Rāja—yoga deals with the mind. The Sanskrit word for king is
rāja. In the body, the mind is considered the king of the organs, the monarch of bodily members, which each act according to the mind's instruction. There are some who think that the name
rāja—yoga derives from the idea that it is the king of all other schools of yoga. Still another opinion, claims that
rāja—yoga is a system that converts us from being slaves of the mind to monarchs of ourselves.
Rāja —yoga is the yogic discipline that deals with the mental aspect of man. The mind is given such importance in Vedic literature that it is sometimes discussed more than God. The rāja—yogī gradually transforms his mind into a laboratory where through observation and investigation of the psychic movements, he becomes an alchemist of the mental content. Delving into this aspect of yoga, we learn about ourselves in depth. In an integrating and holistic way, this wisdom leads the individual through a process that produces harmony and cohesion between thought, action, and feeling. This process involves not only theoretical knowledge but profound changes of an existential nature. More than information, it is transformation. In other words, unlike knowledge, wisdom compels.
Religion differs from philosophy in that it has nothing to do with knowledge, documentation, or information, not even with understanding or comprehension; ultimately, religion is an existential phenomenon, a direct experience.
Rāja—yoga is the Vedic psychology, and I say Vedic, as it radically differs from Western psychology. While Western psychology tries to bring the mind to a so—called "normal" level by harmonizing it with our social environment, the aim of rāja—yoga is the super—normal, to go beyond the mind and transcend it completely. Both deal with the mind, yet this difference is a fundamental distinction regarding their respective intentions and expectations.
Throughout human history, no one but the rāja—yogī has succeeded in reaching a level of such precision in his comprehension of the complicated and intricate movements of the human mind.
Rāja—yoga is an invitation to humanity to discover that which is beyond the mental plane. It reveals that the mind is not everything, and that we are a transcendental reality to the mind. The rāja—yogī observes, studies, contemplates, and transcends the mind.
In the Bhagavad—gītā (6.5, 6.6) Lord Kṛṣṇa refers to the mind thus:
uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ
nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur
ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
"With the help of the mind, one should liberate himself without degradation. The mind can be our best friend, as well as our worst enemy."
bandhur ātmātmanas tasya
yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ
anātmanas tu śatrutve
vartetātmaiva śatru—vat
"For those who have conquered the mind, it is the best of friends. For those who have not, the mind remains their worst enemy."
Astānga—yoga
In the second century A.D., a great sage and spiritual giant appeared, Patañjali Maharṣi, who brilliantly espoused and codified the wisdom of rāja—yoga in his Yoga—sūtras.
Another name for this type of yoga is aṣṭāńga—yoga, or the yoga of eight limbs, or ańgas. The eight steps place the seeker in the appropriate situation so that the Divinity can occur. The steps are: yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi.
Yamas: restrictions or abstention
Ahiṁ sā: non—violence
Satya: truthfulness
Asteya: honesty
Brahmachārya: celibacy
Aparigraha: detachment
Niyamas: Observances
Śauca: internal and external cleanliness
Santoṣa: contentment
Tapas: austerity
Svādhyāya: Vedic scriptures study
Īśvara—praṇidhāna: surrender to God
The first two steps consist of rules and regulations. The yamas are restrictions, or abstentions, and the niyamas are observances. These are important in our spiritual life as they are the foundations on which we build. Rāja—yoga consists in internalization — in delving into our internal world. Just as no one would want to enter and remain in an impure and unclean place, a preparation is required first. By situating ourselves in the principles of yama and niyama we are purifying our interior.
The preparation of the instrument on different levels is important as it creates harmony and coherence between our actions and what happens in the level of our consciousness. Anyone who wishes to take shelter under the Sanātana—dharma should make this system of moral and ethical principles a part of his life.
Āsana: yogic postures.
Prāṇāyāma: different breathing techniques that lead to an enlargement of the vital energy. Together with the āsanas, these form what we call haṭha—yoga.
Pratyāhāra: internalization of the senses.
Dhāraṇā: concentration.
Dhyāna: meditation.
Samādhi: super consciousness or enlightenment.
Internal rāja—yoga consists of the three last steps.
The Mind
A mysterious power of the Ātman, the mysterious capacity of the Self, manifests as the mind. The mind is ātma—śakti, through which Divinity, Brahman, manifests as a reality of names and forms as diversity — the universe. Through the mind, God is manifested as the cosmos, as our entire reality.
In other words, the mind is māyā or illusion.
In the Bhagavad—gītā (7.4), Lord Kṛṣṇa teaches us that the mind is one of the aṣṭadhā prakṛtis:
bhūmir āpo ‘nalo vāyuḥ
khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
ahańkāra itīyaṁ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā
"Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego, these eight elements together constitute My energies."
It is important to understand that our mind, and each individual mind, is but one wave in relation to the cosmic mind, called in Sanskrit Hiraṇyagarbha.
The mind is not a solid object. It is not the brain. The brain is only the mind's body. The mind is a subtle capability such as singing, dancing, and walking are.
The mind is thought and imagination. Mind is thoughts; it is no different from its activity.
A poem or a discourse is a collection of words; the public is a group of people; a melody is an assortment of notes. If the people disperse back to their homes, the public will disappear. If the words are separated, the poem will dissolve.... In the same way, the mind is a great quantity of thoughts whose intense activity and velocity give the impression of continuity, similar to how projecting individual frames create a moving image.
It is peculiar how humanity grows old and remains in such ignorance about of the mind. Jealousy, envy, desire, attraction, repulsion, fear and anxiety, shame, and feelings of inferiority all originate in the mind. To remain ignorant of the mind is to ignore the source of the entire human experience.
However, a serious and profound study of this wisdom will reveal that the mind is the wall that separates us from Reality... from Totality... from God.... The fall or disappearance of the wall is us evaporating as a dream because when the thought waves or the vṛttis stop and mental activity ceases, the mind is capable of revealing the nature of the Self, the Ātman, just as a lake without waves reflects the full moon and the stars.
In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (5.1.5), we read, "He who indeed knows the abode becomes a shelter for his kindred. The mind is surely the abode."
Undoubtedly, the wisdom of rāja—yoga is to observe and know the mind, for by knowing it we know ourselves....
Ignoring the present is mind; distraction from the now is mind. The mind is an expression of our absence from the present.... By situating ourselves in the now, by intensely penetrating this moment, the past and its memories, the future and its expectations, as well as the mind or the mental activity, all will disappear....
The Different Mental Levels
According to rāja—yoga, the mind manifests on three different levels: the subconscious or instinctive, the conscious or intellectual, and the super—conscious or intuitive. It is important to comprehend that these levels are still within the realm and limits of the astral body.
1. The subconscious mind is directly linked to the instinctive or animalistic level, which manifests in an identification with the physical body and the senses. On this level we find all that is needed for survival. For example, the control over the involuntary functions of our body and the automatic functions of our daily life.
Emerging from this level are the emotions, which are related to our animalistic instinct. In fact, we are talking about our animalistic tendencies, the beast that each and every one of us carries within. Stored in the subconscious mind are all of the memories of our previous lives.
2. The conscious or intellectual mind functions as reason on an intellectual level and provides the basis for the concept of "I" or the ego. Concurrently, it is on this level that self—inquiry is born with the question, "Who am I?". On this level we see how yoga can positively affect the subconscious in a movement of sublimation, by way of the intellect. It is on this plane that one can perceive the limitations of the mind in the sense that a concentrated intellectual effort to understand the Truth can only lead to a recognition of the simple truth that the mind cannot transcend itself.
3. The super—conscious or intuitive mind, that which Śrī Aurobindo called "super mind", is wisdom on the level of the causal body. Intuition transcends logic without necessarily contradicting or canceling it.
The Different Aspects of the Mind
According to the classic and authoritative rāja—yoga of Patañjali Maharṣi, the Sanskrit name of the mind is antaḥkaraṇa, or the internal instrument. It consists of the following four functions:
1. Manas: conscious mind
2. Citta: subconscious
3. Buddhi: intellect
4. Ahańkāra: ego
1. Manas is the primary function of the mind. It is a kind of oscillation or a meandering of the mind from one object to another in search for pleasure. Manas belongs to the instinctive or animalistic state in the human being. Its function is similar to a radar that searches, perceives, and observes the phenomenal world surrounding it and asks, "Is this a tree, a plant, a hedge?"
2. Citta is our memory. It is the subconscious part of the mind. It is an immense archive and a collection of life's experiences on an individual level, made up as much by the previous lives as of the present one.
3. Buddhi is the intellectual aspect or function of the mind. It evaluates and rationalizes the perceptions that the manas receives through the senses. This function of the mind evaluates, accepts, and rejects the different perceptions that come from the mind, analyzing and determining the nature of whatever it comes into contact with.
Development of the intellect elevates the perceptions of manas to a higher level. The buddhi is only as sordid as the level of the ego's impurity.
4. Ahańkāra is the ego, that false identification of superimposing upon ourselves that which is experienced. It is the idea and feeling of "I" that is affirmed by the concepts of "my" and "mine".
In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad (1.3.3,4) the functioning of the mind is explained with a beautiful allegory:
ātmānaṁ rathinaṁ viddhi
śarīraṁ ratham eva tu
buddhiṁ tu sārathiṁ viddhi
manaḥ pragraham eva ca
indriyāṇi hayān āhur
viṣayāṁ s teṣu gocarān
ātmendriya—mano—yuktaṁ
bhoktety āhur manīṣiṇaḥ
"The individual is a passenger riding in the chariot of the body; intelligence is the charioteer. The mind is the steering instrument and the senses are the horses. Therefore, the "I" is the one who enjoys or suffers in the company of the mind and senses. Such was the understanding of the sages."
The Upaniṣad wisely describes what later would be brilliantly presented in the Bhagavad—gītā.
It is important to understand the reciprocation between the different functions as a harmonic whole. For example manas, through the senses, discovers a bundle of bills. Immediately, as citta sends the information, the value of these papers called bills is recognized. In other words, citta provides enough information to signal what it is all about. Ahańkāra, the false ego, realizes that this object can satisfy "my desires" and dispatches an order to buddhi to "obtain it at any cost". Buddhi will be the one to devise the way and plot tactics in order to acquire that money. Of course this is a very basic description of the mind and its function.
The Different States of the Mind
According to rāja—yoga, the mind manifests in five different states:
1. Kṣipta: an unstable state where the mental rays of our attention are dispersed and disseminated.
2. Mūḍha: a state of dimness and forgetfulness.
3. Vikṣipta: a state where the mind shifts between varying states of dimness and disparity, a state of a constant struggle.
4. Ekāgratā: a state of concentration in one single point.
5. Nirodha: a state of complete mastery.
The Five Afflictions
Five afflictions known as kleśas exist as subtle impressions in the subconscious mind or citta.
1. Avidyā: ignorance
2. Asmitā: egoism
3. Rāga: attraction
4. Dveṣa: repulsion
5. Abhiniveśa: attachment to the body
Vṛttis, Vāsanās and Saṁ skāras
In Sanskrit, thoughts, or mental waves, are called vṛttis. These are actually prāṇa, or vital force, which originate from within the mental substance. Vṛttis are innumerable but they can roughly be divided into the following:
1. Pramāṇa : right knowledge. This knowledge is based on the reality as it is perceived by the senses and consists of direct perception, inference, and reliable evidence.
2. Viparyaya: wrong knowledge. This knowledge consists of a wrong interpretation of things that are unrelated to the concept in question. There is no relation between what is perceived and what is understood to be perceived.
3. Vikalpa: verbal imagination. This consists in a verbal illusion, a mental interpretation that is produced from a verbal stimuli, an impulsive reaction that can lead to hasty conclusions.
4. Nidrā: sleep. The mind functions but is without content; it is unconscious. A state of complete mental emptiness.
5. Smṛti: memory. It is a retention of the various impressions registered in the mind from past experiences.
Vāsanās are subtle and subconscious desires that manifest as tendencies and are revealed as vṛttis. In other words, they are expressed as mental waves.
The vṛtti takes birth on the surface of the mind's normal consciousness. Saṁ skāras are produced once the vṛttis penetrate into the deeper regions of the subconscious mind. These can become powerful forces that direct our actions and personality, which is why it is important for the aspirant to be cautious in choosing with whom to associate. Satsańga, the association with great souls, creates saṁ skāras of peace. Alternately, if we come in contact with rajo—guṇa or tamo—guṇa, we can create negative saṁ skāras. Hence, it is important to seek association with true seekers of the Truth.
Meditation or Dhyāna
Meditation is a state of awareness without any intervention by the mind; it is a situation of consciousness in which the ego is not involved.... It is not a technique or method and it cannot be taught, for the simple reason that it does not consist of doing something but rather in letting go into the hands of God....
It is not something that you do but something that happens to you. Any practice, method, or technique is a preparatory effort to create the most appropriate situation for meditation to descend upon you....
You hear, see, touch, yet behind all these activities there is a feeling of "doing"... being conscious, as the word implies, is not something you do....
Being aware you can only be....
Meditating is not a doing but a "being"....
In fact, everything you do is meditation with the condition that you are aware because awareness is synonymous with consciousness. One can be conscious of the actions... be aware of them, the thoughts, the feelings.... Enlightenment or samādhi is a complete awareness of consciousness itself, super—consciousness.... The state of being awakened is consciousness conscious of itself....
Consciousness is our disappearance as individuals because consciousness is essentially what we are, our authentic nature.... A meditative life is living according to the natural condition of consciousness, which is meditation, our authentic state and original situation.
This is confirmed in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (7.6.1):
dhyānaṁ vā cittād bhūyo
dhyāyatīva pṛthivī dhyāyatīvāntarikṣaṁ
dhyāyatīva dyauṛ
dhyāyantīvāpo dhyāyantīva parvatā
dhyāyantīva deva—manuṣyās
tasmād ya iha manuṣyāṇām
mahattām prāpnuvanti dhyānāpādāṁ śā
ivaiva te bhavanty
atha ye ‘lpāḥ kalahinaḥ piśunā
upavādinas te ‘tha ye prabhavo
dhyānāpādāṁ śā ivaiva te bhavanti,
dhyānam upāssveti
"Meditation is greater than thought. The Earth meditates, the middle region meditates, the celestial plane meditates, the waters meditate, the mountains meditate, the devas meditate, and the human beings meditate. Who has achieved greatness upon this Earth has obtained the benefit of meditation. While the small people are aggressive, prone to fight, offensive, and slandering, remarkable human beings have received the great benefit of meditation."
Meditating is awakening... just as the acceptance of our ignorance is the beginning of wisdom.... The first manifestation of meditation would be the acceptance that we are half asleep....
It shall not be an easy task, educated and intellectual beings as we are, to accept that our current state of consciousness is a kind of sleepwalking...
It is generally accepted that rāja—yoga is the yoga of meditation; however, dhyāna is the basis for all the types of yoga and spiritual life. Without meditation there is no religion, just as it would be impossible for religion to exist without prayer....
In reality, prayer and meditation are not different....
They are the same path; the difference lays in the direction....
One ascends, transcends the mind.... The other descends from the beyond....
Prayer is toward the heavens... meditation descends upon the human being....
The first is a gaze at God from the man.... The latter is to observe man from the Celestial....
Oration is the human addressing the Divine.... Meditation is the reply of God....
Only by meditating shall you realize that in order to ascend and reach paradise, it is essential to descend to the depths of ourselves, for descending into our interior is digging in the heavens....
Only by meditating shall you realize that to see the omnipresent God, there is no need to call or invoke, only to see.... Meditation is to open the eyes of our soul....