| philosophy.pdf |
Philosophy
“Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind”. - Patanjali
“While the process of yoga may seem complicated, the central theme is one of removing,
transcending or setting aside the obstacles, veils or false identities . . . eventually coming to rest in
our true nature”- Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati
The famous quote in the header from Patanjali’s Yoga sutras gives us almost all we really need to
know – stilling the fluctuations of the mind.
The first chapter of the Yoga sutras, (see resource section for pdf's) in particular the first four
sutra's, give Patanjalis description of what yoga is, elaborating on the first sentence quoted above.
Swami Jnaneshvara’s statement indicates that most us have a lot of contemplation and meditation
work to do on our-selves!
The subject of Yoga can often seem so vast, sprawling and at times seemingly contradictory.
Furthermore, in the blink of an eye, unless we are Sanskrit scholars, we can quickly drown in the
plethora of foreign terms and concepts the subject of Yoga is riddled with.
The history of Yoga has passed through a number of phases that can be traced back to the earliest
times of the Vedas (oldest extant sacred texts/knowledge) and the ancient civilisations of the
Indus valley in India. (± 5000 – 7000 years)
It should be noted that Patanjali was relatively recent at around 200 BCE.
Although the whole base concept of Yoga is embedded in the Hindu religion, it is, as a philosophy,
essentially a-religious, meaning it stands alone and can be applied by anyone within any creed,
culture, sect, religion and so on. Nonetheless, culture and religion play a huge role in just about
any society and so, much Hindu ‘colouring’ is frequently present within the greater field of Yoga.
Onnthe other hand, especially currently in western countries, ‘Yoga’ has come to mean nothing
more than a trendy physical fitness program.
Yoga in its most basic Sanskrit translation means ‘union’, ‘to yoke together’. So what is it that
needs to be yoked together? The classic answer is our individual self, Jivatman, (personal
experience of ourselves) with a greater universal self, known as Atman, the seed of which lies
within our own hearts. This is understood to be a process whereby we eventually bring into line
and ‘merge’ our consciousness with universal consciousness.
There are two central approaches to Yoga - dualist and non-dualist schools of thought.
Although it appears to be so, these two streams of thought do not actually oppose each other.
One way to think of them is as two different angles of view of the same topic.
Swami Jnaneshvara has some excellent advice on this subject: “The Dualist approach to Yoga gives
us detailed instructions on how to clear away our clutter so we can find the door. Non-dualist
philosophy gives us a sound contemplative base for a deeper understanding of the nature of the
door and what lies beyond”
One useful definition from Psychology gives us a further handle on non-dualism: “a state of
consciousness in which there is no distinction between the subject’s sense of self and the contents
of the subject’s awareness”.
Spiritual commentator David Loy tells us: “when one realizes that the nature of our mind and the
Universe are non-dual, one is enlightened”
Dualist Yoga philosophy is generally based in Patanjali and his famous ‘Yoga Sutras’, and so the
whole Astanga system can be seen as a Dualist Yoga form.
Non-dualism has broader roots and is expounded in the ancient system of knowledge – Vedanta, a
sister stream of knowledge as old as yoga and with the same Vedic roots.
Dualist philosophy starts from the premise that there is an inherent split between object and
observer, (without that split intellectual reasoning would be impossible) and our efforts need to
be directed to regaining oneness. This is really a matter of understanding the relative nature of
perception.
The last three limbs of Patanjalis Astanga system are Dharana (concentration), Dhyana
(meditation) and Samadhi (union). When practiced correctly Dharana gives rise to Dhyana and
Dhyana gives rise to Samadhi. These three arms then, are simply different grades of one and the
same thing. The combined action of the three limbs is called Samyama.
Concentration is an effort by the practitioner to gain one pointed focus (ekagrata). The mind is
quiet and stable without flitting from topic to topic. Meditation is a deepening and sustaining of
concentration for an extended period. Meditation comes to include an awareness of a triune of
conditions. We are aware of the object of our focus (pratyata), the process of perceiving (pragna)
and ourselves as the perceiver. These three elements are initially seen to be separate but as our
Meditation deepens, this sense of separateness dissolves and unity is achieved in the final stage –
Samadhi.
Samyama is used as a tool to realize the true nature of self. As a process it is turned inwards
towards our deeper layers of awareness like shining a torch. Insight and knowledge arise as a
result. Samyama then is seen as the ultimate tool with which to achieve Yoga.
When Yoga is understood this way, it becomes clear how it can be said that, say for example a
great concert pianist is in a state of Samadhi while in the depths of a performance. To him or her,
the music, the player, the instrument and the audience, are all absorbed in a condition of
consciousness that can rightfully be termed Samadhi. Perceptive boundaries and time seem to
have no more relevance. Individual thought and sense of self are all temporarily merged in the
greater experience.
Maha Samadhi is the conscious departure at passing over of a realised Yogi. Sahaj Samadhi is the
continuous, effortless, transcendent state of a Yogi living from silence (Kaivalya). There are many
other forms of Samadhi as well. Some schools list as many as 18 different Samadhis.
So is Samadhi Yoga? When Samyama is used as a tool pointed at Atman, and when the fruit of that
effort arises in Samadhi, then that state of consciousness is Yoga.
Patanjali sites a further condition in chapter 4 of his Yoga sutras – Kaivalya pada, final liberation. In
Kaivalya, the self-realized Yogi enters into what could be termed a permanent condition of
Samadhi and thereby the cycle of reincarnation is said to cease – hence final liberation. A synonym
for the term Kaivalya is Moksha (liberation).
In a fascinating statement, Patanjali says that once the Yogi comes to know (through Samyama)
that the Purusha, the supreme entity (within us all), is different from our intellect, then yogic self-
inquiry comes to an end! This threshold of experience is Kaivalya.
Further, Patanjali maintains that the primary goal of being human is to aim for Kaivalya through
Samadhi and to attain liberation he should undertake the investigation of self-existence.
Perhaps no discussion of what Yoga is, even a brief one such as this, should exclude the fabled
‘siddhis’. The siddhis are so-called extra-sensory phenomena such as clairvoyance, out of body
travel, healing ability and many other sorts of miraculous abilities.
The siddhis are said to be a trap if we are not careful. Patanjali, as well as all other great spiritual
figures, warn against taking up Yoga practice with the goal of attaining the siddhis in mind. This
state of intention leads us astray into compelling pathways that usually feed a sense of personal
ego and do not eventually arrive at a true state of Yoga which transcends the small personal self.
Extra sensory perceptions and abilities are a by-product of concentration and meditation training
and to ever find the gift of these qualities without a solid base of wisdom and maturity within our-
selves is to usually find great spiritual difficulty instead.
To sum up, it can be said that ‘Yoga’ is that state of awareness where a practitioner has used the
state of Samadhi in terms of Atman (universal self) and Jivatman (personal self) to choose to align
with universal awareness instead of the personal self. It goes without saying that intellectually
knowing this is not what is meant. As the old adage goes: knowing the recipe of a good soup is
incomparable to actually drinking, tasting and experiencing the delicious soup.
In its broader sense, its many further branches, forms and facets, dual and non-dual approaches,
techniques and wise injunctions, the field of Yoga gives us information and a chance at practical
knowledge of the entire path of self-realisation and how to proceed on it.
Do please check the resource section for extra articles by Swami Jananeshvara Bharati and others.
Namaste
“Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind”. - Patanjali
“While the process of yoga may seem complicated, the central theme is one of removing,
transcending or setting aside the obstacles, veils or false identities . . . eventually coming to rest in
our true nature”- Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati
The famous quote in the header from Patanjali’s Yoga sutras gives us almost all we really need to
know – stilling the fluctuations of the mind.
The first chapter of the Yoga sutras, (see resource section for pdf's) in particular the first four
sutra's, give Patanjalis description of what yoga is, elaborating on the first sentence quoted above.
Swami Jnaneshvara’s statement indicates that most us have a lot of contemplation and meditation
work to do on our-selves!
The subject of Yoga can often seem so vast, sprawling and at times seemingly contradictory.
Furthermore, in the blink of an eye, unless we are Sanskrit scholars, we can quickly drown in the
plethora of foreign terms and concepts the subject of Yoga is riddled with.
The history of Yoga has passed through a number of phases that can be traced back to the earliest
times of the Vedas (oldest extant sacred texts/knowledge) and the ancient civilisations of the
Indus valley in India. (± 5000 – 7000 years)
It should be noted that Patanjali was relatively recent at around 200 BCE.
Although the whole base concept of Yoga is embedded in the Hindu religion, it is, as a philosophy,
essentially a-religious, meaning it stands alone and can be applied by anyone within any creed,
culture, sect, religion and so on. Nonetheless, culture and religion play a huge role in just about
any society and so, much Hindu ‘colouring’ is frequently present within the greater field of Yoga.
Onnthe other hand, especially currently in western countries, ‘Yoga’ has come to mean nothing
more than a trendy physical fitness program.
Yoga in its most basic Sanskrit translation means ‘union’, ‘to yoke together’. So what is it that
needs to be yoked together? The classic answer is our individual self, Jivatman, (personal
experience of ourselves) with a greater universal self, known as Atman, the seed of which lies
within our own hearts. This is understood to be a process whereby we eventually bring into line
and ‘merge’ our consciousness with universal consciousness.
There are two central approaches to Yoga - dualist and non-dualist schools of thought.
Although it appears to be so, these two streams of thought do not actually oppose each other.
One way to think of them is as two different angles of view of the same topic.
Swami Jnaneshvara has some excellent advice on this subject: “The Dualist approach to Yoga gives
us detailed instructions on how to clear away our clutter so we can find the door. Non-dualist
philosophy gives us a sound contemplative base for a deeper understanding of the nature of the
door and what lies beyond”
One useful definition from Psychology gives us a further handle on non-dualism: “a state of
consciousness in which there is no distinction between the subject’s sense of self and the contents
of the subject’s awareness”.
Spiritual commentator David Loy tells us: “when one realizes that the nature of our mind and the
Universe are non-dual, one is enlightened”
Dualist Yoga philosophy is generally based in Patanjali and his famous ‘Yoga Sutras’, and so the
whole Astanga system can be seen as a Dualist Yoga form.
Non-dualism has broader roots and is expounded in the ancient system of knowledge – Vedanta, a
sister stream of knowledge as old as yoga and with the same Vedic roots.
Dualist philosophy starts from the premise that there is an inherent split between object and
observer, (without that split intellectual reasoning would be impossible) and our efforts need to
be directed to regaining oneness. This is really a matter of understanding the relative nature of
perception.
The last three limbs of Patanjalis Astanga system are Dharana (concentration), Dhyana
(meditation) and Samadhi (union). When practiced correctly Dharana gives rise to Dhyana and
Dhyana gives rise to Samadhi. These three arms then, are simply different grades of one and the
same thing. The combined action of the three limbs is called Samyama.
Concentration is an effort by the practitioner to gain one pointed focus (ekagrata). The mind is
quiet and stable without flitting from topic to topic. Meditation is a deepening and sustaining of
concentration for an extended period. Meditation comes to include an awareness of a triune of
conditions. We are aware of the object of our focus (pratyata), the process of perceiving (pragna)
and ourselves as the perceiver. These three elements are initially seen to be separate but as our
Meditation deepens, this sense of separateness dissolves and unity is achieved in the final stage –
Samadhi.
Samyama is used as a tool to realize the true nature of self. As a process it is turned inwards
towards our deeper layers of awareness like shining a torch. Insight and knowledge arise as a
result. Samyama then is seen as the ultimate tool with which to achieve Yoga.
When Yoga is understood this way, it becomes clear how it can be said that, say for example a
great concert pianist is in a state of Samadhi while in the depths of a performance. To him or her,
the music, the player, the instrument and the audience, are all absorbed in a condition of
consciousness that can rightfully be termed Samadhi. Perceptive boundaries and time seem to
have no more relevance. Individual thought and sense of self are all temporarily merged in the
greater experience.
Maha Samadhi is the conscious departure at passing over of a realised Yogi. Sahaj Samadhi is the
continuous, effortless, transcendent state of a Yogi living from silence (Kaivalya). There are many
other forms of Samadhi as well. Some schools list as many as 18 different Samadhis.
So is Samadhi Yoga? When Samyama is used as a tool pointed at Atman, and when the fruit of that
effort arises in Samadhi, then that state of consciousness is Yoga.
Patanjali sites a further condition in chapter 4 of his Yoga sutras – Kaivalya pada, final liberation. In
Kaivalya, the self-realized Yogi enters into what could be termed a permanent condition of
Samadhi and thereby the cycle of reincarnation is said to cease – hence final liberation. A synonym
for the term Kaivalya is Moksha (liberation).
In a fascinating statement, Patanjali says that once the Yogi comes to know (through Samyama)
that the Purusha, the supreme entity (within us all), is different from our intellect, then yogic self-
inquiry comes to an end! This threshold of experience is Kaivalya.
Further, Patanjali maintains that the primary goal of being human is to aim for Kaivalya through
Samadhi and to attain liberation he should undertake the investigation of self-existence.
Perhaps no discussion of what Yoga is, even a brief one such as this, should exclude the fabled
‘siddhis’. The siddhis are so-called extra-sensory phenomena such as clairvoyance, out of body
travel, healing ability and many other sorts of miraculous abilities.
The siddhis are said to be a trap if we are not careful. Patanjali, as well as all other great spiritual
figures, warn against taking up Yoga practice with the goal of attaining the siddhis in mind. This
state of intention leads us astray into compelling pathways that usually feed a sense of personal
ego and do not eventually arrive at a true state of Yoga which transcends the small personal self.
Extra sensory perceptions and abilities are a by-product of concentration and meditation training
and to ever find the gift of these qualities without a solid base of wisdom and maturity within our-
selves is to usually find great spiritual difficulty instead.
To sum up, it can be said that ‘Yoga’ is that state of awareness where a practitioner has used the
state of Samadhi in terms of Atman (universal self) and Jivatman (personal self) to choose to align
with universal awareness instead of the personal self. It goes without saying that intellectually
knowing this is not what is meant. As the old adage goes: knowing the recipe of a good soup is
incomparable to actually drinking, tasting and experiencing the delicious soup.
In its broader sense, its many further branches, forms and facets, dual and non-dual approaches,
techniques and wise injunctions, the field of Yoga gives us information and a chance at practical
knowledge of the entire path of self-realisation and how to proceed on it.
Do please check the resource section for extra articles by Swami Jananeshvara Bharati and others.
Namaste
