Patanjali is the compiler of the great Yoga Sutra text, which in my opinion IS the HEART of yoga. It is a philosophical book expounding on how to live a peaceful, sattvic (balanced, appropriate, sustainable) life and be as free as possible from (self-inflicted) suffering most often caused by our own mind and it's constant misperceptions/fluctuations & confusion.
Abhinivesaha, according to one translation of the Yoga Sutras says "Insecurity is the inborn feeling of anxiety about what is to come. It affects both the ignorant and the wise".
"This syndrome may have a reasonable base in past experiences. It may be completely irrational. It does not disappear even when we know that death is imminent. It is, perhaps, the most difficult obstacle to remove." (TKV Desikachar translation)
I was just out walking to grab some fruit for my room and to grab a fresh coconut for a snack and I became overwhelmed with so much fear. The young man who opens the coconuts with a Machette I have known now for many years. He is a sweet as they come. This trip for some reason I cannot watch him open the coconuts b/c I have so much fear that he will cut his fingers off... even though I know he opens hundreds a day... everyday. The fear was so overwhelming that I sucked down my coconut as fast as I could, paid him, and walked away. As I was walking I passed a family (husband, wife, and young baby) all on a motorcycle with the baby wedged b/w mother and father and again, fear arose. This is NOT a "new" sight for me in India but today I am feeling so sensitive to the impermanence of it all. Then there was the starving dog that sleeps near the fruit stand; he likes me and follows me. I so badly want to feed him but we are told not to as it causes problems for the locals... and then there was the man with no foot; on crutches and dirty.. hungry.. There is so much life and death here all at the same time and from my perspective it is just accepted very beautifully by the Indian people. There is an undercurrent of trust and faith and they just live, despite the conditions.
This morning I woke at 2:30am and around 5am I went out walking while it was still dark. Many locals are out walking at this time so it's safe (don't want my mom to have a coronary as she reads this!). The full moon shone so brilliantly in the sky as I walked I passed the Ganesha Temple that I have been going to for years. Seems they have built a smaller temple behind the current one and many people were there praying and circling clockwise 3 times as is traditionally done.. they were receiving blessings from the Hindu priest who was there; essentially receiving God's blessing and I thought to myself "despite all the "craziness", noise and traffic, yelling and the like that is happening all day long, this is how these holy people start each day. Rising early and in silence walking to temple to thank God for all he/she/it is giving and to ask for divine blessings." It really struck me. Tomorrow morning I am going to go and do the same.. at that early hour of Brahman.
The truth is, we are all so fragile. Life is fragile & beautiful. We must be so grateful for each and every day. We must be kind and good to each other and try our very best to love each other unconditionally. That is what yoga is helping us to do: open our hearts and see the divine in each other and in all beings and things. Guruji (Pattabhi Jois) was never a man of many words; at least not in the short time I was blessed to be in his presence. One thing he was always saying was "See God in all things. See God everywhere." It's not a secret; we all know where we are going eventually; back to God. Yoga helps us to let go and trust and fear not death... it is preparing us in this life for that very moment when we slip from this dimension to the next... whatever & wherever that may be.
Tomorrow I will sit in the midst of all of that fear and breathe calmly and deeply, just as I do each morning on my mat, and trust.. everything is unfolding just as it should.
Here's a little something to lighten the mood..
and it only gets worse.
I will need the mega of mega pedicures when I come home! ;)
Abhinivesaha, according to one translation of the Yoga Sutras says "Insecurity is the inborn feeling of anxiety about what is to come. It affects both the ignorant and the wise".
"This syndrome may have a reasonable base in past experiences. It may be completely irrational. It does not disappear even when we know that death is imminent. It is, perhaps, the most difficult obstacle to remove." (TKV Desikachar translation)
I was just out walking to grab some fruit for my room and to grab a fresh coconut for a snack and I became overwhelmed with so much fear. The young man who opens the coconuts with a Machette I have known now for many years. He is a sweet as they come. This trip for some reason I cannot watch him open the coconuts b/c I have so much fear that he will cut his fingers off... even though I know he opens hundreds a day... everyday. The fear was so overwhelming that I sucked down my coconut as fast as I could, paid him, and walked away. As I was walking I passed a family (husband, wife, and young baby) all on a motorcycle with the baby wedged b/w mother and father and again, fear arose. This is NOT a "new" sight for me in India but today I am feeling so sensitive to the impermanence of it all. Then there was the starving dog that sleeps near the fruit stand; he likes me and follows me. I so badly want to feed him but we are told not to as it causes problems for the locals... and then there was the man with no foot; on crutches and dirty.. hungry.. There is so much life and death here all at the same time and from my perspective it is just accepted very beautifully by the Indian people. There is an undercurrent of trust and faith and they just live, despite the conditions.
This morning I woke at 2:30am and around 5am I went out walking while it was still dark. Many locals are out walking at this time so it's safe (don't want my mom to have a coronary as she reads this!). The full moon shone so brilliantly in the sky as I walked I passed the Ganesha Temple that I have been going to for years. Seems they have built a smaller temple behind the current one and many people were there praying and circling clockwise 3 times as is traditionally done.. they were receiving blessings from the Hindu priest who was there; essentially receiving God's blessing and I thought to myself "despite all the "craziness", noise and traffic, yelling and the like that is happening all day long, this is how these holy people start each day. Rising early and in silence walking to temple to thank God for all he/she/it is giving and to ask for divine blessings." It really struck me. Tomorrow morning I am going to go and do the same.. at that early hour of Brahman.
The truth is, we are all so fragile. Life is fragile & beautiful. We must be so grateful for each and every day. We must be kind and good to each other and try our very best to love each other unconditionally. That is what yoga is helping us to do: open our hearts and see the divine in each other and in all beings and things. Guruji (Pattabhi Jois) was never a man of many words; at least not in the short time I was blessed to be in his presence. One thing he was always saying was "See God in all things. See God everywhere." It's not a secret; we all know where we are going eventually; back to God. Yoga helps us to let go and trust and fear not death... it is preparing us in this life for that very moment when we slip from this dimension to the next... whatever & wherever that may be.
Tomorrow I will sit in the midst of all of that fear and breathe calmly and deeply, just as I do each morning on my mat, and trust.. everything is unfolding just as it should.
Here's a little something to lighten the mood..
and it only gets worse.
Trusting that life is unfolding as it should... this is no easy task, I constantly struggle with this. Thanks for writing about the Indian people and how they deal with adversity.
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