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Welcome viewers to this session; this session, we will be discussing that Eight fold yoga
or astanga yoga, prior to that I will remind you what is the importance of discussing Eight
fold yoga in yoga system or yoga philosophy. The first thing that, as all of you know that,
if you have seen my or if you have listen to my lecture in the last session, I have
said that the kleshas or dukhas, we human being suffer in this earthly life.
I said that there are different kinds of treasures that yoga philosophy also suggested, and in
all this classes you find that human beings tries to attach with different objects in
this earth for different purposes and for different reasons. It is because of the association
or attachment human beings crew to do many things, crew to get many things, and because
of this reason human beings suffer in this earthly life.
Further, they said that people also have a fear of death by thinking that you will be
going to die, you will also suffer. Therefore, to sum it or to conclude I wish to share with
you that yoga philosophy or yoga system says that as a human being, we have a different
desires, different inclinations, different wishes to achieve, to gain, also look many
things. Therefore, we suffer, so suffering is bound to happen in this earthly life, because
we cannot dissociate from other objects and non objects of this earth.
We also associate with plants, we associate with living creatures and we associate with
non living creatures. Living consists of say plants, animals, reptiles, insects, human
beings, etcetera, etcetera. And, those body, those material who does not have a life is
called non objects, we associate with table, chair or pen – say - food, water, etcetera,
etcetera. So, therefore, yoga philosophy prescribe that
we human being cannot dissociate from different objects and as well as non objects, thus suffering
is bound to happen. Now, they prescribe that if suffering is bound to happen, how to eradicate
from suffering, how to stay from that suffering; therefore, the life will be much happy life
and pleasurable life. Otherwise, the whole life will be passed away from suffering and
suffering, they prescribe some kind of rules regulations, and say that different stages
to do yoga. If person do yoga in a different stages, which
we will be discussing in detail in the coming slides, what they said is that there are different
stages of yoga called astanga yoga; that means, Eight fold yoga. If an individual can practice
that and reach to the last stage, in this earthly life also, there are possibilities
to get liberation, to get mukhya, to refrain from worldly suffering, to refrain from worldly
attachment. Now, the anxiety might come to your mind that
what are this Eight fold yoga, or in sanskrit term it is said that astanga yoga. What are
these astanga yoga? One should practice therefore, he or she can even in earthly life, achieve
the liberation; refrain from all worldly suffering and attachment. As I said that samkhya and
yoga which two systems constitute a pair, samkhya also said that if you remember, samkhya
said that there are two types of liberation, one is jivan mukti, another is videha mukti.
Jivan mukti is the one where an individual in his life time can also get liberation,
can detach from the theory of karma, can detach from all the suffering and attachment with
the worldly objects. However, they also prescribe videha mukti; that means, once a human being,
once an animal dies, the body remains as a material and the soul leaves that body and
enters in to a different domain. there They said that once the body dies, the liberation
starts, because you are doing any karma therefore, there will be no food.
That means, whatever you have done is done, once you are dead, you are not at all conscious,
therefore, you reach to a liberation state, you had a nice death. In the same way practical
approach, in a practical aspect, this is a theoretical aspect samkhya said; now the practical
aspect, yoga philosophy said that we can also have liberation in the earthly life while
living in this earth, and also we can have liberation after our death as usual.
Now, the challenge lies, we the human being with our conscious effort, we have a rationality
and reasoning power, with all these we know that we are suffering but still we do not
know how to refrain from all the suffering. Question arises, what is the really responsible
for us to suffer in this earthly life. Yoga philosophy prescribes that it is because of
our association and attachment towards different objects and animals in this earth causes us
to suffer. Now, how to refrain from all suffering, how
to have dissociation, how to detach from all this worldly objects? Now, this is our issue.
And yoga philosophy prescribes the Eight fold yoga or astanga yoga through which if somebody
in if somebody practices with a proper spirit, or as it is prescribed, he or she can attain
the liberation even while living in this earth; that means, in this earthen life also he or
she can get mukhya or liberation.
Now, let us discuss what is this astanga yoga? The Eight fold yoga, as I said that is known
as astanga yoga. I make my statement said that and saying that we the human beings have
body, sense organs, and mind, therefore it is obvious to have sensual attachment and
passion towards worldly objects. What I mean is that, once you have a body, body has a
different requirement, since we have sense organs, and it is a five sense organs and
if you add mind as a sixth sense organ, sometimes it is associated with different objects in
this earth, therefore, how to control our sense organs.
Because many times you find that your sense organs is not controlling, though you want
to listen something, you could not concentrate for a longer time, your mind diverts. Because
your sense organs moves, your mental concentration to one object to another object and henceforth
you could not able to identify even an object, you could not able to understand even an object;
you could not able to realize the particular nature of an object.
So, because of a different requirement and the same time may be more than one requirement
considered as a priority basis, as a result we could not able to concentrate on a task,
on an issue or an event for a longer time. So, now the issue will be resolved only when
one practices the astanga yoga, prescribed by yoga system. They said that mind can be
controlled, the sense organs which often not regulated by the human body can also can be
controlled, and further, the body - that every human body - have a different requirement,
it needs a *** pleasure, it needs some exercise, it needs some movement, it needs
some strength, it needs some immunity. So, all these requirements can also come under
a control, all these requirements can be controlled by the practice of yoga. Therefore, in one
hand, we know that the body, mind and five sense organs have a different requirement,
and because of this different requirement, the human being associating with different
objects differently for fulfilling different purposes.
On the other hand, you find that by practicing yoga everything can be controlled, everything
can be guided properly, henceforth the worldly attachment; the craving, the hankering for
power, prestige, material world, everything will be disappeared, as a result the liberation
will be certain, ascertain even in the earthly life.
The second point I said, because of this mind sense organs and this bodily requirement we
are drown in the river of bondage and worldly sufferings. To get rid of this suffering and
attachment, and to remove the ignorance that finds within us, we have to conquer, we have
to control our sense organs, mind and our bodily act, to do so the citta needs to be
controlled. What they said is that there are many types, we the human being have a limited
knowledge, and because of the limited knowledge many times we are ignorant, we do not know
what is supposed to be done, what karma we should do, what practice is prescribed for
us, we do not follow that because of ignorance. And as I said that citta is a component constitute
with three elements, one is ego or ahankara, another is intellectual or buddhi, third one
is mind and manas, these three components constitute citta. Because of this body, mind
and other sense organs have a different requirement. Citta also having three gunas get vibrates,
as a result you find that the heterogeneous nature of this three guna – sattva, raja,
tamas, as a result we attach as a human being, we attach with different objects and non objects
in this earth differently. Yoga philosophy says that, that we can conquer,
we can control our mind, sense organs, body, as a result we can also able to control our
citta, not to distract from one to another, rather to have a concentration on a particular
issue, to understand an issue very particularly, as a result, we can refrain from the suffering.
Now, let us discuss how to control the citta, because as you know that, suppose, you are
reading something, after say one passage or two passage, you find that though you are
reading the text however, you could not able to understand, because you are thinking some
other things, your mind is diverting from that. And sometimes also you realize that
though you are reading say passage after passage still you could not understand because, your
mind is engaged for a different activity, your mind is thinking some other thing, but
if you able to concentrate on that text whatever you have read can understand clearly.
Otherwise, if you do not also understand you know that from which point to which point
you have not understood, it is because of your mind fluctuates from one to another,
though you are reading as a physical exercise you could not able to understand it, because
mind fluctuates. Yoga prescribes, the fluctuated mind can be also conquered, can also be controlled,
and henceforth we can able to achieve some kind of spirit.
As a result we could able to concentrate, henceforth we understand the true nature of
suffering and we can remove the ignorance within us, as a result we can also live happily
in this earth that is meant by yoga philosophy. Yoga philosophy says that to getting liberation
in the earthly life means, you are a knowledgeable person, you know how to distinct permanent
and temporary; that means, which is a permanent one, which is a temporary one, whether you
have to change behind the temporary pleasure or a permanent pleasure, so all these things
we will be discussing in the coming slides. Now, further, I said that in this respect
yoga philosophy prescribes how to get rid of all this suffering, so prescribed eight
fold path is known as astanga yoga. They prescribed because by practicing that
one can control his or her passions and cravings for worldly pleasures. Now, as you see that
there are eight fold path or a astanga yoga prescribed by yoga philosophy, now the eight
fold path are I am reading it out and you should also pronounce it accordingly, because
these are the sanskrit literature.
So, first one is yama, second one niyama, third one asana, fourth one pranayama, fifth
one pratyahara, sixth one dharana, seventh one dhyana, and the last one or the eighth
one is Samadhi. Further I am reading, yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana,
dhyana, samadhi. I believe some of this component might be understood to you, for example, if
I say asana you know that some of the postures, some kind of concepts comes to your mind.
If I say dharana, you know that there are every day there is a strike, you may be consider
that because this strike that strike, I have seen, say, students strikes for some of the
rights. You see that there is a political hunger strike, some other strike you think
that, that may be dharana. Now, let us discuss in Indian philosophy context,
what we really mean by dharana, what is the essence of dharana. If I say that dhyana,
if I read dhyana something comes to your mind saying that concentrating on particular issue.
Now, let us discuss whether yoga philosophy understood in the same spirit or as a different
spirit, if at all different why it is different, and what is the aim to be different, and if
at all same, what is the purpose for accepting the sameness that we ordinarily understood.
However, I sum it that these are the eight steps one should cross, so that he or she
can achieve the liberation even while living in this earth.
Now, let us discuss one after another what are the stage and how it speaks about and
what are the issues it dealt with. Now, yama, by practicing yama one can control of his
or her mind, body and speech; that means, sometimes you are anger with others, you lose
the temper and you try to speak many things which you are not intended, you cannot control
your tongue, you go on speaking which is an unexpected and unwanted.
Yoga philosophy says that by doing that we are not doing good karma, so therefore, as
they prescribed that every karma has its own food, if you also on subconsciously do something
you have to be responsible for that, you have to be accountable for that. Hence, all karma
reaches to a stage where bears the fruit, in the same way, if you do the bad karma certainly
there will be a result for you. Further, they said that by practicing yama
you can control your speech, though you can lose your temper because of some situation
still you can know that, that this is the time where I should control myself, I should
not speak something which is unwanted. So, now let us discuss what really in yama one
should do, they said that yama are of five or the five yamas are, first one is ahimsa;
ahimsa means, as you know the famous mahatma gandhi said that non violence. Ahimsa means,
it prescribes or preaches that you should not be violent with others, neither in your
speech nor in your action. If the situation demands also you should not violate, you should
control yourself that is ahimsa, you should not hurt others, you should not also harm
others in your speech, in your utterances as well as in the action, that one should
prescribe, that is one component of yama. Now, let us see the second component, satya,
satya means truth, which says that speak the truth and adhere to truth even in your thinking.
He is saying that in all the cases, in all the situations if you speak truth, you will
be remained pure. You never feel guilty, therefore, you never tend to do many other guilty, but
if you say one lie, to hide that lie you have to speak many lies. Therefore, he said that
even in your thinking, thought process, you should not lie. If you can practice that you
feel yourself as a pure, you feel yourself as a satisfied human being. Further they said
that asteya, what yoga philosophy mean by asteya is that, it upholds the principle non-stealing;
this includes both not desiring on others wealth and not stealing any goods from others.
What asteya is saying that, do not steal, do not steal from others, suppose, you do
not have a say two wheeler bike or a four wheeler car by seeing that other people are
riding it, you should not think that I must also do that, if I could not do that if I
if I could not purchase even that I can steal from them, No, you should not do that. Even
also in many situation you find that you always try to compare with others, you say that he
or she has so and so, I do not have therefore, somehow other I should have that or I should
have those. By doing that you will be indulging in some bad karma which has a bad result,
there he is saying that you should not think of stealing goods from others.
You should not also steal some of the ideas from others and claiming that this is yours,
there are many books you find that some people take the idea from others and never acknowledge
them. Here yoga philosophy prescribed that you should not indulge with that practice
always, otherwise there is always in your mind or back side of your mind you feel guilty
saying that this is not mine, however I am claiming it.
You confirm yourself that you have done something consciously which is unethical, unacceptable,
therefore, one should free from asteya – non-stealing - and this is the component of yama.
Now, there are other two components we will see, one is brahmacharya another is aparigraha,
what is brahmacharya? Brahmacharya is known as celibacy; here one needs to control his
or her sense towards the attachment of heavenly pleasures. It restrains somebody for not having
*** life, what saying that is brahmacharya? Brahmacharya means, it is a student life you
should not have desire for any kind of pleasurly life, you should not desire any kind of luxury
life, even you should free from the *** life. Though your body requires, but still
you should detach from it, you should control it, you should practice that - that is called
brahmacharya. You always concentrate on study or gaining the knowledge or understanding
the knowledge that practice you should do, that is a part of yama.
Further they said that aparigraha, the last part of that yama, they said that in aparigraha,
it says that to accept and aspire for any sorts of unnecessary lavish things for life
enjoyment like gold and diamond. One should not or must not think of like gold and diamond
which is a very precious material. They said that one should practice that at the best
should not be attached with precious materials like gold and diamonds, should not hanker,
should not also strive to get like gold ornaments, diamond, etcetera, etcetera.
Further they said that all these yamas are badly required for the concentration of citta;
that means, if one practice this five elements, then citta get concentrated, because citta
understands that hankering for getting gold or ornament or, say stones, everything, diamond
everything, it is a luxury life one should not ask for that.
And suppose, one cannot afford for that and still hanker to get that; that means, suffering
starts. If you remember the kinds of suffering, we have discussed one of the suffering, therefore,
in the first practice yama said that you should refrain from that, therefore your citta can
also modify, your citta can also able to concentrate, your citta as it is distracting from time
to time, it can be controlled. Now, we will see the second stage niyama;
niyama speaks about the rules for possessing good conduct, there are five niyamas as follows.
Yoga philosophy prescribes that until and unless you have a good conduct, you cannot
think something good, until and unless you have a conduct, you cannot indulge with any
action which will also results good. So, therefore, one should think good and also
prepare himself or herself to do some good actions, therefore, someone says that you
have a good conduct. You know what are the actions should be expected under which conditions,
under which circumstances, if you can behave properly, then this is a good conduct. Now,
let us see how one should have good conduct, what are the practices one should do therefore,
one must have good conduct. First they said that it is a sauch, it says about cleanliness
which includes both external as well as internal cleanliness. Externals include like you must
have a bath every day, you should have pure diet, you should not leave your hair to grow,
you should not have your nail to grow, if you can do it properly, this is an external
cleanliness. Further internal cleanliness which means friendliness,
empathy for the others and happiness and smile, what they said is that when you go for a bath,
you feel yourself as a pure after bath, you feel yourself as clean; that means, you should
that. You should wear a good dress, good dress means it is a cleanly dress is kind of external
cleanliness, further they said that there’s a internal cleanness you should feel happy,
what you have, you should not think that I should not have this that, this that, therefore,
I will try to get all these. Whatever you have, which position you have,
you think you are the god’s gift, therefore you should be remain happy, therefore, it
is a internal cleanliness, you should not have any kind of anger towards others that
is a sauch. Further they said santosh; santosh means, it is contentment, it means be satisfy
with yourself what you attain or posses, in other words, what you are you must be happy
with that, in earthly life it is very difficult for a human being to understand and to realize
that what he or she is, should be happy with that.
However, yoga prescribed that though it is a difficult part, one should try to be happy,
so that he or she should not think about others property, others lavishly living styles and
etcetera, etcetera. If somebody thinks up all this then, he or she should try to get
all these things in his or her life; therefore, he or she suffers in this earthly life. What
they prescribe is that if you are feeling happy what you are, suppose, you are a student,
you feel happy you are a student. And also do the actions with a good conduct,
what is expected in a particular situation; that means, you should read the text, you
should do the assignment on time, you should appear the exam, therefore, you score good
grade, you should be obedient to your teachers, you should respect your parents everything,
so that is a good conduct in a brief for a student life.
If one can do that then, he or she has a good conduct and can also have a santosh in life,
because you know that you are a student and be happy with a student. Don’t think that
you will be a manager of some other company or C E O of the company or a director of institution,
do not think like that. There should be a aim in your life, but you
should not think that at any cost you should get it, therefore, you attach with different
objects henceforth suffering starts. What yoga prescribes is that, do your own karma
what is expected in a particular movement, should not think of any shortcut in life,
therefore, if you think of that then, you have to look for what is the shortcut, as
a result you have to associate and attach differently or negatively to that object,
this is all about santosh.
Now, we will see the further points, now, the third point they said tapa, in niyama
you find tapa; tapa means, is a power of tolerance, to tolerate extreme and maximum cold and heat.
One needs to do the hard practices and this is possible throughout tapa. What they mean
is that, the rishi who is doing tapa or tapasya, in the winter season, they also, their body
needs some kind of woolen clothes, in the summer their body also needs some kind of
cold breeze, but however, since they are doing tapa they are able to concentrate on a particular
object. And by doing the tapa, they should not think even in a winter season a one clothes,
even in a summer season cold breeze. This kind of practice you have to adhere,
and once you can do that you know that you are success in tapa. Further they said that
swadhyaya; swadhyaya means, it says one needs to study religious scripture to develop his
or her spiritual knowledge, it is considered as one of the good principles to possess good
conduct, until and unless you do not know what is good and bad how can you will be engage
in your action saying that this action is good and that action is bad.
So, to know that which action is good, which action is prescribed, which action is confirmative
to do in a particular society, with confirmative with the norms and condition for that you
have to read the scriptures. Scriptures like bedha, geeta, upanishada, brahmasutra, etcetera,
etcetera, bhagvathgeeta. So, therefore, one should read the spiritual scriptures, yoga
philosophy says that the christian can read the bible, muslim can also read the quran;
that means, every human being those who believe their own religion can read their scriptures.
Once they read the scriptures, they know that which action is they suppose to do and which
action they should not do, because this is not prescribed.
Therefore, this is kind of kind also a practice one should do to refrain from suffering in
an earthly life. The last one they said that iswara pranidhan, they said that one must
remember god is the supreme authority and all mighty, therefore, one tries to surrender
himself or herself towards him this is the practice which helps for the development of
good conduct upholds by yoga philosophy. He said that just by reading the spiritual scripture
is not enough; you must realize that god is the supreme way, and to get the liberation
you must try to attain the spiritual power. Therefore, you should pray the god, you should
also concentrate on the supreme power which all mighty and all powerful, if you can do
that this can also help you to concentrate on a issue for a longer time, and a as a result
you can refrain from worldly attachment.
Now, we will see further for the next prescription by yoga philosophy. In case of asana, they
said that it is an advanced stage of yoga, it speaks about to do various bodily postures
which help to retain concentration of citta, and even helps to control the body as well
as mind. Now, as you can see that asana means, various postures one should have, you sit
in a different postures, say, padmasana, when you say that padmasana your legs will be in
a folder form, and you sit straight without any bend, if you do that for a longer time,
this is the padmasana, by doing that you able to concentrate your citta, though your citta
tries to distract from one to another because of different attachment and association you
try to control it. Once it is distract again you try to get back
on a particular point and concentrate, see there are different kinds of asana, one asana
I said padmasana another is a mayurasana. What is mayurasana? All your bodily pressure
in a balanced way you kept on two hands, and you put your pams on the floor, on the soil,
then you put whole your body on a parallel and all the pressure of your body should be
taken care by your hand this kind of asana and while doing that you should concentrate.
He is saying that by doing the asana, by doing various type of asana, see for example, chakrasana,
surya namaskara, vakrasana then, say garudasana, mayurasana, all this. If you can do the practice
sirsasana, sirsasana is one where your head is touching to the earth and your leg will
be perpendicular straight. By doing all these practice it is not that
you are able to only concentrate you can make your body also healthy, your immunity power
also grows, therefore along with your healthy life you can able to concentrate on your citta
for a particular issue or a particular event in a longer time. And if you can do that you
can realize that these are suffering these are causes, these are the actions, if I do
that then I will suffer and these are the action if I do that, then there will be no
suffering in this earthly life. Now, let us discuss what I have written here,
it said that, it speaks, the asana speaks about to do the various bodily postures which
helps to retain concentration of citta and even helps to control the body as well as
mind. There are various types of asana as I said among them a few are padmasana, sirsasana,
chakrasana, garudasana, and mayurasana etcetera, etcetera, it is advisable that to do the regular
practice of asana. The reason is, it not only controls the body, such as keeps the body
flexible, increase the immunity power make you healthy etcetera, etcetera.
But in addition to that keeps the body free from diseases and make your body to be strong
and healthy. By doing the regular asana one can control different external and internal
organs of the body. They are saying that asana if you do once in a blue moon light has no
meaning, you should do in a concentrating way, you should do in a regular way, then
only with your bodily healthy body with your healthy body you can able to have a healthy
mind, as a result you are able to concentrate on a issue for a longer period. You can able
to realize what is objective and what is subjective, and also you can make the distinction between
object and subject.
Now, proceeding further, there is a fourth fold of yoga known as pranayama, now in case
of pranayama you find the fourth stage and one should practice this pranayama as a fourth
stage of practice of yoga. Yoga philosophy prescribes that the pranayama should be understood
as the control of breath, what is breath? That means, you take the air oxygen, and also
it goes inside of your body, then after some time the bodily organs which is you find inside
in your body has its certain functions then it comes out.
Now, there are different stages of doing that we the human beings have a life, we take the
oxygen as a breath is called inhaling, you take the oxygen at the most take some time
to take the oxygen. Once you take the oxygen then you keep the oxygen for some time in
your body, then once the body all the organ gets functions by the help of oxygen again
you try to exhale. And by doing that kind of practice you take a deep breath, you keep
this air for some time again you accelerate, if you do that practices, then you can able
to even concentrate, you can able to also make your body physically fit, make you healthy
and also your immunity power will stretch. You can also gain with immunity power; therefore
you can able to concentrate on an issue for a longer time.
Your mind will be concentrated along with your body henceforth you could able to understand,
realize the particular concept or object in a very short time. You do not require any
longer time because your mind is concentrating, is focusing on a issue. Though other kind
of forces disturbing your citta to distract; however, citta says that it has to focus on
a particular issue and not attaching and associating with different objects which are forcing to
disturb the citta. Now, discuss elaborately, I said that pranayama
is understood as control of breath, it suggests that practicing pranayama helps the agent
to control his or her inhaling and exhaling of breath, this helps the citta to remain
concentrate and focused. Though pranayama one can control his or her body by doing some
postures through pranayama, it is by the practice of pranayama one can control his or her body
by doing some postures, this makes agent or an individual remains healthy and good.
Now, there are three stages of pranayama as I said that puraka, kumbhak and recaka, I
will pronounce further, pranayama has three steps, these are puraka, kumbhak and recaka.
Now, let us discuss what are the three steps of pranayama.
The first step puraka conveys to make to take as much air as possible, as I said once you
take the air as much as possible, it is known as inhaling. The second step kumbhak expresses
that after inhaling the air tries to keep the air in your body for some time. The third
step, then try to bring all the air, it is a recaka states that gradually you exhale
the air by taking the same time, the time that you have consumed for inhaling process
while taking the oxygen or air. But there are three things involved, first
you take as much as air as possible, the inhaling process, now that you that you have to keep
some times in your body, let your part of the body organs of the body, moves, functions
particularly, then you exhale the air by taking the same time, the time that you have taken
for inhaling, these are the three steps. If somebody can do that one can control his or
her mind as well as body language. So, this is also part of yoga prescribed by
yoga philosophy, it is a pranayama. Further they said that these three steps will gradually
accelerate, no one can do over night or if you sit now and you can do, immediately try
to do it, you cannot able to do it because, it needs a constant practice.
So, it will gradually develop, suppose, today you inhale the oxygen it takes say 30 seconds,
tomorrow you can inhale the oxygen, say 40 seconds, again slowly it increases. If you
do the practice after some time you realize that you can able to concentrate your mind,
you can and the same time you can able to make your body healthy and also movable, and
also energetic, that is the prescription yoga philosophy say, that is they say said that
this three steps will gradually accelerate.
So, that in dual course of time the agent may control his or her breath which helps
the citta to remain concentrate and not disturbed.
Now, the fifth point we will see the pratyahara, what is mean by pratyahara? In this stage
the agent or then individual should control his or her sense organs for not being attracted
by the worldly objects. It generally happens that we human beings whatever we have we are
not happy with that, therefore, we try to get more and more and also within a short
time, and it happens because our sense organs attached with different objects differently
and immediately, and try to achieve that objects for your own purpose. He is saying that because
of this pratyahara, you can able to concentrate your mind, able to concentrate your citta,
and free from this kind of attachment, and also can control your sense organs not to
attach with different objects in this earth. Now, how you have to do it, we will discuss
now, he said that yoga philosophy prescribes that he or she as an individual, we try to
restrain the sense organs for not clinging desperately for the objects of the world.
Hence, craving for an object would be ceased; that means, once you can control your sense
organs by practicing the pratyahara, you can detach from the worldly object. Henceforth,
the attachment, the craving, the desire to get immediately, the pleasure or the worldly
pleasure will be ceased. By practicing this yoga, the agent can keep
his or her mind undisturbed from worldly objects, even while living in this earth. To do this
practice, it requires strong determination and repression of the senses. What it means
that one cannot do it immediately pratyahara, because everyone required different objects
for their different purpose for the fulfillment of different purposes.
How can one immediately control his sense organs saying that I do not require all this
worldly objects, here yoga philosophy say that you need to practice constantly, just
by doing one time, it never helps you to practice the pratyahara. This yoga, you need to do
very, very, sequentially, consistently, in the earthly life, then only you could able
to get. You could able to concentrate your citta and not assisting the citta to be get
disturbed, so this is all about pratyahara.
Now, dharana, as I said that in case of dharana, our mind constantly shifts from one object
to another, it generally happens because, we have discussed that how our mind moves
from one to another, I have given an example. When you are reading the text also, many times
you find that you already read the text, but you do not understand, because your mind was
not in the text, it is some other places. So, therefore, you find that your mind fluctuates
from one to another, in a very repeated way. In case of dharana, how to trust your distracted
mind and focus it in a particular point, this yoga prescribes, this stage it will help you
in case of dharana. If somebody practices dharana, it helps the individual to control
the distracted citta to a particular point where he or she can concentrate.
And as a result for a longer time he or she able to concentrate, and this helps an individual
to identify an object as it is to also develop an intuitive power, to know that what is happening,
what will happen. Because, your mind is not distracted, it is concentrating; therefore,
you find that in earlier time rishis could able to predict the future, because they are
pure, they are practicing all this prescription prescribed by yoga philosophy.
In initial stage you find that your mind will be distracting, again, you try to get back
to a particular concentration, in these cases they said that somebody should also focus
to a cap of a water bottle, or say, you can also look to your tip of the nose for a longer
time, if you can do that you know that how much time you are fluctuating and by practicing
regularly how much you are able to concentrate or how much time you are able to concentrate
your citta in a focused way. Now, let us discuss they said that to keep
our mind focused in a one particular point and tries to check for its frequency of shifting
one object to another is called as dharana. In this stage, the agent keeps his or her
mind continuously engaged in one object and tries to bring back the mind to the particular
object, if it is shifted to another object as quick as possible things we have discussed.
The last point I said, the example I have given also, an agent or an individual tries
to concentrate to a top of the top of the flame of a candle, concentrating on the cap
of a water bottle etcetera, can help you to keep your citta or mind for a longer time
to focused on a issue or a particular event. Further I am explaining it, if you can focus
for a particular dots, you put a particular dots on your book, or say, table or a black
board and focus on that you find that your mind is fluctuating, you could not able to
concentrate for a longer time. But however, once you know that your mind is distracted
try to get back and concentrate. If you can do that by practicing in a longer
period, it will be benefiting to you, you know that you develop some kind of intuitive
knowledge; henceforth it will help you to remember many things, and also to understand
many things in a short period. You need not engage for a longer period to understand something,
because your mind is concentrating, therefore, one should practice dharana.
Now, we will be discussing dhyana, in case of dhyana it is one step ahead to dharana,
dharana what happens, you try to concentrate on a particular issue though the mind or the
citta is distracting, here it is one step ahead, it is saying that in this stage the
aspirant or the agent becomes successful to remain concentrate on an object in a longer
time. Once you do a longer practice of dharana,
in dhyana you could able to achieve that you you could able to know yourself that, that
now if I will be sitting on a concentrating mode my citta or my mind is not distracting,
my mind never distract from one to another. That means, the time that you have engaged
yourself to do a particular activity or action that will be good one, because that will be
confirmative with your conduct. And further you can able to achieve some of the goals
or objectives from that action because your mind is concentrating on that action.
You are very focused enough what you want to do, why you want to do, once you know that
why and how you want to do this; that means, some of the objectives of doing that action
will be fulfilled, and this is exactly the stage of dhyana. They said that dharana is
a lower stage and dhyana is the higher stage. Once somebody do a, say, longer period of
dharana, then he or she could able to do dhyana, and in dhyana one should attain or able to
focused on a issue for a longer time. Further they said that the aspirant realizes the whole
object by concentrating its one part, this is, I will help you to understand.
Suppose, you see a table, you see the leg of a table, you see the surface of a table,
you see a corner of the table right, but you cannot see that table as a whole, because
your two eyes as a sense organs, sense organs of pursuing an object able to concentrate
on an issue for particular time. Suppose, the two eyes focused on the surface of a table
in that time, you could not able to see the legs you could not able to see the other side
of the table also. Here they are saying that in dhyana, though
you could see each steps, each spots or each places, each components of the table you could
able to imagine the table. What they claim is that it is because of the yoga, though
you could not able to imagine all the parts of the table at one stage, still you could
able to imagine the table, the form of a table that is called dhyana.
And it is the higher stage of dharana, in this way a yogi who have a stage of dhyana
can able to tell about a particular object, can have a intuitive knowledge in the future
what is going to happen in this way you must understand, and therefore, one should practice.
And if you can able to do the future, you could able to see that, which action if you
do and what are the result you have to get it, because already it is written in the scriptures,
you have read the scripture and you also concentrate on the supreme way.
And hence, now you are at the stage of dhyana, therefore, you could able to have an initiative
knowledge what is happening in the future. Now, further I made a point saying that this
step is known as meditation, and it helps to realize the true nature of citta, in this
stage one realizes his or her true nature; that means, what is the citta.
Citta is said the constituent of three elements, that is, only now understand, now that is
explainable therefore, you can conceptualize. In case of dhyana, if you can achieve the
stages of dhyana, you can now understand, you can see the form of citta, you can concept
some form and see the image of citta. How these three elements constitute together citta,
the three elements known as ego or ahankara, and that manas or mind, and intellect or buddhi.
These three elements how constitutes the citta and you can now imagine a citta or get a frame
of impression of citta, earlier you have understood the citta, but you could not able to imagine
the citta, now this is a stage where because of your intuitive knowledge you could imagine
the citta, how it looks atleast some impression you will get on citta by framing some ideas
or some pictures, this is the stage of dharana. Now, samadhi, samadhi are of two types that
we will be discussing in the next class, but what is samadhi that we will discuss in this
slide. He said that this is the last stage, last step of yoga is known as samadhi.
In this stage, this is the apex stage of yoga, in this stage the aspirant; that means, the
individual negates the differences between subject and object realizes the true nature
of citta that how it attains the form of object. That means, they said that once somebody have
samadhi he or she knows that, that purusha is the eternal and we the human beings are
limited. Therefore, we should not compare purusha with us, because some power of purusha
comes to us and that is also taken back once the body dies, this is soul. And because of
the soul we should not be under ignorant and saying that we know each and everything, and
we should not indulge with an ahankara. Therefore, we should know that who is purusha and what
is our existence though we have a life. Therefore, we should act behave properly,
so that is the stage of samadhi, once you realize that we are limited, we have a limited
knowledge, and also we are just for a time being and purusha who is eternal, and we should
strive for the purusha which is a consciousness. And if you can do that you should not desire
for many of this objects that you find in this earth, therefore, you can refrain from
various objects from this earth, as a result you can also get liberation in this earthly
life, because you have nothing to suffer, because you have no desire, no attachment,
no association to receive different objects in this earthly life.
The last to last point I said the process by doing one after another stages of yoga,
one can able to concentrate the object, and by doing that in this samadhi stage, one find
that while concentrating on a object, one find that the object and the concentration
of the human being both are identical. That means, the human being never find in this
earth though you are sitting in this earth by doing yoga, having some postures and doing
some yoga in the last days cannot make a discrimination or distinction.
Once somebody tries to concentrate on a particular spot or a particular element or see a particular
element and focus the citta for a longer time, in that time this is the last stage where
yoga philosophy says that, if somebody can do that, can reach to the stage samadhi while
concentrating on a particular issue. He or she should not make a discriminant between
that is the object for which I am concentrating, rather the object which is concentrated and
who is concentrating both are feeling identical. That means, you feel as a different level,
though you are finding in this earth still you feel as a different level because, you
achieve some kind of thing by your yoga practice. Further I said, this stage is known as a session
of modification of citta; that means, in this stage, the citta can able to control can able
to conquer and henceforth our mind, sense organs and bodily, all this requirement can
be controlled and can be guided, instructed as it is required to move or function.
This is known as citta vrutti niyoda; that means, citta can be controlled by practicing
all the stages of yoga. Now, I believe that now you have understood the Eight fold yoga
or astanga yoga, and why yoga prescribes all these yoga, and what are the essence of all
these stages, and how one should reach one to the last stages, and what is the last stages.
In the next class, we will discuss that samadhi are of two types and what are the two types
is about, and many more about the epistemology and other parts, what are the remaining part,
so today it ends here, thank you.