The Taming of the Shrew
Tat pratisedartham Eka Tatwa AbhyasahaMaitri 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
16 comments:
Atha Yoganushasanam
Hi Swahilya,
It´s interesting ... did you know what have come to my mind when I have read what you wrote in English about this sentence.
I thought about the equivalent in my own language:God, of course.
But I thought about God as I Know Him today: as the same as your word: Yoga.
The God my parents showed me was very different from the One you talked about. I think the tradition your have grown up, is more honest than the tradition I have been teached (based on the church more than in Jesus Christ).
But in the occidental society I have grown, there has been also people who has tried to show us the meaning of Yoga (God) in an honest way. The problem is that this people, as far as I know, were brutally destroyed.
But probably without the church and all his tremendous influence till almost today, my society would have teach me about God like your society does: In a very clear way; more natural.
God is within us, in our Heart; not as far away as a lot of people who go almost everyday to the church think (though with their mouth, especially after a sermon, they say the oppositte).
Thank you again for your writting,
Love.
Yogaha Chitta Vritti Nirodhaha
Be God despite of the shadows.
That is what I want. And I have tried. I have tried hard.
And maybe sometimes, my attempt to be closer to God or to be One with my Lord has taken me far away from Him.
Maybe in my search, if I may call it so, I have done a lot of nonsenses. Or maybe not.
Who can tell me if I am right or wrong?
Who can tell me if I am stupid or wise, crazy or sensible?
I guess Nobody is ever going to tell me the answer to that; well, maybe when "the last letter of the Name" has been told, someone will come with a sweet smile to let me know that nothing is as important as we think it is.
At least it is good to know that I may be wrong. And also right, of course.
At least it is good to know that there are things that I would like to do.
Love.
Light in my Heart to me
show details Jul 7 (3 days ago) Reply
Good message.
I think my mind has been playing with me my whole life. The mind is like a knife, isn´t it? The mind is like a knife of two edges. It can kill us or save us.
I would like to learn to control my mind. The mind can be tricky (I don´t know if this is the correct word I want to use in English)
Is a serious thing to take care of, don´t you think so?
Are we alone in this kind of battle to take control over ourselves?
Have you ever been scared or sad because of this fight?
Have you ever feel alone?
I am in a point in my Life where I really would like to know how to go on.
Love.
Light in my Heart to me
show details Jul 8 (2 days ago) Reply
Comment on ...
The activities of the mind. It´s very interesting what you wrote, as usual.
Maybe that´s why you said in one of your replies to a comment something like " ... practising Yoga alone is good, but practising it along with others is a blessing ..." (sorry if they are not the excatly words).
I also agree that, at some stage of our learning it´s good to approach to others; just in case we may be affected by one of the "bad" activities of the mind. Four eyes see more than two :).
Would you like to have a young (but already disciplined) student? :). How many friends who are able to speak Sanskrit do you think I have by the way? :).
***
(In the case it is not yet possible for me to practise along with others, I know if we persevere following our own rituals, discipline, etc. (even alone) the "bad" activities dissapear at the right time. Hopefully ...
Thanks for writting
Love.
Light in my Heart to me
show details Jul 8 (2 days ago) Reply
It´s funny, do you know what has come to my mind while reading this part of Yoga Sutra?
My name. The meaning of my name is Thorn. Aránzazu means Thorn in a language different from Spanish.
Then you said how different people would look at a rose. For example the poet, saying that Life (a rose) has also his/her thorns.
But that depends. Thorns are also very good.
There is a book, "The Little Prince". The thorns in that book are very good because they are protection for the rose.
It also may mean that the rose is so beautiful but if you want to take her, you may well suffer; you may be hurt by the thorns.
Pain is also a part of Life. Pain can be romantic and beautiful. What is Love without pain?
What would be a rose without his/her thorns?
Also, there is a legend about Aránzazu. The Virgin came and She appeared on a kind of plant with thorns. She is present everywhere. She can appear even on the thorns.
But coming back to what you said about the different perspectives of contemplating a rose ... which one would be the correct one for us to be close to Yoga?
I don´t know. That depends, as you said, on our experiences.
For me a rose evoke beautiful memories. I know a rose is a rose, and I know it can be described in many different ways.
A rose can also evoke deep sadness. I guess the interesting thing to do would be being enlightened enough to keep focus on our objective or goals even when the deep sadness or the depresion or whatever is trying to hold us far from where we should be: ...
Where should we be?
In the Light, of course. But how can we know if we are right or wrong?
Mentally sick or healthy?
Where is the limit?
How can we know if our dreams or obsessions are leading us to the correct Way?
The only thing we can do is Trust, I guess. And ask for Help to God.
Hope that He could Love us despite of our dark side. And keep going even if we know absolutely nothing.
Love.
Thanks Light for your comments through mail.
Superb and clearly explained, clarity personified is swahilya
Welcome fruitu. Just to let you know, I am posting my fitness and satori pages of The New Indian Express on my Between the Lines and Soulmate blogs respectively. The fitness page is getting published in Coimbatore too, every Monday.
Hi Swahilya,
Sorry. cud not take a dip in this ocean of spiritual divinity for a long time. The whirlpool of materialistic life just sucked me in its current.
Got a breather, so came to your paradise. I have just started reading your Patanjali yoga sutra from the begining. Mebbe i will disturb u a lot with doubts.
I saw one of your article in Chennai, Indian Express. My touring is hectic nowadays, I am finding it difficult to read blogs and to post. Whenever i get time, I am reading all blogs from my favourite authors. overall blogging frequency has come down.
Welcome Hari...it's ok to disturb me with doubts on Patanjali and the Yoga Sutras...I love to put my mind to it to answer them!
Yes Fruitu, I understand...even for me blogging is not as relaxed as it was over three months ago...yet I continue almost like it is some duty!
Converting these negative qualities into the positive attitudes of maitri, karuna,etc. will indeed help us achieve a calm and placid mind, fit to meditate on the Divine.Very nice title!
Welcome Meena, Thank You
dear swahilya, whenever I read a post from you it makes me think and I like that. Thank you for this valuable post.
Thank you Ray! You are welcome
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