details in pictures, words.

drop the mind

go with gut, and be happy.

self improvement over

self destruction.

privileged

give thanks

Yoga Sutras: Book I: 5-11 *be selfish in the idea of retaining your peace*

Yoga practice is watching our own thoughts and analyzing them, so as to replace the negative ones with positive ones and ultimately gain peace, or a blank mind. how can replacement of negative thoughts with positive thoughts create a blank mind?

According to the sutra, there are mental modifications which can be: painful or painless; or in otherwords, selfish thoughts or selfless thoughts.

The selfish thoughts are the ones which bring us pain, so that even thoughts which seem pleasureable may ultimately bring pain because they were selfish to begin with…such as the idea of love.

to love, at times, brings with it expectations.  you give your love so as to receive something, expecting love or action in return.  this kind of love, is selfish. and when selfish thoughts permeate, you will ultimately receive the requisite pain.

Patanjali says that if we make others happy, or engage in selflessness, rather than selfish actions or thoughts, we will bring happiness onto ourselves; contra that by making other people unhappy, we can never be happy ourselves.

But patanjali was wrong and the contention seems at best simplistic; he did not account for the human condition- we are all flawed.  you cannot expect someone to love another and not want something in return. selfless love, if ever present, may be in the familial sense.  selfless love in friendship or between lovers, is but a verbal delusion.

to engage in selfless deeds to make others happy can still reap pain, since those on the receiving end, being human, may take advantage, and the selfless become nothing more than martyrs and people pleasers. perhaps, in a perfect world, with perfect people, selflessness will beget selflessness. but at this time, it is not the case.

in law school, those who are selfish seem to be the ones getting ahead. selfishness is rewarded with happiness. patanjali allows for one cavaet- that we can be selfish with our peace, in retaining it and refusing to disturb it. his rationale is that it will not harm anyone; is it harmful then, if by way of retaining your peace, you walk by a drowning child? is it harmful to ignore a friend who needs your help because you need that time to retain peace? and why is it correct to assume that selfishness outside of the goal of retention of peace is only harmful? is it possible that selfless thoughts unlie the seemingly selfish actions of others? is it harmful for those in law school, to look out for their best interests over others? Patanjali’s analysis is one sided- it is circular reasoning- he justifies selflessness through the resultant non-harm of those who reap the benefits. it is good because he says it is good.

Moreover, Patanjali’s analysis assumes selfish and selfless thoughts to be mutually exclusive.  and selflessness can bring as much pain as selfishness does.  perhaps patanjali has valid points; or perhaps, i am a failed yogi. we can entertain his thoughts, as I shall, without accepting them all.

it is easy to say control the mind but in reality, the mind is controlling us.

Yoga Sutras: Book I: 1-4 *there is nothing to bind you*

yoga is complete mastery over the mind.  if you can control the rising of the mind into ripples, you will experience yoga. how then does anyone achieve yoga? the world is a collection of our thoughts and mental attitude, a projection of such items; we shouldnt put so much stress on outward things if that is the case. then there is nothing wrong with the world.  you can make it a heaven or hell based on your approach; control your mind and you have controlled everything.

yoga is based on self-reformation, self-control, and self-adjustment.

“as the mind so the man; bondage or liberation are in your own mind.”

intelligence

speaks for itself. ~Daily Om