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A Shortcut(?) to Enlightenment

This is the sixth in a series of posts intended to shed light on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the authoritative text on classical Indian yoga, or meditation.

Sankhya and Yoga are two of the six schools of classical Hindu philosophy. Sankhya points out that Consciousness is unlike anything else known to man; it’s literally intangible; it’s not subject to the laws of nature; it’s not constrained by time and space; and it can’t be explained [that was true 3,000 years ago and is still true today]. If Sankhya is the postulate that Consciousness is essentially Divine, Yoga is the proof. Yoga is a path to discovering the fundamentally Divine nature of our own essence.

So far in his blueprint for lasting peace, Patanjali tells us:

  • realizing the nature of our own awareness or Consciousness (i.e., enlightenment) typically involves an inward journey beyond our thoughts;
  • that we’ll encounter five types of thought along the way;
  • that the primary path to enlightenment (meditation) is often long and fraught with distraction, thus the key to success is never giving up while always letting go;
  • how to recognize whether we’re making progress; specifically, that we’ll encounter five distinct states of meditation;
  • that attaining enlightenment typically requires steadfast and prolonged conviction, determination and effort.

Now he tells us that there’s a shortcut: devotion.

Chapter 1, aphorisms 23-29:

1.23 “ishvara pranidhana va”; loosely, “alternatively, enlightenment can be attained through devout service to God”

From Swamij.com, “[T]he word Īśvara is used to denote a state of collective consciousness. Thus, God is not a being that sits on a high pedestal beyond the sun, moon, and stars; [herein] God is actually the state of Ultimate Reality. But due to the lack of direct experience, God has been personified and given various names and forms by religions throughout the ages.”

1.24 “klesha karma vipaka ashayaih aparamristah purusha-vishesha ishvara”; loosely, “God or Consciousness is unaffected by karma and thus suffering”

1.25 “tatra niratishayam sarvajna bijam”; loosely, “God is all-knowing”

1.26 “purvesham api guruh kalena anavachchhedat”; loosely, “God is unaffected by time and space”

1.27 “tasya vachakah pranavah”; loosely, “the sound “AUM” [or “Amen”] may be used to represent God”

1.28 “tat japah tat artha bhavanam”; loosely, “it helps to reflect upon the meaning of AUM [or “Amen”] while repeating it”

1.29 “tatah pratyak chetana adhigamah api antaraya abhavash cha”; loosely, “devotion to God removes the obstacles to enlightenment”

The end goal of classical Indian yoga or meditation is to realize the literally intangible, essentially divine nature of our own and collective Consciousness. Here Patanjali says it may be easier and quicker – and you’ll get to the same place physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually – if instead you cut straight to the chase and devote your life to “God” (i.e., in service to others in the name of the Divine). In reality, I suspect anyone who realizes the existence of God (either via meditation or devotion) likely spends the rest of their life in service!

For info about private lessons or workshops in self-discovery and peace of mind see the ‘Contact Us’ page of this site.

God bless, Skip

#patanjali   #consciousness   #meditation

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The Path to Enlightenment

This is the fifth in a series of posts intended to shed light on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the original authoritative text on classical Indian yoga, or meditation.

Chapter 1 of Patanjali’s outline consists of 51 lines. So far we’ve looked at sutras 1-18:

1-4         Yoga is transcending thoughts to experience Consciousness;

5-11      There are five types of thought to transcend: correct, incorrect, imagined, neutral and remembered;

12-16    The key to success is never giving up & always letting go;

17-18    There are five levels of meditation; the first four involve focusing on something; in the fifth, we effectively merge with our own Consciousness

In the next four aphorisms, Patanjali identifies what’s required to achieve the fifth stage of meditation or enlightenment, and how long it might take:

Chapter 1, aphorisms 19-22:

1.19 “bhava pratyayah videha prakriti layanam”; loosely, “some people are predestined or predisposed to experience enlightenment”

1.20 “shraddha virya smriti samadhi prajna purvakah itaresham”; loosely, “for others enlightenment requires faith, vigor, mindfulness, meditation and wisdom”

1.21 “tivra samvega asannah”; loosely, “success comes readily to those with conviction”

1.22 “mridu madhya adhimatra tatah api visheshah”; loosely, “though the time it takes is affected by the degree of effort one puts into it”

Since most of us weren’t born predisposed to experience enlightenment, we pursue the inter-connected, five-fold path of:

  • Faith – cultivating a sense of certainty that this pursuit is the right thing to do;
  • Vigor – fostering the conviction and energy that we can succeed;
  • Mindfulness – maintaining awareness of whether we’re acting in accordance with our goal;
  • Meditation – seeking the objective, subjective and intuitive knowledge that comes from meditating;
  • Wisdom – acting upon the correct knowledge that comes from meditating

For info about private lessons or workshops in self-discovery and peace of mind see the ‘Contact Us’ page of this site.

God bless, Skip

#patanjali   #consciousness   #meditation

 

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Levels of Meditation

Curious about the mental and spiritual aspects of classical Indian yoga? This is the fourth in a series of posts introducing Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – the original, authoritative Indian yoga text.

Patanjali begins his Sanskrit outline with a description of yoga: the transcendence of thoughts into Consciousness (i.e., “enlightenment”), followed by a description of the various types of thought we need to go beyond, and the key to success: never giving up & always letting go.

In the next two aphorisms Patanjali introduces the five progressive stages of meditation, the primary means to become enlightened.

Chapter 1, aphorisms 17 – 18:

1.17 “ vitarka vichara ananda asmita rupa anugamat samprajnatah“; loosely, “there are four levels of meditation “with seed”: attention, concentration, contemplation and absorption”

1.18 “virama pratyaya abhyasa purvah samskara shesha anyah“; loosely, “with sufficient practice we experience meditation without seed”

As we progress through the four deepening levels of focusing on an object, our understanding of the object expands. Awareness of observable characteristics gives way to intuitive insights about the object. In the fourth, deepest level of focusing on an object, we become fully immersed or absorbed in it, literally unaware of the distinction between ourselves, the object and our observation of it.

From Bernard Bouanchaud’s “The Essence of Yoga”, “In the successive states of union with an object, consciousness does not change. The mind of the person becomes more and more transparent, until consciousness reflects the object of contemplation with purity.”

From Swamij.com, “[T]he meditator systematically moves inward, through four levels or stages of concentration on an object, and then progresses to the stage of objectless concentration” – sort of like with and without training wheels as we learn to ride a bicycle.

When we meditate beyond thought (i.e., “without seed”), our consciousness – i.e., our awareness, which is always “on”, which never changes – is aware only of itself; this is the point of self-realization or enlightenment, a moment of great peace, clarity and compassion.

The four progressively intuitive levels of meditation “with seed” coincide with the four progressively subtle aspects of our mind. For example, assume that we’re focusing on a candle, a metaphor for Consciousness. The stages of meditation might be described as follows:

1. Our conscious mind – the aspect we “hear” – analyzes, discriminates, and judges; this is the aspect of our mind associated with the initial stage of meditation (attention); at this point we’re making an initial cognitive evaluation of the object of our contemplation. Focusing on the candle, I may think to myself, “it’s a candle; it generates heat and light”.

2. Drawing further inward, the outermost aspect of our sub-conscious mind processes our senses and movement; this aspect of our mind is associated with the second level of meditation (concentration); at this point we’re effectively making a sensory evaluation of the candle. I may think about its size, shape, smell, whether it makes sound as it burns, its texture and weight.

3. The middle aspect of our sub-conscious mind stores our memories and emotions and is associated with the third stage of meditation (contemplation); at this point we’re making a more subjective, initially intuitive evaluation of the candle. If I’ve had past experiences with candles those memories may trigger insights or intuition about the function or nature of candles (e.g., I may “see” aspects of the metaphor for Consciousness).

4. The innermost, subtlest aspect of our mind is our sense of “I am”, the innate, deeply rooted perspective from which we witness life and recognize that we are a unique being. This aspect of our mind is associated with the final, deepest level of meditation “with seed” (absorption); at this point, we lose the distinction between ourselves, the candle and the fact that we’re focusing on it – in effect, we lose our sense of individuality and “become one with” the object of our focus. Thoughts are no longer objective or subjective; rather, they’re entirely intuitive. I may identify with the candle to such an extent that I realize things about it that no amount of cognition or prior experience could tell me about its essential nature.

5. Thereafter, continuing to meditate, having exhausted or emptied our mind of all candle-related considerations, we meditate without specific focus, “without seed”, beyond thoughts. Having no thoughts or emotions to be aware of, our Consciousness becomes aware of itself – at which point we experience a state of bliss: a state without judgment or worry; a state of peaceful stillness, quiet acceptance and belonging.

For info about private lessons or workshops in self-discovery and peace of mind see the ‘Contact Us’ page of this site.

God bless, Skip

#patanjali   #consciousness   #meditation

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Key to Success

This is the third in a series of posts intended to introduce Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras to those interested in the spiritual and mental aspects of classical Indian yoga. This series focuses on the first 100 lines (aka aphorisms or sutras) of Patanjali’s epic 3,000-year-old Sanskrit “poem”.

Having described yoga as the transcendence of thought into consciousness, and described the nature of the thoughts we’re trying to go beyond, Patanjali now implicitly acknowledges that the process takes a while and isn’t easy, by sharing the two-fold key to success: never give up & always let go.

Chapter 1, aphorisms 12-16:

1.12 “abhyasa vairagyabhyam tat nirodhah”; loosely, “practice and non-attachment lead to success”

1.13 “tatra sthitau yatnah abhyasa”; loosely, “practice means never giving up”

1.14 “sah tu dirgha kala nairantaira satkara asevitah dridha bhumih”; loosely, “by practicing continuously and earnestly over a long time efforts become habitual”

1.15 “drista anushravika vishaya vitrishnasya vashikara sanjna vairagyam”; loosely, “non-attachment means always letting go (mastering desire)”

1.16 “tat param purusha khyateh guna vaitrshnyam”; loosely, “with ultimate self-awareness all attachments fall away”

From Swamij.com:

“[T]here are two directions that one can go in life…One direction is towards truth, reality, Self, or spiritual realization. The other direction is opposite….

Abhyasa [Practice or “never give up”] means cultivating the lifestyle, actions, speech, and thoughts, as well as the spiritual practices that lead in the positive direction…

Vairagya [Non-attachment or “always let go”] is the practice of gradually letting go of the mental colorings that lead one away from the spiritual…

Love is what is left when you let go of all the things you love.”

For info about workshops in self-discovery and peace of mind see the ‘Contact Us’ page of this site.

God bless, Skip

#patanjali   #consciousness   #meditation

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The Thinking Process

This is the second in a series of posts intended to shed light on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, one of two authoritative texts on the ancient Indian practice of yoga or meditation [the other being the Bhagavad Gita].

For context, the first few aphorisms or sutras described yoga as the process of transcending our thoughts to experience Consciousness.

These next several sutras describe the types of thoughts we’re trying to transcend, in part so we can discriminate between them and cultivate those conducive to clarity and peace of mind.

Chapter 1, aphorisms 5-11:

1.5 “vrittayah pancatayah klishta aklishta”; loosely, “there are five types of thought; they may be influenced by conditions that further obscure Consciousness”

1.6  “pramana viparyaya vikalpa nidra smritayah”; loosely, “[the five types of thought are] correct, incorrect, imagined, neutral and remembered”

1.7  “pratyaksha anumana agamah pramanani”; loosely, “correct thoughts are verifiable by observation, inference and authentication”

1.8  “viparyayah mithya jnanam atad rupa pratistham”; loosely, “incorrect thoughts are caused by misperception”

1.9  “shabda jnana anupati vastu shunyah vikalpah”; loosely, “imagined thoughts have no basis in reality”

1.10 “abhava pratyaya alambana vritti nidra”; loosely, “neutral thoughts are non-cognitive observations”

1.11 “anubhuta vishaya asampramoshah smritih”; loosely, “remembered thoughts are impressions that remain of the other four”

From Swamij.com, “By learning to observe the thinking process, and then to discriminate between these five types of mental objects, we start to gain a mastery over them and their ability to control our actions, speech, and thoughts…Of the five kinds of thought patterns, pramana, or correct knowledge is the one to cultivate.”

For info about workshops in self-discovery and peace of mind see the ‘Contact Us’ page of this site.

God bless, Skip

#patanjali   #consciousness   #meditation

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What is Yoga?

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is a 3,000 year old, 200-line “poem” which outlines the science and practice of meditation: a path to self-discovery, peace of mind, and ultimately enlightenment.

Patanjali memorialized the classical Indian discipline of yoga or meditation as it had been passed from teacher to student for hundreds of years before the advent of written language. Due to limitations inherent in the form of the text and translations, students are advised to study multiple interpretations and explanations of Patanjali’s work to arrive at their own understanding of this ancient treasure map.

For those who may be curious about the “mental” and “spiritual” aspects of classical Indian yoga, we’ll revisit the first two chapters of Patanjali’s outline, one section at a time – beginning with the introductory lines of Chapter 1, which address the question, “What is Yoga?”

Keep in mind that classical Indian yoga is a path of self-discovery: an effort to realize our true nature: the essence of who we are which lies deep within us: our immutable consciousness.

Chapter 1, aphorisms 1-4 – in short, “What is Yoga?”:

1.1 “atha yoga anushasanam”; loosely, “now we’re going to discuss yoga”

1.2 “yogash chitta vritti nirodhah”; loosely, “yoga is transcending our thoughts”

1.3 “tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam”; loosely, “to realize our essence”

1.4 “vritti sarupyam itaratra”; loosely, “otherwise, we identify with our thoughts”

As summed up by Swamij.com: “When activity of all levels of mind have been transcended (1.2), we experience pure consciousness (1.3). However, the rest of the time, mind flows towards the many sensory experiences we have, as well as towards the streams of memories and fantasies (1.4).”

For info about workshops in self-discovery and peace of mind see the ‘Contact Us’ page of this site.

God bless, Skip

#patanjali   #consciousness   #meditation

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This is all you need to know about yourself

The horse-drawn chariot is a metaphor for you:

  • The chariot is your body.
  • The horses are your senses – drawn toward the objects of desire.
  • The reins are your sub-conscious mind – the part of you responsible for acting.
  • The driver is your conscious mind – the part of you responsible for thinking.
  • The passenger is your consciousness – your awareness, without which you wouldn’t be aware of the ride!

Here’s the reality:

  • Just like the chariot, the more fit your body is the more efficiently it will function, the more comfortable you’ll feel, and the longer you’ll live.
  • Just as the horses are drawn toward open pastures, your senses naturally draw you towards the objects of your desire; however, it’s your senses – not the objects – that energetically stimulate your body to act.
  • Just as the reins enable the driver to direct the horses, your sub-conscious mind links your conscious mind’s thoughts to your actions.
  • Just as the driver uses the reins to control the horses, your conscious mind can override your sub-conscious mind’s natural impulses.
  • Just as the passenger witnesses the ride without controlling the chariot, driver, reins or horses, your consciousness is aware of your every sensation, thought, word and deed – but doesn’t affect them.

Here’s the cure for what ails you (since most of what bothers us are consequences of our own behavior):

Don’t be driven by unfettered senses to pursue external desires; true serenity is found deep within you. Notice the distinction between these three invisible parts of you:

  • Your sub-conscious mind constantly multitasks silently; functionally, it’s responsible for sensory processing and bodily movement (i.e., you don’t have to consciously think “breathe”, “smell”, “feel”, “circulate my blood”, etc.).
  • Your conscious mind continuously thinks single, consecutive thoughts; it rationalizes and analyzes; it’s evidenced by the voice in your head; you listen to its running commentary throughout the day as it makes decisions and judges.
  • Your consciousness is the uber-subtle awareness OF whatever you’re experiencing or thinking.

Learn to distinguish between your ever-changing thoughts (evidence of your conscious mind), and your quiet, still, immutable awareness OF those thoughts (evidence of your consciousness). Your awareness is the only “thing” that exists that literally never changes – certainly not during your lifetime; thus, it’s virtually eternal and “unearthly” (i.e., essentially divine). This is the aspect of you that religion calls your soul or spirit. Yes – you have one. THAT is the crux of yoga.

Spend time focusing on your consciousness. When you realize its true nature, whatever the objects of your desire, they’ll begin to lose their hold and attraction over your senses.

“The undiscriminating can never rein in their mind; their senses are like the vicious horses of the charioteer. The discriminating ever control their mind; their senses are like disciplined horses. The undiscriminating …do not reach their goal.” (Bhagavad Gita, chapter III, versus 42-3).

 

God bless, Skip

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Bliss is within you. The trick is to realize it.

Mindfulness (observing without judgement what’s happening in the present moment) is a good first step. We all know that life is fleeting, and if we’re paying attention to the past or future, we’re not really living.

But true bliss comes from a deeper place – it comes from recognizing the miracle that gives rise to our ability to be mindful. There are a couple ways to get there. Perhaps the easiest is simply to contemplate the statistical miracle of what’s unfolding right in front of you: whatever it is, it’s a consequence of literally everything that’s happened since the dawn of time. Period. Full stop.

Quote of the day, “A long line of creatures marched out of the sea so I could hold you right now.” – from a play by Will Eno [translation: cherish every moment.]

 

To truly see the miracle of this moment, it helps to realize and appreciate the nature of what you (and the rest of the universe) are made up of: various combinations of matter, energy and consciousness.

While matter and energy are in a perpetual state of flux, consciousness (i.e., your awareness) NEVER changes. Obviously, WHAT you’re aware of changes constantly, but your awareness OF those things never does.

What’s the subtlest thing you can think of? A dream? A thought? Even those are tangible in the sense that they are generated and can be manipulated. Consciousness, however, doesn’t “exist” in the same sense; it can’t be measured or affected in any way; it’s literally intangible (yet without it, you wouldn’t realize you’re alive). Consciousness isn’t like anything else known to man; it’s essentially divine; it’s what modern religion refers to as our spirit or soul – the part of each of us that isn’t born and doesn’t die in a physical sense.

How do you go beyond tangible mindfulness and appreciation, to experiencing spiritual reverence and humility – to finding faith? Why would you want to? While our physical, energetic existence is often explained away as biological or scientific, that’s not the case with consciousness. Once you realize its “unearthly” nature, it begs questions like, “Where does THAT come from?!”, which gives rise to faith in the existence of something beyond human comprehension.

Experiment with ice cream [or substitute whatever lights you up]. Aside from nonjudgmentally attending to your senses the next time you indulge (i.e., the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings associated with eating it), also contemplate what gives rise to the experience: your intangible awareness.

Yogis ponder the distinction between, and union of, the observer, observing, and observed (or knower, knowledge, and known). It’s akin to distinguishing between, while appreciating the interconnectedness of, matter, energy and consciousness. Without the former, you and the ice cream don’t exist. Without the latter, you don’t enjoy it.

Appreciating that a HUGE part of who and what we are isn’t affected by desire (for ice cream or anything else), fear, grief, anxiety, stress, aging – you name it, somehow lessens the hold those emotions have on our tangible body and mind, making it easier to cope with things beyond our control (which is virtually everything!), to break bad habits, to look beyond life’s grievances – and to more fully appreciate the people and circumstances of our lives.

Join me in appreciating the miracle of this moment (a consequence of everything that’s ever happened), the miracle of these limbs and thoughts (a biological consequence of the chance meeting of all our ancestors), and the inexplicable miracle of our awareness – without which we can’t taste the ice cream.

God bless, Allan

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A HANDBOOK FOR HUMANITY

I think of the Yoga Sutras as sort of a handbook for humanity: an experiential discipline intended to reduce human suffering – and if we’re lucky, to find the most powerful, purposeful force on earth: faith.

Patanjali outlines the nature of the environment we exist in, the science of how the human mind functions, and most importantly, the distinction between mind and consciousness – all of which we can readily verify.

Behind the empirical “here’s how it works, and here’s a path to mitigate your suffering”, there’s an implied hypothesis and proof. The hypothesis is that there’s a part of each of us that’s essentially divine. The proof is in the physical and mental practices he lays out (kriya & ashtanga yoga practices).

In short, he challenges us to accept that there’s an aspect of ourselves (consciousness) that:

  • is completely intangible, timeless, immutable, and unalterable;
  • doesn’t function or age;
  • can’t be explained by science the way our tangible, functioning body and mind can be;
  • is not subject to the vagaries of time and space;
  • is utterly, infallibly, eternally perfect.

There’s literally a world of difference between the awareness OF our thoughts (evidence of consciousness), and our thoughts themselves (evidence of our conscious, thinking mind).

Patanjali implies: Skeptical? Fine. Prove it to yourself; here’s how: tie your body and mind in knots for as long as it takes; eventually, you’ll recognize that your consciousness can not be affected by anything; that it’s literally indestructible (yet without it, we wouldn’t even realize we’re alive).

Patanjali says “When that realization ‘clicks’, you’ll know it – and your life will forever change.” Life changes because that realization gives birth to complete faith in the existence of something else “unearthly”: the source of consciousness, or what I refer to as “God”.

To me, Patanjali’s Yoga isn’t a philosophy as much as it is a path to salvation from suffering. Unfortunately, that perspective can’t be taught, gifted or in any way transferred from one of us to another. As one of my teachers says, trying to do so is akin to literally trying to get someone else to see through my eyes. But faith won’t let me stop trying!

God bless, Allan 🙏❤️🕉

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The Science Behind Mind Control

Bifurcated Mind

Interestingly, the ancient yogis didn’t ascribe mental function solely to our brain. They noted the bifurcated nature of our mental functions: those we’re generally aware of (i.e., our conscious mind, evidenced by our thoughts and the voice in our head), and those we’re generally not aware of (i.e., our sub-conscious mind which silently “runs the ship”, typically evidenced by our actions).

Conscious Mind

We use our conscious mind to analyze and make decisions throughout each day (e.g., to decide what to wear, what to eat, how to do our job).

Our conscious mind functions the same way our heart and lungs do: single, consecutive, hopefully constant beats, breaths, and thoughts. Skeptical? Try simultaneously solving two simple math problems in your head – or simultaneously reciting the alphabet and counting. Right; it’s either one or the other. [This is the key to concentrating and meditating; it’s why mantra works: as long as we purposefully focus our conscious mind on something, we won’t hear the voice in our head or become distracted by other thoughts].

Five Types of Thought

Our conscious mind has five “gears”, capable of as many distinct types of thought, each of which may be affected by up to five “emotions” to varying degrees:

  • Three of our conscious mental “gears” are evidenced by the three types of original thought: we either perceive something correctly, incorrectly, or we imagine it. Classic examples are we see a stick and recognize it as such; we see the same stick but mistake it for a snake – the classic example of an imaginary thought is a rabbit with horns, since it doesn’t exist outside one’s mind.

 

  • Our fourth conscious mental gear is associated with memories – recalling a thought we’ve had previously.

 

  • Our fifth gear is “neutral” (a relatively still conscious mental state in which we don’t hear words in our head). The easiest way to find neutral is to focus your attention on something you’re doing (a physical action or sensation – e.g., breathing, smelling, tasting, etc.). Admittedly, this is a state of observation rather than a thought per se – mechanically, it’s like a car idling in neutral.

Five Types of “Emotion”

Every thought can be affected by varying degrees by up to five “emotions”. The first emotion or influence gives rise to the other four. The first is not distinguishing between our perpetually functioning mind and our still, immutable consciousness (see below). When we identify with our thoughts rather than our awareness OF them, our thoughts are subject to four other influences: attraction, aversion, ego and fear.

Based on the bifurcated energetic nature of the world we live in (think yin/yang or positive/negative) we’re either drawn toward or away from something. When ego manifests consciously, we perceive ourselves in contrast to others, while fear, specifically of loss and dying, is natural.

Karma

The purpose of mind control is to mitigate the influence of these five “emotions” on our thoughts, so that the actions they trigger perpetuate balanced consequences. [Keep in mind the eternal nature of karma: every act gives rise to an endless sequence of consequences that beget others; the fact that you’re reading this is one consequence of literally everything that has happened since the beginning of time!]

Granted, we only have the ability to affect one of three types of karma (those generated by our own actions – as opposed to those generated by the actions of others, or the vagaries of nature), but it’s typically our own behavior including our reactions to the other two types that give rise to most of our personal mental distress.

Sub-Conscious Mind

The aspect of our mind that we’re generally unaware of has three progressively subtle functions: bodily tasks, memory storage, and individuality. Bodily function includes sensory perception, internal organ and system processing, and external mobility. Individuality refers to the root of our ego – the generally sub-conscious awareness that we are a unique being with needs (the “I am” part of “I am am tall, handsome, hungry, cold, etc.”)

Unlike our single-processing conscious, thinking mind, our sub-conscious “doing” mind multi-“tasks” wonderfully!

Consciousness

Distinguishing between our functioning mind and our immutable consciousness or awareness is the Holy Grail of Patanjali’s Yoga.

Here are a few things to keep in mind about what’s arguably the most significant aspect of each of us – ironically, the aspect we naturally pay the least amount of attention to.

In theory, without consciousness, our tangible physical body and invisible functioning mind would still work – we just wouldn’t know it!

The ancient yogis pointed out that this aspect of each of us is:

  • Universal – yours is exactly like mine, though obviously what we’re each aware of is completely different;
  • Omnipotent – this aspect of each of us is indestructible; it’s completely unaffected by the vagaries of time, space, hunger, temperature, you-name-it; the ancients used to say neither fire nor water (polar opposites) could destroy it;
  • Omniscient – collectively, consciousness encompasses all knowledge;
  • Eternal – your awareness hasn’t changed since the day you first opened your eyes, though obviously what you’re aware of changes every minute.

In short, realizing the distinction between our functioning mind, and our immutable consciousness – and recognizing the nature of the latter – gives rise to faith in the source of the latter; that which can’t be explained by science. The recognition that it’s inside you can literally change how you perceive and live your life.

Blessings, Skip