Sensual Intake ~ Double/Triple Register
Over the years, I had students resist me when I suggest that they should not take things so seriously, especially things related to their social status and sensual intake. In some cases, I garnered deep resentment from students because I demanded that students distance themselves from the range of sensual intake.
Some students harped me with statements which show that they think that I want to deprive them of material existence, while I go on enjoying it nevertheless.
Are they right or wrong?
Okay, let us give them the benefit of the doubt. Let us begin this article by stating that they are right, that I am enjoying material existence, while on the other hand, I demand that the students desist from it.
This would be a case of do-as-I-say but do-not-do-as-I-do when what I do is contrary to what I say. Look at it the other way. When what I do is inconsistent with what I say, do what I say. Take the benefit which you could derive from doing what I say. Make progress, even if I do not show any.
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One of my social seniors, a relative of mine, once told me not to steal from a shop. At the time my body was about eleven years of age. This same adviser, was at the time, stealing from the very shop. What should I have said to this person? Should I have said that I will not take the instruction but I would steal from the shop since that was this person’s actions?
This article is about double/triple register of sensual reception. Every bit of our sensual reception is a form of subtle theft. This is not easy to understand, what to speak of agreeing with my view that it is larceny. Just for now take my word for it; that every time we engage in some sensual acquirement with any sense, we are engaged in subtle stealing. This does not mean that we can cease this altogether but it does imply that we should do our best to reduce this to the absolute minimum.
Here is how I practice this. A few days ago, I was in the process of going to an address to find a person who wanted me to work with him on a construction job. This person asked me previously to help him figure what was wrong in an electric circuit. Once I helped him with this, he got this idea that I could help him with other issues which I might be knowledgeable in.
As I was going to find the place where I was to meet him, I began to take note of the street because I had directions to go through a street and to note the cross streets. I saw one street from a distance but the sign was far away so that I could only read some of the letters. It was however enough of the letters to know that it was the street.
At that time, there was this urge to look more at the sign to see the street name in completion. At this point, I instructed the sense of sight and the motivational energy which encouraged it to peer, to stop looking for the street since the street was found. There was no necessity to steal any more letters from the street sign.
In other words, I reduced interest in the street sign. I curtailed interest in it as soon as I got the first indication that this was the street even though that was not a complete indication.
What would you have done?
Do you relate instructions to your mind in a similar way?
Can you see how this applies to yoga practice?
Do you understand how if I continued to peer at the street sign, it would be a double or triple register of the letters on the sign?
Is your mind doing double or triple register as a matter of course?
Do you like to do this?
How would you feel if you were to stop the mind at the first incomplete but sufficient perception of something sensual?
Do you always have to complete every sensual interest that you have?
Do you feel a sensual greed which must be fulfilled to the maximum?
The main inquiry is:
How is this part of yoga practice?
