Article - March 11 2009

Title

Establishing in Consciousness - Patanjali Yoga Sutra - Pt 1

Transcript:

(0:30)

Sadāshiva samārambām shankarācharya madhyamām Asmadācharya paryanthām vande guru paramparām.

I welcome you all with My love and respects.

(01:36)

Let’s enter into today's Sutras, today's aphorisms. Yesterday we stopped with the third Sutra: Tada drastuh svarupe vasthanam. Means, when withdrawal from mental patterns happens, when you take the responsibility for your mind remembering you are thinking. Thinking is your action. It is not... Mind is not an object or it is not a thing. It is your very action. The moment you take the responsibility, the moment you start remembering that mind is a action, suddenly you will see you are able to stop when you don't want; you are able to operate when you want. Having that freedom, having that liberation is what Patanjali calls Svarupe vasthanam means establishing in your own nature.

(03:19)

Please understand. You need to understand the word nature. It’s an important understanding. Usually what we call as nature is the state which is confused, deluded, depressed. We start calling this as our nature but Patanjali says Svarupe. Nature means complete settled, pure Consciousness. He doesn't say the deluded state as nature. Usually when we talk or think or anyway, anytime, when we use the word ‘our nature,’ we start using the meaning of our nature. What we call or what we think as our nature. That is the big problem. Sigmund Freud's specimen is not normal because he is working on all patients. He is working with abnormal people and creating a standard. Naturally it will not be normal. What idea we have about normalcy is our nature but that is not the true nature. Here, Patanjali says nature means in the state where there is no thoughts. When the Chitta vritti nirodhah, when Chitta vritti nirodha happens, that is what is our state.

(05:09)

Superficially when you look at these Sutras, Patanjali looks like a scientist straight. He is not lost in poetry. You can see, there is no poetical words here. There is no poetry. Being an Enlightened Master, talking in a simple, straight prose is very difficult because in Enlightenment, you are lost in ecstasy. You are lost in ecstasy and talking in a simple prose words seems to be abnormal, seems to be too rude, too violent but here, if you look little deep, you will understand the tremendous compassion of Patanjali, the Patanjali’s compassion, the very stand He takes. He is not interested in agreeing with what you call as nature, with what you call as standard. From the very step, He is very clear about what is our nature.

(06:16)

One more beautiful thing: First He gives the truth. As I was telling yesterday that three 33%. The first 33% waiting for the click. Just express the truth, they will have the connection. The second 33% needs little conviction, little convincing, little one or two techniques. The third 33, very difficult to handle. He is slowly touching one by one through these first three sutras. He is trying to give the click, straight click to that first 33% who are waiting, who are waiting for the truth, who are just waiting for the click to happen. He is giving them chance. So in these three sutras, the whole thing He completes. Whatever He is going to tell, the essence of everything He completes in these three sutras.

(07:22)

All you need to understand is understanding this one thing: Mind is not a thing, it is your action. Just like you can stop walking, standing, sitting, you can stop the mind because it is an action. This one understanding is enough. Nothing else is needed. You are a yogi now! You are a yogi. When you don't understand, when you think, “No, no, no. It is not that easy. I think this Swami doesn't know much. He is trying to pacify us. He is trying to cover up His ignorance by telling something. Yoga cannot be that simple. Then why did He have such a big book in front of Him? And why people study so many years? So many hours they bend this way, that way, stand upside head, topsy turvy and all kinds of things people do but He is straight away telling in one word- mind is not a thing, it is a action. Just stop. You are a yogi.”

(08:42)

So, when you have all these questions, any one of these questions, now you are second 33%. You are second 33%. Now Patanjali is talking to you. The next step He is taking. He started using the regular, the words of a teacher, a lecturer. First three sutras is like a Master, straight, Zen Master. Now He is going to the second tone. He starts explaining one by one. This is what, this is what, this is what. He is using more word. I can say, He is little compassionate. He is not ready to leave us. After sometime, after this chapter, He is handling the third category. You should see the tremendous patience, tremendous patience, amazing patience explaining every inch, inch, inch, inch, inch.

(09:49)

Actually, first when I read the Yoga Sutras, I thought, ‘How can an Enlightened Master be so dry?’ Because He is not making any jokes, stories or poetry, nothing. Straight away He is talking like angry husband and not a single extra word, nothing. Straight He is showing tak, tak, tak, tak. Now I understand, first He is trying to deal with the people who are waiting for the click, who have experienced that ‘now’. ‘Atha Yoga Anushasanam.’ Who are ready, who are in this moment to receive yoga, who are ready for yoga, who are ready to explore, so he is trying to handle them. They are waiting. He can't delay the process. He can't make them wait more and more. So He straight away delivering for them.

(10:54)

Once He is finished with them, then He goes to second 33% where He is little more relaxed. He is using extra words. He is not poetic but at least using extra words to convince. In the third, when He is touching the third 33%, there he is very poetic. He is very poetic, very tempting using all the words, methods, techniques to give extraordinary powers, to give all possible bonuses. He has big, big sale boards ‘Sale! Sale! 60%’. He has all kinds of boards when He works with the third 33%. Let us enter into the next level sutras. He says, when the Chitta vritti nirodha, when cessation of mind happens, it results in relaxation into one's own true nature of limitlessness and total understanding.

(12:12)

The other day, I had opportunity to sit with a great research scholar who is doing research in the ancient civilization which existed in India. I can say, that is the…. Indian civilization is the oldest living civilization. It is oldest and still living. His researches, his name is D.K. Harry. I was shocked to see the way in which the intelligence has expressed in the Indian civilization, not just with Enlightenment science, the aircrafts, the houses, in the architecture, in the field of building dams, bridges, he is proving very clearly the Ganga river is man-made. Something like few thousands of years ago, man-made river was built and man-made bridges on the ocean was built.

(13:31)

The amazing understanding, clarity, experience expressed something like a forty two varieties of Warcraft have been built all thousands of years before. Something like eight to nine thousand years before. I was shocked. I thought how could they have so much of clarity, understanding and intelligence. In the meditation field, they did a big research and developed this science, science of Enlightenment. This I can understand but how could they do so much in the outer world? When I Myself dived deep into the yoga, into this Consciousness, I understood when there is no thought, when you are in your nature, you have limitless energy and true understanding about everything.

(14:32)

That is what here Patanjali says. Limitlessness and total understanding any direction you can direct your Consciousness, you will have clarity about that truth. You will have total understanding in that direction like, things will be waiting to reveal itself to you. Things will be waiting to reveal its mysteries to you. All you need- just look in. You will see, it reveals all its mysteries to you. You are able to connect with it and receive all the information, secrets, mysteries. It is just like downloading. It is just like downloading. If you are a yogi, if you are thoughtless, in thoughtless zone, anything, just bring your awareness, that restful awareness. That is what Patanjali calls Samyama, restful awareness. If you direct your restful awareness towards that direction, you know it.

(15:42)

I have seen Indian yogis. I had the fortune of living at the feet of many Indian yogis. They just master anything. I have seen a yogi. One devotee brought him very complicated electronic mechanism. I think it is a MP3 player. Neither he knows English, nor he has handled this electronic equipment. If he knows English, we can say, he would have read the button 'play’, ‘fast forward’ and all those things. He knows nothing but I could see very clearly the moment he picked up the machine, picked up the item, he started handling perfectly as if he is living with it. I asked him, “What is this? How can this be Sir? How can this be Swami?” He said, “I may not know this machine but I know how the whole system works, how the whole thing is getting operated, how the whole thing functions.” It’s very difficult for us to understand. It’s very difficult for us to understand!

(17:02)

I have seen yogis playing with the power of the mind, with the power of energy. See, we can just create sound wave and do what they want. One yogi, Raghupati Yogi who taught Me yoga, anything you want to do, He will just only create a sound wave. I have seen the result happening. For example, if you want to throw a stone on a tree, He will just create a exact sound and that sound wave will be so powerful, it will reach the tree and the fruit will fall. He will tell, if you want to break a stone, He will take that stone in the hand and create a sound wave as if it is hit by a hammer. That sound wave will be so strong, the stone will break into pieces. Sometime He will create a sound wave like a dog. All 40-50 dogs in that area, some 2-3 kilometers will come running towards Him. These Yogis, they master different powers. They live in a different zone. They express different kinds of energy. So here, when you are in that restful awareness, then happens total understanding and limitlessness. Svarupe Vasthanam.

(18:40)

Let us enter into today's Sutra: Vriddhi Saroopyam itarathraha Let Me give you the translation. Till that state is reached, there is clutching and identification with thought patterns. Till you reach that state of yoga, see now He is talking to the second 33% who say, “No no, no, yoga is not that easy. You will talk all these things and go away after two days. We know how difficult it is. I am practicing 20 years. I am practicing 10 years. I am practicing 35 years.” Understand, if your practice is a income source for your teacher, how do you expect you to grow further? If your body is an income source for a doctor, how do you think you can get healed?

(19:43)

Same way, you need to understand, you need to understand the deeper truths. Till that state is reached, whenever when you say, “No, it is not that easy”, then Patanjali also says, “Alright, it is not that easy.” When Patanjali says, “It is easy,” if you stand up, “Yes, it is,” then you are done. The truth has happened. You don't need anything further to live the truth. That's all. If you had that click, now all these things are just entertainment, “How this Swami is there after all, let me know about this,” nothing wrong. If you are reading this further as an entertainment, it is perfectly alright but if you are reading this further with bondage, unable to connect, unable to have the first click, alright, at least join the second group. At least join the second group.

(20:50)

Title:

Unclutch from Thought Patterns - Patanjali Yoga Sutra - Pt 3

Transcript:

(0:15)

Now, let us start how to clean state, how to remove the clutching with your thought patterns, how to remove the identification with your thought patterns. He is talking in the second 33, in the next language. Now starts all the theories, philosophies or different, different ideas. Sutra five: Vritta Yah panchatayyah klista aklistah

(0:56)

It is a wonderful Sutra. Vritta Yah panchatayya tayyah klista aklistah. Let Me translate. The modifications of the mind are five. They can be either a source of anguish or of non-anguish. They can be source of suffering or joy. He says… now He is coming to theories. He says the mental pattern is fivefold. The modifications of the mind are five. The fivefold thought patterns result in the alteration of anguish or of non-anguish, suffering or peace. He is coming down. He is expressing a little different theory, little different theory. He says mind is…. mind consists of fivefold thought patterns. Now He is agreeing to your level. When you say, “No, no, no. This is there, that is there, that is there. Clean it.”

(02:22)

Many time people come to Me and say, “Swamiji, I have all these problem. Which meditation I should practice?” I tell them, “You yourself have diagnosed or you want Me to diagnose you?” Very rarely people surrendering. “No, no Swamiji. You diagnose and tell me what should I do.” Then I tell them, “You are on the right track.” If you yourself have diagnosed, then nothing can be done. Even if I say, “This problem doesn't exist, please just come out. This simple technique is enough,” you say, “No, no, no. You don't know. Only I know. Only I know.” Big problem and they have a set of ideas. They have set of ideas. They say, “No, I have this problem, I have that problem, I have that problem I have that problem. You don’t know. Few years ago, I used to have outbursts. Now it is not there regularly but once in a while I get.” How they developed theories and very difficult.

(03:37)

The most difficult thing in the path of enlightenment is making the person trust that he is qualified for Enlightenment. Nothing else is so difficult. Making him renounce the world, renounce the name and fame, renounce the power, prestige, all these things are not big job at all because that gives so much of torture. Naturally people renounce. Naturally people throw that. That is not a big problem at all. All you need is making them understand. They renounce, they throw it away. Anything is very easy, but very difficult thing is, making them understand they are qualified for experience. They are qualified for truth. That is the worst thing. Somehow, you get into the mood, “No way. At least not in this life, at least not in this life.”

(04:39)

We have an idea of... weird ideas about sin, karma, wounds, engrams, very weird ideas, very primitive ideas about all these things. So with all that ideas, we continue to suffer. We create constant struggle. We create constant struggle. Now Patanjali says, “All right, at least let me try to balance. Let me take care that feeling connection doesn't get disturbed, dropped. So if the feeling connection is there at least I can lift that guy tomorrow. At least tomorrow or day after tomorrow he can be lifted. If the feeling connection is also missing he can never be lifted.” It is like a… you throw a rope. If you don't come up, at least I come down holding on, waiting the rope… holding the rope, waiting for you. So, Patanjali is doing that job. He agrees, “Yes, the fivefold thought patterns result in the the alteration of suffering or joy.”

(05:55)

Please understand, just because He is uttering these words, don't think it is truth. He is just compromising. He is compromising. Even now, if I am given a choice, if I am allowed to say, I will say He is compromising. He is just telling you, “Okay, what can be done? At least listen to this. At least listen to this.” I can say, the second level teaching. The second level teaching. See, the mass is always mediocre. They can't straightaway catch the truth. They need more words, words, words, words words, beating around the bush. Then they think, “Oh! yes yes yes.”

(06:45)

People, I have seen always, if the book is too big, they think, “This is very valuable. It is very valuable.” Even in our own gallery I have seen, the big book sells. The small books, straight away I give you simple truths. People, “No no no no. This book, yes, looks like message of Swamiji. I can read, read, read read, re-read forever!”.... When you have lot of material, their ego feels satisfied and you feel you have achieved something. You achieved something and you have got something worthy for your money. No really, that is what you feel. That is what here Patanjali is trying to do. The five fold thought patterns, the modifications of the mind are five. They can be either a source of anguish or of non-anguish.

(07:57)

There is a beautiful incident. Bernard Shaw, he wrote a book of hundred page. Somebody asked him, “What happened? Just a hundred page?” He says, “I don't have time. If I had time, I would have reduced it. I would have written only forty page or thirty page. I don't have time.” Please understand the paradox. He says, “I don't have time. That is why I wrote hundred page. If I had time, I would have written only forty page. I would have reduced, reduced, reduced, refined.” Only when you don't have that much of patience, time or energy, you go on elaborating. Go on elaborating.

(08:46)

I know, Patanjali had intelligence, no doubt but the disciples did not have intelligence. The disciples, I know what would have been the scene when Patanjali says, “Mind is not a thing. It is an action. Just stop it.” He would have been about to get up and disciples said, “No, no, no. No, no, that is not the thing. I have tried many years. I had been with some other gurus, some other teachers, some other masters. I had been to this class, that class, this, that.” Then Patanjali says, “Alright.” He would have sat back, started the next session, “The fivefold thought patterns result in the alteration of suffering or joy.” Then people, “Ha yes, now he talks. See, now we are able to connect.” Five different fold, five different things happening inside. The result in the alteration of… which results in the alteration of suffering or joy. He is trying to give you more words.

(10:04)

Let Me tell you an honest truth. All the answers are only diverting you from the question, never attending the question including the answers I give. It’s only diverting you from the question because no question can be answered. There is no question which can be answered. For example, you ask, “What is worry?” I say, “The continuous thoughts which goes on inside you, the inner chatter is worry.” What have you understood? At least I have not understood. When you have more words, now you are tired to think further. He act, “Yes, yes, I understood, I understood. Relax, relax. Let us go to the next subject.” Otherwise what do you know about that? Continuous thoughts or inner chattering which is disturbing. All these are different, different, different words.

(11:06)

When familiar words are uttered to explain unfamiliar words, you understand that as an answer. That's all. When I utter some familiar words which you think you know already, as a response to the question of the unfamiliar words which you think you don't know, you think I have answered your question. That's all. Otherwise, there is no question which can be answered. There is no question, no answer. Both are game. You act as if you are asking. I am acting as if I am answering. Just both of us are enjoying our company, that's all, each other's company. Nothing else! Then directly we can enjoy. Why this game? That is the truth. That is the real truth.

(12:04)

Without knowing this truth, we are continuously playing the game. We are going on playing. When you know this game, you realise you don't need this game and start sitting in silence just in the presence. Till then, the game has to happen, happen, happen continuously. It has to go on and on and on: asking questions, answers and different questions. Actually any answer will create further ten questions. Answering is a technique of creating a continuous job. See understand, whenever I answer questions, I am creating continuous questions so that I will have job security. That’s what is happening. Any answer will create more questions in you. Nothing can be done. Nothing can be done. That is the nature of words. Whenever words are used, this is the way it will happen, it will be happening.

(13:16)

So, Patanjali starts the next level teaching: The fivefold thought patterns result in the alteration of suffering and joy. Then immediately you accept, “Yes see, I have suffering and joy. He also agrees. I think I can listen to him. He is a intelligent guy.” Now a bridge is created. A kind of bridge, feeling connection is created. He knows about my suffering. If he straight away tells, “Mind is not a thing. It is an action. Stop it.” you think, “No, no, no, no, no. He doesn't know about me.” He doesn’t know about you. You think he is not sympathizing with you. You are not… see, we don't want best things. We want things with which we can relate, that's all.

(14:08)

Please Understand, actually in our life, we don't want best things, whether it is a relationship or things or anything. Don't think we have desire for best thing. No. You have desire only to things with which you can relate. That's all. You want to be very comfortable with your mental setup. It is not that you want only best things. If you want only best things, naturally the moment you see the Master, you will drop everything and go behind him. One side you have the desire. Then you understand, “No, no, no. Let me have the things with which I can relate, I can fight or I can resist, I can love, I can fight, I can play. Master is too big thing. I know it is ultimate thing to have in the life but I cannot play with it. I cannot relate with it. I cannot fight with it. I cannot have it. So, when I cannot possess it, why to go behind it?”

(15:14)

With the truth also you have the same game. With the first three statements of Patanjali, if you had the connection, you know you are a seeker. I know you are a seeker. You want truth but when the click does not happen, when you are resisting, when you are not interested to have the connection, now we want the things with which we can play the game, we can continue to manipulate, we can continue to play with, we can continue to have entertainment. We don't want solution. We want support. Here Patanjali is trying to give support. It’s like diluting the medicine.

(16:04)

He says the young age I have seen the villages. In Indian villages, the mothers will give neem leaf. They will nicely grind the neem leaf and give as a ball. When these kids don't want to take that, they will put a sugar coat on it. They will feed. So Patanjali is trying to do that. “Alright, at least let me put sugar coat on the truth and share with it. Let's see whether people are taking it or not.” The fivefold thought patterns result in the alteration of suffering and joy. He is just using different words to give an idea as if what you feel also is true so that you feel he is sympathizing you, you can connect with him, this master can help you, this master can help you. He can take you beyond now so that you continue to hold onto him, continue to be connected to him, continue to have that feeling connection.

(17:16)

Let’s go to the next Sutra. Here, the next Sutra, sixth Sutra, Patanjali is explaining that five modifications of the mind: pramana, viparyaya, vikalpa, nidra, smrutayah. The translation is: Right knowledge, wrong knowledge, imagination, sleep and memory. These are the five modifications which may lead to suffering or joy, anguish or non-anguish. Please understand, five modifications: Right knowledge, wrong knowledge, imagination, sleep and memory. Let us understand one by one. He is a real master. He is a real master even in the second level teaching, he is not using his truth. He might have put the sugar coat but he is not reducing the strength of the medicine. That is the mastery you need.

(18:38)

How much ever you compromise and try to relate with the disciple, the undercurrent what needs to be transmitted should continue to happen, should continue to happen. So here, Patanjali is doing that job very beautifully. He says, right knowledge. First thing he says which can lead to suffering or joy, first thing is right knowledge. You may think…. Right knowledge is also a binding, He says. Yes, it is binding. Many time, even though it is right knowledge, even then it’s a mind. Even though it is right knowledge it is a mind. Going beyond right knowledge and wrong knowledge, that is Enlightenment. Even the right knowledge is bondage.

(19:39)

Article

Article Details
Magazine Name	Kumudam
Magazine site	https://www.kumudam.com
Article Name	Atmavai Tira: Anandam Perugatum
Article Type	Printed
Serial Number	87
Published Date	March 11 2009
Language	Tamil