No conference yesterday since Sharath was going to Banglore for a function. So since I’m here at the source in Myosre I thought I’d report a little from a book that was published here in 1935. Why it is of particular interest is because the author was T. Krishnamacharya who was the legendary guru of Pattabhi Jois, BKS Iyengar etc. Since I have the privilege of being the scribe for one of my teachers here that are translating it, I thought I could share some extracts with you. There is indeed much to say and please keep it mind it was the only proper book Krishnamacharya ever published and when we consider the impact he had on the world of yoga it is indeed strange it has never been translated into English? Therefore I’ll share some extracts from it with you in the weeks to come.
In the introduction to his work, before he even begins to list the many benefits that are involved in practicing yoga he wants to caution his reader on a particular point. In brief he says that there can be no real progress in yoga or any other spiritual aspects if one becomes a slave under money or allows the subtle levels of monetary greed to prompt your actions.
Yoga practice, worship and the daily rituals (sandhyå vandana) and japa, etc. are not activities where one should expect some monetary benefits for whatever time invested. Therefore one should not think that one is merely wasting ones time by practicing yoga etc. At the very instant when this mentality is generated in our minds, day-by-day, degraded activities are developing within us.
The practice of yoga is not like the transactions of businessmen in the market. Recent years, especially in spiritual aspects (Dharmic domains), the business mentality is evident. Especially we are falling short in spiritual practices.[1] I do not know whether it is consciously or unconsciously that people are ignoring spiritual practices, which are universally beneficial, just because there is no apparent monetary benefit. Because of this type of mentality our spiritual progress is disturbed and several confusions are generated, which impair further development. [2]
In a way he describes the block as twofold. Whatever little spiritual development you have attained will get evaporated due to monetary greed. Two, it will create confusion within you which will hinder your further spiritual progress.
Now, we all need to make a living and pay our bills, but if enough is never satisfied how can there ever be greater stability and centeredness of mind?
Certain people have great skills in making money grow. There is nothing wrong about that when it happens by just means. The point Krishnamacharya is making here is that if we are always busy expecting something in our practice or teaching of yoga we are not really clean/receptive enough in our minds to begin to perceive something of a different nature. Not the money that come and go and one day we have to leave all behind, but the wealth of being awake from within. Switched on an illuminated with a potency of being that is the source of all there is. When we finally implement that in our actions, perhaps we will attract a new type of wealth in our lives that is never selfish, never restricted and scarce, because our very mentality and actions change into a realm of being not supported by egocentrically driven motives.
[1] The norms regarding the reward in the Mimamsa sutras is said to be:
Dṛṣṭe sati adṛṣṭa phala kalpanā anyāyā (If there is a visible reward, then it is inappropriate to infer invisible reward). Here KM apply the shastric norm and comments upon the general behavior of the public people, where sole importance is given to visible rewards by neglecting the invisible reward. Here the invisible reward refer to the further spiritual progress which can never be bought for money, but it is rather a refinement of the mind taking place within the person due to his spiritual practices.
[2] KM has a Shastric mind, which believe that commercial thinking affects the mind of the practitioner in two ways. presents two main obstacles to further spiritual practice. One, whatever state of your spiritual development attained will get evaporated due to monetary greed. Two,It creates confusion, which hinder your further spiritual progress.