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So I want to tell you this little story. By now you must be somewhat bored with my lecture.
The story is that you have heard of this great Zen monk Bodhi Dharma, who was the founder
of Zen.
He came from somewhere in Tamilnadu from the south of India and spread and took the Buddhist
training to China first and then it went to Japan. He never went to Japan, he went to
China.
The particular brand of Buddhism which Bodhi Dharma was teaching has a lot to do with meditation
which in Sanskrit is called dhayana, dhyan. So he took this particular variety to China,
where in the Chinese language, dhyan became Chaan. Chaan. They can't say Dhyan, so it
became Chaan. Now in China even today meditation is Chaan.
Then from there it went to Japan and became the guttural Zen. Understand! It is this variety
but the thing is people are more interested in imported things you see. If you say, "I
am doing my meditation", then, they say, "okay, but I am doing Zen". It has gone from Bodhi
Dharma from an ancient land of ours.
This thing about loving foreign things is there in most of us and if the white may says
something is good it has to be good. So if I say nobody..... Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa....
Somebody used to come to see him and he used to tell him you must read the Bhagwat Gita,
it's a very good book...
Ramakrishna Paramhansa - Swami Vivekananda's guru - (used to tell this person), 'You read
the Bhagwat Gita!'; he never read it. He would say...
And one day the same gentleman comes and says the Bhagwat Gita is beautiful book, one should
read it.
So Ramakrishna tells somebody, "Some Englishman must have told him that the Gita is a good
book. (Laughter).
In Kerala, in Malayalam there is a saying "Muttethe Mullakku Manamilla" which means
the Jasmine in your garden doesn't smell so good, the other garden it's nice. So it's
like that.
Anyway, so Bodhidharma took Buddhism: this 'Chán' variety to China. And there in China
he was living on top of a hill -- beautiful hill.
So three young people who wanted to learn Zen and experience "Satori" -- "Satori" in
Zen is the Samadhi's experience -- liberation. So they went to see him.
They couldn't find him because those days great teachers never advertized. So there
were no banners, there was no nothing. So they went looked around, walked. They were
hungry for many days. Finally they reached the top of the hill. At the top of the hill
Bodhidharma was sitting.
It was lunch time so he was drinking his soup in a wooden bowl and a spoon. So these people
went there. They were taken there.
They bow down and they said "Master we have come from so far; we have been hungry, we
are thirsty...but we don't care. We want to learn Zen. Please teach us how to attain Satori."
Have you seen any drawing of Bodhidharma? He looks wild. You would think he would hit
you any time, you know that face is like that -- very stern and serious, and well built.
In fact he also took the unarmed combat defense -- self-defense from here to China. No not
from here, sorry, I am sitting here in China (laughter).
So, he was sitting there and they said "please teach us." Bodhidharma looked at them and
said "I am drinking my soup." So they kept quiet for a while and then he was drinking
his soup, so they again asked him "Sir, we have come from so far teach us" he said "I'm
drinking my soup" then he called his assistant and said "give them their soup."
So they ended up with bowls and spoons drinking the soup and they said "what a silly thing
to do. We came to learn Zen and here we are drinking soup. This is what he has given us
instead of Zen."
And again they mustered up enough courage and said "Please teach us Zen." He again said
"I'm drinking my soup."
So, they got very wild. They said "we are also drinking our soup." So he stopped and
he said, put his bowl down and he said "no, you are not drinking your soup. You are drinking
your soup and thinking of Zen. And I am drinking my soup, I'm drinking my soup, I'm drinking
my soup! This is Zen."
You understand what the implication of this? This is what I'm trying to give you an example
of "Pratyahara" -- one pointed attention to whatever one is doing at a particular time
is the beginning of meditation, concentration, attention, everything.
So like Krishna in the Gita, when you are a Karma Yogi, do your work with complete attention,
not half here, half there. Then when you go home and sit for meditation, the mind will
also sit and meditate, one-pointed attention here, one pointed attention there. Otherwise
twelve hours your mind is scattered. How can you sit down for half an hour and meditate,
tell me? You will sit for ten minutes, meditate then the mind starts wandering. I'm sitting
of course but my mind has gone to Delhi, here, there and come back or England, where ever
it has to go, or Macau, sorry. (Laughter).
So this is Pratyahara. The capacity of the yogi to fix his attention on a given point,
thing, thought or whatever and withdraw it when he can, at short notice, this is very
essential for meditation, now we know.
Audience: Correct.
M: Then of course you may know before, talking from the point of view of today's satsang.
Then after Pratyahara comes "Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi." The three last Ashtanga yogas
-- the three parts.
Dhyana- oh no I'm sorry; Dharana again comes from, follows from Pratyahara. The capacity
to fix your attention or developing the skill to fix your attention because yoga is also
called the skillful practice. Little bit in Buddhists always say skillful thinking, skillful
practice, skillful visualization. So like that the skill, to develop the skill to fix
your attention either on one thought or on one symbol or on one form or on one sound
exclusively or sound, form, symbol, ...
Audience: Thought.
M: Thought; but exclusively on that one thing. If you develop that skill then that is called
Dharana.
Now if Dharana continues, now develop that skill you should have gone through that other
sections: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara. Now once that skill is developed
and it continues for a length of time without break, then that Dharana itself becomes Dhyana.
And when Dhyana continues deeply for a length of time, in fact after a great deal of Dhyana,
you lose the sense of time, you don't know any... normally what happens? You think I
will meditate for half an hour, generally it happen like that, especially when we begin
meditation. When you think half an hour is over and look at your watch, only fifteen
minutes have passed.
So, but a yogi is one who has developed the skill shifting one pointed attention -- Dharana,
stretch it to Dhyana for a length of time where one has at the end forgotten about time
because one is so absorbed within. Hmm? Which is why in the monastery they have the gongs
in case the monks forget lunch! So we don't need that -- the gongs; when lunch time comes
we are already looking at the watch.
So, when this happens for a length of time it is Dhyana.
Now in Dhyana it becomes so deep that the meditator which means I or you have forgotten
that I exist, feeling of my existence has gone. That which I was meditating upon and
meditation and me have all become one, merged. Here there is no... I am so absorbed that
me, I don't exist; only that exists. This is called Samadhi.
I mean this is a very simplified definition for Samadhi, because there are so many stages
in this absorption. Like somebody worships let's say, he may not be a yogi. He may be
a yogi because Yoga bhakti is also considered a yoga in the Bhagwat Gita -- Bhakti Yoga.
Suppose a bhakta like Mira Bai is so absorbed in Krishna she has forgotten her own existence,
there is only Krishna -- this is called Samadhi.
So this is Ashtanga Yoga.
Now Patanjali defines Ashtanga Yoga as "Yogascha Chitta Vritti Nirodhaa." Now this is what
you asked me and I am taking up this subject because I was asked a question. OK.
So "Yogascha Chitta Vritti Nirodhaa." We have to explain these words -- Chitta means Mind
stuff. When you say mind stuff it means thoughts. You cannot conceive of a mind without thought.
Can you? Moment you say mind there is some thought. At least I can say I am sitting and
I am ... no thoughts are disturbing me but I am there. So, Chitta is that mind stuff
-- thought, a bundle of thoughts form the mind.
Vrittis are these vibrations or waves in the mind which are the thoughts like when you
are highly excited then your graph is up, when you are depressed it is down; so there
is a movement: wavelike movement of thought happening to us every day, all the time. These
are the Vrittis -- the Vrittis; which means that you cannot consider them as impurities.
They are the natural agitations of the mind which oscillates between excitement and depression:
love and hate, desire and repulsion, attachment, repulsion; so these two opposites create through
the gunas - the Sattva, Rajas, and Tamo Guna. The Vrittis: which are, if you put it in a
simple way, the vibrations or the waves of thoughts which form the mind.
And Nirodha means to stop it completely. So yoga is defined "Yogascha Chitta Vritti Nirodhaa"
I the stopping or the stilling of these waves of the mind which go up and down. When the
mind has become still, absolutely quiet, there is awareness of course otherwise it is meaningless
to become thoughtless because then you are not aware of anything. You don't work hard
to be... to become completely thoughtless, this is not possible but awareness is there
in a subtle form.
You want to become completely thoughtless you don't have to do yoga, just need to hit
the head with a crow bar! (Laughter).
You will be completely thoughtless, it's called fainting, its unconsciousness. Here we are
not looking at unconsciousness, we are looking at highly... super-consciousness; let's put
it like that if there is a word like that. So, yeah, we can say super-consciousness.
So therefore when the mind's movement are controlled and eliminated let's say. Even
for temporary periods of time then the mind is quiet and calm and tranquil like a polished
mirror, absolutely... it's like a pond where there are no ripples, still. You know what
happens when you throw a stone a small ripple ... next one and next one. It expands till
it breaks on the shore. Suppose there is ... it is absolutely still. Have you looked at a
still pond? There is no movement. We look and you will see your face as clear as looking
into a mirror.
So when the mind becomes absolutely tranquil, Chitta Vritti has been completely silenced
or quieted then on it is reflected your true image which is your... which is a spark of
the divine. Not this image ID, which is here today and gone tomorrow but your true identity
or consciousness which functions in this body. That is reflected clearly only when the mind
becomes tranquil. So that tranquil is a runway from which one can take off to higher levels.
It's not the end. It's not the end; it is only the beginning of yoga actually.
So now I have talked too much... anyone... related questions or maybe even non related
questions in the sense they need not be about the yoga sutras or Patanjali but something
to do with spiritual life, meditation. You are welcome, because I wanted it to be like
that. Not a lecture. You know...
Audience: Sir if this is the beginning then what is the end?
M: Did you hear the question? She said that if this is the beginning then where is the
end?
What I meant was: this is essential. This much of calming the mind and making it tranquil
is the essential foundations from which one should start. OK?
Now to this question "where is the end?" To this question, let me explain: see we all
from school boys, school girls to people who are grown up and have children, and have become
grandparents or professors, we all like to think that we are rational human beings -- we
like to think so. Probably, we are.
And we have what is called a rational framework. When I say rational framework it means when
I am in school, I think I know everything, right? I say. Yeah this is how it is. I even
know why my parents... I mean I think I know. The only thing I don't know is that my parents
love me so much but like a little child saying "you love me so much then why didn't you invite
me for your wedding?" (Laughter).
You know, so... So in the childhood you have made a framework which you call your rational
framework and that is based on your experiences till then, right? We have no other parameters.
What we experience we can only make a design out of that.
Then as you grow up as you go to college you have a different framework of logic and I'm
sorry, rationality; because you have more inputs, you have learnt more things. So I
say this is more rational because this is my framework of logic, I mean rationale.
Then you go further. It's like when you are in school and college generally, your physics
is Newtonian physics, which explains most things.
As you advance you enter into the realm of quantum physics, particle physics which is
so abstract that that all you certainties fall off. So at that time you had a very so
called logical, rational framework which you have created out of your inputs -- limited
inputs.
Then you suddenly come face to face with a theory called the Theory of Uncertainty where
the scientist doesn't even know is the basic particle of matter is a wave or a particle.
This is called the Theory of Uncertainty: in fact some have even gone to the extent
of saying it depends on the observer. It's not full accepted by all. Because when you
think it is a particle the observer is behaving like a wave, when you think it is a wave the
observer is behaving like a particle so it is ... nobody knows. So now you have entered
uncertainty from certainty. So, your framework of rationality also changes throughout our
lives because our inputs keep expanding and increasing so we have a different theme. Right?
Now, we are saying: we meaning people who are not so normal (laughter). Little bit out
of ... uh, we say that what we call our framework of rationality which we have created for ourselves
is based only on the five senses because we have only five sense organs. We don't have
any other organs of sensations. We have only five sense organs. So all the inputs that
we get are from these five sense organs, there is no argument on this, right?
Now you see (sir to an audience member: you can sit on a chair) ; now you can see that
these sense organs which give us the data and the inputs we require are by themselves
very limited, very limited. Not only limited, they can also be misleading. We have eyes
right? We see with our eyes and we believe that everything we see is right there. Take
a simple thing like the Sun. Every day we see the sun rising, the sun setting with our
eyes. These are our organs of perception. But does the sun really rise and set? Even
a school boy will tell you "no, no, no the earth is moving around the sun, the sun is
neither rising..." but that is what we see with our sense organs -- Indriyas.
Now, so not only are, our sense organs imperfect and conditioned, they may also be sometimes
mislead you. Apart from the fact that they are very, very limited in their access.
Now sound. You hear a sound, after sometime the sound is gone. But has it really gone?
No; it's still reverberating but it's in a frequency which my ear cannot pick up. You
have a dog whistle, human beings cannot hear it but the dogs can hear it, why? Because
the frequency which they have is different from our frequency. So these are the only
instruments of perception that we have. Based on the data provided by these we form our
logical or a rational framework.
We are saying that there are other instruments of perception in the human system, apart from
these five senses we have , we are saying that there are other instruments of perception;
and these instruments of perception are latent in most beings -- most human beings. They
are not active, they have been neglected, they have been lost sight of. Some don't even
know that they exist.
So, the function of yoga: or when I say yoga I'm not talking only about Patanjali's Ashtanga
Yoga. The Bhagwat Gita has 18 chapters and each chapter is called a yoga. So, can be...
I'm talking about any approach to this peripheral, can be classified as a yoga.
So yogis say that there are other instruments of perception in the human system apart from
the five senses on which we depend which can bring in data which is not available to these
five senses. Now the practice of -- spiritual practice is how to awaken these latent instruments
of perception in us. When these are awakened, our inputs become multi dimensional because
you have access to much more than what we can have with our senses.
So the first attempt is to awaken or bring to function those latent organs of perception
in us. For that Chittavritti is a starting point. So you can imagine where it goes afterwards.
It is multidimensional. It's much more multidimensional than the new word they use called fuzzy logic;
it's much more than that.
There your inputs are completely different and when these inputs come then your structure
which you call your rational framework is different, which is why the point of reference
of a yogi, you might find to be not agreeing with your point of reference because his perceptions
have increased- if they have, if he's not pretending then they have increased and therefore
his inputs are much more.
So he's a multi dimensional human being, he's not... you understand what I am trying to
say. He doesn't live only in these three dimensions, so
Audience: he lives in fourth dimensions.
M: Ah fourth, fifth, these are endless things. We cannot even measure them. See we can't
even measure our milky way, so just imagine.
I get a little worried when people say earth - life exists only on earth. Compared to this
vast universe we are like a speck of dirt, I mean speck of dust.
How arrogant of us to think that life can exist only here. If you say well oxygen doesn't
exist there, may be creatures there, who don't need oxygen to live! How is it that we model
the entire universe on us? This is what I meant by multi-dimensional. This is what I
meant by other instruments of perception.
Every human being has latent instruments of ...one of them for instance -- a symbol of
that, you must have seen Shiva's picture. Haan Shiva.
So, you see in the centre above the eyebrows, there is a dot up there. That is not a bindi;
supposed to be his gyana drishti -- third eye. Usually he's represented with eyes closed
and that open. Here his eyes are open. So that is a symbol of the multi-dimensional
possibilities of the instruments of perception which are other than the five senses.
Now this center in yoga is called the Ajna chakra. The Ajna chakra is a very important
center to be awakened. When it is awakened; awakened meaning made active; it is latent
in most people. Made active, then your access to things which are beyond the ordinary constructs
of logic begin to function.
They have to be done under training, proper because you are dealing with very sensitive
issues here, very important things. You are trying to over haul your consciousness in
some way, which has to be done only with expert guidance.
Imagine suddenly coming up across a dimension which you never even dreamt of without much
training, you might go haywire, so ...