The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra is one of the most powerful verses from the Rig Veda.
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् |
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनात् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात् ॥
This Mantra talks about detachment, dispassion which leads to true knowledge and spiritual progress.
Just as a ripe cucumber is easily detached from the creeper, in the same manner let my attachment to the universe fall off me effortlessly.
What do we need to "Let Go" or detach or be dispassionate about? Is it at the body, mind or at the intellect level? Many questions arise here. Before we contemplate on this, let us explore on a few definitions of Yoga to understand this topic further.
योगः चित्त वृत्ति निरोधः II
As per Sage Patanjali: Yoga is ‘To reduce the modifications in the mind’, thereby gaining mastery over the Mind.
मनः प्रशमनोपायः योग इत्यभिधीयते I
Sage Vasishta gives the definition of Yoga as ‘Yoga is a skillful solution to calm down the mind’.
How do we achieve this calmness?
It is said that the mind is faster than the wind and hard to control. This question is asked by Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita.
चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्रुढम्
तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वयो रिव सुदुष्करम् I B.Gita 6.34
Arjuna says “The mind, O Krishna, is restless, turbulent, strong and unyielding. None I deem it as hard to control as the wind”.
Sri Krishna says,
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम्
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते I B.Gita 6.35
Doubtless, the mind is restless and hard to control, but by practice and non- attachment, it can be restrained, mastered.
Abhyasa
Discipline means that which is happening repeatedly at predictable intervals creating thereby a cycle of events.
We see examples of discipline all around us, in nature too. Every morning sun rises, and every evening sun sets and we can predict that next day the sun would rise. This form of cycle is the cause for the whole creation to take place. We can observe discipline in the plant and the animal/bird kingdom so clearly. If we sit amidst the nature we can observe each and everything around us goes in an order. Nobody is ordering them but they all seem to go with a flow or a pattern. Plants grow with the spring coming, and dress themselves up with fresh leaves, flowers and fruits, and with the onset of winter or autumn, leaves tend to dry up preparing to welcome snow. Birds are ready to go out for food when sun rises and come back home at sunset. This order brings about a routine in the life. The whole cycle is called as discipline. Without this discipline creation would not have been possible.
In Abhyasa there is a persistent effort to attain and maintain a state of physical, mental and spiritual tranquility. We follow discipline to do a lot of things in our life. We are intensely present and focussed to do these activities. Even a yogi requires abhyasa while practicing yoga abhyaas. Yoga is about discipline of the mind and body and being in sync with each other as we go about doing our work. To inculcate Abhyasa or the discipline, two streams of Yoga are suggested to us by the learned scholars. They are Karma Yoga-by work and Raja Yoga, following Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga.
A beautiful Shloka from Bhagavad Gita tells us to do our work and be responsible for our actions. Perform our duty and at the same time be “non attached” or let go to results.
कर्मण्ये वाधिकारस्ते मा फ़लेशु कदाचन
मा कर्म फलहेतुर्भूमा ते संगत्स्व कर्मणि
An intelligent and determined person does a particular activity with focus and concentration but can also get caught in the “doing”. In the act of doing only, this person feels tired and exhausted. If this person could “Let Go “ at a particular stage then there is Joy and contentment in the same work. We sometimes do activities with intense passion, determination and try to achieve perfection. We become conditioned that doing things perfectly is discipline. In this way we get too attached with the work or activity/object or in the outcome.
A conscious journey from doing to being is Yoga.
योगः कर्मसु कौशलम् I
We need the skill to excel in the task and at the same time not be too attached to the task that we begin to feel the stress. This is the skill we need to develop.
Adi Shankara in his Bhashya, says
कर्तुं अकर्तुम् अन्यथा वा कर्तुं शक्यम् I
A person has the inherent freedom to do, or not to do, or to do it differently.
Recognising this freedom is the key to reduce stress. One has to use this freedom diligently to attain peace.
In the branch of psychology we often hear the “stimulus and reaction” theory. If there is a stimulus then one should respond to it. This contradicts to the belief in our Sastras. The entire theory of reaction on stimulus can be viewed differently. We can refuse to be affected internally by the outside situation. We have a choice to react or not to. We have the” Freedom”. We need to recognize this freedom.
चिदानन्द रूपः शिवोऽहं शिवोऽहं !
Vairagya
There are tremendous temptations from outside and our senses too are attracted to various things. To harness them, and not allow the mind to come to a waveform, is Non attachment. In other words, when an individual becomes free of cravings then that state of consciousness is Vairagya.
Yogavasishta says whenever we are satisfied with the object, if we hold on to ‘satisfaction’ we would be in the center. If we hold on to the object we would go back to periphery and thus we develop an attachment to it. A pure mind is that which helps us to be in the world but we do not belong to the world. Vairagya is not what we do one time, but it is a state of "us". Vairagya is not a simple symbol outside, but it is a state within.
Vairagya is finding meaning and purpose in something which majority of the people do not see and we are so convinced that we leave rest of the things in pursuit of that.
It is like we go to the restaurant and from the menu card we select one item and leave the rest of the items. We will not say that we have given up all other things. We chose to select what we like! Similarly in the journey of spirituality there is great joy and purpose of life and for that purpose we have left other things out of our own choice. We make sure that our mind is not caught on the object which could disturb our journey.
Vairagya is not end in itself. It is a process in the journey of spirituality or Chitta Vritti Nirodha.
Abhyasa and Vairagya- two sides of a coin-essential part in our life
The aspect of Abhyasa and Vairagya is brought about in PYS.
अभ्यास वैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः ……..PYS……..1.12
Patanjali explains in this sutra that by Abhyasa- perseverance, discipline and by vairagya- non attachment, the mind can be restrained. (outgoing tendencies of the mind can be restrained). In other words, the modifications in the mind are restrained by Perseverance (Abhyasa) and non attachment (Vairagya).
Swami Vivekananda says “concentration and detachment” go hand in hand in our path of life. There is a fine balance of discipline and non attachment in nature too. For example the flowers drop when it is time, leaves falling off in autumn; the ripe cucumber falling off its creeper are all expressions of Vairagya. These trees needed “abhyaasa” for a sense of direction-a dynamism and effort to sprout and to grow with continued effort but also required Vairagya to just Let go and blossom.
In Yoga, Certain discipline is needed to ensure that the practitioner progresses gradually. Initially while doing any practice, effort is needed. We may feel the pull, pressure in the body, joints, but with repeated practice it becomes effortless. We learn to expand from body awareness to breath awareness and later to an all pervasive awareness and expansion.
How do we learn the art to Let go?
There are tools as suggested by the yogic sages-
The First tool is by the path of knowledge (jnana Yoga) where we get the right understanding of things, which results in renunciation of wrong knowledge. This helps us to be aware of our attachments or the strong likes and dislikes. When there is speed and disturbance in the mind, one slows down by practising yoga. By the path of jnana, one slows down with right understanding. We can replace speed by consciously slowing down and focus on expansion.
This speed of the mind is due to the wavering nature of the gunas (Tamas, Rajas, Sattva). So it is important that we cultivate discipline and still be non attached.
Practices to inculcate Discipline are usually methodical and gradually progressive and techniques under vairagya might look like sudden flashes and chaotic. It is like a sudden jump. We are in ignorance and suddenly we are knowledgeable. It does not matter how long we are in ignorance but one stroke of knowledge shatters all that ignorance.
Lotus is a fine example which teaches us the different gunas, abhyasa and Vairagya. It is the only flower which exists at 3 levels: Mud, Water and Air. From ignorance the stem grows upward through water, implying effort and finally the flower grows on the surface experiencing freshness and freedom, taking in the air and light from the sun. This signifies growth from ignorance to awareness and then to letting go.
The second tool is by the path of Devotion-Bhakti Yoga.
Intellect can help us understand but mere knowledge cannot take us further. Wherever there is life there is love. A baby is born with emotions and intellect comes later in the life. When we are in a state of love we “give and get happiness”. In other places we only take and get happiness. Love, sense of appreciation and divinity are the essential features and qualities within us. Unfortunately these things are mistaken with attachment and possessions. Wherever there is true love and appreciation, a sense of surrender comes in. While in attachment we try to establish supremacy and want to possess and use the object or things. In the state of love we learn to give and sacrifice. We expand and embrace everything without a sense of possession. In love we become liberated from our attachments.
Vairagya happens unconditionally and we enjoy giving away. The path of Bhakti yoga teaches us to enrich love and experience divinity. We learn to detach from material possessions and learn to surrender our ego which is the primary reason for our strong likes and dislikes. Vairagya is the same as giving up attachment and not giving up love and sensitivity and maintaining good sense of appreciation and joy.
A candle lits up the entire room but in the process melts, allowing upward flame to be carried to the limitless space. This is Vairagya. The candle no more remains as candle.
Vairagya is the only means for our growth.
Just like the Urvarukam-ripe cucumber which gets ripened with knowledge, it also needs to learn dispassion or non attachment to fall off effortlessly. We can lead a life of righteousness and grow(ripen)by not clinging to the things in the world. Our true spiritual progress happens when we live only to give. We ask for nothing and there is nothing to take. By applying Abhyasa and Vairagya, the secret of Yoga is experienced, we can apply this concept too in our way of life and allow our body and mind to be cultured and refined. Let us strive to balance Abhyasa and Vairagya to bring about Holistic wellness.
Paper presentation at the 2 nd Yoga Sastra Sangamam (Yoga Conference), Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari
by
Vijaya Hariharan & Prabha Krishna
Yogabharati Teachers