December 17 2010

Title:

Ashtanga Yoga: Inner Awakening - Patanjali Yoga Sutras 85: Nithyananda Morning Satsang 17 Dec 2010

Description:

"Straight Way Out of Ignorance" - today's topic that will make inner awakening happen in you and transform your muscle-memory and break out the negativities. Continuing to enlighten us into the Sadhana Pada, part II of the Patanjali's Yoga Sutra 85, chapter 2, verse 34 - "Vitarkah Himsadayah Krta Karita Anumoditah Lobha Krodha Moha Purvakah Mrdu Madhya Adhimatrah Dukha Ajnana Anantaphalah iti Pratipaksa bhavanam", Paramhamsa Nithyananda, living avatar, dealt with one of the longest sutra's. Almost 21 lines, then understand the importance Patanjali is giving to this technique. "The obstructions to Yoga are killing etc ., whether committed, caused or approved; either through avarice, or anger, or ignorance; whether slight, middling or great, and the result is infinite ignorance and miseries. This is the method of thinking the contrary."

Yesterday, Swamiji gave the technique on how to create contrary thoughts and establish yourself in the highest coherence, Yama, and niyama. Today, He is giving us an example so we don't misunderstand and miss the sutra as we need confidence over our understanding.

The greatness of our tradition is its freedom in thinking, understanding and raising understanding to its next level. For example, Swami Vivekananda's own disciple's disciple has the courage to give a different translation to this sutra.

Remembering His childhood master, Raghupati Yogi, a great yogi from Patanjali's lineage, Nithyananda shared that this whole sutra was taught to Him by Raghupati Yogi as "When a thought comes in you, without allowing a feeling that has to be executed, when you alter the thought, it is called Pratipaksha Bhavanam"

Expanding on the sutra, Swamiji clarified about our actions and the importance of attending to our muscle memory, "This is the one process which you can practice the whole day and only this can change your muscle memory. If you practice unclutching your mind will be transformed. With yoga, your body will be transformed. Your muscle memory is responsible for making decisions and without even a gap of micro-millisecond completing the action spontaneously before even you understand it! You do not act because of your habit, your training or your engraved memories. NO. There is no specific reason why you act the way you act."

A master of Patanjali's level coming down and teaching us the applied way means this one process is so powerful, it can transform your being. Swamiji then gave a click on sufferings, "If you transform your intellect and emotions and not muscle memory, you will still suffer. Because muscle memory is responsible for your actions, when we transform the muscle memory, every thought comes out only with a clear-censored system. Every idea by the time it becomes alive, the awareness and consciousness have cast their energy and knowledge on that thought. Even a few thoughts allowed without awareness can cause so much misery and suffering!"

He spelled out the secret of the goal and the scale to make disciples understand. The goal and the scale is - being in 'restful awareness'. Again and again, Swamiji warned spiritual seekers that timing is very important to create contrary thoughts to negative thoughts. "Whenever negativity raises in you, don't give up, don't go with it. Again and again stand up till your muscle memory feels confidence."

Swamiji beautifully shared a practice from His youth days that raised His awareness. He used to have a notebook called "My Book" where He wrote down all the spiritual truths He heard and learnt. He always carried it as an extension of His heart and brain. All the teachings from Arunagiri Yogeshwara and His 'pratipaksha bhaavana' are written down in that book.

Giving importance to timing to respond to negative thoughts, he quoted Ramana Maharishi's words -- "Oh Lord, when my 5 senses entered my house to rob me and rape me, where were you, were you not in my inner space."

Nithyananda concluded the satsang with a powerful message and His blessings, "The moment negativity enters your inner space to rob you, put the brake. Stop it. Immediately bring the security. Have the inner awakening and immediately create the right understanding and right truth and get yourself back to the center so that you can be out of that negativity"