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LIFE

Most traditional science-based philosophies agree that at some elemental level, everything is a constantly roiling, evolving mix of two oppositionally charged states of matter: Yin & Yang.

Raja Yoga agrees completely, but allows for the reality that everything is actually a blend of the two opposites: some state of gray, and thus refers to three states of energetic matter: Rajas, Tamas and Sattva, the latter being a perfect balance between the other two. The aim of the practice of Raja Yoga is to foster sattvic thoughts, energy and actions!

Laundry day provides a visual reminder of Patanjali’s view of the scientific underpinnings of our universe. Your body, clothes, food, etc. are all constituted of nature’s Yin & Yang energetic molecules in the same way that your favorite streamed movies, TV shows and video games are two dimensional manifestations of a bunch of manmade 0’s and 1’s!

See the miracle of life in everything and you WILL smile more than you frown!

 

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PATANJALI’S FRIENDS – PART II

Why make such a big deal about consciousness? Because it IS a BFD!!

First of all, life would be pointless without consciousness since we’d all be biological robots unaware of our own thoughts and actions! Right; so be thankful you have it!

Second, consider its nature: what it is and what it isn’t.

It’s the awareness OF your mind’s functioning.

It’s not a mental function per se. Consciousness or awareness OF what you’re thinking is immutable and universal. While your thoughts change constantly like your heartbeats and breaths, your awareness OF them never does. Your awareness OF your thoughts is exactly the same today as it was the day you were born; and yours, your neighbors’, and mine are all identical, though obviously our thoughts are unique to each of us.

According to Sankhya, the science upon which the practice of Raja Yoga is based, consciousness is the one thing that isn’t subject to the vagaries of time and space (karma). Consider the nature of something that isn’t affected by time and space – and that it’s an aspect of YOU!

Your consciousness OF your thoughts is clearly subtler than your thoughts themselves.

According to the Bhagavad Gita (“God’s Song”) which predates Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, consciousness is “autonomous, a spotless lotus, eternal, infinite, pure, unblemished, immovable, existent, indivisible, beyond decay and death, everlasting, immutable, and imperishable.”

The ancient texts say consciousness is the aspect of you that can’t be burned or drowned; today they’d say it was bulletproof.

By controlling and quieting your body and mind, you draw inward, closer to your essence, your true self: your consciousness.

But resolute faith in the existence of God?

When you realize that an aspect of you is literally bulletproof, THAT recognition begs ALL kinds of questions, starting with “What’s the source of THAT part of me – which btw isn’t described in any anatomy book ever published?!” Raja Yoga is a universal practice literally intended to end human suffering, yet it’s an entirely individual practice since only you have access to your mind!

Over time, the practice engenders absolute faith in the existence of something we literally aren’t capable of experiencing directly: God.

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FRIENDS OF PATANJALI

Friends of Patanjali

For awhile my daily prayers have included some version of the following:

Thank you for:

  • Consciousness – without which I wouldn’t realize I was even here!
  • Patanjali – who codified the practice of Raja Yoga: a path to experiencing consciousness
  • Vyasa – the first of the six traditional commentators or “un-packers” of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
  • Practitioners – all who preserved the practice over the millennia
  • Satchidananda – a notable modern day devotee and teacher of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (the author of the textbook we use)
  • All yoga teachers past and present

But I was reminded this morning that the list above is missing a BIG piece: the anonymous yogis who a) DISCOVERED that consciousness is NOT a mental function and b) how to prove it!

Patanjali was a successful practitioner and brilliant academic who codified the practice and science in a poem or outline – thus preserving the experiences and knowledge of countless yogis who preceded him.

The Bhagavad Gita, the other universally recognized authoritative text on Raja Yoga, was composed before Patanjali produced the Yoga Sutras. The Gita is a conversation between a sage and his king. The following is largely excerpted from Edwin Bryant’s “the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali”:

The sage is describing what’s become known as Raja Yoga to the king:

I have spoken to you about the knowledge of Sankhya [Allan: the understanding that energetic matter and consciousness are distinct]; now hear from me the knowledge of yoga as I have heard and seen it.

There is no knowledge equal to Sankhya; there is no power like that of yoga. Both of these are the same path; both are said to lead to immortality. Only people lacking wisdom say that they are different, but we see them as one without any doubt. That which the yogis perceive, the followers of Sankhya experience. One who sees that Sankhya and yoga are one, is a seer of Truth.

[Allan: here the text attributes mystical powers to yogis.]

In the Vedic scriptures, the wise speak of yoga as having eight equalities, and bestowing eight subtle powers.

They say that the topmost practice of yoga is of two kinds, according to what is revealed in the scriptures: yoga with “qualities” and yoga without “qualities”. [Allan: here it’s likely the text refers to meditating with and without “seed”, the latter referring to the highest state of consciousness or meditation.]

Practices involve concentrating the mind, and controlling the breath. [Allan: the text advises caution with respect to certain breathing practices.]

Living in solitude, tranquil, and controlled, one could without doubt experience one’s consciousness by practicing yoga with one’s mind, delighting in the union and living in solitude.

One should cast off the senses: sound, form, touch, taste, and smell. One should restrain sensual desire by concentrating the mind; [specifically, the conscious mind should be used to a) restrain senses, memories and ego, and b) distinguish between matter and consciousness].

After taking this progression, one should meditate on consciousness, which is autonomous, a spotless lotus, eternal, infinite, pure, unblemished, immovable, existent, indivisible, beyond decay and death, everlasting, immutable, and imperishable.

Consider the characteristics of the yogi. The character of the yogi is tranquil, like that of a contented person sleeping blissfully.

The wise speak of the yogi as like the upward motionless flame of a lamp full of oil burning in a windless place.

The character of a yogi is like a rock, which is incapable of being moved even when pummeled by torrents of rain pouring down from clouds.

The demeanor of a yogi is not moved by the noise of assorted conches and drums being played together, nor the outbursts of song. [Allan: think Braveheart, Gibson’s movie]

Just as a person of composed nature might ascend a staircase while holding a container full of oil, and yet, despite being alarmed upon being attacked by assailants armed with swords, does not spill a drop out of fear of them, so, in the same way, the mind of one who is absorbed in the supreme, is fully concentrated.

These are the characteristics of the experienced yogi, which are displayed due to resolve and to controlling the activities of the senses.

Absorbed in consciousness, the yogi beholds the supreme and imperishable, resembling a lamp blazing forth in dense darkness.

It is in this way that, after the passage of much time in practice, the yogi enters the state of liberation from the body/mind. This is revealed in the eternal scriptures.

This is indeed the yoga of the yogis. What else is the character of yoga? The wise consider that yogis have accomplished the goal of life.

God bless, Allan

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Classes start again this week

Patanjali said that peace comes when we think and act:

WISELY – understanding the nature and distinction between mind (the source of our thoughts), and consciousness (the awareness of our thoughts);

COURAGEOUSLY – never giving up; practicing selflessness; being physically disciplined; and

SERENELY – always letting go; practicing non-attachment and mindfulness; being mentally disciplined.

Peace and blessings, Allan (“Skip”)

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Courage

God grant me:

1)   Serenity – to accept the things I can not change,

2)   Courage – to change the things I can, and

3)   Wisdom – to know the difference.

The Serenity Prayer accounts for 50% of the practice of Raja Yoga.

Courage, “tapas” in Sanskrit, is described by Sri Swami Satchidananda in his 1978 “Integral Yoga: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” as follows:

_____

The direct meaning of “tapas” is “to burn”. By the physical tapas of fasting, we burn our excess fat away along with the toxins our bodies have accumulated. By mental tapas, we burn all our old impressions. By verbal tapas, observing silence, we control speech. When we burn, we feel some heat and pain. We undergo suffering. So, tapas [courage] also means to accept suffering. If someone suffers, he or she is blessed, because by that suffering some impurities are purged out.

In order to make our minds clean and steady we must accept suffering, pain and poverty. It is even more beneficial if, at the same time that we accept pain, we bring happiness to others. So, accept the pain of others. [This is why therapists counsel depressed patients to volunteer: helping others feels good.] We never lose by accepting pain. We should never run from it.

In our lives there are hundreds of opportunities for tapas [to be courageous – in attitude AND in action]. Even a cloth must undergo tapas to become clean. What will the laundryman do with my cloth? Will he fold it, put some sandalwood paste and a flower on it and give it back to me? No. First, he’ll soak it in boiling water with soap. Then he’ll beat it every which way. Then he’ll tumble and roll and squeeze it in the washing machine. After that, he’ll dry it in a hot chamber and iron it. Only then does the cloth lose all its dirt and grime. It undergoes tapas to become pure. The laundryman has no hatred for the cloth when he does all those things to it. He only wants to make it pure. It is out of his love that he inflicts pain.

The mind too must be washed, squeezed, tossed, dried and ironed. Don’t think that if someone causes us pain they hate us, but rather that they are helping us to purify ourselves. If we can think like this, we are real Yogis. If anybody hurts our feelings, we should just smile at them….If we understand this point and accept it, we’ll never find fault with anybody who abuses, scolds or insults us. If flowery words make us happy but insults upset us, we know our minds are not yet strong. My teacher said, “Adapt, adjust, accommodate. Bear insult. Bear injury. That is the highest spiritual practice.” To go to a corner and pray is easy…but to be insulted and keep a serene mind requires tapas.

The power to control the body and senses comes from tapas [courage].

Once a man tried to anger a saint. He began insulting him, “You dirty rogue. See how many people you have ruined with your teachings?”

The saint remained quiet, smiling at his tormentor.

“Don’t you understand my language?” the man asked.

“Yes. Sure.”

“You mean, you’ve understood my insults?” The man was incredulous.

“I did.”

“Then how can you keep quiet?”

The saint answered, “Son, suppose you brought me some fruit and I refused it. What would you do?”

“I would have to take it back.”

“Yes,” continued the saint. “In the same way, I don’t enjoy all these things you have brought me. So you can just take them back.”

Handling things this way takes real strength and courage. A person who can only strike back physically may be physically strong but mentally weak. Mental strength comes from tapas.

A link to Satchidananda’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Sutras-Patanjali-Swami-Satchidananda/dp/1938477073

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I’m a Raja Yogi

Technically, Raja Yoga is the pursuit of consciousness through meditation; practically, it’s about living in harmony with the world around us.

Several thousand years ago, before the advent of written language, someone named Patanjali concocted a 200-line poem, the Yoga Sutras, a recipe for living more joyfully and peacefully.

The practice is entirely personal; it’s intended to foster faith in YOURSELF (yes, though technically in your consciousness) because faith can be a source of strength, courage and wisdom. Sound familiar? Patanjali’s poem is the source of the Serenity Prayer.

Practicing Raja Yoga boils down to conducting yourself in a manner that will minimize your physical and mental distress, and practicing four types of exercise: two physical (inside-out & outside-in) and two mental (conscious & subconscious). All are intended to drive home something you already know intuitively: that there’s a difference between thinking and being aware of your thoughts. The latter is your consciousness.

Raja Yoga is an attempt to better understand and somehow tap into the subtlest aspect of yourself: your consciousness. The practice will either turbo-charge your existing religious or spiritual faith or engender it in you – as it did in me.

The spiritually deepening practice of Raja Yoga doesn’t require a leap of faith in something that you can’t readily verify. The holy grail of Raja Yoga is your own consciousness: the aspect without which you wouldn’t realize that you were reading this!

Here’s an excerpt from a letter to a new friend, a Buddhist:

“Since I set out on this quest, I’ve been under the apparent misconception that my teacher, Patanjali – and yours, the Buddha – were seeking and had found the same thing.

I’ve told people for years that Thich Nhat Hanh [a universally renowned and respected Buddhist teacher] does the best job of describing what I thought was our shared objective: to literally bear witness to consciousness. But your guest assured me that she’s seeking something BEYOND consciousness – which in my mind, makes your practice more of a religion than a purely objective quest or practice – in the sense that yours is a quest for something you literally CAN’T experience or witness with your tangible human body and mind: the source of the universe, “God”.

Raja Yoga doesn’t ask that we make THAT leap of faith; ours is a practice in self-awareness and control. You KNOW that your quiet, still, calm consciousness exists because YOU’RE AWARE THAT YOU’RE READING THIS!

Consciousness doesn’t function; it’s merely the awareness OF your thoughts. Without it, you’d be sitting there, reading this – completely unaware that you were doing so! So Raja Yoga celebrates THAT aspect of ourselves – and rewards us physically, mentally and spiritually (body – mind – consciousness) in our pursuit!

Sorry to blather on – I thought you may be receptive. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Center and I’ll be back – where else can I meditate for half a day?! Certainly not at home! Susan would surely find something else for me to do. Which may be the biggest difference between our practices: my teacher reminded me just recently that Raja Yoga is for “householders” – those of us who for practical or other personal reasons don’t sit in meditation for extended periods of time – though joyfully look forward to the limited times we do. Accordingly, 75% of the practice of Raja Yoga is done BEFORE sitting to meditate to make the most of the experience.”

May you find some part of this post useful.

Skip Dowds
skip@rajamarblehead.com

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Raja Yoga – misconception #1: no time to practice!

Raja Yoga is a “householder’s” practice. In other words, it’s for those of us who don’t or can’t devote hours a day to living mindfully – but certainly want to know how!

Ninety percent of the practice of Raja Yoga takes place BEFORE we sit to meditate. We may not have time to sit still every day, but we can act in a manner that will make it easier and more rewarding when we do. Here’s how:

1). Follow the Golden Rule.

2) Treat yourself respectfully.

3) In thought and deed be faithful, courageous, strong & wise.

4) Practice controlling your body – so you can sit upright & comfortably when you do meditate.

5) Practice controlling your breathing – so you can breathe deeply & subtly when you do meditate.

6) Practice controlling your thoughts – so you can focus when you do meditate, and

7) Meditate when you want or need to draw closer to the subtlest aspect of yourself: your still, calm, quiet consciousness: the awareness OF your thoughts.

The physical, energetic and mental affects of meditation are similar to massage: almost blissful, though fading.

Raja Yoga is one path to realizing beyond any doubt what you already know intuitively: that your consciousness is different than your mind. That realization WILL change your life.

From my heart to yours, Skip

skip@rajamarblehead.com      www.rajamarblehead.com

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From the first chapter of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras

• Raja Yoga is a practice in quieting your mind.

• Your mind constantly processes four types of thought: correct, incorrect, imagined, and remembered.

• Quieting your mind requires correct thinking.

• By practicing clear correct thinking with single-pointed concentration, you gradually pass through four progressively clearer states of mental awareness before experiencing unfiltered consciousness.

• To succeed: never give up; always let go.

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Practice self love

Raja Yoga the art of self loveYour body/mind is your most valuable resource so treat it accordingly!

Keep it in clean, proper working order – like anything you want to last longer; and constantly practice the Serenity Prayer: be content, courageous, wise and faithful.

Raja Yoga is a constant, dual practice in self-awareness and self-control; specifically, it’s a code of conduct and a series of physical and mental exercises which facilitate a calm, clear mind. The routine practices and exercises make it easier to:

• act with clarity and confidence [tip: when in doubt, don’t do it]

• form healthy habits

• meditate.

When you meditate you allow your mind to rest, recover and recharge. It’s like taking a nap without the mental distractions.

 

 

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Rule 5: Think before acting

Your conscious mind constantly thinks single, consecutive thoughts. You can’t stop your mind from thinking any more than you can stop your heart from beating. Because thoughts manifest into actions with consequences, the trick to leading a more tranquil, less stressful life is to think correctly and clearly.

There are four types of conscious thought: right, wrong, imagined and remembered – so it’s relatively easy to monitor which type you’re experiencing: you’re either perceiving the object of your attention correctly, incorrectly, or your imagining or remembering it.

Once you realize what type of thought your experiencing, check to see if you’re thinking clearly, or whether your thoughts are colored by one or more of four types of emotion: ego, desire, aversion and/or fear.

Raja Yoga’s physical and mental self-awareness and self-control exercises (being kind to others, being kind to yourself, exercising, breathing and focusing) foster a clear, correct mindset – a prerequisite for meditation – and promote a calm, balanced demeanor.