Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 36

See the light and you become it

Vishoka Va Jyotishmati

Another form of meditation is on the luminous effulgent light that is beyond sorrow. Practices in many religions have a lot to do with light. Traditional Hindus light a lamp. Christians

light the candle and many light fires and invoke the presence of the divine too. There is also the worship of the sun, moon and many stars in the galaxy. What your mind watches for a while, it takes up that form.

In my own experience, I have always loved to gaze at the illumination of the serene soft light from a lamp placed in a dark room. Seeing the light even for a while, can throw up great visions that take you to the pleasant light that all of us are composed of. We are in essence beings of light.

During one such time spent in gazing at a lamp a couple of yeas ago, I had an arresting vision of a Jyotirlingam - a huge cylindrical column of light, fire compressed in the shape of a Lingam that has a flat circular base and ends in a round dome - orange in colour. As if covered by a sheet of glass, there was a layer of water, with more water constantly flowing over it. The circular base of the Lingam was of solid matter in the form of a black stone. After the water, there was air and then came space.

First I saw this apart of myself. Then analysing the contents further revealed that it was myself - the fire within, covered by the constant flow of water, air passing through and surrounded by space. The whole subtle structure is supported in the base of the body, that is gross matter. A moment of intensely watching the lamp led me to this inner realisation. - Swahilya Shambhavi swahilya.soulmate@gmail.com (Fitness, Satori)

Pic: The full moon and its reflection in the Bay of Bengal on Guru Purnima this year.

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 35

Merging the mind with the object of perception

Vishayavati Va Pravrittiruthpanna Manasah Sthithinibandhini

How to bring the mind with waves and tides high and low into one's control? Patanjali is explaining many ways for this and in this Sutra, he says the mind can become merged with the object of sense perceptions.
There are five main senses of the mind. They are sight, taste, touch, smell and hearing. Merging with the object of sense perception is focussing on something that the eyes sees for instance, a river or the sky. With practice, the mind becomes steady. Same is to listen intensely to something, whether it is music or spoken words, the prattle of a child, the humming of a bee - any sound. Through being totally with a sip of water or a mouthful of food and getting into the taste, the mind quietens down. Smelling an aroma, or touching an object and putting one's mind fully into feeling that object of touch can bring a state of tranquility that keeps the mind as one whole piece.
- Swahilya Shambhavi. (swahilya.soulmate@gmail.com) Fitness, Satori

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 34

The Energy within the Breath

Pracchardanavidharanaabhyam Va Pranasya
The next method Patanjali gives to remove the impediments that prevent the mind from residing with the consciousness is by exhaling the breath which carries the energy called Prana and remaining in that state of exhalation as long as one is comfortably able to do so.
There is the whole science of Pranayama which has to be practised with the help of a master. But those few moments of awareness at the point of complete exhalation puts the mind to rest and the awareness alone is in those moments.
As long as there is life in the body, Prana exists in many forms and does not get emptied with an exhalation. But the most tangible experience of Prana happens when it enters and exits along with the breath. - Swahilya Shambhavi. swahilya.soulmate@gmail.com Fitness, Satori

Patanjali Yoga Sutra: 32-33

The Taming of the Shrew

Tat pratisedartham Eka Tatwa Abhyasaha
Maitri Karuna Mudita Upekshanam Sukha Dukha Punya Apunya Vishayanam Bhavanataschitta Prasadanam
When I was writing out the headline for this post, I remembered William Shakespeare's drama - The Taming Of The Shrew. In fact, bringing the mind to sit quietly with the consciousness is an effort similar to the taming of the shrew.
After Patanjali describes the nine impediments to the unity of the mind with the consciousness and the four ways in which the impediments are revealed, in the subsequent Sutras he presents solutions to bring the mind back to order.
In the 32nd Sutra, Patanjali says, the individual should take up practice of following or contemplating upon one principle - Eka Tatwa Abhyasaha.
The Eka Tatwa can be - Aham Brahmasmi - I am that Brahman, Tat Twam Asi - You are That, Pragnyanam Brahma - Consciousness is Brahman and Ayam Athma Brahma - This Soul is Brahman. Brahman here means consciousness.
This is however a contemplation on the supreme truth of existence. The single truth practice can be done as enumerated in the next Sutra.
The truths that can be practised are Maithri - Friendliness towards those that give you happiness, Karuna - Compassion towards those who may be causing misery to you, Mudita - Joy towards those who may be doing good things and Upekshanam is an indifferene when we may come across someone visious and beyond the ken of our efforts to reform.
Cultivating these four habits can help in calming the mind from its habitual reactions such as jealousy when someone is happy, hatred towards someone suffering with an attitude of, "They deserve it," anger when someone is able to do great things that are impossible by us and delving on the misdeeds of others or trying to judge their actions.
These outbound and natural tendencies of the mind can lead us to misery. Converting them to compassion, friendliness, joy and a centred approach will help the mind to remain placid at all times. - Swahilya Shambhavi. (swahilya.soulmate@gmail.com) Fitness, Satori