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Patanjali:
an Ancient Sage for the Modern Age Lynne Cardinal: Patanjali was a great meditator and a sage who composed the Yog Sūtras (concise aphorisms or verses) a long time ago. He was also known as one of the first Sanskrit grammarians. Some contemporary scholars on the subject of Eastern Philosophy and the ancient Darshans believe that Patanjali could have lived 5,000 BCE. Some others believe that he lived only 2,000 years ago. Yet it has been recently proven through literary and archaeological evidence that the historical beginning of the Yog Sūtras dates back to the 3rd millennium BCE. The Rig-Veda (knowledge of praise) stems in part from the 4th or 5th millennium BCE. Thus we can say that Yoga stretches over 5,000 years as it was inspired by the Rig-Veda and carries the essence of its philosophy. The sūtras where initially taught verbally and memorised by students until the written format was developed. Each of the Yog Sūtras gives the essence of a philosophical concept. A wide range of thought is compressed or condensed into each one of these sūtras in as few words as possible. This makes it easy to remember them. Sūtras are clues or cryptic aids to memory. The Sūtras are profound and can take a lifetime to grasp. Indeed, as the years in a single life of study pass, the subtlety of the sūtras is realized and so they remain a source of profound inspiration, even within our modern-day context. ME: Interesting.... How does all that ancient philosophy relate to our modern-day, stress-filled world? LC: Patanjali was a sincere seeker of Truth. Studying the ancient scriptures, called Darshans (visions), he meditated and observed the nature of mind and its potential for transformation. He made a first hand experiment using his own mind and had the direct experience of what is the cause of pain and what is the means of liberation from this pain. He was interested in the human potential and one important verse: (chapter 2, verse 16) "Hayyam Dukham Anaagatam," (how to avoid future pain) sums up his main objective. So we can deduce that a scattered and/or ignorant mind would have experienced pain thousands of years ago, just as it would certainly do the same in the third millennium of our modern age. Patanjali invites us to study the nature of experience from a very fundamental and pragmatic level, irrelevant of mental constructs, current environment and cultures. Mind is mind and always as such was and will be either agitated or focussed, aware or ignorant. So I see in the Yoga Sūtras an invitation to look within and see how my own mind works. Everyone can do that. It is a powerful experience as the initial investigation often makes us realise that our mind is agitated, overactive and unfocussed. But this is an important step, as we all endeavour to take an honest look at our mind. From there we learn how to gain focus, concentration and ultimately realisation. It is my direct experience that the Yog Sūtras are an essential tool on the path of evolution and realisation. But of course it takes a little patience and perseverance. Patanjali himself said (in verse 14, chapter 1), that it will take a long time to reach total transformation of mind, but that we should honour every step we take upon the path for they are all sacred, as they will lead to a better future; a future filled with clarity, inner strength and pure awareness. Our own difficulties with comprehension and application will help us empathize with others whom we may help with their own path of understanding. ME: It seems that the philosophy is far-reaching and very much all encompassing. Can a person study this work effectively without the benefit of a teacher? LC: Yes, by reading various books on the subject, or by taking the time to reflect on each verse, singing them, learning them, pondering over their meaning, certainly one would benefit from the practice. Yet, it is also important, if at all possible, to study with a teacher who has done the preliminary work and who understands the very premise of the Sūtras. It is important, however, that the teacher be pure at heart with pure intention of service and does not misuse his/her power as a teacher, as we have seen too many sad stories of teachers abusing their students who trust them blindly and are therefore easy prey. One has to be very careful when choosing a teacher. ME: We have all heard of so-called gurus who abuse and victimise their trusting students. Is it possible for seekers to understand the complexities of the Yog Sūtra and to apply them to their own practices while having a flawed teacher in charge? LC: Ideally, we should be able to discriminate and choose a true teacher whose heart is pure and whose motives are selfless. Let's say if we think about certain politicians who were exposed as being corrupt. They may also have had great qualities in the first place and done some good in various other areas. The idea is that power corrupts and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. So we understand that it is very difficult for someone in power to not abuse his or her power. All that said, we still can find many true teachers, we have only to take our time and look around with an open mind, and sometimes in the simplest places we can find the greatest souls. An easy guideline is to investigate and find out if there are current or past sexual and/or financial exploitations attributed to the teacher. Also, if they encourage lies, under any pretext (white lies, etc.), it is usually a clue as this encouraging of dishonesty might cover more problems and corruption. Any teachers who say that they are the best and highest, that they are superior to others, or that to follow other teachers may lead to dire consequences, usually are manipulating people and leading innocent individuals astray. I have met many that claimed superiority and, without exception, all were exposed to be guilty of serious abuse and corruption. Yet, this does not mean that all teachers are corrupted. Take the Dalaļ Lama, for example. He claims to be only a simple monk, yet he has inspired many of us, he has earned the Nobel Peace Prize for his selfless work and has proven so far to be a great soul, a man of integrity on all levels. Perhaps the best teacher does not assume to be perfect, nor does he or she take the role of a God, they just inspire by their very existence and example. ME: Thank you. Why is it so important to achieve stillness of the mind? To some, this seems that we are to be automatons or robots with no thoughts or emotions. LC: It is true that, in our present society, it may appear "dull" or even impossible to try to still the mind. We live in a society that is geared toward activities, thrills and material powers. It is not a society geared toward virtue and a sense of peace and Oneness with our great human family and all our fellow earthlings. Society tends to be materialistic and, as such, encourages individual achievements and ego gratification. So from that standpoint, the concept of stilling the mind may appear rather far-fetched and even boring! Yet the ones who take an honest look at their states of mind and take the time to think about life and what their true priorities in life are, will realise that a scattered mind will never lead to satisfaction, despite the material gain and the temporary thrill achieved. We take our minds wherever we go, and, if our minds are agitated, we carry this burden and will continue to do so until we decide to do something about it. Then we come to see that a few moments of mental stillness or focus are deeply transformative and we realise that the world is in the mind and that a peaceful mind is a happy mind. It is based on the principle that less is more, we don't need so many things to be happy, we just need our mind to be clear, free, aware, to have a sense of inner strength, of universal Oneness and pure awareness. That leads to satisfaction. ME: What is duality? How does this relate to the waves of perception or vrittis? LC: Waves of perception or thoughts (vrittis) are triggered by a sense of duality. We forget that we are one universal family, we become dualistic, self-centred and ego-oriented, and despite the fact that we think protecting our own interests before anyone else will lead to security and happiness, the irony is that the exact opposite is true, we age without ever reaching that goal. Why? Because we live with blinders on, we close our hearts to everyone and all and we live in fear and insecurity as somewhere we know that we are ignorant of the truth of our very own existence. That fact is that we are here on earth only to realise our own freedom and enlightenment and in doing that we simultaneously help and inspire each other to achieve it as well. ME: It seems that we are all so busy cultivating tremendous activity on the level of mind. Can you suggest some productive ways of slowing the mind so that the higher states of awareness and consciousness can take root in the place of such frenzied activity? LC: It is a colossal work to overcome duality and the constant chit-chatt of the mind. Mind is active, filled with plans and hopes because it is fundamentally dissatisfied and it knows that it is living in ignorance of the truth of existence, of Oneness. We've seen duality or separation arise even in the contexts of Yoga and Meditation. We've seen so-called "holy wars" where people kill each other in the name of religion, forgetting that the heart of their religion is that we are all brothers and sisters, that we are all One, that we are all responsible for the well-being of everyone. This is an undeniable fact. Duality creates mental activity and ignorance. Oneness will pacify this agitation, so that one can function from a level of Oneness, a very different level and experience, as it is coming through a transformed mind. A first step to transforming this duality is to begin the practice of meditation. Daily periods of introspection and silence are important to pacify the mind and its trivial concerns, to change the level of our awareness from superficial to spiritual. With this daily practice of meditation we want to read books that will inspire us to understand further how the mind works and how to help it become more truthful and at peace. I also find that a vegetarian diet creates a healthier body, which has more vitality, and which is helpful for meditation. Of course, living with awareness includes compassion, and anyone who visits a slaughterhouse will think twice before encouraging further the cruelty that the meat industry practices. So a vegetarian regime helps us, the animals, and reduces dramatically the taxing effect that the animal industry has on the planet. ME: There is a lot of reference to the absence of desires.
Does this mean that we are to become completely desireless and without
ambition? How does this relate to the prevailing human need for economic
security and financial progress? The scriptures tell the story of a dog chasing its tail. Chasing desires is similar, we never achieve happiness and satisfaction through trying to fulfil our desires because it is neither in objects nor in the outer world that satisfaction resides. So the dog keeps on chasing and never catches its tail. Even the wealthiest have no guarantees that they will die fulfilled and happy. When we finally understand that fulfilling our materialistic desires won't ever satisfy us, at least not on a permanent basis, then we learn to enjoy the simple things in life, to value our families, our friends and what we already have, and to realise that happiness is within. Of course, this does not mean that we stop working, nor give up our relationships; it refers to a fundamental state of consciousness, where mind is at peace with itself. Once at peace with itself mind stops hankering and struggling for more and more, then we have more energy for the present moment and are able to enjoy our life as it unfolds with greater appreciation and creativity. Actions are then performed with greater ease and freedom. ME: If one desires to become desireless, isn't this a desire? Can it slow the progress of a serious seeker to covet desirelessness? LC: The one desire that is useful is the one to live with awareness, with Oneness, and that is a desire that is towards the spirit, and not the material world. That will never disappoint us. Spirit stays with us. As I mentioned earlier, a peaceful and transformed mind comes with us wherever we go, and we can easily share it, so it becomes a win-win situation for all. It is very different from wanting ego gratification through worldly thrills and name and fame; the spirit inherently knows the difference. ME: If this state is achieved, or seems to be achieved by the one seeking it, can it lead to pride and a feeling of superiority over other poor mortals who have not yet reached this level of awareness? LC: This is why we need to be vigilant and keep our own ego in check. Patanjali says that we need supreme disinterestedness even towards the subtlest of powers if we want to achieve a free state of mind. So the seeker or teacher has to remain humble at heart. He is to become like a servant of humanity, his words and actions become an inspiration for one and all, yet he remains in a seat of humility, which occurs naturally in a true seeker or teacher who has done his own inner work. ME: Once the highest state is achieved, does it necessarily lead to the desire to be a teacher or guru? LC: I can imagine that, whether one is in the active role of being a teacher or not, their very presence will be a source of inspiration for one and all. Even as we grow as meditators, we offer that much to the world. Everyone benefits from the company of aware beings. But the tangible role may vary according to each one's destiny. ME: I understand that this CD and booklet are together just one chapter out of four of the complete Patanjali Yog Darshan. Can we look forward to three other chapters in the same format? LC: Yes, we intend to produce the other 3 chapters, but have no official date in mind. We have all the material though, so once the appropriate time comes, it should not take too long in the making. ME: Lynne, thank you so much for your time in sharing this infinite wisdom with us. I personally remember our many happy hours together when you would sing and hum these simple yet profound little sūtras softly to yourself and I longed to have that same intimate knowledge of them. You and your fellow artists have done a great service to all seekers of divine knowledge in interpreting and simplifying them for us and making them so available at such a reasonable price. On their behalf, I say thank you very much! We look forward with great anticipation to future works on the other chapters of Patanjali's Yog Sūtras. Namaste. Mary Elford is a Yoga and Meditation instructor from
Stratford, Ontario, Canada. She can be reached at: elford1250@rogers.com |
