Isvara as Om and why we should tune our focus with concentration on form
27. तस्य वाचक् प्रिव् ॥ २७॥
tasya vachakah prannavah
“His manifesting word is Om” or “He is designated by the mystical syllable Om.”
Brahman is also known as the sonal or sound wave vibration of Om. Brahman know as the Absolute Truth or that which permeates all in the earthly world as Om. Brahman who is poetically spoken of, revered and honoured in the Upanishads and later in the Brahmin Sutras becomes a thread toward Advaita Vedanta, Non dual, the path of Union through the realisation of non-duality.
So how does Isvara become Brahman? As with the Puranas and Bhagavad Gita we are given the conceptual Brahman into the personal Isvara. Personal meaning relatable or relationship, why would this be other than to give something with that relationship that may not happen through concepts alone.
Patanjali is saying that through this meditation on Om we see or know God Isvara. As the fire gives off heat Isvara moves as Om. Therefore to feel the heat is to find the fire.
However it is potent as in is has potential not a theory, an action of something to experience. And to understand how experience is manifest, subtle from spaces and places we may not have already known. Inward into your experience through the repetition of practice. The power of Om is to be first practiced, then felt, then known.
28. तज्जऩस्तदथब य ावनभ ॥् २८॥
tajjapastadarthabhavanam
“The repetition of this (Om) and meditating on its meaning (is the way).”
Inhale, exhale Om. 1008 times or 108 or 12. 3 being the root of sacred numbers. Hence seeing a triangle repeated in Hinduism and Yantras.
Visualise or imagine the symbol Om in the space between the eyebrows. Feel the vibrations in and around you. Sit in silence afterwards and absorb the reverberations.
29. तत् प्रत्यक्चे तनाणधगभोऽप्यन्तयामाबावि ॥ २९॥
tatah pratyakchetanadhigamopyantarayabhavashch
“From that is gain (the knowledge of) introspection, and the destruction of obstacles.”
The first manifestation of this repetition and thinking of Om will be that the introspective power will be manifested more and more, and all the mental and physical obstacles will begin to vanish.
This is a small but mighty sutra!
Are we beginning again hear to see the connection between neurological, subtle body and quantum fields through the vibration and intention of sounding the Syllable Om?
With introspection and connection to Om comes the destruction of obstacles? Why do you think this is? What is being destroyed and what is gained?
When we realise that we are greater than the eternal matter and our physical bodies we connect deeper with consciousness we begin to become free from disturbances and fluctuations that distract us from the reality of who we are. As we know more of who we are we are able to see more clearly and act from a position of clarity. When we act from a position of inner clarity we are at ease, there are no obstacles.
3 0 . व्य ा ण ध स्त्य ा न स शं म प्र भ ा द ा र स्य ा ण व य ण त भ्र ा ण न्त द श नय ा र ब्ध ब ण ू भ क - त्वानवणस्थतत्वाणन णचत्तणवऺऩे ास्तऽे न्तयामा् ॥ ३०॥
vyadhistyanasanshayapramadalasyaviratibhrantidar shanalabdhabhoomikatvanavasthitatvani chittavikshepastentarayah
”Disease, mental laziness, doubt, calmness, cessation, false perception, non-attaining concentration, and falling away from the state when obtained, are the obstructing distractions.”
Life is a spiral we see it all around us in nature and the movement of the mind, experience and perceptions and knowledge is also a spiral. We see the same things again and again and again. We attach and are distracted by the same things again and again, yet the are often different to what others see and experience.
Falling away is part of the spiral of understanding of a greater Self. The same lessons come up but as our attention and detachment to perceptions is slowly being destroyed and with that destruction of the unreal so falls away the distractions - doubt, disease, laziness as we touch, connect with, come closer to reality the unreal can no longer be grasped, seen. Hence “falling away” not pushed away - pushed away would suggest its realness.
31. दु्खदौभनय स्याङ्गभजे मत्वश्वासप्रश्वासा णवऺऩे सहबवु ् ॥ ३१॥
duhkhadaurmanasyanggamejayatvashvasaprashvaa vikshepasahabhuvah
“Grief, mental distress, tremor of the body and irregular breathing, accompany non-retention of concentration.”
Concentration will bring perfect repose to mind and body every time it is practised. When the practice has been misdirected, or not enough controlled, these disturbances come. Repetition of Om and self-surrender to the Isvara or God or Lord will strengthen the mind, and bring fresh energy. The nervous shakings will come to almost everyone. Do not mind them at all, but keep on practising. Practice will cure them, and make the seat firm.
Suffering comes from ourselves, from our body / mind, other entities and the world. As we breathe we begin to witness these. Continue despite these symptoms and disturbances. It is not unusual but rather part of the practice.
32. तत्प्रणतषधे ाथभय ए् कतत्त्वाभ्यास् ॥ ३२॥
tatpratishedhartham ekatattvabhyasah
“To remedy this practice of one subject (should be made).”
Patanjali concludes this by summarising that One subject or object should be made. With emphasis on the intention, meaning to be devotional. This is the way to achieve union and removal of obstacles on the way via Isvara, God.
This is the devotional path of Isavara. So, in the following aphorisms ( a concise statement) it will be expanded and particularised. As one practice cannot suit everyone, various methods will be advanced, and everyone (by actual experience) will find out that which helps him most. Trust your own path.
3 3 . भ त्रै ी क रु ि ा भ ण ु द त ो ऩ ऺे ि ा ं स खु दु ् ख ऩ ण्ु म ा ऩ ण्ु म ण व ष म ा ि ा ं बावनातणित्तप्रसादनभ ॥् ३३॥
maitreekarunamuditopekshanan sukhaduhkhapunyapunyavishayanan bhavanatashchittaprasadanam
Friendship, mercy, gladness, indifference (to those who of not virtuous), being thought of in regard to subjects, happy, unhappy, good and evil respectively (see the world as it is), pacify or still the Citta (mind).
It’s common sense that if we allow others to bother us it will effect our practice. Patanjali asks more of us, to connect with those joyful feeling of maybe childhood when life has not caused us to harden in our hearts.
Mercy towards those in misery; when people are happy we ought to be happy, and to the wicked we must be indifferent. These attitudes of the mind towards the different people we meet will make the mind peaceful.
Most of our difficulties in our daily lives come from being unable to hold our minds in this way. If we desire to react against another who is harmful or lacking virtue, we lose our power, even if only a thought.
If we can control the mind and catch it, it will be to our favour on the mind. We are gaining infinitely more than we could comprehend. Each time we turn away from hatred, or a feeling of anger, we receive much good energy stored up in our favour; that piece of energy will be converting into the higher powers.
So I want to talk about spiritual bypassing here. We are not being asked to pretend all people and circumstances are good, we are being asked specifically to work on ourselves and not let it affect our peace of mind. This may take time, however we are being told under no uncertain terms that the damage is to ourselves not to the other.
“We respond once, not react, not convince and then leave it as it is.” Sri Manishanandaji 1008
34. प्रच्छदनय णवधायिाभ्यां वा प्रािस्य ॥ ३४॥
prachchhardanavidharanabhyan va prannasya
By throwing out and restraining the Breath.
The Yogi’s body changes; it is not the same body that you had before the practice. That is very rational, and can be explained, because every new thought that we have must make, as it were, a new channel through the brain, and that explains the tremendous conservatism of ‘human nature’. The mind likes to run through the same ruts that are already there, because it is easy. If there were no grey matter (brain and mind) there would be no memory, because memory means going over these old channels.
It is the mind or how the brain works (not the people) who refuse unconsciously to act upon new ideas. The brain resists. The Prana can always make new channels, but the brain will can be strong.
The more thoughtful and open the mind or brain, the more complicated the more easily it will take to new ideas, and understand them. So with every fresh idea; we make a new impression in the brain, That is why we find that in the practice of Yoga (it being an entirely new set of thoughts and motives) there is much physical resistance at first Eg “I cannot meditate”. Remember it is only the Infinite Existence projected into the plane of consciousness. A little of the Infinite is projected into consciousness, and that is what we call ‘our world’. So there is an Infinite beyond. We must deal with both. We must deal with the Infinite beyond (consciousness), which comes entirely new to us, and getting ideas about it produces new channels in the brain, disturbing the whole system - causing irritation, and that is why you find in the practice of Yoga ordinary people are at first confused or unsettled.
Therefore with these methods written by Patanjali, we should practice what is best suited to us.
Applied Practices
Truth {Direct evidence from those who lead the way}
The description of Brahman: "Not this, not this" (Neti, Neti); for there is no other and more appropriate description than this "Not this." Now the designation of Brahman: "The Truth of truth." The vital breath is truth and It (Brahman) is the Truth of that. — Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
“He who sees all beings in his Self and his Self in all beings, he never suffers; because when he sees all creatures within his true Self, then jealousy, grief and hatred vanish.”
― Paramananda Upanishad
“Meditation here is not reflection or any other kind of discursive thinking. It is pure concentration: training the mind to dwell on an interior focus without wandering, until it becomes absorbed in the object of its contemplation. But absorption does not mean unconsciousness. The outside world may be forgotten, but meditation is a state of intense inner wakefulness.”
Inference {Logic / Reasoning}
What would you consider to be the result of focus on an apparent divinity that permeates all at is absolute, that could be considered before the world?
What is you are part of that which is the Absolute?
Experience {Practice}
Inhale Om into the heart space
Exhale Om at the space between the eyebrows.
Visualise Om and sit in it’s resonance.
Let’s Discuss
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