In the
course of evolution the mind has manifested in the form of human life, but by no
means is this mind perfect and infallible. Though it is a gift of nature, the
mind also has its limitations. It has to depend on the sensory channels for
information and stimulation. Therefore, the Raja Yoga Sutras contend that this
imperfect mind can be made more perfect and efficient through the practice of
sadhana.
- Swami
Satyananda Saraswati
The benefits of contemplative
practice, or sadhana, have been known for centuries and throughout world
cultures. Recent scientific
investigation has been substantiating many of the claims made by ancient
traditions. Meditation has been shown to
help reduce stress, improve immune functioning, slow or even reverse the
effects of aging, improve cognitive functioning, mood, relationships, etc. (You can go to http://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/2008/05/100-benefits-of-meditation/ for an
extensive list.) Of course the Yoga
tradition points to the importance of meditation for spiritual
realization.
Many people complain however
that they find meditation hard to practice.
Busy schedules, family responsibilities, habitual distractions all get
in the way. However, most of the time
these are more like excuses. The real
obstacles are procrastination and avoidance.
It is very hard for some to simply sit still and turn their attention
inward. It takes inspiration,
determination, willingness and some measure of social support. Most of us can benefit from a class or
meditation group, however it is important to build one’s own strength of
commitment and to maintain an individual practice as well.
In the Yoga Sutras Patanjali
outlines nine obstacles to practice: illness, dullness of mind, doubt,
negligence, laziness, sensual attachments, intellectual confusion, failure to
establish stages of practice and slipping from established stages. I have to admit that I have experienced and
succumbed to all of these over the years of my practice. As we enter into spiritual practice we have
opposing forces operating within us. One
is spiritual inspiration. We want to be
healthy and happy, to grow and develop on all levels and to connect with and
express our inner resources of wisdom, compassion, joy, creativity, etc. On the other hand we are subject to an
inertia which tends to keep us stuck in our usual patterns.
Illness, of course, is sometimes
inevitable in life. However we can
eliminate a great deal of physical illness by simply taking care of our bodies
– eating healthy, getting enough rest, proper exercise including hatha
yoga. We can also develop fortitude of
mind so that we are not so distracted by health problems. It is important to understand that we are not
our bodies, they are the energetic vehicles through which we experience this
life. Studies show that by developing
witnessing awareness we can better learn to manage physical pain. Through meditation practice we liberate the
mind from physical limitations.
Dullness of mind, doubt,
negligence, laziness, sensual attachment and intellectual confusion are all
interrelated. Some mornings I feel like
there is a fog in my brain. It’s like
the higher functions don’t have enough juice and I stumble around in a
semi-conscious state. Doubt has to do
with a lack of faith in the practice itself.
We wonder is it worth it? Through
negligence we fall into a lack of deeper awareness and through laziness we just
go with the unconscious flow of our material conditioning.
Sensual attachment is a problem
for most of us. Sensual experience is
not “bad” but we become addicted to pleasure and comfort. We cannot develop our power of mind if we are
fixated on sensual objects. Awareness is
the key here. Experience with
nonattached awareness and don’t hold onto experiences in your mind. Intellectual confusion doesn’t really mean
adhering to the “correct” belief system of philosophy. Instead it is our tendency to intellectualize
everything. Spiritual consciousness
means returning to a basic simplicity of experience, to immediate experience and
open awareness. We need to let go of
judging, comparing, analyzing, etc. Again,
these have their place but they get in the way of meditative experience. They interfere with our ability to focus
deeply.
The “failure to reach stages of
practice” has to do with our expectations.
There is a legendary Mahasiddha (great yogi) named Virupa who became
disenchanted with his practice at one point and threw his mala (prayer beads)
into the latrine. He was actually just
on the verge of great realization. Similarly
we can become disheartened when we fail to achieve some imagined state of
disembodied bliss and give up our practice.
On the other hand, it is very common to have wonderful meditation
experiences but then slip back into ordinary and painful states of
consciousness. The important point is to
never give up.
The obstacles to meditation are
also clearly obstacles to our goals in life.
When we let procrastination, self-doubt and negative thinking dominate
we surrender our innate power and become victims of our imaginary limitations. Yoga is not about achieving some transcendent
escape from life but mastery of life. It
is about harnessing the latent energies within us. As Patanjali put it:
"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."
Exceptional individuals in all
areas of life have learned to develop this power to some degree. Yoga meditation is profound method for
developing it within ourselves.
