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In the last session we looked at Ch. 1; Sutra 31 of the Patanjali Yoga Sutra. In Ch. 1; Sutra 30 he describes the four distractions that accompany the nine obstacles. These deeper layers of conditioning can be skillfully dealt with when we follow the recommendations given by Patanjali.
Dissolving The Obstacles And Distractions
In Ch.1; Sutra 33, Patanjali mentions that ekatatva abhyasa is the solution for prevention of the distractions and obstacles. Eka means “one” or “single” and tattva means “principle” or “truth.” Abhyasa is spiritual practice done regularly over a long period of time, to change habits that do not serve source and stabilise in attitudes that do. It enables us to rest in stillness and not get pulled into vrittis or the “whirlpools” of the mind.
Ekatatva abhyasa not only means focusing on the highest or the chanting of Om but also following one path. If one goes to one school for six months, another for 3 months, another for a year and keeps hopping approaches, then also one does not make much progress. This is true even for a regular school. If you keep changing the schools of your child, he/she will not be able to ground in any structure. Follow a path that is simple enough that it resonates and where you can stabilise in all areas of your life. If any of the obstacles come up then stop making excuses and understand that it is part of the process of moving through unconscious obstacles. All our minds have unconscious tendencies towards making excuses, belittling what is needed using examples that do not apply and using spiritual concepts to push under the carpet unresolved emotional and life issues. That is spiritual bypassing.
Spiritual Bypassing
This was a term coined by John Welwood in the 80s to describe using spiritual principles to avoid unresolved emotional and psychological issues. This is also what the real yogis spoke about. Some signs are: being overly idealistic, being angry and aggressive repeatedly or being too compassionate.
In real spirituality being human and having healthy boundaries and self love is emphasised. However, many times, what needs to be addressed can be missed. Self obsession and escapism, rather than freeing oneself from the limited, self becomes the norm. It is ok to have healthy distractions in life when one cannot continually be present to self. However, not seeing they are distractions and mistaking them for spirituality or enlightenment is the pitfall. When we see these distractions and our life with a clear lens, it makes us humble as well as builds healthy self-esteem. It does not make us arrogant or entitled nor do we want material things to give us esteem. Or one can also falsely believe that material things are not important, yet deep down hanker for them or not feel stable because we cannot pay our bills. So as we see all these layers, it further humbles and grounds us and makes us real.
Throwing The Baby Out With The Bath Water
In the name of rationality I also see the other extreme where these concepts are not understood and are interpreted through the lens of modernity. They are mistaken for being scientific or being smart or grounded. I saw a post by some modern writer who derides sitting in solitude or choosing not to be engaged in the world.
In India, there was a culture that accommodated everything before the British tried to make it fit into their Victorian mindset. Nakedness was not frowned upon and neither was the choice to not engage in the world and forego marriage. As we saw in the last blog, the nakedness could come from madness, exhibitionism and objectification or just not being attached to the body. The intent was what was seen. Even Self awareness pursuits were embraced in solitude, engaging with the world or a combination of both. That’s why we have three paths in Tantra. There is the right hand path - dakshina marga or the path of refinement. There is the left hand path - vama marga or the path where exposure to things that normally cause extreme reactions is advocated. And there is madhya marga or the middle path which is a combination.
Some of the naga sadhus and digambaris believed in owning very little and even found clothes redundant. And then there were those on the path who were in grahastha, or married life, and through being involved in material life, found their liberation. Neither was considered better than the other and was a matter of the karmas or inclination of a person. However, the culture unanimously set the tone that moving through samskaras, or old conditioning, into the expansive consciousness was the aim.
Spiritual Superiority Is Also An Escape
Nowadays we find one path putting down the other and feeling superior. If one tunes into the ethos we see this is not ok. Not everyone who is away from material life is an escapist or bypassing, though many can be if they are jealous of those who have a better material status. We learn that generalizations do not work and keen self observation and self reflection is required.
A person can bypass their trauma and escape into silence, or use silence as a means to conserve energy in order to face trauma, rather than drown in drama. However there are people who pretend to understand spirituality and put down silence as ineffective, keeping the first person’s example in mind. Also when such a person or student finds some personality traits in the teacher that they can find fault with, they use it as an excuse to not discipline themselves.
So it is important to cultivate discernment, or viveka, which is invaluable support that a real guide and sangha (gathering of those seeking the highest) can bring. If the sangha and teacher constantly remind us of that ethos then it is a good space to stabilise in.