On its own, citta
does not have any form or movement. It
is the energy field or matrix in which all of the mind's movements arise.
Yoga is the process
of becoming aware of the fact that we're in a movie theater looking at a screen
with projections on it.
The word
"klesha" is often translated as "error, distortion, or mental
affliction". In fact, the word
comes from a Sanskrit root meaning "to twist", and it refers to what
happens to the mind as it comes to be exposed to the world of the senses. The "affliction" is the twist the
mind puts on experience that confuses our awareness of ourselves as pure
consciousness. Avidya is when the mind
starts to think that its own "twisted" perception of reality is all
that is.
Karma works by a
pattern of chain reaction. The kleshas ["twisted" perceptions]
motivate actions, and the resulting reactions are experienced in this life or a
future life, generating new kleshas.
All life's
experiences create suffering. This is
because all experiences in life are subject to the constant shifting of the
gunas, the primary forces of nature. Our
experiences create reactions in us, and these reactions, which are the vritti
[activity of the mind], lead us back into the cycle of consequences.
When the buddhi
loses touch with Spirit for whatever reason, it can get stuck in repetitive,
reactive patterns that are caused by memory and the ego's need for
stability. This is called dukkha. Dukkha is what we call "suffering",
and it is optional because we have the potential, through yoga, to reconnect
with Spirit.
Asana prepares the
body for working with the breath; quiet and controlled breath helps us to
withdraw the senses, which helps us focus the mind.
The eight limbs [of
yoga] are both a sequential system and a holistic practice.
The yamas are
principles of self-regulation that help us to deprogram the habitual patterns
that mind develops in its misguided attempts to find security.
When you recognize a
challenge and accept it as your karma, you can stop struggling with it and
start living in alignment with your dharma.
"Karma"
refers to the activities and experiences of your life. It is all the challenges you face and the
actions you take in response to those challenges.
"Dharma"
refers to the structure of your life, including your family, nationality,
cultural milieu, national skill set, and other circumstances, all of which give
rise to your path and purpose in life.
Discipline without
surrender only leads back to struggle.
Pranayama has three
phases: the inhale, which brings energy
into the body; the exhale, which moves energy out of the body; and retention or
pause, which develops energy within the body.
The ego has to let
go of the thought that it is in charge of things, including the practices and
the effects of the practices. As soon as
we say, "I meditate, I receive the benefits, I am powerful because of the
practice," we have lost our connection to the experience, and we are just
doing tricks for show.
We do not own the
power of what arises in this most subtle aspect of the yoga practice.
By doing samyama on
udana vayu (the type of energy that flows up and out , away from the earth),
one becomes light and gains the ability to walk over mud, thorns, and objects
of that nature. This leads to the possibility
of levitation.
By doing samyama on
samana vayu (the type of energy that creates heat, fire, and metabolism), one
develops tejas, a protective magnetic radiance around the body.
Samyama is the
pathway by which we harness and focus that power back into our psychic centers,
the chakras, to transform the patterns that bind us.
When we are in a
state of samadhi, everything is perceived as it is, without any influences from
mental activity. It is natural, in
samadhi, to perceive this reality as a succession of moments and possibilities. When we practice samyama or these
moment-to-moment changes, we perceive our own background consciousness, and at
the same time, we witness the moment when actions start to arise.
The stories that
arise in our lives are the karma that we are here to experience.
Samskaras, or karmic
impressions, that are linked with memory persist and manifest at some point in
the future, whether in a different time or place or even in a different life.
Karma exists outside
of time and creates the samskaras that drive us in time.
As long as there are
samskaras, there will always be the desire for life to manifest.
Karma motivates
consciousness to manifest as life, so if we are living, we have karma to work
out.
