Ordinarily our awareness manifests outward toward
worldly matters. Only when we start questioning our existence do we gradually
investigate the subtler levels of our being.
The systematic process starts with our actions in
the world, the senses, the body, the breath and the conscious and unconscious
aspects of the mind. Gradually awareness moves toward yoga or union.
This union is attained by first training, balancing
and purifying each of the aspects of our being separately and systematically by
moving though the various levels inward, reseeding until we experience the
state of union, yoga, samadhi or turia.
Body
and breath
Focusing on the body and breath brings benefits and
balance into our life. However,
many people stop at the breath level and are
unwilling to take control over their mind. Some believe that yoga is only about
physical fitness.
The key to the highest yoga is to move gently, lovingly
and persistently toward all facets of yoga, including dealing with the mind
itself.
The
conscious mind
Being mindful of the emotional and mental processes
of the conscious mind is very stabilizing. This includes contemplation,
lovingness, compassion and acceptance. It means cultivating truthfulness, none
stealing, harmlessness or ahimsa and non possessiveness. However, facets of the
mind such as repression build a barrier between the conscious and the
unconscious. Not willing to explore the depth of the unconscious, could lead one
to the conclusion, that the goal of meditation is only a calm mind in order to
achieve union or yoga. The stream of thoughts in the active unconscious mind
needs to be encountered, explored and only then transcended.
The
active unconscious
By allowing the active unconscious to come forward
and be the witness in a neutral way, we allow colored thought with intense
attraction and aversion gradually weaken, allowing for a greater peace and
freedom of the mind.
This is one of the most direct ways of purifying,
centering, and balancing of troubling thoughts. Yet the active unconscious with
its enticing visions and sounds is very seductive so that only the most
dedicated yogis are willing to transcend those external and internal sensory
experiences and pursue formlessness,
the latent level out of which all the activities arise.
Yet we need to remember, that there is in fact only
one state, not two states such as the conscious and the unconscious; there is only a state of being, which is
consciousness, though we divide it as the conscious and the unconscious for the
purpose of description.
The
latent unconscious
To become fully aware of the latent unconscious
takes a very deep state of advanced meditation. With practice, authentic yoga
nidra (guided meditation in Savasana pose) reaches the latent unconscious level
of the mind, which is underneath, beyond or prior to the active unconscious. It
is the ground out of which everything arises. It is like a seed bed. It is the
stage where all sensory experiences such as sights and sounds, whether of
external aspects or inner images, have been left behind. To consciously rest in
the latent unconscious state, is to be filled with Bliss.
However, there comes a place where our separateness
becomes the final barrier and even the Bliss needs to be transcended. It is the
state beyond the mind. This means, that the mind can no longer be an aid, body
and breath cannot help; only surrender is the final solution.
Realization
Whether we call it Grace, God, Guru or some other
name, the greatest help finally comes from within
to remove the final barriers of ignorance or avidya.
This final stage has been called piercing the pearl
of wisdom or Bindu.
A yogi or yogini does not debate whether the
realization is called Yoga, Self, Atman, Brahman, Soul, God Shiva Shakti, but
rather lives in the world, but not of the world.
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