"The unimpaired discriminative enlightenment is the means of liberation" Vyasa
 |
| http://seansturm.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/throwing-shadows-on-the-wall/ |
YS. 2.26 Clear and Distinct (Unimpaired) Discriminative Knowledge is the Means of Liberation
(viveka khyatih aviplava hana upayah)
viveka-khyatih = discriminative knowledge (viveka = discriminative, discernment; khyatih = knowledge, correct cognition, clarity, awareness)
Discriminative knowledge arises from first listening to the Shastras or scriptures and becoming firmir and clearer through reasoned contemplation. It goes on developing gradually as one practices the different exercises of Yoga.
p199 Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali Swami Hariharananda Aranya.
Nice article from Chad Hurst on discernment. Reproducing the first couple of paragraphs here. Full article can be found at the link below
http://www.missionashtanga.com/blog/
Ashtang-ulous!
Earlier this week, I noticed that a bunch of my yoga friends on Facebook were commenting on some notes from a conference led by Sharath Jois. Sharath was giving a talk partly on sirsana (headstand). According to the notes that were so generously shared with all of us by Megan Riley, sirsana not only benefits circulation, but it “help[s] to draw our Amrita Bindu, these golden drops of nectar that, over time, fall down into our digestive fire, back to the head. [Amrita Bindu] drops as we age, and keeping it from burning away will keep us looking youthful and bright.”
When I read this, my first reaction was, “Come on? A golden nectar that keeps us looking youthful and bright? What’s this? Sounds superstitious to me.” I could understand how a headstand could alter circulation, facilitating the return of pooled blood into the heart, but no science books that I’d come across had located or described golden drops of nectar within the head that when preserved through inversions keep us young, if not immortal, and radiant.
And yet, over the years of being a student of this tradition, I’ve come to realize that it might not be useful to just blatantly disregard the teaching just because it doesn’t fit within my immediate understanding of reality. I’ve grown so much over the years as a human being and yoga student by grappling with concepts within the tradition that initially seemed foreign, otherworldly, and, at times, magical. When I’ve applied a practice of openness, curiosity, and experimentation to the teachings, I’ve tended to learn more and, at the same time, grow more. This isn’t always easy for me to do. In fact, this notion of Amrita Bindu is part and parcel of various aspects within the tradition that, even to this day, still trip me up. Examples include:
- Ashtanga comes from an ancient text, The Yoga Korunta, written by Vamana Rishi, and is 5000 years old.
- It is ‘incorrect method’ to alter sequencing, modify the poses, or include props into The Practice other than adjustments.
- Do not practice on moon days because injuries on these days take twice as long to heal.
- When taking padmasana (lotus posture), the left leg should always be on top of the right. This clears the liver and spleen, straightens the spinal column, and helps the aspirant to maintain strength.
- Yoga students should eat primarily milk, ghee, and chapatis in order to develop strength because they promote a sattvic (clear) mind and strong body. Avoid eating many vegetables. Do not eat garlic, onions, tomatoes, or any meat.
- Drink coffee before practicing yoga because coffee is prana (life force).
- Don’t wash or wipe your sweat off but massage it into the body after practice in order to make the body strong and light.
- Men and women should only have sex:1) at night 2) when the man’s left nostril is open 3) when the woman is between the fourth and sixteenth days of her menstrual cycle 4) only for the sake of having children 5) only when lawfully wedded.
- Never breathe through the mouth because it creates heart troubles.
- When you make the Darth Vader sound associated with Ashtanga breathing–also known as ujayi pranayama, but technically within the Ashtanga tradition, the term ujayi is restricted to a form of pranayama practiced separately from asana practice– you increase internal heat, which thins the blood and purifies it.
- Mula bandha should not be restricted to asana (posture) practice alone but should be practiced while walking, talking, sleeping, and eating in order to maintain mind control.
Not Saying, “Yes” But Not Saying, “No,” Either
On first blush, a lot of the rules mentioned above seem a little dogmatic; at times, occult; and, in almost all cases, exotic. I want to suggest that as Western educated yogis that we both refrain from blatantly disregarding them, and at the same time, not thoughtlessly absorbing them. Instead, I think it’s important that we learn to develop the practice of applying critical thinking....
So discernment in our practice, in the practice of our practice but also in our thinking about the practice, in my Critical thinking is there thinking going on or am I merely being critical....
But there are bigger fish to sauté.
I love the picture at the top of the page and it's Platonic allusions.
Is it a duck a rabbit or a shadow on the wall of a cave...and what of Ludwig himself?
Ramaswami translates YS II-26 as... (comments are from Pam Hoxsey's notes from Ramaswami's Yoga Sutra course)
"II-26 Unwavering discrimination is the way to destroy ignorance.
Notes: untangling a thread requires constant attention to keep things separated (this is an example given).
A story or myth in India says that a swan is able to separate milk from water and keep the milk only. This would be like separating the true self from the mind and keeping the self only
Another example of attention is a mother who is working in her home, but whatever work she is doing, her mind is on her baby at all times.
Also when you attend continuously, the mind will be changed. Like the balance of a seesaw that goes where the weight is.
in other words, right now the balance is tipped heavily towards the mind's wrong thinking. But if we attend to our true nature, eventually the balance is tipped and we become weighted in the other direction (freedom - "kaivalya") Then freedom is maintained".
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras : Based on the teaching of Srivatsa Ramaswami by Pam Hoxsey
"The unimpaired discriminative enlightenment is the means of liberation" Vyasa
But there are bigger fish to sauté.
I love the picture at the top of the page and it's Platonic allusions.
Is it a duck a rabbit or a shadow on the wall of a cave...and what of Ludwig himself?
Ramaswami translates YS II-26 as... (comments are from Pam Hoxsey's notes from Ramaswami's Yoga Sutra course)
"II-26 Unwavering discrimination is the way to destroy ignorance.
Notes: untangling a thread requires constant attention to keep things separated (this is an example given).
A story or myth in India says that a swan is able to separate milk from water and keep the milk only. This would be like separating the true self from the mind and keeping the self only
Another example of attention is a mother who is working in her home, but whatever work she is doing, her mind is on her baby at all times.
Also when you attend continuously, the mind will be changed. Like the balance of a seesaw that goes where the weight is.
in other words, right now the balance is tipped heavily towards the mind's wrong thinking. But if we attend to our true nature, eventually the balance is tipped and we become weighted in the other direction (freedom - "kaivalya") Then freedom is maintained".
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras : Based on the teaching of Srivatsa Ramaswami by Pam Hoxsey
"The unimpaired discriminative enlightenment is the means of liberation" Vyasa