Namaskar July 2010

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Dristi Tapas Volun oluntary Suf uffering Clayton Horton tapas is the hard work involved in any transformational process WHAT IS TAPAS? A MYSTERY TO the lazy… a magic ingredient for the evolving yogi….accomplished athletes, yogis and musicians know it well. Tapas is traditionally defined as to burn or to glow or a method to produce energy…or a process which illuminates the imperfections of one’s own personality Tapas is listed as one of the five niyamas or observances, which one of the eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga from the Patanjalim Yoga Sutras. In many commentaries, tapas is often defined as austerity, penance or discipline. Simply put, tapas is the hard work involved in any transformational process. A more esoteric perspective of tapas is, voluntary suffering for one’s own purification and development. This intentional suffering is one in which we place ourselves in a situation in which the heat of the moment begins to cook our entire being, physical body, mind and sense organs included. By consistent, hard work, unhelpful or negative samscaras (habits), kleshas (root afflictions) are forced to surface in our awareness and then discarded, burned, released and purged. Ahimsa (nonviolence) and vairagyam (dispassion) have their place in one’s life and practice, but we all need to do some authentic “housecleaning” to see the brilliance of jewel of the Self shine forth. One simple example of tapas is sitting in a sweltering hot sauna to sweat out toxins. Another example is B.K.S. Iyengar’s saying, “the posture begins when you are ready to come out of it. Doing the hard work of staying in the asana even though our legs are shaking and our breath is becoming unsteady is what is required for us to develop core strength and stability. Tapas for mental development or purification could be regarded as training our minds to concentrate on one thing for an extended period of time. This Tapas-ia of the mind involves harnessing the verve and inspiration to let go of our limited Self-concepts and unhealthy negative thought patterns. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali begins his discussion of sadhana or spiritual practice by saying along with svadyaya (study of the Self) and isvarapranidhana (surrendering to the divine), tapas is a necessary ingredient for any authentic yoga practice (YS 2:1). Without tapas we never make it onto the mat or meditation pillow. Thinking about yoga, planning to do yoga, talking about yoga is wonderful, inspiring and easy. Doing the work is another. Going deeper into our practice consistently to get stronger and to get clearer glimpses of our true eternal nature is hard work. To taste the fruit of our practice is a great source of real joy and peace. Learn to schedule and manage your time. Prioritize work, play, eating and practice to create a balanced, healthy and joyful life for yourself. Clayton is director of Greenpath Yoga. www.greenpathyoga.com When the body develops the power to endure hardship and when the mind does not get easily upset by lack of physical comfort, one becomes qualified for practicing yoga Swami Hariharananda 10
First Instrument of Doing Yoga Paul Dallaghan TAPAS IS MOST COMMONLY translated as austerity, attitudes characterized by severity or asceticism or extreme plainness and simplicity. We hear much of it today with European countries making their austerity budgets, with less spending, more taxes, reduced pay for public sector and strong debt controls. Tapas is the first word of Sadhana Pada (YS II.1), the second chapter of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. In a sense it is the first instrument of yoga. It is mentioned as a Kriya Yoga, a technique for yoga and thus can be considered actual physical practice. There are two other elements involved in Kriya yoga, namely Svadhyaya and Ishvara Pranidhana, self-study and surrender. It is often interpreted that if tapas is the physical practice, svadhyaya is the verbal practice and ishvara pranidhana is the mental practice, all constituting instruments of doing yoga. Tapas is also mentioned in the second limb of Ashtanga, as a niyama (YS II.32). It is not mere repetition, but revealing the two sides of tapas and its importance in development. Tapas follows shaucha (naturalness), and santosha (contentment), in the niyamas. Once comfortable with yourself and content with yourself and what you have in life, your practice will have less chance of developing into a calculated or selfish approach to what you want, and you will not become miserable and give up your practice. If tapas as a kriya is doing, then tapas as a niyama is the attitude. If you know you are going to finish and gain something from it, it is not considered tapas. To discipline yourself purely for self growth and endure the difficulties that come with it, keeping an even mind without any prospect of material reward can be considered tapas. Very often heat is associated with tapas, as that is part of its literal translation, to burn. Why was this word chosen to represent “austerity”? According to Hemachandra, tapas purifies the jiva, (the spirit), as fire purifies gold. If we observe the physical world we note the agent of change is heat or fire. Here we find our actions, practices and attitude build a purifying heat. We can look at tapas as practices which channel prana inward, away from mere sense indulgence, thereby concentrating the force within, which results in heat and purification on the physical and subtle levels. The body and senses will refine and the attitude will mature. This happens as your practices direct energy away from preconditioned patterns and habits to a place of integrity within. In time you will notice heat building inside, close to the sacrum, behind the pubic bone and going up to the navel. Your body transforms and becomes light, your senses follow your will, not the other way round, and your attitude becomes open and increasingly unselfish. Asanas, pranayamas and sitting techniques, the most common forms of today’s yoga, are primarily tapas. And they are excellent tapas practices. The teachings also advise certain fasts or at least discipline over eating food; from discipline over speech to a complete observance of silence; service of the Guru; sexual discipline and; a full observance of truth. It has been said pranayama is the best tapas. However, they are not to be forced or done to an extreme where they cause a physical or mental disturbance. This is unhealthy and imbalanced. Tapas is healthy, just not comfort driven. So why do this? What’s the need for it? Yoga is not a harsh science nor a path forcing you to do things you don’t want to do. On the contrary, Patanajali is wonderfully rich in common sense. Vyasa, the primary commentator on the Yoga Sutras, states we have are a mass of impressions from many actions and afflictions across time and form. The only way to weaken and remove the force of these impressions, which rule our current life is through austerity, action and attitude. If you are honest with yourself you can see you have much mess to clean up in your life. And if you are interested in inner selfdevelopment then it is a requirement to work on yourself. Tapas is that first instrument. You can call it “ascetic observance which should only be practiced as long as it purifies the mind and makes it pleasant without injuring health” (Vyasa paraphrased by Swami Veda Bharati). Patanjali does not give much explanation of tapas other than its outcome. He states (YS II.43) “From tapas (ascetic practice), through the elimination of impurities our actions, practices and attitude build a purifying heat there occurs mastery over the body and senses.” Thus it is clear tapas brings the body and senses to a state of excellence. Tapas is mentioned in many other yogic texts including many of the Upanishads and the Vashishta Samhita. From all of these it is clear tapas is the attitude which the yogis are advised to adopt towards their physiological needs, meaning to be endured and to appeased without leading to mental or physical disturbance. Simply, the purification of mind, senses and body through actions and attitude (that do not indulge the senses or encourage any counter-productive, preexisting conditions), is necessary for anyone intent on self growth and the path of yoga. This is tapas and it’s the first instrument of doing yoga, both as a means and an end. Paul is director of Centered Yoga and Yoga Thailand in Koh Samui. www.yoga-thailand.com, www.centeredyoga.com 11
Page 1 and 2: namaskar A VOICE FOR THE YOGA COMMU
Page 3 and 4: Inside JULY 2010 Dristi Tapas Volun
Page 5 and 6: NEWS SUNSET YOGA FOR CHARITY The 3
Page 7 and 8: RETREATS For more information www.p
Page 9: Mythology in a Minute With educatio
Page 13 and 14: Tapas, the Opposite of Luxury Yogac
Page 15 and 16: Karma Yoga my way to the yoga cente
Page 17 and 18: Karma Yoga Yoga for Special Needs C
Page 19 and 20: Yoga 101 Practicing Yamas at Work J
Page 21 and 22: For Teachers Bringing Philosoph oph
Page 23 and 24: 23
Page 25 and 26: Spiritual Research Foundation Lesso
Page 27 and 28: Alternative Therapy using my limite
Page 29 and 30: 29
Page 31 and 32: classes and special courses. Class
Page 33 and 34: Profile Once a Swami, Always a Swam
Page 35 and 36: Teacher Training Review Feeding my
Page 37 and 38: Perspective Stillness from Within G
Page 39 and 40: efined flour products or carbohydra
Page 41 and 42: of minced ginger, salt and pepper t
Page 43 and 44: Book Review Foundation of f Buddhis
Page 45 and 46: Tia’s Crossword Twisting Crosswor
Page 47 and 48: Yoga Teachers & Studios Pascale Ali

Namaskar July 2010

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?