Patanjali Yoga Sutra Part-21

Tapas theory:-

What is it that gives you the strength or the force to do something?

In the previous Sutra, Patanjali Maharishi mentioned Kriya Yoga. Endurance (Tapas), self-study (Swadhyaya) and devotion to the divine (Eashwara Pranidhana) constitute the Yoga in action (Kriya Yoga). What do they all do to you?

They reduce the misery in a person's life and give rise to samadhi or equanimity. There are certain people who walk in very hot weather without wearing shoes. It may seem like some type of torture and you may wonder why the person is torturing himself or herself but if you actually talk to them you will realise that they are accustomed to that. Their bodies are strong — they can bear heat and strong weather. But for some one else it is unbearable.

So, tapas makes you strong. If someone travels from California to Switzerland, they need to wear several sweaters and even a coat. But for someone from the North West province or higher, the cold weather in Switzerland is bearable. They may even walk around without a sweater. This is because their body is used to such harsh weather.

Willingly going through that which is not very easy is tapas. This strengthens you. People can stretch this to another extent. They can become masochists. They torture themselves.

Three types of Tapas

Fire sustains life. There are five types of fire.

One is Bhutagni. Bhutagni is the physical fire by which you heat your home and yourself. It sustains life. This maybe obvious but may not be so in tropical countries. They might not give much value to fire there. But in cold countries people know how important fire is. Without physical fire life gets extinguished. This physical fire is present in the body to some extent.

We do not allow fire to rise within us. The moment we're down with fever, we take a pill and force the symptoms to subside. Not that you should not take medicine. Take it, but attempt to tackle the root cause of the problem rather than just attending to the symptoms of fire in your system. When a foreign body enters the body, your whole body turns up the heat –— that's fever. Fever is a defense mechanism which burns all the foreign particles that have entered the body. As soon as these foreign bodies abandon the body your fever comes down. The purpose of fever is to purify your body. Naturopathy and Ayurveda deal with all these things.

Your body develops your own air conditioning. If you put on the air conditioner all the time, then you are not letting the self-modulating system of the body function. Our body brings out sweat, which is cooling. Unfortunately, many are used to air conditioners from childhood. I have nothing against the use of air conditioners, but make sure your body temperature agrees with the fresh prana environment. It will make a difference. Then you will have the ability to work in a cold place without having to wear too much. Or to be in a hot place without feeling suffocated..

There is a second type of fire known as Kamagni, the fire of desire, lust or passion. It is because of this fire of passion that life continues on this planet. This fire is present in all living beings. We do not let the fire of desire remain in us for long and burn us. The moment desire strikes, we fulfill it. The promiscuous have absolutely no kamagni. They do not allow this fire to burn them, let alone even bake them. The moment lust strikes, they fulfill their desires. In such cases kamagni does not awaken in you. Sex is one of the oldest samskaras, apart from eating. Throughout all the ages living beings have done two things for sure — eating and having sex.

When this passion arises observe it. It is present in every cell of your body. It engulfs you, burns you. If one immediately succumbs to desire, their power or shakti decreases. That is when you become more inert and less sensitive. Then there is no vigor, joy or enthusiasm in any activity one does. That is why people who are promiscuous do not have that enthusiasm. They do not have the force or will or strength to do any action.

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Patanjali Yoga Sutra Part-20

Looking within:-

When someone is anxious, they are unaware of time. They are not aware of the moment that is passing. This is because their focus is on the event, on the happening, rather than on the moment. When someone is waiting for a train to arrive, they wait and wait and wait. Next time, try and be aware of the moment.

When the mind is lost in the moment, then that is yoga. When you wait for nothing, yet you wait. It adds a different quality to the conscious mind. This aspect sharpens the mind, the intellect and the heart. This is the yoga of action.

This is the next sutra in Patanjali's second chapter known as Sadhana Pada. Sadhana pada is a 'practice on the path'. Tapaha swadhyayeshwarapran idhanani kriyayogaha is the sutra and it means "Endurance, self-study, devotion to the divine constitutes the yoga of action."

Kriya yoga is the yoga of action. Action is a part of creation. There is activity in everything in creation. Right from a little atom, to the sun, to the moon, and stars, there is activity. There is nothing that is stable or static in this world. Everything is busy, active. The Brahman, the infinity, is filled with infinite activity. There is absolutely no silence at all!

Even in sleep there is activity. You think you are sleeping, but in sleep, there appears to be more activity. The body grows more in sleep than when you are awake. Do you know that? In the child, every cell is multiplying as he sleeps. That is why a growing child sleeps longer. The young sleep longer than the elderly because there is a lot of activity, mostly metabolic, going on in the body. The body is built when you are young. If you deprive somebody of sleep, their growth is stunted.

Even in silence, there is activity. At the same time, in every activity there is a corner which is silent. Krishna tells Arjuna, "Arjuna, do you know who is really intelligent and clever? One, who sees silence in activity and activity in silence. That is a truly intelligent person."

Now, how does one see silence in activity and activity in silence? It needs sharpness of awareness, alertness of the mind and keenness of the senses. That keenness can come when there is skill in your activity. That skill in activity is Kriya yoga or the yoga of action.

What is Kriya Yoga? It comprises of three parts. First, there is Tapas, which means endurance or acceptance. Say for example, you are traveling in a plane on a long distance flight. You have been sitting for long and you find your legs are getting numb. You are tired, yet you keep sitting. You feel heavy, yet you keep sitting. You cannot say.. "Oh! I cannot sit any longer; I am going to get out of the plane." No way! If the plane is delayed or held up in the air, you still have to sit there. There is no choice. Now, if you had a choice, you would not sit for eight hours like that in one place. But in a plane you sit, accepting it, willingly, without grumbling. That is tapas! In the same way, if you are hungry, you say, "No, I am fasting. I want to have a cleansing diet. I want to cleanse my body. So I am just going to fast on juice or water." You decide on your own to do some action, which is not usual. and you do it, without grumbling. Tapas is really experiencing the opposite values without grumbling.

You know that it is beneficial and the result of this action is very good, and therefore you go ahead with it however difficult it is. People go to the gymnasium. It is difficult and gives no pleasure yet one does it. Why? They know that it is good for their system. This endurance is called tapas.

Second is Swadhyaya or self-study or introspection. This means observing your own thoughts and emotions. Where do these emotions come from? Where do the thoughts come from? What is happening inside you? Studying yourself is swadhyaya.

Third is Eashwara pranidhana, which means devotion to the divine or love for the divine.

These three things make up Kriya Yoga.

Patanjali Yoga Sutra Part-19

The next sutra is Tasyapi nirodhe sarvanirodhannirbëjaha samadhi, meaning the Samadhi of no seeds in which even the feeling of impressions is removed along with the removal of the impressions themselves.

This is another kind of Samadhi, where even the feeling of impressions is not felt.

There is no end to this. These are many different types and states of awareness in Samadhi being described. The path is long. Every step is complete in itself. It is not that you are aiming at a goal to be attained. The goal is in every moment. Yet the path is long. Do you get it? The path is very long, but the goal is in every moment. The goal is at where you are in patience. It is not that you are in a hurry — you cannnot say you want Samadhi today, this moment. Yes, there should be enthusiasm, but, at the same time, with that enthusiasm there should be patience. Do you see this?

This is an interesting point. Those who are very enthusiastic have no patience. People who have patience are very lethargic — they believe they have a lifetime ahead of them anyway. Others are restless — they want things at that very moment. You can see this everywhere. They are either of this extreme or that extreme. It is like sleeping a hurried sleep. It is not possible. You cannot tell yourself to sleep quickly.

In the same way, you cannot remember in a hurry... "Okay, let me remember, quick, quick, quick." The hurry in remembering delays the remembering. When you want to remember something, the more you hurry, the more restless you are to remember, the longer it takes for you to remember. It is the same with meditation or Samadhi.

You cannot say, "I am going to meditate quickly. I have no time!" Not possible. So this path, the middle path or the golden path, is wherein you are enthusiastic, at the same time, you are patient. You are patient, at the same time you are not lethargic. You do not postpone things. You know, often when people have to do something good, for their personal development, they say, "If God is willing, I will do it. If God is willing, it will come to me." They leave it to God when it comes to one's practices and development. But when you have to do something in the world, you do not say, "God willing, I will build a house or if God is willing I will make a relationship". You do not do that! You look for a relationship; you look for a house, look for a job, look for money. For all this you put your hundred percent, but, if you have to do something for others or some practices of self-development, you say, if God is willing it will happen.

Infinite patience and dynamic enthusiasm is the golden middle path!

Patanjali Yoga Sutra Part-18

Grace of Spirituality:

The most difficult things appear and sound difficult when they are removed from experience. But when it comes to oneself, the most difficult things look simple. When you read scriptures about Samadhi it appears very difficult. But I tell you, every individual experiences glimpses of Samadhi in life and that is why there is joy. Unfortunately, we don't pinpoint or identify it and we don't know how to maintain, retain it or recreate it.

Patanjali gives us a scientific step by step methodology of recreating this experience. It is not experience of the object but experience of the experiencer which is the self referral value of our own inner divinity..

Let us once again go through the four types of Samadhi which Patanjali Maharishi has mentioned. They are Savitarka Samadhi, Nirvitarka Samadhi, Savichara Samadhi and Nirvichara Samadhi.

Savitarka Samadhi is the Samadhi in which there is a dialogue or argument in one part of consciousness with the other part of the same consciousness. Here, there is a dialogue happening between the knower, known and knowing, meaning a dialogue with logical subtle reasoning happening within oneself.

Nirvitarka Samadhi is the one which has no dialogue where there is no reasoning.

Savichara Samadhi is the Samadhi in which there is some knowledge flowing. In this state of deep Samadhi some faint thoughts move through.

Nirvichara Samadhi is the one where there is no thought .This is a thoughtless state which is the experience of nothingness or just emptiness.

Now comes the question — why did Patanjali Maharishi make this distinction considering a dialogue cannot happen without words? This is due to reasoning where there is a little logic flowing through and you are trying to grasp something. Logic always has a tendency to grasp. Even in Samadhi there could be a slight tendency to grasp the experience and that is called Savitarka Samadhi, which is not a very deep Samadhi. In Nirvitarka Samadhi that desire to grasp is not there.

Our consciousness is much older than the stones. Our consciousness has impressions of so many life times. So, when we go deep in Samadhi, some faint thoughts or ideas that have no logic may arise. Just like in dreams you get thoughts and ideas which have no logic. Your experiences in dreams have no logic. Sometimes you don't even need to have a language to understand the Vichara. It is just a feeling. A subtle or faint feeling arises and that is called Savichara and when there is no feeling or no trace of faint thought, it is Nirvichara Samadhi. These two samadhis take you deeper because they continue to exist in the subtlest levels of the consciousness.

For logic to come across, you need an object. If the mind has to understand or to reason, it needs an object. In fact it needs not just one object but many objects. But if the subject itself is the object it becomes self referral and that is called Nirvitarka Samadhi. In this state there is no dialogue where just the seer is left. But in this Samadhi there is subtle understanding about very subtle things. These subtle objects continue even to the primordial nature of the universe where you cannot even point your finger and say "this is this". It takes you towards a realm of unknown beyond the logic. Subtle objects of perception continue even beyond identifications. That means it is the journey from the known to unknown. These four kinds of Samadhi can be only understood when we go deep into experience.

Many people experience things in meditation but they don't know what to make of it. That is where Patanjali's beautiful guidance becomes very valuable. Five different experiences of the senses — sight, smell, sound, taste and touch — these five modes of experience continue at a very subtle primordial nature. Though there is no object of touch, when you go deep in Samadhi, you can feel some sensations of touch, you can hear some sound or you can see some light. Though there is no thought, the experience is also considered as thought and these experiences continue till there is "shoonyatha" or nothingness.

So, in meditation don't sit and wait for something. When you experience these things, do not try to hold on to it. This is what he mentions as "Sabeeja Samadhi".

When you are experiencing bliss or a vastness of consciousness, there can be traces of sound or light or touch or fragrance. This is a common phenomenon when people get into meditation. From this, Sabeeja Samadhi we skilfully go to the Nirbeeja Samadhi where there is no duality. The purpose of Samadhi is not just Samadhi itself but "adhyatma prasada", which means spiritual awakening or spiritual grace. Samadhi is one of the means to attain the grace of spirituality.

Patanjali Yoga Sutra Part-17

A steady state of mind:-

The steadiness of prana is known as samadhi. Just by knowing that, in few moments the prana becomes steady and brings you to a space where you are completely hollow.

Patanjali tells you to become like a crystal, which is solid but allows light to pass through it totally. Though you exist with a body, in the state of samadhi you are not there at all. In other words you can live as though you don't exist.

When you are with the Self, you are just with the just the self — steady, blissful and joyful and when you are with your senses, you are so totally in the senses.

The samadhi that you experience during activity is sabheej samadhi. Have you noticed a child? His eyes do not flitter here and there. They are steady. A child stares at things and there is depth in the eye of a child. This indicates the soul, how steady and stable it is. Your eyes are the window to see the world. If someone is very ambitious or greedy, their eyes will indicate that. If a person is kind and compassionate, the eyes will reflect that.

When I say eyes, I do not mean just the physical eyes but the face, the behavior, the senses, appearance, walk, words, your entire life reflects what you are deep inside.

This is the job of the senses. They tell you about the world and tell the world about you. The soul in you reflects the dignity in you. This is sabheej samadhi. Do you get it? You look at the mountain and the mountain reminds you of the self, of the consciousness.

You look at the ocean and the ocean reminds you of consciousness. Your mind is steady, your senses are steady. Steadiness is dignity. Steadiness is strength and steadiness is dispassion. You can experiment this. For a few moments you keep your body steady and keep your eyes steady and you will see almost immediately that the mind becomes steady and the breath comes to a standstill. This is when time stops, death stops, and immortality begins. Before time swallows you, before this earth gulps you, you wake up, and you swallow time.

Samadhi is a state of mind in which you can stay for a million years.

Every experience of your senses becomes complete. Have you observed your feelings when you are happy? You feel you are expanding. And what happens when you are sad, uptight or sorrowful? You experience tightness, reduction, isn't it? Also when we feel expanded, our awareness is expanding, we tend to fall asleep. And when we want to have keenness of awareness, we seem to be more uptight, not relaxed.

Samadhi is a state of mind where you are sensitive to others feelings too. When you become sensitive to the world, nature becomes sensitive to you and listens to you. How can this happen? What is the condition? We will explore this in the next sutra.

Patanjali Yoga Sutra Part-16

Is your breath steady?

Yathapimatha Dhyanatvad (Sutra 39)
''Or by meditating as per your choice''
There are many different types of meditations . You can take on whichever suits you, whichever you love. Take one path and go into one path. All ways are good, but, you take one way and go deep into it without criticizing others.

Paramanu Parama
mahatvanthayoranyah (Sutra 40)
''Then the minutest atom, to the greatest and the infinite comes under your purview''

The nature loves you, starts supporting you. When earth shakes for few seconds, you know how much disaster happens. You exist in this planet because earth is steady. Once in a while earth shakes and it throws you off your place, a few seconds can make your life stand still for many days. Any type of natural calamity, whether floods or torrential rain or scorching heat disturbs life. You can be at peace when nature is at peace, when nature is steady, when nature doesn't behave in a funny manner. Few years ago, in the middle of the summer in Sahara desert there was snowfall. And in the same year, you also have read in the papers the usually cold England was so hot. Winter months & the day became so hot, never heard of before, first time in the century. Once in a while nature shakes, but your senses are shaking every day. When the senses are shaky, it is unable to behold the Lord within. It disturbs the peace in you. Like nature when it is steady, there is peace, when your senses are steady, there is peace. Meditation can happen when there is harmony in nature and there is harmony in your senses. If your eyes are going all over the place, the mind is not in a meditative state. Is your breath steady? Is the prana going smooth and normal or going haphazard? When your senses are steady, your soul also becomes peaceful, your being, your spirit inside you becomes steady.

Instead of realizing that joy is the nature of self, the senses see joy in the objects that are outside That is when the senses shake. Senses are the bridge, one side is the object and the other side is the Self. When senses think pleasure is coming to me from the objects or more pleasure will come from the object, they shake. Even during the few minutes when the senses shake, they become tired and they become unable to enjoy or experience joy. Are you getting what I am saying? I had been to a Blind school in Bangalore; they sang bhajans for half an hour with all their heart. It was so powerful because there was no distraction for them, they didn't have to look here and there. It was as though they were singing from a very deep meditative state. There whole being was in those songs. Because the eyes were steady already, there was no way for the eyes to move here and there. The same eyes which you think guide you and bring you light can shake you and bring you darkness too .It is also the same with ears. See, some time people switch on the radio and every five minutes they go on moving the tuning, keep on tuning to different stations. Their entire time would be spent in tuning, little bit from here, little bit from there, may be a better song will be played in that station, they will change the band ! Same could be true for some people with the the sense of smell. They put this perfume on and then use the other one.

When the senses are steady, then the prana, which is shaking inside you also becomes straight. Those of you who are introduced to Pranayama, you would have noticed when you do pranayama see how your prana becomes steady. And all those moments when you are feeling not so good, when you are unhappy or when fear is there, observe the prana. These states are nothing but indications that the prana is shaky. And samadhi is steadiness in prana.