Chapter III Concept and Efficacy of Mauna in Yoga
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Chapter III Concept and Efficacy of Mauna in Yoga Introduction The history of Yoga, like the history of any other subject which is ancient, is ridden at many places with gaps, uncertainties and ambiguities. In addition to the factor of antiquity, this can also be ascribed mainly to the fact of oral transmission of its sacred texts and the secretive nature of its teachings. The early writings on Yoga are said to berecorded on brittle, fragile and perishable palm leaves that were easily damaged, destroyed or lost. The development of Yoga can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago and some researchers do not hesitate to take Yoga 10,000 years back. The creation of Yogic texts happened hundreds of years after the prevalence of yogic practices. In fact, even Patañjali in the first sūtra of his Yoga Sūtras says, “Atha Yoga anuśāsanam”, meaning “Now the systematic exposition of the discipline of yoga”. But by prefixing ‘anu’ to ‘śāsanam’, he emphasizes that he is not the founder of Yoga but only the compiler of yogic knowledge. Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras are dated somewhere between 500 B.C. to 200 B.C. Yogic practices and yoga as suchexisted much before this time. The origin of Yoga can be traced to “Vedas” and the oldest Veda, Ṛgveda, has references to Yoga. There are references to Yoga in Vedas and Upaniṣads. Following them, there have arisen many texts which are exclusively devoted to Yoga. Yoga texts, however, are unique, as they are the recordings of teachings. For these ancient texts, it would be difficult to fix the exact time as historians differ on the dateswithreferencetothe authors of the texts. Yogic knowledge is the experiential of saints and sages. These experiences are translated into words and book form much later than the experiences. Initially they were conveyed and transmitted from generation to generation only orally. 160 Silence in Yoga can be said to be that Silence wherein the body, mind and all faculties work in coordination to such an extent that every particle moves in one rhythm. In this state everything works in harmony which includes one’s aspirations and ideals and there are no frictions. When all systems work in harmony, one tends to have a renewed interest in oneself. No one can study oneself successfully unless one has the power of concentration and coordination and this power cannot be achieved unless one comes to an attitude of silence. Silence which leads to efficiency is not a state of merely sitting idle and doing nothing. It is experienced only when the whole being is being unified and is flowing through one channel in perfect rhythm. There is perfect rhythm when the three Guṇas are in balance. The three Guṇas are Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Tamas creates dullness, heaviness, indiscrimination and depression. Rajas carries the thought to the opposite extreme of over-activity, noisy aggression, etc. True silence is possible only in this state. Sattva is positive silence and tamas is negative silence. A person overpowered by tamas may appear calm, but it is a very different condition from the serene stillness of sattva where all the faculties of the mind are widely awake and full of light. To achieve this higher form of silence one must cultivate it with steady yoga practice. This Chapter attempts to bring out the concept of Mauna or Silence as it appears, explicitly or implicitly, in Scriptures / Texts dealing with Yoga as also related scriptures which have a bearing on Yoga. The texts / scriptures considered are Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras, Haṭha Yoga Texts, Yoga Vaśiṣṭha, Bhagavad Gītā and Vedas and Upaniṣads (including Yoga Upaniṣads). The Chapter also attempts to view the efficacy of Mauna in reaching the final goal of Yoga. 1. Mauna or Silence in Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras (PYS) The PYS is also referred to as Yoga Darśana. It is the basic text of Yoga philosophy, which is one of the six orthodox or astika Indian Philosophies. These six philosophies are called as Shad Darśana.1 1 The Shad Darśana comprises of Mimamsa, Vedānta, Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Sāṅkhya and Yoga. 161 The PYS, considered as the Bible of Yoga Philosophy, may be said to represent one of the best examples of Sūtra work. A sūtra is said to essentially provide ‘maximum knowledge in minimum words”. It is very condensed, very precise and cryptic at that, containing very deep and thought-provoking meanings. Because it is condensed it is mnemonic (easy to memorize) and hence the best tool for transmission of knowledge when the tradition was oral and writing was not facilitated. In PYS, SagePatañjali has presented the science of yoga, in a most scientific manner, both from ancient (traditional) as well as modern scientific outlook. The Sūtras present not only the philosophy and science of yoga in a theoretical manner but also propound actual practice through which the goal of Yogai.e.Kaivalya is reached. Brief description of the PYS The PYS comprises of four Chapters called as Pādas. These are namely the SamādhiPāda (51 Sūtras), the SādhanāPāda (55 Sūtras), the VibhūtiPāda (55 Sūtras) and the Kaivalya Pāda (34 Sūtras). Thus there are totally 195 Sūtras in PYS. These Sūtras propound the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga or Yoga with eight limbs. These eight limbs are the Yama, Niyanma, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna and Samādhi. Though these eight are referred to as limbs, we can see the hierarchical nature of their arrangement wherein each aṅga leads to the next and higher aṅga culminating in Samādhi. (SabījaSamādhi → NirbījaSamādhi → DharmameghaSamādhi). The first Chapter i.e.Samādhi Pāda The Chapter, deals with the general nature of Yoga and its techniquesof controlling the mind. It is really meant to answer the question, ‘What is Yoga?’.Samādhinaturally occupies the most important position among the various topics dealt here as it is the essential / final goal of Yoga. This Chapter is therefore called SamādhiPāda. It gives, among other things, the definition of Yoga, the nature of human mind, the obstacles that come in the way of reaching the state of Yoga, means by which they can be over- come, the idea of Īśwara and surrender to Īśwara as one of the means, the practice of Praṇava japa, the Cittaprasādanatechniques, the Manasaḥsthitinibandhinī techniques, the different states of mind in its inward going process, etc. 162 The second Chapter i.e. Sādhanā Pāda As the Chapter name suggests the practices (sādhanā) are given importance. It deals with, to begin with, the philosophy of Kleśaand the technique of Kriya Yogaand is meant to provide an answer to the question ‘Why should people practice Yoga’. It gives a masterly analysis of the conditions of human life, the predicament of the human being and the misery and sufferings which are inherent in these conditions. The philosophy of Kleśa must be understood by all who are on the path of yoga with the resolute determination to persevere, life after life, until the goal of liberation, the freedom from bondage, the ultimate once for all removal of miseries and sufferings is reached. The SādhanāPāda further deals with the first five aṅgas or practices of AṣṭāṅgaYoga, which are referred to as Bahiraṅga yoga or external yoga. These practices are of a preparatory nature and are meant to make the Sādhaka fit for the practice of meditation leading to Samādhi. As this section is meant for the aspirant to be physically, mentally, emotionally and morally fit for the practice of higher yoga it is called SādhanāPāda. A significant and conspicuous part of SādhanāPādais the presentation of four concepts which are similar to the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. These are the “Heya”, the “Heya-hetu”, the “Hāna” and the “Hāna-Upāya”. ‘Heya’ refers to the duḥkha or sufferings which have not yet happened2 but are in the offing and which can be avoided. ‘Heya-hetu’ refers to the cause of this dukh or sufferings. ‘Hāna’ refers to the elimination or destruction of this cause. ‘Hāna – Upāya’ refers to the method of elimination or destruction of the Cause. Like the Four Noble Truths of Buddha begin with Duḥkha, Patañjali also states that from the point of view of aVivekinaḥ3 or a realized person, everything is painful in the empirical world. The reasons for this pain are given as “change”, “despair” and “saṃskāras” (which keep you bound infinitely in the chain of karma- saṃskāra-karma and consequently in birth-life-death-rebirth cycle) and the inevitable conflict of guṇas present in every experience of a human being, the 2Heyaṁduḥkhamanāgatam||PYS 2.16||हेयंद ुःखमनागतम्॥१६॥ The pain and misery that has yet to come can be avoided. 3 Pariṇāmatāpasaṁskāraduḥkhairguṇavṛttivirodhāccaduḥkhamevasarvaṁvivekinaḥ||PYS 2.15|| परिणामतापसंस्कािद ुःखैग ुणवृत्तित्तविोधाद ुःखमेवसवंत्तववेत्तिनुः॥२.१५॥On account of the misery caused through change, anguish and samskaras and also on account of the conflict between the guna and the vritti, all is pain and misery for an analytical and discriminatory person. 163 conflict between the guṇa -mix of the experiencer and the guṇa-mix of the object of experience which colours the citta of the experiencer. The heya-hetu or cause is given as “Saṃyoga”4or conjunction which is the wrong identification of Perceiver (Puruṣa) and the instruments of perception (i.e.of the Self and the mind i.e. Prakṛti).The cause of this wrong identificationis “Avidyā”5 which is “wrong knowledge” or “knowledge other than right knowledge”. The goal is “Kaivalyam” which is “Complete Freedom” or “Independence” of the Perceiver from the instruments of perception, which is achieved6 when “Avidyā” disappears. To achieve the goal of “Kaivalyam” and to become free from “duḥkham”, the means is unbroken Viveka-khyāti7 (enlightened discrimination between Puruṣa and Prakṛti) which is attained by the practice of “Aṣṭāṅga Yoga”8, the eight-limbed yoga consisting of “Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāraa, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna and Samādhi”.