Science and Spirituality for modern man🔗

‘Patanjali Yoga Sutra for today’s man’ is today’s topic for the discourse. Before going to the Yoga Sutra (Yoga techniques), I like to introduce certain concepts to you all.

We call today’s program as “Open the door, let the breeze in” discourse series called Dhyanasatsang (group of highly committed people who meditate in search of truth). Let us first see what Dhyanasatsang means and how to derive the benefits from it and then we shall begin the program.

Dhyanasatsang is not just a spiritual discourse. In spiritual discourses, again and again we receive words. But in Dhyanasatsang we push out the words which are inside us. In an ordinary spiritual discourse or lecture, we grasp the message and the knowledge. In Dhyanasatsang, we learn out of direct experience. We not only grasp the message, we also grasp the technique and learn out of direct experience. It is easy to grasp the knowledge but it is very difficult to get the direct experience. The place where we learn out of the experience is called Dhyanasatsang.

If we can deeply and truly involve ourselfves in this Dhyanasatsang, these three days will be a turning point in our life. It will transform our life. So let us involve ourselfves completely and deeply in this Dhyanasatsang.

Really, the biggest problem which most of us face in life is not ignorance. The biggest problem is that we know too much. Only when we know too much, we find it difficult to put what we learnt into practice. Knowing ten good messages and following the same is enough. But we are aware of thousands of good messages and we don’t practice even one of those messages. We are unable to apply these messages in a practical way and turn it into a reality in our lives.

A small story about a Zen enlightened Master.

A professor goes to a see a Zen enlightened Master. This professor is a highly educated and knowledgeable person. He asked the Zen Master: Master, how do I reach God? What is the purpose of life? What is reality? What is truth? Please explain. The professor continuously and hurriedly asks these questions.

Please understand that when a person is asking questions in such a hurry, we can be sure that the person who is asking the questions is not asking with an intention to receive the response. If he asks one question and waits for the answer and then asks the next question, we can be sure that he has some interest in receiving the responses. But, if someone is asking questions in a hurry, it means he is not interested in receiving the answers. He just wants to show off his knowledge.

A small example, actually this truly happened.

A man came to see me. As soon as he came hurriedly he asked me: Master, please tell me, what is meant by God? What is divinity? Is it true, that I can realize it, only if I am destined to realize it? Is it possible to realize divinity through self-work? Is prayer good or meditation the apt thing? In a similar manner he asked me about five or six questions. I did not answer any of his questions, but I asked him questions about his well being, how his business was, how his family was. He began answering my questions and spoke about his mother, wife, and his children. After sometime he completely forgot about the questions which he originally asked. After that we spoke about lot of other things for about one and half hours. But till the end of our conversation, that man did not ask for answers to his original questions. In fact, he did not even think of those questions. He did not ask those questions for the second time. He did not open that topic at all. Initially, when he asked those questions, he asked with such intensity, but moment the conversation was diverted, he forgot all those questions completely. From this we can understand that those questions have not become a quest in him. These questions have not come from the bottom of his heart. These questions have been asked just to express whatever he knew. These are just superficial questions.

Most of the times, if we see, questions are not asked with an intention to know the answer. Questions are asked to show our knowledge on the subject. Questions which are asked with an intention to know the answers are very less. The questions which are asked to show others what we know are more in number. Only these kind of questions are asked more often.

This man who came to me asked me only such type of questions, to show others what he knew. He must have bought some books and read a few words about the divine, the soul and God. Since he has read something related to this subject he has to show others that he knows something on the subject. He himself did not have the serious intention to know the answers. He did not have the deep search in him to know the divine. Since he did not have the deep search in him, when the conversation was diverted to some other topic for about two minutes, he forgot that he had asked those questions. He not only forgot the questions, but he also forgot that he came to me only to ask questions. Most of us, in our lives, have only these kinds of questions in mind.

This professor in the Zen story also asked such superficial questions. The enlightened Master smiled and without responding to his questions, ordered his disciple to get a cup of tea. His disciple got the cup of tea and placed it in front of the Master. There was already a cup of tea in front of the Master. He took the cup of tea, which was already in front of him and started pouring this tea into the cup of tea which the disciple had brought. Already the cup was full of tea. But the Master continued to pour some more tea into the cup.

The professor started shouting: Master, the cup is already full of tea and it is overflowing and is now onto the floor. Please stop pouring more tea. The cup is full. The Master said: So are you. Like the cup which is overflowing with tea and cannot store any more tea inside it, your brain and your mind are already filled with a lot of messages. You will not be able to get my message, since your brain and mind are already filled with many messages. You will not be able to internalize what I say now.

If we go to an ordinary spiritual discourse or a lecture, we will get more words; we can learn many messages. But Dhyanasatsang is not a place where we learn these words or messages. It is a place where we learn life’s lessons out of experience. It is a place where we learn the techniques to make the lessons into an experience in our life. Here for the next 3 days, the Dhyanasatsang will be a place, which gives the techniques to learn life’s lessons and have spiritual experiences.

If the message given by the speaker is superficial the crowd will be more. If the message is deep the crowd will be less. If we see, in Dhyanasatsang, it is only a hand full of people who participate. Why? Dhyanasatsang is not a social gathering. It is not a public meeting. This is a place, which completely deals with the individual person’s life. This is a place where we learn about the messages which helps us to make our lives better, to make our lives prosperous and to make our lives joyful. Dhyanasatsang is a place where only people who have a clear understanding and a deep search for a great life, gather. At a place where superficial rituals happen or a place where public meetings are held, we can see different types of people gather in large crowds. But in a place where Dhyanasatsang happens, only individual persons can be seen. Just because we are all sitting here and forming a crowd, does not mean this is a crowd. This represents a group of individuals.

Group of individuals is different from a crowd. Both these are different. Group of individuals means a place where every individual has come with a search for making his life joyful, to improvise his life. We have not gathered here for any public or social reasons. There are two types of crowds. One type of crowd gathers for a social or a public reason. The other type of crowd gathers for bringing the awareness in the individual’s life. We cannot achieve anything for the world by a social revolution or public revolution. Only due to the awakening or transformation of an individual, we can achieve anything in our life and in this world. Changing our own self and improving our own life is the only way to change the society.

Many devotees come and ask me: Master, what is the way to change this world? I tell them, before changing the world, let’s first try to change ourselves. If the world has to be changed, the only way for changing it is by changing ourselves first. When we change the world will automatically change. By a social revolution, it is not possible to change the world. It is possible only by awakening or transformation of an individual. All of us are individuals. Every one of us is an individual. This is the group of individuals. Here answers are given to inspire people to pursue a quest for living a blissful life. Questions such as :What can I learn from this program? How much can I learn from this program? How can I improvise my life? are asked. Only people who ask such questions can get the complete benefit out of the Dhyanasatsang.

If we want to get the complete benefit, if we want a big change in our life, just have this fundamental thought about the awakening of the individual, Then start contemplating by asking questions like, how much these points will be useful for me, how much can I put into practice, how much shall I practice?

Generally, if we go to any spiritual discourse, when we are listening to the discourse we will think: Okay as soon as I go home, I should tell this to my wife. Or we may think: I should tell my mother-in-law or I should tell my daughter-in-law about the message from the discourse. Instead of thinking about telling other people, we must contemplate only on how much we can internalize these points. We must see how much these points will change our lives and how these points will be useful for our lives. Without worrying about how to publicize this to others or thinking as to how this should be useful to others, we must deeply analyze how this will be useful in our life, how much change we can bring in our life with this message. We must make an attempt to internalize these points in our life. If we make an attempt to internalize these points in our life, then the Dhyanasatsang will bring about a major change in our spiritual life, in our mental setup and in our entire life.

Now let us begin the Patanjali Yoga Sutra. Firstly, let me give an introduction to this book. Let me introduce this book through a story. The story is about how this book was written.

Patanjali was a great enlightened Master, a rishi (sage), who lived in a place called Chidambaram in south India. To enable others also to have the similar enlightenment experience which he had, the techniques were written by Him and this lead to the creation of the book called, Patanjali Yoga Sutra. How did he write this? To explain this, there is a wonderful story. Let us not worry whether this story is true or false. But the philosophy or the essence of this story is truth.

Patanjali is considered as the incarnation of Adhiseshan (a snake with thousand heads). Don't worry whether this story is true or not. The core meaning and the essence behind this story is wonderful. Patanjali decided to explain his enlightenment experience. He called for all his disciples and said: I cannot explain my enlightenment experience just by this single tongue. I shall take my true form, the Adhiseshan form, the form with thousand heads and thousand tongues and share my enlightenment experience. But when I am sharing my experience with thousand tongues, since I will be in the Adhiseshan form (snake form), the poison that comes out of my mouth, will destroy you all. To avoid that, I shall put a black screen in between me and all of you. So please properly make a note of whatever I say. It was decided that thousand disciples would attend and all of them would take notes of whatever He spoke with His thousand tongues. That is, the techniques spelled out by one tongue, will be written by one disciple and the technique spelled out by another tongue will be written by another disciple and so on. After this decision, the time for the discourse was nearing. At this time, Patanjali had a small doubt that in spite of being in front of him, the disciples may fall asleep or they may walk out from the class. He thought :I will be behind the screen and giving out the techniques, but if someone walks out during the middle of the class, what to do? As this thought crossed his mind, immediately, he made an order that nobody should go out of the class for any reason whatsoever. He said : If someone gets up and goes out, I will curse them. Also, he made one more order: Nobody should remove this screen whatever be the reason. If you do that, then all of you will be destroyed. Two conditions: One is no one should remove the screen and the other is no one should walk out of the place. Patanjali started speaking about the techniques and the words were flowing like rain. All the thousand disciples were writing down quickly. When it was almost over, one of the disciples, for some reason walked out of the class. To inform Patanjali about the disciple who walked out and to know the punishment to be imposed on that disciple, the head of the disciples removed the black screen without even informing Patanjali. As soon as the screen was removed because of the poison which was emitted out of Patanjali’s mouth, all the nine hundred and ninety nine disciples were destroyed. Along with the disciples, the notes which the disciples wrote also got destroyed. Seeing all this, Patanjali was deeply in distress that everyone was destroyed and everything He spoke also got destroyed. Not knowing as to what to do beyond that, He came back to His original form, ,the human form, and sat down confused. As He was sitting, He noticed one of the disciples walking towards Him. He asked the disciple: Where were you all this while? The disciple replied: Master, I just went out. Then Patanjali asked: That’s okay, at least show me what you wrote.

The book, which we are going to discuss, Patanjali Yoga Sutra is the book written by that one disciple. Don’t bother whether this story truly happened or if it’s a rumor. But just understand the truth behind this story. This story has been written to tell that, a small drop, out of a great massive subject which cannot be explained, has been explained here. Whether the story is true or not, the message is truth. The great wonderful state, the path to the enlightenment state, the unexplainable state, has been first time scientifically explained by Patanjali.

Patanjali is the only inner world scientist among the enlightened Masters. All enlightened Masters expressed their enlightened state or the true knowledge in different ways. To enable others also to attain the enlightened state or the true knowledge, all the enlightened Masters wrote various books and explained about the enlightenment or true knowledge. But Patanjali is a great enlightened Master, who explained His enlightenment through science. Nobody before or after Patanjali has written such a great book on spirituality or enlightenment. And nobody has written a book that is so scientific on enlightenment.

Now let us deeply understand what is meant by Sutra (techniques). Enlightened Masters designed techniques to enable the enlightenment experience which happened in them, to be created in others. The words which were used to explain such techniques are called Sutra. Thus the words which explains the activities which one will have to do, to undergo the experience, which the enlightened person underwent is called Sutra. To enable such an enlightenment state, the blissful state, which happened in Him, to happen in others also, enlightened persons designed the techniques, which we can follow.

Similarly, Patanjali Yoga Sutra are the techniques described by Patanjali, which speaks about the techniques and ways to experience enlightenment. Patanjali is an inner world scientist who had great clarity. There is none like him in the past. And there can be nobody like him in the future. He has explained the enlightenment techniques with such a great depth, with such intensity and such clarity in the book Patanjali Yoga Sutra.

Generally, amongst people there is an opinion that scientists are considered as very practical people and that the principles, which they declare are also considered to be practically applicable ones. However enlightened persons are considered to be people who live in their own dream world. But if we deeply analyze Patanjali, we will understand right away that Patanjali is beyond any of today's Quantum Physicists. Because he himself has searched for the ultimate experience directly, and he has lived the techniques used for experiencing enlightenment in his life. These techniques can be followed in our daily life.

Please understand this basic thing first. To enable others also to have the blissful state, which they had experienced, enlightened Masters have devised various techniques. All our physical, mental and emotional problems are due to the fact that we have not followed these techniques, which the enlightened Masters have left for us. When we start following the techniques, which the enlightened Masters have devised, then whatever we call as problems in our lives, all such problems will automatically disappear.

One more question, which will arise in everybody's mind. Really is this Yoga (the technique for relaxing this restless mind) required for today's man? Many people come and ask me, 'Master, amidst all the problems, is meditation required to be done? In our everyday routine itself, we have to face lot of problems. We have to struggle for our livelihood and comforts. We have a lot of other work to do. We have a lot of problems. Amidst all this, should we do meditation and Yoga. How is this going to be beneficial to us?' Superficially if we hear this question, we will think that this question is a very good question.

Let me answer this question through an example. A patient went to a doctor and asked: Doctor, I have many physical complaints and many other diseases,, do I have to take these medicines? How stupid this question sounds to us. We all know that actually only a person who is sick, should take these medicines. Similarly, only a person who is in stress and who is in depression needs meditation and Yoga. If in our everyday life, we feel that we don't have any problems, we are very peaceful, then we don't need Yoga or meditation. This means that in someway, Yoga or meditation has entered our life. Practically if someone is facing many problems, and is not living peacefully, then only for such people, Yoga and meditation are required. Just as only a patient will require medicines, similarly, only people who are facing many challenges and problems in their life, need meditation and Yoga to face these challenges and problems.

Yoga is an alchemy process. An alchemy process is a process, which transforms iron into gold. Similarly, if we bring Yoga into our life, our life will be completely transformed. I had a chance to read a book by a great doctor named Maslow, who treats patients with depression. It is a wonderful book. He has written in that book, depression, which could not be cured by many medicines and people with depression whom he could not help, were not only completely healed but also such patients were in joy because they did meditation. When they had a glimpse of conscious experience they were able to completely come out of the depressive state. For all our physical ailments, mental problems, a glimpse of a conscious experience will lead to great results. We need not have to do meditation all through our life. It is not necessary we will have to keep our eyes closed all through our life. Just dedicatedly doing the meditation once and having a glimpse of the conscious experience once is enough. It will change our body and mind completely.

Since the doctors abroad realized the benefits out of Yoga and meditation, in America teaching Yoga has become very popular business. Many American doctors and psychologists have come to India and learnt the meditation techniques. They have translated the same to their language and are doing the business of teaching Yoga and meditation in America. This business alone has a turnover of about 12 billion in America. By this statistics we can understand how beneficial Yoga and meditation are to the people.

This Yoga and meditation are the biggest donations, which India has given to this world. But the sad part is that we have given to the world as a donation and we have forgotten to use it ourselves. Since we have given it as a donation, we have forgotten to use it. That's what has truly happened. In our lives, just few seconds if we can allow ourselves to do meditation and if we can involve ourselves in meditation; we can have the greatest experience of changing our body and mind completely. We can get immersed in the complete energy ocean, which gives us a complete physical and mental well-being.

Now, let us enter into the first Sutra (technique) of Patanjali. The first Sutra is as follows: Atha Yoganu Sasanam. This is a very beautiful verse in the language, called Sanskrit (one of the oldest languages in India. Many of the hymns and songs in the olden days were sung in Sanskrit). The above Sutra means: Now let us understand about Yoga. Why is this first sentence uttered? By this Patanjali means that people who are really interested to know these techniques and people who have the true dedication to follow these techniques in their life, alone shall listen further.

One important thing, if we just internalize only those messages, which we intend to follow in our life, our life will be in joy. Some people come and tell me: Master, I listen to many spiritual messages, I am able to know more. But I am not able to follow these messages practically. I don’t know what to do. Please understand that it is not a problem if we listen to just the good and relevant messages. But we try to listen to all the information and the countless messages, which are unnecessary and are not required for us. Since we try to internalize all the unnecessary messages also, we are unable to follow the necessary messages, which are required.

One person came and told me: Master, a month back, I read a book which spoke about harmful effects of cigarette smoking, I left it after that. I asked him: Oh that’s good to hear, so have you left cigarette smoking? He said: No Master, I quit reading these kind of books which confuse the mind. Really, ignorance about knowing what is good and what is bad is not a problem for us. We don’t just get the relevant and good messages, but we get to know all the messages, those messages that are not necessary as well. Our mind is completely overflowing with unnecessary information. So naturally, we are not aware as to what should be done and what should not be done. Because of too many unnecessary words that enter us, in our lives we are unable to follow the necessary words.

Ramakrishna (an enlightened Master from West-Bengal, in India) beautifully says: It is okay, even if your senses do not work. But do not permit unnecessary words into your self. Even if our eyes and ears do not function, it’s okay. Or if any our senses do not work, it is okay. But by permitting the entry of unnecessary words into ourselves, we are not leaving space for necessary and good messages.

There is a beautiful verse in the Upanishads (Sacred texts that embody the experiences and ecstatic realizations of great seers who perceived the reality and enjoyed it), which says that only if the food is pure, our mind becomes pure. Please understand, by using the term food here, it does not only mean the food that we eat through our mouth. The incidents which we see through our eyes are also food. Even the music, which we hear through our ears, is food. The fragrance which we smell through our nose is also food. Whatever we take inside us through the five senses are all food. So understand that all the TV programs, whatever we see are all food. Whatever noise we hear through the ears is also food. Whatever our nose smells is also food.

I always say: Do not watch any television program which puts in you sorrow. The more we watch programs which put us in sadness, the more deeply we are immersed in sorrow. Because, whatever messages we are getting inside us, only those thoughts relating to those message will be working inside our mind. Whatever messages enter inside us through our senses, only those messages will be acting inside us without our awareness. If we watch any horror movie in the night and go to bed, suddenly at 12 in the night we will feel that the cat is meowing. If the screen moves due to breeze, we will fear that someone is walking in. Because whatever thought we have put inside in us, only that thought will work inside us. Whatever thoughts go inside us will work inside us. For any reason whatsoever, let us not permit any thoughts which put us in sorrow, misery and worry to enter us.

In those days, our ancestors, used to light the lamp in the evening and do meditation. They do this because, in the evening, whatever thought we put in our mind, it will sprout out as a tree. Whatever thought we put inside us, it will grow as a big tree. But nowadays, what we do in the evening? We see some serial on television and start crying along with the programs in the television. Let us not permit ourselves to watch any program that can put us in sorrow. There is nothing wrong in watching a program which gives us joy. We do not have to disassociate ourselfves from everything or avoid everything. Let us not associate ourselfves with any programs of media, which put us in sorrow, or any incidents which depress us. Be it any type of media like television or any movie or newspaper or even the internet; let us not take in any information or news which puts us in sorrow or anything which depresses us.

Generally, if we see, many people first read the obituary column or they read the news on accident or murder in the newspaper or magazine. What is the reason for this? It is because in many of us the revenge taking attitude is there in one corner of our mind. We try to satisfy or quench our revenge taking attitude when we come across any negative news.

Is any murder or robbery not going to happen? Any day we open the newspaper; this kind of news will always be there. The only difference between the news of yesterday and today is that the same incident would have happened in a different place and there would be different victims in the incidents Please understand that it is going to be the similar news but we constantly associate ourselves with these kinds of incidents and thus put ourselves into sorrow. Let us not take in any news or incidents or information, which puts our mind into sorrow and depression. Let us try to be involved, as much as we can, in good messages, good news and let us place our mind in a high plane. Our mind, will act according to the information it has received. When we receive and store the unnecessary and negative messages, there will be no space for positive and good messages.

That's why Patanjali beautifully says, 'Decide clearly whether you need Yoga in your life? That's the reason for this first technique. Only if we feel that we have to change our life, we must read this further. If we do not have the search or the deep quest for making the change or transformation in our life, we need not bother about what is going to be said further. Just to make us understand this clearly he declares the first technique, Atha Yoganu Sasanam which means now let us understand about Yoga.

Now let us begin the Yoga. The next technique is a wonderful technique.

Yogaha Chitta Vritti nirodaha. It is a beautiful technique. The translation for this is ;The evolvement of the mind in different forms and in different creations is stopped by Yoga. Patanjali explains the essence or the main core of the Yoga in this technique. Mind is a big monkey. Not just an ordinary monkey. Vivekananda (an enlightened Master, also disciple of Ramakrishna) beautifully says that mind is equal to a monkey, which is possessed by a ghost, which has drunk liquor, and which is stung by a scorpion.

There was a monkey, somehow it got a pot of liquor and it drank the liquor. We know, how these monkeys are! In spite of being normal, they jump. To add to this, there was a ghost, which possessed this monkey. And a scorpion stung this monkey. The way the monkey was jumping around due to the impact of the liquor, the ghost and the scorpion sting, the same way our mind also jumps and oscillates.

If we look closely into our mind wherever we are physically present, our mind will not be there. When we are brushing our teeth in the morning, we will be thinking about our office. Thoughts such as : After I go to office what should I do? What will happen in the office today? What should be done at work? arise in the mind. Then after we go to work we worry about school lessons to be taught to our children after coming home. Then once we come home after work and start teaching our children, we begin to think about the television programs. Then when we watch the televison program, we will then think about the next day's routine.

Please understand that the very nature of our mind is not being present wherever we are present physically. Our mind constantly jumps, oscillates and asks: What next? What next? What next? It will not be there wherever we are physically present. That's why Vivekananda says: Mind is similar to that of a monkey which is possessed by a ghost, which has drunk liquor and which is stung by a scorpion. Our thought flow keeps oscillating. The biggest problem in our life is only our mind. Our mind is the biggest problem in our life. If we are able to know how to operate this mind and bring this mind into our control, we can discipline this mind. Then our life will become blissful and heavenly.

Mind is like a car. If we know how to operate it when there is a need, that is if we know when and how to turn left and turn right or go straight and if we know how to apply the breaks and stop the car, then it means we are driving the car. We sit in the car and drive the car, we take the left and right turns and stop the car when we want to. If we can apply the breaks and stop the car when we want to, then it means that we are driving the car. But if we are unable to apply the breaks and stop the car when we want to, then it means that the car is driving us. Just by this one thing we can understand whether we are driving the car or the car is driving us. If we can stop the car whenever we want to stop, then it means that we are driving the car. If we are unable to stop the car and the car keeps on moving, then it means that the car is driving us. Our mind is also like that. If we can stop the mind when we want to, if we can bring our mind into our control then we are living with our mind. If we are unable to bring the mind into our control, then it means our mind is using us. That’s all it means and nothing else.

If we drink less, then it means that we are drinking with some self-control. However if we drink without any self-control, then it means the drink will swallow our life. As long as we smoke less it means that we are in control. But if we go beyond the limit, then the cigarette will control us. If we are at such level, where we can stop our mind, then it means that we are living with our mind and that we are in control. If we go beyond that point where we cannot control our mind, then it means that our mind is living through us. Our mind will be using us.

Thus the Sutra, Yogaha Chitta Vritti nirodaha, means going to the no mind zone. It is the state at which the thoughts which arise in the mind disappear. Thus Patanjali says, ‘Being in peace, without any thoughts in the mind, being in such a blissful state is Yoga’.

Firstly, we should understand whether this is possible in our lives. Most of us don’t have confidence in our lives or in ourselves. There is no self-confidence. We never think that we can do something. We ourselves don’t believe in us. If good fortune happens in our life, we do not have the courage and the maturity to accept it. Why is that? Because generally we don’t even believe that something fortunate could ever happen to us. If we deeply analyze our lives, if we search in a relaxed manner in our lives, we will know the depth of our lack of confidence. Without the confidence, how much ever prosperous and wealthy we become in our lives, it is of no use.

Let us see this small story.

A poor man luckily won one million in a lottery. But he had a heart problem and had a weak heart. So, his wife was afraid to tell him that he had won one million because hearing this he might get a heart attack. But what to do, she had to tell him. She was looking for someone through whom she could convey this news to him. There was a priest in that town who was also an astrologer. He was a very popular person in that town. She went to the priest and told him her problem and said that somehow she wanted to convey this news to her husband. She told the priest: This news has to be very carefully conveyed to him, since he has a heart problem. By you conveying this message nothing should happen to him. The priest replied: You don’t worry madam, I will take care. I know your husband for the last 30 years. I know how to break the news to him carefully. That’s not a problem. I will take care. The priest confidently went to their house and began talking to him. He said : I think you are going to get a fortune. Like this the priest slowly began the conversation, and then finally he changed the topic and asked him: If you get one million in a lottery what will you do? That man replied: If I get one million, I shall give half of it to your temple. Hearing this, the priest fell down and died. Similarly, when fortune and luck come to us, if we don't have the maturity and the confidence and the stability to take it up, even if it comes, it is not useful. In the world there are hundreds of lucky draws and lotteries going on. I have visited many countries and as far as I know, there is nobody who has become wealthy due to a lottery. Money will come, however it will go back the same way it came. To maintain the fortune also, we need the ability and the capacity. We need the self-confidence. In our lives, most of us don't have the confidence, that's why; we are living a very superficial life, wondering whether we can achieve something in our life.

Being in the state of thoughtlessness, being in the state of peace and in the state of bliss is called Yoga. The moment we hear these words, the thought which run in our mind is: Is this all possible for us to do? Is it possible for us to practice this in our daily lives? Is it possible for us to be in a thoughtless state and peaceful state? We are not able to sit quietly for ten minutes. How can we do Yoga and meditation?

By thinking like this, we ourselves are pulling us down. There are two things: One is listening to the arguments and then giving the judgment and the other one is deciding the judgment and then collecting arguments to support the judgment we have decided. If we have already decided that we don't have self-confidence and that we cannot achieve anything in our life, then it means we really cannot achieve anything.

For example, if we had already decided that we cannot achieve or do any Yoga or meditation, then may be we will make a small attempt and if we are not successful in that attempt, then we will convince ourselfves that we have made a try and that we cannot try any further. If we decide like this, then this becomes an argument in support of the decision, which we had already made. Really, with an open-mind, with a confident and stable mind, with clarity in thought, if we make an entry into meditation, make an entry into Yoga, then we will know if it is possible or not possible to be in a thoughtless, blissful zone.

One important thing, we should understand. Mind is not a thing. It is an incident, which happens inside us. For example, we walk and once we reach the place we are supposed to reach, we sit in a chair. Once we sit on the chair, the act of walking which we did disappeared. That same moment we sat on the chair, the very act of our walking disappeared. That is, once we perform the incident or the action called sitting, then the incident called walking disappeared. Similarly, mind is an incident, it is not a thing. It is a program or an incident. Continuously some thought process keeps happening inside us. When we sit, the event of walking is no more. Just as the act of walking disappeared as soon as the act of sitting was performed, similarly, as soon as you come to the state of Yoga, the incident called mind will disappear.

Yoga means the techniques relaxing the oscillating mind, soothing the mind which is suffering due to wounds. The mind keeps oscillating up and down and in all directions. The technique for relaxing this restless mind is what we term as Yoga. Yogaha Chitta Vritti nirodaha. Yoga means attaining the state of thoughtlessness. This is the introduction, which Patanjali gives for Yoga. The only introduction, which we all should know is to understand that Yoga, does not just mean the physical movements and exercises which we do. Doing or making physical movements is just a part of Yoga.

Really, what is Yoga? Blissful state is always there inside us, the techniques that express this Nithya Ananda (eternal blissful) state, which is already there in us, is what is called Yoga. The techniques that help attain that state of Nithya Ananda are what is termed as Yoga. Mind is an incident, the techniques, which are used to calm down that incident, are called Yoga. This is the basic explanation for Yoga. The state of ‘no mind’ is termed as Yoga.

To attain this state of Yoga, there are eight steps or eight levels to it. Through these eight steps, one can experience the state of Yoga, step by step, clearly and confidently. Thus experiencing the state of Yoga through the eight steps is what Patanjali calls as Asthenia Yoga. This means the eight steps to attain the state of Yoga. When you go step by step following the eight steps, towards the state of Yoga, you can clearly and confidently, experience the eternal bliss.

In the next few chapters we shall discuss these eight steps, which take us into the sate of Yoga.