A Mind that does not follow instructions cannot be at peace. If you are following old habits or doing something you like, your Mind easily accepts your commands, but as soon as you ask it to do something different, it says ‘’oh no, I am not going to do that…’’. When the Mind is not in control it leads to suffering. Emotional Imbalance, anxiety, anger, frustration trickle down from the Mind, the Psychic level, to the Body – the Somatic level and eventually end up causing imbalance and disease at the Organic level. In this comprehensive introduction, we will find out how to prevent this through the practice of Yoga.
Dukkha is the word used for Suffering. It has a very interesting meaning
Du – Something that spoils or vitiates and ‘Kha’ is Space.
Space is categorized as Physical Space, Mental Space & Space of Consciousness
Physical space might be great, amazing house, beautiful garden, perfect weather but one maybe miserable inside…
Dukkha is vitiated or disturbed mental space.
The three causes of suffering in Yoga
1. Adhi Atmika – Inter Organic Pain caused due to internal factors
It is twofold – Mental & Physical
Mental suffering caused by strong emotions such as Anger , Lust , greed, Envy, Grief
Physical suffering caused due to imbalance in the body
2. Adhi Bhautika – Extra organic pain caused by external factors.. It can be mosquito bite or another human being causing pain, it could be a mouse or the spouse
Many times we don’t have to leave the house to be miserable.
3. Adhi Daivika – A factor completely out of our control – Floods, Fires or other natural calamities.
Corona can be classified as this. The insurance companies claim it as an act of God.
All 3 impact our mental space…
Yoga defines these sources as
Parinama Dukkha
Tapa Dukkha
Samsara Dukkha
Parinama Dukkha – Pain caused as a result of change in the outside world
people change, situations change , circumstances change in a way that they affect you negatively
Tapa Dukkha – Pain caused by not getting what we want
not meeting expectations, Goals, ambitions , frustration from failures
Samskara Dukkha – Pain caused by bad habits we are unable to get rid of.
Could be physical bad habits or negative thought patterns
The origin of Yoga
The origin of Yoga lies in the necessity to permanently get rid of these three types of suffering and to attain a direct realization of the Self. This suffering can be overcome only when we become aware of the lost link of oneness between ourselves and the Infinite. In the Bhagavad Gita VI/17, lord Krishna state that yoga is “yogah bhavati duhkhaha” means yoga is a method through which one overcomes all suffering.
Yoga is generally understood as means, methods, and techniques. But ‘Sage Vyasa’s says “Yogena yogo jnatavya..” yogo- yogat- pravartate” i.e. Yoga should be known through Yoga as Yoga arises from Yoga. This explains Yoga as Sadhya – an end goal to be achieved and also as a Sadhana – the Means to achieve that goal.
Meaning of the word Yoga
The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit language and is derived from the root ‘Yuj’ which has three conjugates
a. Yujir Yoge – to unite.
b. Yuj Samadhau = put together or to integrate.
c. Yuj Sayyame = to restrain.
- When used in context of Union, Yoga is defined as “Samyoga yoga ityukto jivatmana parmatmanoh which means ‘the union of individual self with the Higher Self is Yoga. Here this ultimate Union is defined as Yoga – the End Goal. This is applicable to the use of Yoga in traditional texts of Hatha Yoga, Vasishtha Samhita, Yoga Yajnavalkya, Yoga Vasistha, Astanga Yoga of Charandas etc
- Sage Patanjali accepts the meaning as Yuj Samadhau which means to integrate. he does not subscribe to Yoga as Union. This is because the Yoga Darshana of Patanjali has the metaphysics of Samkhya as its basis where Individual Consciousness – The Purusha is separated from Prakriti or Matter and is completely integrated within its own true nature. Svaroopa. ‘Tada Drashtu Svarupa Awasthanam’
In Samkhya, the meaning of Yoga is the separation rather than Union. Separation of the Drashta from drishya, Seer from the scene, separation of ‘the Witness’ from that which is witnessed. Because the Union of these two is the cause of suffering and hence Yoga is separation.
- One of the important aspects towards progress in the practice is that of Concentration. Training of the mind to Concentrate and remain concentrated for longer and longer duration of time is fundamental to the practice of Yoga.
There are two aspects to Concentration. First, is the positive aspect which helps us to fix our attention and focus. It includes the various practices you do to achieve Concentration.
Second, the negative aspect, a result of the first, which prevents disturbances from entering our Mindspace. This Self-Control stems out of the various practises of Concentration.
When used in context of Self Control – Yuj Sayyame , Yoga is defined as restrain.
The state of the Mind is ever changing. It fluctuates throughout the day. From being dull and confused it becomes occasionally focussed and if controlled well, it can be consistently focussed and deeply concentrated. But with the constant rise of the internal and external distractions, be that through the pressure of a fast-paced life or through excessive use of technology, we have become good at staying distracted.
योग: चित्त वृत्ति निरोध:
Yoga as explained in Sage Patanjali YogaSutras
Yogah chitta vritti nirodaha , Yoga as defined in the Yogasutras by Sage Patanjali, states that the Yoga is the stilling of modifications of the Chitta – The entire Mental apparatus comprising of all the three levels –
1. Manas – the mental organ which receives the signals from the senses.
2. Ahankar – the I sense , which is the Ego responsible for individual identity.
3. Buddhi – Intellect, the Sense of Understanding and Decision Making
Yoga is not merely the restraint of the conscious mind. It is the restraint of the total operation of all the three layers of the Mind. When the senses acquire external information, the Manas takes it to the Atman or the Soul which is the witness. The Ego and the Intellect determine and decide upon the response to this input. This entire process leaves an impression upon the Mind. This impression is known as Vritti.
The analogy would be of the Mind with a mirror. When sensory information is reflected upon the Mind, it takes the form of that reflection. To stop the Mind from assuming the form of the reflection is Yoga.
How can the Mind be restrained ?
मनः प्रसमनोपायः योग इत्यभिदीयते
Manah prasamanopayah yoga ityabhidhiyate – Yoga Vashista says Yoga is the cure for the Mind to be perfectly steady and peaceful.
How does yoga cure the disturbed Mind
तां योगमिति मन्यन्ते स्थिरमिन्द्रियधारणाम्
Taam yogamiti manyante sthiram indriya dharanam – Katha Upanishad says that by bringing the senses under control, the state of Yoga is achieved. When the senses are controlled, one is ever vigilant to that which helps and that which destroys concentration.
योग: कर्मसु कौशलम्
Yogaha karmasu kaushalam BG
Work done like worship without the anticipation of results is Yoga. Complete Awareness of Action leads to highest skill whereas Non-attachment takes the pressure of anticipation away from the action itself, leading to maximum efficiency.
Such attitude towards our actions brings about Self Control and Equipoise defining the Goal of Yoga as
समत्वं योग उच्यते
samatvam yoga uchyate – BG – Equanimity of the Mind is the highest goal of Yoga
Balanced state of the body, mind, thoughts, emotions, intellect, speech, action and behaviour which creates no excitement in the situation of pleasure and no sorrow in pain.
युज्यते अनेन इति योगः
Yujyate anane iti yogah – The Rigveda says – what brings together is Yoga
Yoga was, is and will always be more than the sum of its parts. It is the training of the Mind to go beyond the Mind. When one becomes aware of the infinite consciousness then the whole life is transformed. That is purpose of Yoga in the sense of Unification or Integration through method of Self Control.