Yoga as a Path to a Life Well Lived How yoga can help us fill our life with what matters

I. Introduction. A life well lived includes positive emotions, engagement, meaning, accomplishment, and nurturing relationships. How do we create such a life for ourselves? That is the focus of this entire series of talks. II. Overview of how yoga helps us create a life well lived. From my study and personal experience, yoga philosophy and its practices, provide a very effective pathway for fashioning that life. How? Here are just a few examples of what we will discuss: A. We learn through meditation to slow down the constant chatter of competing thoughts in our mind. This allows us to better process each situation we face and react based on what really matters to us. This frees us to make choices that foster each of the five indicators of a life well lived; i.e., does what I am about to say or do create more nurturing relationships in my life or not? Will this choice on how to spend the day meaningfully serve my family, my community, or me or is it just another in a series of self-indulgent choices I make all too often? Meditation also helps us to remember what is important to us, as well as our own particular strengths. These often remain hidden within our mind because our mind is so preoccupied. When we access the positive in our life we are far more inclined to behave in ways that honor and serve our own life purpose. We are more likely to feel positive emotions and act in ways that create new ones. We behave in ways that bring greater connection to other people, thus developing more nurturing relationships. Other practices, such as Mantra (repetition of sound, for example) and Asana (doing yoga poses) can also do wonders for helping us recall what is important, what really matters, to us. They teach us the discipline to listen to others, look them in the eye, or even, when by ourselves, listen to our own voice inside us reminding us of the life we wish to create. As a result we more likely choose to engage in tasks that further our own lifes purposes. These practices are part of what is traditionally called mindfulness practices. They are called that in part because we ask our mind to pay particular attention to something, placing our undivided attention on a particular thing, whether it is the vibratory tone of a Mantra or remembering to keep the index knuckle planted on the mat in a yoga pose. We are practicing to develop the discipline it takes to live a life full of connection to

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others and to our own dreams. E. We learn other practices for treating ourselves with respect and accessing our dreams, including self-study (Svadhyaya Patanjalis Yoga Sutra 2.1) and the Niyamas (Patanjalis Yoga Sutras 2.32). Just like we cant expect a high-rise building to stand very long without a solid foundation, yoga rules show us how to build our own foundation for living a full life, one with meaningful engagement in the world. We also learn rules for treating others, including the Yamas (Patanjalis Yoga Sutra 2.30). Knowing what a cultured society needs and expects in order to function is critical to living a life of purpose, finding a way to serve that society consistent with our own strengths and what brings us positive emotion and meaning in what we select to do each day. We also learn through the study of yoga philosophy and literature the nature of human beings, what makes each of us tick, what drives us, what brings us joy and a feeling of value. What better way to learn how to create more nurturing relationships in our life?

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My book Finding the Midline describes how yoga did for me what running, weight lifting, martial arts, and all sorts of other activities werent able to do wake me up to lifes possibilities as well as my own potential and strengths, giving me the foundation for my own life of well-being.1 I had a great-paying job yet I was missing many of the elements of a life well lived: positive emotions, nurturing relationships and any real sense of purpose or meaning. Yoga helped me find what money and all my other activities could not: a life filled with these things, a life of well-being. How does yoga do this particularly if we dont actually go to yoga classes? Tonight I provide a very short overview. III. What is yoga? According to noted yoga scholar B.K.S. Iyengar, the word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means union, communion; to bind, join, attach, or yoke.2 Dr. Edwin Bryant translates yoga as union with the divine.3 I prefer to use the word connection. Yoga, thus, is about union, joining, or connection.

1 2 3

Dorigan, William (2013). Finding the Midline. Winter Park, CO: LuHen Publications. Iyengar, B.K.S. (1979 ed). Light on Yoga. New York, NY: Schocken Books, at 19. Bryant, Dr. Edwin F. (2009). The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. New York, NY: North Point Press, at xvii.

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The question then arises: union or connection to what? A. The answer to that question depends on the perspective of the practitioner. Mr. Iyengar suggests the answer to that question by stating that yoga is about union of the individual self with the Universal Self, communion of the human soul with Divinity.4 In some philosophical schools of yoga, the Divine, or God, is the creator of the world but considered separate from us. This is called a dualist philosophy. In a dualist philosophy union or connection with God requires overcoming the distractions of the material world because, while God created the world, He or She is separate from the world and not to be found in it. By way of contrast, in non-dualist Tantric philosophy, the Divine, Spirit as I call God, dwells AS each of us and AS all living things. Dr. Douglas Brooks says that Supreme Consciousness, the Divine, is experiencing the world AS US. This is considered a non-dualist point of view.5 From this non-dualist point of view connection to the Divine necessarily means connection with all aspects of the world because that is where God resides. From this perspective yoga means connection not only with our own inner self, but also to our family, friends, workmates, community, strangers; in fact, connection to the entire world and the planet. God exists everywhere in an endless diverse array of manifestations. Whether you believe in connecting to a Divine energy or not, a non-dualist philosophy urges us to make connection with others. Doing so fills our lives with attitudes and behaviors that encourage positive relationships and activities that serve those relationships; in other words, meaningful engagement and accomplishments. We are being prompted by yoga to a life well lived.

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IV. Historical overview of yoga. Studying the history of yoga is studying how to live in harmony and purpose with God, nature, and society. The history in Indian philosophical discussion includes literature containing entertaining stories full of insight into what constitutes a life rich in meaning and relationship. When we familiarize ourselves with this history we see how one of the oldest surviving cultures on our planet (the Indus Valley, consisting of what is now parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Northern India) developed a sense of what is important to each of us as human beings and as part of a larger community. For
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Iyengar, B.K.S. (2011 ed). Light on Pranayama. Uttar Pradesh, India: HarperCollins Publishers, at 4. Brooks, Dr. Douglas R. Public lectures. Dr. Brooks website is: www.rajanaka.com

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over 3,500 years Indian culture has immersed itself in a serious conversation about lifes important questions, including: Is there a God or creator? If so, what is the nature of God? What is our relationship to God? What is our relationship to each other? What is our relationship to nature? If we seek a life full of positive emotion, relationships, and engagement in meaningful accomplishments, we have the benefit of this history as a guiding light of principles just as applicable today as it has been in the past. Lets briefly look at some of this rich history: A. The Vedas, (wisdom or knowledge) were hymns and rituals full of spiritual teachings, transmitted orally rather than in writing. They eventually were written down from memory and constitute the oldest scriptures of Hindu teachings about spiritual knowledge we have available to us. The Vedic period was roughly between 1500 and 500 BCE. The Vedas taught rules for how to live within family and community and form the foundation for much of the law in India today regarding social, legal, domestic and religious customs and behavior. A purpose of the rituals was to receive revelation on how to come into harmony both with God and each other. The oldest Veda, the Rig Veda, dates somewhere around 1500 BCE. In Chapter 21 of Finding the Midline I discuss the Rig Vedas creation hymn (10:129) and how that hymn describes a power creating our world out of a burning desire to manifest itself, to fully know itself. 6 It is a beautiful hymn and provides a glimpse and explanation of our own creative hunger to carve out a meaningful existence in the world. This hymn suggests that from the very beginning of recorded thought these thoughtful people recognized the same indicators of a life well lived we are focusing on in these talks. They identified a hunger to express our particular strengths in a meaningful way, as well as a longing for connection to others. The Upanishads (to sit nearby) are a collection of written works arising out of the oral tradition of the Vedas and constitute the thought processes of the people in India as they sought to resolve questions about nature, the universe, and community, as well as how they were learning to explore their inner selves and find a role to play in the world. They form the core of Indian and Hindu philosophy and were likely written sometime between 800 and 400 BCE. The Mahbharata, (great epic of the Bharata family) written somewhere between 400 BCE and 400 CE with roots of the story dating back to as early

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Finding the Midline, Chapter 21, citing: Doniger, Dr. Wendy (1991). The Rig Veda. New York, NY: Penquin Group, at 25-26.

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as 900 BCE. It is the longest epic poem in the world and describes the evolution of Indian culture and the philosophy of yoga in brilliant story form. It contains ethical, moral, and natural rules of law evolved through that time. Contained within it is the Bhagavad Gita (the song of the Bhagavan, or the Lords Song), an extraordinarily beautiful and rather short poem written somewhere around 200 BCE, although dates are in dispute. F. In the Gita God comes to life on a battlefield as Krishna and provides a commentary of how we can use our time on this earth to fully experience life and embrace our own specialness. It teaches pathways of yoga: Kriya (action), Jnana (knowledge) and Bhakti (love of God) leading to connection in the world and a rich life full of meaning. It shows how and why we are our brothers keeper, offering a viewpoint that cannot help but lead us to greater recognition of what is meaningful in the world. Also written during this approximate time period is the Ramayama (Ramas journey), an action-packed adventure story showing us ways of building and sustaining significant relationships with each other and with society. In both the Mahabharata and the Ramayama we meet amazing characters, some of which have yoga poses named after them, including Hanuman, the Monkey God with super powers, metaphorical for powers we each have that help us to thrive in the world. (Hanumanasana the splits). Often in studying yoga the question arises as to what relationship exists between yoga and Buddhism. The Buddha lived somewhere around 563 to 483 BCE. A key distinction between Buddhism and yoga philosophy pertains to the question of the existence of Consciousness, with Buddhists generally teaching that Consciousness exists only within each of us but not as a separate energy. In contrast, yoga philosophy teaches that Consciousness exists eternally and autonomously.7 Whereas yoga involves connection or union with the Divine, the Buddha suggested that there is no such autonomous creator and pursuit of connection to such a creator is another cause of suffering. Somewhere around 500 to 200 BCE another Indian school of philosophy, Sankhya, or Samkhya, emerged. This philosophy evolved into the early centuries of the Common Era. A major contribution of this school to our conversation today about yoga is the enumeration of the worlds categories of existence, the Tattvas. Through the Tattvas Sankhya, unlike Buddhism, identifies a Supreme Consciousness, which it calls Purusha. Through the Tattavas Sankhya breaks down the entire material world into categories, starting from the subtlest, the mind, all the way down to the most dense, the earth.

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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 21.

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L.

A value today of understanding the Tattvas is that the Tattvas are like a GPS system for using our yoga road map to a life well lived. As I explain by example in Chapters 20 through 50 of Finding the Midline, the Tattvas teach us where in each thought, emotion, and experience we can find all we are looking for, whether it is God or simply a moment of value and beauty. They teach us how to use each sense to become more alert, more aware of the potential in that moment, the place where we can feel an emotion, find a connection in relationship, and sense the higher purpose of the choice we are about to make. The Tattvas show us how to become more adept at recognizing all the possibility in life, including value and beauty where and when the world is offering us an invitation to a richer experience. We learn how to connect in meaningful ways to the incredibly diverse array of people and experiences on this planet.

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Patanjalis Yoga Sutras. If we think of yoga as a road map to a life of well-being, then Patanjalis Yoga Sutras are the tool kit we have available to fine tune ourselves or, in some cases, do a complete engine overhaul. In Chapters 73 to 108 of Finding the Midline I describe how Patanjali has played a role in not only my own engine overhaul but also a fairly extensive amount of bodywork! Patanjalis Yoga Sutras were written somewhere between 200 BCE and 200 C.E., and considered to be the bible of yoga.8 The Yoga Sutras are respected as one of the most important texts in Hinduism and a classic of world thought.9 They are believed to be a compilation of all yogic thought up to the time they were written which, as we have seen, covers quite a bit of thought. It is also believed that these Yoga Sutras were Patanjalis response on behalf of yoga philosophy to the Buddha because Patanjali makes it clear that yoga is based upon a belief that there is an eternal and autonomous Supreme Consciousness, Purusha. Not only are Patanjalis Yoga Sutras enduring, their pertinence to us is likely more profound today. Technology and society provide more and more distractions, ways to avoid studying ourselves, feeling what is going on inside us, recognizing our own strengths, connecting with others, and living a purposeful life. Patanjali shows us how to live with distraction. Here are examples of the information, or tools for living, Patanjali provides us:

Iyengar, B.K.S. (2002 ed). Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. London, England: Thorsons Publishers, Ltd., at viii.
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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at xviii

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A.

The purpose of yoga. The purpose of yoga is really quite clear. Patanjali tells us right up front in Yoga Sutra 1.2: Yoga is the stilling of the changing states of the mind.10 In other words, yoga exists to help us work through all of our minds chatter so we can find what is really important in life, so we can create a life well lived: 1. When our mind is operating efficiently, not doing battle inside our head with numerous conflicting thoughts and emotions, we become aware enough to find opportunities for positive emotion. We have a chance to be surprised with joy, recognize with gratitude that somebody did us a favor, feel serene, and notice something that causes us to be curious, or feel pride as we take in, rather than brush off, a compliment. When our mind is functioning efficiently, we can recognize those activities that make us feel engaged, pleasantly lost in a project as time flies by. A discriminating mind recognizes when there is an opportunity to create meaning, perhaps by an act of kindness, volunteering to offer our skills to help a cause over part of a weekend, or maybe even find the broader purpose in our job. A mind that can work through conflicting urges can choose tasks to accomplish that bring about positive emotion, meaning, engagement, and foster more relationships. In Chapter 97 of Finding the Midline I discuss by examples how the type of mindfulness we learn by doing yoga poses develops the very skills we need to deepen our personal relationships.

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Yogas mission of awakening us to what is important helps us become aware of the world around us, work through our emotions, including negative emotions that get in our way, and find ways of making connection with our family, our friends, our co-workers, our community, and even our Planet. B. The nature of our thoughts. Having told us that the purpose of his treatise on yoga is to help us work through our thoughts until we can focus on what is important, Patanjali then tells us we have two types of thoughts, which he calls Vrttis. Thoughts that are helpful to our mission for greater union in the world are Aklista, and those that are not, Klista.11
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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 10 Yoga Sutra 1.5

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He tells us how our entire life involves responding to the constant movement of different thoughts through our mind and that these thoughts either enlighten us or make us ignorant in the moment, Avidya. Our problem lies in associating ourselves with the thoughts, believing these thoughts are who we are. For example, we might look into a mirror and, if it is dusty and the dust distorts our image, we believe that we actually look like that distorted image. We believe we are that distorted image.12 We learn from Patanjali that our thoughts fall into one of five categories: 1. Right knowledge (Yoga Sutra 1.7). We think something is true based on accurate, factual information that we gain through direct perception, as when we see a rope and believe it to be a rope. We also gain right knowledge through appropriate inference, such as when we see smoke and think there is a fire. Finally, we gain right knowledge when we learn something from reliable testimony from another. Erroneous knowledge (Yoga Sutra 1.8). We are mistaken in our thoughts based on a misunderstanding of actual facts or false conceptions we draw from the facts. Dr. Bryant mentions an example of a drunk person looking at the moon and, seeing double, concluding there are two moons.13 Another example is seeing the same rope I mention above but mistaking it for a snake. The incorrect knowledge is based on a fact; i.e., we truly are looking at the moon, and there really is a rope in the road. Imagination or conceptualization not based on anything real. (Yoga Sutra 1.9). Here is where we meet the term Vikalpa, which refers to a thought or impression having no factual basis.14 In Chapter 62 of Finding the Midline I explain Vikalpas to include a label we put on someone or something based on a mistaken notion of that person or thing. I incorrectly presume, perhaps, that if somebody reminds me of a person I dont care for, that this new person has those same traits. I instantly shy away from them, refusing to give them a chance. In reality, I dont know anything about this person and they could, if given a fair shake, become my best friend. Deep, dreamless sleep (Yoga Sutra 1.10). In the other four states of thought we are awake and subject to what our senses can see, hear,

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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 25 The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 38 Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 59.

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touch, feel, and taste. Memories or imprints of these experiences can be heard during some forms of sleep, certainly in dreams, but this sutra refers to that type of deep sleep in which the minds chatter becomes silent. 5. Memories (Yoga Sutra 1.11). We have memories from the other four types of thought, including memories from forms of sleep. We store our experiences of life and a new experience of the senses becomes a memory. Further, current experience can reactivate a memory. Memories can be Aklista or Klista. If somebody asks to borrow money from me and I remember he has never paid me back on earlier loans, it is beneficial or Aklista, that I remember this and choose not to make another loan. Conversely, I can eat an ice cream cone and greatly enjoy it; however, remembering it each day is likely detrimental, Klista, to my health and weight. Think of what this means. Everything we think falls into one of these categories. And, as these categories suggest, there is at least a portion of our everyday thoughts that are in error or a pure imagination constructs weve created out of whatever situation we are in and which bear no relationship to reality (the Vikalpas). This makes creating a life well lived even more difficult. How do we fashion a world in which we regularly experience positive emotion and engage in meaningful tasks, creating and sustaining relationships when we arent basing all of our choices on reality? Add to this the fact that todays distractions likely prevent us from accessing our memories, our lifes experiences, and so we make choices without the benefit of what weve learned through the years. How many times do we think something to be a fact when we are in error, as when we think a rope is a snake? Or, on a more personal note, how often do we think a politician or newsperson is telling us the truth about something important, but they are not? How many times do we judge somebody based on how they look, based solely on our imagination or perception of the group of people we think they belong to and how that group collectively acts? How often do we make ourselves so busy we dont even access our memories; we dont allow space to hear the loving voices from our past reminding us of our worth? Patanjali recognized that we can all too easily misidentify with erroneous thoughts or unsupported perceptions and this leads to our suffering in the world.15 So, it is easy to see how, if we choose to live a
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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 16

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life of well-being, we could benefit from listening to what Patanjali teaches us about sorting out our thoughts so we are operating on all mental cylinders. Weve barely scratched the surface of what Patanjali teaches us about ourselves and we have already covered a graduate course in human behavioral psychology! C. Meditation is the means for working through our thoughts.

Patanjali identifies meditation as the means for working through our thoughts.16 If we think about how dust on a mirror distorts the image we see in the mirror, meditation allows us to clear away the distorting affect of thoughts; i.e., the dust, so we can see our true selves; our mind develops an ability to discriminate and reflect back what is most important and beneficial.17 Patanjali tells us that in order to succeed in yoga, to be able to live a life in which we are not victim of our negative thoughts, we must: 1) have a burning desire to engage in those practices he outlines in the sutras; 2) engage in self study to understand ourselves and locate patterns of thought and behavior that inhibit us in our choices; and 3) have dedication to God.18 (We can, if we choose, think of devotion to God as commitment to live a live of well-being, a full life of honor, purpose, and relationship; i.e., a life well lived) D. Kleshas or afflictions.

Patanjali identifies in Yoga Sutras 2.3 to 2.9 five categories of afflictions, called Kleshas, that will confuse our thoughts, making the task of working through them more difficult and the need for yoga practices more obvious. 1. Avidya. Avidya is spiritual ignorance. For our purposes, this is when we forget the indicators of a life well lived. Instead, we focus on thoughts or make choices that dont further our development of the five indicators of a successful life. We think or choose to behave in ways that breed negative emotions, drive away friends and co-workers, or waste our skills in meaningless activities. Asmita. Asmita is ego run amuck. Ego can make us ignorant, blinding us to the negative ramifications of our thoughts and actions. In Chapter 82 of Finding the Midline I point out that ego can be a good thing and it is when we lose track of a higher purpose to our life or forget our priorities in order to serve ego that we move away from the life of well-being we seek to create.

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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 19 The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 19 Yoga Sutra 2.1. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 108

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3.

Raga. Raga is desire. We can become so wrapped up in the pursuit of pleasure that we become addicted to gratification of the senses.19. Desire can be a good thing, particularly if we focus our desire on accomplishing meaningful tasks that serve others and utilize our strengths, for example. 20 Dvesah. Dvesah is aversion, even hate. Memories of unpleasant things in our past can cause aversion. We experience something painful and we seek to avoid it in the future. Obviously, projecting past pain onto a current experience can greatly limit our capacity to experience something positive in the present. Add to this the fact that our past painful experience may have been based on an incorrect perception of what occurred to cause the pain. We then compound the error in the present moment by avoiding something or someone because of ill-placed blame on the past event. Abhinivesa. Abhinivesa is attachment to life or fear of death. Fear necessarily affects our choices, potentially limiting our ability to maximize our life experience. In Chapter 85 of Finding the Midline I give examples of how this sutra teaches us to make choices that foster relationships and meaning in the face of temptation to make more money or repeatedly engage in meaningless activities. The yoga practices (the eightfold or eight-limbed path of yoga). Yoga Sutra 2.29 sets forth what is called the eightfold or eight-limbed path of yoga. Success in yoga; i.e., success in working through the minds chatter to find what is important, requires that we successfully perform all of these eight limbs.21 The same can be said for creating a life of well-being. These eight limbs teach us how to live in integrity within society, how to honor ourselves, how to develop strength and stamina of body, how to properly breathe, and how to meditate. From these lessons we are able to learn what is important in life, what is meaningful to society and to ourselves. We learn how to feel our emotions, unfettered by errors or misperception of thought. In other words, we develop the capacity to see the world and ourselves clearly. This is the type of person who lives surrounded by nurturing, positive relationships. The eight limbs, found at Yoga Sutras 2.29 through 3.3, are:

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Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 115 Finding the Midline, at 255-256 The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 242

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1.

Yama self-restraint, abstention, control. (Yoga Sutras 2.30 31; 2.34 2.39 The Yamas are rules for how we behave in society. They include: Ahimsa (non-harming), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacarya (physical propriety), and Aparigrahaha (lack of greed). At Yoga Sutra 2.31 Patanjali makes it clear that the Yamas are universal vows, unconditioned by place, time or concept of duty.22 Dr. Bryant writes that the Yamas are nonnegotiable and there are no exemptions. Bryant, at 248. This is very significant in that a closer study of these rules will show that they are broad in scope. For example, non-harming means not only not killing but also not gossiping without cause, not spreading rumors, and even avoiding negative thoughts and comments directed at ones self. Similarly, Asteya means far more than not stealing somebody elses purse or wallet. It means not taking credit for the work of somebody else at a business meeting because that is stealing.

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Niyama fixed observances, rules. (Yoga Sutras 2.32; 2.40 2.45) The Niyamas are rules for how we treat ourselves. They include: Sauca (cleanliness), Santosa (contentment), Tapas (burning desire), Svadhyaha (study of scripture and the self), and Isvara Pranidhanani, devotion to God. In Yoga Sutra 2.33 Patanjali instructs us as to what to do when we have thoughts that run contrary to the Yamas and Niyamas. We are to develop counter-thoughts. For example, if we think we wish harm to somebody, we instead wish good will toward that person. I learned some tough lessons studying the Niyamas. I learned that forcing my body into a backbend wasnt doing yoga; it was just doing the same thing I often did with everything else try to force or impose my opinions onto others. Patanjali doesnt talk here about depth of poses; he talks about self-study. The poses eventually caused me to start asking questions of myself such as: Why I was so tight? Why I was storing so much tension? Why was it so important I be right all the time? The self-study I undertook to answer those questions was and is the yoga.

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Asana Postures. (Yoga Sutras 2.46 2.48) Historically, postures are considered within the context of developing the ability to sustain a seat for meditation. However, it is also possible

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Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 143.

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that Patanjali was referring to the practice of various poses.23 In any event, today we find that yoga poses are an excellent way of creating awareness and deepening our capacity to create a life well lived. 4. Pranayama breath work. (Yoga Sutras 2.49 2.53) This limb refers to gaining control over the breathing process through which Prana, our life force, flows. We use Pranayama as we begin to connect the breath and the mind. 5. Pratyahara withdrawal of the senses (Yoga Sutra 2.54 2.55) Here we move our attention away from the outside world and direct our attention inside. We are now in a position to look at ourselves and examine our patterns of thought and behavior. 6. Dharana single-pointed concentration (Yoga Sutra 3.1) At this stage we slow down our thoughts by the act of concentration. We concentrate on a specific object, perhaps a Mantra, a sound, or the breath. 7. Dhyana meditation. (Yoga Sutra 3.2) Concentration leads into meditation. Our concentration now flows uninterrupted. Our mind is becoming still and thoughts disappear or occur with less frequency. This takes practice over a long period of time. 8. Samadhi a state of joy or peace. (Yoga Sutra 3.3) Here we lose track of the self and feel a union with God or a profound sense of serenity. This eight-limbed path can truly teach us to work through thoughts in each moment so that the things that matter most are easily seen in the minds eye, making positive choices easier and easier. V. Non-dualist Tantric philosophy.

As I mentioned, there is another school of yoga philosophy very pertinent to our discussion, non-dualist Tantric philosophy. Representative of that philosophy is Kashmir Shaivism. It is a non-dualist Indian school of thought arising somewhere around 1000 to 800 CE in Kashmir. It teaches that Spirit, God, or Consciousness is

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Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 157-160; The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, at 283-289

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not only acting through matter; Spirit is matter itself. Everything is a manifestation of God. There is no separation between Spirit and matter. Consciousness manifests as the seemingly infinite forms of the material world, like you and me. The Divine is experiencing itself through our bodies and experiences. A. Kashmir Shaivism expanded the Tattvas from 25 to 36, so as to describe God and the process of creation. It also enumerates how God appears in the world at every level, including people and even the elements, such as water and earth. As such, the Tattvas invite us to use our curiosity and imagination not only to find greater enjoyment in our life but also to find Spirit as Spirit is expressed in the vast diversity of our planet. So, we have strawberries and bananas, both great fruits but totally different from each other. We have Payton Manning and Mikhail Baryshnikov, both totally different but beautiful expressions of what the human body can do; Ethel Merman and Pavarotti, different yet wonderful singing voices; giraffes, elephants, dogs, cats, mountains, streams, on and on. Understanding the Tattvas and how to use them is a great tool for learning to find those things necessary to a life well lived. We develop a discriminating mind, able to find the positive more often than not. We learn to select meaningful activities to engage in. We find ways of connecting with others, creating more relationship in our life. That Tattvas show us how to identify and dissolve those things that prevent us from seeing the Divine in all things; afflictions such as ego and feelings of unworthiness and separateness (Malas). We learn how to work through the thoughts in our mind and find what is important.

B.

C.

D.

E.

VI.

Conclusion. We now have an understanding of yoga, including its purpose, and how it can work for us. We next turn to a deeper examination of the Tattva, starting with studying our own inner nature.

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