We are all given a purpose in life: something that is significant for us to work toward, that we love to do and would love to get paid for. It matters little what people think about what we are doing, it is a calling and a higher purpose to our life.
A purpose is not achievable, the goals along the path are achievable. Purpose is something beyond a simple goal such as to teach universal laws or to create a different consciousness in business. In Sanskrit, Vairagya is to be completely absorbed in what we are doing; absorbed to the point where we are consumed in time and space by the activity. In this space our senses function to support us and we are unattached to the outcome of what we do—we simply love doing it. This is inspiration and it relates to these four limbs.
An excellent example of this can be seen in our asana practice when we are faced with
discomfort. We can try to shut down this sense of pain, but this will have substantial impact on our nervous system. We can try to take our mind elsewhere and focus on another object or thought, but in doing so we are moving with the objective of getting away from something and are thereby locked into the connection to it.
The alternative is to be practicing asana with our consciousness focussed on gratitude and love. When our heart is opened through the steadiness of breath and when our mind is focussed on a higher cause, the discomfort of an asana can be completely missed by the senses. As we progress in asana practice we develop a deeper connection to the idea of a higher cause and focus less on the discomfort. As a consequence the edge upon which we walk this fine line is constantly moving upward. Just like a high jump bar must be moved up to challenge an athlete, so too the asana is moved up.
This edge we walk in life is our ability to focus on ever larger realms of life and to understand and love those realms that are smaller. Therefore, the goal is not to transcend life, but to take on ever larger degrees of responsibility and to keep ourselves on the edge whereby we can focus our single most dominant thought on a higher purpose in the face of ever increasing distraction.
Performing an asana is the same. If we are focussed on breath, eye position, sound and steadiness, we will not notice the discomfort unless it is so much in need of attention that it breaks through the consciousness of thought and draws our attention.
When we find a purpose in life that is higher than the instantaneous gratification of the senses, we will be willing to let go of one gratification for the constancy of a higher purpose.
It is written in the Sutras that “anything that does not follow its higher purpose will be brought to do so”. Nature has a mind: if animal species are not evolving she makes it so they do, and if trees are not keeping pace with changing environmental conditions she gives them a guiding hand. So it follows, if a person is not fulfilling their purpose, nature creates the circumstances to ensure they do.
Lopsided perception creates emotional charge. Our ultimate purpose is to transcend these perceptions or emotions and find the love of creation—the order in the universe. Disease, illness, desperation, emotional stress, and so called accidents are universal guides to steer people to purpose. Pratyahara is the state of existence in which inspiration for doing what we love, loving what we do and accepting both the pains and pleasures of doing so, transcends the perceived pleasures of sensory gratification as a life focus.
“I would rather have the whole world against me than my own soul.”
A purpose is not achievable, the goals along the path are achievable. Purpose is something beyond a simple goal such as to teach universal laws or to create a different consciousness in business. In Sanskrit, Vairagya is to be completely absorbed in what we are doing; absorbed to the point where we are consumed in time and space by the activity. In this space our senses function to support us and we are unattached to the outcome of what we do—we simply love doing it. This is inspiration and it relates to these four limbs.
An excellent example of this can be seen in our asana practice when we are faced with
discomfort. We can try to shut down this sense of pain, but this will have substantial impact on our nervous system. We can try to take our mind elsewhere and focus on another object or thought, but in doing so we are moving with the objective of getting away from something and are thereby locked into the connection to it.
The alternative is to be practicing asana with our consciousness focussed on gratitude and love. When our heart is opened through the steadiness of breath and when our mind is focussed on a higher cause, the discomfort of an asana can be completely missed by the senses. As we progress in asana practice we develop a deeper connection to the idea of a higher cause and focus less on the discomfort. As a consequence the edge upon which we walk this fine line is constantly moving upward. Just like a high jump bar must be moved up to challenge an athlete, so too the asana is moved up.
This edge we walk in life is our ability to focus on ever larger realms of life and to understand and love those realms that are smaller. Therefore, the goal is not to transcend life, but to take on ever larger degrees of responsibility and to keep ourselves on the edge whereby we can focus our single most dominant thought on a higher purpose in the face of ever increasing distraction.
Performing an asana is the same. If we are focussed on breath, eye position, sound and steadiness, we will not notice the discomfort unless it is so much in need of attention that it breaks through the consciousness of thought and draws our attention.
When we find a purpose in life that is higher than the instantaneous gratification of the senses, we will be willing to let go of one gratification for the constancy of a higher purpose.
It is written in the Sutras that “anything that does not follow its higher purpose will be brought to do so”. Nature has a mind: if animal species are not evolving she makes it so they do, and if trees are not keeping pace with changing environmental conditions she gives them a guiding hand. So it follows, if a person is not fulfilling their purpose, nature creates the circumstances to ensure they do.
Lopsided perception creates emotional charge. Our ultimate purpose is to transcend these perceptions or emotions and find the love of creation—the order in the universe. Disease, illness, desperation, emotional stress, and so called accidents are universal guides to steer people to purpose. Pratyahara is the state of existence in which inspiration for doing what we love, loving what we do and accepting both the pains and pleasures of doing so, transcends the perceived pleasures of sensory gratification as a life focus.
“I would rather have the whole world against me than my own soul.”
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