d
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20 iti 14 on
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21
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“The Future is Bright!”
Fundamentalsof of Yoga Yoga Fundamentals 12 Wall-Posters on the Yoga 12 Lay-outs on the Yoga
Juri Aidas ( Albatross )
‛The truth which claims to be universal requires to be continually re-created. It cannot be something already possessed that only needs to be re-transmitted. In every generation, it has to be renewed. Otherwise it tends to become dogma which soothes us and induces complacency but does not encourage the supreme personal adventure. Tradition should be a principle not of conservatism but of growth and regeneration. We cannot keep the rays of the sun while we put out the sun itself. Petrified tradition is a disease from which societies seldom recover. By the free use of reason and experience we appropriate truth and keep tradition in a continuous process of evolution. If it is to have a hold on people’s minds, it must recon with the vast reorientation of thought that has taken place.‛ * * Sarvepelli Radhakrishnan Line drawings – Magnus Malmsten Logos – Nina Aidas issuu.com/albatross
* "The Brahma Sutra: The Philosophy of Spiritual Life", 1960, Georg Allen & Unwin Ltd., second impr. 1971, p. 8. Sundbyberg, Sweden; Updated: 21 June 2014, 13:05 PM, GMT +01:00 AAAP 59 B:B3 – Issuu 5
T
he philosophy of yoga, the vision of yoga, the darśana that is yoga, consists of a wholity of eight aspects:
Attitude, Behaviour, Posture, Breath, Withdrawal, Focusing, Meditation, The Deep. These categories, considered together in terms of yogic practice as such, provide an objectivity whereby to understand this wholity of yoga. In the unfolding of the grand ‘vision’ of yoga one finds a theoretical framework and a therefrom derived methodology to act as a guide for the ultimate journey towards stillness, quietude, serenity, towards the peace of a deep wakeful rest, towards an equilibrium of the mind and likewise of the body structure. With the tool of yoga one brings together these utmost extremes of life: dynamic activity and deep rest. By the practice of yoga a tuning up of the whole body / mind system occurs and then, later, the whole momentum of this harmony, set in motion, shall spread far and wide like ripples on still waters.
Fundamentals of Yoga
Juri Aidas
This collection on the yoga is, in all gratitude, dedicated to
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi whose clear and inspired reasoning on the mechanism of yoga has guided me in my own efforts to create myself a further understanding of the ‘deep’ field and the subtleties thereof in yoga.
JAI GURU DEV
The idea of a schemata, a graphic, a ‗Tree of Life‟, put to use as a metaphoric with which to categorize the interactive dynamic of the eight aspects of yoga in the way I do herein is wholly of mine own construct, as far as I know; also, the responsibility for the use whereto I have put the ideas of others as to the subject of yoga is thus mine alone and no shadow of whatever miscomprehension as per me on the yoga shall fall upon the luminaries whose teachings I have put to use in my own way and in my own particular manner. Likewise the conceptualization of yoga as a paradigmatic on the dynamics of rest and activity is of mine own construance and I have not seen it worded in this way anywhere else, yet: ‘The Paradigm of Yoga: Rest & Activity‟. These platforms provide a framework for an understanding of the structurality and flow of yogic methodology that one attunes to in the actual effortless practice of yoga; the understanding of yogic ‗dive‘ and ‗rise‘, rest and activity, as the practitioner of yoga interacts with the inner and the outer extremes of life, encountering in turn the deep wakeful rest offered by the yoga and the demanding activities of day to day life. The dynamic of yogic process may thus be construed as an „algorhythmy‟ (a word I made up to allude to the idea of an algorithmic process, a process that keeps returning to its roots, carrying the proceed of its last cycle, for to complete the next instance of process, over and over again). Out of all this grew my characterization of the utter depths of the inner, viewed in a first person subjective perspective, as “ The Deep”, classically termed samadhi, deep restful alertness, which may be alluded to but not ever fully characterized as it, in it‘s quietude, stands quite beyond the ideational spheres of conceptual grasping; the still surface touched ripples. Enjoy
Juri
TAT TWAM ASI THAT THOU ART
Flower Power
Roses there are, Being where you are, For dear partners,
Fundamentals of Yoga
For the sunshine years,
12 Lay-outs on The Yoga
Of memories,
by
Of wonder, For the tender ones,
Juri Aidas
For undying love,
Albatross
For the heart.
( Long Distance Navigator )
So I yearn again my love. Lilies galore,
Line Drawings
Everywhere they fall,
Magnus Malmsten
For companions, For halcyon days Of play, Havin’ fun all day, For the gentle, For anyone who cares, For everyone, And for all of what it be worth. O! Asters overflow! I say, “It’s a show!”. Yeah, the tide will turn As earth and sky, As wind unseen; The years, O Muse, Never fade, Never go away, No, no! As long as I, as I hear true love on the way. And Daffodils I know Abound in Summers glow, Stuff everywhere. Oh! Enough’s enough, But how could that be enough? Yeah, the river flows, Amongst the flowers of a thousand shows, In meadows, in forests,
Note 1: The materials in this poster-book on the algorhytmy of yoga I have culled from my somewhat larger, more amorphous volume “The Nature of Yoga” (ref. on p. 6). The texts and lay-outs used have been slightly amended, augmented, and at times maybe impulsively rewritten and re-layouted (with da „bright‟ brush).
Note 2: Well, the way I, at times herein, phrase my English might give cause to a lifted eyebrow or two as I do have a slight tendency to veer off in my thinkings into a free flowing, more fanciful, say, and, at times, unstructured format (perchance even arty), not really staying with a formal, stringently hardheld presentation of things I hold relevant as to the yoga. Now and then as I write I also put a deliberate effort into making play, for the fun of it, with grammar unto the point where I myself at times get confused as to context and structure (and then, of course, I have to back-track a bit and rewrite), and, frankly, in my proof-reading I may not have caught all weirdly intricate inconsistencies that I could, and may probably have caused within the pages of this compilation of texts on the yoga. The consternation I now and then feel as to the variables in my handling of written language may all be due to the fact that I am of two languages to begin with, Estonian and Swedish (and that in quite a chequered way over my early years). Then having become anglicized later in in life I now-a-days really do most of my reading and writing and performing (Songs of Another Albatross) in English. Of all these three languages English has become the one I, for all practical reasons, use the most, and handle, well, best.
And being with you, You, you tune up the Wild Mountain Thyme.
Flower Power © Juri Aidas, 13 Januari 2008 http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_2029498
Publications & Productions by Another Albatross • “The Tree of Life: A Metaphor for the Philosophy of Yoga” An A3 size poster that features the materials of this present collection of 12 A4 posters in one take: http://issuu.com/albatross/docs/overview-thetreeoflife-poster-albatross-a3
“The Nature of Yoga” A Powerpoint slide show on the fundamental aspects of yoga: In English: http://sdrv.ms/Yujj6Q In Swedish: http://sdrv.ms/RxaxxS
“The Paradigm of Yoga: Rest & Activity” A discussion on the metaphoric, heuristic tool, "The Tree of Life", (included is an hariolatory section on Single Cells and Phonemes): http://issuu.com/albatross/docs/paradigm-of-yoga
“Yoga and The Natural World” (Work in progress!) A look at and an analysis of the mechanism of yoga as derived from its paradigm: rest & activity. This is a collection of some of my writings on the subject (included are a few hariolatory pieces on nature as viewed by the sciences): http://issuu.com/albatross/docs/yoga-and-the-natural-world
“The Algorhythmies of Another Albatross” Blog on The Yoga and the ideas of an another albatross: http://another-albatross.blogspot.se/
“Long Distance Navigator” Songs of Another Albatross A collection of streamable folk/rock compositions: http://www.reverbnation.com/anotheralbatross
“A Poetical Extravaganza” Songs, some odd poems, hariolations, and a few paintings (includes notation for most of the songs at ReverbNation): http://issuu.com/albatross/docs/a-poetical-extravaganza
Contact mail: yoga.cat@live.com As links do have a tendency to become obsolete over time I would recommend looking to my ‘Algorhytmies’ blog (see link above) for updated info on the productions of an another albatross.
An Another Albatross Publication 2014
12 Wall-Posters on The Yoga; AAAP 59 B:B3 – Issuu 5 http://issuu.com/albatross/docs/12-yoga-posters-juri-aidas-albatross First Issuu edition: AAAP 59 – Issuu 1, 3 April 2013 Last update: 21 June 2014
Yoga Cat With this little collection, with these 12 lay-outs on yoga I aim to present a theistically neutral approach to the darśana of yoga, the vision of yoga, sans all and any mysticism as to the philosophy of The Deep. My intention is to clarify the interrelated and interconnected dynamics as per the eight aspects of yoga when these are viewed in context. I also delve somewhat upon the methodology of the recursive algorhythmic process of yoga, all in an easy-going and hopefully entertaining manner
... in this attempt to derive the methodology of yogic algorhythmy from an understanding of the strong dynamic ‟tween root and crown of the metaphoric construct „The Tree of Life‟, with which to represent the eight aspects of yoga. In short, the mechanism of recursive algorhythmy may be discerned from the functionalities embedded in the metaphoric. The result of yoga is found both in deep inner serenity and in the joyful and creative expressions of ones life. – Says Yoga Cat! I mean business!
Copyrights © 2014 ( A few of the originators below need yet to be approached for confirmation of use. ) ( This publication does not represent a commercial venture, it is more of a referenced personal statement. )
Conceptualization of The Tree of Life – Juri Aidas (Albatross of The Brights)
‘Algorhythmy’ as per Yogic method – Juri Aidas Derivation of The Heuristic – Juri Aidas Bright Light – Juri Aidas Oil Painting
Symbol & Sun/Note composite – Juri Aidas Flower Pover – Juri Aidas A Song, 13 January 2008 http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_2029498
Yoga Cat Appropriated ‘Business Cat’ http://memegenerator.net/
Flying / The Walk / Yogis / The Dive / Into The Deep / Reclining Yogi / Sentinel Graphics – Magnus Malmsten India Ink on paper
The Mandala – Artist Unknown ( Possibly painted in Dharamsala, India, 1975. ) Purchased in 1981, New Delhi, India by Juri Aidas.
Four States of Consciousness diagram – Kanellakos/Lucas ( Also included is the Domash derivation )
Three Categories of Meditation – ( abstract ) – Frederick Travis Mohenjo-daro seal – Islamabad Museum, Pakistan Sun/Moon Logo & Pikeboros – Nina Aidas Coloured pencils on paper
Frontispiece Quote – Sarvepelli Radhakrishnan Quote on Vedic background – Georg Feuerstein Aom signs Collection of The Matavasis of Kauai's Hindu Monastery http://www.himalayanacademy.com
Smiley – The Brights Forum http://www.the-brights.net/forums/
The Brights http://www.the-brights.net/
An Another Albatross Publication AAAP 59
4
Contents SYMBOL & QUOTE
Front cover
FLYING, THE WALK, YOGI, SMILE, ANEMONE, THE DIVE, YOGIS, HERON & BIRDIE, LIGHT Line Drawings Cover, 6, 10, 14, 39, 41, 43, 44 & 51 FLOWER POWER Intro
I II
3
A Song
YOGA CAT – SAYS
5
PATANJALI, THE YOGA SUTRA & VEDIC BACKGROUND
8–9
TOOLS FOR THINKING
Three Metaphors
9 – 10
•
Page
INTO THE DEEP
Line Drawing
15
THE FRAMEWORK
17
III
DEFINITION OF YOGA
19
IV
THE TREE OF LIFE
21
Derivation of the Tree – p. 22
V
THE SEQUENCE
23
VI
EIGHT ASPECTS
25
VII VIII IX X XI XII
THE ALGORHYTHMY
27
Mantra / Wheel of Transcendence – p. 28
TWO DYNAMICS, THREE CATEGORIES & FOUR STATES
29
THE HEURISTIC
31
MANDALA
Thangka / Scroll painting
33
YOGA AND WELL-BEING
Line Drawing
35
SENTINEL
Line Drawing
37
•
Coda
THE WALK OF LIFE
On ‘Algorhythmy’ in general – p. 39, 40
YOGA – THE PRACTICE
Effortlessness – Not Training
41 42 – 43
PROCESS AS TO MEDITATION IN YOGA
44 – 46
THE PERFECTIONS, A.K.A. THE SIDHIS
48 – 49
WHO IS YOGA CAT?
Finis – p. 51; Tinker – p. 52
BRIGHT LIGHT
Oil Painting
7
50 Back cover
PATANJALI & THE YOGA SUTRA –
OF CA.
2000 YEARS AGO – INTRODUCTION
M
PATANJALI, of whom not much is know, is historically placed somewhere in the span of years from 300 B.C. to around 200 A.D. It is Patanjali to whom the authorship of the text of the Yoga-Sutra is attributed, the first systematized treatment of yoga. AHARISHI
- is a short and concise delineation of the The Yoga-Sutra philosophy of yoga and the whole thing is presented in but 4 - , short mnemonic* minimal chapters comprising 196 verses, sutras threads of contextually bound key words. Tradition favours the earlier date to Patanjalis work but modern inquiry based on - , as discussed by e.g. Georg linguistic study of the Yoga-Sutra Feuerstein**, places Patanjali closer to the later date. - though being a short work, is regarded as the The Yoga-Sutra, historically first, yet still lasting, still relevant, central text on yoga. - Yoga-Sutra delineates the philosophy of yoga - and the stages The of yogic practice. Patanjali, in that work, offered the ideas of yoga a surprisingly stable and lasting format, particularly his structure of eight aspects to yoga, the subject of discussion (presented metaphorically with graphics and layouts) within these pages. Here below I have freely put together a short note on Patanjali, paraphrasing slightly from texts on Patanjali by Georg Feuerstein. Not much is known of Patanjali, but for his studies to have propagated, he must have had students. For to undertake the task of defining Yoga he must at least, in our minds, have been merited, must have been endowed with great insight and scholarly status, and must surely have had the reputation of being an influential teacher of his time. A few other Patanjali’s are known to history: the grammarian Patanjali, who is also the author of different medical texts, and we find reference to a Patanjali in southern India, but really, almost nothing is known of Maharishi Patanjali. His ageless work, the Yoga-Sutra, upholds a concise vision of Yoga, the Daršana of Yoga; its expression is the philosophy of Yoga. The first mention of Patanjali as author of the Yoga-Sutra we find in Vâscapati th Misras commentary of this text in the 9 century A.D. * Greek mnēmonikos, from mnēmōn, mnēmon-, mindful.
- of Patanjali: A new translation and commentary”, 1979, p, 3. ** “The Yoga-Sutra 8
VEDIC BACKGROUND –
OF CA.
4600 YEARS AGO – TIMESPACE
Yoga is the Settling of the Mind into Silence. Pikeboros
“Yogaś-chitta-vritti-nirodahah” Yoga-Sutra, 1:2.
Established in Yoga, Perform Action. “Yoga stah kuru karmani” Bhagavad-Gita, 2:48.
Yoga offers an easily obtained deep, restful wakefulness of mind and body.
T
he roots of yoga may be traced back to the flowering Vedic culture of ca. 2500–1700 B.C. The first glimpse of yoga to be seen in the history of mankind glimmers subtly suggestive among archeological artefacts from the land of the Indus valley, - a fascinating from 2500 years before the Yoga-Sutra; vista to reach us, still well & hale, a remnant of a culture called Harappa,* localized to numerous sites around the area of the alluvial Indus valley where Mohenjo-daro lay (a district of what nowadays is known as Pakistan) by the Saraswati river, a river of once abundant flow, rich and greatly sustaining. In these areas many seals of hard clay have been found. A few examples: the Steatite-seal (of steatiteclay) upon which the figure of, perchance, a „Shaman‟, seated in something of a conceivable similarity to traditional yogic posture; secondly, the Pasupati-seal (which I, in this little book, use for purposes of my owne hariolatory construance, and, yes, somewhat freely so) of likewise yogic indicativeness.
Yoga proceeds by two steps: Rest / Activity Yoga implies union.
Steatite seal
Mohenjo-daro / Pasupati
http://www.yogagalaxy.com/history-of-yoga
http://www.yogajournal.com/history/vedas1.html
Mohenjo-daro seal – Pasupati: Material: tan steatite; Dimensions: 2.65 x 2.7 cm, 0.83 to 0.86 thickness; Mohenjo-daro, DK 12050; Islamabad Museum, NMP 50.296; Mackay 1938: 335, pl * See more on the Indus Valley Civilization at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_Valley_Civilization
9
Eight Aspects of Yoga
I. Attitude & II. Behaviour (the Ethics & Morals of yoga as pertaining to the actual practice of yogic methodology), III. Posture, IV. Breath, V. Withdrawal (Retraction of the Senses; as with the turtle when it draws its limbs into its shell), VI. Focusing, VII. Meditation and VIII. The Deep (aka., the ground of Dynamic Bliss, restful alertness, inner equilibrium).
TOOLS FOR THINKING GUIDES TO THE PRACTICE & THE UNDERSTANDING OF YOGA
T
A GREAT TREE
can be studied by use of the tool of metaphor yet discernment is necessary. In discussing the metaphor of a great tree in the representation of a philosophy and theory of yoga it will here not be used in the traditional manner, as it would in a discussion of schools of yoga (see overleaf, p. 10). HE EIGHT ASPECTS OF YOGA
It will here be used in such a way as to display the structure of Yoga as an algorhythmie*, and as a manual on the dynamic of the traverse ‟tween the outer and the inner. • On the next page the discussion of the three metaphors that, in my view, are basic to yoga, is treated in but a cursory overarching way (more on the metaphors in the pages ahead). The patterns of thinking these similes allow for I have pondered and wondered on and also made an attempt at unraveling in my musings as to the yoga. I find that taken together they present an overview of the variables of yoga and in that they offer up a firm ground for the ideas presented in the following pages of wall-posters, 12 of them, on some of the main themes in the philosophy of yoga, the darsana of yoga, the beautiful vision of yoga.
* Algorhythmy ~ The dynamic of yogic process as one mentally and physically proceeds from activity unto deep rest, back an’ forth, back an’ forth; an effortless spiralling into The Deep according to the mechanism of yoga. 1.
(as per page 7, opp.)
It was pointed out by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, back in 1958, that Patanjalis sequence of eight steps to characterize the different elements of yoga (portrayed as a sequence, in its simplest form a stairway rather than a ladder, grounded at one end and of a steep traverse) may in the context of yoga actually be approached from either end (the metaphoric of a stairway does not allow for but the ladder does) and that the use of the practice of meditation, as in yogic process, in a very simple, elegant, effortless and almost self-evident fashion is a key element to the traverse by the systemic body/mind complex away from the concreteness of activities in the outer and into, onto, as falling towards the silent, serene depths of an harmonized and balanced state of being (as cognized in practice by the practitioner of yoga); in the direct approach to The Deep, the samadhi of yoga, the deeper result is brought about by the effortless effort of practicing a little meditation now & then (at least), preferably on a regular basis.
10
Tools – Not Truths!
THREE METAPHORS
ATHA! NOW! A first metaphor: the ladder (or a stairway), construed with eight steps to represent the eight aspects of yoga. This image is used to give an expression to the idea of progression via different steps to be taken in the study and practice of the wholeness of the vision of yoga, the Yoga-Daršana. This is quite an excellent ladder, it displays the dynamic vector of yoga, the traverse of the transversal ‟tween outer and inner depths. Slight difficulties to interpretation, though, arise mainly because of the nature of the list-form presentation in itself, sequentiality as such is what creates the problem. The full journey across these steps, the aspects of yoga, may give the impression of being a rather steep one, to take a long time and effort, and the ladder as a whole thus seems quite formidable to ascend, and, of course, the middle and top rungs demand that the lower rungs have been mastered, thus creating prerequisites for yoga. But still, the image of a ladder can be approached from either end1 (see note p. 6) (but not so with the image of a stairway), and though deeply relevant this image does not say anything about the recursive algorythmic methdology of yoga as such.
What goes where? – and so on. But still, buried within this model we find a deep sense of individuality, of freedom – of movement, action. This second view of yoga, even though being limited, still tangles with the philosophical implications as to our „sense of connectedness‟, and to the „how‟ of our inner sense of wonder, the epistemology thereof; that „why‟ is revealed by practice. Moving on now to the third metaphor, that of a tree, „A Tree of Yoga‟, 'The Tree of Life'. This metaphor of root, trunk, limbs or branches, and a crown applied to yoga reveals the inner dynamic of „algorhythmy‟ in the metaphoric nerve from root to crown that traverses the transversal ‟tween stillness and activity, the inner and outer of life, so to say. This image, that of a tree, might also confuse as it is generally very much tied up with the historical evolution of a great variety schools and traditions of yoga – and using it for another purpose as that of the philosophy of yoga, distinct as that may be, might just add to the general bedlam of confusion regarding the philosophy of yoga (not the least being the almost exclusive use of the word „yoga‟ for merely the fourth aspect of the sequence, asâna, yoga pertaining to the body). Yet this metaphor of a tree does manage to allude to the dynamic processuality of yogic recursive algorhythmy, it envelops the wholity of yoga and roots the methodic and it's inner and outer effects in the consciousness of the practitioner. In short, this metaphor of a tree is a functional metaphor.
The second metaphor, that of an object with limbs, a table, or a grand piano (and why not?), offers up all the starting points we‟d want. In this model yoga may be approached and effectuated via any one aspect (pull one leg and all the others follow), yet, strangely, the whole structure is somewhat loose, drifting free. Where to? Whither?
# & Q ie l eee
?
1 11
1
22
2
33
A ladder / stair
A Grand Piano / Table
A Tree of Life
Sequence
Interconnectivity
Dynamic
11 http://issuu.com/albatross/
3
Back in Time To the side here I have appended a quote from the works of Georg Feuerstein, excellent scholar of the yoga. This quote offers an example of how the metaphor of a tree may be applied in a context of different branchings as to overall structure in the growth of the yoga-darśana, the vision of yoga. This distinguishes the format of use here, in the quote, from the more specific format I have chosen as metaphor to show the inherent dynamic of the eight aspects of yoga in context and in that to allude to the grand algorhythmy of life revealed by the yoga-darśana. Here Mr. Feuerstein discusses the Vedic roots of yoga.
Yoga
may be pictured as a major
branch of a gigantic tree whose roots are anchored deep in the Neolithic age, with the highest branch of its canopy still growing in our era. The base of its stem is formed by the Vedic culture, as we know it from the surviving four hymnodies: the RigVeda, Yajur-Veda, Sâma-Veda, and Atharva-Veda. Careful study of these works reveals that the seers (rishi) who composed them were steeped in Yoga, which they still call tapas, often rendered as “ascetism” (from the verbal root tap “to glow”). Their Yoga was entirely a solar Yoga, with the Sun being the focus of their spiritual aspirations. Much later, in the Bhagavad-Gita (4.1) the Sun is remembered as the original teacher of Yoga. ... Shortly after the time of the Upanishads of the middle period [...] the trunk of our figurative tree split in three. The thick middle trunk continued the Vedic tradition leading to what came to be called Hinduism; the second trunk evolved the small but ramifying tradition of Jainism; and the third trunk unfolded the complex tradition of Buddhism. *
• * Georg Feuerstein, The Deeper Dimension of Yoga, 2003, p. 39.
Fundamentals of Yoga 12 Lay-outs on The Yoga
14
Yoga is the Settling of the Mind into Silence. Yoga Sutra: 1.2
INTO THE DEEP India Ink on Paper
Magnus Malmsten
http://www.magnusmalmsten.se/
I
http://issuu.com/albatross/
16
THE FRAMEWORK The Paradigm of Yoga: Rest & Activity
Yoga is one of the six systems of Indian philosophy. … the fourth, its main concern therein being personal experience via the practical application of method. The philosophy of Yoga has its roots in Vedic culture, of ca. 2500–1700 BC, and gets its first exposé by Patanjali in the Yoga-Sūtra, of ca. 200 BC–100 AD.
Yoga offers the experience of a deep quiet, in terms of both mind & body.
Yoga, as method, is process. Its different methods thereby synergistically lead to a deep, wakeful, refreshing rest.
Yoga relies on the spontaneity of the mind as it journeys to rest & cognizes a „deep‟ quiet when opportunity is given.
In Yoga an inner recursive algorhythmy is revealed. The practitioner of Yoga, by rhythmic continuity over time, establishes an inner sense of ease in the subjective experience of an effortless gravitating towards rest followed by a flowing into activity: rest and activity, rest and activity.
The application of Yoga stabilises mind & body. This engenders dynamic activity.
The wholity of Yoga is, by metaphor, a Tree of Life. “The Tree of Life”: a recursive heuristic metaphor with which to grasp the wholity of the philosophy of yoga.
http://issuu.com/albatross/
II
Juri Aidas
Yoga is the restriction of the fluctuations of mind-stuff
Allowing versus Restrictive The full reach of yogic ‘algorhythmy’ does tend towards ease and effortlessness in the practice of recursive yogic methodology. ‘Algorhythmic’ methodology thus falls in the ‘allowing’ category of approach to the yoga.
18
It is interesting to notice that the more recent translations in this list (those from the latter half of the 1970s and onward, with a little overlap) mostly fall in the ‘allowing’ category rather than the ‘restrictive’.
DEFINITION OF YOGA – THE SETTLING OF MIND INTO SILENCE –
Yogaś-chitta-vritti-nirodahah Patanjali, Yoga Sutra: 1,2 Method in a context – the mind – its expressions – quietening Yoga is the settling of the mind into In translations, interpretations from the Sanskrit, the definition of Yoga has attracted perspectives to cover the range of two opposites. Allowing
1.
2.
Restrictive
Allowing interpretations Thomas Egenes
Yoga is the complete settling of the activity of the mind. (“Maharishi Patanjali Yoga-Sûtra”, 2011; p. 11.)
Chip Hartranft
Yoga is to still the patterning of consciousness. (“The Yoga-Sûtra of Patanjali – A New Translation with Commentary”, 2003, p. 2.)
Alistair Schearer *
* Yoga is the settling of the mind into silence. (“The Yoga-Sûtra of Patanjali – Effortless Being”, 1982; ed. 2002, p. 107.)
Barbara Stoler Miller
Yoga is the cessation of the turnings of thought.
(“Yoga Discipline of Freedom – The Yoga Sutra Attributed to Patanjali”, 1995, p. 29.)
B.K.S. Iyengar
Yoga is the cessation of movements in the consciousness. (“Light on the Yoga Sûtras of Patañjali”, 1993, p. 50.)
P. Y. Deshpande
Yoga is that state of being in which the ideational choice-making movement of the mind slows down and comes to a stop. (“The Authentic Yoga – Patanjali‟s Yoga Sutras”, 1978, p. 19.)
Restrictive interpretations Trevor Leggett:
Yoga is inhibition of the mental processes. (“Šankara on the Yoga-Sutras”, Volume 1, 1981, p. 14.)
Georg Feuerstein
Yoga is the restriction of the fluctuations of consciousness. (“The Yoga-Sûtra of Patanjali – A New Translation and Commentary”, 1979, p. 26.)
I.K. Taimini
Yoga is the inhibition of the modifications of the mind. (“The Science of Yoga”, 1961; ed. 1975, p. 6.)
Swami Hariharânanda Aranya
Yoga is the suppression of the modifications of the mind. (“Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali”, 1963, p. 7.)
Alice A. Bailey
This Union (or Yoga) is achieved through the subjugation of the psychic nature and the restraint of the chitta (or mind). (The Light of The Soul”, 1927; ed. 1975, p. 9.)
James Haughton Woods
Yoga is the restriction of the fluctuations of mind-stuff.
(“The Yoga-System of Patanjali - Or the Ancient Hindu Doctrine of Concentration of Mind”, 1927, p. xx.) Juri Aidas http://issuu.com/albatross/
III
A Tree of Life
Dynamic
A Grand Piano / Table
Interconnectivity
Three Metaphors On the Eight Aspects of Yoga
A ladder / stair
Sequence
14 20
THE TREE OF LIFE – AN HEURISTIC, RECURSIVE METAPHOR OF THE “YOGA DARŠANA” – THE PHILOSOPHY AND VISION OF YOGA
Meditation D hyâna MDhyâna e d ita tio n in w a r d s
Withdrawal of the senses
Focusing D h âran â F o c u s in g Dhâranâ
Absorption P r a ty â h â r a
in w a rd s
R e tr Pratyâhâra a c tin g o f th e S e n s e s
o u tw a rd s sig h t
P rBreath ânâyâm a TPrânâyâma h e B r e a th in g
to u c h sm e ll
ry th m
m balance assage, s tre stamina tc h , b e n d ,
flo w
sh a u c h a sim p lic ity
Posture  san a ÂsanaP o/s tuThe r e Body
ta ste
out in
Morals * Behaviour N iy a m a M o r a ls ,, T h e LLaws a w s o of f L Life ife Niyama The
h e a rin g
su sp en d ed
tw is t, ro ll, tu rn , e tc .
sa n to sh a
a n d o th e rs a s th e c o b ra
endurance
o r h a la a s a n a . stimularatory o r s u n g re e tin g , e tc . .
c o n te n tm e n t ta p a s p u r if ic a tio n
f. e x . p a d m a â s a n a
stability
sw â d h y â y a r e f in e m e n t
M u d ra s ?
E th ic,s ,The T h e Rules R u le s for fo r LLiving iv in g Yama
sa ty a tr u th f u ln e ss
a p a r ig r a h a
a h im sa n o n - v io le n c e
a ste y a in te g r ity
n o n - a tta c h m e n t
îsh v a r a p r a n id h â n a
Ethics *
Attitude Y am a
su r rsense e n d e roftowonder th e L o r d b rah m ach arya crestraint h a stity
P r a k r it i Sam âdhi N ir b îja S a m â d h i S a m â d h i w ith o u t o b je c t
M a n ife s t
w ith o b je c t
SThe a m â dDeep hi Samâdhi Restful D y n a, m ic B lis s Alerness
P u ru sh a U n m a n ife s t
Sat, Chit, Ananda
S a t, C h it, A n a n d a Existence, Intelligence, Bliss
E x is te n c e , I n te llig e n c e , B lis s
Transcendent
Virtual Field T r a Self-Referential n scen d en t
Perplexitie V ir tu a lBeyond S e lf- r e fe r e n tia l F ie ld
Beyond any concept of the beyond!
*
As pertaining to the actual practice of yogic methodology as such. Yama and Niyama are not to be viewed as ideological determinants.
Juri Aidas
An Hariolation on the Interconnectivities of the Eight Aspects of Yoga as an Aid to the Understanding of the Grounds of Knowledge of The Deep.
“Yoga is the settling of the mind into silence.” “Established in yoga, perform action.” http://issuu.com/albatross/
IV
Yoga Sutra; 1,2 Bhagavad Gita; 2,48
T
he categories of Yoga (and the subcategories implied therein) presented in the schemata of the metaphor of ‚The Tree of Life‛ and in the traditional listings all refer to the process of Yoga as such and are not to be ideologically transferred to any other domain, their qualities will rather become infused into our life and into our living depending on what application gives and what circumstance brings.
Derivation of the structure of The Tree of Life from The Ladder
22
THE SEQUENCE - 2:29 Yoga Sutra;
Structures in Yoga – List form 1.
2.
... as per Patanjali.. –
Attitude
Ethics (as pertaining to Yoga)
Behaviour
Morals (as pertaining to Yoga)
Yama
Simplicity, Contentment, Purification, Refinement, Sense of Wonder
–
Niyama
Non-violence, Truthfulness, Integrity, Restraint, Non-attachment 3.
Posture
The Body / Balance /Stability
–
4.
Breath
Flow
– Pranayama
Absorption
Natural Tendency of the Mind Attention drawn by an Inwards Attraction.
Withdrawal
5.
(Retraction of the Senses / Contemplation)
Focusing
6.
Meditation
The Deep
Meditative Process
Recursivity
1.
Transcend – to go beyond. ( beyond activity )
( Nature )
(3.)
Unmanifest – Purusha
Sanyama
( That which one can’t quite put ones finger on! )
Nirbija – Samadhi
The concept of „Unmanifest‟ I simply regard as that upon which one ones finger cannot put, that which is beyond. Excitation of deep rest causes a rebound into activity.
V
(Without object.) Transcended (1. )
Dhâranâ Dhyâna – Sanyama (Coherence ) Samâdhi
Activation of the senses From the Transcendent (1 . ) (2. ) by Sanyama. (Yoga Sûtra, Ch. 3. )
Juri Aidas 3.
Manifest – Prakriti
1. For a discussion on ‟transcendence‟ see ”The Nature of Yoga” by Juri Aidas. http://issuu.com/albatross. 2. Yoga Sûtra – Patanjali
Established in
Yoga
V
Perform Action.
http://issuu.com/albatross/
V V
Increase of Self-referential Potential
Transcendence (1 . )
Subject / Object Perplexity Treshold. Inner Event Horizon.
Sat – Chit – Ananda. Existence – Intelligence – Bliss
Activity Rest
Samprajnata (With object.) – Samadhi
Dynamic Bliss
Subjectively characterized as
– Dhyana
Transcending
Quietude
(The Transcendent) (1 . ) The Beyond
Dharana
(‘Meditation’ termed technically, or say, methodological dynamic (1 . )
The potentiality for The Deep
... followed by A Gradual Increase of Abstraction /Abstruseness ... and an Absorption of the Mind Ensues. Algorythmy
Transversal Divide of Inner/Outer, Abstrusness/Abstraction Field. 8.
– Pratyahara
–
Effortless Ignition
(Centering / Concentration) 7.
Asana
P. Y. Deshpande (“The Authentic Yoga – Patanjali‟s Yoga Sutras”, 1979B, p. 98.) Deshpande strangely enough does not translate the concepts of the eight aspects of yoga, thus the Sanskrit listing (in the box header, p. 25), but his commentary on the Yoga Sutra is immensely perceptive (thus I give it a mention here).
24
A JEWEL OF EIGHT FACETS – 12 APPROXIMATIONS TO YOGA IN TRANSLATION – Patanjali, Yoga-Sūtra: 2,29.
YAMA • NIYAMA • ASANA • PRANAYAMA • PRATYAHARA • DHARANA • DHYANA • SAMÂDHI 1.
Thomas Egenes
Observance, Rule, Posture, Regulation of Breathing, Retirement, Steadiness, Meditation and Transcendental Consciousness. * (“Maharishi Patanjali Yoga-Sûtra”, 2011; p. 56.)
2.
Chip Hartranft
External Discipline, Internal Discipline, Posture, Breath Regulation, Withdrawal of the Senses, Concentration, Meditative absorption and Integration. (“The Yoga-Sûtra of Patanjali – A New Translation with Commentary”, 2003, p. 30.)
3.
Barbara Stoler Miller
Moral Principles, Observances, Posture, Breath control, Withdrawal of the Senses,Concentration, Meditation and Pure Contemplation. (“Yoga Discipline of Freedom – The Yoga Sutra Attributed to Patanjali”, 1995, p. 52.)
4.
Trevor Leggett:
Restraints, Observances, Posture, Restraint of Vital Currents, Dissociation, Concentration, Meditation and Samâdhi. (“Šankara on the Yoga-Sutras”, Volume 2, 1983, p. 110.)
5.
Alistair Schearer
The Laws of Life, The Rules for Living, Posture, Breathing exercises, Retirement of the Senses, Focusing of Attention, Meditation and The Settled Mind. (“The Yoga-Sûtra of Patanjali – Effortless Being”, 1982, p. XX.)
6.
Georg Feuerstein
Restraint, Observance, Posture, Breath-control, Sense-withdraval, Concentration, Meditative absorption and Enstasy. (“The Yoga-Sûtra of Patanjali – A New Translation and Commentary”, 1979, p. 80.) Enstasy is a construct from „Enhanced Ecstasy‟. (Feuerstein 1979, p. ix, 76.)
7.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Observance, Rules of Life, Posture, Breathing exercises, Retirement of the Senses, Steadiness of Mind, Meditation and The State of Transcendental Consciousness. (“The Bhagavad-Gita – A New Translation and Commentary”, 1967, p. ?.)
8.
Swami Hariharânanda Aranya
Restraint, Observance, Posture, Regulation of breath, Withholding of senses, Fixity, Meditation and Perfect Concentration. (“Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali”, 1963, p. 232.)
9.
I.K. Taimini
Self-Restraints, Fixed Observances, Posture, Regulation of breath, Abstraction, Concentration, Contemplation and Trance. (“The Science of Yoga”, 1961, p. ?.)
10.
James Haughton Woods
( Note to self: Reheck this ref. )
Abstentions, Observances, Postures, Regulations-of-the-breath, Withdrawal-ofthe-senses, Fixed-attention, Contemplation and Concentration. (“The Yoga-System of Patanjali - Or the Ancient Hindu Doctrine of Concentration of Mind”, 1927, p. ?.)
11.
Alice A. Bailey
Commandments, Rules, Posture, Right Control of Life-force, Abstraction, Attention, Meditation and Contemplation. (“The Light of the Soul – The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali”, 1927, 11 Impr. 1978, p. 180.)
12.
Juri Aidas
Attitude & Behaviour (the Ethics & Morals of yoga), Posture, Breath, Withdrawal, Focusing, Meditation and The Deep (aka., ground of bliss, inner equilibrium).
* The book links refer to the latest edition respectively of the Yoga-Sutras; page numberings refer to the editions used here. http://issuu.com/albatross/
VI
Juri Aidas
26
THE ALGORHYTHMY OF INNER RECURSIVE PROCESS IN YOGA The wheel of Karma * Tuned by Yoga Turns all action to Dharma
* Karma: Principle of Action and Reaction.
METHODOLOGY
Yoga:
Tuning process of Mind and Body; Recursive Evolutionary Algorythm. Dharma: Action in accord with Natural Law
MEDITATION – DHYANA Process of Transcendence Action generates Reaction – this is Karma, * attenuated by Yoga action flows according to Natural Law, Dharma. 2.
1.
Thoughts are activities of the mind and define the ‟Self‟‟ in ‟Centres of Narrative Gravity‟.**
The process of thinking is autonomous and engenders thought as pearl on a string. In meditation there‟s no point in putting a lid on top, it is difficult to force a stop to thinking. Instead a technique to distract thought is brought into play, this results in a state of no activity at all.
A mantra, used on the level of thought stimulates awareness and alerteness, and also acts as a distractive impulse on the process of thinking, fragmenting and diverting it. Thinking relaxes, unfinished thoughts fade away, as does the mantra now and then.
Process of Thinking Accelleration
Thoughts /
Thoughts
Thinking
Mantra
D hyâna M e d ita tio n
F o c u s in g
in w a rd s
P r a ty â h â r a Withdrawal R e tr a c tin gofo fthe th Senses e S en ses
Gearing up
o u tw a rd s sig h t
sm e ll
T h e B r e a th in g
ta ste
out in
P o s tu r e m assage, s tre tc h , b e n d ,
su sp en d ed
N iy a m a
sh a u c h a sim p lic ity
 san a
ry th m flo w
M o r a ls , T h e L a w s o f L ife
h e a rin g to u c h
P rân ây âm a
tw is t, ro ll, tu rn , e tc .
o r h a la a s a n a .
o r s u n g re e tin g , e tc .
sa n to sh a
.
sw â d h y â y a r e f in e m e n t
M u d ra s ?
a p a r ig r a h a
Feedback loop
P r a k r it i Sam âdhi N ir b îja S a m â d h i S a m â d h i w ith o u t o b je c t
Activity
Two processes surface as mind and body relax: the pure creative process itself opens up and a release of latent physical and mental debris occurs, activity flares. When bound residues of activity are released this release causes further activity, tangling pure creative thought. The process of meditation defuses both flows. For a mantra not to be conditioned by meanings (and thus become a vessel of contemplation within the process of meditation) it must be obtained by personal instruction, preferably from a trusted source. A mantra is not supposed to have any meaning or be the name of anything. It must be possible to forget a mantra while using it in the meditative process: therefore it is used in a natural manner, no effort is applied, more like ‟letting go‟ than ‟picking up‟, no dull repetition. * Hariolatory musings. ** As propounded by the Science of Heterophenomenology (phenomenology of another, not oneself).
M a n ife s t
w ith o b je c t
Fluctuating Transcendence
P u ru sh a
SSamadhi am âdhi
U n m a n ife s t
Bliss DDynamic y n a m ic B lis s S a t, C h it, A n a n d a E x is te n c e , I n te llig e n c e , B lis s
T ran scen d en t
3.
V ir tu a l S e lf- r e fe r e n tia l F ie ld
Release & Creativity Restful Alerteness
Samadhi
Sat, Chit, Ananda Existence, Intelligence, Bliss
Transcendent Beyond Perplexitie
The Deep
Established Yoga, U t f ö r h a nind lin g, perform action. e t a b le r a d i y o g a .
http://issuu.com/albatross/
VII
When awareness, during meditation, in Yoga, comes to recognize that thoughts and activities occupy it a mantra is added to the process of thinking, as just any thought among other thoughts, this stimulates the mind, counters dullness, as thinking is distracted and mind
Mind at Rest
b rah m ach arya crestraint h a stity
Fluctuating Transcendence Plattform of Sanyama (coherence). Expression of Ritambhara (inner truth).
Sound, word; used only as a mental impulse.
a h im sa n o n - v io le n c e
a ste y a in te g r ity
n o n - a tta c h m e n t
îsh v a r a p r a n id h â n a
Y am a
E th ic s , T h e R u le s fo r L iv in g
sa ty a tr u th f u ln e ss
su r r sense e n d e r of to wonder th e L o r d
Feedback loop
4.
f. e x . p a d m a â s a n a a n d o th e rs a s th e c o b ra
c o n te n tm e n t ta p a s p u r if ic a tio n
Mental Activity
Inherent Karmic causation –
Thoughts Mantra Gone
in w a r d s
D h âran â
Settling down
The mantra is kept private, so that meaning and connotations do not to accrue to it and thus condition it (giving rise and drive to new trains of thought). This enables us to occasionally forget it (gone). And by the way as the motive in meditation is rest: „NOTHING‟ IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. (Though at times it does.)
Mantra
Body at Rest
As the process of thinking becomes distracted, on account of the use of a mantra subtly breaking the flow of thoughts, thinking stops seeking a goal in action. When this occurs the mind (vitalized by this dhyana) attains a state of restful alerteness and relaxes its subjective hold on the persona, it becomes calm, the ego dissolves. This causes the body to relax and rest as no impetus to activity remains. The use of a mantra in the process of meditation fragments the inherent active cause that motivates the thinking process as such. Using a mantra, on the level of thinking is to start up a recursive algorhythmic process; thoughts fade away and as also occasionally the mantra is forgotten what remains is a restful state of stillness, calm, serenity and bliss.
Juri Aidas
See, p. 45 for a more detailed run through of this „process‟ of transcendence.
TRAVERSE TO THE DEEP – ELEVATOR –
Below is a metaphysical and theistic angle on the idea of the universality ”OM” sound/word. "OM" is the most sacred syllable in Hinduism."O M" is a Sanskrit word, which is said to be the original primordial creative sound from which the universe and all of creation first manifested. It is the root syllable (mula mantra), the cosmic vibration that hold together the atoms of the world and heavens. While pronounced “OM”, certain Sanskrit scholars state that it is written as “AUM”. Swami Sivananda Radha says, “The cosmic sound AUM, or its condensed form, OM, is the origin of all other sound. OM is everything. It is the name of God.”
AM The Mantra is a tool to distract the flow of thinking and this, in effect, makes thinking cease its momentum. (More on this on page 43.)
Mantra: a word, a sound (with no inherent meaning); is only used as a mental impulse.
A—O—M ( The very Basic Mantra° )
A: The mouth opens into the full resonance of an ‗A‘. O: Next the Mouth rounds that resonance to an ‗O‘ and flows with it.
•
―The word ‗mantra‘ stems from the Sanskrit verbal root „man‟ meaning “to think, ponder”. The suffix ‗tra‘ indicates instrumentality.‖*
M: Then the mouth closes into an ‗M‘ and the final hum resonates awareness into the silent depths of The Deep.∆
... A personal mantra of no connotative power is thus to be preferred as the yogic path is attempted.
The AOM-sound offers up a universal mantra, a full complete sound of strong resonatory power.
AOM will create a strong inwards directed vector in the subject to flow awareness towards The Deep. A sudden flow may give rise to a sudden loosening of inner balance if the outer structure has not been prepared. ...
Vanishing Point Matrix
Edward Hinz Facebook, 19 April 2014
Wheel of Transcendence ° See: the “Māndūkyopanishad” ·· ·
∆
* “The Spiritual Heritage of Ancient India”, 2001, p. 189, by Feuerstein, Kak och Frawley. “From a lecture by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Majorca, Vinter 1971/72, Actual wording paraphrased here, and ... ‘The Deep‟ added into the mix.
28
TWO DYNAMICS, FOUR STATES & THREE CATEGORIES
Yes
No
Waking State
Dreaming State
High
Transcendental Consciousness
Deep Sleep
Low
Physiological Activity
– REST & ACTIVITY, CONSCIOUSNESS & MEDITATION –
Conscious Awareness
Awareness versus activity in the four major states of consciousness.
Above is a Kanellakos/Lucas device (here presented slightly reworded yet following the structure in the paper by Lawrence Domash in „Collected Papers‟ [link below]). This is an illustrative graphic coordinated around the extremes of the two parameters of „Physiological Activity‟ and „Conscious Awareness‟ as to relationships among the four basic states of consciousness. (See overleaf for the original illustration.) Scientific Research on the Transcendental Meditation Program: Collected papers, Vol. 1, p. 656. Maharishi European Research University, 1976. For up-to-date research see: http://www.mumpress.com/scientific-research.html
Physiological correlates to the idea of a fourth basic state of consciousnes are suggested in this research paper by Frederick Travis, see chapter 10, in this collection of papers (via NeuroscienceLibrary):
States of Consciousness Beyond Waking, Dreaming and Sleeping: Perspectives from Research on Meditation Experiences * Abstract * ”
T
hree categories of meditation practices have been proposed: focused attention meditations, which involve voluntary and sustained attention on a chosen object; open monitoring meditations, which involve non-reactive monitoring of moment-to-moment content of experience; and automatic self-transcending meditations, which are designed to transcend their own activity. While focused attention and open monitoring meditations explore the nature of individual cognitive, affective, and perceptual processes and experiences, automatic selftranscending meditations explore the state when conscious processing and experiences are transcended, a state called pure consciousness.”
Yoga Cat ... ponders:
The Algorythmy of yogic meditation belongs in the automatic self-transcending category.
Data from the research support the description of pure consciousness as a fourth state of consciousness with unique phenomenological and physiological correlates.
* Frederic Travis, chapter 10, p. 223. (See overleaf for written link.) http://issuu.com/albatross/
VIII
The original Kannellakos/Lucas schemata on fundamental states of consciousness. The Psychobiology of Transcendental Meditation: A Literature Review, Demetri P. Kannelakos / Jerome S. Lucas, 1974, p. xi. ISBN:0-8053-5205-8 This book reviews scientific research in the field of meditation, especially Transcendental Meditation, work that was available up to January 1974.
On the „algorhythmic‟ stance in „meditation‟. As for me and the way I view things I do think that any approach to yogic practice that involves the „algorhythmic‟ stance to the full, that harnesses the „algorhythmic‟ process most effectively, ought to fall into the type of categorization described as „automatic self-transcending‟ (at least as goes for meditative practice [discussed in the paper wherefrom the abstract is quoted herein on the former page]). But the „algorhythmic‟ characteristic may also, of course, be applied dynamically to all the other aspects of yoga, thus bringing the structurality of „transcendence‟ into all the fields of yoga.
The references below refer to the paper just mentioned on different characterizations as to processes in meditation practices. States of Consciousness Beyond Waking, Dreaming and Sleeping: Perspectives from Research on Meditation Experiences A collection of papers edited by Dean Cvetkovic & Irena Cosic; includes the paper by Frederic Travis. (Page, 223.) http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-642-18047-7_10#page-1
A Pdf of the book is available via Neuroscience Library https://www.facebook.com/pages/NeuroscienceLibraryBiblioth%C3%A8que-des-Neurosciences/203745536347153
ISBN 978-3-642-18046-0; Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011.
30
THE HEURISTIC * From the Greek: heuriskein, to find.
Heuristically speaking ... The ancient symbolism of an eightfold branching structure springing from its roots in the human consciousness, as seen in the Mohenjo-daro seal, may be regarded as
an early prototype of the metaphor of The Tree of Life * which finds its expression in the philosophy and practice of the yogic stance, by the effective application of the yogic paradigm of rest and activity. Applied algorhythmy of yogic method brings the dynamic of deep wakeful rest into the field of activity to thus stabilize its ever rising and falling and rising and falling flows. Prototype
* Heuristic: A speculative formulation serving as a guide in the investigation or solution of a problem. http://issuu.com/albatross/
IX
Juri Aidas
32
Who knows the truth? Who here will pronounce it / Whence this birth, whence this creation? The Gods appeared afterward, with the creation of this. / Who then knows whence it arose? Rig Veda X. 129.6 – ca. 3-rd millennium B.C. – R. T. H. Griffith
Mandala Unknown artist , 1975, Dharamsala, 56 x 67 cm.
X http://issuu.com/albatross/
The Mandala on the other side of this page was purchased by me over the counter, so to say, in New Delhi, India in 1981. I was attending a yoga course and one day as I had a few hours to spare I went out on town and had walked into a smallish art store, well it had two floors, city-center along the Connaught Circus. and I took my time looking around. The shop was specialized in iconic works of both Indian and Tibetan culture. There were a lot of Mandalas of different kinds about but I was obviously looking for something else, so I dared pose the question, in the hope that the manager would kindly concede to share some treasure or two. Well, I did, in utmost diplomatic fashion, ask if there might not be some more alluring works abouts and if thus please to show me a selection. I had already told him that I was an attendeĂŠ at a local yoga course and ... so, well, having looked me over for a few moments he turned around and opened a cupboard and took out the mandala which I have reproduced. I did end up buying the beaut off the nice manager for an, I guess, agreeable price for both. When we had us a little talk after the deal he told me that the painting in question was painted by a Tibetan monk from Dharamsala, India, possibly in 1975. The info from the back of the painting is reproduced here below. Juri Aidas
Markings found on back of Mandala.
34
YOGA CLOSES IN WITH THE DEEP –
AND
ENHANCES ALL EXISTENCE, INTELLIGENCE, AND BLISS –
The recursive algorhythmy of Yogic process offers cognition as such the opportunity to meld with The Deep of inner quiet with no disturbance effected on the surface transversal thereof, i. e. the identity generating cognitive „mind‟ (of blissful qualia). Thus by going beyond even the outer one strengthens the shell of existential well-being that surrounds the innermost, the serene inner depth.
Yoga creates well-being. Our inner nature attracts the relaxed mind.
The Nature of the Mind: Existence, Intelligence & Joy. As perceived from a nominally phenomenological middle ground.
• The yogic dive into The Deep comes about naturally, spontaneously and effortlessly.
RECLINING YOGI Magnus Malmsten – India Ink on Paper http://issuu.com/albatross/
XI
Juri Aidas
36
Established in Yoga Perform Action. Bhagavad-Gita: 2.48
SENTINEL India Ink on Paper
Magnus Malmsten
http://www.magnusmalmsten.se/
XII
http://issuu.com/albatross/
38
Algorhythmy
Pikeboros
Algorhythmy
T
he word „algorhythmy‟, as derived from the methodic of experience provided by deep yoga, is supposed to reflect the idea of a skillfully applied tool for to establish an elegantly honed rhythmic continuity to the processes of interaction between rest and activity, the two cornerstones to life, to cause a qualitative enhancement of those natural dynamics, to bring forth their essence, to unite them. My wish, in all this, is to present a rational conceptual ground stable enough to explain the subtle process of recursivity embedded in the method of yoga, a process for to put „gain‟ into natures great pendulum swings between the two extremes: rest and activity.
39
ELEVATOR
A
s one practices the „algorhythmy‟ of the yoga of meditation a mantra is used for to slightly‟ distract‟ the natural flow of thinking. what happens is that as the mantra is used effortlessly (which means it is not concentrated upon but only, like, added to the thought flow) it distracts whatever thinking‟s we do from their goals, the momentum of thought fades. Thinking falls away as the yoga (yoga, because meditation is one of the eight aspects of yoga) is practiced and so also does the meditation technique; that leaves the mind in a non-active, restful state yet awake. The slight impulse that is generated as a mantra is used is the stimulus that, in the final end, is what keeps cognition alert even though no ideational activity is taking place. So, it is a wakeful alertness one experiences in deep meditation during the process of yoga. This is refreshing to both mind and body – and, of course, anxieties fall away. Body and mind become coordinated which gives rise to a more natural flow of action. Yoga is not navelgazing, it rather brings about a restful state and prepares the practitioner for activity. The essence of Yoga is its effortlessness. Yoga is a recursive process though if analyzed intellectually (a recursive algorhythmy it is). Yet no analysis is necessary for practice as such, but after a while of practice curiosity does set in, "What is this good thing that is happening to me?”, “Why does it work?", “What am I doing?”. Yoga practitioners do ask about these things. So, explanations are being provided and all the teacher would ask is that these structural and dynamic tools for a furthering of an „understanding‟ of the mechanism and relevance of the method of yoga, yes, all the teacher would ask is that these „regular tools‟ be put aside during practice, during the process as such of establishing a state of restful alertness in the individual. The Maharishi often said that understanding and experience go hand in hand. Maharishis commentary to the Indian classic “The Bhagavad-Gita” is well worth the read. In the practice of the seventh aspect of yoga, meditation (in my parlance the eight aspects of yoga are: attitude, behaviour, posture, breath, withdrawal, focusing, meditation and „The Deep‟, something ineffable [unconceptulizable]'), in the practice of meditation we utilize what The Maharishi dubbed 'the natural tendency of the mind'. This 'tendency' is the natural flow of the mind to seek out that which is a pleasure, a delight, a wonder (O, that Sense of Wonder), the tranquil, the serene, the rejuvenating, and in terms of the „inner‟, a good feeling. If, when one is in the flow of meditation, thoughts are allowed to not interfere, to not be brought to their conclusions, their rhythms ebbed (they come and go), their breath as if suspended into a single note, not focused upon, not egged on, not brought to action, slightly distracted, well then the mind takes the deep dive, the ego holds back, the impulse to express all and everything settles, cognition becomes still:
"Yoga is the settling of the mind into silence."
40
ALGORHYTHMY – THE WALK OF LIFE –
1.
In my view yoga represents a qualitative interaction between rest and activity.
2.
Yoga defines a paradigm: rest & activity.
3.
(One could say, in short, that a paradigm defines the consensual view on states and things.)
4.
Yoga, as method, establishes a rhythm, effortlessly, naturally in the relationship of rest and activity.
5.
This rhythm suffuses all nature’s rhythms.
6.
When Yoga is applied as method I call this algorhythmy.
7.
Here ’algorhythm’ is viewed as analogous to algorithm, implying a process that is repeated.
8.
Continuity in a process of interaction of rest and activity, algorhythmy, creates and channels a dynamic unto all.
9.
I gather resources when I rest and when I act a relevance to what I do is revealed.
10.
In terms of rest and activity algorhythmy is a dynamic.
11.
It is a process that links the extremes of life, that is, rest and activity.
12.
(In this the process of algorhythmy is recursive, it returns unto its root.)
13.
When rest and activity meld together a balance between them is created.
14.
Yoga effectively enhances the interaction between rest and activity.
15.
In rest is the ground of all activity, in activity resides a potential for rest.
16.
The performer of an algorhythmy lands on both feet and bounds easily across mountains.
Juri Aidas 29 April 2010
Juri Aidas 41
YOGA – THE PRACTICE:
A
COMPLETE YOGA SESSION
concerns itself with all
of its eight aspects:
I.
Attitude – a willingness to learn, practice and discuss the subject. II. Behaviour – as regards the practice itself, not as an ideological determinant. III. Posture – the body. The physical yoga is termed ‗hatha-yoga‘ wherein one practices postures, asanas; these make the body supple and smooth, but they do not ‗train‘ strength, there's no weight-lifting going on in this, one but checks the functionality of the body and establishes a balance to movement and, yes, posture. IV. Breath – breathing. Breath should flow naturally; it goes out, it goes in, and in the extremes of that flow it rests, it turns around by itself (trust the autonomy of the physical system to take care of that). Also, when one is stressed it's harder to breathe, breath becomes irregular, it jerks back an' forth, jumps hither and thither and destabilizes the system even more; in the yoga one goes for the natural flow of it which means allowing the inbreath and the outbreath to find their still fulcrums where the flow turns around naturally ... there's really no need to count seconds this, seconds that (seconds of what?), one takes conscious control of the breathing for a little while and guides it into a natural flow, this will calm the mind somewhat and set the stage for the next aspect of the recursive algorhythmy of the yogic process.
V.
Withdrawal – or say ‘absorption‟. In this the mind starts its settling down and leaves the objects of the senses to their fates, to their causal reverberations, which will fade as the yogic process deepens ... a simile for this is a turtle that withdraws its limbs (where'd they go?), this state of absorption is recognized in the almost universal experience of being engrossed in a book and someone speaks and we do not take note but yet a moment later we may be somewhat bewildered and befuddled as to what was said; in the recognition of that initial absortption, or withdrawal, the yogic process induces a spark of activity, a slight, effortless focusing.
As said ...
Yoga is the settling of the mind into silence. Established in Yoga, Perform Action. 42
All the aspects of yoga do have their different schools and approaches with different emphases, yet their roots are the same though – Vedic.
PREPARATION – NOT TRAINING VI.
Focusing – this dynamic, the introduction of a mantra (see p. 44), very subtly alerts the mind as it drifts; an unhurried effortless slight attention; a spark that algorhythmically applied over time will distract the minds ideational choice-making movements and lead it to the non-participation in any further activity, the mind will start to settle down; and that is meditation. VII. Meditation – as the mantra fades a natural inwards falling occurs, away from the field of activity, into The Deep. The induced alertness remains as the mantra fades. VIII. The Deep – inner quiet (at times conceptualized as pure consciousness, but I won't an' I shan't stick my finger into that nest of epistemological labelingdiversity, so, for unitys sake I but term it 'The Deep'). Therein, in The Deep one rests deeply, yet with consciousness retained alertness remains. In this one does not 'do' anything, that's why one cannot put ones finger on that utmost of subjective experiences (though it has it's physical correlates). To, figuratively, put ones finger into the inner experience would be an activity and thus contradict the experience. We but close in on that depth and just as we may sense the sea even before we see it we head towards it effortlessly drawn by a growing deep serenity and restful peace to engulf us as we dive.*
It is our approach to the methods of Yoga that decides if what we practice is Yoga or not. Certain movements in Hatha-yoga are simple, others are somewhat more complicated, specialized.
Not Training The purpose of the physical Yoga is the creastion of suppleness and stability of the body and in that to support the final plunge into The Deep via the algorhythmic process of meditation, dhyana.
Screw-of-some-kind’a-position Enough is enough. Don’t overdo it.
* See page 46 for an explanation on how in yogic practice one most effectively surfaces out again from the depths of The Deep.
Lotus-position Not to be forced. Beware the meniscus.
If specific circumstances, or any complications, are at hand: consult professional competence before any program is attempted. At pregnancy, for example, one does not roll around in just any fashion, and acute or chronic troubles need attention.
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Another-kind’a-screw-position Individual adjustments should be allowed for. Magnus Malmsten: ‘Yogis’ – India Ink on Paper
MEDITATION AS PROCESS And now a look at meditation in the technical sense of process, in the philosophy as well as in the practical application of yoga. The characteristic of the idea of meditation as looked upon from a yogic perspectve differs some from the generally held everyday meaning of meditation as inner contem-plative thought. In yoga the practice of meditation rounds off the dive into The Deep that has been going on all the while as the yogi attunes oneself, prepares oneself for the deep dive. The preparatory stages of yogic practice all flow seamlessly into the vortex of ongoing inner entaglement that confronts the mind as everything goes quiet, as one finally sits down for the completory stages of the wholity of yogic progress and finally touches down (without really touching the still surface yet a merge occurs).
HERON
India Ink on Paper
Magnus Malmsten 44
MEDITATION IN YOGA
O
n page 27, poster VII herein, is a schemata, „The Algorhythmy of Inner Recursive Process in Yoga‟. This is a graphic rendering of the yogic process of meditation, „dhyana‟. Upon the platform of subjective inner cognizing of our inherent thinking process [of multiple narrative gravities that generate macroscopic ‗self‘-nodes of persona and personality, these emerge as if archetypical and then they gyrate about ] a natural meditative process, dhyana, is introduced. Unto the spontaneous process of thinking another process is added: an effortless minim of activity, a slight active impulse in the form of a word of no meaning or connotation. A word like that is named „mantra‟ and is effortlessly introduced to the cognitory works by a gentle handling of the mental thougt of that word-sound.
Effortlessly – approach & attitude! It is quite natural to cognize thinking, as it goes on most of the time, but usually a circumstance, a ponder, of what to do with the thoughts arises; in yoga one does not have to do anything with them. When awareness, during meditation, in yoga, comes to recognize that thoughts and activities occupy it a mantra is effortlessly added to the process of thinking, as if it were just any thought among other thoughts. The subtle activity (not its content – of which it has none) of this impulse slightly engages the mind, thereby mental dullness is countered as the process of thinking is distracted and our mind comes to deep rest. Flow and the Distraction – yet the Deepening Process Continues.
The undirected impulse of a mantra into the cognitory flow seemingly distracts the thinking process from its momentum and in that it subdues our desire for conceptual closure, for completing any thought that may arise, a defusing of the contextual arrow occurs, a fragmentation of intent comes about – and yet, the inner spark of awareness is upheld by „dhyana‟, the subtle turn ‗a the mind of this effortless practice.
A mantra, used on the level of thought stimulates awareness and alertness (by the act of its use), and this effortless use also acts, as said, as a distractive impulse on the process of thinking, fragmenting and thus diverting it; the ideational momentum of the thinking mind dissolves. Thinking relaxes; unfinished thoughts fade away, as will the mantra now and then. When both are gone only awareness remains.
Thoughts Flow.
Cognition is Upheld Along a Sublimity-gradient.
The process of thinking is autonomous and engenders multitudes of thought as if they were beautiful pearl on a string.
As the process of thinking becomes distracted, non-intent based, on account of the use of a mantra subtly breaking the flow of thoughts, thinking stops seeking a goal in action and leaves no more footprints in the mind.
In meditation (in ones application of the meditative process) there‘s just no point in putting a lid on top of thinking, it is difficult to force a stop, a total halt, to thinking (if not actually impossible at the surface level).
As the meditative process continues occasionally the mantra also is forgotten, and as thinking about anything whatever may be long gone, the mind is settled. There is a sense of graduality to the whole flow of
Instead a technique to effortlessly distract thought is brought into play; this results in a state of no activity at all. In the final end both thinking and process are left alone and both mind and body come to be at ease.
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MEDITATION AS PROCESS meditation as process, cognitively nonbound thoughts leave a supple afterglow of smooth ideational progress; yet even those creative sprouts are allowed, by the effortless nature of our approach, to retract into dormancy, and if the body is stable in its meditative posture the whole system relaxes.
thinking starts up a recursive ‗algorhythmic‘ process in the mind; thoughts fade away and as also occasionally the mantra is forgotten what remains (on empirical grounds) is a restful state of stillness, calm, a deep serenity, full of bliss. The use of a mantra in the process of meditation fragments the inherent active cause (whatever that may be) that motivates the thinking process as such.
In meditation nothing is supposed to happen, and as nothing happens – we rest. Mind & Body are Companions.
The meditative process is self-referential and is available across the whole vista of conscious experience as represented by the span-range of the meditative process and the systemic bliss it generates, thus it has a recursive nature that is channelled into algorhythmies by the yogic process.
When this deep settling occurs the mind (vitalized by the meditative process) attains a state of restful alertness and relaxes its subjective hold on the persona, it becomes calm, the ego dissolves. This causes the body to relax and rest as no impetus to activity remains.
No Assigned Content.
Yes. Occasionally the mantra is forgotten. If nothing else then happens (or does ‗not happen‘, so to say) then there you are, in deep quiet, and its accompanying serene calm does, in time, infuse every nook and cranny of our existential frame.
A mantra is not supposed to have any meaning or be the name of anything. It must be possible to forget a mantra while using it in the meditative process: therefore it is used in a natural manner, no effort is applied. The mantra is kept private, so that meaning and connotations do not to accrue to it and thus condition it (giving rise and drive to new trains of thought), enabling us in this to occasionally forget it. Thus it is used in a natural way, without effort, effortlessly, more in the way of ‗a letting go of‘ than of ‗the picking up of something‘; in this process of meditation, dhyana, one does not apply monotonous or tiring repetition, just an easy adding of the mantra into the thought-flow, and thats it.
Deep, Alert Rest. Deeper than deep sleep Restful alertness. The cornerstone of the whole idea of yogic relevance. Allowal of a deep invigorating rest is a preparation for dynamic activity – is good in itself. Thoughts (and whatnot) Come an’ Go. Two processes surface as mind and body relax: the pure creative process itself opens up and a release of latent physical and mental debris occurs, some activity flares.
A Mantra. From Where?
When bound residues of activity are released this release causes further activity, tangling pure creative thought. The process of meditation defuses both flows.
For a mantra not to become conditioned by meanings (and in this thus become a vessel of contemplation and activity within the process of meditation) it ought to be obtained by personal instruction, preferably from a trusted source.
The Cycle Proceeds: Rest/Activity. The use of a mantra, on the level of
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MEDITATION IN YOGA In a way any word would do as everything we think loses its connotations after a while if it is not incorporated in some semantic syntax. I‘d say it be easier not to pick some word that might have an for us unwanted resonance of inherent meaning, and as one would be wont to use that impulse of a word/sound over time something unique from a trusted source would be preferable. Well, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi himself in his very first public lecture said that any word will do – then he says the word ‗mike‘, says it quieter, and quieter, while tapping his microphone softly, softlier and soflier, and then very very softly.
cated affair. Word, verse, meaning all grow out of multiple mental patterns and appear in the minds aren, it is not possible to shut that process off except by a li‘l trick, one but distracts thought from its momentum. Thus a mantra is not supposed to become a part of language per se as in a semantic and syntactical sense. To use a word in action is to name something, a thing, a process, an abstraction, anything that happens. The spoken word aligns itself with whatever narrative surge that comes along and becomes a part of that, thus when it is connected with on the level of thinking it will have accrued a mountain of reference, this is just the opposite of what is necessary for a process of algorythmy to connect with the still centre of no intent.
If one would ever, say after a long lapse of daily yogic practice, have forgotten the mantra handed over personally, in private, by a trusted teacher, one can always come back and ask again. In the beginning stages of learning the practical method of meditation people occasionally forget their mantra but then, well, I just tell them again.
A Mantra is, Almost, a Silent Word. Yes, one does repeat a mantra, but, there‘s an algorythmy of method to that to consider. The process itself is more like now an‘ then adding the mantra into the roiling, mixed meleé of ideationality and then, now an‘ then to notice, at times, the languishing of the more directed impulses of cognitive thinking, or even of the more free flowing inner dynamic thought-spirals – as one releases one‘s hold on these events and as the mantra in itself flickers, somewhat vaguely even, in and out ‘tween the narrative gravities of the minds eye, then, in those moments when nothing happens and yet cognitivity remains, like a still flame in a windless room*, then we are absorbed into the transcendent of inner, in itself upheld by the real life dynamic of the darsana of yoga, the vision and philosophy of yoga – then deep inner peace is at hand.
What Does a Mantra Look Like? As we generally think in terms of word and phrase a short mantra, word-sound, would be preferable in the beginning stages of meditative practice, dhyana, as the mind then is full of expectation and very prone to go into analytic mode, the short word would distract and scatter the oncoming thought molecules quite effectively as they bump into eachother. Later, I‘d say, it‘d be wise to lengthen the mantra, the thought-impulse as, the natural rhythm of thinking comprises words, a phrase or two and also all the feelings that go along, we get qualia and whatever, thus the bumping along and the distracting of outwards-directed flow is more effectively managed with a slightly longer mantra.
... That is what this little book is really all about.
Basically, though, an impulse to distract the thinking process ought not be a compli-
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ON CHAPTER THREE OF THE YOGA-SUTRA
N
ow, for to finalize all these musings and meanderings on the yoga I find it necessary to add a few words on the third chapter of the Yoga-Sutra. This chapter, titled Vibhuti-Pada, is variously translated as: ―Chapter on Special Abilities‖ (Egenes), The Extraordinary Powers‖ (Hartranft), ―Expansion‖ (Shearer), ―Perfect Discipline and Extraordinary Powers‖ (Stoler-Miller), ―The Supernormal Powers‖ (Feuerstein), to name a few.
1865, realized the ring-structure of the carbon molecules of life; Kekulé said that he had discovered the ring shape of the benzene molecule after having a reverie or day-dream of a snake seizing its own tail, the mythological Ouroboros [thus ‘Pikeboros]‘). What I wish to emphasize is the fact that our potential for creativity is vast indeed and that inner understandings have their causal dynamic manifestations. One dynamic resonates with the other, inner with outer. What we experience within may be realizable in some way though in all that it is the limits of natural law that restrict fantasy to reality; flying is possible though we need wings and an engine (bicycle powered flight was recently accomplished).
As is obvious some of the wordings here above bring with them strong allusions to the occult and in terms of yoga this is quite unfortunate as the algorhythmic approach of yoga is theistically neutral and does not require the supernatural in any way.
In the sidhi-program part of yogic practice (which, in a way, is optional as the basic mechanism of yogic application has already been taken care of in the actual yogic practice of meditation, as in the dive into The Deep, the process of transcending, going beyond activity. Once stillness is established for both mind and body and when there‘s been enough of deep rest ones attention begins turning outwards and that is when the process of the applying the sidhis performing of the perfections, comes into play and enhances the dynamic of coming out from The Deep.
This third chapter of the Yoga-Sutra lists many extraordinary abilities such as floating in the air, becoming invisible, gaining the utmost strength, knowing the motion of the universe, etc. To me this is but a fancy way of speaking of the potentialities of nature as viewed from the inner field, so to say, seen as the minds innate striving to overcome the limits of natures laws, it stands as a projection of potentiality and its eventual fulfilment of (as in, e.g., to actually understand aerodynamics and thus being able to put that understanding to use in sailing the airwaves). You know, from the point of view of the mind alone there is nothing else, in the deep field there is no manifestation. When manifestation and dynamic come about they are examples of that force that holds even the mind in its sway though the mind may soar those limits in fancy and fantasy (that actually, at times, have their counterparts in the free form structural thinking that goes on in the creative process, as in art & science – yes sometimes the deep dreams give rise to practical application as with the understanding of organic chemistry when August Kekulé,
The importance of the sidhis is easy too miss as all focus so far has been on establishing the connection to, or say, the energizing factor in the yoga, of proximity with The Deep, that is, an establihing of the settled mind. As one comes out of The Deep, having been carried to close proximity with that after transcendence in the meditation process, one will gradually experience more and more of the world as the main motive in ones life slips back into dynamic outer-directed focus; one starts listening, notices the play of light on the
48
THE PERFECTIONS, A.K.A THE SIDHIS eyelids, moves a muscle or two, an arm, rolls ones head, stretches a leg a little perchance, and so forth – and as per the intructions on the yogic process of meditation one breaks the inner silence gradually, allowing for a few moments of pause before again gradually engaging in the activities of the world; there has been a spontaneous flow of attention from the inner towards the outer and whatever catches the attention in those precious moments may influence the further direction the mind takes, therefore some buffer-zone needs to be created for the most effective way and means of transporting oneself from the utmost proximity of The Deep, or even from within its deepest depths towards and into the machinations of the world, towards the existential demands, towards the utter extreme of lifes hold on us. Inner impulses, mediated via the sidhis, easily find their natural course (and no need for any ontology of the mystic, one but treats the sidhis as one has treated the mantra, but sequentially with longer duration ‘tween each and but a few repeats).
taught one applies the sutras one by one, a couple of times each, with a slight time lag ‘tween them, one just stretches the pause a bit, maybe even up to ten seconds (but there‘s no need mark time); one is at this moment, in the habit of transcending off of the mantra that has been applyied during the invard dive of meditation and will just as easily slip off the sutra and return back to The Deep, in ever and ever videning rings of the algorhythmic dynamic as one prepares onself for the demands of life and living. So, there finally comes about the phenomena that one is ready as if to fly into activity, so to say (on the mental level this is literal [as in comic books when then characters do not touch the ground as the action happens]). One climbs up towards activity riding the sutras and one has dived deep from the height of the fancy of interpolation offered up by the connotative power of slipping in an ideational word into the thought flow to generate momentum for itself. In the final end as one applies the sutra of distinction ‘tween akasha, void-space, and the body and spicing that up with the lightness of a feathered fiber from the opened sheath it came from, then one really does feel ‗springy‘ and light, almost as if one could fly off ones perch (or whatever one rests upon), almost bouncing with eagerness, soaring out into activity.
As one drifts back from the inner towards surface activity, ideational choicemaking will matter and can now, via the sidhis, be put to use in ones going about with the inner to outer traverse in an algorhythmic manner. As just noted a recurring pulsation of a spectrum of impulses is set in motion, an ideational momentum of moment to moment activation of the broadspectrum pattern of activity contained in the sequence of perfections Patanjali offers up with the sutras, in the short mnemnonic verses of this 3rd chapter of the Yoga-Sutra.
Dah! One last pointer. The whole yogic session, even in this outgoing phase I‘m discussing, is based on algorhythmic dynamics, one rests, then one is active, rest & and activity, rest & and activity, on and on. Thus, to end the yogic session, just as one is ready to burst into activity one stops for a few minutes, lies down (if possible), and just flows in the relaxed moment.
If the sutras are considered as a spectrum of impulses that in an algorhythmic way gradually alert us to our surroundings and the needs present and prevalent there then there ought ti exist a methodic to the utilization of them. As Maharishi Mahesh
Then, time to act.
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Coda Who is Yoga Cat? Yoga Cat / (Another) Albatross / Juri Aidas I have had the pleasure of teaching yoga since 1971 when Maharishi Mahesh Yogi accepted me as a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation methodic that offers up a deep restful alertness and the sense of wonder to the preactitioner. Later, particularly- in 1975-76 and at other courses, I had the opportunity to hear the great yogi discuss the yoga-sutra of Patanjali in greater detail. At my teacher training course in Majorca in the Winter of 1970/71 I did ask Maharishi whether a tree metaphor would be of use in the analyzing of the mechanisms of yoga (this was during a discussion of the sequence of the eight aspects and the turning around of the ladder metaphor of yoga – thus making the deep field, samadhi, easily accessible even for the beginner of the practice of yoga). At that time though as an answer to my question Maharishi sidelined this one gracefully by alluding to possibile confusion with the same-same metaphor as applied to schools of yoga. That is a possibility, true, but I had at that time not yet formed the idea of seeing „the deep‟, samadhi, at the root of the resulting tree metaphor and finding meditative process, dhyana, at the crown of the tree. In this metaphor it is obvious that all the aspects of yoga are interconnected and of great assistance to the student of yoga as practice progresses. The recursive algorhythmie of process in yoga, I have later realized, is a basic for all the dynamics of development, as become apparent as one advances with ones understanding and application of yoga. Understanding and Experience travel hand in hand, they go together in „algorhythmies‟ of rest and activity.
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Finis
In the year of 2005 Maharishi Mahesh Yogi deconstructed and then reconstructed his movement to teach the Transcendental Meditation programme (TM). This was accomplished by revoking the old arrangement for all teachers and then have all teachers attend a re-certifying course. Well I do understand that wings an‟ things do have to be modernized now an‟ then, yet for me personally though the cost of that required course and also my general circumstances at the time were not auspicious for my participating in the venture. Then in 2008 the Maharishi passed away (R.I.P.). These two things taken together have effectively freed me from the policies of the TM-movement, a fact that now allows me to take the liberty to angle my meme-work more freely. Nowadays, with 42 years as a practicing teacher of the „algorhythmy‟ of yoga in my back-pack teaching meditation and yoga in general to a varied audience I do feel I have relevant experience to share and that I do have something to say on the subject. I thus regard these hariolatory writings of mine on the philosophy of yoga as being continuations and modernizings of some of the concepts and themes of yoga. It is my sincere hope that these musings of mine on yogic philosophy may be of use to my students over the yeares, and also to anyone else interested in the subject.
Juri Aidas Who is Magnus Malmsten, the graphics artist? Magnus is a very good friend of mine, he is a long-time teacher of the yoga and is also an accredited artist of The Royal Academy of Arts of Stockholm, Sweden. http://www.magnusmalmsten.se/
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Tinker ―Ah, Relaxed I Am! . Thus I Am!”
T
his Yoga Cat, of many names and colours, the authour of this short work, this tiny speckled collation of ideas on the yoga, has been at it for ages now, it seems. I started up with the yoga in 1969 and by 1971 I was already teaching it. I was fortunate to teach often and quite regularly in the heyday of the movement organized by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for to teach the full extent of yoga. The ‘algorhythmy’ (I’d say); as Maharishis methodology of Transcendental Meditation as a vector for entering the deep field of yoga may, in my view, clearly be thought of as an ‘algorhythmy’. That era, 3rd quarter of the 20 century, was, as goes for the ideas on yoga propounded by the Maharishi, characterized by an enormous influx of students as his organization grew (many, like me, took up the yoga as consequence of The Beatles friendship with the Maharisi and their great influence in popularizing the ideas of The Maharishi) and in those days I, as said, had the privilege to teach. I still do but nowadays mostly by endeavouring to create conceptual forms and graphic structures with which to convey the main principles of the philosophy of yoga, the vision of yoga, the darśana that is yoga. th
Juri Aidas
Fundamentals of Yoga 12 Lay-outs on the Yoga
ATHA! – NOW!
Bright Light Juri Aidas: Oil on Canvas, 41 x 41 cm.
AN ANOTHER ALBATROSS PRODUCTION JURI AIDAS Fronticepiece quote, “The Future is Bright!”, last words, attributed to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. 20 June 2014
http://issuu.com/albatross/
AAAP 59 B:B3 – Issuu 5