Dear Friends,
Namaste!
So far we have seen that Yoga is the very Art and Science of Living. However, ‘Life’ itself has such a multi-dimensional and limitless expanse that it would be very difficult to put arms around it if we had just two!
Therefore, Patanjali developed an octopus of a system that had - not merely one or two but - eight limbs or tentacles to be able to grasp Life fully. This system is well-known as Ashtanga Yoga. (‘Ashta - eight’ and ‘Anga - limbs’). Thus Ashtanga Yoga is ‘Eight-limbed’ Yoga or the eight-fold path of Yoga or the eight-stepped Yoga ladder. These steps are as follows:
Value System (‘Yama’), Discipline (‘Niyama’), Postures (‘Asana’), Breath Control (‘Pranayama’), Sense Control (‘Pratyahara’), Concentration (‘Dharana’), Meditation (‘Dhyana’) and Blissful Existence (‘Samadhi’).
These limbs are interlinked and interdependent. The same way as steps on a ladder. In order to reach the top of a ladder, we need to sequentially climb the earlier steps. If we try to skip the steps and ‘jump’ to the top, we may experience a fall! On the other hand, if we systematically climb one step at a time, nothing can stop us from reaching the top.
A mathematics student was trying to learn some complex theorems such as Euler’s theorem and Leibnitz’ theorem and La Grange’s theorem. He wanted to be a Doctorate in mathematics and knew very well that unless he mastered these complex bits, his chances of getting to his goal were next to nil.
However, in spite of burning the midnight oil, he was unable to make much progress. He was on the verge of giving up and concluding that far from being a useful branch of science, mathematics was simply absurd.
That’s when he met a mathematics professor. Eagerly, he narrated his woes to the wise old man. After patiently hearing him out, the professor asked him, “My dear fellow, do you know how many does seventeen sevens come to?” The student shook his head. “Do you know what is addition, subtraction, multiplication, division?” The student again shook his head. “Then rather than learning the complicated theorems, why don’t you learn the basics of mathematics first?”
How many times have we seen people saying, “Oh, I believe Yoga is really useful. Let me do some postures.” (Now, that’s step three!) They rush off to the nearest mall to buy an expensive “Yoga” attire, enroll themselves in the nearest Yoga class, get up early and stretch for a couple of weeks and hope to attain fitness without having any idea about the underlying context, values and discipline that a practitioner of postures is required to first follow. They get disillusioned pretty soon and hastily conclude that Yoga “does not work” at least for them.
Some try out breathing techniques as they seem “easier to do” than postures. If these people are not fit for the postures, how can they manage control of Life-force (“Prana”) itself? Yoga advises to “purify, shape and bake the body through postures in order that it can control Life-force like a potter prepares an earthen pot so that it can hold water”. If the earthen pot is not purified, given proper shape and then baked to become firm enough, how can it hold water? So people trying out breathing techniques (step 4) without climbing first three steps get very limited benefits in the best case and actually end up damaging their system in the worst!
Similarly, most people try to directly meditate (step7! Appears to be the easiest!!) without having much background in body control (step 3), breath control (step 4), sense control (step 5) and mind control/concentration (step 6). It is no wonder that majority of such meditation attempts result in sheer waste of time and come to a naught. In due course of time, the aspirants give up and move on to something “faster, more beneficial, more tangible”.
It is quite apparent, then, that we have to be very patient (“Patience – thy name is Yoga”!), take it a step at a time, consolidate and move forward. This may take more time but is a surer way of getting to where we all want to be.
Three friends wanted to cross a river on their way back home. One of them boarded a motor-boat so that he could be the fastest one to get across. The other one, seeing that the wind was aiding the journey, hopped into a sail-boat. The third friend said he would rather swim across.
The motor-boat sped to the middle of the river, but then the engine failed. After a while the wind changed direction and the sail-boat started drifting. It was the slow and steady third swimmer friend who got to the other shore first!
Have a great week!
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