Detachment (vairagaya)

[sadhak]

Hi Satinder,
It has been my experience, and have noted, the experience of many, that detachment or any other 'desirable' virtue does not come with wanting it there. If we had the power to change ourselves by sheer will, I'm sure there'd be countless saints walking the earth. Which is why what Shanti says, Jim seconds, and I third . The Yamas and Niyamas can arise naturally and painlessly from the other limbs of Yoga... purification at a deeper level through the spinal breathing and meditation. Other things that are forced act like a compressed spring... the more force you exert to press it down, the more it will spring up when released.

But yes, reminding ourselves of the need for detachment must keep us at it at some level. A yogi said that we have actually no choice in our lifetime other than being detached or attached to what's happening to us. I wonder how true that is.

[satinder kumar]

Hello Sadhak,
 

       As yogini said, 'first there should be desire'.Only then other things come into picture. That desire also involves devotion or bhakti. You can practice spinal breathing and other practices but if faith and devotion are lacking then,i think, above practices are nothing more than self hypnosis.Devotion or bhakti has to be cultivated along with kriya practice for  inching into true progress.I think,yam -niyam are no more than morality if defined in a single word.Only a devoted person would carry morality with him as a God fearing man would think twice before doing any wrong.Today, teaching someone to be moral,is asking for too much from him.patanjali who is thought to be one of the incarnation of vishnu,did not place yam-niyam first in astang yoga without thought.i would like to know if someone had been benefited by advanced practice as far as yam niyam are concerned.Without being devoted you can't go into deep meditation for long.Great saints like Mahavtar baba,Lahiri Mahasaya,Shri yukteswar,paramhansa yogananda,Ramakrishna paramhansa,Swami vivekananda-to name a few had deep sense of devotion.Detachment is certainly an offshoot of it.


        Aum shanti.

[Doc]

Namaste to All!

Vairagya or Detachment is a natural by-product of a properly focused Sadhana.  Regular Concentration of the Mind (Dharana) on the temporary nature of attachments to the objects of desire allows the mind to focus on the fact that a time existed in this life when every attachment to desire gratification was not yet implanted in mental consciousness.  Logic would suggest, therefore, that attachments to objects of desire, like everything else which has a beginning or starting point in personal awareness, also has an ending point.  This is the true nature of all Illusions! They have no part in the Ultimate Reality of Brahman!  They are NOT Eternal, Immutable, or Unconditioned, but are instead very temporary, ever changeable, and always accompanied by many qualifying conditions.  

Thus, through Concentration on a time before the attachment was formed and implanted in consciousness, the mind realizes that the end of such desires and attachments is simply a returning to, and thereafter abiding in, a place of Silence and Serenity where desires and their attachments don't exist, and thus do not call the mind to pursue them.

The 'flip side' of this traditional yogic 'returning' technique is to 'fast forward' mentally to a place where one's desires and attachments have been thoroughly consumed.  This method consists of nothing more than imagining every possible way in which desires and attachments could potentially be gratified, until no other outlet can be visualized.  When the point of exhausted imagination and visualization has been reached, the mind is at the same point that would be reached by returning to the time prior to any formation of the desires and attachments.  And so, ultimately, the state of mind experienced in both the 'before' and the 'after' states of Consciousness is the same....residing quietly and serenely in At-One-Ment with the Divine.

Either or both of these two techniques can be effectively employed to neutralize and remove all Illusions from one's Consciousness, without exception.  The 'Source of All That Is' which is encountered in both the 'before' and 'after' States of Consciousness is the True Self....the Unchanging, Immutable, Unconditioned, Immortal Self of Brahman!  Through gradual and progressive fixation of unwavering mental attention on this Ultimate Reality (Brahman) in Deep Meditation (Dhyana), the spiritual obstruction of all desire attachment is finally released and removed permanently!

http://www.hinduwisdom.info/images/ganesha_symbolism2.gif
http://www.muktinath.org/images/hinduismfolder/shiva.jpg
http://bvml.org/SSG/Sanatana.jpg

Hari OM!

Doc

[satinder kumar]

Hello DOC

      One of the best way to detach oneself from day to day affairs is to see things as witness. This witnessing comes as you evolve in your sadhna.Mind always spin web of thoughts to keep man entangle to the life's daily grinding.To see the things as witness remind you thatyou have to see things from a reasonable dstance.Evolve this habit along with yogic practice and see the difference.Feelings of lust,anger,greed and affection come and go.If we let them spend themselves with careful monitering then they will affect us the least and they will create less imprints[sadhna] on our mind.


       Aum Shanti

[Doc]

quote:Originally posted by satinder kumar

To see the things as witness reminds you that you have to see things from a reasonable distance. Aum Shanti

Namaste Kumar!

The shortfall of the 'witnessing' technique is that it retains the Duality Consciousnes of a 'Seer' and 'that which is seen', a 'Witness' and 'that which is witnessed', even when seen or witnessed "from a reasonable distance".

All true Yoga ultimately evolves into intimate spiritual 'Union' with All in God (Brahman) as Unconditioned Existence, Pure Consciousness, and Blissful Peace.  

The 'before and after' method outlined previously, by comparison, leads to a Primordial Silence of Union with All in God, where no trace of Duality exists. In Silent Union, attachments to the separation and distance of a 'Witness' and 'that which is witnessed' do not exist, because such perceptions no longer reside in Consciousness.

Detachment always equates to a matter of meditative subtraction rather than intellectual addition!

Hari OM!

Doc

[Doc]

Namaste to All!

Here is a link to a free e-book entitled: 'How to Get Vairagya (Dispassion)' by Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj for those who are interested in the perspective of an accomplished Yogi and Teacher. Enjoy!

http://www.dlshq.org/download/vairagya.pdf

http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~rfrey/images/shiva-aum.jpg

Hari OM!

Doc

[yogani]

Hi Doc:

I believe "witnessing" as stand-alone practice tends to be overrated, especially as a first stage approach where we have little more to work with than the intellect and ego consciousness. It is a tough road to hoe from there with no other methods in hand. But it can be done if enough bhakti is present. Ask any dedicated Buddhist.

If we are using additional practices such as deep meditation and samyama to cultivate inner silence directly, then witnessing arises naturally along the way, and we can do much with it then. That kind of doing will be with less attachment, the essence of "dispassion," which is at the heart of progressive karma and jnana yoga. The interesting thing about these yogas, when undertaken propitiously, is that they are beyond duality, even though they are in the field of doing. This is possible only when the witness is already present, previously cultivated as "effect." Only then can the witness become a "cause" in our further development. Before then it is much like pushing on a string.

Of course, those born with a degree of witness consciousness already present have a "leg up." The rest of us have to develop it. Those who are born with, or have reached a high level of witness consciousness early on in life ("old souls"), tend to teach from that level, and then many begin to regard witnessing practice as the primary path to enlightenment. Well, it is a stepping stone for sure, but not a very good place to start for most of us. Better to reduce duality (bring up the witness) by more direct means before diving into the methods of non-duality. Keeping the horse in front of the cart, so to speak.

Thanks for your great perspectives, Doc and All. Very stimulating!

The guru is in you.

[Mike]

quote:Originally posted by Doc
Detachment always equates to a matter of meditative subtraction rather than intellectual addition!

Hey Doc you sure do buy some real classy fortune-cookies - a great way of putting it and a neat summary of what they AYP practitioners have been saying. Certainly "trying to be detached" just adds layers on layers.

I am no so sure about "witnessing" and Buddhism being that much different to what you guys are doing - esp. given that really one should say "Buddhisms".  So does not for example anapanasati - "witnessing" the breath - becomes (as I understand it) similar to mantra-meditation after a while ie the "breath is breathing you"...and sometime after the collapse of the subject-object distinction?

Anyway quibbling to oneside I recalled in this context (tho' I seem not to be able to find the article) some neat words on this subject (by some Buddhist monk from Brighton (?!?))... he used an analogy for all this witnessing stuff of it being rather like sitting in front of the tv and watching it... witnessing (starts to) amount(s) (I have fogotten the precise line lol) to watching your reflection in the screen as it is watching tv... ie just creating even more "levels" interposed in the process [or was it watching your reflection watching your reflection watch tv (etc etc)].

Aum (or in this case erm? )

Mike