IYTTP | Module - III | Yoga Philosophy - II | Session - 9

Where Do We Start? Clarifying the Session's Progress

Opening Remarks

• The speaker seeks confirmation on the last session's timestamp, which was 3:38.

• Encourages participants to ask questions, especially those watching recorded videos.

Additional Practice Times

• Announcement regarding the need for consensus on extra practice times for supervised teaching.

• Emphasizes the importance of scheduling at least once a week for six weeks to accommodate all students.

Introduction of Dr. Lata Satish New Instructor for Psychology Course

Instructor Background

• Dr. Lata Satish is introduced as an experienced instructor with over 40 years in yoga and psychology.

• Classes are expected to start from the third week of February; students are encouraged to attend live or catch up promptly.

Class Schedule Adjustments

• Classes may extend beyond initial schedules due to Dr. Satish’s requirement of 20 hours of instruction.

• Students should be prepared for potential changes in class timings based on Dr. Satish’s availability.

Understanding Siddhis and Samyama Concepts in Yoga Philosophy

Transitioning Topics

• The discussion shifts towards Patanjali's teachings on siddhis, focusing on knowledge and mastery through intense focus.

Kriya Siddhus Explained

• Introduction of kria siddhus, which manifest through actions and behaviors rather than mere knowledge acquisition.

Importance of Mind Power

• Emphasis that these abilities stem from mental power rather than external technology; understanding this is crucial at this level of study.

Intuition and Choices in Yoga Practice

Intuitive Understanding

• Discussion about how intuitive insights arise when rajas (activity/chaos) decrease and sattva (purity/balance) increases, leading to spontaneous revelations without pursuing siddhis directly.

Role of Mind in Yoga

• Highlights the mind's role as an instrument within yoga practice, emphasizing deep choices left to practitioners regarding their use of insights gained through practice.

Understanding Purusha and the Role of Udana in Siddhis

The Concept of Purusha and Metacognition

• The discussion begins with the idea that what exists outside the purusha is for its consumption. Reflection on this leads to a state called apawa siddhi, which is referred to as pura.

• It’s emphasized that puragyanam is not knowledge of purusha but rather an awareness of its reflection in the mind, akin to metacognition—thinking about thinking.

Evolved States and Warnings

• Achieving this evolved state is described as very unpolluted, where all siddhis can flow through one's system. However, caution is advised against becoming trapped by these abilities.

• The conversation transitions to kria siddhis, specifically focusing on sutra 38 regarding the capacity to enter into another's body through one’s chitta (mind).

Understanding Udana Prana

• Udana, one of the five pranas, is identified as responsible for communication and acts as a timekeeper related to lifespan and karma fulfillment.

• It maintains verticality against gravity; without udana, individuals would topple over like cartoon figures. This prana also facilitates ejection at death.

Mastery Over Elements Through Udana

• Mastery of udana allows individuals to overcome limitations such as drowning or being harmed by sharp objects. It provides a sense of levitation or rising above physical constraints.

• By mastering udana, one can tolerate extreme temperatures in water without harm and walk on unstable surfaces without being affected.

Samana: Distribution of Nutrients

• Samana operates around the navel area and ensures even distribution of nourishment throughout the body according to need.

• Mastery over samana leads to improved health (arugia), characterized by a glow or shine due to optimal digestion and lack of mala burden.

Practices Related to Udana and Samana

• Various practices such as jalandraha, pranayama, bhastrika, and specific asanas are mentioned that work on bajapranas including udana and samana.

• These practices are essential for mastery over pranic functions but are typically reserved for advanced practitioners under guidance.

Understanding the Connection Between Body and Space

The Nature of Great Masters

• Great masters are often perceived as light or flames, indicating their spiritual essence rather than a physical form. This glow signifies mastery over the self and detachment from material existence.

Processing Beyond Physical Food

• The concept of "samay" extends beyond just physical nourishment; it encompasses all experiences entering the body, mind, and senses. Relationships and their impacts on us are also part of this processing.

Sparkle in Renunciates

• Monks and renunciates exhibit a unique sparkle or glow that arises from their mastery over inner states, reflecting deep connections between outer appearances and inner realities as discussed in yogic literature.

Samyama: Understanding Connections

• "Samyama" refers to an innate connection between hearing (the ear) and the internal faculties that allow perception. This connection is essential for understanding how we experience sound through both external space and internal awareness.

The Role of Space in Hearing

• Sound requires a medium to travel; thus, there exists a subtle relationship between external space, internal space, and our capacity to hear divine frequencies beyond normal human perception. This extraordinary ability allows one to engage with higher realms of consciousness.

Focus on Conceptual Understanding

• Emphasis is placed on grasping concepts rather than memorizing Sanskrit terms or sutras; understanding the essence behind teachings is prioritized for deeper learning without pressure for rote recall.

Samyama's Impact on Awareness

• Continuous awareness of processes within oneself—how body sensations relate to external space—is crucial for personal growth. Factors like diet, sleep patterns, and mental states influence this dynamic quality of space around us.

Outcomes of Samyama Practice

• Engaging in samyama leads to profound insights about movement through space; it suggests that limitations imposed by distance can be transcended through focused practice, allowing unimpeded movement regardless of physical separation. This reflects a deeper understanding of spatial dynamics influenced by one's state of being.

Understanding the Concept of Samyama and Mind Manipulation

The Nature of Matter and Mind

• The discussion begins with a question about understanding the concept, leading to an agreement that it allows for movement anywhere, akin to Harry Potter's apparition.

• Emphasis is placed on matter and its rearrangement; mind is considered part of matter but at its apex, suggesting that understanding matter enables manipulation.

• The analogy of a Rubik's cube illustrates that intelligent manipulation requires focus; one can manipulate any level of matter, from minute to gigantic.

• Mastery over matter involves concentration, allowing for expansion or contraction in various forms.

Exploring Samyama

• A question arises regarding "Samyama sambha," which refers to a strong connection between body and space; this connection grants the ability to move freely.

• Clarification is provided that samyama focuses on the link between hearing and space, enabling special divine perceptions through this connection.

Kalpita vs. Mahavha: Imagination vs. Reality

• Two types of mental constructs are introduced: kalpita (imagined scenarios) versus mahavha (actual disconnection from the body).

• Kalpita represents imagined experiences while reading; one’s mind travels far beyond physical presence but remains within the body.

• Patanjali proposes disconnecting the mind from the body entirely, allowing for true observation without physical constraints.

Free Movement of Mind

• The concept challenges conventional logic by suggesting that one's mind can operate independently from their physical form without causing harm to the body.

• This unembodied state allows for exploration beyond typical perception limits; prana acts as a tether connecting mind and body while permitting freedom.

Siddhis and Perception Clarity

• Achieving clarity involves shedding burdens (clash), enhancing satwa (purity), which facilitates unimpeded movement of both mind and perception.

• Yogis may experience states where their minds are not confined to their bodies, showcasing extraordinary faculties like probing other minds without confusion or attachment.

Remote Viewing and Mind Projection

The Concept of Remote Viewing

• The speaker discusses a documentary about the American military's use of "remote viewing" during the Cold War, where individuals could visualize Russian facilities from afar using only their minds.

• This ability allowed remote viewers to create accurate drawings of these facilities while physically located in America, showcasing a unique power of the mind.

Kalpiti: Focus Beyond the Body

• The concept of kalpiti is introduced, explaining that while the mind is contained within the body, it can focus on external objects or locations.

• Adept yogis are said to have the capability to project their minds beyond physical confines, allowing for independent functioning.

Understanding Patanjali's Teachings

• The discussion transitions to Patanjali’s teachings, emphasizing that through meditation, one can control both gross and subtle elements of existence.

• The speaker explains how samyama (meditative absorption) allows deeper understanding and perception across various layers of matter.

Elements and Their Essential Qualities

• A metaphorical comparison is made between deepening understanding through meditation and driving a screw into a surface; each turn represents deeper insight into elemental nature.

• The five elements—earth, water, fire, wind, and space—are described with their inherent qualities: solidity (earth), fluidity (water), heat (fire), movement (wind), and expansiveness (space).

Exploring Subtle Aspects of Matter

• Discussion continues on tanmatras—the subtlest aspects of elements—and swarupa—the essential nature unique to each element that cannot be removed without altering its identity.

• It is noted that everything in matter consists fundamentally of three gunas (qualities): sattva (purity), rajas (activity), and tamas (inertia).

Purpose Behind Existence

• At a metaphysical level, it is suggested that matter exists to provide two experiences: bhoga (material experience) and apawa (self-experience).

• Mastery over these dimensions will be elaborated upon in subsequent sutras as part of Patanjali's teachings.

Understanding the Nature of Objects and Elements

The Concept of Drag and Visha

• Objects are referred to as "drag," which consist of specific qualities known as visha, and generic qualities that are inherent and inseparable from the object.

The Unity of the Human Body

• The human body is described as a whole entity; parts cannot be separated without losing their essence. This unity reflects the concept of "sana."

Sensory Perception and Elements

• Our ability to perceive music, touch, colors, tastes, and smells is linked to elements: space allows sound, water enables taste, earth provides smell. These sensory experiences stem from the elemental aspects known as vitation.

The Role of Tan Matras

• Tan matras are subtle vibrational energies that serve as sources for gross forms (stoola) and essences (swarupa). They cannot be experienced tangibly but exist as frequencies or energies.

Manifestation of Siddhis through Samyama

• Engaging in five-fold samyama leads to bhajaya, resulting in various siddhis (extraordinary powers), such as anima (reducing size) and mahima (increasing size). These abilities arise from mastery over matter.

Transformation of the Body

• A perfected body transcends normal human dharma—birth, growth, decay, death—becoming free from these limitations. This transformation results in extraordinary beauty and strength beyond physical appearance.

Characteristics of a Yogi's Form

• A yogi embodies remarkable grace and dignity alongside immense inner strength that may not be visually apparent but manifests at all levels—physical resilience and mental power included. This duality contributes to their allure.

Conclusion on Kaya Sat

• The teachings emphasize how five-fold samyama culminates in perfection of form while liberating one from conventional constraints associated with existence; this will continue to be explored further in subsequent discussions.