First 2 4 Last

   A boy used to live in a village. He had ridden an elephant, a horse, a bullock cart, a train, etc. He had heard about the camel but had never ridden it. He always wished he could ride the camel. One day he was returning home from another village. On the way, one businessman had made his camel sit and he had gone to take bath in the nearby river. In order to give rest to the camel he had taken off both the saddle and the nose-string of the camel. As soon as the boy saw the camel he started dancing in delight. Where else could he get such a nice opportunity to fulfill his ambition? He jumped and sat on the back of the camel. According to its habit, the camel got up suddenly and started running helter skelter. The boy became nervous but what could be done? There was no nose-halter. How could he control the camel? The camel went on running here and there according to its will and the nervousness of the boy increased in the same ratio. Two pedestrians, after seeing the nervousness of the boy, asked - “Where will you go?” The sobbing boy replied-“Brothers! I had to go to my home. But now I will go wherever this camel takes me”. In the meantime, he collided with a branch of a tree and fell down injured on the ground.

People will laugh at boy’s foolishness; but the condition of this world today is the same as that of the boy. It is as a result of result of riding the uncontrolled camel of the mind that everywhere crime, unruliness, quarrels and wickedness are reigning supreme. Because of the uncontrolled mind, people have forgotten the bliss of heavenly life, its need and utility and they have engrossed themselves so much in the fulfillment of worldly pleasures and meeting the selfish ends that they have forgotten to distinguish between what is good and what is bad.

From the point of view of integral rejuvenation, every part of the physical body has its own significance, but the mind is most important. It has mysterious powers. Pleasure and pain, salvation and bondage, everything is under the control of mind. The scripture says – “Mana aiva manushyanam karnam bandha moshkyo” (that is, mind alone is the cause of bondage and salvation of a human being). If the worldly pleasure is required, the mind will provide it and if the ultimate truth - moksha is aspired for, the mind will provide this too. The mind always remains in the service of a person like a faithful servant. It is never tired. It never stops. It never gets old. Unceasing movement is its habit. It takes pleasure in making desires and running after their fulfillment. The power of mind is unlimited. But an uncontrolled mind is like a camel without nose-halter. It throws a person in the hell of sensual pleasures, desires, sorrows, wickedness, bad habits, etc. A person forgets why he has taken birth and what the goal of life is.

The key to all siddhis lies in the control of mind. But it is not easy. The sadhana of mind is more difficult than any yoga, etc. The scripture says –“Jitam jagat ken? Mano hi yen” (That is, one who has conquered his mind, has also conquered this world).

That is why, for integral rejuvenation, the seer has prayed as follows:

Yasminvirichah sam yajooshi yashmin pratishtha dhanabhavivarah
Yashminshchitam sarvamot prajanam tanme manah shiv sankalpamstu

(Shukla Yajurveda 34/5)

Meaning – As the spokes of the wheels of a chariot are fixed at the center, in the same way the knowledge of rik, yajuh and samved is installed in the mind. Oh God! Grant that our mind has virtuous desires.

Our ancient Indian philosophers and yogacharyas devised special methods of sadhanas to cleanse, purify, concentrate, make steady and control the mind. They emphasized that with abhyas (continuous practice) and vairagya (non-attachment), mind can be controlled. The same advice was given by Lord Krishna to Arjun – “Manodurnigrahamchalam abhyasen tu kaunteya  vairagyena cha grahyate”- (Gita, Chap. 6, 35th Sloka).

What are vairagya and abhyas? Keeping in mind the evanescence and instability of worldly objects, not allowing the mind to get engrossed in them is called vairagya. This is related to thought control. The senses are inclined naturally towards their objects. Keeping these senses away from their objects of attachment and keeping them engaged in activities which are meaningful and help in achieving the aim of self-realization –is called abhyas.

In abhyas, one has to adopt a dual approach – the first relating to tapa for refining the mind and the second relating to sadhana for augmentation of virtuous tendencies. Prior to mental purification, it is essential to know the faults of the mind. Enjoying the materialistic objects is the natural behaviour of senses. The objects of pleasure are transitory but the tendency of the mind is to go chasing them like a mirage. The scriptures have called this tendency of the mind as rag. Rag inflicts pain of scarcity by cherishing the memory of unachieved pleasure. This gives rise to a sequence of vices. Rag produces malice and the latter generates anger. Rag also produces greed for accumulation. Malice awakens vices like hatred, jealousy and violence. Thereafter begins a vicious circle of deception, hypocrisy, ego, wickedness, intolerance, ingratitude, etc. Ultimately, this obsession of mind becomes the cause of downfall. Keeping this fact in mind, one should always engage the mind in introspection so that the virtue of vairagya is awakened.

A combined platform of mind, intelligence and ego has been called chitta. In order to purify chitta, abhayas is necessary. Seer Patanjali has propounded eight parts of Yogabhayas. They are – yama, niyam, aasan, pranayam, pratyahar, dharna, dhyan and samadhi.

Yama niyamasan pranayam
Pratyahar dharana dhyan samadhayo ashtangani

(Patanjali Yoga Sootra 1/33)

Non-violence, truth, absentation from theft, celibacy and non-possession – these five controls have been called yama. All the rules followed for the purification of inner and external being have been grouped under the category of niyama. They are shauch (inner and external purity), santosh (contentment), tapa (penance), swadhyaya (study of sacred texts), and eeshwar pranidhan (faith in God).

External cleanliness of the body has its own significance but the inner purity is more important. Purity of food is most important in keeping the mind pure. Sour, sweet, and bitter food excites the senses, increases instability and dullness in the mind. Therefore, the intake of juicy, soft and nourishing food that has been earned by righteous means has been considered best for the sadhak.

Keeping the body motionless or stable in one position (or posture) is called aasan. Controlling the flow of vitality (pran) according to one’s will is called pranayam. There are many classifications and sub-classifications of the same. Pulling the senses from their objects of desire and utilizing them for self-upliftment is called pratyahar. In the latter, one has to force the senses, including the mind, to act according to the direction of the soul. Stubborn mule does not come under control easily. Senses too revolt in the beginning; but keeping a constant pressure on them helps in annulling their outward yearning for objects.

Yama, niyam, aasan, pranayam and pratyahar - are five external aspects of yoga, which are related to the physical activities. Dharna, dhayan and samadhi are internal aspects of sadhana, which are based on the emotional endeavour of mind and intelligence.

Focusing the mind on a specific target for a set period of time is called Dharna. For this purpose one has to imagine some form of Divinity, for example Mother Gayatri. The mind has to be made stable in the idol of the chosen deity, or the flame of candle or the rising Sun, etc. The next step is Dhyan. When the mind becomes stable in the chosen object of contemplation e.g. a deity for a sufficient time, it is called dhyan. After practicing dhyan for a long-time when the physical form of the deity disappears and the attributes of the deity become stable in the mind, it is called samadhi. In this state, a person forgets his physical body. The devotee and the deity become one. The inner consciousness supersedes the physical consciousness.

In the state of samadhi, the respiration rate becomes slow. On the peaks of mountains, where the atmospheric pressure is low, the mountaineers get little oxygen for respiration, which produces difficultly in breathing. But the situation is different in samadhi. Due to the stopping of fickleness of the mind and the movement of the body, in the state of samadhi, need of respiration is not felt. The wastage of pran (vitality) that occurs when the body is in motion or when the mind wavers is stopped in this state. As a result, the brain is filled with more and more pran which helps in loosening the knots of the mind. It is believed that impressions of several previous births remain stored in the brain. These impressions get appropriate light and energy in the state of samadhi and also get the desired direction.

Several states of samadhi have been described in ‘Patanjali Yoga Darshan’. When the mind does not remain stable for a longtime on one element but contemplates on its name, meaning and knowledge, it is called Savitark Samadhi. When the mind becomes more peaceful, it becomes stable in its meaning, it is called Nirvitark Samadhi. When the mind, after contemplating on the subtle elements knows their forms, it is called Savichar Samadhi. When the subtle form of the element too vanishes and the mind contemplates only on its knowledge it is called Nirvichar Samadhi.

With these practices, the fickleness of the mind vanishes, and wherever a Sadhak utilizes such a mind, it remains stable and obedient towards a set goal. Refined and pure consciousness can direct the flow pran (vitality) in the desired direction. By regulating and controlling pran, it is possible to get the desired rejuvenating work done in any part of the body. It is even possible to influence another person and the environment with this vital electricity. It is also possible to suck the vital power from outside into one’s own body once the control of pran is established.

Once Nirvichar Samadhi is perfected, the inner self becomes calm, pure and enlightened. Under such a state, sadhak experiences an indescribable bliss. This state is called Aanandanugat Samadhi. When the desires for objects of senses completely vanish and merely self-experience remains, it is called Asmitanugat Samadhi. There are higher states of Nirvichar Samadhi – which are also classified as Sampragyat Samadhi. This state is also called awakening of Ritambhara Pragya. Eternal truth automatically manifests in such an enlightened soul.

Under the state of manifestation of Pragya, the entire being of the Sadhak is enlightened. In that supernatural divine light, the separate existence of sadhak too disappears. At that time it is felt that the one who knows is altogether different from what is to be known. The object – for which so much of extraordinary effort was made – is nothing but one’s own soul. This unification of the self and the Ultimate – Supreme Being – has been called Asampragyat Samadhi. Once the mind vanishes in the enlightened being, the mundane bonds too vanish. A true blissful form of the Self is seen. This experience is indescribable.

Thus, taking recourse to the two steps of vairagya and abhayas of yogasadhana, every sadhak can march forward in the direction of integral rejuvenation. What should be the basis for contemplation for a person of specific mentality to achieve vairagya? How should an abhyas be initiated? Everyone can not take such a decision. If the patient prescribes a medicine for himself, he will have to face more problems. In fact, he needs the guidance of an expert physician. It is true that the sadhak has to travel, on his own, towards the set goal; but without the proper guidance of a guide, there are ample chances of going astray. Therefore, every aspiring sadhak moving ahead on the path of integral rejuvenation should seek the protection and guidance of an adept guide.   

First 2 4 Last