, then approached the next human village in his new found role as ambassador of yoga.
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