To be seen, or not to be seen, that is the question...
One of the more "mysterious" aspects of the Yoga Sutras appears for the first time in 1.3, namely with the word drashtuh. This is the genitive form of the noun coming from the verb <<drsh>> or, to see. This verbal root is not unfamiliar in many yoga shalas as it comes into daily practice with the word drishti. Drishti, is the past passive participle of the verb and it literally means "the thing that is seen." In Yoga practice, we use this word to denote a fixed point on which to turn our gaze in order to maintain focus and balance. Usually not a good idea to choose the person wobbling in front of you in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (that would be me...one of my less-good asanas to be fair), but rather somewhere such as a spot on the floor or the juncture between the wall and the ceiling. However, in the Sutras, this enigmatic "seer" pops up here and there, without any real explanation as to what or who it is.
This drishti, however, is not so cryptic and simply becomes our meditative aide while holding a pose, more often than not a balance posture. As such, if we lose our focus, we lose our balance, much as in life. Our dristhi gives us purpose, direction and stability. And, when the mind wanders and wonders, the vritti's take over, and we can fall. Life and Yoga are full of distractions and obstacles, and it is a constant struggle of vigilance to maintain our dristhi.
Yoga Sutra (YS) 1.3 reads:
tadã drashtuh svarupe'vasthãnam (YS 1.3)
or,
At this time, [Yogah] abides in the true nature (svarupe) of the seer.
It is not clear if Yoga is meant here, so I have left it in a parenthetical way. Most translations take the seer to be the subject, but grammatically that is impossible. It is literally "in the true nature of the seer". No ambiguity in the Sanskrit.
However, it would be possible to also translate as:
At this time, the abiding of the seer is in its true form/nature.
The "at this time" comes from the moment when Yoga becomes the "nirodhah" of the "vritti's" as we have already seen in YS 1.2, or the goal of tempering the noise created in or by the mind.
By extension, it is tempting to then take the "seer" to be not necessarily the two eyes with which we see the world, but rather the metaphysical third eye, the mind's eye as the seer of true sight. Why? Mainly because our eyes can deceive us. Eye witness accounts are seldom correct as the mind plays tricks on us by filling in the blanks or creating the illusion of things we want to see or the delusion of removing things we do not want to see. As we shall see later, attraction and aversion are quite powerful distractions and obstacles for our minds to see clearly. Moreover, this would completely discount the perceptions of a blind person, and when one closes his or her eyes in meditation, the ocular orbs no longer serve a purpose.
So, when we can calm the machinations and fluctuations of the busy mind, the mind's eye can take over and at that moment, we can function in our "true nature" and seek out our svadharma, which is ultimately where we are going with Yoga. But, all in good time. This is the end, we have to go back to the beginning, with patience, leading us to YS 1.4
vrittisãrupyamitaratra (YS 1.4)
or
However, at other times, (there is) the appearance of behavior/conditioning.
Huh?
Again, as the sutra style leaves out certain words, such as verbs, and case endings, we have to make some guesses here and there.
When Yoga is functioning on all levels, the mind's eye can see clearly and resides within its true nature, but at other times (namely, most of the time), the mind's eye is clouded by our behavior and conditioning, in other words, by our habits borne out of ignorance, or avidyã. What is important to note here is that avidyã, or ignorance, or even a-gnosis, does not mean stupidity, but rather a lack of knowledge. Perhaps we have not seen properly with the mind's eye, or, we have forgotten. Either way, at that moment, the movements of the mind, the vritti's are in control, and we are no longer in a state of our "true nature". This is not so surprising as it would be impossible to maintain the state of samãdhi at all times as we would not be able to function in the world.
What we can strive for, at least, is to use the knowledge that we do gain in our better moments to try and help us in our, shall we say, not-so-good moments. Usually easier said than done as when we are weak in our minds, then emotions and distractions of the so-called "monkey mind" can wreak havoc on us and cause us to do stupid things, even we we should and do "know better".
Humanity 101.
Ridding ourselves, or tempering our deep-seated behaviors, conditionings and habits is a monumental task, and it takes time (perhaps a lifetime), and it takes patience, lots of it, and the path will involve failures and disappointments. Yet, the only true failure is giving up the forward progress through the dark or unfamiliar woods of the Soul's life experiences. To fail and to fall is part of life, as is suffering, but to close the Mind's Eye to the world and to the challenge of getting back up and trying again, is the only true failure.
One of the more "mysterious" aspects of the Yoga Sutras appears for the first time in 1.3, namely with the word drashtuh. This is the genitive form of the noun coming from the verb <<drsh>> or, to see. This verbal root is not unfamiliar in many yoga shalas as it comes into daily practice with the word drishti. Drishti, is the past passive participle of the verb and it literally means "the thing that is seen." In Yoga practice, we use this word to denote a fixed point on which to turn our gaze in order to maintain focus and balance. Usually not a good idea to choose the person wobbling in front of you in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (that would be me...one of my less-good asanas to be fair), but rather somewhere such as a spot on the floor or the juncture between the wall and the ceiling. However, in the Sutras, this enigmatic "seer" pops up here and there, without any real explanation as to what or who it is.
This drishti, however, is not so cryptic and simply becomes our meditative aide while holding a pose, more often than not a balance posture. As such, if we lose our focus, we lose our balance, much as in life. Our dristhi gives us purpose, direction and stability. And, when the mind wanders and wonders, the vritti's take over, and we can fall. Life and Yoga are full of distractions and obstacles, and it is a constant struggle of vigilance to maintain our dristhi.
Yoga Sutra (YS) 1.3 reads:
tadã drashtuh svarupe'vasthãnam (YS 1.3)
or,
At this time, [Yogah] abides in the true nature (svarupe) of the seer.
It is not clear if Yoga is meant here, so I have left it in a parenthetical way. Most translations take the seer to be the subject, but grammatically that is impossible. It is literally "in the true nature of the seer". No ambiguity in the Sanskrit.
However, it would be possible to also translate as:
At this time, the abiding of the seer is in its true form/nature.
The "at this time" comes from the moment when Yoga becomes the "nirodhah" of the "vritti's" as we have already seen in YS 1.2, or the goal of tempering the noise created in or by the mind.
By extension, it is tempting to then take the "seer" to be not necessarily the two eyes with which we see the world, but rather the metaphysical third eye, the mind's eye as the seer of true sight. Why? Mainly because our eyes can deceive us. Eye witness accounts are seldom correct as the mind plays tricks on us by filling in the blanks or creating the illusion of things we want to see or the delusion of removing things we do not want to see. As we shall see later, attraction and aversion are quite powerful distractions and obstacles for our minds to see clearly. Moreover, this would completely discount the perceptions of a blind person, and when one closes his or her eyes in meditation, the ocular orbs no longer serve a purpose.
So, when we can calm the machinations and fluctuations of the busy mind, the mind's eye can take over and at that moment, we can function in our "true nature" and seek out our svadharma, which is ultimately where we are going with Yoga. But, all in good time. This is the end, we have to go back to the beginning, with patience, leading us to YS 1.4
vrittisãrupyamitaratra (YS 1.4)
or
However, at other times, (there is) the appearance of behavior/conditioning.
Huh?
Again, as the sutra style leaves out certain words, such as verbs, and case endings, we have to make some guesses here and there.
When Yoga is functioning on all levels, the mind's eye can see clearly and resides within its true nature, but at other times (namely, most of the time), the mind's eye is clouded by our behavior and conditioning, in other words, by our habits borne out of ignorance, or avidyã. What is important to note here is that avidyã, or ignorance, or even a-gnosis, does not mean stupidity, but rather a lack of knowledge. Perhaps we have not seen properly with the mind's eye, or, we have forgotten. Either way, at that moment, the movements of the mind, the vritti's are in control, and we are no longer in a state of our "true nature". This is not so surprising as it would be impossible to maintain the state of samãdhi at all times as we would not be able to function in the world.
What we can strive for, at least, is to use the knowledge that we do gain in our better moments to try and help us in our, shall we say, not-so-good moments. Usually easier said than done as when we are weak in our minds, then emotions and distractions of the so-called "monkey mind" can wreak havoc on us and cause us to do stupid things, even we we should and do "know better".
Humanity 101.
Ridding ourselves, or tempering our deep-seated behaviors, conditionings and habits is a monumental task, and it takes time (perhaps a lifetime), and it takes patience, lots of it, and the path will involve failures and disappointments. Yet, the only true failure is giving up the forward progress through the dark or unfamiliar woods of the Soul's life experiences. To fail and to fall is part of life, as is suffering, but to close the Mind's Eye to the world and to the challenge of getting back up and trying again, is the only true failure.
No comments:
Post a Comment