Patanjali
Patanjali
(“PATANJALI IS THE GREATEST scientist of the inner. His approach is
that of a scientific mind: he is not a poet. And in that way he is very rare,
because those who enter into the inner world are almost always poets, those who
enter into the outer world are always almost scientists.
Patanjali is a rare flower. He has a scientific mind, but his journey is inner. That's why he became the first and the last word: he is the alpha and the omega. For five thousand years nobody could improve upon him. It seems he cannot be improved upon. He will remain the last word -- because the very combination is impossible. To have a scientific attitude and to enter into the inner is almost an impossible possibility. He talks like a mathematician, a logician. He talks like Aristotle and he is a Heraclitus.”
Patanjali is a rare flower. He has a scientific mind, but his journey is inner. That's why he became the first and the last word: he is the alpha and the omega. For five thousand years nobody could improve upon him. It seems he cannot be improved upon. He will remain the last word -- because the very combination is impossible. To have a scientific attitude and to enter into the inner is almost an impossible possibility. He talks like a mathematician, a logician. He talks like Aristotle and he is a Heraclitus.”
-OSHO - Yoga: The Alpha and the Omega)
Patanjali, the father of yoga
Not much is known
about the author, Patanjali, but he is often regarded as "the
father of yoga." Yogis are thankful that he took the time
to record the sutras to be passed down through the generations.
Every yoga system in existence has roots in Patanjali's teachings.
( “When you
are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all
your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your
consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great
and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive,
and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed
yourself to be.” ― Patanjali)
Yoga is the
ancient art and science offered to the humanity by the great Indian
saints and sages of the past. It is the greatest blessing and boon to the
mankind. Yoga is above time, place and race. Millions of people are
practicing yoga in India and across the world and its importance is
growing every day. Yoga was there from the time the human first tried to know
the unknown. In ancient India, the path of Yoga used to be taught, practiced
and followed by specific groups among the saints and sages at different parts
of India. It was sage Patanjali who collated, coordinated and systematized
yoga, in his classical work, The Yoga Sutras, which consists of 185 terse
aphorisms. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is considered to be prime source
material for the study of Yoga even today.
Yoga has
been defined by many in different ways. Some say, Yoga is the Union
of the Individual Soul and the Supreme Universal Soul. Some others call it the
process of knowing the unknown with the known. Sage Patanjali defined
it as «Yogah Chitta Vrrtti Nirodhah» which means «Yoga is the Cessation of
Mind».
The Yoga Sutras
Quotes
“Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by
cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight
in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked.”
“Yoga is the cessation of the movements of the
mind. Then there is abiding in the Seer's own form.”
“It is only when the correct practice is
followed for a long time, without interruptions and with a quality of positive
attitude and eagerness, that it can succeed.”
“With this truth bearing light will begin a
new life. Old unwanted impressions are discarded and we are protected from the
damaging effects of new experiences.”
Yoga is the
cessation of mind.
This is Patanjali's
definition. When there is no mind, you are in yoga; when there is mind you are
not in yoga. So you may do all the postures, but if the mind goes on
functioning, if you go on thinking, you are not in yoga. Yoga is the state of
no-mind. If you can be without the mind without doing any posture, you have
become a perfect yogi. It has happened to many without doing any postures, and
it has not happened to many who have been doing postures for many lives.
Because the basic
thing to be understood is: when the activity of thinking is not there, you are
there; when the activity of the mind is not there, when thoughts have
disappeared, they are just like clouds, when they have disappeared, your being,
just like the sky, is uncovered. It is always there -- only covered with the
clouds, covered with thoughts.
When the mind
ceases, the witness is established in itself. When you can simply look without
being identified with the mind, without judging, without appreciating,
condemning, without choosing -- you simply look and the mind flows, a time
comes when by itself, of itself, the mind stops.
When there is no
mind, you are established in your witnessing. Then you have become a witness --
just a seer-a drashta, a sakchhi. Then you are not a doer, then you are not a
thinker. Then you are simply being pure being, purest of being. Then the
witness is established in itself.
OSHO - Yoga is the cessation of Mind.
Yoga is the state
of no-mind. The word "mind" covers all -- your egos, your desires,
your hopes, your philosophies, your religions, your scriptures.
"Mind" covers all. Whatsoever you can think is mind. All that is
known, all that can be known, all that is knowable, is within
mind. Cessation of the mind means cessation of the known, cessation
of the knowable. It is a jump into the unknown. When there is no mind, you are
in the unknown. Yoga is a jump into the unknown. It will not be right to say
"unknown"; rather, "unknowable".
What is the mind?
What the mind is doing there? What it is? Ordinarily we think that mind is
something substantial there inside the head. Patanjali doesn't agree -- and no
one who has ever known the insides of the mind will agree.
Modern science also doesn't agree. Mind is not something substantial
inside the head. Mind is just a function, just an activity.
You walk and I say
you are walking. What is walking? If you stop, where is walking? If you sit
down, where the walking has gone? Walking is nothing substantial; it is an
activity. So while you are sitting, no one can ask, "Where you have put
your walking? Just now you were walking, so where the walking has gone?"
You will laugh. You will say, "Walking is not something substantial, it is
just an activity. I can walk. I can again walk and I can stop. It is
activity."
Mind is also
activity, but because of the word "mind", it appears as if something
substantial is there. It is better to call it "minding" -- just like
"walking". Mind means "minding", mind means thinking. It is
an activity."
( Bodhidharma.
 |
| Bodhidharma |
Bodhidharma went to China, and the emperor of China went to see
him. And the emperor said, "My mind is very uneasy, very disturbed. You
are a great sage, and I have been waiting for you. Tell me what I should do to
put my mind at peace."
Bodhidharma said, "You don't do anything. First you bring your
mind to me." The emperor could not follow he said, "What do you
mean?" He said, "Come in the morning at four o'clock when nobody is
there. Come alone, and remember to bring your mind with you."
The emperor couldn't sleep the whole night. Many times he cancelled
the whole idea: "This man seems to be mad. What does he mean, 'Come with
your mind; don't forget?'" The man was so enchanting, so charismatic that
he couldn't cancel the appointment. As if a magnet was pulling him, at four
o'clock he jumped out of the bed and said, "Whatsoever happens, I must go.
This man may have something; his eyes say that he has something. Looks a little
crazy, but still I must go and see what can happen."
So he reached, and Bodhidharma was sitting with his big staff. He said,
"So you have come? Where is your mind? Have you brought it or not?"
The emperor said, "You talk nonsense. When I am here my mind is
here, and it is not something which I can forget somewhere. It is in me."
So Bodhidharma said, "Okay. So the first thing is decided -- that the mind
is within you." The emperor said, "Okay, the mind is within me."
Bodhidharma said, "Now close your eyes and find out where it is. And if
you can find out where it is, immediately indicate to me. I will put it at
peace."
So the emperor closed his eyes, tried and tried, looked and looked.
The more he looked, the more he became aware there is no mind, mind is an activity. It is not
something there so you can pinpoint it. But the moment he realized that it is
not something, then the absurdity of his quest became exposed to himself. If it
is not something, nothing can be done about it. If it is an activity, then
don't do the activity; that's all. If it is like walking, don't walk.
He opened his eyes. He bowed down to Bodhidharma and said,
"There is no mind to be found." Bodhidharma said, "Then I have
put it at peace. And whenever you feel that you are uneasy, just look within,
where that uneasiness is." The very look is anti-mind, because look is not
a thinking. And if you look intensely your whole energy becomes a look, and the
same energy becomes movement and thinking. – OSHO)
YOGA IS THE
CESSATION OF MIND.
This
is Patanjali's definition. When there is no mind, you are in yoga; when there
is mind you are not in yoga. So you may do all the postures, but if the mind
goes on functioning, if you go on thinking, you are not in yoga. Yoga is the state of no-mind. If you
can be without the mind without doing any posture, you have become a perfect
yogi. It has happened to many without doing any postures, and it has not
happened to many who have been doing postures for many lives.
Because the basic
thing to be understood is: when the activity of thinking is not there, you are
there; when the activity of the mind is not there, when thoughts have
disappeared, they are just like clouds, when they have disappeared, your being,
just like the sky, is uncovered. It is always there -- only covered with the
clouds, covered with thoughts.
When the mind
ceases, the witness is established in itself. When you can simply look without
being identified with the mind, without judging, without appreciating,
condemning, without choosing -- you simply look and the mind flows, a time
comes when by itself, of itself, the mind stops.
When there is no
mind, you are established in your witnessing. Then you have become a witness --
just a seer-a drashta, a sakchhi. Then you are not a doer, then you are not a
thinker. Then you are simply being pure being, purest of being. Then the
witness is established in itself.
YogaSutra
Yoga as a
system of thought and practice has a primary reference to the philosophical
system that flows from the teachings of the ancient Indian Yoga philosopher,
Patanjali. Maharishi Patanjali is believed to have compiled his Yoga Sutra
around the 3rd or 4th century BC but archeological evidences and the study of
ancient scriptures suggest that yoga was practiced in ancient India as early as
3000 BC.
In spite of the Yoga Sutra being by far the most definitive text on the philosophy of classical yoga, very little is known about Patanjali himself. In fact, the identity of this sage-scholar is still being debated in academic circles. All that one might say about him is that he was a great philosopher and grammarian. Some also believe him to have been a physician and attribute a certain medical work to him. But even if such a medical treatise did exist, it has been lost to us through the passage of time. Scholars tentatively put his time somewhere around three centuries before Christ and though the date of the Yoga Sutra's composition is also a controversial issue, place it within that broad time frame.
Unlike Western theoretical texts, which are often self-explanatory, Indian classical texts are mostly composed in the form of extremely terse and self-contained aphorisms or sutras. Sutras literally mean 'threads'—the idea being that each individual blossoms of thought are bound together to form the eventual wreath of a complex philosophy. Such pithy aphorisms, by their very nature invite a host of commentaries and annotations for their appropriate comprehension by the average learner—and that has been the tradition of ancient Indian scholasticism.
In spite of the Yoga Sutra being by far the most definitive text on the philosophy of classical yoga, very little is known about Patanjali himself. In fact, the identity of this sage-scholar is still being debated in academic circles. All that one might say about him is that he was a great philosopher and grammarian. Some also believe him to have been a physician and attribute a certain medical work to him. But even if such a medical treatise did exist, it has been lost to us through the passage of time. Scholars tentatively put his time somewhere around three centuries before Christ and though the date of the Yoga Sutra's composition is also a controversial issue, place it within that broad time frame.
Unlike Western theoretical texts, which are often self-explanatory, Indian classical texts are mostly composed in the form of extremely terse and self-contained aphorisms or sutras. Sutras literally mean 'threads'—the idea being that each individual blossoms of thought are bound together to form the eventual wreath of a complex philosophy. Such pithy aphorisms, by their very nature invite a host of commentaries and annotations for their appropriate comprehension by the average learner—and that has been the tradition of ancient Indian scholasticism.
Benefits
Yoga is a complete
philosophy of life based on scientific principles and it can be used
effectively for Self Healing and Self Realization. Yoga is not a mere exercise
technique. Rather, it is a tool that unites our mind, body, and soul assisting
one on a journey to reaching the profound state of Self Realization. It brings
discipline in life and works upon our system rather than our symptoms. The
therapeutic use of Yoga is in removing toxins from the body and nourishing it
with the support of right food.
The benefits of
Yoga can be divided into two parts: Physical and Spiritual. First, we bring the
physical body in perfect shape by performing Yoga Pranayam and Asanas thus
making the muscles flexible and getting more energy into the body. Second,
through a regular practice of Yoga, Ayurved, and having a balanced living a
complete integration of body and mind is achieved, which helps improve the
quality of life. Finally, we achieve complete physical, mental, and spiritual
health and well-being by balancing reproductive, excretory, skeletal,
circulatory, respiratory, nervous, and endocrinal systems
(“Yoga is the
cessation of the movements of the mind. Then there is abiding in the Seer's own
form.”)
Swayambhu Patanjali
In the Indian tradition,
Patanjali is said to be self-born, swayambhu. He was a highly-evolved soul who
incarnated of his own will in a human form to help humanity.
He is also considered
an incarnation of Ananta, the source of all wisdom (Jnana) and of Shesha, the
thousand-headed ruler of the serpent race, which is thought to guard
the hidden treasures of the earth. Ananta depicts a couch on
which God Vishnu reclines. He is the Lord of serpents and his many
heads symbolize Infinity or Omnipresence. Many yogis bow to Ananta before they
begin their daily yogic practice.
In one of the legends, it is said that Lord Vishnu was
seated on Adishesha, the Lord of serpents as His couch, watching the enchanting
dance of Lord Shiva. Lord Vishnu was so totally absorbed in the dance of Lord
Shiva, that His body began to vibrate to its rhythm. This vibration made Him
heavier and heavier, causing Adishesha to feel so uncomfortable that he was
gasping for breath and was on the point of collapse. The moment the dance came
to an end, Lord Vishnu’s body became light again. Adishesha was amazed and
asked his master the cause of these stupendous changes. The Lord explained that
the grace, beauty, majesty and grandeur of Lord Shiva’s dance had created
corresponding vibrations in His own body, making it heavy. Marvelling at this,
Adishesha professed a desire to learn dance so as to exalt his Lord. Vishnu
then became thoughtful, and predicted that soon Lord Shiva would grace
Adishesha to write a commentary on grammar, and that he would then also be able
to devote himself to perfection in the art of dance. Adishesha was overjoyed by
these words and looked forward to the descent of Lord Shiva’s grace.
Adishesha then began to meditate to ascertain who would be his
mother on earth. In meditation, he had the vision of a yogini by the name of
Gonika who was praying for a worthy son to whom she could impart her knowledge
and wisdom. He at once realized that she would be a worthy mother for him, and
awaited an auspicious moment to become her son.
Gonika, thinking that her earthly life was approaching its end, and
that her desire of finding a worthy son would remain unfulfilled; now, as a
last resort looked to the Sun God, the living witness of God on earth and
prayed to Him to fulfil her desire. She took a handful of water as a final
oblation to Him, closed her eyes and meditated on the Sun. As she was about to
offer the water, she opened her eyes and looked at her palms. To her surprise,
she saw a tiny snake moving in her palms, who soon took on a human form. This
tiny male human being prostrated to Gonika and asked her to accept him as her
son. This she did and named him Patanjali because her hands had been in the
prayerful gesture (anjali) and he had fallen (pat) from heaven.
Another incidence is said to have happened in Chidambaram (also
known as Thillai ) located about a hundred miles from Madras. Chidambaram is
considered to be one of the holiest temples in India. In this temple, Lord
Nataraja is present in his cosmic-dancing form. The story goes that once in
Darukavanam, Shiva wished to teach a lesson to the Rishis who were proud of
their learning. Shiva took the form of a mendicant with a begging bowl in hand,
accompanied by Vishnu disguised as Mohini. The rishipatnis (wives of
the Rishis) were attracted by the sight of this beautiful pair.
The Rishis grew angry and tried to destroy the pair. They performed
a sacrificial fire and raised a tiger from the fire, which sprang at Shiva.
Shiva pealed off the skin of the tiger and wrapped it round his waist. Then
again the Rishis sent a poisonous serpent and Shiva tied it round his neck.
Then the Rishis sent against Shiva an Apasmara Purusha, Muyalaka, whom Lord
Shiva crushed by pressing him to the ground with his foot.
At this, the Rishis confessed defeat and Shiva started to dance
before all the Gods and Rishis. Lord Adishesha heard the description of Shiva’s
dance at Darukavanam from Vishnu and requested Vishnu to allow him to witness
the dance himself. Vishnu agreed to this. Adishesha performed penance and
prayed to Shiva to allow him to see the dance. Being pleased with his
penance, Shiva appeared to him and promised that he would dance at Tillai
(Chidambaram). Accordingly, Adishesha was born as a human being, as Patanjali,
and went to the forest of Tillai.
Shiva (Nataraja) then performed the Ananda Tandavam, i.e. the Dance
of Bliss, in the presence of all the Gods and Rishis, and at the same time
fulfilling the wish of his devotee Patanjali by allowing them to witness it and
thus satisfying him.
Definition
and Heart of Yoga
“Yoga has brought
me closer to myself. It’s helped me realize the interconnectedness of the mind,
body and spirit, in the Buddhist sense of the word” ~ Christy
Turlington
“Be a lamp to
yourself. Be your own confidence. Hold on to the truth within yourself as to
the only truth.” ~ Buddha
Although the
history of yoga stems back to ancient India, Hinduism and Buddhism, the
benefits of its practice are as needed in today's fast paced world as they were
then. As your physical and mental wellbeing are important to us at Rendezvous,
we run yoga classes at sunrise and sunset, making them the most relaxing yoga
holidays in the Caribbean.
Yoga is of great
benefit both mentally and physically. For the body it promotes flexibility,
strength, muscle tone, pain prevention and better breathing. Mentally it has
been proved to increase mental calmness, reduce stress and increase your
awareness of your own body.
The overall
benefit is immense and whether you are a first timer or a regular, we will
welcome you.
Patanjali Quotes
“Undisturbed
calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy,
compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward
the wicked.”
“For those who have an intense urge for Spirit
and wisdom, it sits
near them, waiting.”
near them, waiting.”
“Yoga
is the cessation of the movements of the mind. Then there is abiding in the
Seer's own form.”
“Everything
is sorrow for the wise.”
“It is only when the correct practice is
followed for a long time, without interruptions and with a quality of positive
attitude and eagerness, that it can succeed.”
“With this truth bearing light will begin a
new life. Old unwanted impressions are discarded and we are protected from the
damaging effects of new experiences.”
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