New Year – 2014: Astanga Yoga

First of all I wish all of you a happy, healthy, and prosperous year 2014. Last year I talked about “yoga” and how different meanings are there for the word. From Veda’s viewpoint the word “yoga” is ikyam or union between Jivatma and Paramatma. According to scriptures both Jivatma and Paramatma are one only and because of ignorance we have created a division between them. Through knowledge when we remove this notational division, it is called Jivatma-Paramatma ikyam which is nothing but “Jnanam”. Therefore the primary meaning of the word yoga is jnanam and this is the goal of every jiva. Therefore we call it Sadhya yogah and yoga the destination.  

To reach his goal the scriptures prescribe several disciplines and all those disciplines are also called yogah (more specifically, Sadhana yoga). There are many yogas talked about and we have seen karma yoga which is one type of sadhana yoga, then upasana yoga and then finally jnana yoga which is systematic and consistent study of scriptures like the Gita for a length of time under the guidance of a competent an Acharya. Following these yogas an aspirant will reach the destination, Sadhya yoga, which is jivatma-paramatma ikyam and this is moksha. There is also one more yoga which is very important called “Astanga yoga” as a Sadhana yoga.

Today I want to briefly dwell on this topic of Astanga yoga and otherwise also called Patanjali yoga. Patanjali Maharishi presented Astanga yoga in his well known work “Patanjali Sutra.” This Astanga yoga has two darshanams, the theoretical part, the yoga darsham and the disciplines called yoga sadhanam. Of the two, we don’t take the yoga darshanam in our tradition because it deviates from the Vedic teaching. Therefore the darshanam part is rejected. Vysya while presenting the Vedic darshanam sets aside the yoga darshanam propounded by Patanjali Maharishi. Though we reject the yoga darshanam part of Yoga sutra we accept the other part, yoga sadhana, which is called Astanga yoga. Astanga yoga is accepted as a sadhana by both Vysacharya and Sankaracharya. This Astanga yoga is very useful and beautiful for all the people. I propose to briefly present the principles of Astanga yoga in today’s lecture.

            Patanjali Maharishi present yoga sutra and defines yoga is “Chitta Vritti Nirodah”. Chitta means mind, vritti means function meaning thoughts proliferation or mental function and Nirodha means disciplining or regulating. Therefore Astanga yoga means a scheme for disciplining mental function. Or in simple language yoga means “mental discipline”. We will know the importance of mental discipline if we know two things regarding the mind. We must know the greatness and powerfulness of an internal organ the mind that we are given. Mind is very important and powerful internal organ. We must know the problems faced by the mind also. Mind is the most powerful instrument we have with which we can accomplish all the goals of life; artha, kama, dharma and moksha. Mind is so powerful that we have to use it in all our activities. We have different sense organs for different activities; to see form we have “eyes” and to hear we don’t use “eyes” rather another sense organ the “ears”. Therefore each sense organ is used for a particular area and not always but the mind has to be employed in all the area. Mind is so primary and powerful. Mind has a unique capacity to convert heaven into hell and hell into heaven. A person with every convenience can feel miserable and a person weighed by so many negative things can feel so wonderful. The quality of our life is dependent on the most powerful organ, the mind. All these are the glories of the mind and you can do an archana which in Veda is hiranyagarba upasana.  

The powerful mind also has another dimension; it has a serious problem in its nature. The mind has the nature of producing/generating continuous thoughts without taking permission from us. Without our will, without our permission, without our involvement the mind which is supposed to be our instrument – we are the owner but the mind acts on its own. The mind must produce thoughts of our choosing but its nature is to produce thoughts continuously. The involuntary thoughts is happening even now….(laughter). I have no way of knowing all the involuntary thoughts that are going in the audience and who all are listening to me now. This generation of “continuous involuntary thoughts” is a very serious problem. And because of which several adverse consequences takes place. When there are involuntary thoughts, the thoughts kidnap the mind. And this means the mind is not available for my use. Even though Bhagawan has given me a wonderful mind, I am deprived of the benefit. Like I buy a car for my use and all the family enjoys it. I want to come to the morning class and the car is not there! The most powerful gift god has given us but these involuntary thoughts encroach upon it. There is a property dispute which we are not even aware of. The dispute is who the owner of the mind? Involuntary thoughts are the encroachers that kidnap the mind and the biggest problem is “I don’t have the mind for my use most of the time.” I do all the actions as an absent minded person as a mindless person or “living in absentia.” I go through the entire life because the mind is not available, as a kartha I am inefficient. In all the actions many mistakes are committed as forgetfulness is a problem. I misplace something and waste hours searching for it – always searching for a pen or book or anything. As a Bogtha I cannot even enjoy a beautiful concert in Marghazi season. I am in the auditorium and “I am here but I do not hear” – such absented mindedness and all due to the involuntary thoughts that the mind produces without my permission. As a kartha I fail, as a bogtha I fail, as a pramatha the learner I fail because I don’t listen. I don’t listen because the mind is not behind it. It is engaged elsewhere and robs me of my efficiency. I experience is often: I announce a class in the morning while one or two will come in the evening and find the hall empty. They will call me saying,” Swamiji there is no one.” Case of announcements not registered…..(laughter).

Involuntary thoughts are the greatest enemies we have not recognized. The second problem when these involuntary thoughts are constantly moving in the mind, several times they produce disturbing emotions also. These involuntary thoughts produce toxic emotions like worry, anxiety, fear, depression, regret, hurt, guilt – all these are generated in the mind by the involuntary thought without my invitation. These come and encroach my mind. Even when I ask them to go, they don’t go away. The problem of emotional disturbance is a serious one. When these toxic emotions stay for a long time, I even lose my health. Loss of efficiency is first problem, loss of health is second adverse effect of involuntary thoughts in the mind. In fact many of our modern diseases are caused by a stressful mind. Stress means involuntary thoughts continuously running in my mind and running very very fast. And in the old age when I retire from most activities I own a mind that I don’t really own. I am stuck with a mind I cannot set away, it comes with me wherever I go. Owned by whom actually? Involuntary thoughts! Thoughts keep piling upon one another and all kinds of problems flare up. I call them “FEDEREL” problem. Fe means fear, De for depression, Re is regret and L is loneliness. I am here and the children are away. Even here L stands alone! I am stuck with a mind with FEDEREL problem in old age. My life becomes miserable because of what? I did not realize the problem and seriousness of “involuntary thoughts”.

Astanga yoga is a scheme by which I learn to be aware of this serious problem and take measures to tackling it. As the very word shows, Astanga yoga consists of eight steps. Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. The first two are general disciplines and this we have seen in my lecture “The ten commandments of Hindusim”. We will now see the later six disciplines called the yogic meditation. Only when I am aware of this problem of “involuntary thoughts” only then I will be serious to tackling them. These six yogas will let me see whether these involuntary thoughts are the owner of my mind or I am the owner of my mind and capable of giving a job to the mind. Who is the boss? I or the Mind? What are the “Shadaga Yoga”?

The first is “Asanam” in which I sit in a posture deliberately. I sit in a physical posture and am intensely and totally aware of my entire body from top to bottom. I am conscious of the body, I am conscious of the posture, and I consciously relax the body. If I consciously do that it means that my mind is available for that job I have set for it. Incidentally it will help in relaxing also. This is asanam or consciously being seated. The whole principle of Astanga Yoga is deliberate and conscious action.

The second step is “Pranayama” – consciously and slowing breathing and being intensely aware of the breathing process. Conscious and slow inhalation and exhalation and making sure my mind is aware doing this job deliberately. If I do both “Asanam” and “Pranayama” I have used my mind and the “flow of involuntary thoughts” would go away. Because I have taken possession of my mind doing them deliberately; I have snatched my mind from wandering and for a moment free from the terrible and powerful involuntary thoughts. By consciously doing “asanam” and consciously doing “pranayama” I am exerting my ownership of my own mind. And if have succeeded in snatching my mind from involuntary thoughts I have come to “Pratyahara”.

Pratyahara means retrieving, bringing back from the clutches of involuntary thoughts; indicating I am the original owner of the mind but unfortunately the mind had been owned by involuntary thoughts. We try retrieving the mind for 15 minutes by being aware of this serious problems and deciding to take steps.

Having retrieved the mind in the third step, I continue to make sure I own the mind. If I don’t take any step then the involuntary thoughts are waiting there. You will retrieve your mind for a minute and these thoughts would swamp you under. These are most powerful internal enemies. So after retrieving the mind in the third step, I continue to give a job to the mind. I suggest whatever prayer you know in any language by-heart; say it mentally with a lot of deliberation. That you chant mentally with total awareness. It may be a guru strotram, it maybe Gita dhyanam or Shiva manasa puja by being aware of every word; like you are hearing yourself or the words appearing in your mind screen. You don’t have to think of the meaning for this a shabda pradhana manasa parayanam. I should be aware of every word for 5 minutes only. When I am doing that I am only extending my attention; dharanam is attention in a particular area and then I go to the next step “Dhyanam”.

            “Dyanam” is remaining in that thought for a length of time, maybe 5 or 10 minutes. Dharana is attention while Dhyanam is attention span. Many people have attention but they don’t have attention span. In any lecture they will be attentive for ten minutes and after that OUT. They will then look around, exclaim that there is a good crowd and start looking for the face of your friend in the audience! And all this happens without your permission – involuntary thoughts can take your attention away at will.  If one can listen to a 60 minute lecture with attention then that mind has a converging power. Dyanam is these thoughts must continue in the same field.

If Dyanam determines the length of attention the last part is “Samadhi”; which is the depth of attention. How deep and total my attention is? Samadhi means “absorption” and if I can have my mind absorbed in the field I have provided. We are not talking about one hour now; we are only seeing if we can remain aware in one thought for five minutes. What is the yardstick that you are absorbed totally? In that case you will forget the surroundings; I don’t hear anything, I don’t smell anything (in the neighborhood they may be preparing masala vada!). In Samadhi I am ignorant of the world; it is called Savi Kalpaka Samadhi. Not only do I forget surroundings, I forget myself also. This total self-absorption is called Nirvilpaka Samadhi. These six steps put together is called Shadaga Yoga Abyasa. When we practice them we will know whether we are the owners of our mind or the involuntary thoughts own our mind. If we don’t practice this yoga we will never know the seriousness of this problem. And if we don’t diagnose the problem how can we attempt a solution?  

Therefore we go through Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi for ten or fifteen minutes and by that time we will know where we stand; whether I am yogi or a rogi (manasa roga). Manasa roga is called samsara roga. Once you discover this problem then you will need a sankalpa – “Acknowledge I have this problem of involuntary thoughts” and these become masters of my mind. Now I have to get back my property back by defeating these involuntary thoughts. When my war becomes with my involuntary thoughts then I am called an “Astanga Yogi”. This war is not with my family members or any external actor but with my own involuntary thoughts. I take a strong sankalpa that I will live an alert and conscious life. I will watch involuntary thoughts and gradually reduce them and slowly they become weaker. They may not be totally removed but I can achieve an FIR reduction – frequency and intensity of reaction. How frequent are the involuntary thoughts that snatch away the mind and the intensity of these involuntary thoughts that rob my mind and how long these involuntary thoughts lasts; I will be alert and vigilant. My goal would be reduce involuntary thoughts and they must become weaker while I must become stronger and owner of my own mind.

And what are the steps to lead an alert life? The shadaga yoga will help me become a master of my own mind and it is called “Karma Yoga”. Karma yoga not only includes doing the duty, not only includes Ishwara Arpanam, and Prasada Bhavana; Karma yoga includes according to Sankara’s Bashyam Samadhi or Shadaga yoga. This Astanga yoga is integral part of Karma yoga which is spending some time to find out where my mind is and try to lead an alert life. As Krishna says: traigunya-visaya veda, nistraigunyo bhavarjuna, nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho, niryoga-ksema atmavan by leading a mindful life. Even in Buddhism they talk about “Right Mindfulness”. Which means whenever you are doing an action, do them consciously. When we do actions consciously we have two-fold advantages: when I am deliberate my efficiency improves (if you place your pen or book consciously then you will not have to search for them), as opposed to doing actions mechanically where involuntary thoughts proliferate. So one method of defeating involuntary thoughts is by being deliberate in one’s actions; before we start the class we chant guru strotram. Now see whether you can chant deliberately, or mouth chants and the mind rants! So the first benefit of deliberate action is we become efficacious and we make fewer and fewer mistakes. Even in giving cheques you will put the year properly or you will still be used to 2013 even this year. Why? When I put the date my mind is not there. I am telling this so that you write your cheques from today on….(laughs). Conscious actions will make me efficient, the second benefit is we win our war against the most powerful enemy which is “involuntary thoughts”. Krishna calls all the conscious actions as “Sattvic” actions. Mechanical chanting or mechanical puja is “Rajasic” karma; so increase your Sattva guna.

For regular chores like walking you don’t have to be deliberately conscious whether it is right or left leg. But in India, you better be conscious you don’t where there is a gutter! Therefore walking must be yoga in India! Especially if you are old, or you will land up in a hospital with a fracture. Because of what? Actions are mechanical. You place your feet after purifying them with your Dhristi, then even walking becomes a yoga. But if you are doing a regular chore and acting mechanically then have a programme for your mind otherwise involuntary thoughts will take over. Learn some slokas and repeat. The sloka which have to chant consciously, recently learnt sloka. If you know Vishnu Shastra Namam then you don’t chant that; then it becomes mechanical and involuntary thoughts will be generated. So have some conscious action by learning new slokas. By repeating them constantly and with alertness, you will learn them by-heart. Once they also become mechanical, learn a new set of slokas. You must have some conscious action ready for utilization to defeat the involuntary thoughts. Ultimately a successful person is one who is the owner of this own mind. So what is Astanga Yoga? It is winning the property dispute after several years; it is the longest war more than 30 years in a land dispute and involving Indian courts. My property is my own mind. And I can accomplish all the goals like Artha, Kama, Dharma and Moksha with such a mind.

Once I reduce involuntary thoughts I gain freedom from worrying habits. New Year starts and it is called Janworry …..(laughs). Freedom from habitual worry, habitual anxiety, habitual depression; all these problems are because of mechanical life. And we try to solve these problems by prayers and these prayers are done mechanically! The problem is mechanical and we add to the problem by Temple visit, mechanical. Puja, mechanical. Vedantic meditation, mechanical. Break mechanicalness and own your mind. This is a fantastic scheme presented by Patanjali Maharishi through the Shadaga yogah. Which I consider very important during the New Year by waging war with involuntary thoughts

I will briefly mention the first two steps Yama and Niyama which is a set of rules given in the form of Ten Commandments. I have dealt with them earlier; I will briefly list out the ten values that have to be observed if you are a serious spiritual seeker. For success both shadaga yoga and these two together is extremely important. Yama is observance of five values: Ahimsa (non-violence), Satyam (truthfulness), Asteyam (not owning any illegitimate property), Brahmacharyam (following the sexual morality), and Aparigraha (not possessing too much, which is a simple life). The five Niyamas are: Shoucham (cleanliness in word and deed), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (moderation), Svadhyaya (Scriptural Study), and Ishwarapranidanam (Surrender to the Lord). These ten values along with Shadaga yoga will give spiritual success. With this I conclude and wish you success in your war against involuntary thoughts in 2014.