Physical Body Value in Yoga
Meditationtime Forum Post
Date: Posted 5 years before Aug 08, 2017
MiBeloved 5 years ago
Breath infusion practice this morning was progressive in terms of what I am working on right now which is to remove all impurities from the subtle body. This is on the subtle plane, so it is not a physical practice and yet I am doing the practice with the physical body.
Due to the fact that the subtle body is interspaced into the physical form and that the physical system runs a parallel response mechanism to the subtle system, physical actions affect the subtle and visa versa.
The physical body is a special opportunity to keep the flimsy impulsive shifting subtle body in a stable condition so that one can observe its behavior and come up with methods for altering it. As great as the subtle body is, it has this defect of always wanting unrestricted unlimited pleasure. In search of these, it imperils itself.
On the physical level one can put it under lock and key by enforcing the yama behavioral restraints and niyama permitted attitudes. This eventually may feed over into the subtle plane and cause the subtle body to be reformed.
Of course that is mostly external but even so it is a start in the quest to bring the subtle body to accountability. Any part of the psyche which can imperil the whole psyche should be brought to order to protect the self (psyche).
This morning after practice, I was feeling that perhaps I have made some progress to live up to the stipulation in the Brahma Sutras which begin with this verse:
Athato brahma jijnasa
That is an instruction, a challenge, that:
“Hey, so now you are in the human species, having moved up through the ranks of evolution, now you should stop and think. Look around. Check things out. Do not go on just eating, sleeping, having sex and defending body and territory. Consider what this is all about. Spend some time inquiring to see if there is anything substantial which is beyond this.”
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In yoga practice, if one reaches the stage where one transforms the inside of the subtle body so that it is no longer inclined for the eating, sleeping, sexing and defending business, then one has moved on. In the Yoga Sutras (chapter 2), Patanjali said that even if one reaches that stage, it will continue for others.
Verse 17
द्रष्टृदृश्ययोः संयोगोहेयहेतुः॥१७॥
draṣṭṛdṛśyayoḥ saṁyogo heyahetuḥ
The cause which is to be avoided is the indiscriminate association of the observer and what is perceived.
Verse 18
प्रकाशक्रियास्थितिशीलं भूतेन्द्रियात्मकंभोगापवर्गार्थं दृश्यम्॥१८॥
prakāśa kriyā sthiti śīlaṁ bhūtendriyātmakaṁ
bhogāpavargārthaṁ dṛśyam
What is perceived is of the nature of the mundane elements and the sense organs and is formed in clear perception, action or stability. Its purpose is to give experience or to allow liberation.
Verse 19
विशेषाविशेषलिङ्गमात्रालिङ्गानि गुणपर्वाणि॥१९॥
viśeṣa aviśeṣa liṅgamātra aliṅgāni guṇaparvāṇi
The phases of the influences of material nature are those which are specific, regular, indicated or not indicated.
Verse 20
द्रष्टा दृशिमात्रःशुद्धोऽपि प्रत्ययानुपश्यः॥२०॥
draṣṭā dṛśimātraḥ śuddhaḥ api pratyayānupaśyaḥ
The perceiver is the pure extent of its consciousness but its conviction is patterned by what it perceives.
Verse 21
तदर्थ एवदृश्यस्यात्मा॥२१॥
tadarthaḥ eva dṛśyasya ātmā
The individual spirit, who is involved in what is seen, exists here for that purpose only.
Verse 22
कृतार्थं प्रतिनष्टमप्यनष्टं तदन्यसाधारणत्वात्॥२२॥
kṛtārthaṁ prati naṣṭam api
anaṣṭaṁ tadanya sādhāraṇatvāt
It is not effective for one to whom its purpose is fulfilled, but it has a common effect on the others.
Liberation of one individual is liberation of one individual. It is not liberation for all individuals. The rest remain under the auspicious of the most gracious mother, Material Nature.
Jai Jai Ma!
