Integrating Ancient Wisdom in Modern Life: Bondage or Freedom
- Mind can be either the source of bondage or the source of freedom. Mind becomes the gate for this world, the entry; it can also become the exit. Yoga teaches us to use the mind because the mind itself is the problem, not its use or abuse. And remember, you cannot use the mind till you know how to be without the mind. Only people who know how to be without the mind, who have practised Yama and Niyama are capable of using the mind, otherwise the mind uses them.
- Yama and Niyama are morals and science that transcend body and mind. Yama, self-restraint; Niyama, fixed observance; brings understanding of organic unity between Body and Mind; Surrounding and Self. The organic unity between Body and Mind holds the potential for growing consciousness.
- Technology comes from the mind, and religious technology also comes from the mind – yoga, mantra, yantra. Yoga means body postures, which can help you to go deep inside yourself; they are created by the mind. That is religious technology. With this technology yogi transcend the very nature of the mind to be tense, to be in confusion. Mind can never be clear, it cannot have clarity, because the mind by nature is confused, cloudy which comes from various sources: birth impressions, family impressions, karma impressions and ego. Clarity is possible with Yama and Niyama and Yogis developed the concept of Pratipaksa Bhavna to overcome the inherent negative thoughts and emotions such as anger, greed, pride, sadness, worry, and tension etc which are obstacles and create misery. With Pratipaksa Bhavna self-satisfaction arises. It brings silence to us.
- Regular and consistent practise of Pratipaksa Bhavna with awareness, understanding and reminding oneself is the compound path to shifting perspective from suffering and limitation to the infinite joy of the present moment. In the present moment you are in tune with your consciousness and self-affection. Only one thing is eternally true, and that is your consciousness. If you can bring your consciousness to the present, you cannot go wrong.
- Pratipaksha Bhavana is a beautiful and challenging mind practice. This powerful technique has the potential to shift the energies and align them in such a way that in every situation only goodness and positivity is read and picked up. Regular practise that can be easily implemented if one has any violent, negative or untrue thoughts enter the mind then one can begin to create opposite thoughts of non-violence, true and amicable thoughts. This particular practise requires consistent effort and time to make it a habit and regular way of thinking.
