Lesson 21: Online Education in Yoga by Sri Prashant Iyengar

Lesson about developing observation of sensory and sensely acts. Patyahara is defined and explained. 1.How do we see? Eg., a beautiful object and an unsightly object? How do we smell? Eg., single rose and rose garden? We use 5 senses and 5 organs for that. S̍abda spars̍a rupa rasa gandha: All these are food of different organs like ears, skin, eyes, tongue, nose. These 5 senses are called vis̍ayindriyas. As organs, they are gratifying organs. Epistimology calls cognitive organs(jñānindriyas). 2. What is it to take the senses in? Is that pratyāhāra? The organs don’t sense some taste sight or smell etc. on the inside. Rather, they get wisdom, because they become wisdom organs when they go inwards. Pratyahara-is a technical term. Prati-āhāra. Prati=opposite, a̍hara=food When the organs are not fed food for gratification, it becomes prati-āhāra. 3. Classification is given of: Āhāra , alpahāra, anāhāra, anyāhāra, atyāhara, upahāra, Food, eating less food, fasting, eating too much, eating what you are not to eat, munching something, 4. Pratyāhāra=food which is opposite of actual food (a yogic process of disengaging senses from their usual objects) and connecting inward for jñāna. Our body mind-breath have two channels to operate- 1. bhoga. (worldly experiences) 2. apavarga (spiritual channel) Pratyāhāra opens the spiritual channel. There is apavargārtha kriya Mind becomes the internal organ for all 5 senses (the charma chaks̍u). 5. For instance, relaxing the eyes is different in each different position. eg., s̍avāsana, vip dandāsana, s̍alabhāsana, trikoṇāsana etc. Must try it. Proposal is one: relax your eyes. however, in each different position, the process, effect, consequence will be different. 6. Hear from hind ears. Gossip and gospel are heard differently. Subjective entity makes the senses work differently. Address senses. Have applications of senses. How do ears work? They can be applied and be applying as well. Q. What about destiny in adhyātma? A. Destiny cannot be escaped. But for those in adhyātma, they won’t have to suffer. In spiritual process, you can get rewards and you can accumulate them. Can reserve them. But punishment cannot be refused or reserved. If a bad deed is committed, punishment is a certainty. However, saints can do such things. They have powers. Can take sufferance of others; their devotees.