#non-attachment vairagya

[pgoodnight]

Sublime is the Spontaneous - Osho

There are two kinds of non-attachment: the ordinary and the sublime. That attitude of non-attachment to the objects of desire in which the seeker knows that he is neither the doer nor the enjoyer, neither the restrained nor the restrainer, is called ordinary non-attachment. He knows that whatever faces him in this life is the result of the deeds of his past life. Whether in pleasure or in pain,…

[radical-revolution]

Vairagya and Abhyasa – How to Deal with the Stormy Mind

Sutras 12 through 16 of Book One of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Yoga Sutras 1:12. Their suppression [is brought about] by persistent practice [abhyasa] and non-attachment [vairagya].

Two things are needed for the ending of mental modifications. One is abhyasa–sustained spiritual practice. This is why Krishna speaks of abhyasa yoga. The other is purely psychological: vairagya. A Brief Sanskrit Glossary defines vairagya as:“Non-attachment; detachment; dispassion; absence of desire; disinterest; or indifference. Indifference towards and disgust for all worldly things and enjoyments.”

What is “Practice” (Abhyasa)?

13. Abhyasa is the effort for being firmly established in that state [of chitta-vritti-nirodha].

Jnaneshvara Bharati expands on this, saying: “Abhyasa means choosing, applying the effort, and doing those actions that bring a stable and tranquil state.” Shankara simply says that abhyasa consists of the observance of yama and niyama, which are to be discussed later on.

14. It [abhyasa] becomes firmly grounded on being continued for a long time, without interruption and with reverent devotion.

Vyasa: “Carried through with austerity, with brahmacharya, with knowledge and with faith, in reverence it becomes firmly grounded.”

Shankara: “Unless it is for a long time, and unless it is uninterrupted, the practice does not become firmly grounded.”

What is “non-attachment” (Vairagya)?

15. The consciousness of perfect mastery [of desires] in the case of one who has ceased to crave for objects, seen or unseen, is Vairagya.

Sri Ramakrishna said: “A certain woman said to her husband: ‘So-and-so has developed a spirit of great dispassion for the world, but I don’t see anything of the sort in you. He has sixteen wives. He is giving them up one by one.’ The husband, with a towel on his shoulder, was going to the lake for his bath. He said to his wife: ‘You are crazy! He won’t be able to give up the world. Is it ever possible to renounce bit by bit? I can renounce. Look! Here I go.’ He didn’t stop even to settle his household affairs. He left home just as he was, the towel on his shoulder, and went away. That is intense renunciation.

Ramakrishna on Vairagya

“There is another kind of renunciation, called ‘markata vairagya,’ ‘monkey renunciation.’ A man, harrowed by distress at home, puts on an ochre robe and goes away to Benares. For many days he does not send home any news of himself. Then he writes to his people: ‘Don’t be worried about me. I have got a job here.”

Vairagya is not an on-and-off matter, but a permanent cessation of any desire for any object whatsoever. Vyasa says that one with true vairagya “is inwardly aware of the defects in objects by the power of his meditation.”

16. That is the highest Vairagya in which, on account of the awareness of the Purusha, there is cessation of the least desire for the Gunas.

The preceding sutra was about vairagya in relation to objects. This goes further and speaks of dispassion-desirelessness is relation to the three modes of Prakriti, the gunas. These are discussed at length in the Bhagavad Gita, but simply put they are the three modes of energy behavior–qualities of energy. A Brief Sanskrit Glossary defines guna as: “Quality, attribute, or characteristic arising from nature (Prakriti) itself; a mode of energy behavior.

As a rule, when “guna” is used it is in reference to the three qualities of Prakriti, the three modes of energy behavior that are the basic qualities of nature, and which determine the inherent characteristics of all created things. They are:

sattwa–purity, light, harmony;

rajas–activity, passion; and

tamas–dullness, inertia, and ignorance.”

There can be attachment to the qualities of subtlety, intelligence, and purity (sattwa), of effectiveness and efficiency and mastery (rajas), and stability and steadiness (tamas). But these, too, are illusory like other objects.

However such vairagya does not come from insight into the nature of objects or gunas but from knowing the Self. Only when we enter fully into the Self will all desire of any kind cease. For that reason Self-knowledge or atma-jnana should be our aim at all times, for that alone will eliminate all that stands between us and perfect freedom (moksha or jivanmukti).

***This article is an excerpt from Swami Nirmalananda’s commentary on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras Yoga: Science of the Absolute

[spiritualsoul1969]

Vairagya: The Path of Detachment and Liberation

Saint Muktabai’s doha on vairagya (detachment) unveils a profound spiritual truth. "Vairagya ka maarg chale, saadhu vahi mahaan. Prabhu charnon mein jo rame, paaye nirvaan." This means that one who walks the path of detachment is a great saint, and those who immerse themselves in the feet of the Lord attain nirvana.

This doha is a clarion call for spiritual seekers who strive to move beyond the distractions and attachments of worldly life. In the realm of spirituality, vairagya is not merely renouncing the material, but an inner journey of transcending desires, fears, and ego. It is the understanding that worldly pleasures are temporary and that true fulfillment lies in connecting with the divine.

Understanding Vairagya: Detachment, Not Escape

Detachment is often misunderstood as abandoning responsibilities or running away from worldly life. But Sant Muktabai’s wisdom reflects a deeper, more meaningful interpretation. Vairagya is a state of mind where one is no longer a slave to external situations. The saint who walks this path is not someone who escapes life but someone who rises above its entanglements.

In a materialistic world, we often believe happiness is found in accumulation—of wealth, relationships, and achievements. However, Sant Muktabai reminds us that true greatness lies in releasing our grip on these things. The ultimate joy and peace that we seek do not stem from external success, but from an internal state of liberation, which happens when we "dwell in the feet of the Lord"—when we anchor ourselves in the divine and let go of fleeting pleasures and temporary attachments.

The Greatness of a Saint: Internal Liberation

A saint is not someone who lives in isolation from society. Sant Muktabai’s interpretation of a “great saint” is one who lives in the world but is not of the world. They navigate life with a heart free from desire, a mind free from ego, and a soul that dwells in divine love. They achieve true greatness not through external accolades but through their internal liberation.

This detachment is not an act of denying the world, but of seeing it for what it truly is—a transient illusion. The saint who walks the path of vairagya has discovered the divine within and understands that attachment to material things leads to suffering. Their detachment opens the door to nirvana, or spiritual liberation, which is not some far-off place but a state of being where peace, bliss, and unity with the divine are constant companions.

The Power of Dwelling at the Lord's Feet

The doha also speaks of immersing oneself at the Lord's feet. This is symbolic of surrender, devotion, and a deep connection with the divine. By surrendering the ego and accepting the grace of the divine, we experience the truth of our existence. In this surrender, we release the need to control life and instead trust in the divine flow.

Those who "dwell at the Lord’s feet" understand that their true nature is not defined by external circumstances but by their spiritual essence. By centering themselves in the divine, they transcend worldly distractions and attain nirvana—a state of eternal peace and freedom.

A Practical Toolkit for Daily Vairagya

How can one practice vairagya and attain spiritual freedom in daily life? Here’s a practical toolkit to incorporate this wisdom into your routine:

Morning Reflection: Begin each day with 10 minutes of quiet reflection or meditation. Focus on releasing your attachment to specific outcomes or desires for the day. Visualize yourself as an observer, watching life unfold without needing to control or cling to it.

Gratitude for the Present Moment: Throughout the day, whenever you feel stress or anxiety, pause and take a moment to practice gratitude for the present moment. Acknowledge that everything you need for peace exists right now. Detach from the need for things to be different.

Non-Attachment to Results: In your work, relationships, and daily tasks, remind yourself that your worth is not tied to the results. Do your best, but let go of the need for specific outcomes. Trust that the divine has a greater plan.

Surrender Practice: Set aside time each evening to reflect on any fears, worries, or attachments that surfaced during the day. Consciously surrender these to the divine. Imagine placing them at the Lord’s feet, letting go of control and embracing trust.

Detach from Materialism: Choose one day a week to practice minimalism. Refrain from excessive consumption, whether in the form of material goods, social media, or other distractions. Use this time to reconnect with your inner self and your relationship with the divine.

Seek the Company of the Wise: Surround yourself with individuals who embody the values of detachment, simplicity, and spiritual growth. Engage in conversations that uplift your soul and remind you of life’s higher purpose.

Daily Affirmation: Start each day with an affirmation such as, “I release my attachment to outcomes and trust in the divine flow of life.” This helps to reinforce a mindset of detachment and surrender.

Walk the Path of Vairagya

Walking the path of detachment, as Sant Muktabai teaches, is not easy, but it leads to the highest form of greatness—spiritual liberation. It requires us to rise above the ego and its attachments, to trust in the divine plan, and to surrender fully. When we dwell at the Lord’s feet, we step into a life of true peace, beyond the fleeting joys and sorrows of this world.

[pooma-satsangam]

Atharva Veda - Book 15 - Chapter 5

தமிழில்

Fearlessness (अभयं)

The nine types of fear from Bhartri Hari's Vairaagya Shatakam

In (excessive) enjoyment, there is the fear of diseases;

in family's pride, there is the fear of ill reputation;

in wealth, there is the fear of kings (now, government taxes);

in one's own self- respect, there the is fear of humiliation;

in power, there is the fear of adversaries;

in beauty, there is the fear of old age;

in erudite scholarship of the scriptures, there is the fear of (losing to) the opponents' arguments;

in being virtuous (good- natured), there is the fear of wicked people (misusing, cheating );

in body, there is the fear of death.

So, for the humans, everything on this earth has (one or the other) fear associated with it.

Therefore, vairagya, (dispassion and non attachment towards fame, honour, power and sensual enjoyment) alone ensures fearlessness.

This verse is quoted from Bhartri Hari's Vairagya Shatakam. The nine fears are:

1. Bhoge roga bhayam - Fear of illness leading to fear of not being able to use the body for pleasure and material pleasures.

2. Kule chyuthi bhayam Fear of - losing social status, fear of infamy.

3. Vitthe Nripaalaat bhayam - Fear of loss those who are in authority; fear of superiors.

4. Maane dainya-bhayam - fear of losing prestige of wealth; fear of poverty.

5. Ryeri - Bale ripu-bhayam - fear of enemies, fear of not being strong enough to face enemies.

6. Roope tarunyaa bhayam - fear of getting old (losing youthfulness and beauty).

7.- Shaastre vaada-bhayam - fear of contradiction of knowledge.

8. - Gune khala-bhayam - fear of being slandered by wicked persons.

9. - Kaaye kritaan-taad-bhayam - fear of dying, fear of death.

The only way to overcome these fears is: nrinaam vairagyam-eva-abhayam, that is dispassion or indifference to worldly things except being fearless.

அச்சமின்மை (अभयं)

பரத்ரி ஹரியின் வைராக்ய ஷதகத்திலிருந்து ஒன்பது வகையான பயங்கள்

(அதிகமான) இன்பத்தில், நோய்களின் பயம் உள்ளது;

குடும்பத்தின் பெருமையில், கெட்ட பெயரைப் பற்றிய பயம் உள்ளது;

செல்வத்தில், அரசர்களின் பயம் உள்ளது (இப்போது, ​​அரசாங்க வரிகள்);

ஒருவரின் சுய மரியாதையில், அவமானம் பயம் உள்ளது;

அதிகாரத்தில், எதிரிகளின் பயம் உள்ளது;

அழகில், முதுமை பயம் உள்ளது;

வேதங்களின் புலமை வாய்ந்த புலமையில், எதிராளிகளின் வாதங்களில் (தோல்வி) பயம் உள்ளது;

நல்லொழுக்கத்துடன் (நல்ல குணம்) இருப்பதில், துன்மார்க்கரின் பயம் (தவறாகப் பயன்படுத்துதல், ஏமாற்றுதல்);

உடலில் மரண பயம் உள்ளது.

எனவே, மனிதர்களைப் பொறுத்தவரை, இந்த பூமியில் உள்ள அனைத்தும் (ஒன்று அல்லது மற்றொன்று) அதனுடன் தொடர்புடையது.

எனவே, வைராக்கியம், (புகழ், கௌரவம், அதிகாரம் மற்றும் சிற்றின்ப இன்பம் ஆகியவற்றில் அக்கறையின்மை மற்றும் பற்றற்ற தன்மை) மட்டுமே அச்சமின்மையை உறுதி செய்கிறது.

இந்த வசனம் பரத்ரி ஹரியின் வைராக்ய ஷதகத்திலிருந்து மேற்கோள் காட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஒன்பது அச்சங்கள்:

1. போகே ரோக பயம் - நோயின் பயம், உடலை இன்பம் மற்றும் பொருள் இன்பங்களுக்கு பயன்படுத்த முடியாது என்ற பயத்திற்கு வழிவகுக்கிறது.

2. குலே ச்யுதி பயம் - சமூக அந்தஸ்தை இழப்பது, அவப்பெயர் பயம்.

3. விட்டே நிருபலாத் பயம் - அதிகாரத்தில் இருப்பவர்களுக்கு இழப்பு பயம்; மேலதிகாரிகளின் பயம்.

4. மானே தைன்ய-பயம் - செல்வத்தின் கௌரவத்தை இழக்கும் பயம்; வறுமை பயம்.

5. ரைரி - பலே ரிபு-பயம் - எதிரிகளின் பயம், எதிரிகளை எதிர்கொள்ளும் அளவுக்கு வலிமை இல்லாத பயம்.

6. ரூப் தருண்யா பயம் - முதுமை (இளமை மற்றும் அழகை இழக்கும்) பயம்.

7.- சாஸ்திரே வாத-பயம் - அறிவின் முரண்பாட்டின் பயம்.

8. - குணே கலா-பயம் - தீயவர்களால் அவதூறு செய்யப்படுமோ என்ற பயம்.

9. - காயே கிருதன்-தாத்-பயம் - மரண பயம், மரண பயம்.

இந்த அச்சங்களை வெல்வதற்கான ஒரே வழி: நிர்ணாம் வைராக்யம்-ஏவ-அபயம், அச்சமற்றதாக இருப்பதைத் தவிர உலக விஷயங்களில் அக்கறையின்மை அல்லது அலட்சியம்.

[shinymoonbird]

In the shade it is pleasant, in the sun it is scorching. We always have the freedom to turn within to see the light and thus enjoy the shade. When by force of old habit we wander out again, we say to Bhagavan, ‘That was only laya, I want nasa’, and he replies, ‘Turn again to the source and see if manyness exists there’. By repeatedly turning away consciously from the manyness in this way we come to see that it does not exist apart from us, and that it is therefore not something we need to fear. Some reach this realisation after just a few attempts, but for others it takes longer because their attention is not so sharp and clear.

The Paramount Importance of Self Attention, by Sadhu Om, as recorded by Michael James - Note of 19th December 1977

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Note: Dissolution of the mind can be laya - temporary, or nasa - permanent

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[templepurohit]

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4 Verse 18 - TemplePurohit.com karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed akarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu sa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt Word Meanings: karmani — in action; akarma — inaction; yah — one who; pasyet — observes; akarmani — in inaction; ca — also; karma — fruitive action; yah — one who; sah — he; buddhi-man — is intelligent; manusyesu — in human society; sah — he; yuktah — is in the transcendental position; krtsna-karma-krt — although engaged in all activities. Explanation: This verse gives an understanding of the truth of action and non-action. He is intelligent who sees that persons of pure heart fixed in knowledge like Janaka who do not renounce activity, but rather engage in action, in niskama karma yoga, do not accrue karma (akarma); and who sees that one who does not perform actions, renouncing actions as a sannyasi, being of impure heart without knowledge, though talking profusely of knowledge because of knowledge of scriptures, actually obtains bondage of karma leading to misery. He engages in all activities; he does not renounce action even through instructions or association of those who think themselves knowledgeable, talking a lot about jnana. The Bhagavatam says: yas tv asamyata-sad-vargah pracandendriya-sarathih jnana-vairagya-rahitas tri-dandam upajlvati suran atmanam atma-stham nihnute mam ca dharma-ha avipakva-kasayo ‘smad amusmac ca vihiyate One who has not controlled the six forms of illusion [lust, anger, greed, excitement, false pride and intoxication], whose intelligence, the leader of the senses, is extremely attached to material things, who is bereft of knowledge and detachment, who adopts the sannyasa order of life to make a living, who denies the worshipable demigods, his own self and the Supreme Lord within himself, thus ruining all religious principles, and who is still infected by material contamination, is deviated and lost both in this life and the next. SB 11.18.40-41 https://ift.tt/lBEC8ZL

[leannesimons]

My Journey to Santosha

Santosha is the second of the Niyamas of Patanjalis eight limbs of yoga, it roughly translates as contentment. In the beginning of this course this Niyama spoke to me in a way where I can learn and grow. In order to come closer to finding peace, Santosha is undeniably one of the most important practices to come back to consistently. We can easily practice Santosha in the beautiful moments and heartwarming happy experiences of our lives , however being true to Santosha(contentment) means we equally embrace the difficult moments as well. The peace of our minds can never rely on external circumstances, these circumstances are never the same, as they are continuously changing outside of our control. The areas I have come to contentment within my life have varied throughout this course and different moments throughout my lifetime. I don't believe I have fully reached Santosha, however I have improved in ways through my environment, physical and mental situations , and through myself.

One thing I've learned throughout this course and life is that it is constantly changing. Nature or prakriti is always evolving, the weather, the seasons, temperatures and life cycles are not the same. Realizing this, we come closer to Santosha (contentment) of our environment. This year has been a very huge adjustment for myself, I had to adjust and accept many changes since march of 2020. The world pandemic has put many people in a state of panic , including myself. With losing my job, physically getting sick and having a loss of human interactions, it has been very difficult to adjust. However although I still struggle with these from time to time , being in this course has brought a sense of peace and understanding to my life. When we understand that things are constantly changing , even in hard times we have to understand that these hard transitions with our environment will also change. It is not permanent. With that being said I believe it's been easier for me to practice Santosha within my surroundings.

Another thing that Santosha has taught me, is that the answer lies in non- attachment or " Vairagya" and appreciation of our true selves. Our ego experiences joy, pain, loss, desire, greed , and happiness, which we tend to become attached to. Many years of my life I've suffered from a condition called PMDD which in terms is called "Premenstrual dysphoric disorder " , this is a health problem that is similar to PMS but more serious. PMDD causes severe irritability, depression and anxiety in the week or two before the cycle starts. Although this is a chemical imbalance in my brain, knowing about it gives me contentment that eventually that too will pass as soon as my cycle is over. I am learning to not be attached to those feelings and irritability during these times every month.

Now let me ask you one thing, how often does the phrase " i'll be happy when..." cross your mind? Even if we are dedicated practising yogis , doing everything "right" there still may be a possible thought of " I'd be happier if.." I have also had this thought. I was constantly looking for the next best thing that promises to make my life better. I doubted my abilities and intuition. I am my biggest critic constantly nagging myself in my head that if only I was smarter, prettier ,stronger , then maybe just maybe i'll get that relationship i've always wanted or that job, maybe then people will look up to me , respect me more and admire the person I truly am and ill live happily ever after like in the story books I would read as a kid. I never once was content with who I was, and to this day I still struggle with many of these. However, as I am coming into my own I have learned to love myself a little more. I am content with who I am and even though I may have some of these lingering thoughts, I know overtime these will change.

In conclusion, Santosha or "contentment" doesn't mean idly sitting back and relinquishing the need to do anything. It simply means accepting and appreciating what we have and what we are already, and moving forwards from there. For me this Niyama truly spoke to me in all these different ways of my life, and although I am not fully content with many things , I am more compassionate to my surroundings, my situations and love for myself and who I am. I am truly grateful to have had such an amazing experience through such difficult times.I have gained a new appreciation for life and myself and will be forever grateful.

[mindfullofyoga]

Not Just What But Also How:

Style and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra

In the introduction to her translation of the Yoga Sutra, Barbara Stoler Miller includes a section devoted to discussing the style of the text – the use of language, 

the rhetorical devices, the rhythm, the tone. The section sits alongside other notes about the historical context of the production of the Sutras and its core philosophical tenets. This introduction points to the importance of considering not just the content but also the style of the Yoga Sutra, not just what information the text contains, but the manner in which it is written. According to Miller,

 “The Yoga Sutra is written in a simple, aphoristic style, which contrasts sharply with the rhetorical complexity of the commentaries. The language is spare and often extremely technical. There is a virtual absence of metaphors, and even similes are kept to a minimum.” (23)

Simple, spare, kept to a minimum. Miller emphasizes to her reader the importance of the stripped down quality of the Yoga Sutra’s style. This is not arbitrary, accidental, or a sign of a lack of poetic capacity on the author’s part. On the contrary, Miller goes on to interpret a possible reason for the simplicity of the writing in the Yoga Sutra:

“In the Yoga Sutra, the aim is not to make connections but to disengage the illusory connection between the spirit and nature. The minimalist aphorisms and the absence of metaphor underscore Patanjali’s central point that one must transcend all relational thinking in order to realize the isolation of absolute freedom.” (23-24)

In other words, the style of the writing reflects, and reinforces, the message which the text conveys. What the text says is reflected in how it is communicated. According to Miller, the Yoga Sutra’s style mimics its message. Simple, without unnecessary flourish, without convoluted connections detracted from the main point: freedom.

In the way in which it is written, the Yoga Sutra thus actually demonstrates one of the key teachings of that text, which is that style matters.

In I.14-15, the practice of yoga is described by abhyasa and vairagya, dedication and non-attachment: “The practice is firmly grounded when it is performed for a long time without interruption and with zeal. Dispassion is the sign of mastery over the craving for sensuous objects.” These principles name a way of doing things (not just things, but yoga). Dispassionately, yet with zeal. And the famous sutra II.46 actually explicitly defines asana in terms of style – sthira (steady), and sukham (joyful/easy/comfortable). Again, a way of doing (yoga) things where asana is literally defined not as the shape of the body but the style of the practice. Here too, it is not just about what you do, but how you do it.

This makes sense, when Gösta mentions that we might just as well be knitting as turning upside down during asana practice, or Patrick says that yoga is like baking (and eating) a cake. They too emphasize that yoga isn’t just in the what, it’s in the how.

Applying Miller’s observations about Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra to physical posture practice provides a great opportunity to learn what this great text has to teach through the style of its writing. What does it mean to practice yoga not just in terms of what the text says, but also the manner in which it is written? What does it mean to pay attention not only to what shapes the body makes on the mat but the manner in which it moves? What does it mean to consider not only what I do in a day but also the manner in which I take those actions? Experimenting with asana and daily life in the style of the Yoga Sutra - simple, without unnecessary flourish, without convoluted connections detracted from the main point. Freedom.

Work Cited:

Miller, Barbara Stoler. Yoga: Discipline of Freedom. The Yoga Sutra Attributed to Patanjali, Bantam Books, 1995.

Alex Niemeijer - Brown, teacher / lecturer  Svaha Yoga Amsterdam

[yogaadvise]

Words of comfort for yoga teachers

Finding your place

There are so numerous styles of yoga available to fit our ever-changing attention periods. We all want variety, all of us desire choices. The selection we have when picking an educator training program is astonishing. When you come to finish you might feel like you're combating a shedding battle, competing with what really feels like the other hundred yoga educators in your local location - each instructor apparently providing something various to you. Discovering your place in the yoga exercise 'sector' is challenging. If you wish to show, you need to run a company and also this can feel contradictory to all the principles of your yoga educator training. Yet it doesn't need to resemble that ...

What do students want?

Western society has transformed yoga exercise into a fitness trend. There isn't anything basically wrong with this, individuals can still profit of yoga, also if they are practicing entirely for the physical benefits. This might make it a lot more hard for 'traditional' yoga teachers that aren't providing things like goat yoga, or beer yoga classes to market their solutions, I think for every yoga exercise pupil, there is a yoga teacher out there.

What do you offer?

I discover that I vary between intending to enhance my course numbers (because my ego is telling me this is the proof I'm doing a great work) and also letting it all take place naturally. I have actually found that in some cases the much less I push my advertising, the much more pupils circulation through the door.

Teaching yoga exercise is a conundrum. Directly, I don't believe there is one way to ensure you consistently have strong course numbers. What I would recommend is that you remain genuine in what you instruct - whatever style of yoga this might be. If we take the stance that we remain unattached to our economic gain or just how numerous trainees go to class, we can teach from a much purer place. When we teach from our centre, we give out a certain energy which trainees select up on. Have you ever before done something that hasn't really felt right? Something that has left you worried? Have you had somebody notice a change in your practices as a result of this?

Well, this is what it's like when we show to please. We send a subtle message we're not being honest. Yoga is a lot larger than simply standing or remaining on our floor covering, bending and also bending ourselves into different forms. It's a technique made to tremble your extremely core.

Yoga is much bigger than just standing or resting on our mat, flexing as well as contorting ourselves right into various shapes. It's a technique designed to shake your extremely core.

Yoga aids us clear our minds from all the stress and anxiety and worries of our life so we can see the calm tranquility below. It's this serenity which is our true identity. We just shed touch with it due to the fact that of exterior distractions. It is necessary to bring this message with us into our teachings. If we overlook this and instruct in order to boost our organisation earnings, we're not providing our students the real message of yoga. We're not practicing Satya, reliability - among the Yamas in the eightfold course of yoga.

What it means to teach yoga

I find it really practical to keep in mind that it's a blessing to educate yoga. Yes, it's a business yet you don't need to get captured up in the material benefits such as earnings or course numbers. Practise 'Vairagya' (non-attachment) in concerns to these things. As Patanjali tells us in the Yoga exercise Sutras:

' The awareness of self-mastery in one that is complimentary from yearning from items seen or become aware of is non-attachment' (Book 1 Samadhi Pada, knowledgeable 15) *.

For anyone teaching or training to instruct yoga, your classes will suggest different things per and also each of you. Every class is a new challenge, a new experience as well as a true blessing. You will certainly never instruct two courses that equal. Every class is an all new existing minute to come to be absorbed in. It is this we ought to be accepting when mentor, not the product benefits.

Words of comfort

Never change that you are to impress another person. The exact same chooses just how you teach.

Never adjustment that you are to thrill somebody else. The exact same chooses how you teach.

As Donna Farhi says in her book, 'Bringing Yoga Exercise to Life' **:

' Are we faithful to the spirit of the teachings, or are we abusing the tradition for our own ends? ... We might be giving students practices for which they are unwell prepared in order to curry favour, like a parent dispensing sweet to a kid'

It's important we act properly in our mentor. Yoga exercise is a form of discipline as well as some people are not ready for it. They might come to one of your classes and also never ever return. Attempt not to take it directly. Donna Farhi supplies some words of comfort:

' It is easy to understand that we may concern feel endangered by the cusp of peacefulness, provided the unrelenting method in which a lot of us are pounded with stimulations throughout the training course of a normal day ... We may subconsciously see regimented practice or purchasing our lives as solemn compared to the apparently glittering destination of heading out to the films or to the mall ...'

Remember: students will find you for you. Equally as there are varying yoga exercise methods, pupils require equally as lots of varying instructors. You are special.

* The Yoga Exercise Sutras of Patanjali - translation and commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda ** Bringing Yoga to Life - Donna Fahri

[alittlebitoftruthcan]

‘Is not VAIRAGYA, non-attachment or desirelessness, enough in itself to free one from the worldly bondage? What is then the use of the yogic discipline, ABHYASA?’ Vairagya is enough, desirelessness is enough. Then no discipline is needed. But where is your desirelessness? It is not there. To help it discipline is needed. Discipline is needed only because that desirelessness is not in its wholeness within you. If desirelessness is there, then there is no question of practicing anything: no discipline is needed. You will not come to listen to me; you will not go to read Patanjali’s sutras. If desirelessness is complete, Patanjali is useless. Why waste your time with Patanjali’s sutras? I am useless, why come to me? You are in search of a discipline. You are moving in search of some discipline which can transform you. You are a disciple, ‘disciple’ means a person who is in search of a discipline. And don’t deceive yourself. Even if you go to Krishnamurti, you are in search of a discipline—because one who is not in need will not go. Even though Krishnamurti says that no one needs to be a disciple and no discipline is needed, why you are there?—these words will become your discipline, and you will create a pattern, and you will start following that pattern. Desirelessness is not there, so you are in suffering. And nobody likes to suffer, everybody wants to transcend suffering. How to transcend it? This is what discipline will help you to do. Discipline only means: to make you ready for the jump, for the jump of desirelessness. Discipline means a training. You are not yet ready. You have a very gross mechanism. Your body, your mind, they are gross. They cannot receive the subtle. You are not tuned. To receive the subtle you will have to be tuned. Your grossness has to disappear. Remember this—to receive the subtle you will have to become subtle. As you are, the divine may be around you, but you cannot be in touch with it. It is just like a radio lying down here in this room but not functioning. Some wires are wrongly connected or some wires are broken or some knob is missing. The radio is here, the radio waves are continuously passing, but the radio is not tuned—it cannot become receptive. You are just like a radio in a state where it cannot function. Many things are missing, many things are wrongly joined. A ‘discipline’ means to make your radio functioning, receptive, tuned. The divine waves are all around you. Once you are tuned they become manifest. Unless they become manifest through you, you cannot know them. They may have become manifest through me, they may have become manifest through Krishnamurti or anybody else, but that cannot become your transformation. You cannot know really what is happening in a Krishnamurti, in a Gurdjieff—what is happening inside, what type of tuning is happening, how their mechanism has become so subtle that it receives the subtlest message of the universe, the existence starts manifesting itself through it. Discipline means to change your mechanism, to tune it, to make it a fit instrument to be expressive, receptive. Sometimes without discipline also, this can accidentally happen. The radio can fall from the table. Just by falling, just by accident, some wires may get connected or disconnected. Just by falling, the radio may get connected to a station. Then it will start expressing something, but it will be a chaos. It has happened many times. Sometimes through accident people have come to know the divine and feel the divine. But then they go mad because they are not disciplined to receive such a great phenomenon. They are not ready. They are so small, and such a great ocean falls in them. This has happened. In the Sufi system they call such persons madmen of God—masts, they call them. Many people, without discipline—through some accident, through some Master, through the grace of some Master or just through the presence of some Master—get tuned. Their whole mechanism is not ready, but a part starts functioning. Then they are out of order. Then you will feel they are mad, because they will start saying things which look irrelevant. They also can feel that they are irrelevant, but they cannot do anything; something has begun in them; they cannot stop it. They feel a certain happiness. That’s why they are called masts, the happy ones. But they are not Buddhalike, they are not enlightened. And it is said that for masts, for these happy ones who have gone mad, a very great Master is needed because now they cannot do anything with themselves. They are just in confusion—happily in it, but they are a mess. They cannot do anything on their own. In old days, great Sufi Masters would move all around the earth. Whenever they would hear that somewhere a mast is, a madman is, they would go and they would just help that man to get tuned. In this century only Meher Baba has done that work—a great work of its own type, a rare work. Continuously, for many years, he was traveling all over India, and the places he was visiting were madhouses, because in madhouses many masts are living. But you cannot make any distinction, who is mad and who is mast; they both are mad—who is really mad and who is mad just because of a divine accident, because of some tuning that has happened through some accident—you cannot make any distinction. Many masts are there. Meher Baba traveled and he would live in madhouses, he would help and serve the masts. And many of them came out of their madness and started their journey toward enlightenment. In the West many people are in madhouses, mad asylums, many who don’t need any psychiatric help because psychiatrists can only make them again normal. They need the help of someone who is enlightened, not a psychiatrist, because they are not ill. Or, if they are ill, they are ill by a divine disease. Your health is nothing before that illness. That illness is better—worth losing all your ‘health.’ Just discipline is needed. In India this phenomenon has not been so great as it has been in Mohammedan countries. That’s why Sufis have special methods to help these mast people, the mad people of God. Sufism is still not a complete system. Many things are lacking in it, and they are lacking because of the stubborn attitude of Mohammedans. They won’t allow it to evolve to its peak and climax. The Sufi system has to follow the pattern of Islam religion. Because of that structure of Mohammedan religion, the Sufi system couldn’t go beyond it. Patanjali has created such a subtle system that there is no accident—the discipline is so scientific that if you pass through this discipline you will reach to Buddhahood without getting mad on the path. It is a complete system. Patanjali follows no religion, he follows only truth. He will not make any compromise with Hinduism or Mohammedanism or any ism. He follows the scientific truth. But Sufis had to make compromises, they had to because there were some Sufis who tried not to make any compromise; for example, Bayazid of Bistham, or Al-Hillaj Mansoor—they didn’t make any compromise; then they were killed, they were murdered. So Sufis went into hiding. They made their science completely secret, and they will allow only fragments to be known, only those fragments which fit with Islam and its pattern. All other fragments were hidden. So the whole system is not known; it is not working. Therefore many people, through fragments, get mad. Patanjali’s system is complete, and discipline is needed. Before you move into this unknown world of the within, a deep discipline is needed so no accident can happen. If you move without discipline, then many things are possible. Vairagya is enough, but that ‘enough’ vairagya is not there in your heart. If it is there, then there is no question. Then close Patanjali’s book and burn it. It is absolutely unnecessary. But that ‘enough’ vairagya is not there. Then it is better to move on a disciplined path, step by step, so you don’t become a victim of any accident. Accidents… the possibility is there. Many systems are working in the world, but there is no system so perfect as Patanjali’s because no country has worked for so long. Patanjali is not the originator of this system, he is only the systematizer. Before Patanjali, for thousands of years, the system was developed. Many people worked. Patanjali has given just the essence of thousands of years work. He has made it in such a way that you can move safely. Just because you are moving inwards, don’t think that you are moving in a safe world. It can be unsafe. It is dangerous also; you can be lost in it. And if you are lost in it, you will be mad. That’s why teachers like Krishnamurti who insist that no teacher is needed are dangerous, because people who are uninitiated may take their standpoint and may start working on their own. Remember, even if your wristwatch goes wrong, you have the tendency and the curiosity—because it comes from the monkeys—to open it and do something. It is difficult to resist it. You cannot believe that you don’t know anything about it. You may be the owner but just by being the owner of the watch doesn’t mean you know anything. Don’t open it! It is better to take it to a right person who knows about these things. And a watch is a simple mechanism; the mind is such a complex mechanism. Never open it on your own because whatsoever you do will be wrong. Sometimes it happens that your watch has gone wrong—you just shake it and it starts. But that is not a science. Sometimes it happens that you do something, and just by luck, accident, you feel something happening. But you have not become a Master. And if it has happened once don’t try it again, because if you shake your watch again it may stop for good. Don’t move by accidents. Discipline is only a safeguard. Don’t move by accidents! Move with a Master who knows what he is doing, and knows that if something goes wrong he can bring it to the right path, who is aware of your past and who is also aware of your future, who can join together your past and future. Hence, so much emphasis on Masters in Indian teachings. They knew, and they meant it, because there is no mechanism so complex as the human mind, no computer so complex as the human mind. Man has not been able yet to evolve anything comparable to the mind—and I think it is not ever going to be evolved, because who will evolve it? If the human mind can evolve something, it is always going to be lower and lesser than the mind that created it. At least one thing is certain: that whatsoever the human mind creates, that created thing cannot create a human mind. The human mind remains the superior-most, the supreme-most complex mechanism. Don’t do anything just because of curiosity or just because others are doing it. Get initiated, and move with someone who knows the path well. Otherwise madness can be the result. And it has happened before; it is happening to many people right now. Patanjali doesn’t believe in accidents. He believes in a scientific order. So he has given one-by-one steps. These two he makes his base: vairagya, desirelessness and abhyasa, constant, conscious inner practice. Abhyasa is the means and vairagya is the goal. Desirelessness is the goal, and constant, conscious inner practice is the means. But the goal starts from the very beginning and the ends are hidden in the beginning. The tree is hidden in the seed, so the beginning implies the end. That’s why Patanjali says desirelessness is needed in the beginning also. The beginning has the end in it and the end will also have the beginning in it. So even when a Master has become complete, total, he continues practicing. This will look absurd to you. You have to practice because you are in the beginning and the goal has not been achieved, but when the goal is achieved even then the practice continues. It just becomes spontaneous now, but it continues. It never stops. It cannot, because the end and the beginning are not two things. If the tree is in the seed, then in the tree again will come seeds. Someone asked Buddha—one of his disciples, Purnakashyap—he remarked that, ‘We see, bhante, you still follow a certain discipline.’ Buddha, still following a certain discipline. He moves in a certain way, he sits in a certain way, he remains alert, he eats certain things, he behaves, everything seems to be disciplined. So Purnakashyap says, ‘You have become enlightened, but we feel that you have still a certain discipline.’ And Buddha replied, ‘It has become so engrained that now I am not following it, it is following me. It has become a shadow. I need not think about it. It is there, always there. It has become a shadow.’

Osho (Yoga: The Birth of Being (Yoga: The Alpha and the Omega, Vol. 1))

[pgoodnight]

The Means is the End - Osho

Is vairagya, non-attachment, a method, a means, an intermediate stage, or an end in itself? It is all – because means and ends are not two things. The way and the goal are not two things. The way is just the beginning of the goal, and the goal is just the ending of the way. So please, don’t divide, and don’t think in terms of the means being different from the end. Means are the end. Once you can…

[kinoyoga]

When every door feels locked and every street is a dead end, where do you go? When you’re stuck with no viable path forward and all options look terrible, what do you do? _ Quit. Give up. Concede. Lose. Surrender. _ Surrender is a key concept in yoga philosophy and is usually presented in a paradigm where the yogi is asked to surrender to God. Surrender and devotion to God are presented in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra as Isvara Pranidhana. The ultimate expression of total surrender to God is the state of Vairagya, non-attachment to the fruits of one’s labor. The more invested the yogi is in the outcome, the greater the need to surrender. Take the idea of a yoga pose—the more attached you are to achieving a particular outcome in a particular time the more likely it is that you will sacrifice good technique to get the pose sooner. Chapter seven of the Bhagavad Gita asks Arjuna to surrender all works to me (God). Krishna says “Fix your mind on me. Let your understanding be absorbed in me. Henceforth doubtless you shall reside in me. Surrendering all works to me. Knowing me Krishna to be of all. With a concentrated mind fix your mind on me. Fixing your mind on me you will overcome all obstacles due to my divine grace.” _ Quitting, on the other hand, happens when you think you can control the outcome with your actions alone. _ When the weight of the world is on your shoulders ad you think it’s on you, fear sets in. There is almost a knowingness in your heart that no matter how hard you try you’ll never be able to control it all. Without faith, fear takes over and you quit. If you’re scared of the repercussions or you’re scared of losing something valuable to you, then quitting seems like a good option. And truly sometimes it is. Perhaps the difference between the attitude of quitting and surrender is really about perspective. Faith in God’s plan is the key distinction between the two states of mind. _ This week’s Yogi Assignment is Surrender to God. Read the full blog here: https://www.kinoyoga.com/yogi-assignment-surrender-to-god/ _ Photo @hayovg 🙏 (at Amsterdam, Netherlands)

[gnosismacedonia]

“Vairagya [non-attachment] is that particular state of mind that manifests in one who does not long for objects seen or heard, and in which one is conscious of having control or mastered longing for those objects.

Supreme non-attachment is that state wherein even the attachment to qualities is gone, owing to the knowledge of Purusha.” - Yoga Sutras 1:15-16

Vairagya means to have a psychological indifference, a psychological non-attachment.

With #non-attachment, one is not attracted to fame or to being unknown, to having #wealth or to having #poverty, to having success or failure, to being skinny or fat, to being tall or short. Instead, one is indifferent to such superficial conditions. That is all Vairagya means. Vairagya is not complicated. Vairagya is a kind of attitude.

When someone has #Vairagya, they are no longer attracted to external objects, they no longer have the longing or desire to have things. They might have things, but they do not care one way or another if they do or they do not. So in that sense it is somewhat like “#renunciation.” Learn more on glorian.org

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[shinymoonbird]

🕉️ 🔱  Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya   🔱 🕉️

The Paramount Importance of Self Attention, by Sri Sadhu Om, As recorded by Michael James

Part One - Mountain Path: April-June 2012 - Excerpt

Note of 19th December 1977

Sadhu Om: Dispassion (vairāgya) comes only through knowledge. It is cultivated by reflection [manana] and discrimination [viveka], and sustained by the clear conviction that everything is 'I', that nothing is independent of our own self-awareness, and that self alone exists. Why to say that a mind or ego exists in sleep in order to know 'nothingness'? Why not understand instead that it is self that knows that 'nothingness', and that that 'nothingness' itself is nothing other than self. If you can understand that, then you can understand that self also knows this 'everythingness', and that 'everythingness' is also nothing other than self.

In fact no ego or mind exists even now, so why to say it exists in sleep? There is only one 'I', so the 'I' that knows all this is only self. Why to admit the existence of an ego?

In Bhagavan's path we cannot admit the existence of any state of 'void' or 'nothingness', because in order to experience such a state we would have to exist in it, and hence it would not be devoid of ourself, but only of other things. Since nothing else exists in it, it would be full of ourself, and hence purna (full, complete), not sunya (nothing, void). To anyone who imagined they have reached a void, Bhagavan would say, 'Investigate who experiences it'. However, even that would not be necessary if we firmly cling to self-attention.

In the mangalam verse of Ulladu Narpadu Anubandham Bhagavan says that everything is self: self is that in which, of which, from which, for which, by which and which everything actually is. To tell the truth, even this (our everyday activity) is self-attention. Why then are Bhagavan's clues necessary? Only because we now mistake our natural state of self-awareness to be a state of awareness of many things other than ourself. It is only as a means to remove this mistaken experience of otherness and manyness that Bhagavan asked us to attend only to self.

An elderly devotee did not visit Bhagavan for a while because he thought he could become like Bhagavan on his own. After a long time he returned, just as Bhagavan was stitching some leaf-plates, and Bhagavan said to him, 'See, we take so much care to stitch these plates, but after eating from them we throw them away. Bhagavan is like a leaf-plate: only when he has served his purpose should you throw him away.' Therefore Bhagavan and the clues he has given us are necessary until we experience the dawn of self-knowledge, and after that we will see that we — the one self — alone exist, and that Bhagavan and his clues are also only ourself.

Our mind experiencing objects is like sunlight falling on a mirror and being reflected onto a wall. The reflection (which is like the objects we experience) is light, the reflecting mirror (which is like our experiencing mind) is light — and when looked at directly it seems to be another sun — and the sun (which is like self, the source of our mind's light of consciousness) is light. Everything is light, and the light is one. Likewise, we and all that we experience are only the one light of consciousness, which is self.

Can the mind rise without the support of self? Can it exist without self-awareness? It is all so simple, but immature minds think, 'Then self-knowledge is only like the nothingness of sleep. It doesn't look very tasty in comparison with all the interesting things outside in the world'. What can we say to them? We cannot change them, so we just have to let them suffer a bit more until they understand that oneness is peace and manyness is pain.

🕉️ 🔱 🕉️

[meditativeyoga]

Why Every Yoga Teacher Should Know the Yoga Sutra

According to worldwide yoga educator Lizzie Lasater, yoga approach is like grammar. Equally as an author has to discover what an adverb is when to utilize a semicolon before building sentences, every yoga educator must learn the core ideas of yoga philosophy before constructing their very own teachings.

Here, Lizzie shares her thoughts on the significance of the Yoga exercise Sutra as a foundation of finding out for all teachers.

Yoga Journal: Why do you think the Yoga Sutra is such a vital text for a yoga educator to know? Lizzie Lasater: The Yoga exercise Sutra is a crucial structure. For me, there are 2 cores of teaching yoga: makeup as well as the Yoga exercise Sutra.

If you consider the picture of a structure being created, you see the concrete pieces, the columns and the roof-- that's the skeleton. Anatomy and also the Yoga Sutra, to me, are the core aspects that compose that skeletal system of yoga. Each instructor fills up in the frontage, the aesthetic expression and the design of the structure based on their character, experience as well as the stories they inform. Having a strong grounding in the Yoga Sutra is essential due to the fact that it gives a secure structure to back up your teaching.

YJ: Why isn't yoga viewpoint stressed a lot more in instructor trainings, then? LL: I assume most yoga exercise instructor trainings are much also brief. Yoga is a large body of understanding. It's a lifelong research, a passion, a calling as well as an everyday method. If you have only 200 hrs, you have to take a look at how you're going to divide that up: How much time are you mosting likely to spend on composition? What does it cost? time are you going to invest in viewpoint? Just how much are you going to invest in pranayama, meditation, and also asana?

So I recognize why it takes place that philosophy isn't really emphasized. And also it's additionally typically taught in a really completely dry, detached means. Yet the means our program instructs it, and the method I believe instructors need to discover it, is very one-to-one with your method and your life. That, I believe, is extremely relevant.

YJ: How has researching the Yoga Sutra enriched your personal yoga exercise teaching? LL: It's been so essential. I remained in London teaching a workshop a week or 2 [after filming the on the internet program], as well as I located that my training was different. When my pupils asked concerns, I found the answers occurring. There's always that minute when a student asks an inquiry in front of a space packed with 30 individuals, and also there's a little nervous enigma-- I'm on the spot to state something intelligent and also helpful. I was really thankful so often to locate reactions emerging that were attached with the Sutra.

It was practically like I had filled out a tank of this knowledge. When a pupil was asking something, I could promptly connect it to these foundational, core ideas of yoga exercise. A student could claim, "I aren't sure what does it cost? initiative I should put in and what does it cost? I should let go." That is a core concern of yoga, abhyasa and vairagya [technique and non-attachment] What does it cost? suffices? It's not one, and also it's not the other. The solution would tumble out from there.

This interview has actually been gently edited for size and also clarity.

[ambikadevi1008]

A teacher of mine once said that 95% of our fears are imaginary. The imagination and our memories play a very big part in the way the mind behaves. Imagine you are walking across a dark room. There is a rope on the floor up ahead. Instead of seeing a rope, you imagine it is a snake. Thoughts and memories happen rapidly and constantly other than the brief time spent in very deep sleep and in the very deeps state of meditation. Think about food. Good food you will remember for a long time. Exceptional food you will remember for a very long time. This is through the attention placed on the action and the information burned into our memory. Attention and memory are interrelated. When the image of the object doesn’t slip away from your mind this is memory. Memory is one of the Vrittis or mind waves. Everything we know of ourselves are memories. These are Samskaras. Freedom is having all of the memories and knowing you are none of them. Because we are ignorant, it doesn’t help us to loose our memories. Therefore we must learn to restrain the Vrittis. The momentum of practice is repeated and repeated and repeated even more. Cultivating Sattva—purity, wholesomeness, and virtue—creates clarity of perception. This must be done repeatedly. A change of character occurs only through formation of new habits. Change takes place by gradually shifting patterns. Repetition is key. A change of character occurs only through formation of new habits. Abhyasa is the steady practice. It cuts the new spiritual path for the mind to move on. The second way is through Vairagya or non-attachment, or elimination of emotional reactions to situations and individuals. The more selfless we can be—the more unattached we are. Ignoring is aware but not attached. Denial is not wanting to be aware of the attachments and desires. Desires and attachments are not you! Be fully aware of them and notice that you are the one being aware of them and that you are not them. In the case of emotions this would be: I am not the emotion. Vrittis—the mind waves may arise. The only way out is discriminative knowledge based on clear thinking. There is no other way to liberation other than clear thinking https://www.instagram.com/p/CH9Ukq3Mkfi/?igshid=ynef4w17p6zu