Every Sunday from four to five it is normally a little ‘Conference’ here in Mysore. That means all the yoga students throng together in the shala and try to figure out what that 1 % theory really means. In short, Sharath normally speaks on a topic and people are free to ask questions afterwards. While I’m here until the 20th of February I’ll try to write a little report every week and let you know the latest words here from the source.
Yesterday the opening question was “doubt”. Many people have doubt whether the practice really works or not and doubts if it is the right practice for them. Other people have injuries, problems, difficulties, simply challenged by life, and the question comes up: “What the heck am I doing spending all this time on a yoga mat every day? Is it really worth it?” Sharath takes his time to listen to all the doubters and then says:
“We all have doubt, that is part of life, I used to have many doubts regarding the practice, and they occasionally still surface in the mind, but I know that I feel so much better from practicing yoga then not and that is really the simply answer to your question”.
Then he went on to quote the YS 1:30 which speaks about the nine types of distractions of the mind that prevents a proper rooting in yoga, where doubt is one of them, before he further took support of YS 1:14 and explained that in order to gain stability in yoga and ripe the true benefits thereof it helps to ‘practice for a long time, uninterruptedly and with the right frame of mind and a humble heart’.
Last week he spoke about the six enemies of the heart (desire, anger, delusion, greed, arrogance, envy) and tried to explain how these states of mind confuse us and will always obstruct the greater goal of yoga. Yesterday somebody asked for clarification in the subject of Lobha, covetousness, and somone pointed to a dialogue in the Mahabharata between Yudhistira and Bhisma. It reads:
Yudhistira said:
I wish, O foremost of Bharata’s race, to hear fully the source from which sin proceeds and the basis upon which it depends.
Bhisma said:
Hear, O king, what is the origin of sin! Covetousness (greed) alone is a great destroyer. From covetousness people get deluded and accumulate further confusion (sin). [Shanti Parva 158:1-2]
I looked up the passage when I got home and the dialogue to follow (spans over many chapters) is an inquiry into Dharma, yoga, truth and all the things that give true support to our minds. Bhisma, the greatest hero of the Mahabharata, utters all of this as his final teachings before he’s about to leave his body. The whole Shanti Parva is a treasure-house of wisdom and anybody interested to inquire further into aspects of Dharma, yoga etc should take a look at it.
Now, the real argument of Bhisma is that there can be no yoga or real stability of mind if we constantly get sidetracked by covetousness, greed, or in subtle ways keep imagining that external events, objects, persons or circumstances will improve our life, mind or yoga. It’s rather about becoming clear with all the subtle layers of stuff that pull us in different directions through the clarity of discrimination. Then perhaps we’re finally ready to start perceiving some real yoga?
Sharath holds a good space. The next question is about the duration of the practice and in short he tells us that 1 to 1,5 hrs every day is more than enough of asana. ‘Be careful’, he tells us, ‘too much asana practice will make you go crazy! I’ve seen it myself on many occasions!” He’s disappointed by some senior students who confuse the teachings with too many handstands and urging people to do standing vinyasas between the postures; “This will only distract your mind and not help you get any closer to yoga”.
The session end with some jokes he always has plenty of and the 200 people squeezed together in the shala stumble to their feet after sitting cross-legged on the floor for an hour. Not quite as dynamic as the 99% practice, but perhaps stimulated with new food for thought and hopefully further personal inquiries.