goldenboy

Life is change. And when change steps into your life, you better allow her to sweep you off your feet.

It has been a month since I joined a 7-month long Teacher’s Training Course at the Yoga Institute, Mumbai.

Doing Asanas (the yogic postures) with full concentration and the right attitude (bhavas), understanding the nuances of the Samkhya Philosophy (one of the major school of thoughts of Indian Philosophy) on which the philosophy and techniques of Yoga are based, reading from Rishi (poet seer) Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (the master treatise on which Ashtanga Yoga- the 8 fold path of Holistic Yoga is based) and comparing it with another great scripture – the Bhagavad Gita (literally meaning the Celestial Song, which is the bible of the Hindus today), looking at Counselling from the Yogic perspective, talks and presentations, and reading literature related to Yoga at the Institute, are some of the activities that I indulge in for more than 5 hours on a daily basis.

This, apart from the 7-8 hours that I have to put in daily at work, plus 2 hours of travelling!

There have been new experiments in my life; I have been toying with this whole new concept of Brahmacharya (sensual abstinence).

At the Institute, the Teachers insist that withdrawing the Mind steadily from outside pleasures, would lead to the 5th level of Ashtanga Yoga i.e. Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses from the world of material passions and provocations).

The Yogis believe that everything in this Universe is made of 3 gunas i.e. Sattwa (the pure element, the birthing principle), Rajas (the active element, the provoking/ motivating principle) and Tamas (the dead element, gross stupefying principle)

In a healthy human being there has to be a balance of these 3 Gunas. If there is more of Tamas, the mind becomes lethargic. If there is more of Rajas, the mind wanders after lusts of the material world leading to a disturbed state of mind. If there is more of Sattwa, there is a natural disinterest in the material world and the mind seeks ways to attain a glimpse into higher states of Consciousness (i.e. Satori of Zen)

The Yoga Institute, Mumbai does not believe in the philosophy of a student being devoted to a Guru for life. They believe that it is the dedication of the student to the Path that is more important, than devoting one’s life to the Guru (which only hinders one’s progress as one becomes attached to the Personality of the Guru and starts having expectations – another trick of the cunning Mind)

Patanjali (who wrote the Yoga treatise) has devoted only two lines to surrender to God as a principle. Perhaps he was an atheist too like the Samkhyans. However, he understood the value of Surrendering one’s ego, the importance of trusting in a Higher Reality and letting go when one’s ego feels all stuck. So he does not deny the possibility of surrendering to this higher force, as an alternative to the rigorous efforts of Yoga to attain Self-Realisation.

Do I want to be Self-Realised? How can I, for if I do I would only be running after a fancy term, a state of consciousness which cannot be expressed in words (as they say) and can only be tasted after continued abhyasa (training) as the Final Goal on the journey.

So for the time-being I do my Dharma (duty) of learning, which I offer into the sacrificial fire of Tapas (enforced discipline) which is necessary for me now, to curb the highly volatile nature of my Mind; and I do it without desire for any fruits…

Freedom from the Misery – the pain that follows every joy and sorrow… isn’t that a worthwhile Goal to pursue in one’s lifetime? Especially after having gone through all that I have been through…?

karmanye vadhika raste ma faleshu kadachan
- Bhagavad Gita
Do your duties without attachment to it’s fruits