Integrating Ancient Wisdom in Modern Life: Discretion, Austerity and Continuous Practice
- Yoga is to control the functioning of the mind. We have our thoughts, emotions, feelings and conditionings in the mind. According to the Yoga Sutra there are three stages of Mental transformation.
- Whole existence is the play of Prakriti. It is created from three Gunas. Sattva – Balance, Rajas – Karma and Tams – Dullness. Mind is also created from three gunas. Each individual will have a different permutation and combination of these three gunas, which determines behaviour and thinking pattern. Human beings have a capacity to change existing permutation and combination.
- Mind also carries innumerable memories and impressions. There are two types of impressions: tendency and retirement. When there is imbalance in tendency and retirement, to balance tendency and retirement Pure Consciousness takes birth and calls them Avatar, Incarnations.
- Everyone has both a fluctuating and restrained mind, both are needed to live in the world for self-realisation. With Discretion, Austerity and Continuous Practice one will master where to focus and which Guna to give priority to.
- Stage 1: Continuous Practise of first five limbs helps to restrain the mind. Seeker who has mastered the art of focusing and which Guna to give priority to will be able to balance and transform fluctuating mind to restrained mind. Result will be that our behaviour will be calm but our both minds are still swinging and fighting, without impulsiveness and with essential thoughts.
- Stage 2: Continuous Practise of Last three limbs helps to attain Samadhi. Yogi with self-control brings down his essential thoughts to a single point object or thought and transforms a restrained mind to concentration, ready for Samadhi. Now behaviour and thoughts will be stable and in control of the Yogi. No swings or fighting between the thoughts. Seed of a deep tendency’s impression will still be there. It will react when time or circumstances permit them.
- Stage 3: Continuous Practise on SIngle pointed object or thought Sage can realise continuum of past and new object. It’s like the flame of a candle one goes and immediately exactly similar another comes, a common man thinks it is the same flame. But Sage realised it’s two different flames and transformed impressions of deep tendency’s Seeds into infertile ones. Now behaviour, thoughts and impressions all will be still. So one will now grow into Self-Wisdom without any outer or inner conflict.
- With the transformation of mind in three stages sage will be ready for Nir-beej Samadhi as now he is totally absorbed in himself to attend Universal-Wisdom.
