Anyone who has tried meditation knows that it’s not easy to either stop or control your thoughts. According to Yoga Sutras thoughts arise from “Samskaras” or “Latent Impressions” in the mind. The modern way to say this is that thoughts arise from the “wiring of the brain” or neural connections. But how does the “wiring of the brain” arise? The answer is that thoughts themselves modify the brain’s wiring. New connections are forged by thoughts and ideas. There is nothing unusual about this notion. We routinely talk to others in the hope of influencing them. A new thought can rewire the brain and subsequently change behavior. Modern psychology, advertisement, and education are based on this notion.
So we have a closed loop system: Thoughts arise from the wiring of the brain and in turn influence and modify the wiring of the brain. It is apparent that this closed loop system is self-perpetuating and has potential to continue ad-infinitum. Our actions in the past are the cause of thoughts and feelings in the present that then give rise to new actions that then influence the way we think and behave in the future.
The past casts its shadow on the present and our actions in the present shape the future. So how do we unshackle from the past? How do we break this cycle? Are we doomed to being shackled to this endless chain of cause and effect?
It is the contention of Yoga that this cycle can indeed be broken. The entire treatise by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras is based on this idea. The “Eight Limbs of Yoga” in the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali are a means of breaking free from the endless chain of cause and effect.
Bear in mind Yoga is a process that unfolds gradually. It is a process of slowly modulating the effect of the past on our lives and charting out a new direction free from its influence. Think of the eight limbs of Yoga as something that create a positive spiral in our life that slowly lifts us out and frees us from the clutches of the past. Doing the asana practice is vital but it is only one of the eight limbs. To unshackle from the past one has to practice all eight limbs simultaneously.
The ego is also one artifact arising from our actions in the past. As the effect of the past subsides so does the ego. Consciousness then manifests itself clearly without the distortions of the ego-mind. Instead of our ego driven concerns our lives are governed by love and compassion. The break from the past is not running away from difficulties. It is moving away from selfishness, anger, and bitterness and moving towards love instead. As the role of ego diminishes and our journey into yoga deepens we can break free from our destructive patterns of thoughts that trap us and hold us down.
If Yoga is taken to its logical conclusion, a state of “Samadhi” is eventually achieved. Neural connections are now so re-wired so as to create no new connections that cause distortions in Consciousness. Free will is now fully synchronized with Divine Will. Our lives are fully spiritualized. We are completely free once more.
Related: A Tale Of Two Destinies
Credits:This has been written by Raj Shah and edited by Ketna Shah.