Patanjali Yoga Sutras: Zoom in your concentration - Expand your capacity! Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2-3

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Zoom in your concentration - Expand your capacity! Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2-3

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Zoom In Your Concentration - Expand Your Capacity! Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2 - 3

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Nithyanandam Swamiji!

Thank you for taking your time and coming here. The people of Vancouver are waiting to hear and experience Patanjali, the very updated version of Patanjali. We request you to please release this beautiful book, Living Enlightenment, which is the philosophy, the experience, the teaching and the ultimate solution to all of us on how to live a conflict free life or how to become Jeevan Mukta, living enlightenment. Thank you.

(Swamiji starts speaking)

I dedicate this year for living enlightenment. All of you might have heard my message. This year my message is live enlightenment. Dedicate this year for living enlightenment. Whatever I have said, I am saying, yet to say, want to say, may not say, essence of everything, I have put in this one book. This is a book personally I sat and wrote. Usually all my discourses get transcribed and come out as books. This, I spent little more time and energy, personally sat and wrote.

In my mother tongue, Tamil, this book sold 250,000, two lakh fifty thousand copies before release, pre-release. In that language, educated literate people may be only, some five million. No, no, total population is six crore, educated must be some 40%. I was surprised to see! Now, in all other international languages it is getting translated. I sincerely recommend all our devotees, disciples, seekers to spend at least ten to fifteen minutes with this book. It can constantly rejuvenate and give you more and more deeper insights into living enlightenment.

Sadaashiva Sadaarambhaam Shankaraacharya Madhyamaam | Asmadaachaarya Paryantaam Vande Guru Paramparaam ||

Today, we will be entering into the sutra, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Talking on Yoga Sutras is not only an intense experience for all of you, even for me it is an intense experience. Because this is the one book I have heard and studied directly from a master. See, I have spoken on many scriptures, Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Sutras, the Upanishads, Shiva Sutras, so many books. But this book I have studied directly from a great master at his feet.

So, so much of beautiful memories, beautiful experiences I had with him is filling my inner space. One incident before entering into the sutra, one incident which happened with the master who taught me this Yoga Sutra… It is a beautiful sutra, the first sutra which says, atha yoganushaasanam, now begins Yoga; now begins the experience of Yoga. One day, my teacher, his spiritual name is Yogi Yogananda Puri and people call him as Raghupati Yogi. In my biography you would have read, you would have seen his name.

One day morning, he told me, just sit. I sat. And he told me ‘Till I say, don’t move’. And I sat. I thought he will make me sit for five minutes, ten minutes, preparing my body and mind for initiation. So I sat. Ten minutes over, half an hour over, one hour over, I am sitting. I am a small boy, very small boy, maybe five-six, not more than five or six. After some time, he just walked out. He went somewhere. I am sitting there. I am just sitting.

Maybe in the evening, after ten hours he came back and he started the first sutra. The first sutra he started. Atha yoganushasanam. Now the instruction on Yoga starts. Now the experience of Yoga starts. I asked him ‘what do you mean by this?’ He says qualifications; you need certain qualification to enter into Yoga. I asked him what are the qualifications? He said ‘don’t worry, I have already tested you’. I have already tested you, from morning till now I asked you to sit and you just sat. That is the qualification. You don’t have to bother about qualifications.

He started this word atha yoganushasanam. Now begins the instruction on Yoga. Now, the experience of Yoga starts. I have two translations. Vivekananda says beautifully ‘Now Yoga is explained’. Each master has his own way. The exact translation is ‘now the experience of Yoga’. Let us understand this word because Patanjali wants to make it very clear, Patanjali is the Master of this Yoga Sutra. He wants to make it very clear what he is going to teach, whom he is going to teach, whom this book is going to work, for whom this science is expressed. With this one word ‘now’ he means a lot; many, many, many things.

Unless you understand this ‘now’, experiencing Yoga may not happen. You may have intellectual knowledge, intellectual idea but experience may not happen. For the experience to happen, you need to understand this word ‘now’. First thing, you need to come to this moment ‘now’. Second thing, Yoga is not just an ordinary therapy. You need to understand the depth of Yoga science. It is not just to heal your knee pain or back pain. It heals, that is different, that does not mean this is only for some therapy purposes.

And Yoga is not to help you to escape from poverty. It helps you but it is not just that much. It really transforms your life. When your life is transformed, you escape from everything negative, whether it is poverty, or abusive relationships or disease or whatever negative. You escape from or move beyond it. But that does not mean Yoga is just for this. Yoga has something more deeper meaning, more deeper experience.

Understanding that yoga has a depth is a basic requirement to enter into this experience. There are many different ways in which books start. In India, there is one more book called Brahma Sutra – aphorisms, philosophy, the super conscious philosophy. The book starts with the word ataato brahma jijnaasaat. It means ‘now let us enquire into Brahman. Now let us enquire into existence.

But here Patanjali is not saying ‘let us enquire into, No!’ He says ata yogaanushaasanam. Now let us experience Yoga. So, he takes you for granted. The moment you open this book, he says I take you for granted, you are a sincere seeker. Let us start the work. I am not interested in wasting your time or wasting my time. He is very straight. He is very straight, straightaway using the words, straightaway putting the things across. He is not interested in wasting time.

Straightaway he says ‘Now I think, or now I take you for granted, now I know you are interested sincerely in experiencing the Yoga, let’s enter into Yoga’. It’s a wonderful moment. Let’s take few moments to remember and respect, revere all the great masters from Sadaashiva, Patanjali and all the great masters who did research and development and expressed these great Yoga philosophy. I remember and revere all of them before entering into these great sutra.

Many times people ask me, ‘Why should we have so much respect or devotion before entering into these kinds of scriptures?’ You can enter in many ways into this book. You can just enter into this book as a casual reader, or you can enter into this book with intellectual curiosity, many ways you can enter. But if you enter with a deep devotion and surrender, every sutra will become a click in you. It will suddenly click.

I have seen in my life the deep devotion, the deep respect if you approach these great aphorisms, these great sutra, suddenly every word clicks inside you. You know it is true and you will experience, you will live. The first sutra, let us enter into the first sutra.

Yogaha chitta vritti nirodhaha

The translation is ‘withdrawal of mental thought patterns is Yoga’. Many times, when these truths are expressed, people who come with a deep devotion and respect, suddenly the click happens. I have seen many times, the same truth, the same word, I will be expressing to different people. But when they come with a deep devotion, suddenly the click happens. Suddenly the connection happens.

Even about this word, this sutra. I have spoken to many people in personal conversations, because this is my favorite sutra. In this one sutra, Patanjali has finished everything. If you understood this one sutra you don’t need to go further. Nothing else is needed. This one is enough.

The simple straight understanding is mind is not an object, mind is not a thing. It is an action. So people ask me ‘How to stop mind?’ ‘How to go beyond the mind?’. Every day I am put this question. You can say this is the frequently asked question, most frequently asked question, FAQ. Wherever I go, there will be at least ten people who put this question. I tell them ‘Mind is not a thing to be fought with’. Mind is not a thing to suppress it. Mind is not a thing to destroy it. It is an action. You know, it is an action.

See, just like you are walking. If you don’t want to walk, what do you do? You just sit. Like you are talking. If you don’t want to talk, what do you do? You just be in silence. Same way, mind is an action. If you don’t want, don’t do it. That’s all! But our mind says ‘No, no, no, I have tried many things. I have tried many times. My experience is equal to your age’. No, people come and tell me, the professional seekers. No, they come and tell me ‘No, no, no, I have seen, I have tried, you don’t know’.

No, I sympathize with your trying. I sympathize with your practice. I am not disrespecting you. I am not condescending. But please understand, it is a simple action, it is a subtle action. You are doing it. Is there anybody else doing it inside? No. If somebody else is doing it inside, not only me, even God can’t help you. It is you who is doing. Please understand, it is you who is doing. So it is a simple action. When you don’t want, just stop that’s all.

If you say ‘No, no, we have tried, after some time it comes back’, be very clear: now, this moment, you don’t want, stop. After few moments, if it is starting, you wanted it. That is why it is starting. You forget you have started it again. So when you want, switch it off, when you want, start. Please understand, if you understand you are starting it, then you wanted it again. At least you will have respect on your decision, your will. Have simple clarity, look inside.

When I want, I am starting. When I don’t want I am relaxing. This moment you don’t need to bring in all the philosophy, all the ideas you have about mind. ‘No, no, no, mind means filled with engrams, filled with thoughts, it will be continuously erupting out, it can’t be controlled, it is negative…’ We are fed with so much of poisonous thoughts about mind. Relax from everything. Understand this simple thing, mind is an action. Just like walking is your action, talking is your action, mind is an action. When you can stop walking, talking, why not thinking? It is your action. Decide this moment it is my action. Let me stop. That’s all!

Then mind says ‘No, no, no! It is not that simple, I have tried. I have tried many years. See, even now I am stopping, it is not stopping’. Understand do not create that ??? statement ‘I am stopping, it is not stopping’. Then you are not stopping. I am stopping, that’s all. Then again, I want to tell something or I want to do something. That is why it is starting again. So look till the ??? With little devotion if you approach this sutra, you will have that click. ‘Yes what he means is right’.

Just little shift in the approach, little shift in the attitude, little shift in the understanding, what he says is right. If it is getting started again, we are starting it. Maybe we forgot we are starting it. We are forgetting we are starting it. Please understand, it is we who are stealing our own things from ourselves. Nobody else! Nobody else is stealing anything from us.

It is simple we. Let us take the whole responsibility on us. Let us take the whole responsibility on us. If you want, you can think. If you want, you can stop. That is what is the essence of this whole Yoga. Essence of the whole Yoga is only this one sutra. Yogaha chitta vritti nirodhaha. Yoga is cessation of mind. Yoga of withdrawal from mental thought patterns.

Mind is not a thing. It is an action. If you are sitting, did you ever ask ‘What happened to my walking? I was walking ten minutes before’. You don’t ask because you know by sitting you stopped walking. If you are silent you don’t think ‘Where did my talking go? I was talking five minutes before’. You will know, you were talking earlier now you are silent, that’s all. Same way, you can use your mind when needed, you can switch if off when not needed. And you can start again when needed.

I want you to know one important truth. My master told me beautifully ‘Usually you always understand mind is bigger than brain’. That’s what we think. My master told me very beautifully, he gave me a very deep insight. He said … (can I request you not to video record or photograph? if you done anything, can you erase it?) He told me beautifully: one action of brain is mind. I was shocked. I was shocked when I heard. He says one action of your brain is mind.

With leg you can do many things. Walking is one action. You can do kicking or playing. So many other things can be done with the leg. Walking is one action. Same way with hand. Eating is one action. So many other things can be done with hand. Eating is only one action. Same way, he says very beautifully, thinking is one action of your brain. Mind is one action of your brain. I was shocked!

We always think brain is just physical; mind is subtle. Because of that, mind is more powerful than the brain. And mind is everything. When I started experiencing, I understood ‘True!’ Mind, what you think as mind, what you experience as mind is only one action of your brain. See if I realize moving is only one action of my hand, I can relax. If I want, I can move. If I want, I can relax.

Same way, thinking is only one action of my brain. I can start when I want. I can relax when I don’t want. Understand this one truth. Thinking is one action of your brain. If you want you can relax from it. You can rest from it. With a deep respect, when I looked into this truth, started analyzing, it is true. It is true. When I learnt how to be silent I understood. Even when you are silent your whole body is functioning. It means mind is only one part of your brain. Without the mind also, brain is able to operate your day to day life. Brain is able to live your life.

I can say in a much better way, in a much better way. Without having what you call as mind, and living your life is what I call living enlightenment. That is the essence. Realizing mind is only one part of your action, mind is only one part of your brain and living without that part, or living independent of that part. When you want you can switch it on and use. When you don’t want you can switch it off and relax. Living independent of that part is what I call living enlightenment.

If your mind is part of your brain and you have courage and clarity to switch it off when needed, switch it off when required, it is your slave. It is under your control. If it is otherwise, if it is an industry, then please understand you are slave to it. These are some of the important truths. I can say essence. Patanjali is not telling stories. He is not giving any anecdotes. He is not giving you jokes. He is not wasting by telling examples. He is very straight. He is very straight delivering the truth immediately.

In the first sutra, he has delivered the whole book. Now, whatever he is saying, it is only going to be different methods. In this one sutra, if you realize, if you understand this one sutra, if click happens with this one sutra, you don’t further. You don’t need anything else. Just this one sutra is enough. Sit, understand ‘Mind is action, my own action. I can stop’.

(Few moments of shattering silence)

Alright, let me start. I think I am done with the whole day, let me relax. If you can have this awareness, if you can have this one awareness, nothing else! Whenever action is performed, you wanted it. Whenever you want silence can be created. This one understanding, if it clicks, please understand, if it clicks, you don’t need any further. You are qualified for Yoga.

These two sutras: first sutra, atha Yogaanushaasanam, now let us enter into the experience of Yoga and second sutra, yoga is cessation of the mind. These two sutras need to be understood. If this second sutra gives you that click, you are qualified for Yoga. If you are qualified for Yoga, this second sutra will give you that click. If you have objections, ‘No, no, no, no, I don’t think it is so easy’, ‘I have tried this, I have tried that’, ‘I have tried many methods, I know, it is not that easy’, ‘My mind is filled with negativity. May not be your mind Swamiji, you are born and brought up in very spiritual situation, you don’t know about my mind, how much of conditioning and problems I had, I had a very abusive childhood…’

Still I don’t understand that word, sorry to say that. Wherever I go, people say I had an abusive childhood. What do you mean by that word? Everywhere people say, ‘I have had very abusive childhood, I have had a very disturbed childhood, I had this problem, that problem’. I don’t understand. You see, child takes birth and grows. Any situation in which it grows can be made into one more complaint after you grow. After you grow, you can always complain. Any situation it can be, you can start complaining.

You can accept and enjoy any situation. It is just our idea. We always think others did not have this problem. Only I had this problem. So we create an idea, ‘I had an abusive childhood’, ‘I had this, I had that. I did not have this when I was young. I did not have that when I was young’. Constantly judging, there is no scale. There is no scale. The moment you start putting a scale, start putting ideas, start saying ‘No, no, this is there, that is there, this was there, that was there, stopping the mind is not easy’, then now, you need to read further. Now, you need to read further.

Very rare devoted beings straightaway get the click the moment truth is uttered in its pure form. See, in the world, thirty three percent of the people will have straightaway the click, when the click is uttered. Other thirty three needs a technique or little convincing. Other thirty three will never get it. No, from my experience I tell you, I am traveling all over the world, first thirty three, they need to be told, that’s all. They are ready, with devotion, with deep restful awareness. They are ready, they just get it. Something clicks inside them Yes, what he says is right. So, for that thirty three percent, your Yoga Sutra session is over. Relax. Your session is over. Now leave, that’s all.

Remember this one click, mind is not a thing. It is an action, subtle action. It is your own very subtle action. When you want you can do it, when you don’t want you can stop it. Mind is one action of y our brain. So when you want you can do it using the brain. When you don’t want you can relax it. That’s all. You don’t need anything more. If you are second thirty three, you need little convincing, you need little logical support, you need some techniques. Then, let’s enter into the next sutra.

If you are third, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do. It’s an amazing book. Very beautifully, Patanjali takes you to the deeper and deeper layers. He is a great master. I can say ultimate master. He has solution even for the third thirty three. When you go deeper, he has a solution.

There is a beautiful story.

One guy was traveling sitting on his donkey and at the tail of the donkey, a goat was tied. Three thieves saw him. One thief said, I will steal the goat from him. The other guy said I will steal the very donkey on which he is sitting and traveling. The third guy said I will steal the very clothes he is wearing. First guy, slowly he started walking behind the donkey. In the goat’s neck, there was a bell ringing continuously.

So, that guy who was sitting on the donkey, he knows if that bell is ringing, the goat is following. So he was walking. He was traveling. This thief slowly removed the bell from the goat’s neck and tied it to the donkey’s tail. Donkey was continuously ringing the bell and that guy was walking. He took away the goat and ran away.

Second thief was walking continuously with this guy. After some time, the guy who was sitting on the donkey, he stopped and turned back. He saw the goat is missing. He asked the second thief, what happened to the goat? Second thief said just now somebody took it and ran. Run, run, run, go and catch. This guy said alright, take care of my donkey, I will go and bring my goat. He ran to get the goat, this guy ran with the donkey.

The third thief was following him. When this guy was completely tired and understood he lost his donkey also, he came near a well. This third thief was sitting near the well with a long face. This guy asked ‘What happened to you? Why are you sitting with a long face?’ Third thief said ‘No my treasure is lost in this well. It is inside this well, I don’t know how to swim. If you can get in and take this out, fifty-fifty’.

Then this guy said ‘Alright, I will now make it up. I lost my goat and donkey, now I will make up in this one situation. Please have my clothes. I will jump and bring the treasure out’. He jumped and this third guy ran away with the clothes.

Patanjali is the third guy. He can really do his job. He can really do his job, really do his job. He can teach even for the third level people. Step by step he is teaching; that’s all. Step by step he is teaching. He can take away everything from you. Actually if you lose with Patanjali, you will gain ultimately. There is a beautiful saying, stotra from Ramana Maharshi, great enlightened Master from my home town. He is talking, he is singing towards Shiva. He says ‘I lost me in you and gained you in me, who is the winner? You gained me, but I gained you! Who is the winner?’

So if you lose with Patanjali, you will lose you. But you will get Patanjali. Patanjali may have you, but you will get Patanjali. Patanjali may have you, but you will have Patanjali. So, get ready to lose yourself into Patanjali.

The ultimate master! He is not just a scholar; he is a great master. Straightaway gives you the techniques. I can say this book is science of miracles, manual for miracles. There are some books which create philosophers, there are some books which create kings, there are some books which create business people. This is the book which can create masters who will create religions. This is a book which can create masters who will create religions. He explains and expresses all the inner science or secrets of the miracles, and spiritual experiences.

This sutra ‘withdrawal from mental thought patterns is Yoga’, yogaha chitta vritti nirodhaha, needs to be understood in another dimension. Let me try to explain this in another dimension. Actually, when the chitti vrittis, the mental patterns are stopped, suddenly you enter into a different zone. It’s like if all the threads which are tying the balloons, if they are cut, suddenly balloon flies to a different space. Same way if all the thoughts which are pulling you down, if it is cut, your consciousness soars to a different height. It reaches a different zone. It stays in a different zone.

When you look through the window, you see the sky, you experience the sky. But sky itself can’t be reduced to the size of the window. Same way, when the thoughts disappear, you experience the ultimate truth. But the truth itself can’t be reduced to one idea of not having thoughts. Please understand, when you don’t have thoughts you will experience truth. But the truth cannot be defined with this one quality of not having thoughts. Not having thoughts maybe one of the qualities of truth, but that itself is not ultimate.

Chitta vritti nirodha, not having thoughts leads to the Yoga, that itself is not yoga. I want you to understand. Sometime, not having thoughts, people understand not having thoughts itself is Yoga. Then in the deep sleep you don’t have the thoughts! But that is not Yoga! In deep sleep you don’t have thoughts, but that is not Yoga.

Not having thoughts with awareness is Yoga.

Not having thoughts with awareness leads you to Yoga. Yogaha chitta vritti nirodhaha. The different formations taken by the mind, if it is not happening, then Yoga is happening inside you. Yoga is happening inside you. Yogaha chitta vritti nirodhaha.

The next sutra throws more light on one truth. Let us enter into the next sutra.

Tathaad drashtihi swaroope vastaanam.

This is another one beautiful sutra. Let me give you the translation. The earlier sutra says withdrawal from mental thought patterns is yoga. Here Patanjali says then results relaxation into one’s true nature of limitlessness and total understanding. See, when the thoughts disappear, when the cessation happens, when the chittia vrittis are no more, when the thoughts are no more, when the mental actions are no more, he says, it results relaxation into one’s own true nature. That is what I am saying. In a way, even your deep sleep is a pattern of your mind.

Anything you can go in and come out is a pattern. Anything you can experience is pattern. Anything you can experience again and again is pattern. If you understand with this definition, even your sleep is a pattern. Even your sleep is a pattern. You go in and come out, you go in and come out, it is a pattern. When you really relax, Patanjali says here, then results relaxation into one’s own true nature, swaroope vastaanam. You are established into your own true self.

Please understand, these are some of the basic truths. Whatever you see and experience is because of your thought patterns. Whatever you see in the outer world, whether it is your health, body, mind, world, relationships, everything is because of your thought patterns. Everything is your thought pattern.

Let me tell you this one small story how experiences are changed through thought patterns. One guy, old guy went to a village, neighborhood village, neighbor village, nearby village for some purpose. When he came back, from the distance he saw his house is on fire. He started rolling on the ground and he started crying. In India, there is a special way of crying. They don’t just cry, they roll on the ground and cry, Indian villagers roll on the ground and cry. He started rolling on the ground and crying.

He had three sons. One son came to him and said, father don’t worry. Don’t you remember yesterday you sold that house? This guy suddenly stood up, wiped the tears ‘Oh yes, yes, yes! I remember’. He is completely relaxed.

Next son ran towards him and said, ‘Father it is true we sold yesterday, but still we have not got the money’.

Then again he fell and started rolling on the ground ‘Oh my house is on fire, please save, save, save! There is nobody to save, is there anybody to save?’

He started calling all Gods, all possible help. In India that is the only 911. There is no other 911. He started calling and rolling. Nothing can be done.

And after few minutes, again the third son came ‘No, no, no, don’t worry father, just today morning I took the money and deposited in the bank, the other brothers don’t know. I took the money, it is not our house’.

Then immediately he sat up again, wiped the tears, ‘O god, everything is okay’. Everything is okay.

See, the same situation, same person, one moment he is feeling the deep suffering, agony, the other moment, he is completely relaxed, settled. Thought patterns! Thought patterns! That plays a major role. Actually, I can say that is the only thing in the life, nothing else. It’s thought patterns.

There is another one beautiful story in Zen. It’s a very deep subtle truth which will really help you to understand this sutra in a deeper way. People ask me ‘Swamiji, do you mean to say we should not cry in the situations like this? Somebody’s house is on fire, how to be there without crying?’ People say ‘I can’t be that insensitive, especially when it comes to the death of near and dear one or some losing the love of a near and dear one. That kind of situations I can’t be so insensitive’. People ask me ‘I can’t be so insensitive. Can’t I become enlightened?’

Understand, it’s a very subtle truth you need to understand. One is accepting the situation. Another one is accepting the response happening in your inner space. There is a beautiful story, Zen story:

There was a great master. His disciple is also an enlightened master, Suzuki. When Suzuki’s master passed away, the disciple, his name is Suzuki. He started crying, weeping, rolling on the ground.

All the other disciples came and asked ‘Master what is this? You are an enlightened being, how can you cry like this? How can you weep?

Then Suzuki says ‘If an enlightened person should not cry, get lost! I am not interested in your enlightenment. I can’t be so insensitive to this situation. I am crying because I miss his physical presence. He can never leave me or I can never leave him because he became me and I became him. That is different. But, physically I miss him. I miss the graceful actions of him and the beautiful conscious leela, conscious play, that is why I am crying’.

Then another one disciple is asking ‘Then what about the teaching which you were giving all these years: accept what is happening, accept what is happening, tatada, tatada, tatada. What has happened to the teaching? Have you taught us without you experiencing?’

Please understand, it’s a very beautiful truth. Just understanding can give you a very strong click. The Suzuki’s reply... When disciple is asking ‘Then have you taught this tatada, accepting what is without you experiencing?’

Suzuki beautifully explains that there are two levels of acceptance. One is accepting whatever is outside, the situation, accepting the situation, surrendering to this moment, surrendering to tatada, what is, surrendering to the now. When surrendering to the now happens, that does not mean he will be insensitive. That does not mean he will be insensitive. When you surrender to this moment, for example, this moment, when the master is dead, he is no more in the body, it is not that he will be insensitive. It can create strong emotions in you.

Accepting that also, acceptance in the internal level, in the inner level, the second level. See, usually what we do? We try to accept the situation in the outer world. Then immediately you have a scale. If I accept I should be behaving like this in the inner world. You don’t have acceptance in the inner world. You have a scale, if I accept this situation, I should be peaceful, collective, calm, restful. You have a scale about the inner world.

You accepted the outer world, means you are very moral. Conscience based but not conscious based. There is a big difference just accepting the outer world happening and accepting the outer and inner world happenings. Here Suzuki is throwing light, new light on tataada, acceptance.

Acceptance does not mean just accepting the outer world. Usually we have this idea. If I accept the situation in the outer world, immediately I should become calm, quiet, relaxed, restful. I should not have any agitation. I should not have any irritation. I should not have any response. You have a… that means what you are not accepting the inner world. Surrendering to the now means accepting the outer world and the response which is happening in the inner world.

Suzuki throws an important light on acceptance. ‘So, I have accepted the master has left the body. Same way I have accepted the response that is happening in me, the pain, the suffering, the separation. I have accepted that also’. This is the complete acceptance. Complete acceptance. Here, that is what Patanjali describes yogaha chitta vritti nirodhaha.

When completely you accept, when there is no chitti vritti, when there is no action…Actually when you have the both acceptance, suddenly you will see you are established in your swaroopa, in your nature. We all know only one acceptance. We say we accept the situation as it is. But we have a strong idea if you accept the situation, how you should behave, how your mental state should be. There you miss acceptance. There you are not accepting.

You should accept in both levels. I accept the outer world situations and I accept what is the response of the outer world situation in my inner situation, in my inner space. I accept both the space. I accept externally and internally. Then suddenly you will see you will be unclutched. You will be unclutched. You will be in that space of swaroopa, your nature. Your own nature.

When you are accepting only the outer world and unable to accept what is happening in the inner world, you cannot be in nature, you cannot be established in your nature. If you have to be established in your nature, both acceptance need to happen. One is acceptance of the situation and accepting the response happening inside you. Only then the chitta vritti nirodha happens, cessation of the mind happens. Only then the thought patterns disappear. The thought patterns disappear.

Only then you are established in swaroopa. He says then results in relaxation into one’s true nature of limitlessness and total understanding. Both levels of acceptance! Just external acceptance is very easy because you have to accept. You have to accept. And external acceptance is taught as a moral value from the beginning to all of us. And moreover external acceptance is from the beginning told to us. We try to imitate. We try to live that. We try to do that.

But internal acceptance is not needed. Not only that, you can hide it. Externally if you don’t accept, everybody will know. But internally if you don’t accept nobody will know. Just accepting externally and playing the game is a beautiful ego game. You can pose to everybody ‘See how cool I am, how calm I am, how integrated I am!’ People start playing games even in all these levels.

People start accepting things or trying to pose silence or peaceful, restful awareness just to pose others, just to tell others how cool they are, how calm they are, how restful they are. They try to play game even in this level. But when you accept internally also, suddenly the unclutching happens. So, it’s a very beautiful sutra, amazing truth. I want all of you to contemplate, internalize this one sutra, this one idea. I do not want to add more and more ideas.

I want to do exactly the same work as Patanjali did. I do not want to comment on this work. I want to repeat it. I am not commenting, I am repeating, because commenting may add more confusions. There are hundreds of commentaries, I can say thousands of commentaries. It may add more confusions. I don’t want to comment, I want you to internalize, experience this one idea.

This one idea, internalize continuously. Mind is an action. If I want I can stop. If I am acting, I wanted it. Take the responsibility. If I am acting, I wanted it. Who can take the responsibility for your action? Only you! If you are walking, you want it. If you are talking, you want it. If you are minding you want it. If you are thinking you want it. So let the shift happen in your consciousness.

If you are thinking you want it. If you are talking you want it. If you are sitting you want it. So let you understand this one truth. Take the responsibility on your shoulder. If you are thinking you want it. Only then, you can stop when you want it. Patanjali is not putting any responsibility on anybody else.

In this whole 199 sutras, he speaks only in one sutra about God. That also, it is not describing the nature of God, where is he residing, how is he going, how is he sitting, how is he traveling, No! He says eeswara pravitadaani. Let us surrender everything unto the God. It is one spiritual quality.

He is not even bothered about God, he is bothered about the surrendering, the quality. He is not talking anywhere else about anything. He says you can use God as a tool to surrender, that’s all, as a tool to surrender, as an object to surrender; that’s all. He takes the complete responsibility. So take the complete responsibility, even surrendering with responsibility.

Understand, surrendering with responsibility is enlightenment. Responsible surrender is enlightenement. I have seen people surrendering, or claiming that they have surrendered. O God! Even if you are caught by your enemies, you will not be tortured that much by these pseudo surrendering people. They will claim that they have surrendered and whatever right happens is their responsibility, it’s because of them. Whatever wrong happens, it is because of you. And they will not do anything more than saying word ‘I have surrendered, I have surrendered, I have surrendered’.

Many people come and tell me ‘Swamiji what should I do further?’ I tell them ‘What do you mean?’ ‘No, whatever you say I will do’. The moment I tell something, ‘No, no, no, I have this difficulty, that difficulty, that problem, this problem’. Then I tell them ‘Tell all your conditions first; then I’ll tell you the solution’. They say ‘No, no, no, you tell, I will do. Whatever you say I will do’. The moment I open my mouth, they will have one thousand and one conditions, one thousand and one priorities, one thousand and one preferences, one thousand and one conditions.

So, Patanjali says very beautifully, take the responsibility completely on your shoulder. A responsible person, even if he surrenders, it will be so graceful, so beautiful. Irresponsible person even if he tries to stand on his own, it will be only cunning. It will never be complete. So, first thing you need, first thing is being responsible, being responsible. In the first sutra, yogaha chitta vritti nirodhaha, Patanjali teaches us the basic truth be responsible.

The moment you are responsible, the moment you feel you are responsible for your thinking, you know very clearly you can stop. You can stop. Only when you don’t want to take the responsibility, you are going on postponing, postponing, postponing, putting things on others, blaming others, then you continue to think. If you blame you are walking because of somebody, you will continue to walk till you die. If you are blaming you are talking because somebody is forcing, you will continue to talk till the death. Same way, if you are say you are thinking because of somebody else, because of some other reason, you will continue to think till you die, even after you die.

So take the responsibility on you. Understand the truth is you are responsible. Truth is you are responsible. So let you understand you are responsible. Then suddenly you will realize you can stop. You can stop. The essence of this whole sutra, yogaha chitta vritti nirodhaha is take the responsibility of your subtle action, which I call mind. When you take the responsibility, you know how to stop thinking, how to stop all kinds of expression.

See, mind is not only thinking. There are so many other patterns: regulation, channeling, mastery, integration, coordination, stilling, quieting, setting aside of the modifications, gross and subtle thought patterns, all these things put together. All these things put together is what Patanjali calls chitta vritti nirodhaha, means cessation of mind. Able to play with it, able to do what you want, like a circus, a gymnasium, able to do whatever you want with your mind or completely rest without it is what he calls yogaha. Nirodha not only means controlling or dropping, it means regulation, channeling, mastery, integration, coordination, stilling, quieting, setting aside of the modifications of the mind, all the modifications of the mind.

That is what Patanjali means by the word nirodhaha. So, I want all of you to contemplate. Let’s enter into the first meditation of Yoga Sutra. First meditation of Yoga Sutra is simply be in samadhi, that’s all. Now, decide, I am moving my hand; I can stop. I am talking; I can stop. I am thinking; I can stop. Just sit with this one truth, with this one sutra. If you are thinking further, be very clear you are thinking. Perfectly alright, thinking is not wrong. I am not saying thinking is wrong. I am saying thinking that you want to stop that you are thinking is wrong. Thinking is not wrong. Thinking you want to stop, that you are unable to stop is wrong.

So, close your eyes. Sit with a deep restful awareness. You know you are thinking, so just relax, stop. Or if you want to continue, continue with your clear will. If you are thinking, at least be very clear you are thinking. Close your eyes, just sit.

Let my presence and your presence meet each other. Dissolve into the process.

Just sit remembering you can stop thinking if you want to. If you are thinking, at least remember you are thinking. Just sit with this simple truth. You neither need to stop, nor need to think. If you want to think, think. If you want to stop, stop. It’s up to you. But be responsible for what you are doing. Remember you are doing it. Just with this one truth, sit. Sit with closed eyes with this one truth. Let it be internalized.

Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantihi.

Internalize this one truth till tomorrow evening. We will gather for the next satsang tomorrow evening. We will see the next truth delivered by Patanjali. Internalize this one truth very strongly, continuously, till tomorrow evening. Let’s gather tomorrow evening for the next session. Thank you.

Let you all achieve and radiate living enlightenment, message for this year. Internalize this one truth, you will start living enlightenment. Let you all achieve and radiate eternal bliss, Nithyananda.