PATANJALI
YOGASUTRAS
CHAPTER-4
KAIVALYA PAADHA
In sutra.1, we have seen that exotic powers called
Siddhis come to different people either from birth itself (which means
inheritance from previous birth); or, through certain rare herbs, or, through
recitation of certain mantras, or, through tapas (penance) ; or finally through
Samadhi, which is the eighth step in Ashtanga Yoga elucidated in yoga sutras.
In sutra.2, Patanjali stated that one can transform
into a different species by filling in the nature with appropriate means.First,
changes coming in current species need to be stopped and then altered through
nature to transform into different species.
In sutra.3, the exact effect of Karma theory is
explained. People perform good and bad karmas in course of their life. Part of their
effect is inherited from karmas of previous births too. The effect of all these
karmas is only to break the obstacles and barriers in our path – allowing nature
to fully flower in us into its complete potential.
We will now move on to see how ego, or, the
I-feeling affects our immediate present and future.
Vs.4.04
nirmaana chittaani
asmitaa maatraat
Ø nirmaana = created,
constructed
Ø chittaani = mind-fields
Ø asmitaa = I-ness or Ego
Ø matraat = only
All minds that we
experience normally are artificially
constructed or built-up minds only – and ‘we’ are their unconscious
constructors. These are not our original, pure minds.
All these artificially constructed
minds have actually evolved from our ego
or the feeling of I-ness.
This Ego stands at the
center of the artificial minds and goes on inflating the artificial minds in
all directions.
This artificial,
constructed minds create thoughts, feelings, relationships, societies to
live-in, our mutual likes and dislikes and our whole life pattern.
Our mind-fields consisting
of all of our thoughts, memories, feelings etc are all constructed by our
asmita or Ego identity only. The I-ness in us is directly responsible for all
of our sinful and sacred acts. Likewise, all of our thoughts and memories
spring from this I-ness thought only.
But, Yogi can construct
the type of I-ness identities that serve him well in his endeavours from the
same Asmitha itself.
Behind all created
mind-fields, there is also a mind-field, which is original and not created by
our Egos. We have come to this world with this uncreated, original mind-field.
The whole effort of Sadhaka is to reach the clean slate of this uncreated,
original mind-field.
But, How does the
ego-fields exhibit themselves? And how are they to be overcome?
Vs. 4.5
pravritti bhede prayojakam chittam ekam anekeshaam
Ø pravritti = activity; what is
actually done by Chitta
Ø bhede = differences
Ø prayojakam = causing
Ø chittam = mind-field
Ø ekam = one
Ø anekeshaam = many
The ego-centred and ego-based
mind-fields that the Sadhaka constructs consciously, to serve him may exhibit
diverse tendencies and may look like many mind-fields. But, in reality, there
is a single root mind-field behind all of them, which controls all these
diverse external expressions or mind-fields.
This means, we have come with an
original mind-field, which is the real controller behind all the diverse
mind-fields that the EGO goes on creating.
Vs. 4.6
tatra dhyana jam anaasayam
Ø tatra = among these
Ø dhyana = meditation
Ø jam = born
Ø anaasayam = free from past, stored
impressions
When the constructed mind-fields are
many, amongst them, the one born out of Meditation is the one which is free
from the Karmic impressions of the past. In fact, in meditation, we dissolve
all other mind-fields.
Only one original mind, with which we
are born cannot be dissolved by us in mediation. It is the purest, in which we
find no further reflections of other mind-fields.
From childhood, all impressions that
were absorbed by us as different mind-fields, will have to be dissolved, just
as we peel of layers of onion skin, to find nothing remaining at the end of the
peeling process.
The original mind has neither any past impressions in it nor has it anything
about the future. The whole process of meditation to attain kaivalya is to
dissolve these past and future impressions constantly and keep the mind steady
in its original state.
All thinking stops in this process.
Because, all thinking essentially relates you to either the past or the future
but not to the reality of the present. Even the future is nothing but a
projection of all past experiences into the future. Nothing exists in the future
without a basis from the past. If past is got rid of, future also dissolves,
because, it loses all of its past base.
If both the past and the future lose
their appeal for the mind and dissolve from its attention – then the present
arises forcefully, beautifully like an eternity in itself.
In the present, all desires vanish. We
need to recognize that all desires essentially pertain to future. They neither
pertain to past nor to the present.
When the meditation is only on the
present – mind-field becomes totally devoid of any karma. It will be the
original one you got at birth; it will be devoid of desires.
All meditation must be done in a very,
relaxed, playful way, because, all seriousness relates to and comes along with
the past. Leave all seriousness. Keep playful, pleasant and unburdened by past
and future. Then, Meditation becomes real and easy. Then, Meditation frees the
Mind from any of the remaining desires in it easily.
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