Synopsis: Sadhana means spiritual practice. Yoga sadhana is something a yogi "does" in order to move from a pre-existing disconnected, fragmented, and dispirited way of life, while shifting into making the connections with the integral whole where one's innate living spirit is given wings. Here we learn experientially through practice, versus by following dictums, memorizing politically correct beliefs, through proven theories, inference, conceptionalization, or any of the other vrtti. Practice, practice. practice, is the mantra here. Authentic yoga is not for the academic observer, but for the yoga practitioner. Mountain yogis have little need of books because they have in their presence a living oral and transverbal tradition. However modern man lives in a very ego driven materialistic setting (Kali Yuga) and hence the yogic practices have to relate to that situation in order to be relevant and useful. It is key not to attempt to place yoga within the Western or modern context (as it will never fit because the whole is much larger than its fragmented parts), but rather to place the modern context within the context of yoga.
Although Patanjali gave many practices (sadhana) as remedies (pratishedha) for that situation of spiritual estrangement in Pada I (such as vairagya, nirodha, virama-pratyaya, isvara pranidhana, dhyana, eka-tattvabhyasa, japa, shradda, virya, prajna, maitri, karuna, upeksanam, mudita, bhava, and especially rtam prajna (the self arising truth bearing seed which is the practice of no practice), it is here in Pada II, that Patanjali focuses upon practices in a more concrete and focused way. Practice is thus the way we learn through self discovery in functional yoga which is different from the methodology of philosophy, logic, religion, or any "ism".
Since the need for practice assumes a pre-existing disconnection (from samadhi), hence remedies (pratishedha) are presented as sadhana (practices), eventually going beyond remedies to acknowledging and directly merging with our innate evolutionary power. Where Pada I (Samadhi Pada) outlined the contextual framework of the disconnection or spiritual malaise and its general resolution in deep samadhi; here, Pada II, acts as a continuation of the outline sketched in Pada I, where now Patanjali focuses upon the basic and auxiliary practices as remedies and what the remedies actually remediate (kleshas and karma).
If we keep our focus in our yoga practice keeps the integrity of a living spirit -- the innate primordial consciousness which is linked via the innate evolutionary power which underlies all of life, then the practice thus becomes both devotional and revelatory -- self liberating and self motivating. Then sadhana becomes a practice of bringing more clarity, truth, integrity, heart consciousness, light, joy, and love into all facets of our lives. As such it has its own innate and profound momentum and enthusiasm as it aligns itself with the universe and universal power (shakti). As such authentic yoga sadhana has nothing to do with externally imposed discipline, hard work, force, comparative power over others, or an individual/selfish willfulness. That way it is not willful nor mechanical in the ordinary sense, because the authentic goal of yoga is to align the individual will with the universal will and power, to enter into a profound harmony, balance, and integral alignment of the power of consciousness because the yoga practitioner gradually ceases identifying with only the body or as a separate egoic/limited "self". Rather the sadhak (practitioner) no longer lives in an estranged "world" of being apart from nature, but rather as a vital part of nature and its beginningless source (creation) being consciously united. Thus yoga (as this integrative process), is a process of surrendering to a very large all encompassing intelligent sacred dynamic. Simultaneously, one surrenders the tendency to disintegrate, to isolate, and become apart from it. Just to say a mechanical and willful approach is a common trap that has seduced many. It can be avoided through balancing it with bhakti (its devotional elements). Human beings have a natural innate impetus toward communion/union and integrity, but it has become beaten out of many and perverted by negative conditioning. It is that negative conditioning that authentic yogic practice destroys.
Integrity is the kind of ultimate completion felt as santosha (sense of fulfillment, completion, and peace) that authentic yoga affords in the beginning, the middle and the end. That instruction as the innate presence of eternal Now awareness which we can focus upon now and always. That is the gift we give to ourselves via yoga. In the end -- when re-union consciously is achieved in samadhi we surrender the practice itself, because there is no need for it. May your sadhana be graced with love, peace, wisdom, light, and joy and all encompassing unbounded completion..
Brief Synopsis of Sadhana Pada
Sadhana Pada Patanjali then progresses from the overall context of yoga delineated in Pada I, to presenting the various techniques and practices of yoga (sadhana), starting off with Kriya Yoga (pre-requisite purification) activities (tapas, swadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana). These three are often greatly misinterpreted by intellectuals, academicians, and religionists who look at them from the outside. We will point out the common mistakes of such coarse misinterpretations.
Sutras II.1-2 tell us that kriya yoga attenuates the kleshas (obstructions/hindrances to free spiritual flow) and hence samadhi is brought forward in that way.
Sutras II.3-9 proceeds with more detailed descriptions of the kleshas, karma, vrtti, and thus how suffering/distress (duhkha) arises. This outlines the vast depth of yoga psycho-pathology.
Sutras II.10-11 describes how to eliminate the kleshas and karma in general via pratiprasava and meditation (dhyana),.
Sutras II 12-14 describes the cause and origins of the kleshas and how the relationships between the kleshas, karma, and vrtti.
Sutras II.15-26 describes how the kleshas and suffering are maintained via samyoga (false identification), and eventually how they are destroyed through an informed conscious practice (the development of viveka). This ends the psychopathology sections of how karma, klesha, citta-vrtti, delusion, fear, craving, hatred, ego, and delusion interact to create suffering.
Viveka is presented as a gradual process of emptying the contents of the mind from frozen fixations of stagnant citta-vrtti associations with gross and vague ordinary consciousness to an awareness of a profound integral mutuality which underlies the entire universe in its true holographic arrangement. This is accomplished through seven levels of practices which wake us up -- opening up the inner organ of clear vision leading to samadhi (the eighth limb of ashtanga yoga). With that process in mind, the practice of viveka is introduced, which potentiates and extends prajna (intrinsic wisdom) by both removing the two extremes of false identification where the confusion of samyoga produces bondage.
From II.27-55 (the end) At sutra 27 astanga yoga (eight-limbed) is introduced as an awareness practice culminating is samadhi. Awareness is sharpened so that the one is found in the all, and the all in the one. Astanga yoga (eight-limbed) is presented as a method to sharpen, strengthen, and extend the expedient means of viveka-khyater which is first utilzed as discriminatory awareness, understanding the relative relationship between objects and the observer, leading to a profoundly heightened differentiated and integrated consciousness where we may discern the light of the intrinsic unborn wisdom in All Our Relations. All illness and ignorance is a result from this split from primordial wisdom. That split of ignoring primordial wisdom is avidya (ignorance). In short ashtanga yoga is presented as the remedy to the illness perpetuated by the kleshas (ignorance and egoic delusion) and karma (past causes and conditions). Eventually a sublime balance, alignment, integration, harmony, and holographic synchronicity is realized. A profound shift and healing in the practitioner is effected, as one becomes aware and aligns body, mind, breath, creation/creator in one synergistic harmonious process thus residing more continuously in samadhi, eventually becoming its active expression.
HERE the yoga practitioner refines their discernment of "self" and "other" starting off with elementary self awareness and individuation. Then the dynamic relationship between the observer and the observed, the seer and the seen becomes increasingly conscious, refined, and subtilized in ever expanding terms which increasingly reveals an all pervasive Holographic Integrity culminating in samadhi. Such does not end as the primitive individuation process or object relations as outlined in Western psychology, but rather it it is a transpersonal process of realizing the "one in the many" and "the many in the one". The yoga process, not being a belief or ideology, has to be discovered through practice -- experienced in full participation. The practice reveals both subjectively and objectively, inner and outer, a true naturally open and pure non-dual Self awareness where the apparent differentiations of phenomenal reality is experienced as luminous, radiant, intelligent, vivid, and alive with living spirit. Without Holographic Self awareness true awareness of "reality-as-it-is" is blocked or distorted. Without knowing the true relationship between the seer and the seen in context, reality is skewed. Astanga yoga hence ends in samadhi, in the profound vivid and radiant space of ultimate union bewteen the differentiated everchanging and evolving divine shakti who is intimately pervaded and integrated by the presence of the undifferentiated eternal (shiva). Shiva is contained by shakti and within him. Shiva is within all. Shakti thus makes it possible for siva to come alive and embodied HERE in the integrated realm of shiva/shakti where consciousness and matter, spirit and nature, undifferentiated and differentiated realities are experienced as inseparable -- as a living holographic Great expanse.
Viveka is not a concept but a process of psychic evolution of consciousness where objects of thought are compared with each other until the unbounded and unbiased whole is consulted as judge.
1) Without viveka man is not conscious. At first it is the recognition of his own awareness or mindfulness
2) With the awakening of viveka man starts to become conscious of his conditions, conditioning, and mental processes. This is the elementary modality of viveka as discriminatory awareness. This discrimination operates comparably in the realm of a profound mutuality and relationship of perceived phenomena. In yoga viveka is much more than simply a statement of difference between two or more objects nor an analytical breakdown or isolation of objects into its parts.
3) With further practice and awakening the sadhak becomes more conscious increasingly recognizing more of the contents and mental processes of his mind (samprajnata and pratyaksa) as limitations`to self awareness. This is the beginning of the more subtle refinement of viveka as a vast process of spiritual discrimination in the sense of recognizing and honoring the vast multiplicity and diversity of creation as being interconnected and co arising. The yogi starts to recognize his/her own bias, colorings, hindrances, obscurations, afflictive mental emotional patterns (kleshas) and false limited self identifications in relationship to objects, thus allowing her/him to let them go (vairagya) surrendering one's previously self limiting bondage (ego) to the more expansive and rich natural dynamic and inherently intelligent processes of natural (sahaj) yoga.
4) As practice (sadhana) succeeds itself the bonds of samyoga (false egoic identifications) are broken, and concurrently a new awareness as a recognition of a profound all encompassing mutuality/presence inherent in all beings and things is revealed. Hence the sadhana becomes self liberating through practice. As the evolutionary power along with its intelligent consciousness (being inseparable) moves through the human vehicle, the preexisting fragmented and disorganized nervous system, nadis, and neurophysiology are reorganized, realigned, and attuned so that primordial natural and innate order is restored. Therein the human being acts as an active expression of the evolutionary power spontaneously and naturally.
Negative conditioning tends to blur our vision (avidya instead of vidya is heightened). As we have seen, samyoga is the sleepy state of bland sameness, blocked creative energy, and indifference which inures us to ignorance (the blockage of creative pure vision). Samyoga is broken up via viveka which is an innate power brought forward into fruition via astanga yoga. Although the power of viveka is innate, in humans who have become conditioned/programmed viveka starts off as a beginning limited awareness (or a recognition of very limited sub-consciousness). Then further practice breaks the bonds of unconscious habits and karmic propensities (vasana) separating the observer from its false identification. That separation/isolation is where most samkhya interpreters end, but to go further in the culmination of yoga as union. after the boundary of samyoga is broken, then a profound alignment and mutuality in unity with all beings and things as-it-is in swarupa is attained as one's true unconditioned nature of mind - all pervasive and never ending.
First one has to have that awareness activated inside to a certain degree, in order to effect it as an operant in daily life activities -- to activate it further. That is what asana and yogic practices (sadhana) effect. It activates a recognition at first. It is really quite natural (as evolution is natural), but in human society it is not "normal". It would be an error to not recognize evolutionary power in the universe (the so called outer world) as being separate from that evolutionary force which is innate within all humans as part of this universal self existing order (dharma), but such mostly dormant or repressed (unconscious) in man. In fact this power and consciousness as conscious power, or the power of consciousness are made of the same "stuff" and thus are mutual synergists once this relationship is recognized. Again spiritual sadhana (practice) activates this awareness, and the awareness itself in turn makes the Sadhana even more effective and successful activating it. Hence viveka both is the goal and the activator of astanga yoga as we will see in II.27 and onward.
"The gnosis is the effective principle of the Spirit, a highest dynamis of the spiritual existence. The gnostic individual would be the consummation of the spiritual man; his whole way of being, thinking, living, acting would be governed by the power of a vast universal spirituality. All the trinities of the Spirit would be real to his self-awareness and realized in his inner life. All his existence would be fused into oneness with the transcendent and universal Self and Spirit; all his action would originate from and obey the supreme Self and Spirit's divine governance of Nature. All life would have to him the sense of the Conscious Being, the Purusha within, finding its self-expression in Nature; his life and all its thoughts, feelings, acts would be filled for him with that significance and built upon that foundation of its reality. He would feel the presence of the Divine in every centre of his consciousness, in every vibration of his life-force, in every cell of his body. In all the workings of his force of Nature he would be aware of the workings of the supreme World-Mother, the Supernature; he would see his natural being as the becoming and manifestation of the power of the World-Mother. In this consciousness he would live and act in an entire transcendent freedom, a complete joy of the spirit, an entire identity with the cosmic self and a spontaneous sympathy with all in the universe. All beings would be to him his own selves, all ways and powers of consciousness would be felt as the ways and powers of his own universality. But in that inclusive universality there would be no bondage to inferior forces, no deflection from his own highest truth: for this truth would envelop all truth of things and keep each in its own place, in a relation of diversified harmony, - it would not admit any confusion, clash, infringing of boundaries, any distortion of the different harmonies that constitute the total harmony. His own life and the world life would be to him like a perfect work of art; it would be as if the creation of a cosmic and spontaneous genius infallible in its working out of a multitudinous order. The gnostic individual would be in the world and of the world, but would also exceed it in his consciousness and live in his self of transcendence above it; he would be universal but free in the universe, individual but not limited by a separative individuality. The True Person is not an isolated entity, his individuality is universal; for he individualizes the universe: it is at the same time divinely emergent in a spiritual air of transcendental infinity, like a high cloud-surpassing summit; for he individualizes the divine Transcendence."
Sri Aurobindo, "The Future Evolution of Man" Chapter 8
Thus four steps can be discerned that can be discerned apart from the total subjectivity of an infant devoid of self awareness or conscious awareness. Although the infant eventually learns elementary self awaresness, which could be also called healthy "object relations" in modern psychological terms, or individuation in Jungian terms these are all elementary states of fragmentary awareness.
According to urobindo then, first the ability to recognize the role of mental consciousness and our actual situation; i.e., the ability to isolate conscious awareness from phenomena, thus recognizing the role of the mind in framing "reality". This heightened awareness of the role of mind and observer is still dualistic -- the so called, "objective or independent isolated mental "freedom" of samkhya.
Second then, there is the subjective experience of universal consciousness (cit) as being omnipresent and all pervading in all beings and things -- in all of nature and evolution. There is god, there is god, everything as a holographic bit of god consciousness, reflecting the hologram.
Thirdly this leads one to a heightened awareness of the mutual synergistic synchronicity, as the wisdom eye opens (supramental or siva) then our awareness of the evolutionary power increases (supernature or shakti), so that this synergistic synchronicity becomes accelerated in continuity as All Our Relations -- as an integrative boundless seamless unified interactive wholistic Great Living Integrity. Yet the human being has not yet activated his role as mother/father -- seeder/planter and catalyst.
Fourthly, that leads to a supernatural or profound sacred encounter between the awakened yogi and creation (siva/shakti) where sacred space is created; where a portal or open doorway into a inter dimensional timeless space is effected -- the Shambhala-like multiverse/buddhaverse is opened while Buddhafields are expanded naturally in its natural expression of evolutionary activity and integrity -- a profound or sacred mutuality in activated and expressed as All Our Relations as the expression of timeless love.
What we call 'concrete,' a .concrete reality. --yes, what gives you the sense of a 'real' existence—that particular sensation has to disappear and be replaced by.... It's beyond words.... It's all-light, all-power, all intensity of love at the same time, and a fullness! It is so full that nothing else can exist beside that. And when "that" is here, in the body, in the cells, it's enough to direct "it" onto someone or something, and everything falls immediately into place. So, in ordinary terms, it "heals": the illness is cured. No! it doesn't cure it: it cancels it! That's it, the illness is made unreal.... For it isn't the action of a "higher force" through matter, into others: it's a direct action, from matter to matter. What people usually call "healing power" is a great mental or vital power imposing itself despite the resistance of matter — that's not at all the case here! It is the contagion of a vibration. So it's irrevocable.
The Mother, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 12 July 1967.
Pada II ends with presenting the first five limbs (yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, and pratyhara) of astanga yoga. Toward the end of Pada II in the discussion of ashtanga yoga, Patanjali again brings up the valuable practices of Kriya Yoga (swadhyaya or self study, tapas or kindling divine passion through renouncing nonproductive activity, and isvara pranidhana surrender to the highest formless Self), thus emphasizing their value when they are functionally understood both as purification practices as well as mutual synergists with the other limbs (of astanga). Thus here in Pada II, Patanjali, briefly prepares us for the last three and most subtle practices of ashtanga yoga found in the beginning of Chapter III (Vibhuti Pada). These last three limbs are generally considered the higher or more subtle inner practices of astanga yoga being dharana (concentration techniques), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (integrative absorption) to a gradual degree of increasing subtleness, until the samadhi beyond all subtlety, where all seeds of falling back out of union ceases in (nirbij samadhi).
Pada II Sutra 1
Tapah-svadhyayesvara-pranidhanani kriya-yogah
The applications of tapas (heightened spiritual passion), swadhyaya (self study, self observation, or self awareness), and isvara pranidhana (the ability to acknowledge, to listen to, and to act from our innate seed source of inner guidance which is the universal source of omniscient Now awareness) are the three premier activities (kriya) that lead the yogi to realizing the fruit of yoga.
Tapas: spiritual passion. heat, or fire generated by plugging the dissipative leaks of energy through renouncing distractions such as unconscious or unwise degenerate, materialistic, non-productive activities of body, mind, or speech and thus creating open space that redirects those vectors toward fruitful spiritual practice (sadhana). Tapas is on a coarse level at first simple renunciation, but not forceful restraint, repression, self abnegation. Nor is tapas mere withdrawal/passivity. The secondary coarse aspect of tapas is then the redirection of the energy back into its natural constellation and hence it is NOT sublimation nor neurotic displacement. On a heightened and more subtle level, tapas is tapping into and allying oneself with this universal evolutionary movement/vector, thus it is more than effortless and spontaneous, rather it is moving, Self propelling, and energizing.
On the coarse and immature level one has a choice to decide to move in the direction of profane/mundane and neurotic passion or be guided by increasing the evolutionary spiritual force depending on one's level of spiritual intelligence. The yogi embraces the latter. In mature tapas, this vector occurs consciously without choice, rather it is guided by a well established inner wisdom gleaned through preliminary practice. Thus it concentrates and effects our ability to harmonize with and express divine or evolutionary will.
Swadhyaya: self study; self observation; self awareness; the process of knowing true self nature (swarupa-sunyam in samadhi) or Self (both passive and active). The true Self is not found in books.
Kriya: The word, kriya, can have many meanings It can mean activity, action, or divine activity (as in Kriya Shakti). It is also used to mean purification activity, preparation, preliminary practices, and pre-requisite, or primary practices. In yoga, the primary practices can also be the premier and hence superior practices, while the secondary practices are taken up as a supplement, only if the the practitioner fails in the primary or premier practice. Here we will use the word, premier, as Kriya Yoga is proactive to the kleshas rather than remedial. It is thus an affirmation of Self and hence closer to Self realization than the remedial practices which remedy the kleshic activity.
Isvara pranidhana: dedication, devotion, or surrender to our highest Self -- the transpersonal all encompassing Self. Beyond prayer and asking for guidance, it is listening to that Self as guidance, eventually moving in harmony and integrity with isvara as its expression in one's very life as Self expression. "Ish" means "inner" and svara is "master". Thus one recognizes and gets in touch with one's intimate inner teacher and becomes Self directed by one's true inner Self (the teacher of even the most ancient of teachers) (I.26).
Commentary: Another way of translating this is that a successful yoga practice is based upon the activities (kriya) of increasing spiritual passion/inspiration (or the spiritual engine), self study and observation (understanding the true nature of Self), and surrendering to that universal sublime intelligence which is at the universal center core/heart of *HEART* [which is formless, all pervading, and universal].
Tapas, swadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana all work together as an effective unit as kriya yoga. For example first there is self awareness of a pre-existing dissipating or distracting pattern (swadhyaya). Then one suspends or renounces that activity (tapas) freeing up new energy to fuel a heightened onepointed dedication toward the heart of yoga (isvara pranidhana). One's practice thus leads more onepointedly toward samadhi.
In an advanced stage of kriya yoga. one recognizes Self and not Self through a refined self awareness (as self study) on a daily basis. At the same time one recognizes the distinction between dissipative and degenerate activities on one hand, and integrative activities on the other and moves into the direction (vector) of spiritual fire (tapas), while lastly at the same time, one moves into the Self as the Self, becomes the arms and legs of its descent or sublime transpersonal evolutionary activity (isvara pranidhana). At this point the three elements of Kriya Yoga have become one.
Technically yoga is the process, the verb and activity, the interface tool/procedure, the intelligent configuration of the technique that allows us to mesh in harmony with the deepest currents of Reality (wherein the true self nature or true identity can be realized in swarupa). In this first sutra of pada two, Patanjali is telling us that to begin yoga practice -- as its preliminaries (kriyas) so that it can be eventually successful, these powerful practices are of immense value leading to the deepening of the yogic process (connecting eternal spirit in our daily life as Divine Presence). Indeed the universalist definition of isvara pranidhana is just that, surrendering to eternal spirit in everyday life -- at every moment -- in All Our Relations. This is knowing the true Self as it is (swadhyaya), and it is tapas which kindles the fire to help us get HERE.
As defined elsewhere, tapas is the heat, fire, and transforming impetus that catalyzes the yogi's practice. Swadhyaya is self observation, elf awareness, and self inquiry. Isvara means the inner (ishta) teacher/master (isvara). Pranidhana is acknowledgement, focused dedication, and on pointed devotion. In this case isvara pranidhana is listening for and openness to the inner transpersonal/interpersonal innate omnipresent guidance which is nirvikalpa (which is transconceptual) and omniscient. In that sense isvara pranidhana is focusing on the true nature of our own mind as it truly is beyond delusion. That is found in samadhi (swarupa-sunyam) as defined by Sri Patanjali in III.3.
We will run into these three practices (tapas, swadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana) again many times in the Yoga Sutras (as they also comprise the three of the five niyams of ashtanga yoga) and we have already dealt with isvara pranidhana as the teacher of all teachers (purvesham) in Pada I, Sutras 23-27. So why does Patanjali put them here at the beginning of Sadhana Pada (the Chapter of Practices) again? This is because they are the foundation upon which successful sadhana is based. This translation thus can read: Kriya yoga prepares the yogic aspirant (sadhak) for success in all further sadhana, because the necessary elements for success are the cultivation of spiritual fire and passion (tapas), the desire to study and know self, and the desire to know, embrace, and be guided by (isvara pranidhana) the eternal divine -- teacher of all teachers (isvara).
Unfortunately, these three foundational practices are widely misinterpreted as self sacrifice and austerities (tapas), study of scripture (swadhyaya), and surrender to God (isvara pranidhana) by those immersed in extrinsic dualism and religionism . Before going into a discussion on these three preliminary practices which constitute kriya yoga, and which may be applied both in daily life as well in other sadhana, it's always wise to investigate how these practices are applied in meditation (the main practice of raj yoga).
So in one sense we may view these three as activities that prepare us for meditation. First one makes the effort to sit in meditation. Withdrawing one's energy from ordinary temporal pursuits, one redirects it internally to fire the meditation. This is the application of tapas (spiritually redirecting one's energy from the "normal" dualistic distractions of outer materialistic objects of attraction and activities, back into our inner Source core/center (on a physical and energetic level it is related to the fifth limb of ashtanga yoga, pratyhara, and the hatha yoga bandhas).
As one sits in awareness, greater awareness of the mental contents of the mind is revealed. how the mind works and how it colors "reality" is revealed. The sadhak becomes aware of the ordinary mind's karmic propensities, habits, psychic signatures, and imprints, and eventually through consistent application of the energy brought forth from tapas fueling awareness its essential nature is revealed. One understands oneself because one understands the mind. This is authentic swadhyaya (self study). This self study is not the same as analytical intellectualization, but rather we simply observe that the ordinary mind wavers, fluctuates, and is unstable (cit-vrtti) and acknowledge it. While observing the pauses between these fluctuations (nirodha) space is created for the formless (isvara as the eternal formless attributeless eternal teacher/teaching then enters).
Eventually one becomes aware of the objectless, timeless, transpersonal ultimate -- that universal formless intelligence which underlies the entire universe and embraces it as formless Self -- that unites eternity with this very moment. That is isvara pranidhana. It is coming HOME to what has always been HERE and always will.
Isvara is unreachable through the analytical process, but must be experienced (usually through meditation or else through other practices. Some may say that such an experience is grace, but Patanjali would say that it is the result of punyah (meritorious actions) and effective practice which are positive acts that create positive karma which create positive results and conditions; i.e., often resulting in prolonged or short experiences of open-heartedness, wonder, great beauty, luminous light, clarity, and wisdom).
Applying these three procedures many times (as needed) even in one meditation sitting can be productive in directing its successful outcome -- creating positive causes and conditions. Thus the three kriyas (activities) of tapas (which is often the renouncing of one activity to fire catalyze all the other practices), self study (swadhyaya), and isvara pranidhana can be applied as techniques as yoga sadhana in All Our Relations
The above example is applied to meditation practice, because it is the main practice of Raj Yoga, the main teaching of Patanjali; however all the limbs are meant to be synergistic and hence kriya yoga forms a basis both of intent and activity for the success in yoga in general, but only in the non-dualist, non-exclusive, transpersonal, and universal sense. For example the immense existence of widespread mis-interpretation of these three activities, exist mainly because they are interpreted through non-yogic eyes by those who believe in dualism and separation. Such a dualist bias protects the dualists and hence attempts to prevent the culmination of authentic yoga. Indeed in "another" non-yogic system, these terms mean different things, but here we will attempt to translate these terms in the context of Yoga, specifically raj yoga.
Tapas: As we will see tapas means the generation of energy and its direction in order that we have the requisite energy to power our sadhana. Tapas is the spiritual fuel, fire, or [passion for the divine which is associated strongly with the practice of vairagya (non-attachment/non-grasping). Through authentic tapas, we create space, time and energy through the practice of vairagya by emptying and eliminating the dissipating energies and distractions of our attention (imprisonment with the I-It world of duality) by allowing the spiritual energy and fire to become kindled. This turns up the heat, builds up momentum, and activates the spiritual circuitry -- our deeper spiritual potential becomes activated. By emancipating our addiction to external objects of gratification and dissolute habits, this previously bound up energy is also liberated and made available. Thus tapas is closely associated with the fifth limb of ashtanga yoga, pratyhara and in the body with the hatha yoga bandhas.
Simply speaking, tapas is nothing more than a practice that liberates bound/imprisoned energy and consciousness (cit-prana) which has become misdirected. Through a special kind of renunciation based on swadhyaya (self study) the yogi gains self awareness of this misdirected vector toward self imposed imprisonment, and subsequently releases it (releases the dissipative negative actions). In this way tapas is not a repression of imposing external codes, moral, religious or ethical philosophical laws upon the human being, rather it is based on Now awareness (cit-prana) gleaned from authentic self study (swadhyaya). Such then feeds the fire of further dedication and devotion (isvara pranidhana) leading eventually to the one pointed (ekgrata) culmination of samadhi.. Without authentic swadhyaya and isvara pranidhana tapas is also inauthentic (just a mechanical parroting to authority and rules -- following orders. The latter does not lead to liberation but rather the opposite.
In this sense tapas has nothing to do with the negative or fear based practices of self abnegation, repression, self defacement, penance, sacrifice (as is more commonly misinterpreted), self harm, self punishment, or self mutilation. This unfortunate negative association is the result of a confusion (avidya) due to the kleshas of egotism (asmita), raga (attraction/attachment) and dvesa (aversion, negativity, or revulsion). It is absurd to hypothesize that through repression or by hurting ourselves or denying ourselves health or comfort, that spiritual progress will necessarilly follow, yet this is a stubbornly held and not uncommon delusion. Indeed much of what passes for tapas is really dvesa (aversion/negativity) and self delusion (pride), albeit one is trying. But spiritual progress is not so simpleminded as the mechanical action of sacrificing one thing in exchange for another, for instance like cutting off one's finger in barter for "spiritual" progress. This absurdity is taken to extremes by some unfortunate souls who believe that if cutting off one's finger is good then cutting off two will certainly bring more benefit. Such futile arguments can go ad absurdum into the more pain that one can withstand the stronger they become spiritually. Victory over craving, aversion, or pain indeed is a result of waking up, but it is doubtful that it can be reversed engineered through renunciation. Unfortunately such a confusion is not uncommon.
Tapas as meant by Patanjali is actually much more practical than turning away from the world as in disgust or aversion (dvesa), but rather it is an affirmation -- a tapping in to the evolutionary force. In one sense there exist two sides of tapas. One side is renouncing activities which do not lead toward our evolutionary spiritual evolution, while the other side is the firing up of that spiritual side, i.e., it is the affirmation side of tapas. As such it is like recycling or energy conservation. As such it is not simply left at a negative renunciation, but rather part of the greater process -- an integral part of an affirmation, acknowledgement of, and surrender to the higher Self (isvara pranidhana).
The misconception surrounding tapas arose from the quagmire of those who have become habituated to dualistic thinking where the desire to escape existence and feelings predominates as an isolationist strategy. Also ordinary people (non-yogis) would observe the yogis who were living simple lives in bliss in the mountain caves or reclusive forests, and wrongfully conclude that they were denying themselves pleasure; rather than understanding the simple evidence. Their minds played tricks on them disclosing their preference and bias, confusing pain as pleasure or liberation. To their minds what was deemed as pleasure was in truth mere neurotic and unnecessary sublimation, while their faulty evaluation of so called "austere" yogis was actually evidence of being content and fulfilled in the sphere of primal joy. In other words those who observed such yogis mistook affirmation and fulfillment for negation and sacrifice. They assumed that the yogis had the same values and desires that they themselves read into the picture. In other words these interpreters who were attached to fancy food, clothes, money, and worldly activities "interpreted" what they saw within the mire of their own attachments and values, rather than in understanding that these yogis had no need nor desire for such attachments.
Consequently, in the modern day, yogis choosing a life of simplicity may be viewed as being self hating or self abnegating, while in fact these yogis may be experiencing and reflecting a deep and profound state of wellness and spiritual fulfillment. A modern analogy might expand on this further, such as rather than "viewing" the bliss of a true yogi living without the need of TV, air conditioning, fancy clothes, microwave ovens, rich pastries, automobiles, or other such superfluous if not unhealthy attractions/addictions as a sacrifice; we can rather more correctly view that within a positive context of affirmation i.e., that the yogi has attained something more primal, fulfilling, and satisfying and has no ersatz external attachments or desires in these regards, rather he/she is focused on attaining moksha (liberation). In other words, these yogis may look like they are sacrificing something if viewed from the eyes of a greedy, lustful, or fear based ego, but from the yogi's point of view it is the ego bound individual who has sacrificed the ALL, for something empty.
Later on in this chapter, Patanjali describes the practice of vairagya as well as ashtanga yoga (of which tapas, swadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana are included as niyams) as techniques (sadhana) in order to eliminate the kleshas. Authentic tapas is far more straightforward than self sacrifice or self defacement i.e., rather through authentic tapas we relieve ourselves of the neurotic obsessions of ego gratification thus freeing ourselves from needless stress and distraction.
The processes of tapas, swadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana are intertwined. For example we first may make an affirmation become free of neurotic behavior by knowing our "self" better -- study our "self" more, see how and why it becomes imprisoned and caught up in suffering (duhkha). This is the momentum in alignment with swadhyaya (self study). We might at the same time affirm our higher potential of spirit side and wish to integrate eternal presence more into our life. This is isvara pranidhana. Then, tapas naturally follows because in the light of the former, we can analyze each action whether or not it will lead toward more self understanding, liberation, and spirit or not. In other words, will the habit of attachment, neurotic greed, new clothes, entertainment, distraction, fancy or rich foods lead toward the desired spiritual goal or not. If not, then we decide not to do that anymore. That is authentic tapas. It is not renunciation or repentance in the Western sense, because it is an affirmation. It is not discipline, because we are doing what we truly desire.
Tapas in everyday practice can first liberate us from the obvious addictions that are possessing our vital energy and attention (cit-prana). They are given up on the spiritual altar -- as an affirmation of the Great Integrity. Then, more subtle hindrances are removed, and as such tapas is also closely aligned with the yams of aparigraha, asteya, and brahmacharya (See Sutra 37-39 below).
Sometimes tapas is misconstrued, as discipline, in the sense of externally applied rules or duties such as found in authoritarian systems or religions. No, authentic tapas is not effected by simply obeying moral or legal precepts, but what distinguishes authentic yoga from religion is that the yogi is self disciplined, self aware, and dedicated to the truth. The yogi inquires as to the true nature of the mind and Self, rather than memorizing answers from his slave masters. The yogi's self discipline is his/her daily sadhana (practice), which is to be applied continuously (day and night) eventually as an affirmation, dedication, and love (isvara pranidhana), not as an aversion or escape (dvesa). So tapas means much more than discipline, rather it is a specific self-discipline that is applied to boost and fuel our spiritual progress -- to realize yoga in
All Our Relations.
Again tapas is to be applied not only in meditation, but integrated into our simple every day relationships. Tapas is simply letting go of attachment or self involvement in an activity which is seen as neurotic, distracting, entertaining, or diversionary such as neurotic entertainment, recreation, consuming ersatz objects of gratification, or the engagement in any action which is imbued with kleshas. In every day terms we have many choices, so we can ask how does this activity or that activity fit into my spiritual evolution. How does going to the movies, going shopping, acquiring more things, going out to eat and so forth compare with doing meditation, asana, pranayama, karma yoga, or study tonight in regard to our spiritual progress and happiness?
Tapas is not simply renunciation for renunciation's sake, nor will any success come from hatred, fear, or an aversion (dvesa). Nor is it a simple minded remedy for raga (attraction), nor should it be motivated by ego (asmita) or pride; but rather tapas involves giving up the obscurations and hindrances (kleshas), attachments, vasana, and old habits (any dualistic separate identification) upon the altar of love -- in the context to free up more energy for our spiritual activities --as a yoga kriya. As such it is always an affirmation.
On the other hand acting out our kleshas (out of ignorance, attachment, aversion, ego, greed, jealousy, ignorance, and the rest of the kleshas will dissipate/distract the energy; so the yogi who achieves a certain amount of self awareness through self study (swadhyaya) will make better use out of their time and energy applying it to fire the kiln of effective practice instead. This is how swadhyaya and tapas interface on the mundane level to increase the spiritual vibrations and sacred presence.
Tapas is a recycling of the energy that could have been placed into further distraction and dissipation -- placing that energy into the service of further fueling one's spiritual evolution -- tapas becomes the activity that freshens up and sparks a practice that has become sluggish and dull. As such then it is an affirmation of the higher Self. This is the action of authentic tapas. Very simply by letting go of one's attachment in such neurotic activities or propensities, then space and energy is liberated and reclaimed that can now be directed toward ultimate liberation.
For example, mouna. or the practice of silence, is a traditional way yogis build up "spiritual heat" to ward off spiritual stasis. Simply by refraining from verbal chatter that energy (chatter can be a severe drain on the throat chakra) is recycled as it were for "other" activities. This is effective for those of us who are subject to this kind of energy suck. Another common physical practice of tapas is fasting, but again not to reinforce the false identifications of pride, ego, or willfulness (as in look how long I fasted), but rather for spiritual energy -- living on the more subtle sources of prana -- becoming more attuned to the Source of true Sustenance. Many yogis say that the best and most effective tapas is entering into silence of the mind, or meditation (dhyana). For more along this line see Tapas and Addiction at www.HeartMind/Tapas.htm
Swadhyaya: Swadhyaya is most often mis-translated as scriptural study, but that is more often the cause of false identification than its remedy. Although scriptural study has become a institutionalized philosophical tradition in India for thousands of years, swadhyaya in the yogic sense means exactly as it says; self study. Of course the religious and academic types will deny/ignore this last statement, declaring that one can find oneself only in books (scripture). Yogis meditating do not accept being defined by authoritative books or external authorities; but rather they are dedicated toward finding that Source intimately within as the authentic living modality of true Gnosis. Patanjali meant swadhyaya as just that i.e., studying the self at each moment. As such it is an important technique in meditation practice (raj yoga). In meditation activity however we do not want to analyze the mind processes or self, nor "do" anything other than to simply observe in awareness. In this sense meditation then could be called the activity of no activity where the Self discloses itself. Here swadhyaya in its highest form is pure awareness -- where the small self disappears and the True Self is revealed. That is where authentic swadhyaya can lead.
Swadhyaya is misinterpreted widely by scholars and religionists as "scriptural study" or book study. Although studying "correct" philosophy and practicing contemplation on mental and psychological phenomena (jnana yoga) can provide some specific benefits of clarification or inspiration for some students (but only when placed in the context of the heart), such external study can be often very misleading and disorientating (unless balanced with inner study), as it merely leads toward the reinforcement of institutionalized mass illusion and as such is not characterized as an authentic yogic path. too often we find that those who study external authoritative systems become obsequious, robotic, quarrelsome with others sects, conformists, and jealous of others who do follow the injunctions of the guru or scripture. Too often the books substitute for the book of the Heart, but the map is not the territory, nor will the symbols delineated by words, serve well to replace our direct experience. Indeed we must learn from our direct experience what is Self -- no one can be spared this experience who wishes to know the authentic Self.
Thus in a yogic sense swadhyaya means studying, observing, and eventually knowing our true self nature, not through the conceptual confines and objective externalized eyes of the intellect, books, scripture, or authority, but rather through Gnosis acquired through meditation -- from an authentic direct transpersonal experience. This study or inquiry into Self is an essential practice of the process of self realization via the removal of delusion/illusion. It is a moment to moment university culminating in Self Knowledge or inner realization. See "Who am I" and "Self Enquiry" by Ramana Maharshi, "You Can Be A Light Unto Yourself" from the Collected Works of J. Krishnamurti, vol. 13, "Krishnamurti and the Direct Perception of Truth", and similar.
Isvara pranidhana: Isvara is often mistranslated with the English term, "God", which in the Western sense of the term, is almost the opposite of what is meant because isvara specifically is not a theistic idea (as yoga is not theistic) nor is it a separate or independent entity (ego). In other words the word, isvara, specifically refers to the formless and deity-less seed source aspect of infinite awareness (omniscience or universal unbounded non-dual reality). Isvara specifically is formless and attributeless (alinga), hence "aspectless aspect" of the divine and as such even to name it is a contradiction. Thus isvara pranidhana is to surrender to the seed source of the great integrity of formless infinity which is eternal (beginning-less, unborn, and never ending) -- the all pervading creative spark or seed source found reflected in all of creation, thus that which connects up the Great Integrity, while anything short of that is being short changed.
The word, isvara, thus expresses or symbolizes the essence of completeness, the whole, or infinite mind and as such can not be represented successfully by symbols, being the vast open ended unbounded emptiness that includes all and everything and which is simultaneously included in it, "isvara" often defies words, description, definition, and conceptual labels. It remains formless and undifferentiated in order to not exclude even the minuteness differentiation of existence. What does this mean then as a practice (isvara pranidhana is a practice of astanga yoga which leads to samadhi). It means that Divine intelligence and Divine will is always available both inside each human being and within all of creation IF we look for it. We can always surrender the egoic "s"elf to THAT. THAT larger momentum, force (or grace if you like) can and does lead us into the Great Transpersonal Presence -- into the natural and true "S"elf that knows no bounds and as such isvara pranidhana is a daily moment to moment practice. In meditation we allow THAT ineffable immeasurable Light and Love to shine forth -- we create time and space for this communion. THAT experience is hat is called completion practice, while the acts of making offerings, sacrifice (yajna), and surrender are the preliminary stages.
Always we surrender to THAT which is taintless, imperishable, and pure -- which has no definition -- does not exist, yet is reflected in all of existence; that which is beyond all names; yet may be called isvara only if we realize that although it pervades all, it can not be contained or bound by form. If we do not devote our energy and attention to that which is COMPLETE and WHOLE and never changes, we will not accomplish yoga. If we are not focused in this direction which neither expands inside out nor outside in exclusively, then we remain incomplete, corrupted, fragmented, diverted, rended, neurotic, and vulnerable to repeated fragmentation and separation in the corrupted and confused mire of dualistic reality (samsara). Isvara is always available in Now awareness. always HERE, but we have to look for it, acknowledge it, respect it, and honor it. When we let go of our willful practices; when certain karma is extinguished; then we make room for isvara to guide us for we are listening -- That is guidance (grace so to speak) from the primal teacher of all teachers, isvara yet isvara resides *inside* all sentient beings, hence isvara is the universal transpersonal intimate teacher (not a separate god or operator. (see Pada 1.26).
Any confusion by what Patanjali meant by isvara pranidhana, is generated by the conceptual and linear mindset. For example, it has been created because various religious and analytical "schools" devoid of direct experience and inner wisdom project their own "definitions" upon the term, isvara. For example the pre-existing older samkhya school did not recognize any god at all. Then samkhya itself changed. Later schools such as some branches of the philosophical Vedantics attribute an impersonal absolute (state devoid of any attributes) only to nirvisesha (without attributes) nirguna (without qualities), and nirakar (formless), which is distinguished from isvara. Some bhakti yoga schools attribute isvara pranidhana to mean simple worship or devotion; while the karma yogis may interpret it to mean selfless service (as is found in karma yoga). There are numerous other interpretations displaying the specific bias of the various schools predilections or cosmology which influence their approach and practices. Indeed in Hinduism alone there are thousands of names for god, and ten times that number of books which attempt at different definitions for each. The point that concerns the yogi after liberation, is that the "name" doesn't matter, i.e., that in order to rest in the universal ultimate one must surrender all attachments to these separate forms, be they religious or philosophical -- in Reality -- WE ARE THAT -- Tat Tvam Asi. That is assuming that we are sincerely on a genuine spiritual search versus simply finding solace in ersatz external systems. (See also Pada 1.23-27)
Rather than harp any further on this subject, we will assume that Patanjali meant the practice of isvara pranidhana in the context to facilitate the culmination of Raj Yoga (the realization of the highest samadhi). This practice is not only a kriya (essential or prerequisite activity) for spiritual transformation, but also a niyama of astanga yoga, and as such it is perhaps more valuable to point out that isvara pranidhana is not a practice that can be accomplished through the intellect or conceptual manipulation, nor is it difficult to access and practice like some scholars might indicate. Rather it is a simple yet profound practice of first consulting with our our highest innate seed potential (inner wisdom) in All Our Relations while allowing it to extend and manifest (prajna), which brings about in its completion the direct experience and manifestation of the non-dual transpersonal expression of yoga, simultaneously where the inner and the outer, crown and root, left and right, tha and ha, ida and pingala, nature and spirit, converge HERE in the instantaneousness of the sacred moment.
"The importance that all these Indian metaphysics, and even the ascetic technique and contemplative method that constitute Yoga, according to "knowledge" is easily explained if we take into consideration the causes of human suffering. The wretchedness of human life is not owing to a divine punishment or to an original sin, but to ignorance. Not any and every kind of ignorance, but only ignorance of the true nature of Spirit, the ignorance that makes us confuse Spirit with our psychomental experience, that makes us attribute qualities and predicates to the eternal and autonomous principle that is Spirit -- in short, a metaphysical ignorance. Hence it is natural that it should be a metaphysical knowledge that supervenes to end this ignorance. This metaphysical knowledge leads the disciple to the threshold of illumination -- that is, to the true 'Self'. And it is this knowledge of ones Self -- not in the profane sense of the term, but in its ascetic and spiritual sense -- that is the end pursued by the majority of Indian speculative systems, though each of them indicates a different way of reaching it.
For Samkhya and Yoga the problem is clearly defined. Since suffering has its origin in ignorance of Spirit -- that is, in confusing Spirit; with psychomental states -- emancipation can be obtained only if the confusion is abolished. The differences between Samkhya and Yoga on this point are insignificant. Only their methods differ: Samkhya seeks to obtain liberation solely by gnosis, whereas for Yoga an ascesis and a technique of meditation are indispensable. In both darshanas human suffering is rooted in illusion, for man believes that his psychomental life -- activity of the senses, feelings, thoughts, and volition -- is identical with Spirit, with the Self. He thus confuses two wholly autonomous and opposed realities, between which there is no real connection but only an illusory relation, for psychomental experience does not belong to Spirit, it belongs to nature (prakriti); states of consciousness are the refined products of the same substance that is at the base of the physical world and the world of life. Between psychic states and inanimate objects or living beings, there are only differences of degree. But between psychic states and Spirit there is a difference of an ontological order; they belong to two different modes of being. Liberation occurs when one has understood this truth, and when the Spirit regains its original freedom. Thus, according to Samkhya, he who would gain emancipation must begin by thoroughly knowing the essence and the forms of nature (prakriti) and the laws that govern its evolution. For its part, Yoga also accepts this analysis of Substance, but finds value only in the practice of contemplation, which is alone capable of revealing the autonomy and omnipotence of Spirit experimentally." Mircea Eliade, Immortality and Freedom
Thus vairagya, tapas, swadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana are the individual parts of an integrated and potent process of spiritual transformation and liberation. Success in yoga proceeds from here. Thus it is valuable not to forget nor misinterpret these kriyas as they are very useful when properly understood and applied. In this sense we let go of ego involvement or attachment which is self enslaving, but not in a rigid, static, or willful framework of self denial or repression nor as a religious or moral duty, but as a passionate and joyful release/relief -- as divine longing and intention -- as Divine Love -- as a portal into THAT wholistic and joyful interaction which provides us completion in the heart, true happiness, and fulfillment. Thus we embrace and reside in our core energy -- in the heart relinquishing our unhappiness. How to stay thus centered is brought about through self observation (how our energy shifts or our attention and consciousness becomes obscured and modified by the vrttis. In this way self study (swadhyaya), leads to self knowledge -- or knowledge of the Self or Source. When we observe ourselves to be occupied with activities that do not lead in this direction, we perform tapas and this feeds the fire of our practice. When we feel lost or corrupted, we search out the omnipresent sacred and all intelligent presence in all and surrender to THAT. For more on Isvara see Pada I: Sutra 23-27 and Pada II Sutra 45.
Tapas, swadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana all are mutually synergistic i.e., the more we understand who we are, simplify our activities and involvement, and dedicate our attention and energy toward staying connected and in harmony with the Great Integrity, the more natural, accelerated, and fulfilling our yoga practice becomes.
Kriya yoga as a premier activity clears a path, creates a pathway, and removes the causes of obstruction and as such is the primary means that purifies the citta-vrtti opening up into samadhi. In a similar way we can use the word, prerequisite or fundamental, for kriya. As such see Patanjali's further elaboration of tapas, swadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana as niyama (the proactive branch of astanga yoga called beneficial activities to undertake) starting at Pada II, sutra 43-46) following.
II. 2. Samadhi-bhavanarthah klesa-tanu-karanarthas ca
[Tapas, swadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana are practices] with the purpose to bring forth (bhavanarthah) samadhi by attenuating the causes (tanu-karana) of the kleshas.
bhavana: to bring forth: to fructify, to cultivate. Cultivated intent. Focused concentration on an object so that one affects it or that the intent is absorbed into it. The result of such absorption or focused intent.
tanu: attenuation, reduction, releasing.
artha: purpose
karana: cause, the causal reason, origin of..
klesha/klesa: hindrances. obstacles, obstructions, or obscurations toward samadhi. They ace also deemed afflictive or afflictions that poison or taint the mind.
Samadhi: at-onement/wonderment: Union; total absorption of the self (atma) with the Self (Brahman); the total and complete union of Sat-Cit-Ananda.
Commentary: Succinctly, samadhi is produced through practices which attenuate and eliminate the *causes* of the kleshas. The practice of kriya yoga purifies the body/mind serving to reduce the causes (tanu-karana) of these embedded obscurations, hindrances, afflictions, occlusions, obstructions, or impure residues of karma (kleshas) thus eventually allowing for natural flow (at-onement or samadhi) to occur seamlessly. Hence kriya yoga is a deep proactive practice remediating directly the causes of the kleshas verses dealing with the symptoms. Instead of prescribing remedies for the kleshas, Sri Patanjali suggests the joyful practice of focusing directly upon the joyous source (isvara pranidhana) through moving into full alignment with the evolutionary force (tapas) as intense self study (swadhyaya) at every juncture.
As we cultivate and get a deep heart felt sense (bhavana) of samadhi through practice, the purpose (artah) becomes refined and the causes of hindrances (kleshas) lessen (tanu); thus samadhi becomes more accessible and continuous (bhavana) -- it shines forth more often from our the deepest Self/Soul. This is the most effective way to reduce the kleshas by eliminating their causes. When the kleshas (hindrances) are lessened then our practice is less hindered and more successful - it shines forth spontaneously from Source.
Kriya yoga lessens the causes of the obstructions and hindrances so that our practice blossoms. A wise practitioner who has found that his/her practice has become stagnant, can go to tapas, swadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana to remove the hindrance, blockages, and obscurations by building up the spiritual fire (tapas), the passion to know Self (swadhyaya), and the surrender to that highest transpersonal wisdom that comes from divine and infallible guidance (isvara pranidhana). So if our intent (artah) is to cultivate samadhi (samadhi-bhavanarthah) we should learn how to attenuate the causes of the kleshas in All Our Relations. Kriya yoga thus is a deep practice, but not many are able to practice it successfully without the aid of auxiliary or supplemental practices.
See II.43-46 for more details about tapas, swadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana).
II. 3. Avidyasmita-raga-dvesabhinivesah klesah
The mental, emotional, and biopsychic hindrances (kleshas) stem from avidya (ignorance) of our true nature. As a result of this ignorance [which veils the bright light of truth], the other kleshas arise such as asmita (the limited false identification of egoism), raga (fixation and craving), dvesa (repulsion, dislike, hatred, anger, fear, antipathy, or aversion), and the fear of dissolution (abhinivesah).
klesha: spiritual hindrance, obstacle, obscuration, impediment, affliction, or obstruction to waking up. That which feeds the citta-vrtti and karma and which is fed by them forming a constituent on the circle of samsaric existence.
avidya: absence of vision; non-vision; ignorance; confusion; denial of spiritual light.
asmita: ego, pride, sense of separate or independent self; false identification with or a belief in a limited small self. Due to the non-recognition or self denial of the Universal Self.
raga: craving, attraction, desire, fixation, obsession, attachment to results, like. Raga is the desire for happiness as separate objects (mental or physical)
dvesa: Negativity, antipathy, aversion, fear, dislike, hatred, repulsion/revulsion, indifference, avoidance, a bland or neutralizing indifference, numbness. escapism. How is indifference or numbness dvesa, one may ask?. It is dvesa as it is aversion as such is an act of avoidance, an escape from something. When we are present -- in Now Awareness powerful positive emotions are evoked such as love, sympathetic joy, happiness, compassion, inspiration, santosha, cheerfulness, etc. These latter are positive emotive forces that result naturally from a fearless open mind and heart, while dvesa is a contraction/recoiling from presence --Now awareness. We want (raga) happiness and don't want/dislike (dvesa) unhappiness
abhinivesa: fear of death or discontinuity, the ego's fear of dissolution or disintegration.
Commentary: The kleshas are mental/emotional obscurations which obscure our pure vision. In the average human being they arise mostly unconsciously as knee jerk reactions triggered by a combination of past causes and a present. When activated they present hindrances to waking up. Being triggered by past karmic residues and samskaras, their activation leads to further negative karma and hence reinforce the citta-vrtti (the samsaric mindset) (IV.30). This habitual clinging of the mind as it mistakenly misinterprets the nature of phenomena leads to grasping/attachment (raga), mental stagnation/fixation, fear, hatred suffering and pain (duhkha) and/or arise from pain. They are concomitant and thus they are often referred to as afflictive, but the conclusion, "afflictive" may not be a helpful elaboration in explaining their mechanism, such as affliction is affliction. Rather samsara is a mental state and even mental/emotional pain/suffering is of course a mental state. That does not mean that pain or samsara as mental states do not exist (rather it is prevalent in materialistic human society based on ignorance), but rather the afflictions do not exist independently of the obscurations of the mind; i.e., there is a cause to the obscurations ignorance and grasping. As we have seen in Pada I, they arise from the citta-vrtti or produce further citta-vrtti (especially I.5-I.11) -- they obscure the true primordial nature of mind (swarupa). When universal primordial essence is recognized in All Our Relations then mental obscurations will have faded away as the mind has been washed clean.
The kleshas are ordinarily classified by five general categories of which functional and effective yoga practice is designed to completely purify and clear. Kleshas show up as obscurations, negative emotional hindrances, or afflictions which if acted upon increase suffering (duhkha). Indeed the kleshas are an aspect of suffering, just as a drop of water may be part of the ocean, whether we recognize it to be so or not when we are swimming. The kleshas start with ignorance whose first samsaric error of ideation is "I am a separate self apart from the whole" Another way of saying this is that ignorance (avidya) of our true primordial nature of mind is the basic confusion or erroneous mindset which separates ourselves from the full non-dual experience of who we truly are (swarupa) in terms of the whole, free from the limited fascinating delineations of time and place.
Ignorance or lack of vision (as the chief klesha), as the rend/split into the fundamental fragmented dualistic view (citta-vrtti), thus causes this split as a sense of "separate self" (egoic sense) apart from from the intelligent evolutionary power by chronically ignoring the transpersonal and non-dual true nature of Self. Hence at its root is Self ignorance or loss of true vision, wherein the egoic self habitually ignores the truth of our essential true nature; i.e., swarupa.
This ignorance creates a habitual and familiar milieu of separation, a reference point of observer (ego) and the observed (phenomena), a fragmentation, rend, split, and traumatic/painful separation which is the primal cause of all other obstructions which appear as the myriad afflictive modalities which Patanjali calls kleshas. That split is the cause of craving, aversion, attachment, and pain. True and lasting happiness is found when we consciously rejoin with our true nature. Asmita thus us the compensatory result of avidya (ignorance)-- a poor substitute for the Big Self, and then raga (craving) or dvesa (antipathy) are the secondary results of that causal split. Thus this split or fragmentation of consciousness gives rise to asmita (sense of separate self), raga (the neurotic desire for a compensatory union/gratification), dvesa (aversion or dislike, and abhinivesah (a craving for continuity while lost in temporal impermanence) and an over objectification that imputes upon nature, evolution, and other living beings separateness/alienation which is an alienation from All Our Relations.
Afflictions such as raga (craving), as secondary kleshas occur more intensely and more often in the young, while dvesa is more common and intense in the old; but this is only a general observation. Both occur until the rend from Self is healed via samadhi. Raga, dvesa, and abhinivesa, are mere tricks of the mind stemming from asmita'klesha (the delusion of a separate self), Asmita stems from avidya which is the ignorance of the Great All Encompassing Self which discloses our true non-dual nature (swarupa-sunyam in samadhi (III.3). Hence raga, dvesa, and abhinivesa are secondary neurotic results of the dualistic mental fabrication of I/it dualism imposed upon the mental field (citta-vrtti). Desire for or an antipathy toward such temporary objects of ideation is at best an ideation. As we will see dualistic objects are hallucinations while their true appearance is revealed when the yogi realizes the true nature of one's own mind in clear vision (vidya). In reality those objects which are clung to or run away from are not independent, solid or substantial. Avidya (ignorance) is merely seeing through a dirty lens..
Although there exist innumerable combinations of these kleshas, their source is ignorance and here Patanjali breaks them down into five toxic dynamics. The kleshas can be viewed as the various frictions of separateness or ignorance (as compensatory neurotic displacements) which causes the experiences of discomfort, desire, craving, dissatisfaction, restlessness, angst, and the myriad other hindrances (kleshas) of spiritual self alienation which fuel the wheel of karmic prison, and further suffering. Of these innumerable kleshas, Patanjali simply classifies them into these general groups all emanating from this state of spiritual alienation which is in reality, the absence of vision (avidya) -- the process of ignoring the profound reality of who we really are in wholeness and integrity -- in All Our Relations.
Thus the five broad categories of kleshas are avidya (ignorance or confusion) which is the base of all the others. Then follows asmita (ego delusion, the belief in the separate or small self, prideful conceit, arrogance, denial, sense of ownership, and so forth), raga (attraction, desire, attachment, etc.), dvesa (repulsion, aversion, hatred, fear), and, abhinivesah (the fear of death which counters the eternal spiritual identity and presence).
It naturally follows that when we are fragmented from our deepest heart connections, then love and pure vision cease to flow freely. Cut off from that natural flow, we desire a compensatory or neurotic ersatz replacement. This is called raga or desire which is a poor substitute for true non-dual union, interconnectedness, and interdependence. Thus in the yoga context, neurotic desire, temporal love, and lust cease naturally when we come back to the True Self -- the All and Everything of the Great Integrity from which we have become estranged.
It should be noted that fear in this context is really negative desire; i.e., desiring something not to happen is fear. Fear is also an aversion (dvesa) to something while raga is following the attraction. Attraction and repulsion occur naturally, but any activity or dominance of them become afflictions and cause suffering. Repulsion or aversion is also manifested as hatred, anger, disgust, and condemnation. Most people do not acknowledge such in themselves due to their conceit and self deceit, but they manifest in many ways in the ordinary man on a daily basis. Also ignorance causes asmita (pride, ego delusion, conceit, and belief in separateness). More will be said about these mechanisms later, but asmita, like the other kleshas, is merely a compensatory neurotic coping mechanism to substitute an identification to replace the rend from true Self.
Note the Buddhists similarly trace the source of the kleshas to clinging onto false views and ego ignorance. They group them similarly into aversion (anger, hatred, and fear), desire (raga), pride (or arrogance and delusion), greed, and envy. The yogi understands that all the manifold varieties of kleshas such as jealousy, anger, hatred, possessiveness, arrogance, condemnation, self righteousness, aggressiveness, etc are simply permutations of two or more of these basic kleshas -- all stemming from ignorance of our intrinsic true nature. For example jealousy is based on a combination of desire (raga), dvesa (aversion), and asmita (pride).
Abhinivesah is often translated as clinging onto physical existence, but I have chosen to translate it in its negative as the fear of death. But really it is the clinging onto a false sense of continuity or security onto something which is ever changing. Abhinivesa is really is rooted in the fear of change. In other words we do not fear the discontinuity of eternal love or consciousness when we reside in the firm experience of its continuity. It is only when we are disconnected within the realm of false and confused identifications, does the fear of discontinuity and death arise. Both say the same thing. Abhinivesah is one of the greatest sources of desire, fear, and separation and hence suffering (duhkha). It entirely goes away when we identify more continuously with the eternal imperishable Self (that which never dies which is always present.) in All Our Relations.
Abhinivesah is one of the most profoundly misunderstood kleshas, especially in this modern materialistic age where consensus reality has sunk deeply into the coarse, external, physical, materialistic, and temporal "reality' at the detriment to the subtle, the inner, the energetic, spiritual, and eternal. Indeed these two worlds are not meant to be split into two, but our conditioning does this all too successfully. Yoga on the other hand is designed to embrace that re-connection i.e., of eternal spirit as divine presence at each and every juncture of physical manifestation as its basis.
The young infant is born fresh from the eternal, while the elderly prepares to re-enter the "reality" of eternal flux, but for those who live it, they have never left it and it never leaves. In dualistic religions, Spirit is said to exist in the beginning and the end (alpha and omega), but precisely that statement betrays abhinivesa, i.e., the clinging onto a life bias. Rather, REALITY, as-it-is says that life and death both belong to a greater wholistic continuum -- the beginningless never-ending. In other words, in Reality there is an "I" which is bornless and deathless that exists right HERE and now -- in the Eternal Now -- the Continuity and Great Integrity which is authentic yoga.
If we were able to shed the conditioning that frames "reality" as we know it, only in terms of temporal life, but rather in terms of the eternal now -- the never ending continuum, then our life would become far richer and productive. It would be inter-dimensional and holographic. When we embrace this great continuum -- when we lose our materialistic bias and prejudice, then we also give up all fear of death -- fear itself vanishes. HERE the Universal non-dual transpersonal transpersonal Sacred Presence of All Our Relations -- as Reality as-it-is -- becomes revealed.
Practice:
Sit or stand quietly and take a few deep and conscious healing breaths utilizing the diaphragm. Take one more. Now scan the present contents of your mind or in the past day for residual memories of the limitations of avidya, asmita, raga, dvesa, or abhinivesa. Just go down the list and find at least one instance. At first the more you find, the more conscious you are becoming. One day if you are very lucky none will return, they will be destroyed by the light of day.
In short, when we abide in our natural state of Mind free from conditioning as in swarupa through yogic practices like kriya yoga, then we will naturally be unaffected and undistracted by the kleshas.
II. 4. Avidya ksetram uttaresam prasupta-tanu-vicchina-udaranam
[Kleshas] arise from (uttaresam) the field (ksetram) of avidya (the chronic process of habitual ignoring or non-recognition), be they dormant (prasupta), attenuated or subtle (tanu), temporally restrained or repressed (vicchinna), or fully active and dominant (udaranam).
avidya: The habituated state of lack or absence of spiritual vision (vidya); Obstructed or impure vision; A chronic state of spiritual ignorance, confusion, or non-recognition of unobstructed pure vision; the habituated act of denial of true vision or light. The state`of being dimly lit.
ksetram: field
klesha: spiritual obscuration, hindrance, obstruction, or affliction. That which feeds the citta-vrtti and karma and which is fed by them forming a constituent on the circle of samsaric existence. Kleshas are both afflictive and afflicted habits of the mind which are triggered by past karmic traces and samskaras.
Commentary: Avidya-ksetram is the field of ignorance, which imprisons and limits self awareness. It is the field of ego awareness (citta-vrtti) which is organized around darkness, versus light. Being a mindfield based on ego ideation it is also the same as the Buddhist samsara. Vidya means vision or to see clearly as in clear view or clear vision. Avidya is the lack of vision -- the obscuring blinder in our field of vision, a veil that filters and distorts "reality". It is the impure obstruction that prevents us from seeing what is-as-it-is or Thusness. The larger problem of spiritual stasis arises (or rather our vision becomes chronically obscured) when we become conditioned (habituated) to a limited way of seeing/visioning the world through self limiting and narrow lenses which attempt to interpret our existence and identity through this distorted view, colored lens, shaded veil, or sliver lodged in the spiritual eye. Avidya as ignorance or confusion, can also be translated as non-recognition, unawareness, and/or a confused state of the mind. Worse in subsequent kleshas such as asmita, we identify with such a distortion, mistaking it for "reality" and misidentifying "self" as the viewer of or with "it".
Avidya, which is both due to the egoic split from Universal NOW Awareness and which also holds the split in place, is the foundation of duality, the sense of separate self (asmita) and with it raga, dvesa, and abhinivesa. Through conditioning we become familiar and somewhat try to become comfortable in this prison. the conditioned self (small self), but the yogi finally realizes that such a neurotic existence it never quite fully works no matter how much we try to satisfy our cravings and/or protect ourselves against perceived threats.
Thus through conditioning our familiarity and comfort with this dualistic "reality" becomes confused as being "security" and "reality" itself. Then we are in trouble (duhkha) because we start to habitually demand, prefer, or mistake our obscured and limited familiar "state of reality" in favor of REALITY AS IT IS -- unobstructed clarity, true vision, or the "real thing". We start to "prefer" to see the impermanent as permanent and the unreal as real, replacing wonder with flat plane linear "reality". Then consciousness becomes occluded and patterned (citta-vrtti). Then past patterning (vrtti), conditioning, and negative programming (karmic propensities) are dominant.
Swami Satchidananda used to give this example of dormant (prasupta) ignorance. Ignorance is a potential just as wisdom. The seed for the kleshas exist in the new born as a potential toward acquiring ignorance just as the seed for love and wisdom is innate. What grows depends on what is watered and nourished. A newborn child looks at the world with wonder and simplicity devoid of conditioned patterns of thinking (citta-vrtti). This is the prasupta or potential stage of ignorance, which most likely will mature into an active stage (udaranam) unless the child is brought up very wisely -- in harmonious alignment with natural law. Although the little child has access to the subjective experience (sat) of deep reality, he/she lacks stability in conscious awareness (cit). So too is there discontinuity and distortion of the mind field at the the other stages of kleshic manifestations be they subtle (tanu), inhibited (vicchinna), or active (udaranam). It is actually in the very active stage stage (udaranam) which lends itself to easy identification/awareness while they are very difficult to notice while subtle or inhibited. That is why some teachers give practices that provoke the kleshas so that they will be seen in the light of day. This may seem strange but it is true that subtle and repressed emotions only linger in the unconscious and as is said in the Chandi, light (Durga) destroys the darkness), while darkness seeks darkness. Authentic yoga thus beats the bushes for these inner demons and then flushes the out through consciousness. The they become destroyed, not by further ignorance, non-recognition, or denial. They are identified through self observation practices and conscious awareness such as swadhyaya, dhyana, and the rest of the yogic practices. When NOW awareness reigns in its continuity in All Our Relations then the kleshas have become successfully disenfranchised.
As we shall see authentic yoga practice is thus geared to both attenuating kleshas which gives us increasingly wider breather spaces in order to eventually destroy them all. Since avidya is the major klesha in which all others (uttaresam) reside within its field (ksetram), that field is eventually shattered so that light penetrates it fully. Thus the goal of yoga is reached through vidya (through the removal of ignorance and the kleshas), which brings us back to this natural unobscured visionary ability of All Our Relations.
Thus yoga practice concentrates on destroying ignorance because avidya is the cause of all the afflictions and obstructions. Our unlimited and ever present innate true self nature (swarupa) awaits us always in the eternal now when all the spins, bias, and vrttis cease -- when the illusory veil of false identification and ignorance is lifted. this buddha potential, our higher self, or the kundalini lies dormant in waiting while we are lost in this dualistic veil of suffering (samsara), but when we emerge even for an instant we then see that this very is our true essential nature, and as such this gives us impetus to become entirely free (in nirbij samadhi).
Although there are almost an infinite amount of combinations of kleshas so it is sometimes said that there are 84,000 kleshas. Some of these combinations are: anger, hatred, jealousy, revenge, pride, prejudice, bigotry, arrogance, contempt, disgust, disdain, abhorrence, condemnation, bitterness, resentment, acrimony, dismissiveness, haughtiness, self righteousness, fear, envy, paranoia, confusion, terror, inhibition, cold heartedness, insecurity, contentiousness, squabbling, attachment, competitiveness, mania, habitual discomfort, angst, anxiety, self centeredness, and so on.
Some of these are often extended in behavior manifestations which cause collective suffering and bad karma such as: extensions of ego into group egos, religionism, chauvinism, nationalism, crusades. jihads, wars, clanism, ethnocentrism, bigotry, prejudice, tribalism, racism, sexism, regionalism, languagism, kinsmanism, geocentricism, egocentrism, exploitive propensities, theft, violence, group predation, scarcity psychology, self adversity, xenophobia, etc. To a yogi being free mukti (liberation) depends upon the elimination of the kleshas. In turn the kleshas such as ignorance, hatred, fear, ego false identification, religious, ethnic and nationalistic pride; self righteousness, bigotry, and prejudice is the manipulative fuel for militaristic/totalitarian and authoritarian societies.
In short, where the kleshas are prominent, then it is certain that ignorance, deception, delusion, impure vision, attachment, fear, hatred, arrogance, greed, etc are dominating the human population. Strife and suffering is the outcome. Sometimes these kleshas are obvious and gross. At other times they are politely and subtly expressed or hidden, and at other times they are temporarily inhibited, repressed, or dormant waiting to be activated, triggered, or explode,
Practice:
Sit or stand quietly and take a few deep and conscious healing breaths utilizing the diaphragm. Take one more. Now scan the present contents of your mind or in the past day for residual memories of the specific limitations of avidya (ignorance). You will not find those which are dormant or very subtle, but you might have a memory of repressing some or an activation of some coarse manifestations where we have imposed a contracted and limited field of consciousness upon our great potential boundless expanse which is always at our finer tips.
Try hatha yoga asana practices with deep diaphragmatic breathing while observing the arising of any physical or mental resistance or tension. Bring your awareness to focus upon the arising of any tension spots and then breathe further into this area with pure open consciousness combined with the energy behind the breath, while reflecting upon any mental/emotional components that may be brought to the surface tension of awareness. While moving into and out of the postures, breathe even more deeply into the living temple as an intimate part of the evolutionary energy that has arisen from the source of all (in somato-emotional relationship with naked awareness) and then release any tension/stress or blockages by visualizing the breath and prana rippling through the region. Repeat if desired and/or go onto another pose in the same manner utilizing the body, breath, focus, and release technique. This is self activated pranahuti which not only releases the blocked energy but also the kleshas and residual karma when practiced over time.
Even more simply focus on isvara pranidhana and the evolutionary power in All Our Relations while opening up to the transconceptual teacher inherent in the moment. Become accustomed to the beauty and expansive living intimate power in that sphere. Then one will naturally become accustomed to moving and being moved in harmony with the all inclusive innate light and beauty because the natural clarity of one's true nature has been allowed to shine through..
II. 5. Anitya-asuci-duhkha-anatmasu nitya-suci-sukha-atma-khyatir avidya
Avidya (the habituated absence of spiritual vision) is that embedded, programmed, confused, and conditioned state where the egoic mind habitually confuses that which is painful (duhkha) as pleasurable (sukha); that which is transitory (anitya) as being permanent (nitya); that which is impure (asuci) as being pure (suci); and that which is limited and empty as the true and real Self (atman) which brings true and lasting happiness with that which brings more pain and unhappiness. Thus the original clarity of the true nature of Self is ignored.
anitya: temporal; impermanent; transitory
suci: pure
asuci: impure
duhkha: Unhappiness, displeasure, discontent, grief, suffering, pain; mental/emotional discomfort; the associated state of mind accompanied by aversion or antipathy. A grimaced mind.
sukha: pleasure; joy; happiness. A state of mind associated with the satisfaction of a craving (raga).
atman: in this case true self
anatma: not self; the impure or untrue "self"; the fragmented, deluded, or corrupted self.
nitya: eternal
khyatir: the act of clear seeing; apprehension, illumination, clarity.
avidya: lack of spiritual vision; ignorance: confusion; the resultant sphere or habituated activity of ignoring or avoiding; non-recognition; denial or avoidance.
Commentary: Another way of saying this is that avidya (impure vision) is the state of occluded, limited, and distorted vision (a confusion) which mistakes the impure, temporal, false self which brings forth pain, as the pure, eternal, and true Self which brings forth joy. It is a state of mind which has clouded, obstructed, or limited vision. Hence the citta-vrtti (mindfield) is obscured.
Ignorance or denial, as avidya, is a state of mind which confuses the non-self (anatma) as the true self (atman) as in false identification; the impure (a-suci) with the pure (suci); that which is ever changing (anitya) as being static and eternal (nitya). This is dualism as ignorance as well as false identification (asmita). It is NOT the same "no-self" in Buddhism or what Patanjali calls swarupa-sunyam, which are based on the emptiness of any separate self, rather it is a confusion where "self" is equated with something else, some other things, or basically defined in terms of an "it" which it is separate from. Thus subject/object dualism becomes fixated through ignorance. The true Self or rather Reality does not reside in fragmented biased views, rather Reality-as=it-is is entirely dependent upon universal all encompassing eyes/wisdom.
Yoga makes the connection between eternal spirit and nature as a sacred embodiment where the timeless formless spirit is continuously present (as divine presence) in the sacred Now, inseparable as it always has and will be. This is Reality, where there is yoga (continuity between primordial consciousness and its intelligent evolutionary force, but it is ignorance which occludes the eyes of the perceiver and engages the human being in the fabrication of erroneous conceptual processes. Through the inherent liberating light of vidya (pure vision), then confusion, false identification, associating with the impure, and temporal including all neurotic craving, aversion, and suffering (duhkha) ceases. This is very similar to the first two noble truths of Buddhism. The last noble truth being cessation in kaivalyam (see pada IV).
Basically Buddha and Patanjali call ignorance (avidya) as the first step that causes mental suffering. There the human being enters into the samsaric wheel of of suffering (in Hinayana Buddhism that is called the wheel of Life and Death, the 12 links (nidanas) of causation, or the law of dependent arising (pratityasamutpada). All the other kleshas follow as suffering subsets from there. Only later in the Mahayana and tantra does the view of pratityasamutpada (the view of the samsaric world) become more refined and subtle in stating the emptiness of "other" (phenomena and the world). Hence the gap between samsara and nirvana is bridged. So too does Sri Patanjali teach this same truth at the same time as the birth of Mahayana, albeit many scholars have missed it having been mired in ideology. The main point here is that ignorance not only creates suffering, but is the embodiment of suffering. This is true for all the kleshas as we will see. Asmita is suffering, although those with eyes tightly closed do not recognize it. Raga, dvesa. and all the rest are suffering. Suffering is inherent in the samsaric mindset, yet because those so occluded do not recognize suffering as suffering, rather often they mistake it as pleasure..
The pre-existing common dichotomous and confused dualistic situation which Patanjali comments upon here is that the common man confuses suffering as joyful because he confuses craving and desire with the anticipation of pleasure -- having confused the anticipation of self gratification with it's satiation. He has not awoken to the process in which he creates his own pain. It is likened to a man who eats slow acting poisons during the day and enjoys it then only to suffer extreme pain at night. The next day this same man eats and enjoys the poison again, thinking how good it is, and then again at night he again experiences pain, suffering, discomfort, craving, or a further feeling of incompleteness (duhkha).
Another example is that when we are young we may consider it great fun and pleasure to party all night, drink lots of beer, get into fights, chase one's genitals all over town, get into fights and get beat up, etc. One day one may see that all that was not only temporary "pleasure", but neurotic activity where the clinging to the habituated activity reinforced one's suffering, even though at the time such activity appeared as if pleasurable. One day a fortunate person wakes up and asks themselves what it is it that that they truly crave/need`-- what is it that will provide lasting happiness and fulfillment? Eventually one gives up the futile attempt and distraction to possess that which is on fire, temporary, and neurotic, while realizing what one truly desires in vajra passion/compassion (see below). This is how the aspiring yogi begins to wake up and enters upon the yogic path.
Another example is "the itch". The bigger the itch the greater the ecstasy becomes when it is scratched and satiated. It gives us relief, but we are better off without the itch in the first place. Here we can get to remediating the causes of the kleshas, not just their symptoms. The common man who has lost his way only knows the temporary pleasures that occur from satisfying neurotic desires, confusing the presence of desire with the process of pleasure and thus happiness. But where is the lasting happiness that spiritual passion is directed toward? It is not directed at temporary things as such would be foolish, Here the pleasure is compensatory for the prior separation/fragmentation from the Whole Self which is our true nature (swarupa-sunyam -- being empty of a separate self). When our attention and energy is aligned with the inseparable unity of the absolute and relative, then there is no longer any further fragmentation, distraction, or further neurotic desire.
There are many examples like this, but another more esoteric example is the man who becomes addicted to massage. He loves the massage so well and it is so pleasurable, but that type of pleasure is conditional , resting upon the pre-existing condition where he habitually creates tension and pain in his body/mind acting unconsciously and ignorantly. the pleasure that he is experiencing is really the result of his ignorance i.e., previous actions based on ignorance. This type of "pleasure" is thus contrived and dependent upon suffering and can become addictive, while on the other hand yoga is designed to eliminate the cause of suffering (avidya) and that is why it is said that it brings True and Lasting Happiness.
True and lasting happiness is found through remediating all neurotic ersatz attachment to duality. Coming back into wholeness -- into Samadhi -- into the Eternal Now -- Sacred Presence and All Our Relations, then there is nothing lacking -- nothing is ignored. That is where our attention should be focused.
IV Sutra 28 hanam esham kleshavad uktam
These samskaras create kleshas and thus can be eradicated [by the previously mentioned remediations of the kleshas, samskaras, vasanas, and avidya].
Commentary: See Sutra 30-32
IV Sutra 29 prasankhyane 'py akusidasya sarvatha viveka-khyater dharma-meghah samadhih
Free from selfish motivation while abiding steadily (sarvatha) in self awareness (viveka-khyater) the rain-cloud of natural law (dharma-megha) is absorbed (samadhih).
Commentary: Pure awareness or vigilance (in viveka) applied steadily will activate viveka-khyatir (luminous self revealing intricate lucidity), the remedial propensity where old samskaras, old mind habits (vasanas), and vrtti become nipped in the bud as soon as they arise.
IV Sutra 30 tatah klesha-karma-nivrittih
In this way the waves of karma and klesha are destroyed.
IV Sutra 31 tada sarvavarana-malapetasya jnanasyanantyaj-jneyam-alpam
Then all veils (sarvavarana) and impurities (mala) are removed (apetasya) so that the knowledge of infinite mind (jnanasyanantyaj-jneyam) is revealed which leaves little more (alpam) to be disclosed.
Similarly in a Buddhist perspective kleshas are caused by ignorance. Acting on the kleshas cause bad karma.
"The six poisons are:
hatred, or anger, which creates the experience of the hell realm;
greed, or miserliness, which creates the hungry ghost realm;
ignorance of how to act virtuously is the cause of rebirth in the animal realm;
attachment (virtuous action performed with attachment to the meritorious results) is the cause of human rebirth;
jealousy (virtuous action sullied by jealousy) causes rebirth in the demigod realm; and
pride, or egotism (virtuous action performed with pride) causes a godly rebirth.
The defilements lead to unskillful actions, which generate karma, the infallible operation of cause and effect in the mental continuum of each individual. The negative karma caused by the defilements is the origin of the sufferings of the six realms. The only way to eliminate suffering is to practice the path, method or remedy that will remove the defilements and the negative karma that they produce. By developing loving-kindness and compassion it is possible to diminish the defilements, but in order to uproot them completely, it is necessary also to develop the discriminating awareness (Skt. prajna; Tib. she-rab) that arises from the wisdom of emptiness. The development of loving-kindness together with wisdom is the result of following the path of Dharma, otherwise known as the five paths: path of accumulation, path of unification, path of seeing, path of meditation, and path of no learning.
The first, the path of accumulation, has three subdivisions. The first stage consists of taking the first step in the right direction, that is, taking refuge and practicing tranquility meditation (Skt. shamatha, Tib. shinay). The aspect of wisdom that is involved is that of listening to teachings (called the wisdom of hearing), and of reflecting on them with the analytical mind (called the wisdom of contemplation). The contemplation appropriate to this stage is known as the four applications of mindfulness, which is an examination of the true nature of (1) the body, (2) the feelings, (3) the mind, and (4) all phenomena. By logical analysis it is possible to come to the intellectual understanding that all of these are merely names for interdependent occurrences that lack any true self-existence, this prepares the way for an acceptance of the idea of emptiness (Skt. sunyata; Tib. tong-pa-nyi).
The second stage of the path of accumulation involves the abandonment of negative actions and the cultivation of virtuous actions, by which merit is accumulated.The third stage consists of the development of four qualities, without which further progress on the path will not be possible: (1) aspiration (strong determination to practice Dharma), (2) diligence (enthusiastic effort), (3) recollection (not forgetting the practice), and (4) meditative concentration (one-pointedness of mind without distractions).
What was developed on the first path becomes stronger on the second, the path of unification, which is a linking of the ordinary level to the exalted. On this path the practitioner experiences greater tranquility, more joy in virtuous action and fewer negative thoughts; confidence, energy, reflection, concentration, and wisdom increase, and tolerance of obstacles is developed. Finally the highest possible mundane realization is reached, a momentary experience that occurs during meditation, in which the nature of emptiness is perceived directly.
After having this perception, the practitioner is called a noble or exalted one (Skt. arya; Tib. pag-pa), one who has immediate insight into the four noble truths. This experience is like that of blind person whose blindness is cured and who sees colors for the first time; therefore, it is called the path of seeing. "
Based on a seminar given by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche
Pain
So in order to understand and identify how kleshas as the blocking out of the light of clear vision occurs, it is useful to understand how the term duhkha, a term most commonly defined as suffering or pain, is used. One way of defining duhkha is unhappiness or pain, while sukha (joyful happiness) is its opposite. However as we will further see in the discussion on the klesha called raga (craving pleasure), it is too easy to confuse neurotic and temporary pleasure as true happiness. As a matter of fact, such neurotic activity will distract our energy and dissuade us from the realization of ultimate happiness. Being attached to seeking happiness in neurotic union, or escaping pain as an aversion to what appears as suffering are both prisons which bind us to samsara. Such feeds the wheel of karma and chains consciousness to ignorance.In short the wheel of suffering is annulled by eliminating avidya, which is nothing other than waking up in clear vision -- the removal of all obstructions and impediments (kleshas) and the cessation of the citta-vrtti. This is done through yogic practice (sadhana), such as dhyana, etc.
In fact both sukha and duhkha have their conditional/karmic aspects as neurotic conditional dualistic happiness and pain (attempting to possess an object of desire or not). Those kleshas are dependent upon ordinary dualistic egoic consciousness (asmita) as explained adroitly in Sutra 1.17. Vairagya of energy, body, and mind is of course the solution. Then when we drop temporal desires/love we have spiritual or unconditional love and unconditional freedom. That brings with it unconditional joy (true and lasting happiness). It's absence is spiritual unhappiness (duhkha). So here we point out the two kinds of sukha and duhkha, temporal and spiritual. Basically when the evolutionary intelligent power is blocked/obscured by the kleshas, there is duhkha. All neurotic compensations such as raga (temporal desires) or dvesa (temporal antipathy) exists within samsaric existence which is created out of ignorance -- ignorance of primordial consciousness. Removing pain occurs by welcoming in the innate evolutionary energy, buy opening up the knots and blockages, by strengthening the channels, and channels of communication. This is not accomplished through repression, inhibition, dissociation, desensitization, blocking out the evolutionary energy and consciousness, rather opposite the release of such restrictions. .
In the end (samadhi) all questions are answered -- all conflicts are resolved. Answered is the question, "what would the end of suffering (duhkha as the cycle of samsara) look like" as lasting unconditional happiness -- as complete liberation from samsaric existence. Another way is to perform that inquiry (dharana) or contemplation upon the meaning of the word, duhkha, would be to ask,"How does the wheel of suffering (samsara) become reversed"? Again the answer is the same, eliminate avidya (non-recognition), rather than try to ignore it -- we meet and face it with consciousness. Open up to the innate intelligent evolutionary power. Wake up and connect to primordial awareness Now, in Now awareness.
Since we are embodied as human beings who are part and parcel of this overall sacred process, we must honor that innate evolutionary power here and now, on the planet, in the body, and that starts in our own body. So again on the physical level, *pain* is an indicator pointing toward something is amiss or wrong -- it is a blocked message of something DEEPER than "pain". As a generalized warning sign or wake up call, instead of labeling an event "painful" or unpleasant to the ego, we can face that "pain avoidance mechanism" and bring consciousness, and hence healing, into the actual event. The pain must be recognized as blocked energy, a circuit overload, a short circuit, a twisted nadi, an obscuration, obstruction of consciousness and energy (cit-shakti). When the channel of communication to what-is-as-it-is devoid of fear, pain, resistance, aversion (fight, flight, or fright) then healing energy is allowed to occur naturally and unopposed. Pain by itself does not exist, other than as a limited obstruction of primordial consciousness, a fragmentation, or ignorance,
On the other hand, more commonly since man is averse to pain, he normally chooses to numb it out, ignore it, become insular, aloof, block the sensory impulse, cut some nerves, create lesions, separation, dissociation, use palliatives or drugs, armor around it, avoid or escape from it, or in general not recognize it and attempt to ignore it through being insensitive to their feeling/being "SELF", but that's not liberation or waking up. Numbing out and dissociating may temporally take away the "pain" (mental or physical), but it also throws the child out with the bath water, dissociating "self" from our deepest feelings and heart core ways of knowing and being. Dissociation and insensitivity is a common and tough habit to break, unblock, and cut through, but such a release is necessary. Although one may have to confront their inner demon that creates pain, when one knows that the absence of pain is not joy, but just appears as pleasurable because the pain has subsided, then perhaps the practitioner will be more enthused to slay their inner demons.
Instead of numbing out the "pain", rather we can recognize the signal as it is, without imputing "painful nor pleasurable", disliked or liked, bad or good, foe or friend, but rather take what-is-as-it-is as a signal/symbol, signpost, or indicator, Then we bring consciousness (cit-prana) to the source of the signal (the message) free from antipathy or the need to sublimate and bathe it with primordial source consciousness. We open up the channels and face the demon of pain and fear straight on. Then fear and pain dissolve in light. Then being with what-is-as-it-is, openly and nakedly, we can respond more effectively, wisely, spontaneously, and directly. Simply put, we have the innate ability to recognize the signal as-it-is without being pulled toward it or away from it compulsively, rather we can bring conscious awareness to it. Is it really "pain" or the mind interpreting an event as painful? Pain by itself does not exist by itself, rather it is merely a messenger -- a message that has been misinterpreted or mischaracterized by confused mental programming. Such humans armor themselves around their pain and fear in a futile attempt to protect and insulate the ego. All they accomplish that way is further isolation dissociation, inhibition, and ignorance. This is the poison that feeds and supports ideology and belief systems based on incomplete knowledge (pramana), viparyaya (false beliefs based on false knowledge), and vikalpa (delusional thought patterns), all of which are citta-vrtta and all of which further enslaves the mindfield. Pain. like pleasure, is not "out there" in "the world", rather it is a mental imputation which carries with it severe mental consequences when not understood.
Duhkha is best defined as the mental affect of abiding in the samsaric state. So what is samsara and how are its bonds broken? It is the state where pure vision is obscured by the kleshas; samsara's engines being fueled by the five kleshas and karma. Hence it is an afflicted and obscured state of mind where pure consciousness (cit) and pure vision (vidya) has become obscured. But to understand what samsara really is, we have to have perspective; e.g., we need to experience what it is not (nirvana, pure cit, or awakened vision) and then through this free larger perspective, then the processes of liberation and bondage is illumined. That is experienced through directed application afforded through practice (sadhana) like dhyana (meditation), dharana, kriya yoga, and/or the other limbs of astanga yoga which open up the channels, strengthen the nadis, and activate the dormant circuits which have been long repressed/suppressed through negative conditioning of fear, punishment, abuse, hatred, and ignorance. See "Fear of Pleasure", "Fear of Living", "AVOIDANCE", "What Appears as Pleasure may be Empty and Neurotic", "DENIAL". "Repression", and "THE SUFFERING OF CHANGE".
Deficits of Samsara
Samsara is not a place or a situation but a painful state of mind, dominated by confusion and ignorance. This ignorance is subtle; it is not so much lack information as lack of clarity. We do not know who we are or what we are doing. We wander in samsara and return again; cyclic existence is samsara. Our true nature is absolutely pure and luminous. We lose sight of this purity when conflicting concepts from our senses and the ego cloud our mind. Our awareness is dulled by the repeating cycle of pleasure followed by pain, expectation followed by dismay, and desire followed by loss. The illusions and conflicts of samsara do not really exist. They are myths, constructed by the mind.
We will soon fall under the power of impermanence and death. If after that we just disappeared like a fire burning out or water evaporating, everything would be over. But after death we do not varnish into nothing. We are forced to take a new birth - which means that we will still be in samsara, and nowhere else. The term samsara, the wheel or round of existence, is used in Words of My Perfect Teacher to mean going round from one place to another in a circle, like a potter's wheel, or the wheel of a water mill. When a fly is trapped in a closed jar, no matter where it flies it can't get out. Likewise, whether we are born in the higher or lower realms, we are never outside samsara. It is said that samsara is a circle because we turn round and round, taking rebirth in one after another of the six realms as a result of our own action which, whether positive or negative, are tainted by clinging.
The mind creates samsara because it is the mind which interprets what the body experience in an incomplete and deceptive way. Our eyes are engineered to picture something visually. We respond to the object with our sense of sight but when we close our eyes, we can only see what we mentally recall, not the original vision. We are never able to reproduce exactly what our senses received because the mind records the information in our imagination, under the influence of former association and memories. These subjective mental patterns shape our whole perception of reality.
Each of us has a characteristic blueprint for the external world and the impressions which do not fit into this model are simply ignored or overlooked. When we are introduced to new ideas, we try to adopt them or cut mental expectation, they will be discarded. I encountered this in a very vivid way when I was in Bhutan. I was told about something called airplane and that can eat food inside and never spilled it inside. I have never heard of one before. Before 1976, there was no such thing in Bhutan. We have no airplane and train there. People told me the airplane was made of light metal and could fly very high with a loud noise. You could ride in it with more than hundred people, sleep in it and eat food. I tried to imagine this. I pictured a paper bird flying over and over on the empty space but I couldn't imagine drinking a cup of tea, eating food without spilling it because the image my mind produced gave me only a very partial understanding of the airplane. With his practice, we can confront the delusion of cyclic existence and free ourselves from them. Being human means we are likely to be happy but it is possible to look for a way out: to renounce the suffering of samsara, to transcend it.
Denial is a Special Subclass of Ignorance
The denial syndrome is very widespread today where the egoic mindset (delusion) is very strong. . Denial is where the egoic mind (asmita) denies, ignores, and avoids reality or true vision (vidya) chronically. Here one denies one's True Nature of Mind (swarupa-sunyam as in III.3) which prevents samadhi (communion). The ignorant will say that they prefer their own self created delusion of self conceit and gratification to what they understand as the delusion of samadhi. To them all is delusion (make believe fantasies of the mind). They will also confuse the freedom to think anything that pleases them as equal to kaivalyam (unconditional liberation/freedom). That is how deep strong associations (anusayi) with sukha (self gratification) can become in avidya, asmita, and raga.
The egoic mindset attempts to avoid pain and associate with pleasure. Pain and pleasure is something which is imputed by the mind. Pain does not exist as an entity. It does not exist outside the egoic mindset. In the ego's fear or avoidance of pain, they ignore situations, events, people, or circumstances which bring the ego pain. They confuse the events that they are escaping from, from the mindset which imputes. All the ego has to do is go away; that is the mechanism of imputation has to cease -- that which appears as a threat to the ego delusion, as a threat to one's self image, self conceit, self deceit, or pretension will the go away as a result.
For a yogi the problem is not out there in the world of events, but what is inside -- how one's neurophysiology relates/reacts to stimuli (either through acceptance or denial). Acceptance is not fatalism, rather one can not change situations effectively without first recognizing its reality fully, because wisdom is necessary for effective action. By ignoring a situation and its causes, ignorance will insure that the situation is never remedied. Therefore the yogi does not just pretend that the situation itself is unreal or becomes victim of wishful thinking (which are just other self gratifying delusions) -- the yogi doesn't numb out, protect, or insulate herself from reality in anyway, but rather faces reality and so called pain directly, fearlessly, and fully. The pain will be seen as non-existent just as the egoic pleasure, and that open mindset will transform how we see the event as well without the need to ignore/deny it nor impute another story upon it. Denial is all about egoic mental pain, where one "reality" or story becomes more pleasurable or gratifying to the ego, than the truth. In that defensive milieu evolutionary or spiritual change is held back in favor of egoic fixation and stasis -- a narrative where the egoic mind feels safe, secure, and supported by familiar trappings.
When denial occurs consciously, it takes the form of everyday defensiveness, where the egoic mind defends its position/place in the face of an imagined assault on its "integrity" or existence -- in the face of conflicting messages or contradiction which appear to threaten one's ego identity (samyoga). That process will be expanded upon in the following sutras about asmita and samyoga. That process is easier to recognize when it manifests as conscious guilt mechanisms of defensiveness, justification, or rationalization as "self" defense or armoring. However the defense mechanism of denial which remains unconscious, compulsive, and knee jerk is more difficult to root out as it manifests as a denial of denial - a root mechanism of self deceit, and hence delusion.
Please see the section on "AVOIDANCE" below and the section on PAIN (above) for a more thorough discussion the very insidious mechanism of denial as avoidance of reality-- our true nature.
Object of our Compassion: Truth of Suffering
Again denial is rooted in the desire to avoid pain, misgivings, or any non gratuitous, non-flattering, or unsatisfactory experience through mechanisms of self deceit. Hence denial encompasses the kleshas of avidya, raga, dvesa, and abhinivesa as will be revealed. When that mechanism is defeated, awakening and pure vision triumph. Although the pain is really in our mind, we foolishly associate it with an external object, just as we associate pleasure and happiness with the external object. Of course happiness is a state of mind, just as unhappiness (duhkha) is a state of mind. Because it is a state of mind, it does not mean that the state of mind is unreal. Even if the determination of this is pleasurable and that is painful is based on an error of thought, it does not mean that the error of thought does not exist or has no reality.
Two things are necessary in order to express genuine compassion. The first is having reached a level of unconditional lasting happiness oneself. Such is always based on non-dual transpersonal wisdom. Freedom from the wheel of samsara (suffering) and happiness are inextricably intertwined. Then one has to recognize the object of one's compassion *a suffering and afflicted being) and intend fully in body, speech, and mind for them to be free and happy. Although compassion can be expressed spontaneously and naturally these two elements have to be realized which means that one has to recognize the truth of suffering (caused by ignorance) and the cause of happiness in order to express genuine compassion expediently. To repeat compassion is not only the ability to be completely present with some one else's mindset of unhappiness, but also in its higher aspect the spontaneous expression of intending happiness for that being. A compassionate being does not lose their own happiness nor becomes swallowed up in the other person's mindset, rather the truly compassionate being holds that sacred space of unconditional happiness which is the non-attachment to the samsaric mindset in order to bring forth the desired result. The success and modality of such compassionate activity is dependent upon many factors in order for it to bear fruit. Hence wisdom and compassion form an inseparable team (upaya) as skilful means.
Religious and "New Age" Conceptual or Belief/Faith Based Errors
This subject has been dealt with extensively in I.7 (beliefs) and I.9 (conceptual fantasies), but these are directly related to the ideation process which is the first step in ego ignorance (avidya and asmita klesha), it may be helpful to talk about this specific mechanism of ignorance in the hope of revealing it and then releasing it, rather than to further ignore it (which is the more common approach which is more palatable to the egoic mindset. It is a trick of the mind to justify or negate the suffering experience of "others" by labeling it an illusion, unreal, as non-existent, as self created karma, or a mere hallucination. That is a cheap mental trick in order to cope with guilt or simply to justify one's right to be happy. True happiness or clarity and peace of mind however is not obtained in that way
In one sense this characterization may be true only if the person who is experiencing what is designated as "pain" wakes up to this fact themselves. Suffering for them then is overcome. That person is free of suffering, but it is a confusion to say that all other people have awoke because the Buddha has awoke or that because Jesus is coming. Rather Buddha and Jesus have to awake within each being for suffering to be eliminated. If the human being is living in the moment wand is able to bear its suffering and joys, then it is a fact that many beings on the planet are limited to a samsaric existence. They are unhappy. They are experiencing anguish, fear, depression, or suffering, etc., even though that samsaric state is based on an error of mind or ignorance. none-the-less that is their subjective experience in fact.
For example if the person understands that the so called pain is generated by the mind, and then sees through the indicator/designator to free oneself of their reactive mental state then that is a genuine spiritual realization, which differs from a mere conceptual thought that happiness is a state of mind, rather tha as a result of an experiential state where causes and conditions have become purified. This may require more elaboration, but in short beliefs and thoughts about the world and self should emanate from experiential practice. In faith/belief based systems experience is limited and dictated by the constraints of belief and concepts. Even if the beliefs and concepts appear to be utopian, they remain sterile and contrived if they have become the "bottom line".
In order to consciously become free from the samsaric mental mechanism, one has to awake from the dualistic sleep of ignorance (avidya) which includes all the kleshas. Those who do not, suffer in the chain of samsaric events. Awakening comes from consciousness not ignorance, denial, delusion, or fantasy. Although the samsaric state is a mental state, it can not be simply remedied by thought, as though mental states do not have causes. Rather the causes have to be eliminated. This is a key difference in conceptually based systems, faith/belief based religions, and many Western New Age thought who assume that belief or thought is the determining or primary factor. They say, "just change the thought or belief". Logically it does seem logical to say that "this world is all a delusion or illusion, so I will create my own-- I will create my own perfect salvation or adapt to someone else's". According to yoga that is not waking up, but rather simply more delusion and fantasy, albeit one becomes free from the tendencies of their past delusions, but then they simply create their own spider web on top of it.
For an authentic yogic practitioner, there arises a time in their progress where they realize the truth of samsaric existence, the cause of samsaric thinking, the cause of suffering, and its remedy which brings happiness and liberation. That remedy is not more fantasy (avidya) or delusion (asmita), nor is it ordinary happiness, rather normal happiness is a result of causes and conditions. The remedy is awakening -- coming into alignment with true vision (vidya) as in Sat-Cit-Ananda). This occurs when one purifies their past karma and steps into the realm of unconditional happiness after recognizing the true nature of their mind. It is not a smart mental trick, a contrived concept, nor a matter of belief. This can be a large lesson when the mind is deluded (lost in mechanisms of self deceit).
Although it would be nice to think or believe that samsaric mindsets do not exist or the mechanism of suffering could be ignored by simply negating it, denying its existence, labeling it an illusion, pretending that it is unreal, or attempting escape from it, unfortunately human events on the planet does not support such a fantasy. Rather in order to become free from effects, one must recognize and meet their causes without fear, antipathy, denial, or negativity. When that meeting is neither painful nor pleasurable but deep as-it-is, liberation occurs by itself. The fact of the existence of human suffering exists even for a Buddha or enlightened being. That doesn't mean that the buddha is suffering directly, rather the buddha has mastered and become free of any personal suffering through true understanding, but from the boundless transpersonal sphere, as long as any being is suffering, then the Buddha naturally desires out of his omnipresent infinite love to help all beings spontaneously, joyfully, and naturally. That is why the Buddhas are all compassionate, fearless, joyful, happy, all knowing, and wise, missing nothing and seeing everything. Even though the Awakened One (Buddha) resides in unconditional happiness and liberation he/she exhibits infinite love and compassion naturally through his boundless HeartMind in all dimensions.
Although many faith/belief based religions, New Age thinkers, and others attempt to short circuit "suffering" in order to talk oneself into a utopian everlasting bliss, it winds up as an egoic delusion because it is held together by the intellect. In yoga the goal is samadhi (swarupa-sunyam, III.3) which is a total transpersonal union with the multiverse beyond even the idea of separate beings -- beyond the concept of an object of our compassion which is beyond the words, concepts, and artifices of belief, but rather a natural all encompassing order which is available when the practitioner releases their conceptual thought processes. In samadhi love, compassion, ahimsa, satya, asteya, etc., are natural and spontaneous expressions coming from vidya (true vision) -- residing in the evolutionary power and expressing it. In yoga one does not talk oneself into or out of situations using words, concepts or beliefs, rather the yogi uses practices in order to experience truth directly. Here "view" is uncontrived, unfabricated, and uncompounded. It is not based on words, concepts, beliefs, or even memory. It is not limited by the citta-vrtti whatsoever. As progress in pure vision (vidya) becomes more pronounced, then samsara is not known as phenomena (the world), a thing, a place or object that has any true existence. Hence there is nothing to accept nor reject. Rather all phenomena reflect primordial consciousness -- their timeless source in its wholesome completion -- there is no separate independent self found within phenomena which is constantly morphing in what appears as a magical transconceptual display, once the wisdom eye is opened to perceive that.
In yogic self discipline the practitioner has to discover any ingrained ignorant and habitual mechanisms and flood that with the light of consciousness. The the discovery of everlasting light and love will be more present and available in true vision and happiness. In order to release our kleshas and negative mental habits such as the eight worldly dharmas we have to recognize them as they arise and treat them as teachers (such as the famous eight worldly dharmas). Then we have perspective, context, and awareness of these mechanism from a free space of pure consciousness. Eventually we recognize in our own lives what Buddha called the truth of suffering (a noble truth which brings us on the path toward happiness), It says that suffering is real when in the samsaric mindset. Samsara, being a state of mind and the result of causes and conditions) has to be first acknowledged/recognized. Then through awareness/recognition of the cause of suffering it can be entirely released. Then we can become free of those kleshic citta-vrtti through effective practice. That brings liberation and happiness. This is exactly what Patanjali is saying also. Once we become very free and clear, then we are able to recognize suffering in others, and naturally desire to help others. In some schools this self transformation and realization is said to require many years and lifetimes of focused practice, but also it occurs in the flash in the moment, not through belief or words, but through their surrender.
Buddha or Patanjali are not saying that suffering is the end point of course-- that suffering or the samsaric mindset is a prison that one can not leave, rather the opposite. Rather such an awareness is a starting point on the journey to liberation and happiness -- awakening. The teaching thus is first recognize your own conditioned and present situation whatever that may be. The more recognition (awareness), the less ignorance and denial. Then the causes are eventually disclosed, which are dissolved by the light of the higher consciousness which discloses them.. Then the passion and enthusiasm for liberation will become effortless and unimpeded and one will practice skillfully in pathways which will completely liberate beyond any conditions or stagnant limitations.
Then one experiences boundless "self" liberation. Then they are able to help others in All Our Relations. Yes, that place and time is Here and Now, absolutely, but unless one gives up the counterproductive habit of conceptualizing and belief based imputations upon reality, one continues to fall back into stagnant self limitations, asmita klesha, and other kleshic modalities. Te difference is that a fully realized Buddha is in nirbija samadhi -- present HERE and NOW all the time, while the ordinary person who is immersed in samsaric existence may rarely experience that awakened state consciously. It is extremely wise to know that difference. A samsaric being is most likely unaware that they are experiencing samsara or suffering at all, confusing it with happiness because they are mostly unconscious. They have to wake up first to their condition and renounce it joyfully and willfully when they are ready (or when conditions and causes are ripe). Yes, it is wise to approach other beings as potential Buddhas as all beings have this innate seed potential (Buddhanature) inside them waiting to sprout and grow. They are inheritors of the evolutionary power. So we meet this fuller evolutionary potential and aspiration and bring that forward as best we know how. At the same time it is wise not to confuse that innate potential (Buddha nature) with a fully realized Buddha Now which is a contractual arrangement found in New Age thought that says: "I'm awake, then you are awake -- play my game with me"..
Through true compassion (not just empathy) a yogi who abides in truth, does not stop at merely recognizing, hearing, or even feeling the suffering of another, say the anguish of a helpless crying child, but rather spontaneously aspires to bring forth their innate happiness and beauty in the greater context of All Our Relations. The latter assumes that the compassionate yogi is situated in clear vision already or at least knows about happiness and the cause of happiness. Otherwise how can that yogi effect any compassionate change; i.e., happiness.
That is the difference between passive empathy and active, vital, and spontaneously expressed compassion. The expression of compassion is neither depression nor sadness, rather it is the active expression of transpersonal love, generosity, happiness, and selfless service (seva) naturally and spontaneously due to authentic living in the heart essence (foundational space of the boundless HeartMind.. Again authentic compassion is a natural spontaneous expression emanating from true direct vision and happiness. It is not contrived or based on rules, roles, or moral dictates, fear of punishment, or desire for reward. If compassion is the desire for all others to experience happiness and know the cause of happiness, then one must be both happy and wise. One must live in unconditional happiness and embody it.
The chronic dysfunction found in most belief/faith religious systems that promise future rewards, other faith based systems based on rules of conduct, and much "New Age thought" which advocate positive thinking, wishful thinking, remedial thought formulations, and mental affirmations and visualizations is that there is an underlying assumption that says, "if we think it to be so and hold tightly to that belief with confidence or faith, then it will come to pass" or "if positive results do not occur it is because of our lack of faith/belief" or "positive thoughts have positive results, while negative thoughts have negative results". Granted the mind has great transformative power, but all these methods being constructed upon imputation upon "reality" create a make believe reality. In short just because one believes in something, that does not make them free from delusional thinking. To go further if New Age and Faith based belief systems learn the difference between positive thought, make believe, utopian conceptions and contrivance on one hand and Reality-as-it-is as revealed by virtue of the boundless HeartMind, then more effective action will occur with longer lasting benefit. In short it is far more effective to release delusional thought processes and desire first, to realize pure vision, and then simply reflect/express that transpersonal space in All Our Relations.
It is mere wishful thinking and self deceit (delusion) to believe that phenomena can be altered simply by thinking differently about things, although in New Age thought this concept is promulgated. Although thought may precede physical action, thought itself is an activity and is most often dictated by past causes (karma) until the spiritual practitioner starts to take responsibility to change one's thought patterns and karma. Real change does not happen by simply wishing things to happen. For a spiritual practitioner, the first step is in releasing/liberating mental thought patterns and habits. Then natural light (wisdom) will manifest by itself and motivate us forward from primordial consciousness to evolutionary power with integrity. Transconceptual and transpersonal wisdom then spontaneously arises instructing the yogi not by the intellect or will power, but through the boundless wisdom of the HeartMind. That is yoga as surrender and practice. After one has recognized the holographic nature of reality, then thoughts take on a new power, but transpersonal and transcognitive Heart essence wisdom always acts the guide in that realm. That possibility after one has discovered their true nature. Inwardly focused intent, samaya, sankalpa, aspiration, prayer, tapas, devotion, and the like may be valuable on the yogic path, but they are not enough -- not to be confused as the fruit. They serve to focus our energy and fuel our sadhana. It is true that our view or understanding of what is real or what is not real is dependent on how we process data (how we think), but what changes is our view, not the phenomena itself. Then perhaps one day if we are wise and lucky -- if our view actually coincides with what-is-as-it-is in clear vision (in vidya) -- when the citta-vrtti have become liberated or dissolved) or cancelled out, then expedient action and evolutionary change will arise in its full power. When that happens it will be experienced as very powerful in comparison with positive thinking.
Conceptually based belief systems, intellectuals, New Age thinkers, and faith based religions (Western or Eastern) confuse "reality" with the "view of reality"). With that confusion in mind (viparyaya), they then erroneously can conclude that suffering does not exist because it is based on a false view (of an ego and a separate phenomena). They may say since neither self or other truly exist separately, then there is no suffering; i.e., suffering is a lie. No doubt, intellectually that may be said to be the case in retrospect for one who has already realized the truth of "no-self" (who has merged at-wonderment with samadhi), but it is merely word constructs woven together through conceptual thinking and logic (vikalpa) which is delusional -- which has created that conclusion in the latter sense. That is a conceptual error and hence a severe self limitation (stuckness) is maintained.
In short all because one believes that something is true, to imagine that it is true is most likely an egoic delusion unless knows how to perform self inquiry/self analysis. Concepts about "self" that are flattering to the ego are very common. Here the egoic based person or group mind attempts to supplant or transfer their low sense of self esteem and deflated sense purpose upon a grander self image (ego identity) where they bequeath themselves a superior status. Instead of being based upon a deep sense of interconnectedness which is the result of realizing a vital co-creative sense of interdependence in All Our Relations, the individual or group ego confuses freedom with autonomy, insularity, aloofness, and superiority of the personal group vision as terms of separation/isolation. Taken to an extreme such forms the basis of sociopathic and psychopathic behavior.
In psychiatry, the term, neologism, is used to describe the creation of words which only have meaning to the person who uses them. It is considered normal in children, but a symptom of thought disorder indicative of a psychotic mental illness such as schizophrenia in adults. In schizophrenia the break between self and "other' is so pronounced as to be unintelligible to either disparate parts of "self", to others, or to both. Hence schizophrenia is the extreme psychopathic example of disconnectedness. Usage of neologisms may also be related to aphasia acquired after brain damage resulting from a stroke or head injury. Similarly specialized jargon created by groups, clubs, or religious organizations who share various insular or arrogant identities are often driven by similar needs, motives, and mechanisms. However when an entire society or culture has gone paranoid, psychotic, or schizoid, then such misunderstood and marginalized individuals and groups may actually be islands of sanity within a sea swells of mass deluded and non-virtuous kulture.
Pure vision (vidya) versus Ignorance (avidya)
In yoga, view is based on direct experience, not the other way around; i.e., direct experience is not limited or defined by view. It is not view either. The territory is never the map. From direct experience in samadhi, reality is determined. A liberated yogi lives in a reality of unconditional natural liberation and happiness, yet that same yogi acknowledges, recognizes, and respects that many others are imprisoned in the samsaric state of unhappiness. Until that direct experience of samadhi is remembered/firmly reestablished in all humans, reality dictates that there exist widespread suffering, victims of abuse, war, natural disasters, robbery, rape, exploitation, slavery, etc, all caused by the split off/disconnect from our pure original innate primordial vision -- linked by the innate intelligent evolutionary power. These victims often suffer greatly mentally. That suffering should be acknowledged as existing at least mentally. The yogi moves naturally and spontaneously to help those who are suffering, because to that yogi who abides in the boundless HeartMind," others" and self are one. They are not the same, but they are united/interconnected intimately. The yogi does not ignore nor deny it, yet he/she is not obsessed by it. Such simply comes with the great bliss of the territory. In "the world of samsara" (mental suffering due to dualistic confusion) there may be much which is called sukha and duhkha -- there is raga and dvesa -- but then there is samadhi or liberation and true and lasting happiness which lies outside that temporal spin. That unconditional happiness of unconditional liberation is not the same as the culmination of ordinary raga (in sukha). Through yoga the modifications of the view are removed (citta-vrtti nirodha), so that the view corresponds to reality (vidya) as-it-is. That occurs through yogic practice which lead to direct realization beyond the limitations of the intellect to interdict.
So in yoga, in our quest to samadhi -- to being truly present here and now- we disregard any views that are distracting, that are conceptually based, belief based, or faith based --. the result of mere mental manipulation of words (symbolic representations as they are).
Imputations of pain and suffering are indeed wiped out through direct realization which in turn alters our mental processing, but that direct realization can not be realized through the process of mental manipulation (vikalpa) according to Sri Patanjali. Although suffering and pain is based on ignorance or confusion, it is the truth of samsaric existence. Indeed ignorance, confusion, bondage, and suffering do exist -- the citta-vrtti exist, the kleshas exist, and thus for those so afflicted suffering (duhkha) exists.
Truth is based on self study and recognition, not ignorance, denial, delusion, or wishful thinking. This is the teaching of Sri Patanjali and Buddha. Once the errors of false associations (avidya, asmita, raga, dvesa, and samyoga) are recognized, one moves closer to eventually releasing them. If one stays fixated`in denial (in wishful fancy) liberation will be resisted. Reality can appear threatening to people who feel that their whole world and "self" would collapse without their favorite kingpin in place; yet if they could learn to celebrate change, they will be reborn in a far more fertile evolutionary field suffused with evolutionary energy.
For a fully realized yogi in samadhi, there is no longer any personal pain. Simultaneously experiencing Great Bliss, that yogi expresses spontaneously infinite boundless compassion in eternal love and happiness and brings that happiness and love forward naturally as the natural spontaneous living expression of THAT. In the relative sense the yogi has the heartfelt desire that all beings be liberated from the wheel of samsara arise naturally from direct experience. This is a natural result of authentic yogic practice. Because one yogi realizes full samadhi, that does not mean that all beings have entered samadhi, at least such has been the process in the past, however as Buddhafields grow and the truth grows -- as pure vision and awakening grows, then this realization also becomes contagious. In the fourth stage of enlightenment, the realized yogi interacts with integrity through supramental (awakened consciousness) realization with supernature (by seeing the true natural form of shakti) on an evolutionary level opening up deeper and multiplicit dimensions of being and seeing (buddhaverses/multiverses), thus forming holographic doorways -- empty gates into full and total Being and Seeing which become visible portals to other beings. Only in legends and wisdom tales do we hear the story of the coming Buddha from Shambhala who will be able to lift all beings into samadhi upon his/her complete awakening. Theoretically such is possible, but Sri Patanjali does not advise one to wait around to become liberated through another's activity, but rather to practice diligently, with wisdom, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity toward all realizing that wholistic state of samadhi beyond limited concepts of time and space, always accessible to those yogis who are most intent -- who are so focused, aligned, and united.
Jai Durga Ma!
Commonly, subconscious reactive mechanisms of denial are activated whenever it becomes too painful or unbearable for the egoic mind to accept the truth of the situation. This happens to those whose nadis are under-developed -- they short circuit into mechanisms of dvesa (aversion). For example fight or flight syndromes may manifest when an ego perceives a threat. Complex guilt mechanisms are good examples. One such dissociative mechanism may occur when one commits an act of destruction, an unspeakable violence, a heinous crime, or severe injury by accident, without intent, or in a schizoid manner, to some one or thing that they love or cherish, or treasure. Being painful, the pleasurable alternative becomes to disown the action, to disown responsibility, to ignore the event occurred or to color it in a self gratuitous framework of delusion or conceit. This may happen entirely unconsciously and compulsively and become chronic and habitual.
For example it is more convenient and self gratuitous to believe that as a Brit, the British provided moral direction and superior culture to the colonized Africans; that the Spanish provided a superior moral and religious civilization to the indigenous North American Indians whom they lied to, cheated, pillaged, robbed, murdered and enslaved; that the crusaders in the Middle East were doing the work of the prince of peace by murdering infidels, and so on. These are only a few obvious examples of the denial mechanism of self deceit (ego delusion) operating in everyday life. This is the main mechanism why people do not learn and continue to evolve spiritually. Complex mechanisms of guilt are mechanisms of deep self deceit (delusion) where one tells oneself a story of justification to boost their feelings of low self esteem. Racial, nationalistic, religious, provincial, and ethnic pride is one such story.
Ultimately ignorance (avidya) is denial of the true Self (asmita). It is the dimming or obscuration of the original clear light/vision. Post traumatic stress disorder is one very common example where the egoic mind finds the situation too painful to accept or assimilated, hence one dissociates from their deepest feelings, numbs them out, or attempts escape via denial mechanisms such as shock, "I can't believe it, it's too horrible to believe, I am numbed out, speechless, breathless, lost, disorganized, overwhelmed, and so forth". Pain, dissociation, aversion, or shock is one such mechanism which blocks the message pathway and obstructs the awareness when the pain threshold is reached or overwhelmed. It is ideal to have no pain threshold; i.e., being ABLE to face the truth in all situations without pain, aversion, denial, guilt, pride, or ignorance. Eventually the truth will take one to alignment with great inexpressible beauty, bliss, union, and liberation, but on the way various frontiers must be crossed by not clinging -- by opening up.
Once some one is numbed out to their deepest feelings (be it painful or pleasurable) they no longer are capable of trusting their innate sensitivity, intuition, insight, transconceptual (nirvikalpa) inner wisdom, or transpersonal heart essence, hence they chronically live inside a limited superficial dimension defined by their armored denial mechanisms. Through yogic practice (secondary causes) one's mindstream, karma, samskaras, kleshas, and vasana (old habits or tendencies) will at first become weakened and then purified. What will result is pure vision. Then the yogi operates beyond the causal plane free from conceptual grasping in the profound eternal present.
Practice:
Just like the past practice sit or stand quietly and take a few deep and conscious healing breaths utilizing the diaphragm. Take one more breath. Now scan the present contents of your mind (or memory in the past day) for residues of avidya or painful experiences where you have taken objects as independent - as self existing by themselves, as separate from its causal factor, and mutual inter-relationship with all other beings and things. Allow the universe to resettle around this very much expanded inter-dependent co-creative integral universal vision. Breathe in again and allow this integral multiverse to expand and resettle again and again until a steady depth and joyous light which is free from craving or angst dawns. Breathe into this self luminous space again and again recognizing it as your natural condition -- as natural all pervading clear light and pure vision. If limited self identifications arise, recognize them for what they are release them. Over and over again surrender to the innate Buddhanature that wishes to express itself in light and love.
In the natural healthy sane state of innate pure being (swarupa), suffering tendencies and negative feelings are eventually rejected naturally and effortlessly move into light, beauty, and love in wisdom. Bathing in that transconceptual space and light, we rest. Lacking that wisdom or light, we fall into samsaric existence and pain.
Now Patanjali describes the four remaining principle kleshas, which can combine/commingle with each other to form a plethora of afflictive conditions and negative karma, forming a vicious circle of suffering (samsara), that is the tragedy until the cycle is broken. This process is observed both in daily life, but best finely honed in meditation.
Christopher Chapple translates this sutra simply as:
"Ignorance is seeing the the non- eternal; as eternal, the impure as pure, dissatisfaction as pleasure, and the non-self as self."
II. 6. Drg-darsana-saktyor eka atmata iva asmita
The obstruction called asmita (ego delusion) is the result of the more specific process of confusing the inherently transpersonal and eternal powers and processes of consciousness with that of individual intellectualization or cognition which then results in faulty identification with fragmented existence (ekatma) -- a fabricated sense of a separate "I" or ego.
drg: the action of seeing/observing
darsana: what is seen, the object of seeing, that which is revealed
saktyor: power. Here the power of seeing or revealing.
ek: one
atma: self
iva: as if
eka atmata iva: As if it were one self.
asmita: the view of self as being separate and independent within a limited subject/object (I/it) dualistic framework. Asmita is the result of a fundamental confusion where the intellect creates the fantasy of separation from the foundation of all/source, hence a sense of spiritual alienation and fragmentation is created, wherefrom desire for completion (raga) and the objective sense of ownership or lack is fabricated. In short asmita is the egoic mindset that defines oneself as being separate and independent from primordial cause and the intelligent evolutionary force/energy. The English word, pride or the Greek word, ego, is often used by translators, but they are inaccurate terms as understood from within the egoic mindset perspective. Asmita can not be understood accurately from within confusion, yet Sri Patanjali, by explaining its role as an obscuration allows us to identify the mechanism as it comes up in daily life and hence allows us to consciously liberate from that mental mechanism. Perhaps a better word in English for "asmita" is the mindset of delusion, self deceit, or the false identification of an imaginary and confused separate or contrived "self", which when fixated upon (such as in prideful associations) resists the conscious participation with reality. Most often delusions are somewhat unconscious, but in all cases they are the result of ignorance of the true essential self, swarupa. Solipsism is a subset of asmita..
Commentary: Another way of saying this is that asmita (as false identification) occurs when we falsely identify the power of seeing drg-darsana-saktyor as emanating from a separate self (ekatmatevasmita) while in truth the Infinite power of consciousness (cit-sakti) being omnipresent, universal, unbounded, and all pervasive emanates simultaneously both from within ourselves and within all things, while the intellect (buddhi) and manas (egoic mental functioning) is but a reflection (darsana) of that primordial eternal and infinite omnipresent spirit. The appearance of a separate power of intelligence apart from primordial consciousness reinforces the delusion of a separate self standing as an alone seer (drg). Hence duality is reinforced by this non-recognition, because one has just reinforced the citta-vrtti of a fixated objectified field of consciousness which is defined as separate from the observer. In short the power of consciousness and also self identity is mistakenly attributed given to the intellect (buddhi) rather than listening/seeing from Infinite Mind in All Our Relations. In short, asmita identifies and defines itself within the purview of avidya, thus holding on to confusion and the citta-vrtti as an ego-survival mechanism, versus vidya - open now awareness. This is misidentification, where the ego (false self) misidentifies with the fluctuations of the mind field (citta-vrtti) as defining a separate objectified "self"(drg), hence a dualistic field of consciousness is seen, rather than swarupa (the true self as defined by Patanjali as swarupa-sunyam in III.3, which is one's own primordial true nature. (See I.3-4).
Where delusion is self induced "consciously" as in solipsism, such beings are more resistant to waking up than those who are afflicted unconsciously. The unconsciously deluded human may be merely confsued, hypocritical, self contradictory, and corrupt because of a lack of inner integrity of thought -- avidya. That person can desire clarity/truth and find it. On the other hand the trickster, actor, consciously dishonest person, professional conman, or liar has made adecision to obscure the truth and in many cases to obscure/hide it from others. That type of deceit is still delusion, butthe deluded person imagins that they are free, informed, and undeluded. They mistake conscious awareness of their mask, as conscious awareness of reality -- the true nature of their own mind and of nature.
Asmita is thus a fundamental result of ignorance where in the process of ideation, one speculates the true existence of a separate self as observer and hence "the observed). That is the solidification the dualistic fog (of samprajnata). In samadhi (III.3) according to Patanjali, there exists no separate independent self and hence no separate independent object. That does not mean that, illusion exists, rather that it is illusory, a reification, projection, conceptualization, or worse a belief in fragmented dualistic systems. Such grasping has to be let go or even further immersion in samsara and dukha will result. Samadhi is the transconceptual goal to be gleaned in the present (now and in All Our Relations, not to be philosophically grasped/adhered to, but rather experienced through non-dual transconceptual yogic practices.
In asmita-klesha, the identifier ("I") stubbornly identifies as a separate "self apart from the primordial source and its intelligent evolutionary power (creation) which is the error of the atman thinking itself separate from Brahman. Instead of thinking oneself into a self limiting box (citta-vrtti), the larger all inclusive transpersonal Reality or Self which is boundless and all pervasive awaits to be recognized should we seek it.
When consciousness is obstructed and does not see in clear vision the true nature of "Self" as Universal Self (as swarupa-sunyam in III.3), then an impure substitute view is established as a result of this separation/replacement. This manufactured or contrived ersatz reality is called asmita. This artificial construct, because it is lacking in Self recognition and "reality", it is constantly trying to establish its security, sense of self worth, meaning, purpose, and survival, thus it prevents its own self liberation. That is the tough shell that asmita builds around itself as its egoic self centered, self defensive, and self constructed mindfield (citta-vrtti ). Asmita assumes ownership, and with ownership there is fear of losing, anxiety, possessiveness, jealousy, hatred, or attachment, all of which limit consciousness and being. The pleasure thus derived is limited and far less palatable that the unity of pure consciousness, pure beingness, and pure bliss (Sat-Cit-Ananda). Asmita like avidya and all the other kleshas may appear desirable or rational, yet it not only creates negative karma and suffering, but is the embodiment of suffering itself, even when the ego is being stroked. There are many examples. For example, after a difficult work week at the office putting up with the boss and co-workers, one goes to what they consider a wild and exciting party where he over-drinks alcohol, takes harmful drugs, over-eats, yells loudly, tries to rape a female, and gets into a fight. That person may conclude that they had a great time, but in reality it was merely reflexive; i.e., a release of tensions due to a repressive work and family life -- a temporary karmic release which on that level felt good , but on another level, hurt one's body, one;s mindstream, other people, and ones future karmic consequences. This person may call that a good time, but a yogi may feel compassion for the party goer. Similarly there are so many energy sucks and negative karma involved when ego driven people seek ego gratification in fancy clothes, cars, objects, friends, status, status symbols, control and dominance over others, gossip, condemnation of others, mutual self admiration, and so on. For example, one may go to a victory party after the victory of your ball team, your company, your war, your this or that, but although superficially that seems exhilarating or pleasurable, a deeper look would disclose that it is the result of suffering, lack of self esteem, negative emotions, or simply because one was not feeling good about oneself previously. Again it was a reflexive happiness based on a temporary release of negativity.
A consequence of asmita are jealousy and envy. The element of envy is strongest when one is separated/split from Self because one's innate meaning, purpose, and vision (and hence true self worth) are absent, hence low self-esteem becomes a symptom of the disconnect from this primary spiritual relationship. Mentally comparing one's hollow self image situation with others in terms of status, privilege, will increase one's self hatred and pain which is then projected outward as jealousy, envy, or even a desire to do harm to others in a vain and perverse attempt to erase one's own pain. Although anger, hatred, and envy is often defined as pain caused by the good fortune of others, it is mostly due to our own adopted super ego (inner censor) which tells us that we are not good enough. That only occurs when we are not engaged in life in a meaningful way -- where our spiritual self purpose is not being fulfilled in life.
Kant defined envy as:
"a reluctance to see our own well-being overshadowed by another's because the standard we use to see how well off we are is not the intrinsic worth of our own well-being but how it compares with that of others".
In the "ordinary" state of dualistic consciousness, where on thinks of oneself as a separate self (asmita), the seer is not aware that one's vision is being severely limited by this false identification or bias. When we view an object of cognition in that framework of duality where there is a separate self viewing a separate "self" (as object) but we are not aware of this duality but rather falsely understand it to be one process (eka), then we suffer from the particular manifestation of avidya called asmita (or ego sense), rather than as being a participant and reflection of the universal transpersonal Undifferentiated Eternal Source which permeates and animates the entire universe. In truth the "self" does not exist separate apart from the universal laws (dharma) of the universe, but rather can only be said to exist (if at all) as an intimate and intricate part of a whole system.
Simply put asmita is attachment to limited`views about self and the world as any dualistic and fragmented view of of an independent separate self and "other" (ek atman) is subject to, no matter how refined and subtle. rather such a fragmented view of self and other serves as an obscuration. The view or map is not the territory. Rather the yogi who desires liberation must take the path/practice into the view.
Asmita occurs when the ego identifies with the citta-vrtti (see I.5) and especially the tenacious pramana-vrtti (I.7) which is attachment to so called "right views". On the other hand, samadhi is the integration of a transpersonal non-dual " seer" (asamprajnata) in pure vision (vidya) beyond even the most subtle identification (nirvicara). But asmita is dualistic (samprajnata). Asmita is the hindrance/obscuration or affliction (klesha) of the delusional mind that identifies oneself falsely as a separate entity (self), ego. In short asmita is an ego delusion, an arrogance, a compensatory sense of self worth or pride, a self deceit, a desire for recognition, status seeking, power mongering, and related combinations and permutations all tinged with avidya (ignorance).
In comparison in order to avoid confusion, this sutra is often interpreted as saying that asmita occurs when the seer and the the seen are experienced as one. What is perhaps more clear is to say, that asmita (egoic delusion) is the result when the self (atma) is identified as one with (eka) phenomena and/or defined by objects and external events. These objects may be defined by external phenomena, social standing, orders, status, privilege, comparative advantage, caste systems, nationality, race, religion, parents, peers, loved ones, teachers or any other external method. However in authentic yoga what is required always is true "Self" knowledge which comes from practice. The true self is not a separate independent entity capable of standing alone or isolated by itself (III.3).
There are many definitions of (S)elf/(s)elf. One is the atma separate or independent from Brahman. That is asmita. Then there is the purusa as defined by samkhya as being separate, withdrawn and independent from everything (the passive Brahman). Then there is the Self as all inclusive presence inherent and implicate in all as all -- everywhere and all pervasive (the active Brahman). Then finally there is the expression of that Self as true Self in action-- when the yogi becomes the empty vessel for the evolutionary power (kundalini) or call it divine will if you will.
Of course for the non-yogi, consciousness has become conditioned/corrupted to identify with and be defined by "appearances and symbols (separate objects) or "phenomena" (citta-vrtti). Such (such is the ordinary dualistic state of samsara - duhkha. In the modern age arrogance and pride are knee jerk afflictive and often stubbornly addictive compensatory emotions where the victim attempts to defend and build up their ego insecurity by reinforcing their delusion through methods of self aggrandizement, justification, arrogance, denial of any wrong doing, avoidance of seeing past faults, demonization or condemnation of others, self righteousness, inflated sense of superiority -- in short through the many self deluding reactive methods of arrogance and denial. Asmita is one of the most difficult kleshas to remedy, because the ego misidentifies with itself and thus falsely misinterprets signals that do not support its delusional assumptions as threats to "ego self", thus either defending "ego selfhood" and/or attacking the purveyors of the signals (truth bearers and truth bearing seeds). Arrogance, hubris, overbearing pride, conceit, smugness, narcissism, dismissiveness, presumption, cavalierism, condescension, pretension, prejudice, pompousness, disdain, imperiousness, haughtiness, braggadocio, smugness, cockiness, over confidence, snobbery, patronage, affectiveness, vanity, mockery, causticness, flashiness, prestigious, snootiness, boorishness, foppishness, ostentation, self centeredness, self cherishing, self involvement, egocentricity, ego mania, close mindedness, narrow mindedness, jealousy, competitiveness, sibling rivalry, desire for fame, prestige, or status, etc., primarily are variants of and/or an admixture of asmita with raga, dvesa, abhinivesa, and/or the other vagaries of avidya.
“A collective ego manifests the same characteristics as the personal ego, such as the need for conflict and enemies, the need for more, the need to be right against others who are wrong . . . . Can you see any of those characteristics in a group you are part of—your company, team, organization, church, country?"
Eckhart Tolle
Such activities shape group egos, the silent conspiracies of mass delusion, and the destructive activities of mass hysteria, pogroms, genocide, racism, nationalism, and war. That these forces are mostly unconscious and in denial in the mass populace, unscrupulous "leaders" such as demagogues have manipulated and exploited people as their willing slaves, concubines, and soldiers for thousands of years. This is exactly the building blocks that the kleshic aspect from which the pramana citta-vrtti is constructed. Delusions, shame, guilt, scapegoating, nationalism, racism, sexism, chauvinism, xenophobia, prejudice, war, pogroms, and intolerance are reinforced and amplified by negative group peer pressure based on ignorance (avidya), self deceit, conceit, and delusion (asmita). Also concomitant with that a powerful collective karma is formed as well.
Self absorbed, narcissistic, or egocentric individuals tend toward delusions of pride and superiority, which tends to join groups which reinforce their common delusion and conceit such as organizations that reinforce group pride, racial, national, religious supremacy, or similar supremist organizations. Much of what is called radical fundamentalism and all other chauvinistic tendencies stem from this narcissistic need to reinforce one's already diminished feelings of self worth and false identification. Narcissism as a specific modality of asmita is indeed a compensatory mechanism derived from lack of clear meaning, innate purpose, and hence true sense of identity rooted in swarupa. Such chauvinistic and defensive groups seeking self justification thus feed one's need for delusion and self deceit (asmita).
Such people seek out like-minded support groups and teachings/teachers and ideologies which tell them how great and superior they are as compared to other groups which differ from them, thus encouraging provincial close mindedness, while avoiding, disparaging and/ or demonizing the harbingers of different minded groups or messengers that contradict their predilections and narrow mindedness. People who have been stripped of their own ability to think for themselves, to trust their innate feelings, to believe in their innate wisdom, goodness, or buddha nature, are particularly vulnerable to this dangerous distraction. Ignorance of Self again being the root cause of all the other kleshas. See I.17 and I.18 for the difference between samprajnata (with asmita-raga) and asamprajnata (non-dual/acognitive) realization.
Asmita pertains NOT only to mere identification with sense
objects, but identification in general, " the very idea of self
ownership issues, "I am-ness”, the ideation process, ego sense,
self centeredness, self image, one's view of "self" in the
world, and hence all that goes along with that such as
identification with citta-vrtti elements of attachment,
things, status, comparative power, security, jealousy, privilege,
will for power, control over others, competitiveness, the need
to condemn/debase others and elevate one’s ego image,
being a hotdog, smart ass, know it all, show off,
inferior/superior, the need for intellectual ownership, lust for
fame, self importance, haughtiness, arrogance,
superiority/inferiority complexes, hubris, nationalistic
pride, religious pride, religious supremacy, racial
supremacy, ethnic superiority, bigotry, intolerance, the need
for political prowess, the need to belittle or blame others,
sexual supremacy, greed/possessiveness, chauvinism,
provincialism, and so forth all of which fall within the
definition of asmita, which are not limited to sense objects, but
rather the mind. Letting go of what we think we know, our beliefs
about self; or mental fixations and patternings have to be included
in this housecleaning. That is the power of vairagya to accomplish
(see I.12-18) as well as the other yogic practices. When we no
longer limit/imprison ourselves to any specific I/it "thingness" in
the morass of habituated conceptualized subject/object duality,
then all hindrances fall away revealing all. When ego approaches
zero, consciousness approaches infinity). Then we can truly open up
to the unlimited boundless HeartMind.
"We should experience everything totally, never withdrawing into ourselves as a marmot hides in its hole. This practice releases tremendous energy which is usually constricted by the process of maintaining fixed reference points. Referentiality is the process by which we retreat from the direct experience of everyday life."
- HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Taken as such, asmita, is a rather very large player in causing self limitation, constriction, citta-vrtti, and negative karma. Asmita and avidya form the basis of turtle shell egoic armoring, withdrawal, fear, defensive, aggressive, prideful, bigoted, dogmatic, and close- minded activities of mind, speech, and body. All the rest of the kleshas are variants and extensions of avidya and asmita. Indeed Sri Patanjali mentions asmita as a primary impediment in many places and the limitation in samprajnata (dualistic cognition) as the limitation of apara-vairagya in I.17 and versus para-vairagya (as in asamprajnata) non-dual states (I.18). The transpersonal is an intimate partner with non-dual because there is no subject/object duality in asamprajnata (I.18).
The Final Victory over Mara
There are countless numbers of myriad types of sufferings due to asmita, as delusion and self deceit. Buddha definitely addressed this mechanism of self deceit, as the root cause of delusion called, Mara. Mara is the embodiment of all the kleshas. Mara is a fabricated ideation of the conceptual mind which imputes a conceptual error of a separate self, the ego (atman), independent or apart from primordial source consciousness -- as apart from the evolutionary force. Hence a spiritual estrangement becomes fixed. As such, asmita, is the fundamental player in delusion (Mara) whom Buddha defeated on the night of his enlightenment -- where the word, buddha, simply means to wake up from delusion.
Again this is not to be understood intellectually or conceptually by the discursive mental faculties, rather delusion is a mechanism to identify in our daily practice (through awareness) and then once recognized, it can be liberated. Delusion is not an illusion. On Buddha's long dark night of enlightenment, his last obstacle was to defeat mara. the seductress/deceiver. Mara being nothing other than self deceit/delusion, he could not use delusion to destroy delusion -- he could use the dualistic mind to destroy dualism, nor could he use the intellect, words, or concepts. Buddha paid little attention to mara's lies, temptations, and threats, rather he immersed himself in non-dual absorption -- in profound interdependence with all beings and things as his rightful place, empty of a separate independent self. Hence he achieved selflessness. Losing aloneness, the Buddha gained thusness with all beings and things, in all dimensions and times, In Buddha's final victory over mara, Buddha touched the earth as his vajrasana -- as the seat of total unquestioned enlightenment, summoning all of creation as his witness. This act symbolized engagement and connection, rather than negation, isolation, or avoidance. In short the wavering all reflective mirror of nature, stemming all the way back to the beginning of time, reflected back to Buddha testifying to his final and complete enlightenment, as Mother Nature bore witness without any possibility of mentally contrived guile, fear, or separation.
Buddha's awakening story emphasizes that waking up is not about telling ourselves a better story, conceptualizing or visualizing a better more perfect world, but rather when all mental contrivances of the intellect cease, then in that transconceptual (nirvikalpa) wordless state aprapancita) the rain cloud of dharma bestows its inconceivable blessing. There is nothing to do, but much to undo -- not do by opening up to what-is-as-it-is devoid of contrivation or artificiality, pure from the beginning..
Asmita as Delusion: The Mother of all Vikalpas, Pramana, Viparyaya, Dissociation, Fragmentation, Spiritual Alienation, Dvesa, Raga, Parigraha, and other Kleshas
The kleshas are the glue that hold together the samsaric mindset whose hallmark is unhappiness. Samsara is based on ignorance (avidya) of pure vision (vidya) -- it is a disconnect and interruption from primordial consciousness. Although it is true that primordial consciousness is immutable, its presence or recognition in human beings can vary considerably according to the play of karma and klesha. The error of asmita (separate self) or rather ideation, is the building block for further discomfort and suffering. It is a result of a primal rend from Primordial Consciousness and its innate evolutionary power.
"The experience of samsara consists basically in one being forced to view oneself as the grasper (grahaka), the enjoyer (bhoktr), the knower (jnatr) of all beings, which are then viewed as the graspable (grahya), the enjoyable (bhojya), the knowable (jneya). There one cannot help mentally constructing the distinction between the subject and the object, the grasper and the graspable, the enjoyer and the enjoyable."
"A Buddhist Doctrine of Experience: A New Translation and interpretation of the Works of Vasubandhu the Yogacarin" by Thomas A. Kochumuttom
That above quote takes the dualistic position of a separate self and separate object within the limited context of monism. That samsaric error does not account for the true Self (which is empty) wherein the boundless mind is disclosed. See the discussion of samyoga starting at II.17 for more on monism, which is a confusion of one thing as being the same as another distinct thing, where absolute monism says that all things are the same. However in yoga all things are interdependent having no separate existence of their own, but not the same. Even on the lowest level of karma, they are created by prior causes and ripen by conditions, and being temporary and subject to karma and conditions they transmute, change, and are impermanent. In short they are not self existing. But that is just the lowest level of realization of karmic laws and a and the truth of impermanence of phenomena and observed objects (physical or mental) as pointed out clearly in I.17 and I.18. Beyond that is when the yogi steps free from karma and the samsaric mindset. Then he/she steps free from dualistic conceptualization processes (Vikalpa and samprajnata mentations). This is an inconceivable experienced which is catalyzed via yoga sadhana. It can not be reached by the intellect (buddhi), the ordinary mind (manas), and most certainly not by the egoic mindset.This will be further elaborated upon in II.17 above.
Where we have widespread and fixated mental confusion (avidya) as limited false identification (samyoga) we do not know "self". Often one's mindstream becomes confused by society, friends, religious leaders, eternal authority, standards, and peers as to what is true and what is false, what is the purpose of life, what is real, and who is self.. what-is-as-it-is. Often the young person either accepts blindly the authority of his culture, parents, religion, nation, and/or peers, or they rebel away from it, or they become discouraged as to having confidence that they will ever think it out for themselves. This quest for "self", truth, or "identity" can be very daunting and even overwhelming to young people. The stress and conflict, appearing overwhelming, can have tragic results especially in adolescence when the intellectual facilities come into blossom alongside sexual feelings which often conflict with Western societal standards. This is where inner conflict can arise, multiple personality disorders, dissociation from one's won feelings and different "selves", repression of certain parts of the self and the attempt to put another "self" on top; i.e., internal repression, inhibition, dissociation, and fragmentation. To avoid that tension of so many voices telling one what they should do and how to see the world and self, many often will simply "cave-in" and attempt to adapt to a chosen ideology or authority, to societal norms, even if it is a repressed society. This is done by inhibiting one's own feelings and their own critical thought abilities. That severe split is the primal trauma which calls for healing in adult life no matter how buried it may be. In an repressed and authoritarian society it is rare that this ability to to think for oneself critically and creatively survives in a functional way, let alone one's innate ability to question unexamined assumptions, especially those built upon on's adaptation or compromise with "reality" and self. In that circumstance it is rare to continue on the quest which most often involves leaving home (symbolically or literally), going/thinking outside the box, breaking taboo, dismissing the prison of cultural conditioning and standards, questioning religious ideology, nationalistic, provincial, or ethnic pride eventually discovering universal knowledge-- Self knowledge which is the wholy quest that the authentic yogi must travel. For the true yogi, no compromise in this regard is possible. One must be ruthless with the egoic mechanisms rooting out delusion/self deceit. Here one will find that one's most favorite and self gratifying delusions and illusions will be the most tenacious -- the most resistant to surrender. The more these are challenged, the more resistance and kleshas will be brought up to the surface.
Hence the so called "identity crisis" usually very "pointed" at puberty or at the time of "change of life" have neurobiological and energetic components which is addressed by authentic yoga, which impacts also upon the mind, emotions, and world view simultaneously. In fact this process is ongoing to some extent 24/7 during one's entire life as each moment presents a miraculous choice and opportunity to those who are still fully alive and intact (have kept alive integrity and connection with spirit alive). Here the accessibility to an non-ideological spiritual community (sangha) and daily practice (sadhana) is a valuable aid. Surrounded by loving, conscious, and liberated beings (or those firmly dedicated) is helpful in critical times where one must let go of delusions, pretensions, ideology, false beliefs, and deception that are rife in the general society, that are popular, or even epidemic. In short, the lies that we must exorcise and cease to believe, are also the same limited beliefs and stories that are dominant and limit our immediate society as a whole, unless that society is itself truly enlightened (just believing it as so is just another mass delusion). A critical analysis of mass behavior (society) will disclose an underlying psychology of mass delusion, belief about self, and ideology.
Just as vikalpa (mental thought constructs and imputations) are the building blocks of asmita (I-Amness or ideation), so too does asmita hold together vikalpa and reinforce it. In addition samyoga (false identification) depends upon it. The same goes for pramana and viparyaya vrtta, once they a world view is formulated in terms of self and other, in terms of "I/it" object relations, a house or prison (citta-vrtti) for a separate self is constructed. This is untrue only in one situation; e.g., when the world view imputes a world of no separate self (anatman or sunyata) or put in another way a universal Self where where atman and brahman are one). As has been pointed out just the belief in such a world view (correct pramana) is no guarantee of its realization, discovery, or direct experience which is effected in the Yoga Sutras as the result of experiential practices which augment our natural alignment, self coherence, resonance, and union in All Our Relations.
Of course Patanjali does not talk about the kleshas (especially asmita) or the citta-vrtti as some fairy tale or abstract concept. Quite the opposite. Kleshas show up and are operational all the time all over the planet in most people as an obstruction/repression of the innate intelligent evolutionary power which desires to come out but is repressed. That’s what is very admirable about Sri Patanjali and Buddha, as there is no pretension or wishful ivory tower thinking which skirts the actual situations, rather he recognizes suffering as problem areas and cuts it, so that one can be filled with consciousness and life! An awakened being can see clear examples on how asmita shows up in the world, through man's countless wars, violence, oppression, greed, abuse, hatred, prejudice, thievery, lies, and destruction which perpetuates suffering for all beings. The converse is true; i.e., that when the obscurations created by the kleshas are attenuated and dissolved -- when the false compensatory self that appears separate from the all is seen as a delusion -- empty in itself, then the HeartMind will open -- Great Compassion will manifest spontaneously and naturally and in the end the brightness of the implicate intelligent evolutionary evolutionary creative force will be recognized by all human beings, honored, respected, and revered as reverence for all life. For more on this topic see the discussion under pramana (I.7). vikalpa (I.9), and further below on samyoga (limited and false identification),
How Does Asmita Show up in Meditation?
For example, I am sitting. I notice the room and the body sitting, and my body and the wall, the window, I wonder about the safety of my car, my job, my wife, my stocks, my status, my boss, my dog ... and so forth. I possess objects of thoughts and become attached to pleasant memories and try to grasp hold of them or run away from unpleasant thoughts that reflect negatively upon my status or sense of importance. All these, more or less can occur when hindered with asmita klesha – that is until we apply the remedy. Just an example. Asmita is ego *self* the observer in dualistic limited false identifications.
HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche"We shouldn't make a division in our meditation between perception and field of perception."
Here HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche is referring to recognition or awareness that the process of ordinary perception is ordinarily colored, limited, and dominated by the field of what we think we are perceiving. Indeed our tilt, bias, "perspective", way of seeing, determines "what" we see normally. If we take note of that situation then the first recognition of viveka occurs, and hence with that recognition of the limitation placed upon the field of consciousness (citta-vrtti) by the ordinary mind can cease holding the mind captive, , hence liberating consciousness compensate for the vantage point of the seer.
We become aware of the power of primordial pure awareness which is not dependent upon the intellect (buddhi) or ego (separate self) - we become aware of the innate effortless power of pure transpersonal awareness itself. We start cultivating openness to that awareness through practice so that once we become more conscious of it -- recognize it more often. Then we welcome that into our daily life increasingly. Being able to access that in our daily life more often, then the meditation sittings begin and end at with more ease and continuity providing an opportunity to go deeper faster. The practice empties the mind of thought forms (vikalpa) and dualistic tendencies as we become more closely aligned with our true transpersonal and transcognitive nature (swarupa-sunyam).
Instead of having the citta-vrtti define self and other, this awareness of the process of awareness allows us to free the seer from isolated and fragmented self created prisons of the mind. That is why avidya is called a prison, while pure awareness (cit) is likened to mukti, liberation. Does the object of our perception truly exist as something separate from the seer or from other objects? No, not from the vantage point of relative truth where all things are known as interconnected -- in context of the whole having no independent existence apart from that ongoing intelligent dynamic.
Remedies for asmita klesha thus include the cultivation of humbleness, aparigraha, ahimsa, satya, asteya, swadhyaya, tapas, isvara pranidhana, dhyana (meditation), self luminous non-dual and transpersonal realization (asamprajnata realization), citta-prasadanam (I.33), the implementation of true equanimity, compassion, and loving kindness. When we approach the truth of our real situation, then the identification with the transpersonal, eternal, and universal non-dual vision has taken root and the organism has attuned itself to the Greater Self Integrity which is eternal, universal, imperishable and self effulgent. THAT of course is the ultimate remedy to keep in mind.
Swami Venkatesananda translates II. 6 as:
The particular aspect of ignorance called asmita (ego delusion) is the result of the more specific process of confusing the inherently transpersonal and eternal powers and processes of consciousness with that of individual intellectualization or cognition which then results in false or faulty identification with fragmented existence -- a sense of a separate "I" or ego.
See the last sutra of the yoga sutras (Pada IV Sutra 34) for a further elaboration of asmita. Following, Patanjali describes the last three kleshas of raga (attraction), dvesa (repulsion), and abhinivesah (fear of death) as all emanating from a primary ignorance/obscuration. What is this that we are ignoring -- Reality as-it-is - our true self nature (swarupa).
Power and Control Freaks
Similarly we have all met people who are insecure, but rather than show it for fear of establishing their vulnerability, they are out to establish their control and rule. Because of fear and a lack of internal order, they strive to establish their control over other people, situations, organizations, or events. Some will admit to their selfishness, but others may be feign to admit it, so they will often take on an altruistic mask/pretense. Power freaks are known to use any deception they can conjure in order to protect their egoic identity which is really an effort of the ego to conform to perverse demands of the superego, conscience, or other indicators of lack -- diminished sense of self worth. Tee control freak feels secure when they are in full control, which often means that the other is demeaned, stripped of their own authority, or power. Taken to the extreme such is sociopathic, while social behavior is merely a feigned necessity in order to obtain the ulterior object.
That will-for-power is similar to greed, as it is the compensation of an inner lack through the perverse mechanism of acquisition of the ever elusive "more"). also it is similar to competition (the need to be better or beat other people), similar to ,jealousy, envy, and other kleshas based on lack of self worth, purpose, or meaning in life. All these ancillary afflictions (kleshas) remain as distractions and obstacles to awakening -- an awakening where the false identification of a separate self (ego) is surrendered
Asmita as a Special Case of Pride where a false sense of meaning acts as a substitute for True Self Worth
The English word, pride, is not an accurate translation of what is meant by asmita, because the English word, pride, is not defined within a generally accepted coherent cosmology. That incoherence exists for many reasons (pro or con, take your pick) but which will not be the scope of this discussion. It is helpful to discern the difference between prideful identification with symbols, objects, status, power, and other "objects" such as occurs in racism, bigotry, nationalism, sexism, xenophobia, ethnocentricity, anthropomorphism, religionism, ideology, tribalism, chauvinism, and the myriad other afflictions of provincialism where the egoic mindset identifies strongly with who they think they are within a self limiting framework, either self contrived or contrived and defined by others. If one believes that one's situation within these self imposed boundaries of limited belief systems are superior, good, safe, needed, or absolutely necessary, then such prideful associations will serve as the glue of one's own prison (warden, guard, prison, and prisoner) all in one. In that way asmita lies at the core of symbolic, self gratuitous, and vicarious neurotic living where true satiation and fulfillment is denied because ones true purpose and meaning in life is denied, because one's true self nature remains ignored, hidden, repressed, suppressed, and denied. In that way institutions are established in order to uphold the status quo and oppose change which are seen as threats to the fearful owners, control freaks, invested interests, and power mongers who are so attached. Bullshit philosophies are fabricated in order to justify and praise these institutions of slavery, exploitations, and abuse, while at the same time marginalizing those who would upset the apple cart. That karmic activity based on asmita and avidya, albeit hidden through delusion and bullshit ideological philosophical deceit, has severe negative karmic consequences. Even more negative are activities of group and mass delusion and pride.
Spiritual (Vajra) Pride as Self Confidence, Spiritual Alignment, and VirtueThere is another word in English that is also commonly labeled as "pride" which has a very different cause and also a healing effect. When some one feels good about what they are doing, when they are motivated by compassion, love, kindness, sympathetic joy, and selfless service, rather than neurotic craving, envy, comparative advantage, domination over others, competition, or superiority, both the motive and the fruit of such actions differ. In the former activity is based on one's true self nature (swarupa) and the in alignment with the intelligent universal evolutionary force, while in the latter activity is based on its denial and obfuscation.
The distinction that is being addressed is between neurotic/samsaric pride on one hand, and so called spiritual pride where a sense of true self worth and meaning manifests as a result by participating at a deeply meaningful dimension and way of life, not in a vicarious or subliminal/neurotic way (as above), but as direct participant as a subjective agent of the intelligent evolutionary power as it flows through one's body/mind in an intimate alliance with primordial consciousness and its purpose. This is a state that is entirely experiential and totally inconceivable. The identification in spiritual pride is with the innate universal wisdom-mind (isvara or Buddhanature) which resides in all sentient beings. Hence it is based on the innate wisdom of compassion, universal kinship, and interdependence, not on separateness (asmita as the egoic mindset). Spiritual pride rightly applied is rather part of the antidote to neurotic pride and asmita.
In this latter situation dharma (as the implicate law and order of the universe) is not external, fabricated, manmade, or artificial. One does not stand apart from it, rather one is immersed in it and acts in harmony, in alliance, and in a resultant deeply heart felt sense of wholeness and completeness. It's lack can not be substituted by manmade laws or artificially created order (which are compensations at the best, while mostly acting as serious distractions. When one acts in this way, one does not feel or evidence any sense of lack, no lack of self esteem issues arise, and no self doubt, fear, and lack of confidence or certainty. All lack of self worth issues arise from the separation of self from this primary direct alliance/connection with Self which is a sense of true transpersonal interdependence which is experienced in action as the result of practice (be it karma yoga, bhakti yoga, hatha yoga, raj yoga, art, healing, etc.). The participant knows it when they are touched by it. It's only requirement is to go beyond normal dualistic conceptual mindsets and allow oneself to drop their preconceptions and self limitations of "self' and "other". Neuroses drop away in that liberated sphere beyond ordinary conceptual processes (nirvikalpa) -- beyond cognitive I/it models (asamprajnata) such as contrived dualistic mind frames. In tantric yoga it is called, spiritual pride (which is not at all religious pride). Spiritual pride in tantric yoga does not connote the superiority of the ego over anyone else, rather it is the result stemming from a stance of inner confidence, fearlessness, and stability that stems from effective practice and centeredness, not from one's position or status based upon manmade external comparative systems (society, religion, class, business, competition, sports, war, and the like).
Spiritual or vajra pride actually is dependent upon one's spiritual aspiration, which means one's ability to focus one;s intent effectively and energetically in the present as sacred or instant presence. This focused aspiration usually becomes stabilized and deepened in meditative stages over many years of authentic spiritual self discipline (yoga sadhana). Such spiritual aspiration is fed by true inspiration and acts as an effective antidote to ordinary neurotic craving and tendencies of egoic pride (asmita). In vajra pride one no longer identifies with the ego (as a separate self), but identifies as a transpersonal fearless and dedicated active agency, and hence emanation of fearless non-neurotic universal love and compassion-- a part of (not apart from) the universal intelligent evolutionary power of primordial consciousness. For the dualistic/samsaric mindset it is too easy to identify the ego with highfalutin gods and goddesses. So it is emphasized that vajra pride is not an egoic identification within the I/it dualistic framework of separate self (ego), rather it is the opposite of that. This fear-freed confidence (vajra pride) defeats all doubts and spontaneously arises naturally, being totally free from contrivance or pretensions. In tantra it is the result of a spiritual alliance/alignment between earth and sky, nature and spirit, muladhara and sahasrara chakras, through realizing the heart of the middle way (sushumna nadi),
"Self-luminous unchanging insight
Is described as unborn dharmakaya.
Unceasing self-born wisdom
Is described as the multiplicity of nirmanakaya.These two unified in coemergence
Are described as the sambhogakaya.
These three free from origin
Are described as the svabhavikakaya.All these, beyond conditions
Are described as the mahasukhakaya.
These are the five ultimate kayas.
Does this gladden your minds, heart friends?Thus Marpa sang and described how the five kayas function.
Sri Bhadra said, "Now please describe the view, meditation. action, and fruition."
So Marpa sang this song:
Please listen without your minds wandering.
Though I am not skilled in composing songs,
This is the way to understand the true oral instructions.
Keep this in mind and ponder it.
The three worlds are primordially pure.
Ultimately, there is nothing more to understand.
Not negation, unceasing continuity,
Unchanging—such is the view.The innate essence is naturally luminous.
Unconditioned, meditation is unceasing.
Not negation, beyond losing and gaining,
Without desire or attachment—such is the meditation.Arising from the natural occurrence of various coincidences,
The play of illusion is unobstructed.
Not negation,
Things are unpredictable, abrupt—such is the action.Mind shines as bodhicitta.
There is no attainment of the three kayas of buddha.
Not negation, beyond hope and fear,
Without ground or root—such is the fruition."From the "Life of Marpa"
Spiritual bliss (ananda) is the result of non-separation -- the union of body, mind, and spirit. That union is expressed spontaneously as blissful love and joy. As such it is a reflection of the Great Integrity of Being, our natural state. Such a natural reflection is uncontrived virtue. It is in this way that our true nature (Buddhanature) shines through as innate goodness. Precisely because we often do not feel good about oneself, we then crave to be like someone else,l crave things, status, praise, support affection, or fear intimidation and hate those who do not flatter, cajole, or share our idea of self identity. In the modern ear especially human beings have had their innate sense of feeling good ripped off. We all are born with inner/intuitive wisdom and great potential (isvara or buddhanature), but modern humans have been negatively conditioned and suppressed/repressed to not recognize such. In this sense functional yoga practice acts as a means to remediate this repressive contraction by opening up the closed down channels (nadis) and let the energy (prana) flow so that consciousness can irrigate the body here on the planet in this very lifetime. We have to learn to reclaim our inner wisdom where the channels of communications have been closed shut. In yoga we work with the emotions, the energy body, and the physical body as a whole. Being in harmony with primordial consciousness not only makes living more creative, but allows for efficient translation into the bodiless dimension, which is no where else but here and now. Yoga thus works on the energy body through clearing obstructions in the energy body, nadis, and chakras as well as the physical and mental bodies. When we are again able to FEEL deeply these good connections here and now, then neurotic compensatory substitutions will no longer be sought such as desires for increased self worth, self esteem, self image, power over others, comparative worth, or other issues of due to the lack of feeling good about ourselves.
On Bliss and Pride by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
On the level of tantra, the mahamudra level, pleasure does not take place through the pores of your skin, but pleasure takes place on your very flesh without skin. You become the bliss rather than enjoying the bliss. You are the embodiment of bliss, and this contains a quality of your being very powerful. You have conquered pleasure and pleasure is yours. One doesn't even have to go so far as to try to enjoy pleasure, but pleasure becomes self-existing bliss. In this way every experience that might occur in our life -- communication, visual experience, auditory experience, consciousness: anything that we relate to -- becomes completely workable, highly workable. In fact, even the notion of workability does not apply. It's yours. It is you, in fact. So things become very immediate.
This is what is often called vajra pride, indestructible pride. Pride in this case is not arrogance, but is nondualistically self-contained. You are not threatened by your projections or projectors, but you are there, and at the same time, everything around you is you and yours.
From "Mahamudra," in ILLUSION'S GAME: The Life and Teaching of Naropa by by the Vidyadhara, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Page 121.
For example, a mother taking care of her children out of pure unconditional love from her natural heart core acting as the natural channel for universal love provides a also sense of meaning beyond any self worth issues. Likewise a father, who acts for the happiness of his family, not from a mindset dictated by forces of external duty, self image, status, guilt, or threat of punishment, but rather from a deeply felt sense of genuine transpersonal love in the present without attachment, does not need to justify or defend his image to others or society in order to feel good about himself. Likewise for sisters, brothers, cooks, doctors, tailors, farmers, neighbors, and all others, meaning is found in selfless service -- service as the opportunity to love others intelligently. By intelligent and expedient service, one does not serve others best by acting as their doormat. Many examples abound such as in the many activities of abiding in ecstatic samadhi, music, dance, selfless love, joy in giving, healing, selfless service, creation, or ecstatic living, which as a result produce a deep experiential feeling of completion, fulfillment, spiritual contentment and union (in authentic santosha).
Just as vajra pride is selfless, similarly compassionate fierceness in selfless service (so called fierce compassion) manifests spontaneously and naturally when the bonds of ignorance (avidya), asmita (egoic mindsets), raga, dvesa, and all the other obstructions are released. Here vidya (as clear vision), truth, pure virtue, boundless compassion, ahimsa, and justice are known and expressed spontaneously.
This is why mechanisms that reinforce the prisons of false or delusional mentation become essential in manipulating the majority of people to serve the minority of tyrants, dictators, rulers, and authority figures. First the dictators (as mind manipulators) must dumb down the majority as to their true self nature, meaning, and purpose in life. Then when they have become confused by having their inner confidence, authority, and power ripped off and hijacked, it is far easier to convince these broken men that their own self worth is intimately involved in being of service or value to their masters. That is the realm where status, external authority, power, and symbols of power replace/substitute for the inner lack. The greater the inner rip off, the greater one's will for power and control becomes or in extreme cases, extreme apathy,complacency, indifference, numbness, intimidation, and depression settles in. In either case true self worth in a meaningful and purposeful life has become perverted and compromised. In the modern era this vicarious substitution is reinforced through mechanisms of propaganda; story telling; TV; support groups; vicarious spectator sports, nationalistic, religious, and regional pride; organized bigoted hate groups; and similar perversions which are designed to upgrade one's own self esteem by demonizing or hating "others". Radio or any other "media outlets", group associations, identifications, or departmental organizational meetings where people are told daily "who" they are, how to think, and what is expected from them, conspire to turn the human being into a mechanized unfeeling robot devoid of their own feelings, critical thought processes, and ability to act intuitively and spontaneously. Rather such attempts to subordinate the inner wisdom and teacher serves as the major mechanisms of suppression/repression to serve the ulterior motives and purpose of puppet masters, paranoiacs, megalomaniacs, and other insecure control freaks who will never have enough security or be free from fear, doubt and guilt until they confront their delusionary mechanisms (egoic self deceit).
So it is very wise not to identify as a separate self, nor identify "others" within a dualistic i/it context. As a practice one identifies with the true nature of one's mind which is universal and resides within all. That identification is vajra pride while one's vision of that recognition which resides within all sentient beings is pure vision (vidya). In that sense vajra pride and pure vision can be a transformational practices as well as a spontaneous result of experiencing one's true non-dual nature of mind (swarupa-sunyam) which destroys avidya and the kleshas.
"A ripened continuous insight gives us the steadiness and courage of a lion’s gaze. Padmasambhava said that when a stick is thrown to a lion, the lion gazes steadily at the source, the thrower. A dog’s gaze follows the object, the stick. Similarly, our source of experience is our own mind. The stick is only the phenomena. We need to look at our mind, the source of the emotion. An emotion like anger represents the stick. The source hurling that emotion is our mind. It is mind that projects. A wise and clear mind experiences something far more luminous and transparent. Conduct is caring. Such dynamic inner and outer relationship informs and purifies our vision. Dzogchen [as practice] turns our gaze inward toward the source of experience, which is mind. Our own direct irrefutable experience is “certainty wisdom.” Buddhists also call this vajra pride. Vajra pride is not ego mind, but an indestructible diamond luminous wisdom view (vajra). Pristine mind is our lion’s gaze. This view is dzogchen [the Great All Encompassing Integral Expanse]."
Joan Kaye from the Introduction to "The Lion's Gaze: A Commentary on the Tsig Sum Nedek" by Khenpo Palden Sherab and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal. Also see Vajra Anger and Vajra Passion/Compassion and love
Blame, Judgment, Denunciation, and Condemnation as Moral Pride: Making the I (ego) right, by making the "other" wrong
In short as long as we identify with the false self (sarupyam as in I.4) then that egoic self identification will always suffer from self esteem issues, insecurity, need for inflated images of self pride, defensive self image issues, a lack of true self worth and self confidence, and desire for comparative advantage, privilege, status, and power over others. Knowing "better", deluding oneself that one possesses superior knowledge in comparison to others, blaming others, finding fault in others, superior status, position, power, or control over others are merely permutations of pride -- they are merely futile attempts to compensate for an already low sense of "Self", spiritual Self alienation, or disconnect. These are manifestations of asmita-klesha and also reinforce such. Indeed all pride issues are the result of a need to fill the vacuum left by the great dualistic split/rend from the innate intelligent evolutionary power and hence, Primordial Conscious -- the Self. In that sense even greed is the result of a feeling of that lack as an attempt to fill that hole. So too all the other kleshas. Asmita combines with dvesa and raga kleshas to form myriad variants such as censure, bigotry, race hatred, xenophobia, transgenerational and institutionalized vengeance, prejudice, avarice, over consumption, acquisitiveness, addiction, fear, and so forth.
"It is said that one who has studied with the mistaken attachment to their welfare in this life alone will look down on those who have not studied as much as they have, rejecting the other persons, ignoring them, even behaving hurtfully toward them. Their knowledge has given them license to belittle others, to find fault with others but never with themselves. These kinds of attitudes are simply due to the person's own sense of insecurity and inferiority, which causes them to disparage others, whether their knowledge may be greater or less than their own. Someone like this will sow seeds of discord and feel that they must try to get people to side with them, fearful that others will not support their opinions."
From, PARTING FROM THE FOUR ATTACHMENTS, Jetsun Drakpa Gyaltsen's Song of Experience on Mind Training and the View, by Chogye Trichen Rinpoche
The denunciation of others is a form of mental hatred, violence, and meanness based on asmita and avidya kleshas and directed toward hurting others. Ordinary (non-yogis) will never admit to being mean, for doing so, they would have to come down off their self appointed superior perch and self righteousness. Hence they miss the opportunity to learn and evolve spiritually until they see the nature of their suffering.
Unethical and Non-virtuous Behavior(non virtue) Comes from Ego Sense
Egoic identity being a false identification always carries with it a sense of insecurity and need to justify and elevate oneself (ego). One way to compensate from this insecure state, is to feel superior, better, or identify with being at a comparative advantage over some one else who is designated as worse, less worthy, inferior, wrong, unethical, or bad. Hence the wounded ego cultivates a mask of self deceit which seeks to place itself in a moral superior position over others. Teh ego hence is always seeking out evil, the devil, or some one to blame who one opposes, inferring that opposing evil or injustice, automatically makes the ego good and just.
Yoga, to be sure, is not based on an ethical or unethical system. One's spiritual purpose and ultimate reward does not come how well one obeys dictates of right behavior in terms of trust, faith, blind servitude, or fear of punishment. Punishment is not meted out because of disobedience or lack of faith/belief. Rather, in yoga, it is the mind which dictates right behavior and right livelihood or not depending on its clarity, purity, or true reflective virtue. So in that sense a corrupted and fragmented mindset based on error, obfuscation, and delusion is capable of creating bad karmic circumstances, while the mindset free from kleshas is allowed the opportunity to know and align one's mindstream with the primordial consciousness -- to align individual will with universal will and act virtually and virtuously interconnected as one in conscious integrity. That INTEGRITY and VIRTUE in the aligned body, breath, mind, nature, and primordial source is called virtue in so far one reflects that Reality in All Our Relations. If we contemplate upon it, all unethical behavior such as parigraha, asatya, himsa, steya, greed, jealousy, and so forth come from the Great Rend from primordial consciousness -- from our interconnectedness (yoga) or union with the Great Universal Unlimited in All Our Relations. Although the split is based on an error of thought, that error of thought exists as a state of confusion, just as clarity exists in the state of pure unobstructed vision. These are two mindsets are quite discernibly different states of experience.
Tragically many human beings have become repressed, trapped, and boxed in by self limiting concepts to which they cling. When the subject is locked into the belief that "the self" is an independent or separate ego, then the ego can rationalize and justify taking what they want from others, exploiting others, enslaving them, manipulating them, abusing and harming them. One's will does not have to align with universal will, nor with anything else but one's desire (raga). The only thing that holds these egoic driven beings back (driven as they are by klesha and karma) is the fear of getting caught and punished (either here or in the hereafter).
On the other hand other people who have had the transpersonal non-dual selfless experience act out of maitri (blindness), karuna (compassion), upeksha (equanimity), and mudita (being happy that others are happy). They have no need to act unethically or ethically as the question of ethics (as in following external rules) has become mute, because they do not live in the realm of asmita. These true yogis have realized true vision and spontaneously reflect the true nature of mind as pure unobstructed natural virtue -- Here and Now. In short unethical behavior and related criminal activities which manifest as creating harm or suffering to others is based on a psychological, or more so, due to a spiritual, ignorance of who the human being truly is in relationship to cause/creation, the evolutionary power, and primordial beginningless Source. Ignorance of what? Our interdependence and transpersonal non-dual identity. It is a matter of identity, asmita in the former and an Infinite Universal all pervasive Identity in the latter. One can live conflict/schizoid free or in contrast live in harmony, integrity, and community as one big family Inseparable. Vasudeva Kutumbakam! Ohana! In All Our Relations. Let it shine!
Unethical actions are selfish when causing harm (including confusion) to others. Ethical actions are selfless, causing happiness and liberation to others. Neutral actions are often unethical as they are a waste of time where the human being may be helping others or self.
Practice:
Again when abiding in our natural state the foolish vagaries of ego to not dominate. So again all yogic practices including kriya yoga or astanga yoga help us move into that natural state by deconditioning/deprogramming the ignorance which corrupts the mind into ignoring one's true nature in the unified field, while substituting the false assumption of the egoic mind. (separate self) of fragmented dualistic existence. Stay with the love, the beauty, and expansive light. Recognize it when they are absent, and then practice in order to achieve that shift.
II. 7. Sukhanusayi ragah
We desire happiness [but most often can not maintain it for long]
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Craving (raga) arises because the mind assigns the object as if its attainment were capable of bringing forth pleasure or happiness.
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Raga (desire) occurs when the mind associates pleasure toward enjoying an object
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The desire for happiness is called raga. It arises out of pain/dissatisfaction or displeasure.
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The affliction of craving and yearning (raga) occurs when the mindfield attaches itself to the confused idea that mental pleasure or happiness is external to the mind.
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When the mind is attracted to obtaining a potentially pleasurable object or situation, an energetic attraction or craving for it (raga) occurs which obscures true presence of mind.
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Craving or "like" (raga) is the affliction of the mindfield that occurs when the mind associates (anusayi) an event (past or future) as pleasurable or happy (sukha).
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Yearning is triggered by events or objects that promise pleasure.
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Raga is a desire which is accompanied by attachment (anusayi) to an anticipation of pleasure (sukha).
sukha: here, is meant as ordinary pleasure or enjoyment. Self gratification. A temporary union between an estranged or fragmented consciousness/being (ego) and an object which he/she craves to join/unite.
anusayi: That which closely accompanies or is associated with some object, event, or phenomena; attached to; concomitant; An attachment process which closely accompanies or is associated with some object; a clinging toward; grasping, glomming onto, dependent upon; addicted to; obsessive process; dependent upon, intertwined with, addicted to an obsessive process; attached to the results of; connected to in a limited way, concomitant with. In the extreme sense, an obsession or addiction. An attachment process which closely accompanies with some object, event, or circumstance. A positive association or attraction (here promising "pleasure") or fixation constitutes raga; while a negative attraction or repulsion (promising duhkha) constitutes dvesa.
raga: One of the chief kleshas (impediments to spiritual union). craving, yearning, an attraction away from the present toward toward an object in the future distance, a feeling of lack, absence, or hollow emptiness which craves to be be filled, gratified, or satisfied. Any attachment toward an object outside of the present circumstance, any attraction or propulsion away from the Here and Now toward a future that promises fulfillment/union. In yoga raga is the result of the split from primordial vision (avidya) through the ideation process (samsaric attractions) establishing the false identification of an illusory separate independent self (asmita or ego), and then ignorantly attempting to compensate for this disunion via compensatory ersatz cravings. In short, raga is the compensatory and neurotic externalization toward secondary sources of "pleasure", due to the primary split/rend with being Here and Now in harmony with the process of creation, creativity, evolution, and life as natural process. The pure bliss (ananda) which is the natural union of pure beingness (sat) and pure consciousness (cit) has no equal. Searching for fulfillment while abandoning this innate union is the source of ignorance and suffering. This unsurpassed bliss is the result of asamprajnata samadhi (non-dual transconceptual transcognitive union), See sutra I.18.
Raga is the self craving for happiness which is imputed by the ego, while action motivated by raga will only cause more unhappiness. A liking, a preference imputed by the ego as being positive or good; something that the egoic mind associates as good or desirable in the sense that it is estimated that pleasure or perceived benefit would result. Hence a craving of the egoic mindset which desires to possess (or rather becomes possessed by it) occurs. A propensity toward an ersatz or temporary union (not samadhi). Attachment to results of action; attraction to objects/objectives that promise pleasure (sukha), clinging to pleasure; defining one's purpose as seeking pleasure; or the anticipation of what might appear as pleasurable. A desire toward apprehending an object, its expectation, as well as ordinary hope. Raga thus includes the expenditure of effort toward a yearning, craving, association, propensity, and clinging toward an object of desire, lust, or arousal which draws one out into the dualistic sense world of continuous craving leaving one so immersed in the cycle of temporary satisfaction/dissatisfaction (samsara). Attachment to self and/or objects of desire by the restless mind. The result of separation and spiritual alienation from the true imperishable Self. On a gross level raga combines with asmita or dvesa and manifests as greed, plunder, rape, thievery, predation, power mongering, exploitation , obsessive scarcity consciousness, competitiveness, himsa (violence), asatya (untruth), asteya (dishonesty), over indulgence, over consumption, avarice, jealousy, envy, invidiousness, covetousness, possessiveness, addictive behavior, and so forth....
Raga as need, is based upon a preexisting condition of separation, lack, scarcity, and absence -- the absence of visionary spirit (avidya) and union. Without that connection there remains a sense of incompleteness hence the ego delusion (asmita) of a separate self who craves, desires, or may find satisfaction by loving an external object or "thing" becomes reinforced via raga. Raga is an obscured/afflicted state of mind, where one enters into a craving mindset away from innate happiness or sense of santosha (fulfillment) HERE and NOW.
"Attraction (or mental conditioning or coloring) follows, rests in, and is just another term for, the erroneous evaluation of an object or experience as pleasure. Because of the mental coloring something looks attractive."
Swami Venkatesananda
Commentary: In general people desire happiness and dislike unhappiness, but generally they are unhappy and neurotic. If not, there would be no desire/craving in the first place. Here ordinary raga is an energetic association with an anticipation toward the promise of a future enjoyment of a result or fruit which brings forth pleasure/gratification (sukha). See I.17 and I.18 for another description of this process (vairagya being the remedy).
Raga is a major klesha (hindrance/impediment) only because it impedes or dissuades the sadhak from spiritual awakening -- takes one away from the fulfillment of sacred presence, hence sucking one's spiritual energy and focus. The key word here is anusayi (attachment or obsession toward an ersatz communion of the ego with external events or objects that the mind has associated with pleasure when attained). Such creates a negative vortex, a tendency, dependency and attachment called raga. Part and parcel with the egoic state of separation caused by ignorance (asmita and avidya) is the anticipated pleasure (sukha) of union with an ersatz object of attraction (raga), i.e. what we deem pleasurable as a compensation for that primal split/disconnect. Hence raga as craving is falsely associated with (anusaya), its fulfillment as pleasure, but craving is not pleasure or fulfillment, rather its opposite. With practice raga, is one of the most easy kleshas to recognize and overcome since it is often very gross. The key is vairagya, release, just let go, and empty the thoughts. Sounds too easy? Hence daily sitting emptiness meditation (dhyana) even if only for a few minutes gives us a taste of true bliss -- non- craving. See more in II.11.
Pleasure or enjoyment are not kleshas in themselves, rather the impediment (klesha) of raga occurs when we expend effort, attention, expectation, and attachment toward obtaining an object of our craving in future time, thus taking us out of the moment and further into egoic (I/it) dualistic attachment dependencies with samsaric phenomena (I/it) dualism, thus forming dualistic tendencies/habits; i.e., looking for happiness in things, the illusion of independent phenomena, objects, or form, rather than recognizing the true nature of our own mind in relationship to the true nature of nature. Raga thus is essentially neurotic. It is due to the primal split from the non-dual and natural identification of being a part of the whole, to the conditioned identification of conceiving "self" apart from the whole. Since the view in samadhi is swarupa-sunyam (III.3), Patanjali declares that such a subject/object dualistic vision is itself an illusion.
In reality there is no separate independent observer (an egoic "I", or asmita identity), but rather it is a fabrication of the conceptual mind. In reality, thus there is no separate object to grasp at or run away from -- to desire or to hate. Thus raga is the teacher in the tantric sense. When raga arises it is recognized, and thus can be liberated through awareness, rather than to be buried through ignorance or denial.
One of the major sources of confusion thus is to ask ourselves where the happiness is located, i.e., what are we hoping for?. It is of course located in the mind in the form of mental assignments/imputations, not in the external object. The egoic mind (I) sees an object and then associates (anusayi) the object with pleasure or happiness. These mental associations when blurred by impure vision (avidya) are incapable of discerning between the mental feeling and the object which triggers it. Thus the object itself is assigned to a category of being desirable or pleasurable.
With a little practice and self awareness, a yogi can learn how to experience and feel pleasure and great non-dual bliss without being distracted into dualistic samsaric states of mind. In fact that state of great bliss, fulfillment, and union in sacred presence is experienced directly precisely because of the absence of that dualistic primal split/trauma from primordial conscious or Self. This realm is cultivated and made continuous via authentic yogic practices so it becomes natural and spontaneous. True and lasting happiness is truly a state of mind.
In a similar sense an addiction or craving could be established by first experiencing pleasure as a release of craving/desire through its temporary satisfaction/gratification through a temporary union, for example by eating food, sex, jumping in a river on a hot day, etc. That could be true, but one must take into consideration the cause of the desire/hunger in the first place. Vyasa has proposed that a samskara (residual seed) for the repetition of such pleasurable experiences would be unconsciously planted creating a feedback loop as a desire. That is what Vyasa says, but that does not explain the primary cause for the pleasure as that appears to presume the result before the cause. So in one sense it is true that past pleasurable associations often do call to us. We may have had pleasant experiences as a child with mom and pop by a lake, and hence lakes call to us when the mind associates that pleasurable sensation with similar lakes. Likewise for many addictions and obsessions, conscious or not, wherein a special smell, taste, sight, sound, or event triggers a pleasurable memory (Samskara) as those mental associations traps the ego in repetitive prisons of the past, dissuading him from the present -- full sacred presence. Regardless, craving is associated with its relief/release (pleasure) Chasing pleasure via neurotic craving is a vicious circle which calls for release and liberation. It feeds the samsaric wheel of suffering.
Ordinarily, hope is like that in that we expect something "good" or desirable as something that we expect, desire, or like in a future time/space or dislike in the present. Hence through hope and expectation the mind abandons sacred presence. One pointed focus in the present as we go about our business makes our "business" perfect. So it depends on the object of our desire and hope being grounded in Now awareness (our source of power and creativity) or not. Ordinarily what we label as hope is a klesha (raga) desire as long as it is selfish desire/expectation. It's often an escape mechanism, and when chronically engaged it serves as neurotic displacement of "real time" space/time knowledge. Hope or desire for other people's happiness, is however selfless desire and rises from a deep connection with timeless source. It is based on transpersonal and nondual wisdom (bodhicitta) and hence it is not a klesha as it is not based on separation, delusion, or ignorance (avidya). It is not based on separate self or isolation/deprivation, but rather it is based on the truth of interdependence/interconnectedness, compassion, empathy, sympathetic joy, and equanimity which discloses the illusion of a separate self. That beauteous vision is empowering, while it connects us to all beings as kin in a magical mutuality of great Being.
Repression versus Refraining from Neurotic Desire: Fear of Pleasure/Desire
To be certain, Sri Patanjali is not dismissing enjoyment or pleasure per se, nor is natural healthy desire being demeaned or demonized, nor is self abnegation or self punishment being advocated. Rather what is being pointed out succinctly is that the specific impulse (here the attractive impulse) that is accompanied by a "clinging" or dependence upon results; i.e., the possession of an object (in goal orientation) is an avoidable impediment/obstruction, obscuration or hindrance (klesha) to awakening if not recognized and dropped (in vairagya). Part of the process of awakening is self recognition, recognizing our activities, mental patterns, unconscious dependencies, addictions, motives, karmic residues, subconscious mental habits (vasana), and thus releasing all residual unconscious compulsions eventually. This is done gradually through yogic practices. Certainly craving is not a happy state of mind, even though the conditioned mindfield often confuses it to be so. Here it is valuable to recognize how the mind assigns its labels of pleasure or pain (preference), however it is not necessary NOR PRACTICAL to obtain an analytical or intellectual understanding of all one's afflictions/attractions. Rather it is simply necessary to drop them (vairagya), while embracing which is truly endearing and fulfilling. It is necessary to rest in the innate unity with sacred presence -- as part and parcel with the transconceptual (nirvikalpa) unitive transpersonal Great Integrity as the culmination of yoga. From that space/time all else will be illumined and explained. In that sense nothing is repressed or renounced, rather one opens up to a boundless embrace.
As will be discussed in the next sutra under dvesa (antipathy), the mechanisms of repression are a combination of fear and attraction. As an escape from feeling pleasure, it has some serious anti-life and anti-social consequences. It should be pointed out that fear of pleasure and happiness as a conditioned and eventually a habitually unconsciously self enforced mechanism where sadism and masochism ( self punishment) for harboring specific thoughts of obtaining pleasure, which have been made taboo by external "authority structures" (a supervising or censoring super ego) is not uncommon in tightly controlled authoritarian societies, be they religious, fascistic, or merely totalitarian. Alongside that, there widely exists a conditioned fear of innate feelings (such as sexuality the enjoyment of nature, the love of other living beings and animals, instinct, natural function, spontaneity, creative thought, new ideas, and one's direct alliance and interdependence with the evolutionary life force and its source. That in turn leads to a mechanical rigidity where wildness, spontaneity, and nature are often feared as well as people or objects which remind us of such things. This repressive negative conditioning process is accomplished by crushing the developing psyche's innate ability for critical and creative thought, because it may contradict their parents, self appointed support groups, church, religion, society, peers, or superego -- their self appointed board of censors or judges. It is also conditioned by abusing and debasing the victim so they become insensitive to their own feelings (by demeaning their feeling sense through imposing pain). Hence authoritarian types often use stern methods, threat of punishment, and often actual physical as well as mental abuse until the victims become inured the authoritative structure and stops rebelling. When the slave stops rebelling, then they become obedient and capable of exploitation. Then they are rewarded for their obedience. To question the authority is viewed as rebellious. A threat to the control and ownership of the would be slave master/puppeteer. Hence children and slaves are taught not to question basic self perpetuating assumptions and illusions which the authority depends upon. The questioning itself is ridiculed, made taboo, or punished. Hence fear, pain, and threat of punishment are created by the ruling elite in order to dissuade inquiry and true pleasure, joy, and fulfillment. What is left in place is neurotic desire for status, security, privilege, and ersatz consumerism which the ruling class doles out to its most productive servants. The propagation of fear, pain, and punishment (terrorism perpetuated by the ruling class) are hence the prerequisites that perpetuate authoritarian and totalitarian tyranny.
Victims are held in check by perpetuating the need for such an illusory structure. "Elsewise", chaos and anarchy" are said to ensue. Hence the oppressor paints itself as one's protector; an elitist paternalism becomes instituted. Any act of disobedience to such external authorities is denounced as a dangerous threat to security. Here by security, it is meant, a threat to the citta-vrtti, the delusory mindset. It is condemnable and "deserves" punishment, hatred, threats, or violence (as rebels are characterized as being "bad"). Hence they or anyone else is "bad" if they desire such healthy pleasures, joy, fulfillment, claim such feelings, knowledge, values, alliances, beliefs, or thoughts. Those "others" who indulge in authentic measures of fulfillment thus are labeled as bad, and are condemned, demonized, ridiculed, and often hated, attacked, threatened, and punished. By condemning others as bad, the ego makes oneself appear good. Such fulfils the need for those who have a low sense of self esteem and need to boost up their sense of pride and superiority (because of an already bruised ego). Jealousy and the desire to effect punishment as vengeance (to avenge the wrong) also comes from this same deep sense of misappropriation and disenfranchisement with one's own innate sense of self worth -- one's deepest feelings. Locked up in such a mental prison (bounded by the citta-vrtti) rife with pramana, vikalpa, and delusion, the egoic mindset appears as a "complex" mechanism because delusion, self deceit, fantasy, and denial are actively involved; mechanisms of denial and withdrawal are strengthened; and intuitive wisdom and instinct are actively avoided. Primordial consciousness and its innate evolutionary power has become disrupted and disturbed. If or when anybody challenges or questions such rigidly held conventional "views", then they are often perceived as an enemy attack and are treated accordingly. For more see "The Fear of Living" (below). Also see"Fear of Pleasure" also "PAIN", "AVOIDANCE", "What Appears as Pleasure may be Empty and Neurotic", and "DENIAL".
Above we briefly discussed the difference between natural desire and neurotic desire. Natural desire is like staying warm, breathing, smelling a flower,allowing for undistorted natural function, eating when truly hungry, touching, loving, honesty, open expression, and expressing love deeply. Unnatural or neurotic desire manifests as over eating, sexual exploitation, misogyny, artificial perfumes, drug and alcohol addiction, and a wide variety of pathological activities (see the next sutra on aversion/antipathy). When the natural or mind or body mechanisms become repressed and shut down, so too does the energy body (nadis). The life energy (prana) is not only not reduced, but it is no longer acknowledged, recognized, honored, respected, or present. Then through authentic yoga practices one can open up these blocked pathways, become more sensitive, aware, and more empowered. This process of awakening is discussed in the last part of Pada II (astanga yoga), Pada III, and IV.
The Ordinary Mind and Ordinary Raga: Profane/Mundane Love versus Divine Passion/Love
Many people ask what is the difference between ordinary or mundane lust, passion, and love on one hand, and divine love and passion on the other? This is a very cogent question, because in many religious schools all passion, love, and desire is seen as negative and are dismissed, condemned, or repressed across the board. That energy of negation can result in pathological inhibitive, dissociative, and neurotic consequences. What must be discerned here is that the world, the sense world, nature, the body, and sensual function are one thing, while what the mind makes of them ut to be, is another thing. Shutting down the sense organs, one's innate feelings, or negating nature and life is pathological. What needs to be worked on (rather than avoided or ignored) is how the mind reacts and imputes "the world". Negation and escapism is over simplistic and misses the point entirely. First let us understand what Patanjali means by raga. as ordinary dualistic desire based on asmita. Study of I.17 and I.18 in that regard is essential.
Dr. Christopher Chapple simply states accurately that the klesha of raga is:
"Attraction is clinging to pleasure."
Likewise the anticipation or expectation of pleasure (sukha) as in a projected future union combined with the sense of ownership of that pleasure (asmita-raga), creates raga (as desire, craving. longing, and attachment) and hence reinforces the spiritual Diaspora. Raga is craving for "some thing" in anticipation to the result of a future enjoyment of its possession, hence expending energy and vectors toward that goal oriented process takes us out of the sacred present -- now awareness. One may say that raga it is a result of ignoring or non-recognition of sacred presence == not being HERE and NOW, hence it is an avoidance or denial of unobstructed vision (vidya).
Likewise as a result of this non-recognition (which is none other than avidya) the ego then experiences dissatisfaction with the NOW and craves a future association == is attracted to or wishes to join up and merge with another object. Again the chronic anticipation of sukha (pleasure) being associated with the pleasure itself, rather than as its lack (craving) becomes an addictive exciting divergent activity such as the excitement of window shopping, pornography, vicarious sports, ersatz living, or other distractions -- cravings that premise ersatz fulfillment. In this sense both raga and dvesa are two secondary kleshas which solidify the more primary kleshas of asmita (the egoic mind's sense of separateness and alienation) and avidya (lack of primal vision) because the victim is constantly looking toward external I/it objects or phenomena in dualistic pursuits for mental comfort, pleasure, or security.
Craving is a state of mind based on a dualistic separation, alienation, lack/absence or scarcity, but the common man mistakenly associates it as fullness, while confusing the process with its result. Since the anticipation of fulfillment of a craving is associated with the craving itself, the common man is fooled that the more desires he has the more pleasure he will obtain. An example is being hungry brings spice into life, or craving sexual intercourse is pleasurable because it is concomitant with sexual orgasm, and so forth where the craving is confused with its fulfillment. Is it the orgiastic pleasure associated with union in sexual joining which many desire, or is it the associated craving, desire, arousal, foreplay, and titillation which promises orgasm the driving factor. Really isn't even complete sexual physical orgasm hollow without ego loss -- without any transpersonal after effect? What is it that drives us? Do we know? Hence can we act consciously with wisdom driven by healthy instincts and capable of discerning between these and compulsive neurotic mechanisms which enslave one and create suffering? Hence the dog chases its tail. Addiction is based upon this cycle of seeking happiness in metaphors -- in that which is symbolic, representational, hollow, superficial, compensatory, and neurotic, It will never substitute for the real thing.
The average person locked into their myopic samsaric prison mistakes samsaric existence as pleasurable (see more on this in the discussion of next sutra regarding dvesa). Craving severely distorts the citta-vrtti (mindfield) as a wave of external desire. In the meditator it appears as the wandering mind (combined with dvesa). All addictions have raga at its base (seeking happiness in external pursuits of pleasure). Raga combined with asmita and avidya form the basis of insatiable greed, where avariciousness is also similar, but contains in addition the next klesha, dvesa (antipathy).
Raga, as a mental affliction, is a difficult habit to break, because its victims for the most part believe that they are experiencing pleasure, rather than bondage and pain. On a physical level this can be seen as desire for sensual contacts such as good tasting food, sex, music, perfume, etc. but on a mental level it shows up as the desire to unite with and the attachment thereof of the ego (self) with the seen (object) as a substitute union-- the observer with that which is observed, hence it is obvious that it is due to asmita and avidya. This is also called false identification, sarupyam citta-vrtti, and samyoga in a general sense. Ultimately one learns that pleasure, like, good, and preferable are all the results of the mind -- a light goes off in the pleasure center as a result. It is never the case that any object gives us happiness, but rather it is the mind. So the yogi learns how to stay genuinely happy free from causality, condition, or circumstances. This is concomitant with unconditional freedom (kaivalyam).
Raga as attraction or attachment to the appearances of objects and/or conditions is most often simplemindedly translated as "desire". But it is valuable to point out that "raga" is the specific false identification or rather confusion that misinforms us that the pursuit of objects of attraction will bring about cessation of our cravings or rather create happiness/pleasure. But as any meditator knows, true happiness is a result of a state of mind. The state of mind which is non-dual union (samadhi) comes first.In fact we learn that craving actually doesn't feel good at all, even though we may have learned that its pursuit often brings about a temporary reward. Profane love is egoic love. It is based on a fragmented view -- the split from the innate intelligent evolutionary power. Mundane love is always neurotic, perverse, superficial, and compensatory. It attempts to fill the hollowness that resulted from the subject/object split in the fabrication of the house of the ego (asmita) -- when primordial consciousness became hijacked by criminal and perverse elements in our karmic environment. Yoga reverses all of those negative conditions through positive conditioning. Yoga re-educates the neurophysiological circuitry, the brain, and the patterns of thinking so that it aligns up again with the innate intelligent natural evolutionary power and source. That way primordial consciousness is always available as the true guide/teacher in NOW awareness and true beingness. One has to only get a small taste of that nectar. perfume, and beauty to become its disciple.
This is where Divine passion and love comes in as divine remembrance/remembering -- as reconnecting with Source. As explained above temporal, neurotic, or profane, or is a perverse or compensatory love, Perhaps profane is not the best word, as we do not mean to establish "sacred cows" or taboos, but rather to cut through to the chase. Divine passion is rather our natural state where non-dual wisdom pours forth out of us spontaneously. When we act as its natural integral expression, then boundless happiness love, compassion, wisdom, and egalitarianism are also naturally expressed. The goal of yoga is to experience and abide in that state experientially, effortlessly, and continually. This is not derived or concluded from books, external authorities, or the intellect, but is due to a transpersonal non-dual experience which authentic yoga sadhana will produce when approached with devotion, one pointed focus, passion, and feeling so that the innate responsive/intuitive transconceptual circuitry is awakened.
On the path to that goal one also utilizes divine passion and love. Sometimes this is called the desire for desirelessness. But that characterization can be a sticky wicket, as a separate self may interpret that as a statement of negation, indifference, antipathy, or repression, rather than a state of utter bliss and fulfillment. Again I.12-18 are key sutras, Vairagya again is the key to understanding divine love. When we have given up all personal; attachments not only as owners of things but owners of thoughts, then and only then will divine grace descend. That is love. When asmita (the ego) dies, then Divine passion will engulf one in its flames. Ego death is the death of I/it dualism. Negation, repression or walking a narrow path will not bring this ripening and opening to fruition, albeit the intent may be noble.
We all have the primal imprint of divine love inside us -- that potential bliss and virtue is the primal imprint (samskara). It is the Buddha seed (the seed Bodhicitta), the buddhanature, the core/heart universal formless and attributeless, essence called isvara. As we aspire naturally toward it, removing obstacles (kleshas), it simultaneously flows through us instantaneously. Sadhana then becomes the process oriented adventure of discovering and revealing that innate love and happiness in self and others (non-dually) -- In All Our Relations. Eventually there is no longer any search, no quest, no practice, nothing not to desire or desire. Now Awareness and Instant Presence. Here. Now Pure Consciousness- Pure Beingness as sacred presence-- Great Bliss in the innate Integrity of Sat-Cit-Ananda.
Vajra Passion and Desire as Boundless Non-dual Compassion
Just as in the previous sutra we defined vajra or spiritual pride. So too we will define Vajra Passion similarly. In ordinary dualistic mental states raga is based on the imputation of a separate self and a separate object of desire. Succinctly it is based on the mistaken view of subject/object duality. It can be said that this raga is mostly selfish. In vajra passion, the desire is selfless. Vajra passion as compassion is based on one's natural non-dual situation.
This can be realized in stages starting from ignorance and moving to enlightened transpersonal non-dual awareness. First one recognizes one's dualistic nature as craving and suffering. Then the yogi desires at first to not desire. One desires to become liberated in order to help liberate others. The yogi's non-dual awareness grows into the boundless mind where wisdom and compassion are inseparable. That process may take many years or eons. One desires the happiness of all beings and feels compassion for all those who are unhappy. Such a yogi develops a strong passion for the Sanatana dharma, for truth, justice, integrity, and ahimsa. As this passion turns ferocious one is filled with a burning undying enthusiasm that propels them in their practice. This fire is the bodhicitta or the motive will and power to enlightenment that has empowered all buddhas and yogis. In that state of Vajra Passion desires for ersatz temporary objects (things) are known as ordinary raga, distraction, diversions, and are instantly and naturally discarded. This occurs spontaneously when true virtue is expressed and reflected. In truth separate independent objects are beginningless in that they never existed even for a moment. Rather they were created by the ideational mind (the process of ignoring). Phenomena truly exist nondual, not separate -- they are empty of a separate self since beginningless time. When the true nature of mind is awakened, then the true nature of nature is illumined. Also see Vajra Anger as selfless compassionate action. Also See Vajra Pride
"Normally" what Appears as Fun and Happiness is actually Suffering: Pleasure is Pain:
To the mundane and neurotic egoic mindset what often appears to be fun, is in reality a diversion (viksepa) from true and lasting happiness. It is most often a distraction and temporary compensatory mechanism which enslaves the participant. Waking up allows us to let go (vairagya) these activities and subsequently delve deeper into true happiness. This realization requires spiritual maturity -- self knowledge and recognition..
Craving is the embodiment of dissatisfaction. In fact it takes us away of the well being possible in the sacred present. Desires not only pull us out of the Now awareness in anticipation and expectation, but its very nature is based on not being happy in our present now awareness -- it is based on dissatisfaction, want, or lack. That is why that which often appears as fun, entertainment, pleasure, and happiness is actually a mode of suffering, raga/dvesa as a klesha (affliction). It's very nature is duhkha (suffering).
Habitually one confuses the desire with its fulfillment in anticipation, hence the excitement of anticipatory pleasure becomes addictive in chronic neurotic activity. The pursuit is associated with the end result so one ascribes pleasure to the pursuit. Hence, shopping, hunting, sexual titillation, exotic dining, etc. For example pursuits such as shopping is actually masochistic, often associated with pleasure itself and hence is often mistaken as a pleasurable activity even if one comes home empty handed or exhausted. Masochism obviously is a psychopathy. Because it is often titillating, as it awakens dead nerve impulses and allows the self imposed victim to get in touch or deal with their deep repressed feelings, albeit dysfunctionally, it tells a story of dissociation, past trauma, inhibition, and/or unreleased residual pain when successfully seen as-it-is. Hence we can learn from it. But just understanding the whys and hows of it is not enough for the victim to let go of this tendency (analysis is not therapy), rather the most successful "therapy" is to replace the need for such titillation with more effective practices which enliven and irrigate the organism with fresh prana and consciousness (evolutionary creative energy) via yogic practices such as authentic astanga yoga for example.
This won't be an in-depth discussion of the myriad negative psychological, social, economic, and environmental implications of raga, but they are many. Obesity for the most part is the result of chronic craving which is sublimated toward self gratifying through excessive eating. Over consuming as well as over achieving, and addiction are of course results of raga. Those are mundane examples. In yoga the wandering or monkey mind during meditation (dhyana) is a manifestation of raga. The basic vector there is attraction, attachment, and fixation, while the solution is vairagya. That is why Sri Patanjali emphasized abhyasa vairagyabhyam.
Raga of course is the result of ignorance (avidya) when consciousness separates from being at one with its true nature (swarupa) and assumes a false/substitute identity (asmita) in the samsaric realm of citta-vrtti. Again desire/craving takes us out of the present and/or attempts to compensate for the rend of being separated from Now Awareness. Therefore it is clear that raga is a result of a more primary split or spiritual affliction, a rend from a more primary deprivation from the deepest heart felt sense of wholeness -- the integrated connection with All Our Relations . When that primary separation occurs, no substitute will adequately compensate for that split from wholeness and completion -- the Great Integrity or Completion which is by its nature, naturally vast and all encompassing, but is at the same time widely ignored in materialistic societies through the programming of spiritual ignorance (egoic delusions).
Raga is thus a temporary compensatory (neurotic) displacement-fulfillment mechanism for our more primary desire (spiritual love) -- a substitute for union (yoga) with the true imperishable Natural Self which has become misdirected/distracted and corrupted into states of chronic yearnings accompanied by temporary fulfillment/satisfaction. -- a temporal replacement/displacement which is secondary and ultimately misleading (leading to further graspings (parigraha), greed, avarice, fear, and conflict. This neuroses assumes a split/rend and disconnect from the Whole Self in the first place -- an egoic state of fragmentation and separation (asmita). When that becomes habituated, one chronically seeks fulfillment in the pursuit and processes of the procurement and possession of external or outward phenomena, objects, people, events, or experiences. The more the repression or inhibition of the expression of that primary love drive in All Our Relations, the greater will be the internal conflict, tension, frustration, dissatisfaction, and need/craving. Even the need for tranquilizers, sleeping pills, alcohol, drugs, escapism, and other activities which dissociate and numb the human being can be identified as raga, hence passionate renunciation, self abnegation, repression, and self censor stems from the same root as other outward forms of raga. The ultimate solution is always the same -- openness, love, reconnection, spiritual realization, realizing the truth of interdependence, the surrender of the egoic delusion.
Thus chronic habits, fixation patterns, and vicious circles are created which cause additional attachment, compulsion, fear, addictions, and bondage. This is the statement of the first Noble truth in Buddhism; that the ego's tendency to grasp onto objects which are impermanent or temporal constitutes the major cause of suffering. The fixation upon an ego, a physical body, or that which is always changing is just another grasping onto a limited way of being. Thus raga organizes the distraught and fragmented ego around an objectified goal/desire. That attraction reinforces the ego's self made prison (based on avidya and asmita). Life is so much richer when we let go or renounce such fixations, but such a process requires positive focused intent and awareness.
The Mechanism of Raga: What is Happiness and Where Can it Be Found?
The ancient yogis learned to know their own mind through yogic practice. They learned not how to control or repress their mind or behavior, rather how to release the impediments and obstructions, thus abide in the true nature of mind. This way one's evolutionary potential became empowered, consciousness was expanded, and great bliss realized (the end of suffering).
The stages of raga first involve a preexisting ignorance -- a state of disconnection of consciousness from innate at-wonderment -- from All Our Relations which is quickly followed by a mentally contrived egoic state -- a separate disconnected entity (ego) which is called asmita or the ego sense which lacks an object of self gratification. This egoic mind then craves union, but because this mindset is occluded by ignorance (avidya) of its true nature (sarupa), it looks for union/happiness in the realm of duality (the estranged world of separate objects and a separate "I"). Lasting happiness and union will never be found that way. That is the fundamental teaching of Patanjali and Buddha. That is a dead end road, just as a heroin addict, an alcoholic, or greed machine will find out one day. Rather there exists a far more gratifying path back home-- lasting happiness, unconditional freedom, Great Bliss and the end to suffering not dependent upon any external objects of possession -- no obsessions.
So first a disconnection, then the craving, then the false identifications and pursuit with desire associating the craving with the object (pleasure as craving), then attachment to the object (greed, parigraha, possessiveness, obsession)., and fear of losing the objects (dvesa). This can become a routine as in an addictive behavior of craving, pursuit/attraction, union (temporary gratification), attachment, then craving again, pursuit/attraction, etc.
Waking up includes complete satisfaction (santosha) in the present (NOW). In pranayama, pratyhara, dharana, and dhyana (meditation) the mind, energy, and attention is brought back into the present moment when it wanders. This present NOW awareness is not some dead existential place or repressive hard place beside a cold rock, rather it contains everything -- it is everything and is known through practice. This provides great bliss/happiness not as a result, but as a symptom of attainment.
For a yogi happiness is not possessing or yoking toward an external object or ersatz order, rather it is a state of mind. It is knowing what-is-as-it truly is, or at least how to find and commune with it.
Ordinary pleasure is often experienced as the satisfaction of a desire and thus a pre-existing tension or stress is resolved or discharged (at least temporarily). One rests in the present rather than being goal oriented (toward an object). Also the release or removal of fear, a threat, or pain (physical or mental) is also associated with pleasure. This type of self gratification although part and parcel of raga (desire or attachment) is confused with an anticipation of pleasure (its gratification), rather than as a struggle or suffering state (duhkha). Here in confusion (avidya) the process of goal orientation is confused with obtaining its object (they are blurred together as one) and hence the average person perpetuates their own confusion of pain with pleasure. One easily can be conditioned and fall victim in associating the attraction/repulsion as an anticipation of pleasure/pain. Too often while suffering from neurotic ego afflictions man puts in front of him neurotic objects of desire to be grasped or obtained by the ego, such as in goal oriented pursuits of fame, objects of self worth, amassing of wealth, symbols of success, authority, privilege, power, status, commodity consumption (consumerism), etc. Especially the will for power, privilege, status, and control, (as power over others) is one such manifestation of an internal lack.The pain of not obtaining these objects is obvious in raga (attachment), but the pain associated in craving them in the first place is less obvious, never-the-less it exists and can be discerned by the discerning.
Self-Portrait
It doesn't interest me if there is one God or many gods.
I want to know if you belong or feel abandoned.
If you know despair or can see it in others. I want to know
if you are prepared to live in the world with its harsh need
to change you. If you can look back with firm eyes
saying this is where I stand. I want to know if you know
how to melt into that fierce heat of living falling toward
the center of your longing. I want to know if you are willing
to live, day by day with the consequence of love and the bitter
unwanted passion of your sure defeat.
I have been told, in that fierce embrace, even the gods speak of God.
David Whyte, "Self Portrait"
In yoga the apparent separation (dualistic rend) between the seer and seen -- the object of gratification to be possessed is seen as being based on a false assumption -- the assumption of duality, ignorance, avidya, and ego (asmita). In authentic yoga one perceives these false assignations to be distractive and neurotic -- being both contrived and compensatory for a greater longing for union due to a more primary and spiritual dissociation/separation which when reunified and completed (as authentic yoga) brings santosha (true contentment) and bliss (ananda) versus ordinary pleasure. Thus the completion of ordinary desire by obtaining the object of the desire can at best bring about temporary pleasure, but eventually more craving is sure to arise until the primary and non-neurotic passion is completed. That is because the context remains limited and unchanged, one thus repeats the same error while nothing has been learned. A vicious cycle is often formed where the craving itself is confused with the expectation of its consummation so that there becomes a perverse association of pleasure with the process of craving/desire itself. The greater the anticipation or expectation (raga) the greater the resultant suffering, yet at the point of obtaining the object there is a temporary sense of gratification (which is really a release of tension or strife in getting "there").
Similarly unmet desire, expectation, or assumptions then create frustration, displeasure, disappointment, and sometimes grief, resentment or anger (aversion). Similarly when there is attachment, there is often fear associated in losing that which one is attached to. For example if one is attached to a nice house, car, or job, one may become fearful of losing such. For some the more they have, the more they fear. Likewise, the pursuit of security when one is afraid of losing something because they feel insecure, can be said to be a desire/craving as well as an aversion, just as the feeling of temporary well being can over come one after they have escaped from robbers or murderers. Pleasure is the reward and pain is the payment [for ordinary neurotic craving]. Ordinary pleasure and pain are two sides of one coin. Some one carves something and then is rewarded by its union. That is part of the cycle of samsara. More craving (pain), then the more pleasure that is sought. Liberated beings spontaneously manifest santosha and compassion. They reflect the light gleaned from direct experience (vidya) basking in the thousand petaled sun of unspeakable complete integrated spiritual realization.
What is missing is that the ego (I) still perceives the object (it) as subject/object duality. Hence merging with the object is still a limited prison. The real Self is the observer, the object, AND all object, and no objects, all at once. The "object" serves in the latter context as an open doorway -- as a manifestation of mutual causation (interdependence) where behind the veil the innate intelligent evolutionary power is revealed. All the rest is a perversion, corruption, or fragmentation; a futile attempt to find wholeness in a disparate and limited mind-field. Some practices attenuate the kleshas as we have read. Kriya yoga removes even the causes of the kleshas, but few are able to apply such without preliminary support. After the attenuation and then the complete removal of the kleshas become easier in stages. Then spiritual obfuscation and suffering is eliminated. Then is lasting happiness possible outside the cycle of craving, desire, fear, aversion, ego (asmita), pride, greed, jealousy, and death). All the kleshas when understood come from the same dualistic source, the estrangement/fragmentation from Self -- the split of individual consciousness in non-recognition from Universal Source Consciousness.
Similarly, mental pleasure or gratification of the ego can also be accomplished through aversion/repulsion (dvesa) just like raga, not only in the process of assuaging or removing fears, but in exacting revenge in gaining "satisfaction", ego gratification, a compensatory sense of self worth and victory or justice by exacting punishment to one's enemies or to those who have become associated as having inflicted pain upon oneself. Of course this pain is the result of one's own error of mentation, but it is imputed that an outside agency is in control -- has inflicted the blow.
Masochism, schadenfreude, and sadism, are also involved in finding a perverse pleasure as satisfaction in the pain which titillates a pre-existing sensate feeling or memory, like scratching an itch. Even more perverse are schadenfreude (enjoyment taken from the misfortune of others), torturing or teasing others, or morose delectation, First the basis must be created, the mental situation of absence, lack, scarcity, or self estrangement. They are the result of blocked, frustrated or repressed desire. Indeed neurotic and materialistic consumer cultures are based on stimulating over consumption, gluttony, greed, needs, and such dissatisfaction habitually through mind manipulation tactics to the point that such becomes chronic and "normal". Regardless, it is futile to find lasting happiness in neurotically chasing these phantoms of raga (attraction) or dvesa (dislike or fear) caused by avidya. We will discuss sadism and masochism in greater detail further on, but for now it can be said that all mental suffering is self imposed, self concluded, and self imputed. However a mere correct intellectual analysis will rarely effect liberation. Rather effective practice is still necessary to eliminate the residual tendencies, pain and karma.
Raga and sukha have a strong mental components that reinforce false identification of ego and pride (asmita) by addicting the mind to stories, messages, dramas, people and and world views that tells the story that is pleasurable, gratifying, and praising to ego pride (asmita) -- that strokes the limited ego fixation telling it that it is good and worthy. Like asmita-klesha, raga klesha is strongly associated with attachment to the citta-vrtti (See I.5) and especially attachment to views, especially identification with "right" or correct views, pram an-vrtti (see I.7). This is a source (together with avidya, asmita, and dvesa vrttis for much egoic defensive and aggressive activity which cause much turmoil, suffering, and negative karma, because here stoking the ego becomes paramount over truth.
Likewise this desire for stroking the ego (producing temporary and compensatory pleasure) shows up in our preferences, prejudice, and predilections which anticipate the future and as such severely limit it and/or create disappointment. The affliction (klesha) of mental preference occurs when the deluded ego sees what it desires to see, what is most pleasing to the ego and supports it, rather than to see what-is as truth. In other words the spiritual seeker seeks the truth, rather than to serve its vanity, mechanisms of self gratification, self justification, and pleasure (of which the latter serves asmita, pride, delusion, and self deceit). In everyday life because of our grasping and attachment man becomes subject to manipulation, corruption, graft, avarice, greed, covetousness, acquisitiveness, paranoia, rapaciousness, infatuation, possessiveness, addictive behavior, lust, malfeasance, perversion, prostitution, neuroses, selfishness, and so forth because the desire for the object supercedes other priorities such as spiritual values or conscience.
The point here is that raga is associated with secondary, compensatory or neurotic pleasure or temporary happiness within the prison of cyclic existence (the context of samsara or duality). Yoga as a spiritual discipline aims at unconditional liberation and unconditional happiness outside of the wheel of samsara (free from duhkha or sukha). Authentic yoga assumes a spiritual passion for spiritual liberation, unbounded happiness, boundless love, and its expression. It will not serve as an ornament of samsaric or egoic consciousness.
Remember Sutra I.17 vitarka-vicara-ananda-asmita-rupanugamat samprajnatah
[This gradual process which is yogic practice (sadhana) without attachment to results] is at first accompanied by the attainment of a limited knowledge based on the cognizing mindset (samprajnata), which in turn is accompanied with (anugamat) various forms of pleasure (ananda), coarse objectification processes (vitarka), subtle objectifications (vicara) such as attachment to mental objects of form (rupa), but such experiences are still associated with a definite feeling of "I-it" separateness and false identification (asmita) and thus also has the potential that serves to reinforce it.
I.17 best describes the mechanism of raga and I.18 its antidote. Since fear is simply a negative desire ; i.e., the desire for something not to happen, vairagya is also the remedy for dvesa. It is the remedy for samsara as well, but few have realized vairagya as described in I.18.
Any predilection or preference for something to happen or not to happen will bring with it some tension and affliction unless we remain unattached. The larger the attachment, the greater the duhkha (pain). As we shall see raga (attraction) and dvesa (repulsion) are simply two sides of one coin being the main motor power of normal neurotic living. The obvious immediate yoga remedy of the kleshas of raga, dvesa, and asmita is vairagya (non-attachment) and as a practical application aparigraha. In ashtanga yoga the practice of the bandhas, tapas and pratyhara serve the same end. In everyday life generating compassion and engaging in generosity and selfless service as well as the practice of chitta-prasadanam (remembering the divine) is remedial to raga. See I. 17 and I.42.
"Who fights with bows and arrows is not the true valiant one. Who banishes from his mind all cravings, lures, and greed is a warrior indeed."
Kabir
Similarly, the Bhagavadgita tells us that the demons that we fight externally are merely external projections of the inner demons of the subconscious mind which haunt us -- disparate parts of ourselves which we have not yet fully recognized, confronted, and reconciled, Outer peace will be won, when the inner war is over.
BetrayaL: Dependence or Trust on External "things", events, objects, people, or in general dualistic "systems", as ersatz realities creates a sense of BETRAYAL and angst
Trust can be misplaced. It is commonly done. One commonly forms attachment relationships and expectations toward parents, friends, places, jobs, situations, etc; and with that often expectations of acceptance, love, reward, or security. These attachment relationships are a form of raga Misplacing trust or dependence on "things" that are impermanent is not wise. Rather it is a result of avidya (ignorance). When trust is broken often a sense of betrayal results. If the trust and faith in a person, group, organization, religion, or belief was deep (which is another way of saying that the attachment was strong), then one often experiences the pangs of betrayal. Such can deteriorate into blame, hatred, anger, paranoia, cynicism, nihilism, and other kleshas. An unfortunate consequence is then not trusting anything or anybody (cynicism and paranoia) to the degree that when a positive opportunity arises which is worthy of our trust, which is reliable, and is true; one avoids it because of the great pain associated with trust.
The Four Reliances
"First, rely on the spirit and meaning of the teachings, not on the words;
Second, rely on the teachings, not on the personality of the teacher;
Third, rely on real wisdom, not superficial interpretation;
And fourth, rely on the essence of your pure Wisdom Mind, not on judgmental perceptions"The Buddha
Mipham Rinpoche comments on the four reliance in "The Sword of Wisdom"
"If you do not have such understanding,
Then, like a blind man leaning on his staff,
You can rely on fame, mere words or what is easy to understand,
And go against the inherent order of the four reliances.1. Do not rely on the individual, but on the Dharma
Therefore do not rely on individuals,
But rely upon the Dharma.
Freedom comes from the genuine path that is taught,
Not the one who teaches it.When the teachings are well presented,
It does not matter what the speaker is like.
Even the bliss-gone buddhas themselves
Appear as butchers and such like to train disciples.If he contradicts the meaning of the Mahayana and so on,
Then however eloquent a speaker may seem,
He will bring you no benefit,
Like a demon appearing in a buddha’s form.2. Do not on the words, but on the meaning
Whenever you study or contemplate the Dharma,
Rely not on the words, but on the meaning.
If the meaning is understood, then regardless of the speaker’s style,
There will be no conflict.When you have understood what it was
The speaker intended to communicate,
If you then continue to think about each word and expression,
It is as if you’ve found your elephant but now go in search of its footprints.If you misinterpret what is said and then think of more words,
You’ll never stop till you run out of thoughts,
But all the while you’re only straying further and further from the meaning.
Like children playing, you’ll only end up exhausted.Even for a single word like “and” or “but”,
When taken out of context, there’s no end to what it might mean.
Yet if you understand what is meant,
Then with that the need for the word is finished.When the finger points to the moon,
The childish will look at the finger itself.
And fools attached to mere language,
May think they’ve understood, but they will find it difficult.3. Do not rely on the provisional meaning, but on the definitive meaning
When it comes to the meaning,
You should know what is provisional and what is definitive,
And rely not on any provisional meaning,
But only on the meaning that is true definitively.The omniscient one himself in all his wisdom,
Taught according to students’ capacities and intentions,
Presenting vehicles of various levels
Just like the rungs of a ladder.Wisely, he spoke with certain intentions in mind,
As with the eight kinds of implied and indirect teachings.
If these were to be taken literally they might be invalidated,
But they were taught for specific reasons.4. Do not rely on the ordinary mind, but rely on wisdom
When taking the definitive meaning into experience,
Do not rely upon the ordinary dualistic mind
That chases after words and concepts,
But rely upon non-dual wisdom itself.That which operates with conceptual ideas
Is the ordinary mind, whose nature involves perceiver and perceived.
All that is conceived in this way is false
And will never touch upon the actual nature of reality.Any idea of real or unreal, both or neither --
Any such concept, however it's conceived is still only a concept,
And whatever ideas we hold in mind,
They are still within the domain of Mara.This has been stated in the sutras.
It is not by any assertion or denial
That we will put an end to concepts.
But once we see without rejecting or affirming, there is freedom.Although it is without any subject/object grasping,
There is naturally occurring wisdom that illuminates itself,
And all ideas of existence, non-existence, both and neither have ceased completely-
This is said to be supreme primordial wisdom."
True faith and trust are completed in the certainty of true vision. They are the result of confidence that comes from direct experience. Such comes from genuine yogic practice, not theory.
Over Consumption; Greed, Covetousness, Gluttony, and Addictive Disorders
The repressed and neurotic attempts to compensate for the break in the union with primordial consciousness through ersatz methods is insidious. The egoic mindset associates pleasure with an obtainment or ownership of an object. Similarly when pleasure is associated with an object, then continued association or re-association becomes has the possibility of becoming habitual. That can lead to addictive disorders, possessiveness, covetousness, avariciousness, greed, grasping (parigraha), gluttony, and over consumption. As has been noted above, possession of more objects and money in most cases increases one's anxiety and fear, as long as one's basic needs are met and exceeded to a moderate degree. The solution to these addictions and bad habits is not to restrain one's behavior in further repression, but rather to change one's mental imputations that say, that more is better. In fact more is most often the heavier burden.
Over-consumption, obesity, gluttony, hoarding, clutter, acquisitiveness, covetousness are a result of a spiritual disease. Their solution is not to be found by behavior modification, rather by removing the modifications of the mind (citta-vrtti) that have already taken place. The negative programming and conditioning have to be released and removed. The kleshas (obstructions) to pure consciousness and vision must be let go. Humans have to acknowledge and know their mother in order to know Self and abide in their true Self. The name for the great mother is Sri, Ma, or Shakti in India. For the Indigenous peoples Peru and Ecuador the Sacred Mother of all is called, Pachamama. They live in indigenous space and time -- in sacred presence -- in harmony with the innate intelligent evolutionary and creative power.
Plagues such as ecosystem destruction, habitat destruction, air pollution, water pollution, food pollution, and a generally toxic environment to others as well as ourselves certainly is sociopathic is not psychopathic. Creating scarcity and disease is hardly productive or functional work. If life and integrity are valued (as good) then such activity is immoral and unvirtuous
In order to change the tendencies leading toward over consumption and over acquisition by a few which in turn endanger the many while upsetting ecosystems and the well being of all, requires first the acknowledgment of the underlying assumptions of need, deprivation, greed, and depravity in the first place by framing the malaise of such activities as a disconnect from Pachamama (from our innate alignment with our innate intelligent evolutionary/creative power). That dominant malaise of being ripped off since early childhood has been institutionalized and dominant in left brain hemisphere dominant cultures (the North). In order to reveal the primary causes in this process more directly through this rephrasing we can connect cause and effect more with the hope of impacting those who are already deeply asleep – who may feel deprived "living" according to mental trancelike constructs of scarcity. In short over consuming and acquisitiveness has itself a more primary cause and all of us are suffering from that all over the planet.
Whether or not such a living framework of integrity would open the flood gate toward reestablishing that re-connection with Pachamama (and our innate creative intelligent evolutionary power) which actually brings more happiness, fulfillment, a deep felt sense of authentic self worth, as well as yet undreamt rewards, or not, remains to be seen. If human beings do awake to who they truly are subjectively and experientially in context with evolutionary power, nature, and living source, then of course we no longer will have a need to remediate or reverse the symptoms, because we would have become self-liberated by experiencing primary/primordial cause. Those who have awakened and have changed their own dream in alignment with this experience (true vision as knowing "self" in terms of evolution) are already more than willing to reduce their consumptive and acquisition loads as being inadequate and insufficient.
They may benefit further from guidance as to "how" to do so creatively or technically (one person's waste may be another's resource). But for others, (the many) who through inhibition, dissociation, and negative programming lack that desire/passion, there is the problem of "will", intent, sense of purpose, which the symposium does not address. Hence I suggest going away from the ideas which suggest sacrifice, negation, reduction, or restraint, which will conjure up images of even further deprivation, but rather emphasize true and lasting happiness – a full life aligned with purpose, meaning, love, and vision, hence naturally happy and self fulfilling.
Along those lines studies have shown that the happiness quotient does not go up according to more wealth, acquisitions, or dependence upon dead material things, rather it starts to go down after basic survival and security needs are met. This unhappiness no doubt has to do with fear of losing the things that have been acquired and the acquisitive person's ability to feel happy without these things, because they have been convinced that they need more "things" and/or need to hold on to them or their ability to obtain and keep more.. Trying to persuade or convince such people otherwise, who are caught up with scarcity consciousness and deprivation, is a difficult proposition because they are convinced that happiness is connected with the consumption or acquisition of more things. Of course this is due to a pre-existing feeling of separation and alienation – even more causal and primary they do not know "why" they want more -- why they crave in endless cycles of over consumption and acquisitiveness. As we have seen, such craving is fundamentally neurotic and contrived. It stems from the mental split from not feeling -- not consciously being an intimate part of Pachamama – an intimate part of natural wholistic systems, and aligned with the creative evolutionary process/power. It is a diversion, a dispossession dissociation, and corruption. It is the result of negative conditioning -- the repression of their primary passion and motive force – Pachamama. No "thing" can fill that great chasm in compensation, hence over consumption/acquisition as a dysfunctional temporary reaction which creates more problems and depravity than it solves. In order to eradicate the effect (over consumption and resource destruction), the cause has to be acknowledged and remediated by helping people understand where they are, how they got there, the nature of the split and their feelings of deprivation, the causes of their discontent and depravity (which manifest in desire, frustration,greed, over consumption, etc.), by how to reconnect in Awakening their dormant power of seeing and being – their innate visionary, creative, and evolutionary power. when the negative conditioning masked by the egoic mindset self deceit falls, so too will all false identifications and confusion. People will then again be able to see clearly and walk in a truly upright manner.
This false identification (egoic delusion) of separation (independence) from Source is the most stubborn and primary fixated habit to break.
"Carried along by the waves of the qualities darkened in his imagination, unstable, fickle, crippled, full of desires, vacillating, he enters into belief, believing I am he, this is mine, and he binds his self by his self as a bird with a net. Therefore a man, being possessed of will, imagination and belief, is a slave, but he who is the opposite is free. For this reason let a man stand free from will, imagination and belief. This is the sign of liberty, this is the path that leads to brahman, this is the opening of the door, and through it he will go to the other shore of darkness."
The Maitrayana Upanishad
Practice:
So again while abiding in the natural healthy sphere one naturally moves toward unconditional liberation and is attracted to the light, love, beauty, and expansive state innately. We naturally move away from antipathy and aversion innately in alignment with the evolutionary power. . When we find ourselves in subliminal states or contrived mechanisms we practice kriya or astanga yoga in order to shift back into this alignment -- in order to free ourselves from the grip of ignorance and the kleshas. Especially helpful in diseases of raga is the practice of tapas, aparigraha, vairagya, and dhyana.
So in everyday life we can observe/recognize when attachment comes up as to objects, events, situations, people, preferences and so forth and what is our reaction. But it is especially in the practice of dhyana (formless meditation) do we have the opportunity to observe the mindstream in its more subtle forms of attachments. Thoughts will be noticed to arise, and then we can let them go, realizing that vairagya (release) combined with conscious awareness is the first key element to master in meditation. Thoughts arise, then they are let go. They arise again, but then we become more adept at letting them go. Eventually a calm and clear abiding sets in which contains just empty space and light. Learning how to abide ion that luminous empty space of;pure consciousness is the second blessing of meditation practice. resting there in calm abiding in the vastness of timeless and formless space is recognized as the seat -- the fundamental basis of all of creation. We integrate that pure vision increasingly through emptiness meditation practice in All Our Relations
"Don't go outside your house to see flowers.
My friend, don't bother with that excursion.
Inside your body there are flowers.
One flower has a thousand petals
That will do for a place to sit.
Sitting there you will have a glimpse of beauty.
Inside the body and out of it.
Before gardens and after gardens"
"Kabir", translated by Robert Bly, in "The Kabir Book".
Suffering (duhkha) results when one is addicted (anusayi) to modalities of aversion and antipathy (dvesa)
II. 8. duhkhanusayi dvesah
The dislike or fear of suffering is called dvesa
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Repulsion, antipathy, or dislike (dvesa) occurs when the mind associates (anusayi) an event or object as painful, grievous, unhappy, or threatening (duhkha).
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When the mind associates an external object or event with a pained or uncomfortable situation, then antipathy (dvesa) toward that object results.
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Aversion, antipathy, negativity occurs as a desire to escape/dissociate from a perceived painful situation (the pain being created by the mind).
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The affliction of antipathy/negativity (dvesa) occurs when the mindfield attaches itself to the confused idea that mental pain (duhkha) is external to the mind.
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Aversion (dvesa) is triggered by events or phenomena that promise mental pain or threatens the ego (delusion).
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Dvesa is the process clinging onto (anusayi) the process of antipathy and its repeated painful experiences (duhkha).
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Chronic antipathy occurs when a the mind assigns a negative association to an object, hence pain is merely an assigned object of thought or assignation, designator, or label (anusayi).
Aversion occurs as a reactive mental state when a mental attachments, graspings, concepts, and egoic self ideations, or mentally contrived self identifications are challenged or threatened-- when clinging and/or desirous expectation are threatened.
duhkha: Unhappiness, displeasure, discontent, grief, mental/emotional discomfort; the associated state of mind accompanied by aversion or antipathy. A grimaced mind.pain, suffering, unhappiness, discomfort, displeasure, discontent, angst, unease, stress, tension, pressure, dissatisfaction, grief, sorrowful, distress, shock, chagrin, fret, inflamation, bruised feelings, hurt, ruffled feathers, irritatation, dis-ease, off center, upset, or chronic complaint, etc. Duhkha as unhappiness occurs when we are not residing in true vision -- when we are in non-recognition of the evolutionary power, sacred transpersonal intention and momentum, and divine will. This misalignment is duhkha (painful). Duhkha as suffering comes in many flavors and aspects, such as affective feelings of being overwhelmed, over loaded, depressed, an overt apathy, cynicism, nihilism, disturbed, distraught, in an ugly mood, knocked out, etc. In yoga psychology ordinary raga (craving) and pride (asmita) are causes of suffering (unhappiness). Duhkha is a result of an obscured state. Such an obscuration is dvesa.
anusayi: That which closely accompanies or is associated with some object, event, or phenomena; attached to; concomitant; An attachment process which closely accompanies with some object. associated with; a clinging toward; dependent upon; addicted to; obsessive process; dependent upon, intertwined with, addicted to an obsessive process; attached to the results of; connected to in a limited way, concomitant with. An attachment process which closely accompanies with some object, event, or circumstance. A positive association or attraction (promising "pleasure") constitutes raga; while a negative attraction or repulsion (duhkha) constitutes dvesa.
dvesa: The dislike of suffering is called dvesa. That dislike is the cause of more suffering. Dvesa is any form of reactive and negative thinking that is motivated by a negative stimulation -- a desire to move away from, avert, avoid, escape from, destroy, or demean that object/event or one's association (anusayi) with it. Dvesa on one level couldalso be called the desire to escape from suffering. In that sense, the desire for liberation (nirvana) from suffering (samsara) as well as renunciation, is klesha (dvesa-klesha) unless it is based on the innate spiritual passions (see vajra passion above in the previous sutra). Ultimately when the kleshas are attenuated (II1 and II.2) then the innate true self (bodhimind) will shine through and the motivation becomes strengthened and pure.
In general nausea, antipathy, repugnance, repulsion, distaste, aversion, derision, displeasure, a negative connotation, fear, terror, resentment, dislike, hatred, anger, enmity, rancor, loathing, bitterness, dismay, disgust, opposition towards, contempt, hostility, resentment, animosity, superciliousness, snideness, snarkiness, intentional rudeness, meanness, denunciation, disparagement, scorn, abhorrence, shock, disbelief, contrariness, antagonism, revulsion, avoidance, procrastination, or escape from (such as in fright, flight, or fight reactions), withdrawal, desire to isolate or separate, denial, ignorance (verb), desire to forget, erase from memory/recall, block acknowledgement, unconsciously filter out data, ignore reality, desensitivity, bland indifference, to dissociate as in apathy, nihilism, cynicism, paranoia, acedia, sloth, langour, to escape into servility or complacency, passivity, escapism, avoidance, blindness, the act of emotional numbness and mechanical/robotic like behavior devoid of feelings, to go to sleep, shock, dismay, shocked disbelief, daydream, entering into a trance or swoon, to reflexively block out or not hear data, the mechanism that creates fanciful delusions, self deceit mechanisms, and fantasy. Many kleshas such as dvesa are mixed (combinations) with other kleshas, such as jealousy is a mixture of raga, dvesa, and asmita. On a gross level dvesa combines with asmita or raga and manifests as covetousness, plunder, rape, thievery, predation, power mongering, exploitation , obsessive scarcity consciousness, competitiveness, himsa (violence), asatya (untruth), asteya (dishonesty), over indulgence, over consumption, avarice, envy, invidiousness, spite, competition, possessiveness, hoarding, and addiction. On an even more perverse level jealousy taken to extremes goes beyond mere derision, scorn, and condemnation in, schadenfreude (enjoyment taken from the misfortune of others), sadism, torture, morose delectation, etc.
How is indifference or numbness translated from "dvesa", one may ask?. It is dvesa because it is aversion, it being an act of avoidance or an escape from something -- as a desire escape "[pain" by numbing out feelings (desensitization) and insularity. Indifference is utter contempt, avoidance, non-recognition, ignorance, and prideful arrogance all rolled up as one. When we are present -- in Now Awareness, then powerful positive emotions are evoked such as love, sympathetic joy, happiness, compassion, inspiration, santosha, cheerfulness, etc. These latter are positive emotive forces that result naturally from a fearless open mind and heart, while dvesa is a contraction and numbing out from presence. (Eternal Now awareness).
Dvesa includes elements of various types of anger, dissatisfaction, disdain, loathing, bigotry, prejudice, censure, vindictiveness, dismissiveness, rage, haughtiness, angst, blame, censure, condemnation, derision, ridicule, mockery, denunciation, cutting satire, abhorrence, insecurity, inhibition, intimidation, cowardice, withdrawal, extreme passivity, catatonia, nihilism, listlessness, extreme cynicism, boredom, disassociation, catatonia, paranoia, violence and cruel intent toward others, abuse, revenge, desire to harm others, exploitation of others, oppression, sadism, necrophilia, patronage, condescension, disparagement, demonization, disapprobation, dismay, horrified, being aghast, shocked, or any similar similar type of negative reaction such as revulsion, dislike, resistance (as in frustrated desire -- pratigha), or hatred when mixed with other kleshas are further examples. Dvesa is the modality behind the growl, wince. anger, or scowl. A negative association with an object, stimulus, or phenomena is dvesa, while a positive association is raga. The common context however is the samsaric mindset (ignorance).
Dvesa is widely epidemic and insidious in the Kali Yuga, as is raga. For example, a frequent modern phenomena that is quite common in arrogant/prideful societies is an antipathy which is the result of an interpretation by the egoic mindset (asmita) which creates mortification, shame, wounded pride, a sense of invalidation, helplessness, lack of self worth, or humiliation. Instead of acknowledging one's feelings and condition, a reactionary defensive/aggressive desire is provoked to defend/'justify the ego (guilt) by a desire to destroy, condemn, dismiss, ridicule. or ignore the the messenger, hence the message is chronically ignored. Blaming the messenger is one way for the ego to remain in ignorance,but it merely the ego's vain attempt to avoid mental pain, shame, blame, or hurt. Wounded and insecure egoic beings are the rule in materialistic societies, rather than the exception. These many permutations of the obscurations of dvesa are mixed together and often masked by mechanisms of asmita as self deceit/conceit, pride, and aloofness. They are widely insulated against, hence asmita-klesha is strengthened by dvesa-klesha, thus strengthening avidya-klesha. These and many other dysfunctional mechanisms are based on negative associations of the dualistic egoic mind toward objects of its mindfield, its mental contents (pratyaya), or phenomena resist liberation. Negative associations have negative results; they feed the cycle of mental suffering (samsara). That cycle is broken asunder by authentic yogic practices.
Commentary: Simply or literally translated as, an association (anusayi) made painful (duhkha) defines the mental affliction called dvesa (aversion). On a base level dvesa is the wince of an apparently painful experience or the growl of a cornered or threatened animal. As we have already stated dvesa is another aspect of raga, or one could say that raga is another aspect of dvesa. Dvesa is simply attachment or desire for some thing or event NOT to happen. In short it is based on a preference for the opposite thing to outcome or event to occur (and hence a desire). Hence all dislike is based on liking something else more; i.e., it is based on like/desire. Where raga is based on attraction or affinity, similarly dvesa is as well, but the situation is stated in the negative, as an opposition, or repulsion/revulsion; "I don't like 'that', because I prefer 'this'". Often we mistake the object or event as painful, but really it is merely in teh mind associations and beliefs that create and hold the pain. Just like happiness, pain is all created in the mind.
To be absolutely clear, the resolution of raga/dvesa is not indifference. Indifference is merely dvesa, escape, denial, numbness, a neutral meaningless association or ignorance. Rather the remediation of raga/dvesa is the cessation of ignorance (avidya) and all obscurations (the kleshas) which occlude pure vision. Pure vision is anything but indifference. Indifference is merely another form of withdrawal, antipathy, or aversion. Further the resolution thus is not further antipathy, aversion, negation, escape, ignoring, denial, disbelief, or renunciation of the world, but rather, a shift of consciousness that is uncontrived, unconditioned, transconceptual, and based on vidya. not avidya.
Dvesa like the other kleshas is a reactive state involving objects of the mind-field (such as an external stimuli, phenomena, events, people, etc.) which are construed by the mind and framed within a conflictive relationship evoking antipathy or aversion. Phenomena or objects appear to come from an externalized sense world such as conceptual based imputations of phenomena; or it can arise from memory such as past samskaras; or it can come from conceptualization and worry about future events known or generalized (unknown), etc. But it is the ordinary fragmented mind that orders it into a meaningful but limited frame (right or wriong). The subject/object dualistic mindset (consisting of an observing mind and that which is observed) triggers reactive tendencies which further skews reality and obscures pure vision, thus creating a misalignment with the evolutionary power (or divine will, if you will). This distortion which stems from an inner confusion, confliction, and resistance stemming from the primary blockage/impediment of the evolutionary power is called duhkha or suffering. There, one is cut off from their creative well springs and source of wellness/joy in lieu of abiding in scarcity consciousness, lack, conflict, strife, anxiety, and turmoil. Dvesa is of course a secondary klesha built upon the more primary dualistic egoic split (asmita) and avidya (loss of the primal vision of clarity). So it should be very clear when we define dvesa as an affliction (klesha) it does not mean that people should become passive or indifferent, rather instead of obscuring the evolutionary life force in reaction, one should remain creatively empowered embodying its expression -- acknowledging and reflecting it.
Where raga (craving) is accompanied by an ersatz`desire for happiness and anticipation of pleasure, dvesa (aversion) is accompanied by an anticipation of something unwanted, painful, disliked, negative, or disagreeable. Both are based on unhappiness -- a need for gratification or the fear of losing an object -- a preference (positive/attraction or negative/repulsion) and anticipation/expectation and are entirely mental states just as mental happiness or mental suffering is entirely mental. Both take the victim out of the present into the future because of past associations. On the other hand creative activity is based on pure vision -- vidya.
Sometimes like raga, where one associates/identifies (anusayi) the act of craving with the attainment of pleasure; the difference between raga and dvesa (aversion) and its result (suffering) is often blurred because one associates (anusayi) the process (aversion) with the result (as pain). Pain occurs when the messenger is confused as the message. Thus the negative association itself becomes confused as painful. Hence what can be referred to as the viagra syndrome, where the act of craving is associated with its attainment..
For example craving a big meal may be associated with the pleasure of eating that meal, but really the craving itself is suffering. Similarly, the negative expectation (disappointment) of not having your chocolate ice cream dessert, itself creates mental pain or trauma even though it is merely an expectation based on a future possibility -- a manufactured thought process by the confused egoic mind. Here the real message is not "pain" per se, it never is. There is a deeper message, like there is something unpleasant happening, undesirable, or "bad", but what is it really? The mind may label it as pain, but that is superficial. If we face the message back to its source, we become aware of something deeper. Consciousness receives the message fully. Moving consciousness into any "point of pain" (regardless if it appears to be only physical or mental), liberates us from the superficial label,. It also liberates us from reflexive fight, flight, or fix mechanisms, rather the natural light of consciousness permeates remains victorious unimpeded. There is no limitation/impediment (klesha) placed upon pure awareness (cit or vidya). That way there is no dissociation, avoidance, escapism, fear, ignorance, or denial involved. Hence cit or cit-shakti act as tremendous healers as one shines the light of consciousness upon all situations free from the need of reactive/neurotic programmed mechanisms. As consciousness expands, so does liberation.
Generally or normally, human beings crave pleasure and run away from pain, unless we are masochists, or do we? rather human confusion, delusion, and self deceit can appear quite complicated and convoluted. Indeed it seems rather ignorant to cling onto painful experiences or suffering, but that is exactly what most people do. Why, because there is already a pre-existing lack of intensity, lack of feeling, and lack of meaning -- a neurotic inner emptiness of the heart that triggers neurotic compensatory desire, but that burning avenue of temporal/carnal desire can never be adequately fulfilled -- it will never provide lasting happiness. Rather it always ends in pain. The union that is being sought (because of being separated by conditions of spiritual self alienation), is samadhi which occurs when the yogi experiences his/her true self nature (swarupa) -- the Self in both its active and passive aspects. Otherwise the wellsprings of our evolutionary and creative (divine) willpower is being blocked and obfuscated (kleshas) with the result of many negative aberrations and suffering.
One of the major sources of confusion can be eliminated when we ask ourselves where the happiness or pain is located. It is of course located in the mind in the form of mental assignments, not in the external object. The egoic mind (I) sees an object and then associates (anusayi) the object with either pleasure, pain, or with indifference. These mental associations when blurred by impure vision (avidya) are incapable of discerning between the mental feeling/emotion and the object which triggers it. Thus the object itself is assigned to a category of being either painful (dvesa) or pleasurable.
In reality there is no separate independent observer (an egoic "I" or asmita identity), but rather it is a fabrication of the conceptual mind. In reality, thus there is no separate object to grasp at or run away from -- to desire or to hate. Thus dvesa and raga are teachers. When they come up and are recognized, they can be liberated through awareness, rather than to be buried through ignorance or denial.
Dvesa colors the mindfield (citta-vrtti) and acting as a severe mental/emotional modifying condition such as in chronic fear, anger, hatred, revulsion, antipathy, disgust, despair, etc. As a negative mental habit and chronic knee jerk reaction to events it can be quite debilitating. Dvesa is triggered by past karmic residues and samskaras.
For example, Ms. Jones may observe that each time she sees a blue cadillac automobile, she becomes upset or angry. That was because she was severely injured physically by one when she was young. Seeing the blue cadillac brings up the still painful memory of that past painful event. That recognition that she is pained by an object is the first step. Answering "why" only provides an intellectual logical analysis of the series of events. The causal primary causal factor is right in front of her staring her in the face, as the mental mechanism. Thus the blue cadillacs become her teacher. Every time she sees a blue cadillac is an opportunity to release the old habitual painful reflexive mechanism and to begin a new neural pathway devoid of dvesa and duhkha. That release will free her energy and awareness. It is concomitant with awakening her locked up/dormant cit-shakti.
So instead of intellectual analysis, in functional yoga, and especially in tantric yoga, one goes directly to the primary causal factor, the direct awareness remediating any residual mental patterning (citta-vrtti) that surrounds, occupies, or obscures consciousness in open awareness. Similarly that is how yoga psychology can work with any past unresolved trauma which still has left residual negative karmic traces.
As mentioned these objects, events, stimuli, phenomena, etc., which trip the mind are all secondary, while the process of consciousness is more primary. Finally through open awareness, we clear out these negative feedback loops and have direct, clear, unimpeded, and continuous access to the big unobscured open mind itself as primary cause, or at least that light shines through our daily lives increasingly.
So here it is helpful once again to discern primary causes from secondary causes. Mental pain may come from anticipation, associative thinking, or connection with an object or event that we may unconsciously dislike, but really that neural mechanism is a thought process with its resultant neural circuitry which lead to or is associated with the more primary and causal mechanism. That mechanism can be consciously addressed, recognized, and deprogrammed through first recognizing it in awareness and then releasing it. This is done through functional/authentic yogic practices (such as astanga yoga). There exist many yogic practices that do that such as daily swadhyaya, mindfulness, meditation (dhyana), an awareness based asana practice, as we will see. In advanced yoga, the yogi works directly with their inner neural networks and psychic circuitry.
When our ability to process what-is-as-it-is becomes overwhelmed, overloaded, or unbearable for what ever reason, it is said that our pain threshold is reached hence provoking an escape mechanism or a fight or flight mechanism (dvesa). These escape mechanisms of overload are like short circuits. They can manifest as denial, disbelief, numbness (emotional or physical), withdrawal, habitual ignoring, denial, arrogance, aloofness, indifference, prideful disdain of others, escapism, avoidance, aggression, blame, scorn, anger, schizoid behavior, and many more impediments to pure vision.
These kleshas (as impediments to the light of true happiness) once recognized, can be easily augment the five citta-vrtti (belief systems, conceptual thought processes, fancies, preferences, false and limited assumptions, unprocessed memories, dullness of the mind, and so on). As the citta-vrtti are associated with the kleshas, so too are the kleshas associated with past impressions (samskaras), karmic propensities, vasana (habitual tendencies), and the wheel of samsara (suffering). In tantra we use the external stimuli, event, sense object, or person that triggers a klesha so e can work with that process consciously in order to liberate/release it. This is also the secret of the effective use of asana as a practice to release and purify the negative neural circuits arranged around duhkha and other kleshas, and then open and strengthen them, finally creating a more direct and open pathway with infinite spirit. In meditation and dream yoga, these objects and associations come up more subtly devoid of the present time stimuli of sense objects, phenomena, or real time events. In that sense it is more subtle and hence potentially more powerful practice in spiritual transformation
Aversion addiction is one of many avenues which the kleshas block pure vidya (pure unobstructed .awareness (spiritual vision). Because vidya is innate the way the kleshas are imposed is from negative conditioning of the mind-field (citta-vrtti). For example mostly the this negative programming is is accomplished via repression of divine will and innate awareness by institutional forces of avidya (ignorance) such as when a religious leader, parent, esteemed teacher, conventional wisdom, peer pressure, or authority figure contradicts one's own innate wisdom or intuition. This disease is especially prevalent in materialistic and degenerate societies and nations. The victim then may adopt these negative censure through projection mechanisms and then superimpose them upon their own life as self criticism, repression, low sense of self esteem, self deprecation, etc where the contrived and conditioned superego denies one free reign or in some anti-hedonist or anti-life cultures even simple pleasures equating pain with good and pleasure with evil. Then the mentally painful associations that the superego impose as pain, can easily become associated with any type of physical pleasure, while denial and control of natural instinct and intuition is associated as good (spiritual reward or pleasure). These types of schizoid relationships can appear to be complex in an anti-nature, anti-life, violent, materialistic, and militaristic culture.
What is Aversion/Antipathy?
"Similarly, repulsion (which is another phase of attraction) follows, abides in, and is just another term for, the erroneous classification of an object or experience as pain-giving. On the other hand, what the human mind in ignorance regards as attraction and repulsion exist in nature and are inherent, invariable and constant in the manifestation of cosmic intelligence (e.g., the magnetic polarity). In nature, however, there is neither the cloud of ignorance nor its consequent ego-sense, and hence the attraction and repulsion in nature are of an entirely different quality to that found in the human psyche."
Swami Venkatesananda
Dvesa (aversion/repulsion) is the opposite of raga (desire/attraction), yet they are part of one process. For example a fear of failure is not much different from a driving desire for success. The very desire for success if held onto addictively will cause anxiety of failure. Desire (raga) by itself combined with anusaya (attachment/addiction) characterizes the suffering associated with aversion. Any resistance or frustration in achieving that desire (pratigha) is most often met with aversion. On a subtle level aversion (dvesa) is anything we dislike or avoid. This of course colors the mind and acts as a poison to the yogi. Of course dislike is impossible without "likes", desire, or preference. Such realization occurs on a very subtle level through the implementation of self awareness processes. Perhaps the word, nausea, is a good word for word translation for dvesa. Dvesa a large factor in turning away from the light of clear vision (vidya). Today, in the Kali Yuga, dvesa is widespread, as is raga, asmita, and avidya.
"It [aversion] expresses itself as censure, blame, or condemnation (ninda), and all of these terms make anger (krodha) and aversion [dvesa] synonymous. These synonyms truly express various connotations and depths of (and other emotions associated with) anger, that is aversion towards things and hate toward beings. It takes the form of seeing obstructions everywhere, by which one becomes excited and seeks to overcome them in a real or imagined context. It is done with the conscious or the unconscious desire to vanquish past pain and prevent future ones, together with the causes thereof that are seen as current obstructions. The mind's fixation upon these obstructions, pains, and their causes, and on the attempts to vanquish them becomes the first stage of anger. One censures and condemns all these with a vengeful desire to destroy them, even to a point of an anger that leads to violence, causing injury or hurt, and killing. All of these emotions are expressed by the word, dvesha, as juxtaposed to the attraction and attachment (raga) explained in the preceding sutra [II.7]."
Swami Veda Bharati , The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: with the Exposition of Vyasa, Volume II, Sadhana Pada. Motilal Benarsidass Publishers, Delhi, 2001.
Avoidance as Chronic Ignorance
On a coarse level, aversions become obvious. When ever we are motivated by hatred, fear, anger, scorn, contempt, condemnation of others, revulsion, an ugly mood, displeasure, indeed why do we subject ourselves to it, one may ask if it were not due to a habitual clinging mechanism. Even repulsion, avoidance, revulsion, denial, aloofness, and numbness acknowledges the existence of something we judge as "painful" which the ego attempts to avoid. It is this activity of running away from something which also maintains the relationship with the "painful" object and our painful experience or anticipation of a painful experience When we exercise swadhyaya (self study) then we inquire when this mechanism is triggered, by what, and them discover how to disrupt the pattern of aversion (dvesa). It does not mean that the painful object goes away or disappears, but rather our attitude toward it changes; i.e., we no longer subject our citta-vrtti to the klesha of dvesa (dislike), hence the mind then is given an opportunity to open in a profound manner,instead of armoring around fear or protecting ourselves from pain. Closing down, contracting, or protecting "ourselves" from what the mind imputes as "pain" is a dysfunctional syndrome to break.
Avoidance can be a very large habit and limiting factor that holds back awareness and hence authentic spiritual growth. On an elementary level, avoidance can manifest as procrastination, where an unpleasant but necessary task is put off to the last moment or forgotten simply because one is running away from the ego's imputation of pain. Is it really painful or unpleasant? Only to the mental constructs that say that it is. The problem with procrastination is that the task has to be done regardless, so it is a way of self pretension by ignoring it (temporarily). The larger problem is that the unconscious mind knows that the task still has to get done and thus one undergoes needless anxiety for a prolonged period of time, as opposed to facing the task head on and getting it done in the beginning, thus relieving oneself from its burden..
But avoidance shows in more dysfunctional ways as denial. Since most people tend to desire to avoid pain, but by avoiding mental pain, "unpleasant" situations, or withdrawing from it, there is a tendency to ignore such, block it out, or numb it out, as well as to make up stories around it, tendencies to ridicule it, as well as become obsessed with it. the egoic mindset may say; if it doesn't exist (ignored) and only exists in my mind, then I will pretend that it doesn't exist and ignore it. That is the definition of ego delusion and is of course very dysfunctional yet many people suffer from it. In avoiding what is thought to be painful by the ego, one then seeks out what is thought to gratify the ego. Hence denial becomes an addiction to delusions that support one's sense of self conceit and arrogance (a static and illusory sense of "self" is fixated upon which resists change and healing) -- the delusion, self deceit, conceit, and pretension being more flattering and pleasurable to the ego, while ignoring, avoiding, discounting, or denying the lessons that the ego must learn in the ego's attempt for survival and dominance.
All obscurations and hindrances (kleshas) stemming from avoidance of these can become obsessive negative habits that are difficult to recognize because of the basic impulse to avoid or "not" recognize the pain. What eventually needs to be recognized is not the "pain" as such, but rather the mental mechanism behind the pain. Then the observer can release those reactive neural mechanisms and circuits which imprison the human being to the wheel of samsara (suffering). Release and liberation do not come from ignorance, but from wisdom. For example, in modern psychiatry today, mental or physical pain, anguish, discomfort mechanisms are treated by blocking the neural pathways to the brain. The system basically is numbed out and the patient no longer cares about "events" or situations. The consequences of such so called therapy can be very destructive, as the neural pathways are shut down, disconnected, and blocked rather than being opened and realigned in harmony with one's innate evolutionary and creative power. Such drug therapy is turning out generations of indifferent, numbed out, emotionally deficient and dissociated neural robots and morons who have been made distant from their heart.
To go deeper antipathy/aversion as the clinging onto pain and our continued confused associations with painful experiences, can be entirely remediated without reactive repression, avoidance, denial, or negation; but rather through acceptance -- facing the demon of our own mental assignations and associations with the so called painful object. Acceptance does not mean approval or disapproval of anything, but rather, it means recognition of the real situation as-it-is free from the reactionary mind set which because of attachment desires to label, blame, judge, disapprove, negate, dismiss, defend, etc. This is not simply a trick of the mind, but rather a waking up where the object is seen as it is without a "bad", ugly, or undesirable label or judgment laid upon it by the judgmental mind. Similarly, since we ascribe dislike (dvesa) to that which we associate with pain (duhkha-anusaya), we actually become victims and are controlled by our own fear and hatred. The burning question is of course why would we cause ourselves pain, misery, and suffering (duhkha) in the first place since even running away from pain (aversion itself) is painful. Herein lies the understanding which can be applied not only to dvesa but to raga or any other klesha as we shall learn the kleshas all bring about pain and misery because they predictably hold together asmita (the ego sense) whose root is ignorance -- or non-recognition of the true nature of our own mind. .
Just as in the previous sutra the anticipation or attraction (raga) toward objects associated with pleasure (sukha) creates chronic craving (duhkha), similarly in this sutra the association between aversion and duhkha (pain) is even more obvious bringing forth chronic fear and dislike. Desiring or attachment to any "thing" necessarily implies a fear or losing "it" and hence a dislike of forces that threaten its existence or the ego's ownership (asmita).
In that regard, to be sure, nihilism, negation, avoidance, and extreme cynicism are not solutions, rather they are further examples of dvesa. Boredom and listlessness are also sure symptoms of the disease of dvesa. Just as nihilism is based on dvesa and hence ignorance, so too is eternalism based on raga, and also ignorance. Raga and dvesa thus are the two polar generators of samsaric mindset
This relationship becomes clear after practice in deeper meditation when the ego no longer associates itself with any "thing" or as a "thing" -- when true freedom is glimpsed, The mind is no longer wandering or searching in cycles of attraction nor repulsion, but rather has learned how to abide in deep and wide stillness and open awareness. This non-recognition is the meaning of "sarupyam" (at other times) in I.4 and the glue which holds the citta-vrtti (false identifications) together. These types of objective identifications form the basis of samprajnata (see I.17) and must be relaxed and let go. In asamprajnata samadhi (I.18) we are truly present and such assignations and labeling factors are absent.
"You will be free to let go of your unhappiness the moment you recognize it as unintelligent. Negativity is not intelligent" . . . pay close attention to negative thoughts, feelings or actions and any background unhappiness, including resentment, discontent, nervousness or being "fed up." Become alert to your negativity and repeat silently: "At this moment, I am creating suffering for myself."
Eckhart Tolle
Negation, repression, or suppression only buries the neurotic conflict deeper. in an attempt to flee from it. Masochism is a subliminal or secondary neurotic activity which attempts to satisfy a feeling state by the titillation of already deadened or numbed pathways. When the neuroses and pain is driven far enough from consciousness, it merely arises in the unconscious often through tertiary compulsions which in most events are far more dysfunctional than the original repression/suppression.
The recoiling mechanisms of chronic indifference, boredom, complacency, apathy, zombie type behavior, extreme cynicism, nihilism, catatonia, disinterest, withdrawal, coldness, aloofness, arrogance, narrow-mindedness, shallowness, superficiality, inhibition, chronic intimidation, fear of thinking for oneself, aloofness, and such dissociative behavior are good indicators of the existence of a severe blockage, repression, or disconnect from some basic feelings. In extreme cases the pain of feeling anything becomes overwhelming and one becomes frightened and deadened to feeling anything or even chancing resurrecting the sensate state at all. Feelings of the heart thus become judged to be just as threatening to the ego which feels it must protect itself as if they were threatened by a physical attacker. The most common threats of course are fear of of sex, shame, sin,. or experiences associated with past painful memories. punishment, or ridicule of a badly bruised and fearful ego -- a contracted heart. Albeit the ego may feel that they are escaping pain, but they are also escaping life. They are dead inside. Their creative/evolutionary power is blocked or contracted. They suffer from arteriosclerosis of the nadis. See also the mechanisms of "PAIN", "The Fear of Living","AVOIDANCE", "Repression", "Fear of Pleasure", and "DENIAL".
Nihilism, Cynicism, Escapism, Denial, Avoidance, Other Worldliness, Religion, and Belief in Reincarnation are Other Forms of Aversion and Antipathy
In this way nihilism, extreme skepticism, and cynicism are other subsets of this same escapist mechanism of denial and avoidance. Healthy skepticism is excellent as it is essential not to believe in lies, deception, and false assumptions. All assumptions need to be questioned. Unhealthy skepticism says that nothing is true, everything is a lie, nothing is real, hence extreme skepticism leads to cynicism, paranoia, and nihilism. How do we know truly? Through yoga practice which leads to clarity of vision. A cynic is a person who believes that only selfishness motivates human actions and who disbelieves in or minimizes selfless acts or altruism. It is a disinterested point of view, except for one's selfish gratification. A cynic insists that other beings and things" exist only to gratify oneself, hence true friendship is negated. A competitive society with competitive values, turns people into misanthropes, those who hate or mistrust "humankind" in general. "Others" as well as nature are seen as competitors, objects of exploitation or control and hence an oxymoron is created; i.e., a sociopathic society, for profit disease care systems; self poisoning one's air, water, food, children, and one's own body.
Through nihilism and antipathy toward life, an antipathy to nature, natural function, self, the body, sexual function and all other natural functions is established. Not only is fear of pleasure established, but also hatred of pleasure and life, hatred of those who remind us of our hate (sexual objects for example), and hence misogyny and misandry also can result. Through nihilism and extreme cynicism, one can mistakenly thinks that one can excuse oneself from any responsibility, karma, or avoid guilt, because nothing exists except one's own desire. Escapist mechanisms based on denial and avoidance are contrived where one will die and go to heaven where a personal savior will come and take them away, or one will live happily ever after in some "otherly" world with an otherly alien god -- anywhere than here which has been judged as unreal. Such people live a life of avoiding responsibility, love, friendship, and reality, seeking instead to disown life, nature, response-ability, and its consequences in an attempt to find "happiness" through negation, fantasy, and self deceit. One fantasy is that a better life awaits one "elsewhere", perhaps in a future life. With that attitude toward reincarnation, one misses the information available to them in the sacred present, hence they chronically stay uninformed as to the depth and rich fulfillment that is available now.
What is Duhkha: Suffering?
A sophisticated observer can not help to notice that everyone chooses their own poison.. well almost everyone. One man's poison is another man's medicine. One person may consider their addiction to opium, large meals, sexual obsession, alcohol over indulgence, or work as happiness or pleasurable (sukha) while another may label it an unfortunate addiction. Some people may consider a yogi living in a mountain cave, naked, and with no possessions to be suffering (duhkha), while the yogi may feel himself liberated and happy. So a large question is to inquire as to "what is suffering or unhappiness" as the answer is too often couched in terms of materialistic cultural values rather than in spiritual terms. The answer to that inquiry will become clear if we acknowledge the context of the Yoga Sutras is spiritual; i.e., it aims for unconditional liberation and unconditional happiness, and nothing short of that. Unhappiness or duhkha occurs when the consciousness is trapped inside the dualistic samsaric wheel where the citta-vrtti is active. That is egoic consciousness, delusional consciousness, or avoidance/ignorance (avidya) of the state of true vision (primordial consciousness and evolutionary power). The blockage of that consciousness (Cit-Shakti) defines the state of suffering. It might or might not wind up acknowledged or diagnosed correctly by the sufferer. Denying or ignoring the disease of suffering of course is not the cure, yet an essential testament of the Yoga Sutras is that the disease of ignorance and suffering can be cured.
Both Patanjali and Buddha define duhkha as the result of the kleshas whose primary cause is ignorance -- as samsaric and egoic consciousness. It is thus an obscured and impeded mental state characterized by ignorance (avidya) , confusion, asmita (ego), raga, dvesa, etc --samsaric existence being fueled by ignorance (avidya), the egoic mindset (asmita), attachment (raga), and aversion (dvesa) as we have been studying. Because one whose consciousness is ignorant and afflicted, then it is very difficult to see the cause (diagnose) their own malady. Ultimately the cause of mental pain and suffering is found to be an error of the mind itself. Realizing that truth (not just intellectually) but by realizing the true nature of one's mind, as swarupa-sunyam in samadhi (III.3) is the remedy. According to yoga, that is realized through yogic practices, not through conceptual thought processes.
With the above in mind, then on a more subtle level, pain is an indicator of samsaric involvement. It is not a thing in itself that exists independently. When I say that I experience pain, I am saying that I am feeling something is "wrong". It is a signal or message. However it is a great error to stop there, treat the symptom, alleviate or palliate it, numb it out, block the nerve passageways, choke off the nadis, dissociate from it, avoid it, fear it, or further anesthetize oneself as is the common treatment. Either becoming obsessed with it or attempting to escape from it, both are dvesa. Dvesa will only make the duhkha worse. The cure then, is to not stop there (with the mental assignment as being "painful", disliked, or bad to the sensation) --not to block the signal or dissociate from the discomfort, but to go deeper to the source of the signal -- to open up to the experience and not contract in fear or loathing by being even more fully present and aware.
So on this more subtle energetic level, we keep the nadis open and then realize the source of our discomfort, we are sitting on an artery, we need to get up and stretch, the diaphragm is frozen and needs to expand, the heart is racing, the jaw is tight, the adrenaline is over pumping, the acetylcholine levels are too high, the parasympathetic nervous system is suppressed, I am holding back, repressing, or suppressing my true feelings, my breath is erratic, I am holding my breath, I am angry or upset, this ar is toxic, my children do not love me, I am afraid that I will lose my job, and so forth. When we get to the end/source or core of the pain or primary discomfort (the citta-vrtti), then the pain will go away (as it is only an indicator/signpost of a more primary disturbance). We should use it as a signpost when it comes up and travel to the root/source by opening up to such, not by closing down, blocking the signals or running away from it in dvesa. Here the subtle yogic practices become powerful. Ultimately duhkha is due to the blockage of the evolutionary/creative power -- the our innate connection/union with primordial consciousness by the egoic mindset (asmita) based on the number one false assumption ( avidya) which has created the cosmic split/crack within the consciousness of so many humans.
Both Dvesa and Raga Occur only Within the Subject/Object Dualistic Samsaric Mindset
So just as raga is chasing around compensatory temporary desires to fill in the cosmic crack/split from primordial consciousness, so too is dvesa the attempt to escape from the clutches of "suffering and pain". A common question beginners ask is, "Is not Yoga an escape from the world , an escape from suffering I(duhkha? Are not all religions avoidance of the things in 'this world'?" In regard to authentic yoga the answer is a resounding no, because authentic yoga is designed to open up the pathways, channels, and vehicles for evolutionary/creative energy to animate this very embodiment HERE and NOW. It is the opposite of escape. It is designed to live life fully and without affliction, encumbrances, inhibitions, limitation, or ignorance. It is granted, some interpretations of "yoga" and religion (such as samkhya and others who teach about a separate and alien god) as has been pointed out previously do teach dvesa (escape and antipathy) as part of the path. Among many things these same interpreters do not understand nirodha, tapas, brahmacharya, vairagya, and other vital yoga practices, rather they teach control, individual will power, conceptual prowess, and repression as a path. That path leads to increased bondage (samsara).
Dvesa occurs as the anticipation of pain or suffering to be avoided combined with the sense of ownership of that pain (asmita-dvesa), which remains as an unexamined assumption for most people. They say I feel pain or discomfort. "This or that hurts me", rather than to say that "my mind is hurting me". Then dislike or aversion to avoid or dissociate from that experience or person so associated becomes the repulsive motive factor as dvesa. Just as raga is the craving for "some thing", dvesa is the repulsive force to avoid another thing. The trigger does not have to be an object of the future, but also merely a past karmic trace, mentally painful memory, or any such past imprint (samskara) or association (anusayi) with a past event. This negative association with pain (anusayi-duhkha). If they say that "my mental associations made up by my mental habits is hurting me", then that can be the beginning of a learning experience - swadhyaya where the kleshas become attenuated and quelled, the nadis opened, and the creative/evolutionary energy flows through. In fact awakening opportunities in daily life are plentiful if we stay open and aware.
Dvesa also takes us out of the present (sacred presence). Like raga, it is a result of ignoring/non-recognition of sacred presence == not being HERE and NOW. Likewise as a result of this non-recognition (which is none other than avidya) the ego then experiencing dissatisfaction with the now, and interposes another associative outcome as avoidance, denial, escape, or negation. Duhkha brought about through dvesa is a bad reaction to what it, thus it is the result of a mental imputation. The good news then is that although the event of what-is can not be changed, the mental imputation can be changed.
On a mental level that which appears unpleasant to the ego, unbearable, threatening, or painful is commonly armored around, protected from, or defensively attacked. This aversion/antipathy can manifest as hatred, disgust, contempt, fear, anger, scorn, disdain, defensiveness, aggressiveness, arrogance, aloofness, and the like. The egoic mind *desires* something NOT to happen and hence desire (raga) and aversion (dvesa) are to be understood as two sides of the same coin.
Ultimately one realizes that pain or suffering is the result of non-recognition or ignorance of our innate intelligent creative power. Samsara is best understood from that perspective (happiness). The samsaric mindset is just that, not the world and not a "thing", but the result of a mental imputation. Neither happiness nor displeasure is found in an object, but rather is entirely mental. Mental pain and pleasure are thus entirely contrived by the mind and hence an unnecessary self-made burdens is established -- a bad habit of the egoic mindset. Temporal happiness (sukha) or unhappiness (duhkha) is not found outside the mind. However when the mental error which upholds the basic split of egoic ideation is broken asunder, then unconditional happiness and boundless light reigns illuminating and clarifying all that is as well as what is not.
Contemplation (dharana) on the relationship between dvesa as desire to avoid pain, and raga as desire to attain pleasure or gratification is very useful beginning practice, because it discloses how we define pleasure and pain. Contemplation between dvesa and duhkha is also most rewarding for those who have never questioned the happiness of a "two car garage, a good paying job, and a mortgaged home in the suburbs".
This relationship between dvesa and duhkha is always a two way street; i.e., if the egoic mind did not define something as painful or if it didn't find any situation as uncomfortable, then dvesa (repulsion/revulsion) would not arise. So pain (duhkha) creates aversion (dvesa) just as aversion creates more duhkha as suffering. Dvesa is based upon revulsion, it is nothing more than a negative preference, a negative attraction, or a dislike as contrasted with a positive preference, attraction, or liking.. As soon as we feel either raga or dvesa we leave NOW AWARENESS -- full pure and total NOW presence.
In Buddhism duhkha (suffering) is the first noble truth. It does not say that all of life is suffering, rather it states that egoic life based on raga and dvesa in regard to material objects brings forth suffering. Suffering exists and it is not wise at all to ignore it, numb it out, pretend that it does not exist, wish it away, deny it, nor negate it. Rather we must have the courage (nobility) to look suffering square in the face without aversion nor artifice. Then the suffering will no longer drive the wheel of samsara (cyclic existence built upon of suffering) once the engine which drives the cycle of attraction and repulsion are disconnected.
Like the other hindrances (kleshas) dvesa (repulsion, aversion, hatred, or fear) thus are based on the confusion that the possession of or the identification with specific objects or conditions, or their loss (fear), or the change of states from one false identification (seemingly secure) to another state will bring about pain or sorrow. This can be a sense object, like aversion to a loud noise or "bad' smell, touching a hot surface, etc., or due to a purely self induced mental dislike of the ego. Mental/emotional aversion is very often a supporting cause of ignorance where one's compensatory mechanism of pride is averse to hearing the truth about its delusion (haughty mask), or where one's fixated identification within a seemingly safe and secure framework of one's existing dualistic world view (citta-vrtti) appears "threatened" by an antagonistic truth -- where the ego views new information as a threat to the old identification/fixation of self (atman/asmita).
Eckhart Tolle says in Chapter two of his now classic: "The Power of Now":
The greater part of human pain is unnecessary. It is self-created as long as the unobserved mind runs your life.
The pain that you create now is always some form of non-acceptance, some form of unconscious resistance to what is. On the level of thought, the resistance is some form of judgment. On the emotional level, it is some form of negativity. The intensity of the pain depends on the degree of resistance to the present moment, and this in turn depends on how strongly you are identified with your mind. The mind always seeks to deny the Now and to escape from it. In other words, the more you are identified with your mind, the more you suffer. Or you may put it like this: the more you are able to honor and accept the Now, the more you are free of pain, of suffering - and free of the egoic mind.
Why does the mind habitually deny or resist the Now? Because it cannot function and remain in control without time, which is past and future, so it perceives the timeless Now as threatening. Time and mind are in fact inseparable.
Imagine the Earth devoid of human life, inhabited only by plants and animals. Would it still have a past and a future? Could we still speak of time in any meaningful way? The question "What time is it?" or "What's the date today?" - if anybody were there to ask it - would be quite meaningless. The oak tree or the eagle would be bemused by such a question. "What time?" they would ask. "Well, of course, it's now. The time is now. What else is there?"
Yes, we need the mind as well as time to function in this world, but there comes a point where they take over our lives, and this is where dysfunction, pain, and sorrow set in.
The mind, to ensure that it remains in control, seeks continuously to cover up the present moment with past and future, and so, as the vitality and infinite creative potential of Being, which is inseparable from the Now, becomes covered up by time, your true nature becomes obscured by the mind. An increasingly heavy burden of time has been accumulating in the human mind. All individuals are suffering under this burden, but they also keep adding to it every moment whenever they ignore or deny that precious moment or reduce it to a means of getting to some future moment, which only exists in the mind, never in actuality. The accumulation of time in the collective and individual human mind also holds a vast amount of residual pain from the past.
If you no longer want to create pain for yourself and others, if you no longer want to add to the residue of past pain that still lives on in you, then don't create any more time, or at least no more than is necessary to deal with the practical aspects of your life. How to stop creating time? Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life. Whereas before you dwelt in time and paid brief visits to the Now, have your dwelling place in the Now and pay brief visits to past and future when required to deal with the practical aspects of your life situation. Always say "yes" to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to something that already is? What could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say "yes" to life - and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.
In summary dvesa is translated as antipathy, aversion, dislike, withdrawal, or repulsion -- an association is made by the mind with some thing one desires to avoid, dislikes, or fears. In general it may manifest as generalized hatred and fear and in general social antipathy such as found in the sociopath. Dvesa includes the mechanisms of anger, disdain, loathing, bigotry, prejudice, vindictiveness, scorn, rage, haughtiness, revulsion, dislike, fear, repulsion, jealousy, contempt, condemnation, repugnance, derision, ridicule, mockery, blame, denunciation, satire, abhorrence, revulsion, dismay, insecurity, inhibition, cowardice, withdrawal, extreme passivity, catatonia, nihilism, disassociation, paranoia, violence, cruelty, abuse, exploitation of others, sadism, patronage, condescension, disparagement, demonization, disapprobation, or any similar type of revulsion. Many kleshas are a combination of these 5 root kleshas, for example pomposity, arrogance, jealousy, and supremist bigotry are combinations of dvesa, asmita. and raga. Especially those who have become terrorized and severely abused may experience extreme numbness and dissociation fixations as well as chronic schizoid behavior patterns which are difficult to identify at first. The kleshas occur when the ego superimposes its desires (likes and dislikes) upon what is in the NOW.
The mental affliction of fear occurs when we are confronted by a message that the egoic mind associates (anusayi) with being painful (duhkha), or an event is associated`in the mind with a past trauma, or anything which appears threatening or painful to our ego's identification or "reality", which contradicts our sense of security or world view; or else appears as a threat to our identification with the small "self" -- something deemed threatening or dangerous to be avoided. In order to avoid, escape, deny, negate, or dissociate from the pain (of ego) in aversion, the ego often armors around it or else protects itself from its apparent threat through sometimes elaborate and complex mechanisms of aversion/repulsion, negation, denial, dissociation, justification, as well as aggressive (first strike) reactions such as generalized hatred. Thus the insecure egoic mindset (all egoic mindsets are inherently insecure) which maintains and protects its afflictive machinations (klesha) while at the same time reinforcing avidya.
Likewise when we dislike something, that is when we do not desire it to happen, we may say we hate or despise it. Many people use hatred to mask their fear or attenuate the discomfort of fear. However neither fear nor hatred really feels good,rather at best one can say that we feel. Aversion feels bad, and hence is more easily associated with duhkha when brought to our attention.
Dvesa is a dysfunctional way of disagreeing, overcoming, transcending, negating, overcoming, or dissociating with "phenomena or events" and registering our dislike or complaint, which again is the other side of raga (desire). Which is to say that we confuse the desire or aversion with its outcome (pleasure or pain), while the desire/aversion itself actually is in reality a craving (an anticipation), Hence the enjoyment and excitement of shopping for example. Raga and dvesa are always due to living outside the realm of sacred presence. Dhyana (meditation) is the best antidote for that.
Condemnation, disapproval, blame, censure, denunciation, enmity, blameworthy criticism, abhorrence, disgust, disdain, scorn, and the like are all statements of extreme displeasure and horridness -- a decision that a desired result has not been achieved and more so the undesired result has occurred. Such is merely an evaluation of the intellect and belief system based on good and bad (ethics and esthetics) and is thus both a vrtti and a klesha. Thus all the kleshas are creations of the dualistic mind and are illusory. Once they are seen for what they are, they then disappear. hatred is an aggressive compensatory adaptive way of coping with our pain, sorrow, and grief. As such it leads us even further astray feeding the illusion that we are not in reality in pain or in a grievous situation. Just like raga, aversion can manifest in many ways in daily life as it is the result of grasping also. More specifically, aversion and/or its combination mixed with the other kleshas manifest as hatred, contempt, extreme dislike, anger, abhorrence, disgust, distaste, rancor, derision, mockery, hostility, resentment, irritation, disapproval, condemnation, demonization, antipathy, repugnance, revulsion, haughtiness, disdain, overbearance, pomposity, scorn, arrogance, and the like.
The ordinary man dominated by dualistic thinking processes, lost in samsara as he is, too often clings to his shortsightedness, predilections, egoic self, hatreds, loathing, predilections, bias, blame, disapproval, condemnation of others, desires, pride and arrogance -- in short his many combinations of hindrances, afflictive emotions and obstructions (kleshas). Thus one not only is blocking out one's true nature, but most often creating more fuel to feed more bad karma. Many people have become conditioned to find their security and self worth (their "delusional reality) by being against an enemy or evil. This is why the Buddha said that dualistic "life is hard when we are attached to our ignorance, but very sweet (when sorrow ends) -- when we have realized the fruit of the path which is our birth rights -- of our latent innate seed wisdom (buddha-nature or true Christ potential) as we become the love and light that we have all been waiting for. Hence the inner demon of delusional thinking (Mara) which is created by the egoic mindset must be defeated.
Security and Insecurity Issues: (Raga or Dvesa or both?)
Security is a large business. Business goes up when people feel insecure. Government security costs American tax payers more than any other service. Such covers war, defense, intelligence, research, prisons, prosecution, homeland security, enforcement, and court costs at all levels of government. Private security corporations are on the rise in both foreign and domestic intelligence gathering as well as prison systems, professional private security police and para-military corporations, as well as the traditional security/alarm companies. This huge amplification in security is of course heightened by insecurity -- concerns over the safety of self and/or property.
In the United States currently we have the UN security council, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Agency, a large array of Spy Satellites, foreign military bases, the highest incarceration rate in the world, and spend more money on defense, prisons, and "security" ten times over that of any other nation, yet Americans still do not feel secure.
There are two mental aspects to security. One is fear of being attacked, being imprisoned, enslaved, abused, exploited, and so forth. Even proactive defense being based on fear, can all be said to be based on dvesa (as aversion). The other mental aspect is raga and greed, where the motives are to keep what one already has or to gain advantage by exploiting the resources of others. For example most wars in history can be identified as being caused by rapacious aggressors intent on profit. Sometimes both sides were fighting over resources, power, and control -- wealth such as England's wars with Spain or France.or example the American Indian wars were based on exploitation of land and resources. So was the Spanish American war, the war on Panama, the first Gulf War, the Afghanistan War, the second Iraq war, and so on. Some wars could be classified as purely defensive on one side, while always there is some thing to gain (desire and greed) and something to lose (dvesa) always involved either both or at least one. In fact as we have shown raga and dvesa are really two sides of the same dynamo which drives the wheel of samsara. SAt its root is ignorance (avidya), the inability for nations and people to live in harmony with the evolutionary life force -- to honor and respect it. Rather war and all other "security" concerns are due to lack -- to separation from that pure primordial vision (vidya). War and conflict is based on inner conflict, unresolved inner wars and dualities which cloud pure vision and thus prevent its expression. What is expressed instead is the fear, greed, desire, antipathy, prejudice, intolerance and hatred (raga/dvesa) which are merely an acting out (externalization) of one's inner demons (maras) projected upon "the world". What is revealing is to successfully inquire as to the reason why there is such a widespread national mental epidemic of denial of what is otherwise obvious to outside world observers. In general arrogance, pride, self deceit, conceit, and delusion reinforce this ignorance. This denial and ignorance of the evolutionary life force becomes even more pronounced when we consider the widespread poisoning and destruction by human beings of their own, water, air, food supplies, bodies, and sustainable habitat.
Rather the yogi inquires why in the first place one is afraid, is greedy, attached to views or things, hateful, angry, and violent and how does that happen? Then those primary causes are eliminated. Then the yogi reflects/expresses their connection according to the intensity of their intention.
Aversion to Aversion
A negative feedback loop is not uncommon when people become averse to aversion, become afraid of fear, indifferent to indifference, deny being in denial, hate hatred, attempt to escape or avoid situations that they fear, hate themselves for hating themselves, and so forth. For example, there might be an upcoming situation or event that I am afraid of. I become afraid of even thinking about it or being reminded of the situation or event, or anything else that is associated with it. I start to worry about it, become nervous and upset, have nightmares about it, and experience a general malaise of dread or even depression. I may even become depressed that I am depressed or sad because I am sad, or hate myself for hating myself, and so forth. All of that weakens my nervous system and my ability to face the situation. Weakened and in dread, I fear the event even more. Obsessing any further might cause a panic attack or nervous breakdown.
That type of negative obsession over an event or situation can also occur in relation to a past experience which was very painful, traumatic, or which produced overwhelming anxiety. Here again I may have ongoing nightmares about that and carry that fear on into the future. For example in self awareness (swadhyaya) or sitting meditation (dhyana) sometimes we will become aware of a dysfunctional kleshic/karmic mechanism which may show up as aversion. In that case, having more aversion or self blame over discovering the existence of an aversion mechanism will only feed an endless downward spiral until the observer recognizes that the mechanisms of blame, condemnation, guilt, and shame are inexpedient and counterproductive. Such is the opposite of taking "response-ability" for our actions, speech, and thoughts as a pure channel for expression of the evolutionary power and primordial consciousness.
In any event, this samsaric cyclic mechanism fed by raga/dvesa is counterproductive, dysfunctional, and needs to be broken asunder. Although the introduction of remedial thought processes like positive or wishful thinking may be temporarily appear to be helpful, it is more helpful to the release the mechanisms of old samsaric/kleshic thought patterns as they are recognized (self awareness) by releasing them immediately. Utilizing yogic practices aimed directly at aggressively clearing out stuck energy, while opening us up to discovering our innate and latent energy will work far more deeply on activating a deep core lasting change. Such practices such as found in kriya and astanga yoga will have rapid positive results and are far more effective than working merely on the mental or conceptual level.
Observation as in watching the mental processes may help in recognizing the mechanics of the cause and effect relationships that are involved, but it will be effective yogic practices which will be capable of rapidly clearing the psycho-energetic mechanism completely, reestablishing a positive feedback loop and connection with body, breath, mind, and spirit which will displace the negative feedback loop. In short it is not necessary to figure out with the intellect all the causes of the kleshas (asmita, raga, dvesa, etc., but just to know humbly that they stem from ignorance (avidya) and the egoic split from Self, hence such a rend is healed by reconnecting with clear primordial vision, through the vehicles of integration -- integration of body, breath, speech, and spirit -- balancing and harmonizing heaven and earth through our very expression. There is so much suffering (duhkha) -- so much human ignorance and confusion -- so much arrogance, pride, self deceit, and egoic delusion, yet in the realm governed by the evolutionary power and primordial consciousness, all that is mere illusory-- in comparison it is an insubstantial hallucination -- a nightmarish dream. When we are called upon to love, then we must obey. That is how kriya yoga remediates the kleshas through supreme devotion.
The Fear of Pleasure, Self Perpetuating Denial, Masochism and Sadism
As we have seen pain and suffering can become an addictive obsession. It can give us purpose and meaning especially when we identify as a victim. It thus helps hold the egoic mindset (asmita) together around an identifiable and predictable predicament (suffering) or oppression. In that way that predictability brings solace -- a ersatz sense of security and belonging. Indeed samsara is addictive because the egoic mindset has become obsessed with the citta-vrttis. Again liberation is not the negation or demonization of the world or nature -- it is not in aversion to life, but rather of the liberation of the citta-vrtti. When we learn to OPEN our mind, then the path and vision is clarified.
Dvesa creates more bondage to the wheel of suffering (samsara), but also painful past experiences also cause more aversion. Both together make the samsaric wheel difficult to pierce. The method is not to escape this, but to understand how our own mind has created it and then self liberate.. Just as aversion causes more suffering and dissatisfaction (reinforcing the cycle of samsaric existence and negative karma) so too do past painful associations cause even more aversion. Similarly, events, things, sounds, sights, tastes, smells, people, tones, hues, clothing, and so forth which remind us of past painful experiences can trigger fear, aversion, and the re-experiencing of that pain (or fear of re-experiencing it). Of course the events or stimuli are not the pain, rather the pain is imputed by the mind onto the external objects, event, or people via the obscuration of past associations, but because this happens mostly reflexively (unconsciously), the event itself may appear as a threat. This is mechanism is involved in the construction of post traumatic stress disorders.
These negative emotions (fear, pain, terror, overwhelm) associated around past painful experiences may become exploited by others who would manipulate others. Many people become facile demagogues, manipulators, tricksters, predators, power mongers, illusionists, and sadists because they themselves have become spiritually self alienated and victimized. When ignorance and suffering become chronic schadenfreude (enjoyment taken from the misfortune of others), sadism, torture, morose delectation, and unrequited harm are unleashed upon other beings as enjoyment. It is not a large leap from the delight and glee of vicariously watching a gladiator die in a stadium, a bull fighter killing a bull, a football or a soccer player being beaten bloody and the actual perpetuation of organized murder, war, genocide, or ecocide as it satisfies the same inner perverted desire that stems from the more primary repression of one's own originally positive life instincts which have become brutally masked over by pain and/or shame.
In the preceding sutra commentary on asmita and raga, we described how some kleshas manifest as in many victims as a fear of pleasure and the self denial of pleasure and happiness. Parallel to the fear of happiness is the fear of living. In short they find comfort in displeasure... pleasure in pain. In that sense the line between raga and dvesa as well as between sukha (pleasure) and pain (duhkha) appear to become blurred or confused. Certainly to the confused mind (avidya) that is so; however there is a cause and effect relationship to all suffering which can be released through effective yogic practice.
For example once an infant is punished for feeling, expressing their own feelings, or freely expressing their own views or opinions in an authoritarian environment governed by authoritarian parents, not only fear of accessing one's feeling is established, but the very mechanism of accessing those feelings are associated with pain, punishment. guilt, shame, unworthiness, and often evil. One becomes driven to associate and identify with an external "good" or purity and gloms onto that objective structure as reality with great tenacity (a fear often mistaken as passion). Here the fear of punishment and/or the approval of authority provides more security and comfort than one's own natural or primary sensitivities or feelings. In that sense they have had their own sense of self authority successfully beaten out of them.
So the mechanism as a fear of pleasure or even getting in touch with one's own feeling can be programmed at in early age, while being replaced by an ersatz desire to conform, obey, be protected, and accepted by a world which will love and accept one, albeit the modified, adopted, and artificial "one". This can become an unconscious habit of self imposed masochism -- as a chronic repressive mechanism which includes punishment for having thoughts of pleasure (beating it out of one so to speak) either physically or in the sense of exorcism (using pain as the associated negative motivator). In either case such negative conditioning produces an underlying assumption that deep inside human beings lurks evil (or original sin), while salvation is in denying it (one' e feelings)..
This is not uncommon in radical fundamentalist religious conditioning where children have become trained to fear their innate feelings (such as sexuality, the animal nature, their alliance with nature and natural systems, or anything else that contradicts their belief system. Hence one's innate awareness and ability for critical and creative thought processes remain suspect and feared because such mechanisms may contradict their parents, their support groups, egoic protection mechanisms, church, religion, social norms, peers, or mechanisms of censure or constructs of superego ideals (adopted board of censors or judges). This holds true in any externally oriented authoritarian system here the purpose is to strip the human being of their innate sensitivities and feelings, while enslaving them to the system, belief, party, club, nation, religion, race, or organization..The act of disobeying such external authorities often becomes "unthinkable", rather it has become condemned and subject to punishment (bad). Such people would be considered "bad" if they desire such pleasures, claim such feelings, or knowledge. Hence such behavior is relegated as being unthinkable, and hence their evolutionary potential as human beings in alignment with life force and the living systems becomes discarded. Simultaneously those "others" who indulge in pleasure and this life, thus are determined to be bad, and are condemned, demonized, and often hated or attacked. A system of morals is thus constructed that is utterly devoid of honoring life and one's innate feelings. In such a citta-vrtti rife with pramana, vikalpa, and delusion the mindset becomes a "complex" mechanism because delusion, self deceit, and denial are actively involved, mechanisms of denial and withdrawal are strengthened, and intuitive wisdom and instinct are actively avoided and ignored.
In short, a rather large predicament is created when one has become spiritually estranged (split off from primordial consciousness and evolutionary/creative power). then that estrangement becomes further compounded while the original causation factor becomes obscured appearing to be inscrutable by a mind which has become habitually fixated to confused thought patterns. In that milieu strong "authority figures" and external "law and order structures" may appear to some to be safe predictable havens, but in reality they merely act as ersatz meaning and substitute structures, to replace gnawing inner scarcity, lack, and absence of direct connection (yoga) provides. They present the barriers for further spiritual evolution.
Because of grasping and fear, too often the need for the external substitute/subliminal ersatz reality consistently overrides attempts to reestablish the primacy of inner wisdom, primordial knowledge, innate order, inner gnosis and authority, and innate goodness (the innate Buddhanature). Hence the process of waking up and liberation is resisted/conflictive, while those who would waken us up are seen as threats-- dangers to the prison of the ego -- the citta-vrtti. Challenging one's belief systems, questioning previously unexamined assumptions, questioning authority, and new ideas are welcomed by those who value creative and critical thought as a pathway to expand and open their mind and experiences. On the other hand they are challenging, triggering a reaction of conflict, fear, and often hatred and resentment to those who are severely afflicted.
The Psychiatrist, Wilhelm Reich, M.D., and founder of Bodypsychotherapy said over 50 years ago.
"Those who are truly alive are kindly and unsuspecting in their human relationships and consequently endangered under present conditions. They assume that others think and act generously, kindly, and helpfully, in accordance with the laws of life. This natural attitude, fundamental to healthy children as well as to primitive man, inevitably represents a great danger in the struggle for a rational way of life as long as the emotional plague subsists, because the plague-ridden impute their own manner of thinking and acting to their fellow men. A kindly man believes that all men are kindly, while one infected with the plague believes that all men lie and cheat and are hungry for power. In such a situation the living are at an obvious disadvantage. When they give to the plague-ridden, they are sucked dry, then ridiculed or betrayed." "It is high time for the living to get tough, for toughness is indispensable in the struggle to safeguard and develop the life-force; this will not detract from their goodness, as long as they stand courageously by the truth. . . . Anyone who wants to safeguard the life-force from the emotional plague must learn to make at least as much use of the right of free speech that we enjoy in America for good ends as the emotional plague does for evil ones. Granted equal opportunity for expression, rationality is bound to win out in the end. That is our great hope . . .
You could have long since become the master of your existence, if only your thinking were in the direction of truth. You are cowardly in your thinking, Little Man, because real thinking is accompanied by bodily feelings, and you are afraid of your body. Many great men have told you: Go back to your origin - listen to your inner voice - follow your true feelings - cherish love.
The kindly individual believes that all people are kindly and act accordingly. The plague individual believes that all people lie, swindle, steal and crave power. Clearly, then, the living is at a disadvantage and in danger.
There is only one antidote to the germs of the emotional plague in the mass individual: his own feeling of living life. The living does not ask for power but for its proper role in human life. It is based on the three pillars of love, work and knowledge.
You beg for happiness in life, but security is more important to you, even if it costs you your spine or your life. Your life will be good and secure when aliveness will mean more to you than security; love more than money; your freedom more than party line or public opinion; when your thinking will be in harmony with your feelings; when the teachers of your children will be better paid than the politicians; when you will have more respect for the love between man and woman than for a marriage license.
You will no longer believe that you "don't count." You will know and advocate your knowledge that you are the bearer of human society. Don't run away. Don't be afraid. It is not so terrible to be the responsible bearer of human society. Inflated leaders would have no soldiers and no arms if you clearly knew, and stood up for your knowledge, that a field has to yield wheat and a factory furniture or shoes, and not arms. All you have to do is to continue what you have always done and always want to do: to do your work, to let your children grow up happily, to love your mate.
You are GREAT, Little Man, when you are not small and petty. You are great when you carry on your trade lovingly, when you enjoy carving and building and painting and decorating and sowing, when you enjoy the blue sky and the deer and the dew and music and dancing, your growing children and the beautiful body of your woman or your man, when you learn to understand and think about life. You are great when you hold your grandchildren on your knees and tell them about times long past, when you look into an uncertain future with their trusting childlike curiosity, when you lull your newborn to sleep, when you sing the good old folk songs.
Follow the voice of your heart, even if it leads you off the path of timid souls. Do not become hard and embittered, even if life tortures you at times. There is only one thing that counts: to live one's life well and happily."
"Listen Little Man", Wilhelm Reich. M.D.
In addition, when children are loved unconditionally for who they are as they are, that unconditional love and acceptance provides a base for the establishment of an innate sense of well being. That state or even its memory has to be rediscovered. Those who have lost that memory or have never experienced that in this world, need love. They too can benefit from yoga as an exploration of that.
See the discussion on PAIN above and Fear of Living below.
Of course the best medicine is preventative and proactive; i.e., to remove the conditions of ignorance that perpetuates the institution of transgenerational ignorance and suffering in the first place. Also see "AVOIDANCE" and "DENIAL".
Chronic Meanness
"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher."
When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering" — then you should abandon them.' "
We saw that in Sutra I that Loving Kindness (maitri) is a practice. It is an effective practice because it reflects the wisdom of the transpersonal and non-dual state. It brings us in communion with that state. Just contemplating maitri, karuna, mudita, and upeksha, helps us to transform dvesa and the other kleshas. The boundless mind is always an option to entertain. So is ahimsa, the primary yama.
Chronic meanness is due to deep imbedded chronic pain which has taken over the consciousness and overrides the higher wisdom. People hate and desire to hurt others because they hurt inside. Torture, hell, and pain for them is "life". They run amok on the planet creating more pain and suffering. The schadenfreude or sadist (see Fear of Living and Fear of Pleasure) is in a chronic state of desiring to discharge their pain upon others, thus obtaining temporary relief. Tragically these people waste their own lives and others in unconscious viscious cycles of himsa, inflicting harm onto others. This blocks their bodhicitta (innate goodness) and spiritual progress creaing even more negative karma forthemselves; yet they are resistant to change because mean and hateful people often refuse to admit that they are mean. In short it is not chic to be mean or hateful, so such people justify their behavior in rationalizations, often with elaborate lies and self deceit. For example the Nazis torturers said of themselves that they were only following orders. So did the American torturers at Abu Grhaib. The the Israeli soldiers claimed self defense in Gaza. The slave owners claimed that they were giving their African slaves a superior way of life and religion. So too did the Spanish conquistadors claim that they were civilziing the heathens of the Am,ericans by slaughtering them and stealing their land. Some Buddhist meat eaters claim that they are doing the animal a favor by slaughetring and eating them. None of that is very flattering to the ego, so the ego makes up more lies (asmita) itself. Such poppycock is found in the history books written by the victors and master class.
Chronic meanness is due to chronic forgetfulness of the innate good, the absence of the sacred, an inner emptiness and coldness, the result of a severe repression and blockage of the innate bodhi-citta. Practices must be undertaken in earnest to melt the hardness of the heart.
Healing as Remediation of the Kleshas
Once we recognize the role of the mind as being the causal factor in pain, we have half the battle won. Such is true for all the kleshas. Although it is true that one may be said to experience pain, even though it is generated by the mind, it is merely mind caused and has no independent existence outside that causal field of contrived thinking. Once we stop numbing out and blocking out these messages through the bluntness of perceived pain, then recognition and healing can occur.
Many human beings reside in various states of pain (mental or physical), while numbing out, insulating oneself, or dissociating from the pain may at first be confused as pleasure or desirable, but in the end it is always a dysfunctional direction that leads to habitual syndromes of chronic self limitation. Instead it is awareness that liberates us even from pain
For example pain may be a substitute vague term for physical pressure, tension, destruction of cells or tissue, excessive heat, a bone rubbing on a nerve ending, etc. It is not pain that one experiences, but rather something deeper. If we knew what that is, then we could heal through wisdom/recognition as the first step. The second step would be to release the mechanism that is causing the primary injury and/or activate a remedial procedure. Otherwise we rest in ignorance and suffer from it. Hence a yogi does not numb out the pain or his body or block the nadis, rather the yogi faces what-is-as-it-is without the elaboration of this is painful, this is bad, this is hurtful, this I must escape from, etc. When the " pain threshold" is reached, then a mechanism of flight, escape, or aversion is activated -- a desire to be elsewhere. That is "dis-ease" or dvesa. Abiding in the truth as-it-is in the present, the yogi self liberates and is able to pierce all obstructions and reach the core/heart. Avidya, asmita, dvesa and/or raga prevents that.
Similarly in mental pain, the pain can definitely be attributed to the mind and hence self caused and capable of being uncaused via heightened self awareness. An object or event is -as-it-is. Again accepting the fact of the present situation does not sanction it, approve it, or fixate it; nor does it disapprove it. It remains as-it-truly-is as relative truth. This recognition then allows us to respond more effectively and wisely acting from the heart core in alliance with the entire multiverse, That acceptance allows for its own transformation/evolution. Instead of from fear, aversion, enmity, or any other self limiting impediment (klesha). Hence mental pain can be seen as a mental state of dis-ease, discomfort, unease, tension, unpleasantness, or aversion. Again a pain threshold is reached that triggers a desire to escape, the ignore, to deny, to numb out -- avidya and reject -- in some instances the well known fight or flight mechanism. It is all these unpleasant habitual mechanisms can be broken and liberation won.
Compassion is based on the Recognition of Suffering and the Desire to bring forth Happiness; e.g., Love
Obviously an object is not in itself painful or pleasurable, rather something in the mind makes the association, hence in that sense pain and pleasure are entirely subjective and due to the mind. That is not to say that people do not experience pain or suffering through that mechanism. Even if that mechanism is based on an error in perception, that mechanism itself (unhappiness) will be experienced. It is germane to state that because some delusional people will speculate that if the pain or suffering is mind made, it doesn't really exist. Hence they conclude suffering doesn't exist or that the average dualistic situation is an illusion (not real). That may be cunning, smart, or a self conning of the mind by the mind, but it is not wise. Rather such a conclusion is the opposite of what Patanjali and Buddha are saying. The samsaric condition is the chronic mental unhappy situation for billions. Pretending that these mental states do not exist is merely a convenient self serving delusion (self deceit). Delusion does not go away through further delusion, and delusion is not the name of the game. Indeed unhappiness is based on ignorance and delusion, but the fact that people are locked into samsara, ignorance, delusion, craving, aversion, etc., is an essential recognition to acknowledge (in Buddhism it is the first "noble" truth. Patanjali is not saying to pretend that mental suffering doesn't exist or that it goes away simply by believing that it is an illusion. Rather such thinking and belief is itself a delusion.
Suffering and ignorance does not go away by ignoring it -- through avidya. Rather the opposite one thoroughly recognizes and accepts all what-is-as-it-is. That does not mean one approves it, rather clarity as gnosis/wisdom in the sphere of non-prejudicial recognition is a starting point in remediation of all obscurations and hindrances. When that curtain is removed, it is not a case of cunning or pretension, rather one is filled with light, consciousness, transpersonal wisdom, and boundless love. Such is not the result of an ideation, reification, or imputation. Then the innate healing wisdom can spontaneously express itself. That does not happen in an aura of fear, attachment, or discursive thought -- but rather an uncontrived innate healing presence has overtaken the yogi. See Vajra Anger as selfless compassionate action.
Most of these kleshas operate while being deeply hidden from our daily superficial awareness. A meditator knows that they must be brought to the surface, recognized (not ignored), thus exposed to the light (vidya), then they are *effortlessly* released (vairagya).
Often we might even be running away from facing them (painful as they appear to be when viewed from inside an artificially created egoic framework of ersatz self worth). For example inhibition and repression may lead to repressed anger and result in self hatred and dissociation if one fears one's own anger. Likewise, extreme fear and cowardice may be the cause for inhibition, repression, withdrawal, dissociation, extreme passivity, overwhelm, languor, indifference, hollowness, coldness, numbness, apathy, complacency, lack of feeling, locked in dread, frozen, deadness, impassiveness, moral cowardice, machine like mechanical and android like obsequious behavior. Such aversion thus is often masked because it is characterized by inaction. passivity, withdrawal or indifference. Such frozen passivity exists insidiously in terrorized cultures especially. Because of this insidious dissociation from one's deepest longings and heartfelt feelings with its concomitant resultant disconnection and numbness to one's inner wisdom, intuition, self confidence, being informed directly by the life force, one's connection to the evolutionary life force (Prana), and the intrinsic seed potential (isvara), these victims have become stupid, and thus without any sense of self confidence or inner authority, they become willing slaves and robots for brutal totalitarian and/or authoritarian systems which promise external order, meaning, reward for obedience, and a predictable tightly bounded structure for those who are obedient or cooperate. The yogi is free from all that and more. Through silent sitting meditation we can become aware of any and all tensions, vagaries, constrictions, stress, energy blockages and release them. They arise and they subside. When vairagya becomes heightened via meditation the boundless transpersonal, transcognitive (nirvikalpa), and non-dual wisdom becomes very strong and present. Here also the infinite Heart naturally shines forth and is expressed.
Sacred Absence is the Mother of Sacred Presence: In the Presence of Absence; Remembering having Forgotten
Recognition by being present with one's grief is a far superior state of mind than denial, dissociation, emotional numbness, insulated aloofness, chronic indifference, and numbness as unfeeling mechanical automatons or left brain dominant drones suffocated, isolated, and shut off from our feelings..
As we have heard and will continue to hear in the Yoga Sutras alignment with the evolutionary power brings forth natural light and happiness, still it is crucial that one does not deny or run away from feeling grief as an escapist reaction when one is not aligned.
Acknowledging a grievous situation as a grievous situation (a fragmentary disconnection as a fragmentary disconnected state of mind) although not seeing the whole picture in context with the evolutionary power and source, still is a step in the right direction when it reflects one's true feelings at the time. In this way one is capable of learning from our experience through bringing in more conscious light into the situation. That way one is not role acting, acting pretentious, ignoring, or lost in self deceit and play, but then they are capable of true recognition. Once recognition of our situation is acknowledged, then more conscious awareness is possible, By turning away from the situation, conscious awareness is denied.
Through more conscious awareness. then more liberation is possible. Liberation does not come by ignoring a situation, covering it up, escaping from, numbing out, or overcoming our emotional feelings., rather it makes the situation far worse. That is why when we say avoidance, dissociation, emotional indifference, antipathy, aversion, repulsion, and denial is a more gross form of ignorance than grievousness, sadness, remorse, or tears. One has to learn to be present with grief and loss. in order to fully appreciate fullness. Hence sacred presence is generated via the acknowledgement of sacred absence; e.g., that something is lacking. Once we recognize that something is missing/lacking or absent, then we can honor that space via increased recognition.
Grief as a Path -- Grief as a great Teacher
When we completely accept our grief and allow ourselves to feel and experience that state of loss and absence completely and fully, then the great portal of the heart of compassion opens. Through this boundless open hearted place, the sense of separateness and loss is entirely healed. The rend/split is re woven as we realize our true innate state of interdependence on this trans dimensional level of the buddhaverse. In that way grief becomes a portal or practice into the boundless land of Great Compassion.
In Tantra yoga we take each experience as an opportunity to learn more about ourselves (swadhyaya). This is the way authentic yoga as integration can occur. The deeper the emotional state, the more we have to learn and liberate. Instead of avoiding, escaping, negating, numbing out our feelings, denying, dissociating from, inhibiting or running away from grief, we have the opportunity to fully understand where it is coming from (which is a feeling of lack, absence, loss, or feeling of separateness). Hence going deeper into discovering its true nature, we go deeper into the very core nature of "self" and separation/absence into boundless compassion.
Being open in the heart at a time of great loss (say of a loved one or precious "thing"), is a great lesson in non-attachment t results which is none other than being present in integrity with primordial consciousness (Now Awareness) -- NOW.
It certainly requires a lot of strength in order not to shut down. That is, it requires being in integrity with the Eternal Now which is something functional yogic sadhana provides. That's truly awesome, because we often go into protection like shut down, go numb, indifference, or dissociation, or similarly not to become distracted in blame, anger, hatred, vengeance, attacking some one for our feelings or anything else to avoid/escape the actual situation of acknowledging our loss (and hence attachment). We avoid feeling the pain, but it is more empowering to fully feel everything completely and hence to truly abide in what-is-as-it-is to feel/know the true nature of our situation trans verbally/trans conceptually in the heart.
Loss of a loved one, best friend, compatriot, a partner, or kin,
may be the most difficult loss we can experience short of
separation from the oneness – the Great Continuum where we are all
connected. But the key here is that when we are connected as one
with the intelligent evolutionary power and consciousness, there is
no separation and no loss is possible. Then we act as the living
bridge – that expression of infinite love and wisdom.
Of course physical separation in a static and illusory
materialistic sense is in the cards for all created beings
eventually, so that is to be accepted from the beginning. However
if we bring into this living in a timeless Now in All Our Relations with us as the living gift we give to
ourselves and everyone simultaneously NOW as we navigate, then
there is no loss, no separation, and no absence. Here love reigns
unabated. Thus we are often "re-minded" how often we take the
miracle of the breath for granted. Both laughter and sobbing
involve the breath. If not repressed they can be very healing. If
they are repressed they reinforce our separation from our feelings
and deeper ways of knowing. That repression/inhibition in an
attempt to flee from or fight lour emotional feelings, in turn also
creates neurological imbalances, tension, and physical disease.
When "flow" is established between one event and another fully
naturally and spontaneously without attachment, we are animated and
allied by the innate evolutionary life energy there is no karmic
residue that is left behind. When emotions are repressed or
dissociated from, then a residue will cry to be expunged in the
future.
To be carried away by the waves of grief, this can be a great opportunity t wash up on the unknown shore of unconditional happiness and love. So it is recommended by the wise to shed tears freely when we feel like it. Along those same lines also to laugh whenever you want and especially laugh at yourself is a gift worth considering. The main thing here is to not become accustomed to being a wounded a victim lodged in chronic dualistic estrangement/separateness. In short too many people hold on to their woundedness and identify with that, rather than to live their lives by being open in the the present – sacred presence..
So witness any feelings of grief and observe it. See who it is
who is sad and who if anyone benefits. If it is self pity, then
know the difference and then let that go when you realize that you
are helping no one including yourself with that.Let go of grief
when you are satisfied/satiated and finished with it.
Ask "who" or what you are grieving for. Is it an object of desire
or eternal presence? Relating to others as merely a physical body
will limit our creative potential greatly. Rather form a
relationship with the Great Integrity --your own "Self" in All Your
Relations.
In short, the dysfunctional pathological mechanism of blocking consciousness from a perceived/judged painful situation is a counterproductive short circuit. Rather it must be reversed, by bringing in more light and consciousness as cit-shakti and prana-shakti into All Our Relations as the tool for awakening and liberation.
"I cannot sleep in your presence.
In your absence, tears prevent me.
You watch me My Beloved
On each sleepless night and
Only You see the differenceLooking at my life
I see that only Love
Has been my soul’s companion
From deep inside
My soul cries out:
Do not wait, surrender
For the sake of Love.If you can’t smell the fragrance
Don’t come into the garden of Love.
If you’re unwilling to undress
Don’t enter into the stream of Truth.
Stay where you are.
Don’t come our way.All year round the lover is mad,
Unkempt, lovesick and in disgrace.
Without love there is nothing but grief.
In love… what else matters?Love is our Mother and
The way of our Prophet.
Yet it is in our nature
To fight with Love.
We can’t see you, mother,
Hidden behind dark veils
Woven by ourselves.Do you want to enter paradise?
To walk the path of Truth
You need the grace of God.
We all face death in the end.
But on the way, be careful
Never to hurt a human heart!Do you know what the music is saying?
“Come follow me and you will find the way.
Your mistakes can also lead you to the Truth.
When you ask, the answer will be given.”The Master who’s full of sweetness
Is so drunk with love, he’s oblivious.
“Will you give me
some of your sweetness?”
“I have none,” he says,
unaware of his richness.You know what love is?
It is all kindness, generosity.
Disharmony prevails when
You confuse lust with love, while
The distance between the two
Is endless.This Love is a King
But his banner is hidden.
The Koran speaks the Truth
But its miracle is concealed.
Love has pierced with its arrow
The heart of every lover.
Blood flows but the wound is invisible."
From: Rumi" Whispers of the Beloved "
Translated by Maryam Mafi and Azima Melita Koln
Getting in Touch
Dvesa as in antipathy, repulsion, revulsion, aversion, hatred, fright, flight, fight, dismay, shock, denial and similar is the reverse of being present -- residing in sacred NOW awareness or presence. Grief in terms of tears and crying however reverse this process and brings one back in touch with the mental situation of the mental cause of dissociation which is of course a mental pain or overload --duhkha, Here the mind is no longer running away or in denial of the event, hence progress can be or has been made because self recognition and causal forces can be related.
This is important doorway in trauma therapy such in PTSD where ownership of one's authentic feelings have become disowned. Getting past the absence into the feelings eventually allows one to feel good again -- in alignment with the evolutionary force. Escapist tendencies and fear have to be defeated and reversed before one can access their deepest feelings in true "remembering". The mechanisms of fear and dissociation have to be destroyed. Such requires consciousness -- the ability to see through the smoke signal of pain into one's actual situation without artifice or defensive maneuvering in naked awareness. Then we can own up to our situation fully, and move deeper into the true nature of mind undistracted.
Suffering (dukha) has to be acknowledged as well as its cause acknowledged. Then the path of liberation can be practiced effectively. Then the mechanism of fear is disengaged and can not rule over us. After knowing happiness and the cause of happiness, then compassion can be practiced effectively. See this discussion under "pain" above. Also see "Fear of Pleasure" above and "Fear of Living (below).
"Fear invites calamity"
Swami Rama
This recognition and ability of living with the light, with love, with virtue, in harmony with the innate evolutionary power, requires increasing one's enthusiasm for effective practices such as sitting in now awareness/sacred presence, in naked awareness, increasing one's aspiration, and moral courage.
Further here on Pada II please see: "Fear of Pleasure", "Fear of Living", "AVOIDANCE", "What Appears as Pleasure may be Empty and Neurotic", "DENIAL". "Repression", and "THE SUFFERING OF CHANGE".
Practice:
So again while abiding in the natural healthy sphere one naturally moves away from constriction and antipathy and toward unconditional openness, liberation light, love, and beauty innately. We naturally move away from antipathy and aversion innately in alignment with the evolutionary power.. When we find ourselves in subliminal states or contrived mechanisms we practice kriya or astanga yoga in order to shift back into this alignment -- in order to free ourselves from the grip of ignorance and the kleshas. Especially helpful in diseases of dvesa is the practice of isvara pranidhana, visualizations (dharana), and dhyana (meditation).
In functional hatha yoga asana practice we move light and prana-shakti and cit-shakti into the dark recesses where cit and shakti are absent. We breathe life into the disconnected neural circuits and remove the blockages/obstructions of the nadis (removing the kleshas and karma). We move into that divine breath and grace which is pure vision (vidya) without a trace of asmita (separate self). That is what the magical movements of asana afford.
Survival Mechanisms and the Imperishable Self : Depends on who we define our "self" to be on one hand, and who we truly are (swarupa) on the other.
II. 9. svarasa-vahi viduso pi tatha rudho bhinivesah
Even (api) in so called learned people (viduso) an automatic inclination (svarasa-vahi) arises for continuity in this life or in future and past lives. Hence a fear of disintegration and revulsion toward disparate isolation (oblivion or catatonia) arises.
svarasa-vahi: intrinsic, built in; flowing of its own accord; inclination
viduso: of a learned person
api: even
tatha in the same way
rudho: strongly appears; arisen; produced from.
abhinivesa: The ego's desire for continuity or fear of discontinuity, oblivion, or disintegration; The will for union. An innate obsession or deep feeling of insecurity which results from grasping onto a false identifications (be it body, ego, identification with place, time, things, or temporal systems (changing phenomena).
Commentary: Simply put, abhinivesa is best taken as a combination of raga (as in attachment to physical life, sense objects, and the egoic identity) and dvesa (as in fear of losing communion and identification with sense objects, the body, the ego, and life). Like dvesa, abhinivesa has both the elements of fear (repulsion) and attachment/desire (raga). Also like the other kleshas the solution is not to dissociate from the evolutionary life force, but rather to move into non-dual pure vision (vidya) by abandoning asmita (egoic identifications) through recognizing swarupa (the true nature of our own mind). There is no greater insecurity/fear than not knowing who we truly are. Are human beings a body that exist in a vacuum or is the human body a result of billions of years of co-evolution with the elements, nature/prakriti, and primordial causeless source? As such abhinivesa , like all the other kleshas is a teacher. It represents the truth of the impermanence of all compounded objects (so called solid physical or material things). The remedy to attachment to such fixations upon that which is continuously moving and on fire is, of course, non-attachment (vairagya). Where it is non-attachment to sense objects, one realizes the truth of anicca (impermanence). When it is culminated in the realization of swarupa-sunyam (samadhi as anatta), it is the realization of the non-dual true nature of the mind, of self, and nature as one profound interconnected vast matrix.
Without the death of the physical human body, most humans would grasp onto their limited fixation and identification upon physical life, hence limiting their further vistas of knowledge and perception in the realms of energy and beyond. In this way physical death becomes a great teacher, just as the other kleshas, once we recognize our actual situation beyond the third dimension. Just as an arm is a part of the body, it does not function well apart from the body. Just so, the human body is part of a greater wholistic system of earth, water, air, sun, nature, the intelligent evolutionary force, and primordial original causeless source. As humans on this planet we are a product of this process and hence our experience of that up the present. We do not function apart from that whole, albeit the ordinary dualistic conscious mind may be quite ignorant of that larger ecological process. Hence acknowledging the inevitability of physical death is a step in recognizing our energy body, our wisdom mind, and the true transpersonal nature of nature and mind. For example this is what illusory body, energy body, dream yoga, sleep yoga, phowa (consciousness transference) , and bardo yoga reveal should the yogi be interested.
Ordinarily, the dualistic or egoic mindset associates itself with separateness, dead objects, and dead phenomena, rather than being part of a transpersonal non-dual transconceptual process of eternal becoming. (siva/shakti). Once the eternal is seen in the temporal (nirvana in samsara) and the relative is known within the unified context of the absolute (where differentiated and undifferentiated consciousness is experienced as inseparable) as siva/shakti there will occur consternation about physical death and attachment to physical life or there may be even aversion to physical life and a desire to end it all in a conceptually nihilistic death (the death wish as escape).
When the dualistic egoic mind set (asmita) is given up as a false identification based on avidya (ignorance) then this clinging and fear will vanish -- eternal love will be victorious here in the eternal present.
Since most people identify the ego with their body abhinivesa is most often translated as the clinging onto the body or physical existence, but that is another false identification of asmita-raga and asmita-dvesa Rather in Now Awareness there is always continuity -- the Great Continuum presents itself in All Our Relations. Thus because of ignorance (avidya) of our true self nature (swarupa), we have these other kleshas (desire of continuity or fear of discontinuity).
Thus this sutra is often translated as:
(The fear of death (abhinivesa) arises (rudah) from the desire for continuity in this life (vahi). It is perpetuated (vahi) even in the learned (viduso) through inclination (svarasa).
However since abhinivesa is literally a "desire for continuity" and predictability, while svarasa literally means own (sva) taste (rasa). Svarasa-vahi thus is the attachment or dependency upon the familiar flow of the life energy (prana) in the body mistaking it for Prana-Shakti (universal evolutionary life energy), which is interpenetrated by Maheshvara/purusa, but is not limited to the body. In physical death the ego (asmita) loses all possibilities of physical sense gratification and associations with ownership, ego gratification, and its resulting pleasure, hence physical death is a powerful liberation teaching if approached wisely. This fear of death and attachment to life accompanies only those who have not integrated their life with Eternal Source in the Eternal Now -- who have forgotten their innate Now awareness.
Few, except the true yogi, asks what is the false identification of the ego (asmita), who is this self which desires continuity, but more importantly what is human life truly dependent upon? Certainly false identifications with a limited ego or "body-only" consciousness would have with it various survival anxieties. But if one realizes that as a human being, one is not independent and separate from the evolutionary power and creative source (except in ignorance), then in that wisdom there is no death -- the yogic adept is not separate from the true self -- for him/her an unbroken and uninterrupted continuity/flow has been recognized and achieved.
The problem is mentally conceived. This " fear of death" is created by a trick of the mind where the human mind attempts to grasp onto something which is fluid, temporary, and in motion as if it were solid, fixed,and permanent. That is the error of mistaking the temporary and transient as permanent and absolute. When we wake up we know the true nature of our own mind (swarupa) as being empty of a separate self (sunya) as one and the same with the universal absolute. Until that "S"elf realization, the human being grasps onto false "selves" and suffers from a fear of the formless void. When the human awakens he/she will know the void as a non-dual fullness and all pervasive wholeness, and completion. When we are rejoined in that Great all inclusive Integrity -- the Great Continuity of all beings and things, then there is no longer any desire for continuity. We are that continuity should we realize it in Now Awareness..
It is valuable to note that it is not effective to simply negate the body, mistreat it, punish it, or consider it as an illusion. Such a negative attitude toward the body by the mind not only creates an increased fixation even more so on the body and hence merely acts as an agent of aversion or escapism (dvesa). Rather consider the body as part of a much greater whole -- the Great Integrity. Rather than to fixate on the body, allow the primordial Self to enter one's field of awareness as NOW Awareness NOW. This way we allow the eternal voice of infinite Love to speak through us now. That way the body is not harmed, rather it is taken care of as the loving arms, legs, speech, and mind of primordial unbounded unending love. That is love loving love, is it not?
The normal ego dominated consciousness, who by definition is stupefied by limited identifications and associations tends to want to perpetuate and defend itself -- to grasp onto things such as, in this case, the human body. Because the ego (asmita) is lost in ignorance, confusion, and delusion and hence separated from direct contact with the innate order and meaning of the true Self, it tends to grasp onto "things" as it is has been known; i.e., the ego tries to perpetuate itself in terms of the past. Ordinary non-seekers fear change, defend their egos and views, and habitually define themselves within a rigid and tight framework of reference which they cling to. Such a stubborn klesha tends to obscure our larger transpersonal non-dual identity with All Our Relations -- the larger Self. As such it obscures vidya (clarity). That is the literal translation of this sutra. That creates a rut; the prison of seeking out predictability in the old order a d thus one resists change and spiritual growth being locked into a self perpetuating prison of "the already known". Thus this sutra is most often interpreted as a statement of some type of fear of physical death, but in reality Patanjali is addressing ego death. Since the physical body is the most common and most coarse false identification of the ego, most interpreters thus take this sutra only in its most dense and coarse sense (of fearing physical death) and the known world of the sense objects. Hence this is a subset of asmita, where the sense of ownership is attached to the physical body and hence the sense world and hence the physical universe/creation of differentiated consciousness. It's quite a large dependency to let go of, but focused dependence upon isvara/purusa HERE and NOW in terms of NOW awareness can provide for such.
So over time, svarasa has become "interpreted" as meaning physiological inclination; while abhinivesa has been "interpreted" as desire for physical existence or even clinging to life), but readers should know that such an interpretation is common, but not based on the Sanskrit meaning. Rather if we take the larger view, then any clinging onto physicality devoid of energetic or spiritual integration will cause suffering (duhkha). In other words how can we fear the discontinuity of eternal love or consciousness when we are firmly centered in the experience of its continuity? It is only when we feel separated and disconnected from that eternal flow, does the fear of discontinuity and death arise.That is, clinging onto the physical body is only one example of abhinivesa.This confusion occurs because one has mistaken the individual life force (prana) which flows through the physical body) as the Prana (with a capitol "P") which permeates the universe. Indeed these two pranas are to be integrated and harmonized, but as one's non-dual realization free from the limitations of time and place matures, free from subject/object duality, then one identifies with the Long Body of the Iroquois, the Great Integrity -- the self luminous seed source that underlies Prana-Shakti who is nothing other than Maheshvara (Siva). Svarasa thus becomes replaced with svarupa-sunya, the true form which is free from temporal existence yet permeates it thoroughly..
A further abomination is added to this possible conundrum, when we take abhinivesah as the clinging onto physical existence (or to say it another way the fear of a physical end). Why, because this error in identification with just the personal physical body is the result of the insecurity due to not fully accepting life as temporal -- the true nature of nature which is on fire. Grasping on to something that will disappear is indeed rather frightening. That is a false identification or error of mentation. Ii is an error in judgment that concludes that the earth and the body are discontinuous with the universe and its origin (shakti/shiva)-- that the continuity of eternal spirit -- of Sacred Presence - is not present. It is the fear of the unknown and death -- of discontinuity itself (the perpetuation of the self or familiar ordered structure which underlies that specific fear. It is of course due to ignorance of the innate order -- of knowing the self within. Thus abhinivesa is based on the illusion of death or rather the materialistic over emphasis that is most often placed upon an exclusive physical existence which is not harmonized with a living creation story -- with a living and present all inclusive omnipresent god. Physical death is feared by those who have not integrated (joined) the eternal with the living -- spirit and nature (or purusha with prakriti) in the eternal now (while living). This union accomplishes kaivalya, absolute and unconditional liberation.
A third abomination is added which is a dissociation/isolation from life and nature as well as the body by those who are afraid of death. They reason that by NOT identifying with the body or nature, then they will be spared the pangs of dissolution/disintegration at death. In short by NOT living, they can not die. So this becomes a fear of life and living life fully. here one resists SAT (experience and beingness) in the fear it will be killed and taken away from one. One thus is afraid to be and even experience pleasure (bhoga). Fear prevents pure being; its root being confusion (avidya). This fear is really not death anxiety, rather it is more perfectly asmita anxiety, due to false identification and confusion.
Physical death is the big unknown only if one has not first fully investigated and understood where the body and the universe has originated (shakti or prakriti). The insecurity occurs when one has not integrated the "timeless uncreated eternal" (Maheshvara or Purusa) as a living continuity or presence in their daily life. For these people suffering from the ignorance (avidya) of false and limited identifications of ego (asmita) death is frightening, because it represents a discontinuity/disruption. The fear of death represents the end of everything that they think they possess or are holding onto including their identification of "self" as the assumption of an ego who is surrounded by a bag of bones and temporal objects (possessions or "other' people). In that limited way, then physical death becomes equated with the great fear of losing "everything"-- total annihilation. But such fear is based on a limited (ignorant) dualistic assumption of separateness with a living creation/creator (Shiva/Shakti) in the first place. So what needs to die in "reality" is only the delusion (ego) of separateness. With that the fear dies as well.
Although, abhinivesa is more commonly translated as attachment to the physical body and its physiological function (and hence the fear of its cessation), when we become attached to that imperishable great integrity, which encompasses our many rounds of births from beginningless time, in All Our Relations, then even though these physiological functions are to be honored and respected, they will not dominate our emotions, create fear or false grasping, nor pain (duhkha). It's temporal nature will thus be acknowledged and respected, at the simultaneously as we acknowledge the imperishable -- as we integrate self within Self -- crown with root -- spirit and nature, Shiva/shakti.
It is a profound truism that until the fear of physical death is overcome, the fear of life will always be present. We must acknowledge, respect, and cherish the human form for what it is, temporary , subject to disease, old age, and death. Then we do not become complacent (like the devas) and do not waste our time here. With this wise perspective we can maximize our opportunity for spiritual practice (sadhana). The certainty of physical death actually helps us to embrace the larger Self that connects us with all of life, all of creation, as well as uncreated Source which is unending/timeless and eternally present.
Physiological death is always part of an ongoing process of continual transformation on the physical plane (shakti) and thus Siva is the traditional governing deity of the end of manifestation as transformation/death. This sutra assumes that inherent to the body, there exists a self sustaining life preserving intelligence -- the innate life supporting energy (prana) intelligence that is part of prana-shakti which animates the entire universe. When the yogi's body/mind has become purified, refined, and tempered through authentic yogic sadhana then one's consciousness merges with shakti (nature's creative force) -- one's prana shakti merges with cit-shakti, kundalini shakti, and para-shakti. Then the continuity of eternal consciousness (Shiva/shakti) is harmonized in the body just as siva/shakti as represented in prana/shakti are harmonized in the gross physical body -- spirit and nature -- the body and the mind -- heaven and earth work in harmony, love, and synchronicity in All Our Relations. This is where we go for true nurturance and support - to the love that never dies. Here there is no fear of death nor attachment to physical objects, rather only ETERNAL LOVE and life.
There is only one instance where one is still in avidya and also does not fear death, which occurs by those who are severely afflicted with dvesa (aversion) so that their pain and suffering in life are so great, that they crave the end of their physical existence. here the pain of continuing to live is greater than the pain of annihilation (suicide). Such have an opportunity to attain realization at this time, by letting go of all attachments and embracing the eternal, but unfortunately more often this opportunity for vidya is over-powered by dvesa and ignorance (avidya). the dying process has thus been part of spiritual traditions and practices for waking up. The dying process being an integral part of the living process, thus fully coming to terms with death, allows us to also fully come to terms with life without fear.
What is all too common is that the fear of death will be so strong so that it inhibits/restricts the full embrace of living -- people contract from experience and duck life. In fact since physical birth is the cause of physical death (everybody dies), many people unconsciously run away from life in the mistaken hope that they will escape death (by not fully accepting their birth). For these people life is judged as full of grief and (duhkha), as scary -- full of aversion, fear, hatred, sin, and evil, because they so much fear dying, misidentifying ego loss and physical death nihilistically as a personal annihilation. Another factor here to consciously harmonize is to respect the body's natural intelligence and instinct to stay alive and to maintain life (resist disease and death). As above, aversion to life will not save us, and as such attachment to it only creates aversion to death.
The Fear of Living/Being and the Fear of Death
A tension arises when we do not know Self or live a life in
harmony with reality-as-it-is. It is a state of ignorance where the
intelligent primordial/evolutionary energy is blocked, where
primordial timeless consciousness is blocked and consequently
obstructed. Normally the egoic mindset desires to end or release
that tension/blockage through various neurotic activities governed
by raga and dvesa (and hence asmita and avidya), Thus the ego
driven person misses their true purpose in life By fearing death we
actually limit life, hence such activities that are governed by the
fear of death (abhinivesa) are dysfunctional. We have a fear of
living because we can not accept physical death. That is
characterized by being guarded, distrustful, close-minded, shut
down, paranoid, cynical, protective, and armored while placing
trust in external authoritarian, cultural, social, nationalistic,
ethnic, or religious institutions that promise to protect us. These
are characteristics which are the opposite is being natural, open,
spontaneous, trusting inside, loving, and honest.
That malaise is based on the grasping onto "a separate self" and
defining “other”; an I/it dualistic system based on separation. On
the other hand, natural and open being is based on a non-dual
realization of self as a vital participation with the great
community of All Our Relations. The former is of course fear based and
carries with it much tension and anxiety. To open into life without
fear or guardedness is courage we find especially in the new born.
It is innate vital drive that stems from the evolutionary power
(shakti kundalini) that brings us naturally into alignment with the
Greater Community of All Our Relations -- being in harmony with nature and
natural systems in all ways. The programming of fear and the
repression of the innate evolutionary power in mankind is a crime.
It is the result of negative programming, while yoga is a powerful
effective deprogramming tool -- the medicine.
Because of this fear of death, the fear of life and its consequential tensions and stress is created. Then there arises a desire to end this fear. In one's desire to escape the fear, tension, and pain in life often there is generated a death wish, hence what appears as a contradiction (the fear of life and the fear of death) are really part and parcel of the same process. The evolutionary power is thus subverted/perverted into an unconscious death wish as a means of escape. Hence we see the rise of violent death cultures who torture their citizens, neighbors, wage war continually, enslave others, and even poison and destroy their own ecosystems and hence ability to survive. They consciously or unconsciously expect death to be their final liberation and reward (the ultimate end of suffering) in terms of the destruction and negation of life and hence their salvation with an absent God who can not be found HERE. This self hatred forms the foundation of further externalized acts of violence, destruction, and hatred aimed at others and the world in general. The desire to end one's pain and suffering can be easily externalized to the desire to end the world. The desire to end this suffering and to kill the ego, can extend to the creation of a death culture where killing others is "doing them a favor".
Through his work as a psychologist, Erich Fromm developed an advanced theory of necrophilia as a pathological character orientation which is not necessarily sexual. It is expressed in an attraction to that which is dead or totally controlled. At the extreme, it results in wanton destructiveness and a hatred of life. Fromm, also developed his theory of biophilia (love of living systems), which is the opposite of necrophilia. For Fromm, unlike Freud's death instinct, necrophilia is not biologically determined (genetic) but results from social conditioning.
"Fromm believed that the lack of love in the western society and the attraction to mechanistic control leads to necrophilia. Other factors include; the impact of modern weapon systems, idolatry of technology, and the treatment of people as things in bureaucracy."
from Wikipedia
Both Freud and Fromm defined psychoanalysis as the art of making the unconscious conscious, a kind of assisted study of self. Both recognized that humans resist knowing the truth and that for lasting therapeutic change to occur, that resistances must be overcome. They differed on ascribing the causes of the resistance and hence their remediation/treatments differed also. Fromm believed repression is a becomes ingrained where the subject will habitually resist new perceptions, new ways of relating, knowing, experiencing, and being because of fear of contradicting his /her peers, parents, society, religion, or perceived support/security structure allows Remaining inside those bounds (prisons) is more comfortable because the truth would force the subject to question one's irrational beliefs, while deconstructing all one believes as self and other. One's sense of "self" so defined would be more than threatened, but rather completely shattered and annihilated. Fromm believed that inside every being is a profound love for life (biophilia) which when repressed creates anger, self hatred, violence and destructive tendencies. Hence therapy was designed to liberate this innate drive allowing the subject to be its expression.
Destructiveness is not parallel to, but the alternative to biophilia. Love of life, or love of the dead is the fundamental alternative that confronts every human being. Necrophilia grows as the development of biophilia is stunted. Man is biologically endowed with the capacity for biophilia, but psychologically he has the capacity for necrophilia as an alternative solution."
Erich Fromm, p. 366, the Heart of Man. 1973.
Many people feel trapped or crushed by "the world" situation, phenomena, objects of thought, "reality", or rather how they frame events and hence in a desperate way strike back attempting to crush the world and hence escape from the oppressive crush of it. When this becomes institutionalized in a society, it is in this context of a violent death culture emerges, with a strong death wish, where we see the fear of life and the desire for death to be the result of a deeply perverted sense of self and belonging with all of creation, nature, and life. Hence the fear of death (death anxiety) becomes dysfunctionally a desire for death. First we will examine the fear of death anxiety.
Ernest Becker, the well known social psychologist, would say that the greatest problematical challenge or fear to the egoic mindset is a death anxiety, but yoga may simply say that it is an ego anxiety (a fear of the death of one’s beliefs that reinforce the sense of separate “I” that is defended and armored around). Anything that challenges this belief increases the victims defensiveness and hostility. Such is the crust that must be cut through. Although correct that Generative Death Anxiety (GDA) is a major vector in modern ego oriented society, Becker misses the alternative. GDA is widespread precisely because one has become inured to asmita and avidya, hence death means to those mindsets oblivion or a catatonic nothingness. Not so to the yogi. Rather death of the ego releases the limited small self mired in the citta-vrtti and kleshic consciousness. Ego death means great bliss and richness beyond measure.
Daniel Liechty, in his Introduction to "Death and Denial: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Legacy of Ernest Becker".writes;
"This book draws together original contributions from a wide spectrum of scholars and professionals. Each of the twenty five chapters i interacts with Ernest Becker's theory of Generative Death Anxiety (GDA) from the perspective of the writers' specialized expertise, cumulatively demonstrating the utility of GDA as an interdisciplinary organizing principle for the humanities and social sciences.
The theory of Generative Death Anxiety (GDA) suggests that at the deepest level, human behavior is motivated by the unavoidable need to shield oneself from consciousness of human mortality. … Whether pictured as friend or enemy, as he great leveler or as the fruit of sin and divine abandonment, human beings have never been without reminders that death is a problem quite unlike any other. … it is [the] clash between the living, instinctual will to survive and the knowledge that we will not survive, that forms the unique contours of the human psychological condition. … GDA theory suggests that while the original reaction of the human psyche in relation to its awareness of death is to deny and repress it, this move itself is predicated on the ability to view death/mortality and life/immortality as a complex symbol. This produces a generative effect in which the move to deny and repress awareness of death and mortality is commonly expressed in an urge toward creativity and accumulation—to make one's mark on the world and thus conquer death and insignificance on the symbolic level. The nexus of desire-motivation-action in every human endeavor … is tinged in various degree by the need to suppress the fact of mortality from immediate conscious awareness, and insist, as it were, that we are anything but fleeting, perishable, transient, insignificant specks of nothing in the universe..."
So in Becker, like in most other Western frameworks, the former, an ego identity, is composed of an isolated "I" and “the other” or "I" and “it”. When one grasps at something solid, then they become attached (at least subliminally) to the body, its sense objects, and life. However if the affirmation of this life entails an implicate physical “death” (subliminally if not rationally), then this becomes an attachment which causes death anxiety in the ego oriented individual, because inherent to this attachment is death and hence the dissolution of what the ego thinks is a “self” and their world – a total sense of nothing/nihilism, disintegration, or oblivion (abhinivesa) of the ego. Thus if we approach life from the point of view of the ego, there is inherent much anxiety. However if we live life within the context of Continuity (yoga) there is no such anxiety generated.
So it comes to pass that in specific group illusions (shared delusions) the human mind invents the illusion of physical immortality or a heaven where one does not die, such in the idea of personal salvation, in order to assuage these mind generated fears. Hence such promises of immortality are attractive to fear filled and confused people, especially when they are confronted with death anxiety or messages of death, destruction, hell, sin, and/or suffering and violence.
This mental fabrication or invention of heaven is not needed if
the ego would undergo a contemplation on the impermanence of the
body, and eventually recognize the beginningless reality before
life and after death – the eternal continuity of the ages in
his/her present life HERE and NOW – integrated and recognized as
the spiritual presence in All Our Relations.
But because most people are not trained to recognize this subtle and spacious innate freedom and openness filled with compassionate energy, but rather are conditioned to ignore it and be distracted to the objects of the senses, then in one attempts to seek fulfillment, pleasure, or security in physical constructs as “reality” (say in consumption of objects and/or social/cultural identifications and status), one becomes one’s own victim of by being preoccupied by conforming to social/cultural expectations, identifying with social constructs, mores, status systems, consumer patterns, religious structures, family games, seeking to control or dominate situations or “others” – in short an involvement, attachment, and dependence on external systems that are subject to change is established which when threatened tends to again increase insecurity, anxiety, and hostility.
This compensatory desire to become one with something bigger than the isolated ego, will never be fulfilled until one has merged totally so that the ego dissolves entirely from its self created cocoon or self created sense of separation (ego). In short instead of the ego becoming the universal consumer or universal ruler in order to gain fulfillment in a far distant heaven or nirvana, all one has to do is dissolve the sense of separate self (ego) freeing the mind/body to enter that realm of total integration in the present. In short all one has to do is to become more accustomed to one’s natural un-programmed and unconditional true nature.
Thus to reiterate the most negative motivation is fear and confusion from which all one’s nightmares and sufferings become fabricated. For the ego materialist then the ultimate fear is physical death or dissolution. The most negative fabricated ideation thus based on fear is the invention of an other worldly ego oriented personal immortality, by discarding or sacrificing the present earth reality – or nature. This drive becomes the ultimate perversion when one becomes convinced that their ticket to heaven and immortality is dependent upon the ultimate sacrifice to God, the killing of the evil other, those who do not support their illusion, The greatest suffering, violence, cruelty, and destruction has been caused by this negative motivation, through crusades, martyrdom, religious or ideological wars, nationalistic or ethnic war, killing the “other” and destroying “evil” with the dream that one will find immortality in another “world” or life (heaven). Some where the human chronically is convinced that through this sacrifice, then they will finally attain peace, anywhere of course, but here and now.
Such people become attached to their belief and ideology, as it promises salvation as escape from bodily existence/nature. When such beliefs appear threatened by “others” beliefs they are more than willing to convince the other that they are wrong or misguided, or in more extreme situations more than willing to annihilate them. Any ideology that promises peace, happiness, or spiritual fulfillment by meting out violence, punishment, torture, meanness, destruction, social disparity, unhappiness to others (suffering), can be considered unjust and criminal in regards to the human community. And that’s the inherent problem with ideology coming first. Evil is simply a useful contrivance by ideologists to make adherents locked in to “being good” by opposing/fighting the other ideology. Such a puerile mechanism promises instant self esteem, a meaningful life, and a welcome validation of self worth for people who suffer from confusion and low self worth. Rather fulfillment and inner peace does not reside in that direction of fear and hatred, of opposing “evil”, of being anti-this or anti-that. At the core that is simply ingrained fear.
Our true life potential is much more spacious and creative when we reclaim it and align with it. So one can change one’s society’s collective dream and vision once one has awakened to how the old dream arrived and what the new non-dual vision is. An essential part of the process IS TO RECLAIM OUR ABILITY TO FEEL IN THE BODY and resisting those who would tell us that natural function is evil and that one is a sinner or evil to feel. That is where the disconnection from the body and fear of the life force (prana) in the body as well as in all other living begins. That is the basis which justifies crusades, the demonization and annihilation of other life forms, habitat, and other people. Once some one has lost their sensitivity about life and has disconnected themselves from direct experience with the subtle but powerful self organizing energy fields which we use to communicate in a universal language with all beings and things, then they are ripe candidates for demagogues and dogma. They no longer trust themselves, so they also do not trust others. They do violence to their own bodies and habitat and hence are capable of doing violence to others. They have given up personal responsibility by fabricating faith in a belief that tells them that their savior will come and take them away. If they attempt to do anything responsible, then it is a sign that they do not have true faith/belief. That kind of belief system is most definitely pernicious to life forms on the planet.
Thus to summarize there is a direct relationship between spontaneous FEELING good, following your bliss, listening to our bodies, honoring our bodies, instinct, intuition, being moved by nature, spontaneous natural expression and function and the pursuit of happiness such as found in democratic systems and liberal values, complete openness and openheartedness, non-biased balance and equanimity, a heart felt direct sense of community and justice, indigenous values, etc, on one hand. That is not the result of ideology nor artifice, but the result of direct experience.
On the other hand control, repression, fear, the distrust of the body, distrust of spontaneity, repression and control of instinct, the suppression of intuition, the ignorance of inner promptings and inner wisdom, fear of nature and natural process, the neurotic need to be in control of the body and nature, fear of death and hence fear of life, meaning and order misplaced onto external authoritarian systems, paranoia (of the other) or xenophobia in general, all reinforces misplaced trust in external systems of order and control, police state mentalities, state terrorism, penal systems based on torture and punishment, systems based on threats and fear as negative motivators, close mindedness, close heartedness, bias, prejudice, increasing dependence upon ideology and belief/faith based systems, loyalty, patriotism, flag waving, shutdown, obedience to authority, need to identify with authority/good, and eventually unquestioning resignation/obedience to an ideology that demands chronic unhappiness and destruction of the earth as proof of its self fulfilling estrangement from and demonization of nature where happiness and salvation/heaven is found in another alien world.
Specifically one is free to critically analyze all of the above factors in the above two paragraphs in detail describing their common and parallel connections (how one leads to the other and are interconnected) and/or we can contemplate on them as an inter-related whole, but in general, it is clear that one can discern that one direction leads to lasting unconditional happiness, openness, and spontaneous creative expression; while the other direction leads to delusion, self fabrication, suffering, restriction, suffocation, repression – the tragedy of dualistic existence (cyclic existence or bondage).
A mature or practiced meditator knows that a very spacious open hearted identity taken to the extreme, is no separate identity at all. When the ego dissolves the heart opens. Then there is no need for ideology, moral systems, obedience to conceptual thought processes, systemization of good or evil, systems based on rote memory, belief, faith, or punishment. Direct core/heart experience is the infallible remedy for all the maladies of self absorption, asmita, and ego separation. Thus love’s wisdoms or wisdom’s love is the simple and most accessible remedy for all the above afflictions. No fancy or expensive deprogramming or reentry remediation facilities are needed when we go directly to source, integrate with that, and allow that to flow through the human heartmind vehicle. That's the direct path of kriya yoga, however, once the ego has contracted and split off from nature's evolutionary power in the egoic mind, a barrier is thus erected protecting that egoic identity (asmita). That protective shell resists being cracked open wide to rest in pure daylight. That is the touch samsaric mechanism of habituated citta-vrtti that must be surrendered in order for spiritual evolution for the common man to proceed..
So even more succinctly put, it should be obvious that the more common path is characterized by the contraction into (egoic) self absorption, fear, pride, jealousy, anger, false identification, and other egoic self-made prisons, while the opposite direction is the expression of openness and spontaneous love that leads to a non-dual realization where no effort is necessary – freely manifested and expressed.
All of us have been exposed to negative programming and attempts at mind manipulation to an extent because the modern world is rife with fear and people holding onto belief systems )pramana). One cannot predict exactly how someone who has been exposed to such severe ideological programming since the womb eventually breaks free, but yoga says that it is possible to reclaim one’s life and live a creative and empowered life “afterwards” free from fear and inhibition. In fact after going through the process of such a disillusionment (an ego death), that one is far more empowered than the average person who had not been so compromised at a young age. Just to say that there is a way out (which is a way in), for those who feel that they are trapped.
The Death Wish
The yogic path which succeeds this painful trap of the ego, is ego death. That takes place in samadhi as swarupa-sunyam (III.3). It takes place in kriya yoga as true self study, true tapas, and true isvara pranidhana. All the practices lead to it. To the egoic mind samadhi will appear as a threat, but it is a great gift -- a tremendous expansion and enrichment of who one previously thought they were. The world opens up as the third eye opens. Instead of retreating into numbness and ignorance, one's reaction is to remain open.
For the common man, ego death is equated with physical death. That is a huge but common error. That misidentification occurs in non-meditators and non-practitioners -- those with no insight into the true nature of mind. Hence Kali with her sword and garland of skulls is seen as a murderer rather than a liberator from ego, while change and transformation (Siva) is generally feared or unsettling. Since the egoic mindset is a self perpetuated prison that ties one into the samsaric world through unconscious and compulsive mechanisms, then on an unconscious level ego death is associated with physical death. Mistakenly many people then decide (consciously or not) that ending their life will end the wheel of suffering. Hence they engineer self destructive mechanisms, illnesses, wars, situations, ecocides, suicide, or other self destructive situations in the subconscious desire to end their suffering/unhappiness. We have already discussed "Death Anxiety" and its resultant stress and tension (see Ernest Becker above). Those tensions desire relief/outlet. One way completely dysfunctional way is to end one's life -- suicide, ecocide, or the unconscious death wish. Of course these subconscious death wish mechanisms are pathological, the common man would be very surprised how widespread they are. Many religions actually are attempts to escape embodied life in order to find spirit or god after physical death. Sigmund Freud describes this death wish ("unsterblichkeit") in detail. Erich Fromm has written many books on psychology, "Escape from Freedom" being one where he masterfully outlines man's fear of freedom and escape from life and living systems as a pathological syndrome. In short when "life" becomes more preferable than death, then we have a healthy situation as long as non-attachment (vairagya) is implemented, but if mankind throws life in a negative spin, then death becomes preferential. Pathological activity as well as sociopathic activity is a matter of values -- choose life or choose death, as the saying goes. So instead of choosing death, the sane and healthy choice is choosing change -- ego death and rebirth here in this very life!
"Fromm distinguishes between ‘Freedom From’ (negative freedom) and ‘freedom to’ (positive freedom). The former refers to the process of becoming emancipated from the restrictions placed on humanity by other people or institutions. This has often been fought for historically but is not of much inherent value unless accompanied by a creative element, ‘freedom to’; the use of freedom to behave in ways which are constructive and respond to the genuine needs and wants of the free individual/society by creating a new system of social order. In the process of becoming emancipated from an overbearing authority/set of values, Fromm argues, we are often left with feelings of emptiness and anxiety (he likens this process to the individuation of infants in the normal course of child development) that will not abate until we use our ‘freedom to’ and develop some form of replacement of the old order. He characterises this as a dialectic historical process whereby the original situation is the thesis and the emancipation from it the antithesis. The synthesis is only reached when something has replaced the original order and provided humans with a new security....
As ‘freedom from’ is not an experience we enjoy in itself, Fromm suggests that many people, rather than utilising it successfully, attempt to minimise its negative effects by developing thoughts and behaviours that provide some form of security. These are as follows:
- Authoritarianism: Fromm characterises the authoritarian personality as containing a sadist element and a masochist element. The authoritarian wishes to gain control over other people in a bid to impose some kind of order on the world, they also wish to submit to the control of some superior force which may come in the guise of a person or an abstract idea.
- Destructiveness: Although this bears a similarity to sadism, Fromm argues that the sadist wishes to gain control over something. A destructive personality wishes to destroy something it cannot bring under its control.
- Conformity: This process is seen when people unconsciously incorporate the normative beliefs and thought processes of their society and experience them as their own. This allows them to avoid genuine free thinking, which is likely to be anxiety provoking."
From "Fear of Freedom" article
Without empowering the healthy instinct toward change (the innate urge toward biophilia) because of the repression of the evolutionary power, tension arises within those prison walls which desires relief/release or venting -- a pathological desire to end the suffering and self induced torture through death, death transference, or violence transfer inflicting such on self and/or others. Such is a modern widespread pathology. Freud has written about the "death drive" as an escape from life, but ascribes to it a genetic cause (a flaw of nature) with his "unsterblichkeit" theory of dissociation (freedom from) from the body and hence existence as the ultimate escape (playing both sides of the fence). It was Otto Rank, Freud's closest early student, who was more concerned about this mechanism, but it was most likely Ernest Becker who has written the most about this unconscious death wish in his books such as "Escape from Evil" and the "Denial of Death"discussing the mechanism more fully.
"The theory of Generative Death Anxiety (GDA) suggests that at the deepest level, human behavior is motivated by the unavoidable need to shield oneself from consciousness of human mortality. … Whether pictured as friend or enemy, as he great leveler or as the fruit of sin and divine abandonment, human beings have never been without reminders that death is a problem quite unlike any other. … it is [the] clash between the living, instinctual will to survive and the knowledge that we will not survive, that forms the unique contours of the human psychological condition. … GDA theory suggests that while the original reaction of the human psyche in relation to its awareness of death is to deny and repress it, this move itself is predicated on the ability to view death/mortality and life/immortality as a complex symbol. This produces a generative effect in which the move to deny and repress awareness of death and mortality is commonly expressed in an urge toward creativity and accumulation—to make one's mark on the world and thus conquer death and insignificance on the symbolic level. The nexus of desire-motivation-action in every human endeavor … is tinged in various degree by the need to suppress the fact of mortality from immediate conscious awareness, and insist, as it were, that we are anything but fleeting, perishable, transient, insignificant specks of nothing in the universe..."
"Death and Denial: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Legacy of Ernest Becker", By Daniel Liechty, ed., Westport CT: Praeger Publishers, 2002. It is thus not a contradiction that death anxiety (fear of death) not only prevents us from living life most freely and fully, but also creates the death urge -- the desire for death as final release from the repressed, painful, and/or deadened and un- meaningful experience of life.
Ego Death
The basic idea of holding tightly onto our grief and pain is of course fundamentally flawed, but because of ignorance/confusion, human beings compulsively often do just that. One may ask, "who" does that morbid attachment serve other than the pain body (the egoic dependent "self") which self inflicts/afflicts more pain and grief in our lives? The pain body is held together by karma and can be also described as the karmic body. Is pain good? Is grief good? Is death bad? These circumstances are determined by a limited self identification called ego attempts to survive (serve to self perpetuate itself. The ego is that very same false identification which is made by the conceptual dualistic mind. This error of the mind assumes subconsciously falsely that if physical death were "bad" or undesirable, than birth is also bad (because physical birth is the cause of physical death). Again these false assumptions are made sub-consciously and held together compulsively via self protective defensive/aggressive egoic mechanisms. However if another (non-egoic "self" were able to accept the temporal nature of the body and ego while CELEBRATING its temporal nature as an expression of infinite love, then “who” is it that dies no longer becomes an unthinkable black hole of fear, rather one identifies with who/what continues to live. Yes universal transpersonal non-dual and definitely transconceptual Universal Self (Brahman) lives HERE ETERNALLY but not as a separate/individual "self". It is not an ego. That is who we really are, if we dare to embrace it or accept its possibility. True unfettered unconditional love never dies!
On the other hand human beings have adopted this cult of fear and pain that is crying to be defeated. It says that life is scary, it is painful, “bad” things are happening, “life” is bad because “death is bad” -- hence one feels threatened, insecure, inadequate and needy. That is what the ego fixation surrounded by the "haunting" bag of bones when one identifies as a separate body from the life force, creation, nature, and shiva/shakti. That separation created by the fragmented mind establishes a false identification and dualistic mindset fraught with fear and doom for one who has bought into this false assumption. Of course in Reality there exists a vast non-dual beginningless Reality that will never die. That is why Patanjali specifically mentions abhinivesa as one of the chief kleshas built upon ignorance (avidya), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), and dvesa (aversion). This cult of fear and doom is opposed to the above mentioned belief that Unending Intelligent Loving Source presence is always present -- is All There Is in Everything all the time. This last experience and resultant realization is what wholistic non-dual yoga is all about.
In functional yoga the human body, life, nature, creation and the creative/evolutionary power are viewed as an operational integrity in harmony with infinite Source acting as a spontaneous and wise integrator -- a co-evolutionary instrument in creation for creativity and evolution - as divine willpower and moral courage together. Here body, nature, and beginningless Source are all aligned and act as one in a profound natural synchronicity. Here divine will and individual will are synchronized; earth and heaven; muladhara/sahasrara chakras joined through the sushumna; conflict, stress, and duality are destroyed. Here the profound teachings of the three bodies ((physical, energy/astral, and spirit bodies). the five koshas, the bindu, winds, and channels are all integrated as divine seva -- love in action (perfect karma and bhakti yoga). Here there is no lack of continuity from birth to death, from before birth to after death. Rather for the yogi, this evolutionary power is Here/now -- present in All Our Relations.
So here abhinivesa is remediated as a profound teaching, that when known in pure gnosis aligns one's neurophysiology, biopsychic instrument, energy field, and mind connected in total harmony with the unconditioned universal evolutionary life force -- the source of spiritual non-dual universal and eternal love and healing! Once one experiences and realizes the continuity (yoga) that always exists here and now -- the "always-is" beginningless "never-ending" sacred presence of All Our Relations, then the fear of the discontinuity of temporal existence will also disappear. Physical bodies may come and go -- come and go -- but eternal spirit -- ineffable LOVE is all-ways HERE. This is the simultaneous realization of both the immanent and transcendent Self as one Great Integrity -- a continuous sacred presence.
So here the fear of physical death, ego death, discontinuity, or self annihilation where one has identified as a separate self is completely replaced by the culmination of the desire for the immortal divine life -- the realization of the Eternal Self or sacred presence Here and Now. This continuity (yoga) is known by the wise as asamprajnata (non-dual) and nirbij (seedless) samadhi. Avidya is extinguished and replaced by vidya (clear vision).
Integration with the Great Continuity: Bardo States as Transition Stages
Physical death often remains as a very large mystery, a source of fear, and thus consternation and pain. Because of the associated pain (mental pain to the egoic attachment), it is widely ignored and avoided, rather than more closely questioned.
Hence a preliminary inquiry is in order. What is death? Is it annihilation? Is it an escape from worldly pain? Who dies? Where does one go? What is reincarnation, and so forth? The answer lies in knowing one's true nature – waking up now. Strangely most people do not want to know. That inquiry is most left for "last", but strangely that cheats the present.
If human beings define themselves as living exclusively inside a box, a conceptual and hence fabricated "reality", then it is difficult if not impossible to conceive of living outside that box. That is how ignorance operates to obstruct knowing (Jnana). When we know our true nature – the true nature of the mind and phenomena, the true essence of nature, then that box no longer limits our knowledge of who we are, how we got here, how the universe got here, the true nature of the universe and the primordial undying nature behind it. In that context there are no fragmented transitions, in-between states (bardos), but rather evolutionary transitions occur within a Greater Holistic Continuity of Great Time and Great Space. Death is no longer a limitation or great transition.
The Great Continuity/Great Integrity is always NOW HERE, but is rarely recognized/acknowledged, integrated, or known, by the ordinary mind. In recognizing and honoring that NOW we are freed from fragmented consciousness and being. There is no "fragmented transition" or disruption when primordial wisdom is integrated now -- when we live with that in integrity now.
The "problem" arises when we identify and limit our self awareness to just this body without acknowledging or knowing its source, its history, its place in evolution, or beginningless causeless source. In tantra this integration is explained as the emanation/embodiment of the unity of the three kayas (the svabhavakaya as the integration of dharmakaya, rupakaya, and nirmanakaya).
Framing physical death as a transition stage assumes that we are "framing/boxing in" a separate and independent "reality" which is dependent upon the body and the human sense organs out of context of evolution (before this life and after it). It depends on how completely fascinated we are in the existential present versus the moment as part of a ongoing evolutionary process stemming back from beginningless time. So when that limitation/ignorance dissolves so will the idea of "transition" into an unknown also dissolve. There will be a transition, but within the contextual continuity of a Great Continuity, Great (Primordial) Time frame, a continuing presence.
The best practice for the fear of death seems to be bringing primordial presence and time "in" HERE and NOW. That is, living fully and deeply in the eternal present Now. Dream yoga and bardo yoga are also a practical approach to learning about the bardos (between states) of unembodied consciousness, but really all these death practices such as dream yoga, bardo yoga, phowa, pure land, etc., are like insurance policies just in case we don't wake up this lifetime -- NOW. Shooting for wake up NOW and NOW and NOW...and ... focusing in on that avoids the diversion/distraction. That is the opposite of escape and fear -- being fully present NOW!
"In a cloudless night sky, the full moon,
"The Lord of Stars" is about to rise......
The face of my compassionate lord Padmasambhava
Draws me on, radiating its tender welcome.
My delight in death is far, far greater than
The delight of traders at making vast fortunes at sea.
Ot the lords of the gods who vaunt their victory in battle;
Or of those sages who have entered the rapture of perfect absorption.
So just as a traveler who sets out on the road when the time has come to go,
I will not remain in this world any longer,
But will go to dwell in the stronghold of the great bliss of deathlessness."
The Last Testament of Longchenpa
Reincarnation or Rebirth
One may easily conclude that Sri Patanjali does not discuss rebirth or reincarnation anywhere in the Yoga Sutras; yet he does address themes of identity, continuity, isvara, purusa, and samadhi. It is perhaps in this very sutra about abhinivesa, that the question of reincarnation is best addressed.
Simply put,. in pure yoga, any identification with a separate self is asmita-klesha or avidya (ignorance). It is always a false identification based on delusion Therefore the question of reincarnation is solved in samadhi -- in waking up to true nature of self -- the absorption into one's true nature (swarupa-sunyam as in III.3). What reincarnates is always in reality that Divine Self, albeit most of the time hindered, obscured, and fettered by any remaining unfinished kleshas, karma, and accompanied with their samskaric residues, all of which has to be released sooner or later. the yogi realizing that klesha and karma obscure consciousness and produce suffering, the decision to release all fetters is NOW.
If all the klesha, samskaras, and karma have become released then what reincarnates is the Primordially Pure Self, Selfless Compassion and Wisdom -- embodied love freed from ignorance. Such divine beings are most often seen as a threat and snared by those afflicted by jealousy, arrogance, pride, hatred, anger, desire, and fear (the kleshas). Such people and their institutions tend to degenerate, abase, seduce, and destroy such divine souls because their very existence reflects a threat to their ego. Just as truth threatens delusion and self deceit, so does transpersonal realities threaten the illusory nature of the ego. Divine beings are thus seen as honorific or terrifying beings to those attached to egoic mind associations. Survival as a self preservation technique is strong in those egoic beings who identify with being separate and apart from the intelligent evolutionary/creative force (shakti), but how else can they know the promordial mind, if not through shiva's container, mahashakti?
Divine and perfect love is a manifestation of perfect wisdom. It conquers fear, aversion, carnal/neurotic/compensatory lust, attachment, small minded self centeredness, dualistic thinking, and ignorance -- in short all the kleshas. For each klesha yoga offers a profound remediation teaching (pratiprasava)-- an antidote.
II. 10. te pratiprasava-heyah suksmah
Even the most subtle (suksmah) of these hindrances (kleshas) can be eliminated (heya) by tracing and redirecting (pratiprasava) them back (turning them back upon themselves) into their most subtle origin.
Commentary: Another popular translation is: These afflictions (kleshas) are made progressively subtle (sukshma). Eventually they are abandoned,remediated, and reversed (heya) through a de-evolution process (pratiprasava).
Here Patanjali presents the remedy of pratiprasava (redirection of the manifestation backwards toward the source) for the elimination of the above five major kleshas of avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), aversion/repulsion (dvesa), raga (attraction or desire), and abhinivesah (fear of death) while the next sutra discloses the remedy of meditation.
Pratiprasava (redirecting a phenomena back into its cause) is a very valuable technique to refine. Here we use the very momentum and kleshic force and turn it back upon itself in order to annul it. Pratiprasava is a valuable if not essential technique in successful meditation. See the last sutra in the last chapter (Pada IV.34). There we trace everything back to beginningless Source as a divine pulsation (spanda) from creator to creation and back again.
Before that knowledge of Self is fully recognized we can implement opposing remedies to counteract the kleshas and cancel them out. For example the Buddhist six paramitas, the yams (which creates an effective pratisthayam), the niyams, and all the other limbs of astanga yoga.
Practice:
In sitting meditation discursive thoughts often arise inbetween the spaces of open stillness. When we pay attention we notice that these thoughts start from very subtle imprints (Samskaras) and then express themselves in words, sentences, thoughts, concepts, and ideas (vrtti). Sometimes these are kleshic or not. A preliminary goal then in silent sitting meditation is to establish subtle awareness, so when these thoughts start to arise, they are immediately let go (ungrasped). As this awareness is honed through experience, the awareness becomes more immediate. Before one's mind is carried away by thoughts of the past or future, dramas, ideas, kleshas, or other citta-vrtti (all caused by past impressions and karmic residue), the mechanism of their arising itself is self liberated no longer obstructing the innate wisdom/Buddhanature. In silent sitting emptiness meditation the awareness is of thoughts are brought all the way back to its origin, shining its self effulgent wisdom light upon it. Thus a skilled meditator needs nothing more than his or her mind to self liberate.
So first we notice/recognize in subtle silent sitting meditation the most subtle and deepest recesses of the origins of the kleshas while rewiring their circuits through nothing more than shining the light of awareness upon it. As we come to know that its origin is really avidya (ignorance) which is the primary obstruction of the innate Buddha nature through purifying that vision (vidya). This clarity spills over into daily life imply so that if a samskara has been triggered activating a klesha, one is more likely to become aware of it and let it go. At the very least one can view it in pure vision (vidya) as being an obstruction of the purified mindfield and not act upon it. Eventually the force fields and habitual patterns of these kleshic/karmic patterns will weaken. The more they weaken the deeper the meditation. The deeper the meditation, the less kleshas in daily life. Hence a positive momentum of positive karma is established and with that a stabilization of pure vision (vidya) .
Simply put, we witness/observe "events" daily. If we are in a dualistic state of confusion, then the aforementioned kleshas may arise. Instead of acting on these or being over powered by them, the yogi shines light on it through awareness without judgment, bringing in and participating with the process of awakening and maturing the intrinsic seed of enlightenment, which manifests as skilful means. If that doesn't happen spontaneously or thoroughly, then we can apply pratiprasava to the klista-vrtti, in order to calm. pacify, or still the kleshic citta-vrtti by moving it back to the origin from which it sprung, reversing its direction and thus no longer feeding nor acting upon that recurring karmic pattern, hence the recurring pattern becomes disrupted and the tendency (vasana) is broken. Dhyana is thus the best practice to remediate even the most subtle klesha.
What is the origin of the kleshas other than the errant mind -- a false perception -- a blockage of pure vision.
II. 11. dhyana-heyas tad-vrttayah
Meditation (dhyana) is the efficacious practice that annihilates and silences (heyas) the fractures and hindrances of consciousness (which maintain the citta-vrtti).
Commentary: Meditation (dhyana) also remediates the effects of the kleshas which in turn uphold the vrtti (agitations and thought patternings that obscure the citta or consciousness). Similarly, the mental patternings that are caused by the domination of the kleshas are annihilated (heyas) through meditation (dhyana). Although pratiprasava as a technique attenuates them to a point of making them more subtle, dhyana is designed to effect asamprajnata (non-dual space) which eliminates them to a point beyond subtle, rather they are annulled, voided ... zilch.When the vrtti are eliminated (heyas), then citta shines forth unimpeded and yoga is accomplished (in samadhi). See Sutra III.2 for more about dhyana (meditation) which leads to samadhi.
We learned in I.5 that the citta-vrtti produce kleshas. We also learn that acting on kleshas produce negative karm a and suffering. Hence the trap of cyclic existence is created out of ignorance (avidya). Now we have learned that dhyana is the best remedy. That is what dhyana is meant to do, to help us identify the kleshas and citta-vrtti as they arise and hence to allow us to release them. Sitting silent meditation is the most powerful way of doing so. After sitting silent meditation, its effects bleed over into everyday life where we have more clarity of mind. The more clarity of mind we have during the day, then we can start our next session of meditation at a more clear beginning point. Then the next day even more clarity and more effective meditation so that it becomes a mutually synergistic practice.
Practice:Dhyana (Meditation). Set aside time each day to meditate. Let go of your discursive thought patterns (citta-vrtti) and open up to the vast love and wisdom that is always available. That will help drop old patterns and open yourself to transpersonal non-dual but dormant creative potential so that it will be naturally expressed. Also see the practice in sutra 11 above.
The following sutras are primarily meant to be applied to the practice of dhyana. They are not mere abstract philosophical speculations
II. 12. klesa-mulah karma-asayo drstadrsta-janma-vedaniyah
The root (mula) cause of the kleshas are the effects that are seated (asaya) in past actions (karma) through the laws of cause and effect, be their causes fully known (drsta) or not (drsta-adrsta). This explains what arises and is experienced (vedaniyah) in life (janma) and how kleshas arise.
Commentary: This is a two way street. It is just as true that past negative karma causes obscurations, citta-vrtti, and afflictive behavior; just so do actions, thoughts, and speech based on confusion and kleshas cause additional negative karma. Indeed this is a decent description of the wheel of samsaric existence (the wheel of suffering). Hence the suffering bound by cyclic existence is difficult to break. Acting out of confusion and ignorance is the chief cause of new negative karma, and negative karma is the cause of future kleshas. That is the samsaric wheel that is difficult to break, but which in the following sutras Patanjali suggests practices which breaks this cycle allowing the yogi to self liberate, to become free of kleshas. Not all karma is negative. There als exists good karma, merit (punya), karma yoga (selfless activities), and positive actions which produce future positive results.
Janma means life. Karmasayah means the resting place of karma. Drsta-adrsta means known or unknown. In this way the accumulation of negative karma which resides in the subconscious (and as an analog, the cellular memory, neurology) and energy body are both produced and supported by the kleshas, while further actions based on the kleshas in turn give birth to future negative karma which in turn will feed the kleshas (the pain body). The pain body is simply the karmic body; i.e., the complexes that surround our attachment to samsaric (cyclic) existence, hence pain. The ordinary person is imprisoned by this vicious cycle, while the sadhak (spiritual aspirant) has taken up functional practice (sadhana) as its remediation to break the chain of samsaric existence. The results of karma mixed with klesha can reincarnate in this same lifetime or in the future. Likewise merit from good karma can result in this lifetime or in the future after the physical body departs.
Another way to translate this is that the kleshas are a root cause for the continuation of negative karma. Negative karma causes further kleshas, and the kleshas cause further negative karma. Such forms the basis of the suffering inherent in this cyclic existence (the wheel of samsara). thus authentic yoga teachings attenuates the kleshas and eliminates our imprisonment to karma. Positive karma (actions) produces happiness. One gift of wisdom is knowing the difference.
Through good karma (variously called merit (punya), skillful means, wise and compassionate activities) the karmic cycles of past programs can be dismantled. balanced out, and come to an end. Necessarily here the kleshas end as well because there is no cause for them to arise. What arises is thus the pure innate natural expression of universal love. Patanjali says that we may not know nor do we have to know the causes or whether they are presently manifesting or latent and imprinted upon the subconscious (drsta-adrsta).
We learned that the chief klesha is avidya (ignorance) but not how avidya is itself perpetuated. Now we learn that it is karma (actions) which give rise to kleshic experiences. Also in I.5 we have been given the clue how the citta-vrtti also arise from kleshas and how they produce kleshas. Hence now we now have some effective tools to work with, i.e., our mindfield (citta0vrtti), our actions (karma), kriya yoga (II.2) and meditation (I.11). Indeed practice defeats the kleshas and hence the cycle of karma. Practice can also break up old karmic patterns. Not only dhyana (meditation), but also yam, niyam, asana, pranayama, pratyhara, and dharana destroys kleshas but they also can break up pre-existing karmic patterns.
So when we are meditating for example when a klesha first comes up we can notice it (viveka) such as; "Oh anger, or jealousy, or desire for a soda pop, oh lust, oh envy, oh mental discomfort. or .…" But we don’t have to act nor react to the klesha. What’s next we can ask “show it to me” without fear or expectation. Guess what, they go away then. That is how the monkey mind plays hide and go seek. Not acting on the kleshas, the karmic propensities are de-energized and then we rest deeper and more energized in a peaceful and clear state. Then off the meditation mat we are more clear minded and peaceful and more quickly recognize if/when a klesha is arising and be willing to let it go -- noticing it and then implementing vairagya --letting it pass without reacting. This breaks up the habit/cycle. Eventually with practice, such arisings become pacified and ceases by itself. What is left is both conscious and joyful in nature.
When the karma is eliminated then there arises an unconditioned (natural) state or unconditional liberation and happiness (not dependent upon causes or past karma). This produces a natural joy free from dvesa or sorrow. This is tha asamprajnata awareness devoid of separate self which knows infinite timeless awareness (isvara) here and now. HERE we know infinite self luminous compassion as the spontaneous manifestation of a boundless HeartMind.
Thus we should not confuse physical pain or normal pleasure (as the reward for desire or rather its satisfaction). Such is merely a compensatory neuroses for displaced union (samadhi) with the natural self (swarupa). Patanjali is addressing spiritual suffering not neurotic craving. As Yogeshwar Muni says: Pleasure is the reward and pain is the payment [for ordinary neurotic craving]. Ordinary pleasure and pain are two sides of one coin (a samsaric wheel). Some one craves something and then is rewarded by its union. Then they carve again when the bhoga of that temporary fix wanes. That is part of the vicious cycle of samsara which is nothing else but being trapped inside of karmic cyclic existence. . More craving (pain), then the more pleasure that is sought. Removing the kleshas springing from ignorance, then spiritual suffering is eliminated. Then is lasting happiness possible outside the cycle of craving, desire, fear, aversion, ego (asmita), pride, greed, jealousy, and death). All the kleshas when understood come from the same dualistic source, the estrangement/fragmentation from Self (the Great Integrity).
We saw in Pada I how vrtti is associated with klesha and how additional klesha comes from vrtti. Now Patanjali is telling us about the relationship between karma and klesha -- how vrtti will no longer continue to affect, pre-dominate, pre-determine, re-afflict, obstruct, and cause further negative effects which limit and condition our experience in the present and future (which are operational even now) until we remediate the basis (mula) of klesa and karma. This is accomplished through meditation. In other words, vrtti (fluctuations of citta) will continue to manifest in meditation until they are annihilated through uprooting the causes of the kleshas. Thus in meditation we become more aware, identify, and re-cognize (viveka) the kleshas as they arise, and then shine the self luminous light of awakening upon them. This by itself has the power to propel us into samadhi of Now awareness as we then have the opportunity to let them go, cultivating space in turn to summon in the natural unconditioned state (svarupa). This is how the kleshas are remediated (pratiprasava) in dhyana. See II.10 and IV.34). Failing that, we proceed with the following.
II. 13. sati mule tad-vipako jati-ayur-bhogah,
As long as this basis [storehouse of karma and kleshas are not remediated], their results (vipakah) will continue to exist (sati) giving birth or ripening (vipakah) into further varieties of experiences (bhoga) throughout one's life starting at birth (jati) and affecting one's individual experiences (bhoga) of vitality and health throughout one's life span (jati-ayur-bhoga).
mule: root, foundation, base, basis
vipaka: ripened fruit; maturity; results.
sati: existence; inability to change, the first wife of shiva
jati: birth
bhoga: experiences
ayur: health or life
jati-ayur-bhoga: life span: This life's expereinces
Without eliminating the basic causes for the occurrences and ripening of past karma due to kleshas, then further undesirable results will continue to appear to arise (vipakah) influencing characteristics from birth (jati), our vital life force and health (ayur), and experiences so that we continue to chase new experiences as pleasures (bhoga), avoid what is not pleasurable, and hence the average man lives out their lives accumulating more negative karma and hence future unfavorable conditions and hindrances. In fact these conditions bear testimony and witness of the process of ripening karma. All physical bodies bear this witness as well as the earth, the entire cosmos, and the relative world itself.
The earth (as shakti/sati) acts as a mirror reflection of isvara/shiva and bears witness in mirrorlike wisdom just as the moon reflects the light of the sun. In a nutshell this is the story of Buddha's enlightenment under the pipal tree when he defeated mara (delusion) for the last time because he called the earth as his unfailing witness (defeating deluded thought).
The mirror when it becomes dirty, needs to be cleaned by practice (meditation) or it will distort or color our experiences causing errors. Just so, without cleansing the mirror, past experiences can build up as a set pattern/coating on the mirror forming a storehouse of past reactive patterns which can be repeated in the future often unconsciously and compulsively. These reactive patterns can also cause health problems and weakening of the life force. These obstructive patterns however can change. So stating this in a positive way, at the root of experiencing the fruits of long life, vitality, and health, a wise person might recognize positive causes which gave rise to positive conditions and results, while negative karmic causes negative conditions and results are recognized as the fruits of kleshas. Some karma (actions) are good and some not, depending on the wisdom and intent involved. This pratice also provides a method for body/mind psychic and spiritual healing by taking back control of one's own life energy (prana) and mental patterns.
Practice: One simply but profoundly observes the time between the arising of a reactive thought pattern which precedes immediately before the acting/reacting of the body/mind occurs. In teh beginning of this self training, one observes the entire event. Then one can trace these fruits (vipako) of the kleshas as they arise, back to their origin (jati) in terms of their root cause (mule) which is revealed (viveka) through the application of gentle (not forceful) conscious attention. The purification of the root cause of these manifestations of the kleshas, will thus result in also eradicating its associated karma. This in turn liberates prana which is involved in the old reactive pattern. The prana is then naturally redirected for evolution, healing, and creative expression. This again is best accomplished through sitting and observing "mind" in dhyana (meditation). After this non-reactive awareness pattern has displaced the old compulsive pattern, then it becomes easy to integrate in everyday life because the karmic storehouse has been cleansed of negative body/mind patterns. Eventually when the primary root cause (avidya) is separated out from the karmic storehouse, a vast liberation occurs.
Normally yogis are taught to recognize and then remediate the kleshas, therefore positive causes and conditions can occur. Although we can create positive future effects and conditions through wise action and practices NOW, there exists a more esoteric relationship where past karma can be remediated as in the example that within the seed there is the tree, while the tree by standing in relationship to the seed, thus affects it.
Moms and dads start programming children from the womb. The children are terribly vulnerable and easily impressed at infancy. Depending on the parents' own past imprints, unconscious compulsive patterns, kleshas (ignorance, fears, hatreds, karmic patterns, and neuroses such are often impressed and absorbed directly (via right brain receptive mechanisms) in the child. This early conditioning is often very strong, albeit mostly unconscious, and forms the hardest shell to crack by psychologists who might be summoned in adult life for help. There are often fear, confusion, terror, and intense pain associated with these early life traumas, and hence there is a protective numbing mechanism which must be pierced. Most definitely positive or negative identifications and preferences (associations with pleasure and the avoidance of non-pleasurable experiences) are formed in early life which often effect and haunt the person throughout the rest of their life. These protective patterns which are now totally dysfunctional must be entered upon, penetrated fully, and broken
Children are very sensitive, intelligent, and receptive; albeit not worldly sophisticated. Their life is still mainly undifferentiated. Being mainly wide open vehicles for impressions, they get programmed in the womb and in early infancy. Although they also come in with past karma (good or bad), they also come in with the primal intrinsic imprint of isvara -- the innate bodhicitta (desire for awakening). Most moms and dads recognize that to some extent, but if it is repressed and ignored in the adult's life, then having children can be an opportunity for parents to reconnect with that unconditioned wonder, or it can be an avenue for transgenerational violence and affliction to be passed down.
Psychotherapists today are now recognizing both prenatal and peri-natal traumas. Here is a link to the Assn. for Pre- and Peri-natal Psychology and Health is housed. Also the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute teaches similar prenatal and peri-natal trauma remediation work. Stan Grof of who developed Holotropic Breathwork also focuses on that reconnecting process as well. It’s fascinating but new in the West, but still big in the East. So too are the yams, niyams, asana, pranayama, pratyhara, dharana, and dhyana capable of breaking up old karmic patterns and tendencies, purifying the mind stream and thus allow for infinite Source to shine through the obscurations.
Yoga of course recognizes that both siddhis (abilities) and/or negative samskaras from past births can and do have an influence. Yoga is designed to recognize these programs )karma), samskaras (seed potentials), vasanas (tendencies), and kleshas (hindrances) and then eventually eliminate/cathart them -- be liberated from them should the yogi desire. However such requires dedication and awareness.-- a desire to be aware and present. Old habits based on obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain, form habitual prisons or rather trances which are difficult to break, but our liberation depends on their remediation. This is well recognized by yogis and psychologists (although most psychologists will not recognize past life samskaras and karmic influences). So what my teachers taught me and what I teach, is to get rid of all the karma and all the afflictions so that one resides in the natural unconditioned state (swarupa) regardless where the false identifications and limited mindsets are coming from. "Where", "why", and "how" depend on the engagement of the analytical discursive mind. Just watch it in pure awareness and that clear Light luminosity will destroy the vrtti.
Kids learn how to play roles, games, and even conform to those roles (identities) that are expected of them, which they are rewarded to play, are encouraged, where their sense of existence and security are acknowledged, or their sense of insecurity is diminished. . They learn (are conditioned) to chose various roles to play out of fear and need -- out of ignorance of who they truly are. The tragedy is of course that is who they learn to be – what they believe is their “reality” and within that contrived “reality” the reality of who they think they are as they define “self” in terms of “other” is taken into adult life governing their destiny and coloring/covering the expression of their creative evolutionary potential. authentic yoga goes beyond fabrication and game playing. That is why it appears so threatening to socio-economic exploiters, manipulators, would be slave masters, and false gurus.
That is not the aim of authentic yoga of course. Although demagogues and tricksters will continue to attept to manipulate these reactive patterns, such manipulation is impossible when these fixations and habits have been surrendered in authentic yogic practices such as dhyana or authentic hatha yoga. It is unimaginable sitting in meditation with all that garbage going through the mindstream (citta) for any period of time or surrendering deeply into an open posture without emptying out the junk completely. The more common problem is that most people forgot in the first place that they are even playing an acquired role or that they have fallen inside of some one else’s transgenerational dream, projection, or trap which has negatively programmed and conditioned their citta-vrtti and karma. A strengthened focus and onepointed devotion on liberation (mukti) -- waking up, destroys such negative tendencies and as such, skillful practice (sadhana), bears its positive fruit (vipaka).
So in meditation (dhyana) if we are not able to liberate the klishta citta vrtti and karma, then such will arise again and again in our experiences, both in meditation and daily life, capable of even causing great discomfort, illness and premature death until final liberation. We have the opportunity NOW to wake up and deal with the kleshas and karma. Postponing or ignoring such (even by the "learned" leads to negative results.
II. 14. te hlada-paritapa-phalah punyapunya-hetutvat
Those (te) fruits (phalah) [as a result of the winds of kleshas, citta-vrtti, and karma], may appear joyful (hlada) or painful (paritapa) depending upon their causative factors (hetutvat). whether due to meritorious actions (punya) or non-virtuous actions (apunya) respectively.
Commentary: Positive or meritorious thoughts and actions produce positive results (karma) or joy, while negative or non-virtuous thoughts and actions produce negative results (karma) and pain. Pleasure or pain depends on causative factors. We become victims upon the winds of karma which condition the degree, type, and length of the recurring vrttis which in turn further potentiate undesirable karma and hence the vicious cycle of samsaric existence keeps on spinning. So the wise, watch their thoughts, speech, and actions in order to effect lasting happiness, but they do not repress them.
Since kleshas cause karma and karma, in turn cause kleshas, this is a two way street. When we are motivated by the kleshas (such as asmita, raga, dvesa, etc.) we are trapped within the wheel of samsaric existence whether or not the attraction or repulsion appears pleasurable/desirous or potentially painful. Those fruits/results (happiness or suffering) are at best temporary. They are the result of ignorance. Liberation and true happiness in a yogic sense brings forth unconditional liberation and lasting unconditional happiness, acknowledging that happiness and suffering are states of mind.
influence In Sutra I.5 we learned that the fluctuating mental patterning of the mind (citta-vrtti) may cause future suffering or be neutral in that regard. Similarly the citta-vrtti can also be caused by the kleshas. As we learned here in chapter II, the kleshas cause suffering; the chief klesha being avidya (ignorance). In this sutra Patanjali refines I.5 further by discerning that some actions may create temporary results that appear as temporary pleasure, some may create further pain, and most important that virtuous actions in body, speech, and mind may have positive effects.
Many times we may experience ananda-asmita (or joy) or aversion and pain (dvesa-asmita) as aspects of asmita-avidya where the ego either joins neurotically with an object of thought or is disinclined (averse) toward it. This occurs in daily life very often, but in silent sitting meditation it is much more easier to spot. Both raga (attraction) and aversion (dvesa) are due to attachment to citta-vrttis -- to the inferior vairagya (apara-vairaga) rooted in dualism (the samprajnata state defined in Sutra I.17). The mind goes into misery or aversion at one time, and then into joy or ananda another time. Such are the vacillations of the ordinary mind driven by karma and ignorance. But when that kind of pleasure and pain due to karma and kleshas (raga, dvesa, asmita, avidya, etc) are observed and no longer acted upon by body, speech, or mind, then virtuous actions leading to the cessation of ignorance, suffering (duhkha), and karmic compulsions can manifest. That kind of asmita-raga and dvesa are low vibratory states of consciousness dense with karmic propensities. They are due to past karma and avidya which are purified via virtuous actions -- actions governed by the wisdom- mind. The good news is that as these negative propensities arise, they can be recognized for what they are and released. Their causes once known, they are released/let go of directly proportional to our awareness/wisdom. As we form new virtuous habits we learn how to rest in our natural unconditioned true nature (svarupa) more consistently in dhyana and this bleeds over into everyday life increasingly. This is joyous mind training without effort capable of helping sincere practitioners turn the corner on old ways of suffering and dysfunction.
II. 15. parinama-tapa-samskara-duhkhair guna-vrtti-virodha ca duhkham eva sarvam vivekinah
Recognizing the pre-existing insidious suffering Inherent in fascination upon fragmentary existence: the suffering of change is to be identified thus released.
Viveka is to be applied continuously to all things on fire (things that are undergoing constant change) as the skillful means that reveals the inherent unsatisfactoriness and dysfunctional relationship between the painful attachments to disparate phenomena which are ever changing and the mental suffering which is inherent in the mental patterning associated with its attachment.
or similarly,
Viveka is the skillful means to be applied to all at all times (sarvam) in order to recognize the insidious latent suffering bound by the mental vagaries (vrtti) of fragmentary existence (the false identification with the world of apparently fragmentary objects and things) which are inherently on fire and in constant motion.
or similarly,
Similarly (eva) by knowing the whole -- the all knowing (eva sarvam vivekinah) -- one is not satisfied (duhkham) with holding on to an ever changing, temporal, and apparently paradoxical indistinct perception of phenomena (guna-vrtti virodha) which is on fire (tapa); rather that ever changing perception or spin (vrtti) which is fixated upon is recognized as not solid or permanent, but rather is recognized as temporal and continuously on fire (tapa). That error of perception (guna-vrtti-virodha) thus (eva) is recognized as the grasping cause of needless mental suffering (duhkhair) [due to mental clinging], and (ca) thus only reinforces the fixation of negative psychic imprints (samskara),
parinama: change, transformation.
tapa: burns, burning, burn, often in intense pain
samskara: Embedded psychic imprints left over from past unresolved painful experiences
duhkhair: by dissatisfactions; relating to pain
duhkha: Scarcity consciousness. A feeling of need or distress consciously acknowledged or not. A feeling of unhappiness, suffering, mental pain, dissatisfaction, misfortune, or grief. Duhkha is best defined as the lack of absence of happiness, fulfillment, wholeness, or completion, thus the absence of joy (sukha) which may be variously characterized by pain, anguish, suffering, unhappiness, discomfort, discontent, angst, unease, stress, tension, pressure, dissatisfaction, grief, distress, chagrin, fretful, irritated, being inflamed, bruised, hurt, ruffled, irritated, dis-eased, off center, upset, shocked, or any chronic complaint, etc. A state of incompleteness where consciousness (cit) is separated from subjective experience or being (sat).
vrtti: wavering, recurring patterns, biased spinning; fluctuations of consciousness.
guna: the way nature breaks down into its various manifold characteristic parts; Here, meant to describe fragmentary phenomena and its impermanence/transitory nature.
guna-vrtti: changing patterns of the qualities of nature; the wavering and bias caused by the evolutes of nature (the gunas).
virodha: turmoil, adversity, conflict, strife, paradoxical or oppositional.
eva: Also, since, indeed
ca: and
sarvam: all things: everything.
viveka: Primarily the awareness of relationships for example it is viveka which makes the distinction between kleshic (afflicted) awareness and prajna (innate wisdom). In that case viveka operates by first recognizing a dysfunctional mechanism of unhappiness inherent in a reflexive and compulsive conditioned way of existence. Then instead of identifying with the conditioned patterns, one starts to identify with the observer, the knower, or witness consciousness, thus bringing conscious awareness into the situation. Then one eventually begins to observe the nature of this awareness -- observes the eternal observer and becomes more acquainted with it's omnipresence through practice (usually dhyana). Eventually one may identify with this witness consciousness as the self (purusa). But that is not the end of viveka. In the final stages of viveka the observer recognizes itself in all sentient beings and things as the One in the many and the many in the One. It is neither only extrinsic nor exclusively intrinsic, but both/and -- the marriage of Sat and Cit -- being/nature and consciousness/spirit . Thus viveka is differentiated awareness where all beings and things are recognized as mutual interdependent components within an integral context of a greater whole (not separate) brought forward by action of an expanded boundless awareness. Even that is not enough. That differentiated awareness discloses the beginningless uncreated source in all and hence differentiated awareness remains inseparably married to undifferentiated formless awareness in authentic yogic experience. This is not an intellectual or conceptual realization, but rather a direct experience, realized through authentic yogic practice. This is not to say that differentiated awareness is the same as undifferentiated awareness or that relative reality/truth is the same as absolute reality/truth. It is not. What is integrated is their union/marriage in Sat-Cit-Ananda or Siva/shakti. THAT is the "and" in the "both/and". Realized as such, it is the portal of transformation itself -- the miracle of Cit and Sat.
Viveka is a diifferentiating awareness that discerns, recognizes, or acknowledges that integral hologram wherein the one is disclosed in all things, and all things are revealed in context with the one. Viveka is always available when we focus our attention on one thing in relationship to another and the whole. Thus self liberating and self luminous discriminating wisdom can be consulted and invoked increasingly. The union of cit (consciousness) with differentiated reality and being (sat) in Sat-Cit-Ananda is also the beginning, The liberated yogi must enter the holographic mandala and perform active service/worship. That is sacred work.
Commentary: Suffering is a state of the fragmentary mental condition. That samskaric mind state (called samsara) creates feelings of craving (raga) and antipathy (dvesa) as we have seen. So in order to fully understand what is meant by duhkha, we have to experience wholeness, fulfillment, and lasting happiness. That result is the effect of effective yogic practice.
The karmic causes of raga (attraction/attachment), dvesa (aversion), asmita, avidya, etc., must be removed in order for lasting happiness to manifest. The attraction/fascination (raga) to fragmentary existence (citta-vrtti) is exactly the dualistic/fragmented mind prison that is held together by the kleshas. It defines the state of duhkha (suffering) as depicted by the samsaric wheel beginning with ignorance and producing suffering). The difficulty is that one becomes attached/fixated to this static state and hence fears/resists change as change appears to be a threat to the egoic fixations. This samsaric state is called static in the sense that it is bounded by the prison of citta-vrtti or being based upon the ideation of a separate self (asmita) and hence avidya (lack of true vision). However within this prison of samsara there is constant change (parinama) fed by the twin engines of raga and dvesa. So the wheel of samsara spins driven by constant cycles of craving and antipathy until conscious recognition is applied to one's basic condition. Those caught into this snare are characterized as feeling incomplete, discontented, disturbed, or suffering (duhkha), while those who have realized the true nature of their mind are characterized by being wholesome, possessing integrity, wisdom, true knowledge or true happiness. They are the liberated beings (vita-raga or jivamukti).
So the good news is that this painful and imprisoned state of mind, is just that; i.e., a state of mind which when recognized (not ignored) will provide the basis of one's self liberation. Although entirely real as any other fragmented state of mind that is broken off from the multiverse is real, this state never-the-less can be altered and transformed consciously, once it is recognized so that the vagaries of consciousness no longer identifies with the citta-vrtti, but rather aligns seamlessly with the evolutionary power/Reality (divine, transpersonal, transcognitive, and non-dual will-power).
The all knowing (eva-sarvam-viveka) through awakened awareness bears witness to these seemingly endless transformations (parinama) and changes from one mental stage to another (vrtti) as past habits, frozen fixations, and imprints (samskaras) and similarly solidified false identifications with fragmented reality (duhkhair guna-vrtti-virodha) as being needlessly stressful and painful (tapa). To them this wheel of change (parinamas) fueled by past karma and kleshas is known as none other than the vicious wheel of cyclic existence (samsara)]. When stratified phenomena (the gunas) are so misperceived through avidya (ignorance) one suffers bondage and suffering.
However the wise discern the cause of this suffering not by further ignoring/avoiding it, but through recognizing ignorance as the very activity which is the cause of dualistic dissociation. Stress, tension, and suffering is inherent in glomming onto that which by nature is in constant flux no longer is capable of creating considerable tension and stress (virodha). Thus it is cut asunder through the sword of self luminous differentiated awareness (viveka) which is rooted in wholeness and integration -- in its marriage with the root mother of creation or true vision should the sadhak take on the courage to view reality as-it-is in naked awareness. Unhappiness is utterly destroyed when we align ourselves with the evolutionary power of the universe. That way we are connected continuously to our roots. Everything else is both pretentious and false -- subject to change and contrived by the individual's conceptual mind.
All mental dualistic attachments and associations with apparently separate objects of phenomena (guna-vrtti-virodha) are revealed as needless suffering (duhkha), It is merely due to mental mismanagement/classification of phenomena as if they were independent and unrelated. Thus such mental associations can be gratefully abandoned through the inherent power of NOW awareness (through viveka which knows the all as one, and the one as the many simultaneously as it is devoid of bias). Through applying viveka constantly, then ignorance (avidya) and hence the kleshas and attachment are defeated. By applying consciousness into the apparent pain, no pain is found separate from the mind, rather the painful mechanism is defused by delving all the way into all things via naked awareness. The lingering pain (parinama-tapa) associated with the pain of old past experiences (samskara) are now redirected towards THAT awareness which knows no suffering and which is free from karma and conditions. Thus reality is known in light, not darkness, is it illumined,
If we do not recognize suffering as suffering, but rather mistake it as happiness in security or predictability, then that is a major pitfall -- do not be fooled. Put another way, it is the ego sense (asmita) which drive the kleshas, tends to create defenses and armor around its delusions and pretenses protecting itself from unflattering or information due to pride or information which otherwise does not support it, but is perceived as threatening to that delusion. In that sense avidya and suffering is needlessly perpetuated until the observer is able to recognize the truth of samsaric existence -- the mental prison where no lasting happiness can be found. Lasting happiness and unconditional liberation is found when the samsaric wheel is broken -- when attachment and antipathy are conquered -- when true vision reigns and the citta-vrtta are thus liberated..
This is the sutra on the suffering of impermanence, the origin of suffering, the all pervasive suffering of suffering, and its remediation through recognizing it (viveka). Once it is revealed as it is, then it can be remediated as it taught in the succeeding sutras.
As we have learned both raga (with its accompanying sukha/pleasure) as well as dvesa with its accompanying duhkha/pain) are both afflictions. Eventually we have to give up all attachment to objects and this can only be accomplished by giving up attachment to the grasper (separate self) which seemingly observes "phenomenal objects (the gunas), Any such attraction or repulsion to an object by an observer is in reality a distraction of ego ignorance. It is bound to be unsatisfactory in the long run unless there is absolutely no attachment at all, then there is immersion, fascination, nor full engagement in such activities. Such activities undertaken with self awareness (viveka) are undergone with vairagya (non-attachment). Then there is neither clinging nor suffering involved.
The entire (sarva) temporal world of constant change -- the electrons spinning around the atom, earth spinning around the sun, the galaxy rotating around the milky way, and so forth) are generally characterized by the guna-vrtti. Such in reality, is a never ending magical display which reflects its origin when perceive