Dark vs. Light?

[Hubert]

I recommend reading THE PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY AND PRACTICE OF YOGA by Swami Chidananda. Very useful, clear and informative of what is behind yoga as mental construct/experimental knowledge. In fact I'd recommend this to anyone who starts or does yoga practices.
It states very clearly what yoga really is - a serious endeavour in the realm of spirituality, something what adresses one's whole life (and explains that is must be seen in much greater context as it is seen by materialist science), and such it is a dangerous journey where sticking to known paths is crucial in avoiding peril. It explaines (deducts ! ) the reason behind the first two steps, yama an niyama. These are explained on large, something I did not find anywhere else. Simply put it is pure gold.

For you moth, I think a jnanic approach would be best (the path of intellecual analysis), what builds on reasoning, discernment and it's uncompromising application to one's life. This is juts a suggestion, and should be taken as one. Discernment can start on this very question. What yoga path is most suitable for me ? What is my way ?

[Hubert]

I cannot resist quoting a bit ...
"In the context of the ancient Vedic culture of India, the knowledge that takes one forward and liberates one from the limited experience of body consciousness or the name and form consciousness, the ultimate knowledge that bestows upon one cosmic consciousness, is known as the higher knowledge or the greater knowledge, Para Vidya. This higher knowledge is clearly differentiated from the lower or the lesser knowledge, which pertains only to things, that are limited by time, space and causation. This latter knowledge of things that are limited within time and space is therefore finite and temporary. It is non-eternal. It is the lesser knowledge, and at best it can help you to have a comfortable life of physical conveniences, sense satisfaction, and temporary, partial desire-fulfilment. It has not the power—limited, finite things have not the power—to liberate you from fear and sorrow, to liberate you from all the limitations and imperfections that pertain to this limited life bound by birth and death, hunger and thirst, joy and sorrow, and the ever-changing experiences of sense contacts. Those who seek a knowledge that is beyond this relative knowledge are, therefore, the aspirants for Para Vidya or the higher knowledge which ultimately bestows upon you freedom from bondage, fear and sorrow. This higher knowledge bestows upon you ultimately the experience of your real identity, your true Self which is beyond the apparent, limited self. It ultimately confers upon you spiritual illumination and perfection, the peace that passeth understanding, freedom from all limitations and absolute bliss."

So, here you have it. Yoga is not health care, yoga is not philosophy, yoga is not aquiring miraculous powers (or not just these). It is the death of the ego, the death of that man of the world.
Socrates, to turn to someone closer to our cultural heritage, said:
"Ordinary people seem not to realize that those who really apply themselves in the right way to philosophy are directly and of their own accord preparing themselves for dying and death." Further, he also said: "We are in fact convinced that if we are ever to have pure knowledge of anything, we must get rid of the body and contemplate things by themselves with the soul by itself. It seems, to judge from the argument, that the wisdom which we desire and upon which we profess to have set our hearts will be attainable only when we are dead and not in our lifetime."

And what is yoga if not learning to get rid of the body without actually throwing life away ?

Dark enough ? (this is just one side of the coin though ...)

[Spirittap]

Inner struggle between your lower self/ego and higher self. Think of them as a devil and angel on each shoulder. Your ego doesn't want you to grow Spiritually, infact it wants you to be as dark as you possibly can. Give it time, you'll hear a more pleasant and positive voice. As you continue on in life with a more positive outlook, you will attract good things.

[moth]

Well, I guess I'm not quite done with this thread. So many coins. Wendell Berry and Swami C, unveiled yoga and jnanic approaches...all I can really say at this point is THANK YOU (once again). With so much information around, and confusion on where and how to begin and sparked by Pandara's suggestion to look at my "spirituality fear," I picked up Pema Chodron's "The Places That Scare You." How appropriate. I hadn't heard of her, but I loved the book and will read more. She even used a moth analogy (!) when she said, "one of the tragic misunderstandings we have is mistaking suffering for happiness, like a moth flying into the flame. As we know, moths are not the only ones who will destroy themselves in order to find temporary relief." Ha! She writes so clearly and practically and at the moment, I'm not sure I'm ready to be tackling anything more esoteric or intellectual than this. I don't want to puzzle anything out and I'm not up for deciphering. Too much mind work on top of the chatter. My head will explode. But anyway, this next quote gets right to it - to the heart of what I've been trying to sort out.

"Compassion involves learning to relax and allow ourselves to move gently toward what scares us. The trick to doing this is to stay with emotional distress without tightening into aversion, to let fear soften us rather than harden us into resistance." She also says we need to cultivate compassion by drawing from "the wholeness of our experience - our suffering, our empathy, as well as our cruelty and terror. It has to be this way. Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity."

This is what I like about the darkness. This is what feels familiar, and good. This is the feeling that I was worrying I'd have to give up. But...I never labeled it as "compassion." I didn't know what it was, but I use it when I paint. I look at the darkness in all of us (outside of me) in order to understand, and I look at the darkness inside me in order to fix (or heal?). Painting is sort of a meditative activity and my style is figurative and this darkness appears in my subject matter. It's been a long-time investigation and has helped me to understand, accept, embrace, and love. I'm not saying I always act compassionately (in fact not nearly enough!), but it's in there stirring, and I'll recognize this as something good in myself. I have to start somewhere! Pema also says, "we're all a paradoxical bundle of rich potential that consists of both neurosis and wisdom." I've got the neurosis covered, so yes, more wisdom now would be nice. I think I need to let this side go now, as much as I can. Time to face the light and move gently toward that. And oh boy...talk about scary...

[earthsoul8]

Nice... thanks for the Pema quotes.

Here is one more Wendell Berry for now.

Here where the world is being made,
No human hand required,
A man may come, somewhat afraid
Always, and somewhat tired,

For he comes ignorant and alone
From work and worry of
A human place, in soul and bone
The ache of human love.

He may come and be still, not go
Toward any chosen aim
Or stay for what he thinks is so.
Setting aside his claim

On all things fallen in his plight,
his mind may move with leaves,
Wind-shaken, in and out of light,
And live as the light lives,

And live as the Creation sings
In covert, two clear notes,
And waits; then two clear answerings
Come from more distant throats-

May live a while with light, shaking
In high leaves, or delayed
In halts of song, submit to making
The shape of what is made.

It is my hope that you are feeling clear at this point in time. The inflection that I am putting into your words, moth sounds like you are. Whip up some wild and wonderful ART... and move in and out of light... or in and out of dark... and find that steady comfortable place and be at ease... Sthiram Sukham Assanam
No matter what the story! Once upon a time I recall telling my twin daughters it was important to learn to not be nervous, about being nervous... Later in life I'm learning about rajasic, sattvic, and tamasic energy... It's interesting language to me. Different ways of telling a story. This shifting of awareness. I hope you have felt supported while waiting for the space between the notes.

[Nichole]

Moth,
I have been reading along on this thread and appreciating your posts and those of the other members too. I don't have more to offer because so much wisdom has already been shared here. I did want to tell you that share your affinity for Pema's book, The Places That Scare You. I bought it when I was traveling in India and carried it along for months in my daypack. It went everywhere with me. I did this even in the very beginning, when I was still too afraid to open it because I was that afraid of those place inside myself that scared me. That was two years ago, and even today, I keep it on my night-side table, close to me. I pick it up all the time and just read from any page. It is so good. Pema is long-practiced, real and compassionate; she is our friend and spiritual partner in those the places that scare us. Another of her books, The Wisdom of No Escape, is wonderful too.

The Omega Institute shares many short videos of her talks and programs on YouTube. Here are a few links to videos that here at the forum:
http://www.yogaforums.com/forums/f16...kers-1888.html
http://www.yogaforums.com/forums/f16...nder-2114.html

Kind wishes,

[smstout19]

The chanting obviously felt strange and foreign to you. You probably never realized it had actual health benefits (stimulating the pituitary gland and releasing emotional toxins among other things). Your cynical inner voice was fighting it. In order to embrace the positive, you must be willing to surrender to it – and release your negative energy. How do you do this? By working toward creating positive inner dialogue. It takes practice to change old habits and patterns. Good luck!

“If we understood the power of our thoughts, we would guard them more closely. If we understood the awesome power of our words, we would prefer silence to almost anything negative. In our thoughts and word we create our own weaknesses and our own strengths. Our limitations and joys begin in our hearts. We can always replace negative with positive.” ~ Bettie Eadie ~

[Pandara]

Hi Smstout,

I just love that quote at the end, it absolutely underlines what I belief, will add it to my storehouse of quotes, thanx for it. Much truth in it.

[smstout19]

Wonderful Pandara! And thank you for your kind words...

Namaste