Friday, April 25, 2008

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 19


Merging with nature

Bhavapratyayo Videhaprakritilayanam

Prakritilaya or becoming one with nature or its elements. It is a state of being where the consciousness is able to experience a state of oneness with a stone, a mountain, a tree, a flowing river or flowers. The unifying experience happens between the individual and nature. This happens most to poets like William Wordsworth who sang of host of golden daffodils

This Samadhi sometimes happens without an effort at any age of life. This is a glimpse of the experience of an evened out intellect which leaves its separate state of existence and merges with the bliss that already exists in the Universe.
As I walked up to the origin of the Ganga once in Gomukh, culminating in a spiritual journey, the last lap of the trek was intensely difficult. It was through the nooks and crannies of the rocks and boulders, slippery soft sand and tiny rivulets that I had to take. All exhasted with a parched throat, I sat down on a rock, well into the bank of the mighty Ganga, gushing out of the Gomukh cave. After watching the river for a while, I closed my eyes. It may have been a few minut

es or over a quarter of an hour - I do npot know. There was no voices of my co-trekkers, nor even the roar of the river that I heard. When I opened my eyes, a local resident was telling me to move out of there as the river might swell erratically. Even as I close my eyes now and recollect my experience, I know it was a glimpse of Prakritilaya Samadhi, when the individual merges with nature.

Photo: Waters of the Mandakini gushing past the temple at Kedarnath in the Himalayas.

(Vignana Bhairava Tantra, Tirumandiram, Bamboo Wisdom, swahilya.soulmate@gmail.com)

15 comments:

Mark said...

Thank-you for sharing. You are blessed to have this glimpse.

Ray Gratzner said...

Dear swahilya, thank you for sharing your personal experience about this kind of samadhi. You give to this knowledge an imaginable context, one that inspires.

Merging Point said...

mmm... Gangaji knows to embrace the one who just sits next to her. Remembering your bare foot trekking now...
Beautiful post Swahilya!

Swahilya Shambhavi said...

Welcome Mark. Thank you.

Swahilya Shambhavi said...

Welcome Ray, Thank you. As I write, I too experience the perspective and context myself.

Swahilya Shambhavi said...

Yes Merging Point, a memorable journey.

kitchenette soul said...

Beautiful

Swahilya Shambhavi said...

Welcome Parvathy!

Meena said...

Swahilya,
You are fortunate to have gone to these beautiful places, and to have experienced such moments of bliss!Lovely picture.
Meena.

Swahilya Shambhavi said...

Welcome Meena. Thank you.

Nature Nut /JJ Loch said...

Swahilya,

What a state to be in!!! Prakritilaya.

>>>This happens most to poets like William Wordsworth who sang of host of golden daffodils


I remember reading that verse when William was on a long walk and came upon a field of daffoils. That must have been GLORIOUS!!!


Hugs, JJ

Swahilya Shambhavi said...

Yes JJ...I know

Swahilya Shambhavi said...

Yes JJ...I know

Anonymous said...

To lay on the ground, slowly melt into it and become earth, so heavy and slow.

Or to evaporate into a cloud and traverse the skies, so light and tranquil.

Swahilya Shambhavi said...

yes a.v.c. becoming one with the elements.