Patanjali Yoga Sutras Lecture 006

Full Transcript(Not Corrected)

I bow to the eminent sage Patanjali, who removed the impurities of the mind through yoga, of speech through grammar, and of the body through medicine. We are studying the yoga aphorisms of Patanjali. After somewhat elaborate introduction, we have started studying the first two aphorisms. In the second aphorism, yoga is defined. What is yoga? It is samadhi. The actual words that are used is yogaha chitta vritti nirodhaha. Now a little bit of explanation is needed about this word. When we look at our life from birth to death, what is it that we are really trying to do? Whether we know it or do not know it, all our activities are directed only towards one end. Now what is it? It is how to obtain unobstructed happiness, nothing else. In this process, we would like to remove all the obstructions that are possible through experience etc. Are we able to succeed? No. Because there is a law, whatever doesn't belong to us, doesn't belong to us simply. However much we try to make it our own, it is not possible. Now let me take you back to how Swami Vivekananda had addressed the Parliament of Religions. Most wonderful message, everyone is addressing people as my friends etc. What did he call the audience? Children of immortal bliss. In this context, I also would like to put a question to you, rather it is a question to all of us. If I ask any one of you, do you believe what Swami Vivekananda had said? I have no doubt, none of us will ever deny. We say we have 100% faith in Swami Vivekananda. What does that mean? It means that we believe whatever he said was absolutely true. Similarly, we also say the same thing about Sri Ramakrishna. What did Sri Ramakrishna say? God exists, not only exists, we are all divine and the goal of life is to attain God, to find out who we really are, right? Swami Vivekananda said, each children of immortal bliss, Amrita Putra, immortal bliss. This is what we profess. But do we attempt, if it is true, if we believe that it is true, do you think we will not attempt? If someone says, there is a tremendous happiness available there, will we not go? After all, we are all seeking only that and yet it doesn't seem as if we are in a hurry. Yes, if it comes by itself, it's quite alright. But if we have to pay a lot of price for it, not now, slowly, slowly we will do it. What is the reason? The reason is the mind. So that is why it is said, what is yoga? Yoga is defined in a way, Chitta Vritti Nirodha. Yoga also in the ultimate meaning is termed as Samadhi. Now let us also understand these terminology and the study of this Patanjali Yoga Sutras only in the light of the lives of great souls like Buddha or Jesus Christ or Sri Ramakrishna, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Shankaracharya, etc., etc., anybody, it doesn't matter. We are all devotees of Ramakrishna. In the Gospel of Ramakrishna, we get this word Samadhi very often. What do we do? We are reading it. Some of us read it every day. Some of us read it most of the time or occasionally at least, no doubt about it. And we come across this word Samadhi so many times. What do we understand by the word Samadhi? We all wish when we are worshipping the photo of Sri Ramakrishna, which pose of Sri Ramakrishna are we worshipping or meditating or praying to? It's only Samadhi state. And this sitting posture is of the highest pose of Samadhi. Supposing if Sri Ramakrishna was playing cricket or football, would you put a photograph of Sri Ramakrishna and pray to him and meditate upon him? Unless you happen to be a fan of cricket or football. So why do we do it? Unconsciously we are showing this is what we would like to attain if possible. We have to understand what is it I am trying to attain. Yes, I admire in him this state, but what is it that I want? What happens to him? Directly we do not try to understand, indirectly we do come at the truth. You know what is the truth? First of all, Sri Ramakrishna is a person who knows what is reality, what is truth. Even this word truth or reality is a very complex word. Let us not go into it. But what we have to understand is what is the effect of this? Let me illustrate it again. Suppose you are watching a nice drama or cinema and they are so beautifully depicted, filmed very beautifully, they get film awards etc. You are becoming one with the depictions of characters there. If there is a tragedy, then you feel sadness, unhappiness. If the event is a very happy event, then you feel very joyous. The heroine is about to be shot dead or thrown before the lions, something like that. Suddenly this hero comes dashing and then doing something, you feel, thank God. We do actually feel it, but at the same time everything that you watch there gives tremendous happiness if it is done well, is it not? Whether it is happiness, unhappiness, tragedy or comedy, everything gives happiness to you. Why? Because you are aware this is not real life, this is only a made up imaginary story. It is not reality. Why does it bring so much of emotions within us? Because whatever depictions are here, they correspond to the actual happenings in life. In our life, there are tragedies, death, sickness or murder, all these things are happenings and at the same time there are also very nice things are there. So what is a cinema? It is only a representation of what is happening, but the difference is when we go through these things in actual life, we go up and we go down, but when we are watching these same events on the movie, on the screen, then it gives us only one result. What is it? Wonderful, marvellous, you enjoy, you enjoy your sadness, you enjoy your happiness, you enjoy everything. Why? There is a crystal clear understanding, I am the reality who is watching and what I am watching is not the reality. In real life, we lose that distinction. In real life, we become the participants. When watching the cinema, we become the spectators. Through this example, we can understand people like Shri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother or Swami Vivekananda, see they also behaved exactly like us, but the difference is they know what is reality and they know what is a show, this cinema screen called Maya, they know it. This mind is sometimes called Maya, this mind is shown as an analogy of the cinema screen, but the light which lights up and makes us possible to watch all that drama that is happening, that light belongs to whom? To us. In this example of cinema, if you close your eyes, what happens to the tragedy and comedy? It just disappears. Only when you are consciously watching them and are completely aware, I am the observer, this is what I am observing, then only you will enjoy everything. That is the state of Samadhi. That is the state of Yoga. Yoga means Samadhi, Samadhi means why I am explaining so much. The very definition sometimes leads to misunderstanding. Yogaha chitta vritti nirodhaha, there is complete cessation of any type of activity in the mind, that means we are not even aware of the mind. That is also true, that is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi. That is why I have brought the example of Sri Ramakrishna. Sometimes Sri Ramakrishna used to be in the deep state of Samadhi. You can call it Nirvikalpa Samadhi, in which state he is completely unaware of what is happening. He was not aware of his body, he was not aware of his mind, therefore all the worlds would disappear from his, only he knows only one thing, I am, nothing else. That is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi. But when he is not in that state, in which state is he? It is called Savikalpa Samadhi. Savikalpa Samadhi, what does it mean? It is Samadhi. We are not using, he is just watching, he is just eating, he is just playing, he is just talking. What do we say? He is in Savikalpa Samadhi. What does it mean? It means he is like a man who is watching a drama. To put it in a funny way, you have gone to watch a cinema and you are watching, at that time you are in what state? Savikalpa Samadhi. But now and then your eyes close, you are in deep Samadhi. That is called Nirvikalpa Samadhi. That means the whole cinema disappeared from the screen of your mind. But other times you are watching, but how are you watching? Whatever is happening, good or evil, happy or unhappy, you are only enjoying everything because you are just a witness. What does that mean? The witness alone is the reality and what he witnesses is only an appearance. It is not a reality. He knows 100%. We know 100%. If somebody comes with a big shot gun, do you think you will run away from your seat? Because you know, especially this example is more telling. If you watch 3D movies, you know, I don't know how many, a snake comes like that. I myself, I know it is only cinema, but still I am doing like this. Instinctively I am doing like that. This is how we can understand Srinama Krishna Samadhi. When he was in such a state where there is nothing else, Advaita, Nirvikalpa, not a slightest modification, then he says I am. When he is other than that state, outside that state, what does he say? I am watching. There also, what is it? I am the reality, everything else is, it is only appearance, it is not reality. Let us keep this understanding. So to attain to this state is the goal of Yoga. That is what means Yogaha Chittavruti Nirodha. Now last class I mentioned, we have to understand this terminology. How many words are there? Four. Yogaha Chittavruti Nirodha. Now we were talking about Chitta and I also mentioned what is called Chitta by Patanjali is what we roughly call mind in English language, but that is not a very adequate explanation. What Vedanta calls Antahkarana, that is the correct, the mind has got four parts as you know. The first part is called quesitation, thinking what is it? What is this? Is it this? Is it that? Not very sure. That is called Manaha. When through proper observation, under proper right circumstances, right conditions, when we can decide, yes this is a tree, this is a human being and this is the person I know, that is called Buddhi. Buddhi means definitive conclusion. I know this is this. Then when we experience something, that experience remains stored up in our mind which we call memory. You know memo, the word memo, you know that, memos all over your computer, small yellow sheets are there, memo. So memory means the experience stored up in a particular form, that function of the mind which fulfills this memory function, it is called Chitta. And behind these three always something comes, that is called Ahamkara. I am thinking, I am doubting, I know what this is and I have experienced this. So Manaha, Buddhi, Chitta, Ahamkara. Now in this word Chitta which is used by Patanjali or Yoga Shastra, what we have to understand is everything that happens, every thought, every idea, every imagination, any type of modification that goes, that is called Vritti, everything. You see something, that is a Vritti. You understand it one way, that is also a modification. Now before I go further, let me explain what is Chitta and what is Chitta Vritti. Though I wouldn't like to bore you with all details, again I will have to remind you. I will show you this object. What is this? Whose watch is that? Mine. Don't say my watch. When I say, I say it is my watch, when you say, you say your watch, don't say my watch. It is my watch. Now what is the point I want to draw your attention to is, I and my watch is never the same. These are totally different. I am a different object and this is a different object. Keep this in mind. Now I will give another example. You are walking by a seashore or a lake, beautiful lake, beautiful example and there is no breeze and absolutely the water is very serene, undisturbed. You can look your reflection very clearly. Imagine suddenly some wind comes, breeze comes. What happens? It breaks into so many waves, bubbles, waves, whatever, small bubbles, big bubbles and round bubbles, square bubbles and sweet bubbles, sour bubbles, all sorts of things come. Now when I said this is my watch, I am different and the watch is different. When I say this is water, this is lake and this is waves, we say it is waves. We don't say it is water. What is the difference between water and waves? Is there any difference? That means the water has undergone some modification. It is not something which has come and joined. It is something, it itself. In one state you call it water. In another state you call it a wave. Water and wave or bubble, whatever you say, it is nothing but exactly same object. Another example to make this point very clear. Here is a table, wooden table. Wooden table is made up of what? Wood. What is the difference between wooden table and wood? It is only the form we have given to distinguish it from other forms, that's all. It was wood, it is wood, even if you break up the table, it still will remain only as wood. These two, water and waves, wood and the table, etc., it is the same substance but seen in a different way, different function, that is the most important point. When we say chitta and chittavriddhi, mind and waves in the mind or modification, are they two different things? No, they are exactly the same thing and this is the point you keep, let us keep in mind and we will go back to again what I mentioned. What is the nature of the mind? Means what is the constituent part of the mind? What is this table made up of? Wood. What is the essence of this table? Wood. Exactly what is the essence of the, what we call chitta or mind, I would use synonymously the English word mind and the Sanskrit word chitta, both I will use. So what is this chitta made up of? I mentioned it is made up of prakriti. Prakriti means nature and prakriti is made up of three constituents. What are they? Sattva, rajas and tamas. Let us dwell for a moment, what are these three things because an object is what its nature is consisting of, isn't it? Just as this table is nothing but wood, its nature is nothing but wood. If something is made up of a stone, it is nothing but a stone. So you cannot compare the nature of the stone or the nature of the wood as equivalent. Each thing has got its own special nature. A mango tree has mango-ness and an apple tree has got apple-ness, these are separate. What is the point? Every object that we encounter consists of certain reality and that is its true nature. Reality means that is its true nature. Now in this context, when Swamiji called all of us children of immortal bliss, is he trying to hypnotize us into thinking that we know we are not children of immortal bliss? At least we are not even children of bliss, we are children of body, mind, thoughts, etc. Where is immortality coming here? Our very nature is as we understand now, is ever-changing, is it not? So was Swami Vivekananda telling a lie? No. Of course you would not dare to say he is telling a lie, but at the same time you won't believe him. That is the tragedy. Yeah, that is the tragedy comedy. He is telling the truth, we know he is telling the truth and yet we do not really 100% believe him. But maybe we will reach that state at some point. It is an interesting word, nothing to do with our subject really. Reaching means what? You are not this now, but by hook or crook you will reach. So the table is going to reach wooden hood at some point of time in future. Is it going to? It is already there, only it doesn't know. This is an important point. Everything in this world has its own nature. What is the nature of the chitta? It is constituent of sattva, rajas and tamas. Another classification from Vedantic point of view, manaha, buddhi, chitta and ahankara. So it is constituted of sattva, rajas and tamas. Let us dwell first. What is first of all tamas? Tamas means complete darkness. Darkness means dullness, stupidity, it is there is no activity there. As though it is, as if it is dead, not really dead, as if it is dead. When a person is sleeping, when a person is dull, that is called tamas. It is called sthiti, if you are particular about yogic terminology, it is called sthiti. When some of you are listening to my talks, nodding your head, after some suddenly you become still. What is that state? That is the nature of tamas. What is the higher, a little bit different nature? That is called rajas. What is the nature of rajas? It is called kriya. What is kriya? That is activity, it is restless, there is a movement, there is a transference of energy, movement of the energy. That is the nature of the, we know tamas, we know rajas. And what is the nature of sattva? What is sattva? It is wonderful to know. There is no need to define it any other way. Simply say absence of tamas and rajas is called sattva. Now I will give you an analogy again to make it. I gave in my last class, what is, I told you about a dimmer switch, you know, we can have dimmer switch, we have. So there is a special switch made and the light, electricity is there, light is there. So depending upon, you slide up or slide down or sometimes turn round, what happens or like a volume control is, what happens when you turn it down, it becomes almost as though there is no light. When you turn out completely up, what happens? As though it is full of light. It is very important for us to understand this analogy. Once we go over these introductions and background, then it will be easy for us to understand further aphorisms. Now this is the analogy, dimmer switch. When the dimmer switch is slided to the lowest level, what do you call it? This is the state of tamas. And still it is not complete darkness because there is, even the most tamasic person, he doesn't want to say, but he knows. What does he know? I am dull. What does he say? I do not want to move. Do you want to eat? No, I don't want to eat. He knows. Wonderful things are there. Mom or wife or somebody prepared nice things, but he is in such a state of tamas, he says I do not wish it now. I want it, but not now. What is the point I am trying to make? He is aware, I am tamasic. When you turn up the dimmer control, then what happens, gradually the light increases. When it is middle point, then there is half light. In half light, in this analogy, we get half knowledge and half ignorance. That is called the state of rajas. That means there is a mixed up understanding. Something is understood, something is not understood properly. Now you turn up to the highest possible, then that means there is no obstruction to the light. 100% it is lighting up. That is called the sattva state. What happens when there is 100% light? What is the function of light? It gives us knowledge. You can see things clearly. So in rajasic state also, I know half and I do not know half. That is why we say I am confused. What is the point? We won't say I am rajasic. We say I am active, I am restless, I know half and I do not know half. And when we attain to that state or the mind attains to that state of highest sattva, then what happens? Full light is there. Light means knowledge. Knowledge means I know everything as it is. Three states, tamas means it is dullness, rajas means half knowing, half not knowing, mixture of knowing and not knowing, knowledge and ignorance, reality and unreality and sattva means complete knowledge. Behind these three, there is one factor. What is that? I do not know, I know a little, I know now, what is the second characteristic of the chitta or mind? It is jada or non-conscious. Have you ever seen the table? Imagine there is a beautiful table. Does the table know that it is beautiful? Does it know it is a table? Does it know a made up of wood? Who knows it? Only there is someone who is conscious, he knows it. Now, this is the analogy when our mind says I am in a tamasic state, I am in a rajasic state, I am in a sattvic state, that I, it is telling, the chitta is telling, I am, I am, that I am belongs to whom? Does the mind know that it is tamasic or rajasic or sattvic? It doesn't know, because by nature it is non-conscious, jada. So if it is able to say, that means it doesn't have, but now it has. What does that mean? It borrowed itself from something else. From whom can it borrow? From whom can you borrow money? From a person who has money. From whom can you borrow knowledge? From a person who has knowledge. From whom can you borrow consciousness? Only that being which is consciousness. So this purusha or the soul or the atman is only completely consciousness, pure consciousness, mind you. So what is the nature of the purusha? Consciousness. What is the nature of the purusha? It is neither in a state of tamas nor in a state of rajas nor in a state of sattva, it is totally different. But something mysterious happens, that's why it is called maya. What is that mysterious thing? Somehow this non-conscious thing and this consciousness come into contact. And when they come into contact, the consciousness behaves as though it is not conscious. And the non-conscious thing behaves as though it is conscious something. That is why the body says I am the body, the mind says I am the mind and the soul says I am the body. What is called comedy of errors or tragedy of errors, whatever you call it, this is the confusion that comes and that confusion is called samsara or our present state of existence. Now we have understood what is the mind consisting of? Chitta is consisting of rajas, sattvamas, rajas and sattva. And what is its nature? It is not conscious, but it behaves as though it is conscious. Even it doesn't know it has undergone modification. Like you watch the water, the water became wave, who is telling that the water has become wave? Does the water know that I am water? Does the wave know I am the wave? Who is you, the conscious being, are saying that, isn't it? So the body-mind is the modification of both body, mind, chitta, what we call. The body also is, it is called gross mind. Our physical body is called gross mind. Our mind is called the subtle body. So now we are quite clear what is consciousness, what is not consciousness. So somehow this combination has come. What is the result of this combination? There are three results. What is the result? When this combination is combined with tamas aspect of the chitta, then unhappiness, sorrow, misunderstanding, dullness, grief, suffering, ignorance. In other words, ignorance means not only state of knowledge, also we have to understand the effect of knowledge. Now this is a point which we have to be very clear. When we say I know, it means two things. Not only I have knowledge, but I am also aware of the effect of the knowledge. When I say I do not know, then I am not only aware of something, I am also undergoing experiencing the effect of that knowledge. Let me illustrate it. Suppose you are sleeping and you are very fond of sweets. Someone puts a sweet into your mouth when you are sleeping, a sweet, a nice sweet. Would it give you happiness? Why? Because you are totally unaware. If you are not aware, then only you will not experience. The effect also you will not experience and the moment you experience something, the effect also is experienced. In fact, knowledge and effect always go together. The moment you say this is a tiger, immediately the effect comes. What is the effect? The moment you say this is a very nice cinema, the effect will come. Funnily, you know, half the disease is cured by seeing the doctor. Half life goes away again by seeing the doctor only. You see the doctor and what little 50% hope you have of getting cured, that also disappears. That is why it is said knowledge is power. Have you heard the word knowledge is power? What is the power? It is effect to bring the appropriate results. Another example. Somebody brings a nice sweet again but just imagine you like to eat good food and generally you like sweets but certain type of sweet you don't like, certain type of sweet you like very much, one type of sweet you hate very much, another type of sweet you like very much. Now imagine that somebody who wants to make fun either April 1st or any time, he knows what you like best and he will bring the best sweet that you like but he makes it appear as a sweet which you hate and he gives it to you. What is the first example I gave? Even the best sweet put into your mouth while you are sleeping, it will have no effect. Why is there no effect? Because there is no knowledge. Now you are awake and you have the knowledge. What is this? This person has brought me a sweet but you also know this is not the sweet I really like. What would be its effect? Equivalent. Oh! You have brought me. Thank you very much. You don't say it would have been far better for you not to bring. Is it not? What is the illustration for? Even though you have a knowledge, it is a wrong knowledge and wrong knowledge brings a wrong effect. See that is how we are all mistaken. Why this particular example? What was Swami, you see, when he looked at the audience, what was he looking at? Imagine, Swami Vivekananda is sitting here and he is looking at you. What is he looking at? Children of immortal bliss. He is not looking at anybody else. Suddenly you have not been replaced by somebody. So same object, whatever knowledge we have, appropriate result will come. This is a wonderful point we have to keep in our mind. So there is something called right knowledge, there is something called wrong knowledge. Through the practice of yoga, when we attain to that state of Sattva, I mentioned. What is the nature of Sattva? Absence of Tamas and Rajas, it just shows a thing as it is, not as distorted. Then we know. Two things we know. At that time we know two things. You know what two things? Here is a table and I am not the table. Here is the table and I am not the table. I am leading you example by example to the better understanding. But when it comes, we know, this is my table, my watch, I am not. But when it comes to this body and mind, what do we say? We say we use both. I and my synonymously we use and get confused, isn't it? It is my head, my hand, my stomach and at the same time we also say this is me. But when we are in a state of Sattva, what happens? That we know the body as body, the mind as mind. At the same time, very clearly we also know this is not me. I am this, this is a body. That crystal clear distinction is what is called Yoga or Samadhi. That is why once a person attains to the state of Samadhi or God knowledge or self-knowledge, these are all synonymous words, he will never again mistake. This is another point about knowledge. Right knowledge can never be negated. Wrong knowledge will always be negated. Is that point clear? If it is wrong knowledge, any number of wrong knowledges will be negated until it becomes right knowledge. When we are in a state of Sattva, we know. Now to understand this even better, take Thakur's example. The example of a man walking in the forest and three robbers attack him. Do you see what is the tendency of the Tamasic robber? Kill him, destroy him because of ignorance. What is the nature of the Rajasic? Let us not destroy him but let us torture him. It is much better, 50% good, 50% evil. What is the nature of the Sattvika robber? He comes back, takes him by the hand, leads him out of danger to his home. Here home means God, this Samsara is the forest, these three Gunas, our mind is the three robbers and Tamas destroys us, Rajas binds us and Sattva leads us to our home. But see what is this? It is such a wonderful parable. So he takes him out of the forest and then says there is your home, go home. But you did so much good to us, why don't you come with me? He says no, I am still a robber. I do not belong to you, you do not belong to me. So when we attain to that state of pure Sattva, that Sattvika aspect of the mind reveals the truth to us. What does it reveal? I am the mind, you are the Purusha or Atman, I am not you, you are not me, bye. But it is necessary, Sattva is necessary. So how much meaning is there in every parable of Sri Ramakrishna? So coming back, this mind is consisting of these Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and the three conditions are how they manifest we discussed. Now the next point we have to discuss is somehow this Self or Purusha or Atman and the mind or Chitta somehow got mixed up together. The Chitta thinks I am conscious and the Purusha thinks I am the body, I am the mind, I am dull, I am active, now I am very happy, I am unhappy etc. All these things are going on and as I mentioned what is the struggle we are going through? We want unobstructed happiness. What obstructs our happiness? Rajas, Tamas, Rajas and even Sattva because even though Sattva takes us to the edge of the forest, can you stay at the edge of the forest? You will have to give it up and go to your home. You can see your home, that is why this is also important to understand it beautifully. All the Bhaktas, what do they want? Savikalpa Samadhi. What is Savikalpa Samadhi? There is only one modification of the mind. What is that modification? I am the devotee, you are the deity, I am your devotee, you are my lord. Sri Ramakrishna was in that state of Savikalpa whenever he was not in Nirvikalpa Samadhi. But this Totapuri wanted Thakur to taste also Nirvikalpa Samadhi incidentally. Do you think Sri Ramakrishna didn't experience Nirvikalpa Samadhi before Totapuri came? Did he or did he not? Whatever his gurus taught later on, the whole thing he said I have undergone all these things many times before. But in a structured way, in a scriptural oriented way, first I reached mountaintop without any GPS, afterwards I took the GPS and reached the same mountaintop. Totapuri was thinking, my disciples will not be able to do this.