“Patanjali Yoga Sutra article based on the talk in Los Angeles, March…”

Patanjali Yoga Sutra article based on the talk in Los Angeles, March 25th 2009

Today we will address the ninth aphorism (sutra) in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. We will enter into the discussion of the third modification of the mind: Imagination.

One important thing I would like to share with you all. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra was the subject in the first public discourse I ever spoke on planet earth. At the age of eleven my teacher Raghupati Yogi, after he had thoroughly taught me the Yoga Sutra, made me present it to a huge gathering of his disciples and followers. Before I spoke, Raghupati Yogi gave an introduction and said, ‘In the future, thousands of people will listen to this boy he will express thousands of ideas. I want to take this opportunity, with great pride, with great joy, of putting him on stage first and allowing you all to listen to him!’

The very sutra which I am going to speak about tonight, I spoke at that first public discourse at age eleven! The subject of imagination that Patanjali describes is what I first expressed. That is why Patanjali is very dear to me. The Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is what I first learnt, experimented with, experienced and expressed.

The sutra says:

sabda jnananupati vastu sunyo vikalpah

The sutra is translated as, ‘Imagination as opposed to reality, which is the result of mere words, is known as vikalpa or fantasy.’

Yesterday I spoke about the second modification: Wrong knowledge. In front of our consciousness, the mind brings wrong ideas; this is called wrong knowledge. However in front of our consciousness, whether it is right or wrong, anything that is experienced is imagination. Except consciousness, anything that is experienced by us is imagination.

For wrong knowledge to happen, it needs our consciousness to be present. Our mind needs to do something. But for imagination to happen, for vikalpa to happen, nothing needs to be done. Anything experienced by you other than your pure consciousness is vikalpa. That is why we call the samadhi state as nirvikalpa meaning ‘without fantasy’.

Patanjali is taking us to a very subtle plane. Sometimes, we may not have wrong knowledge but we will have imagination. Vikalpa can touch deeper zones than what wrong knowledge can touch. Wrong knowledge can happen, touch you or disturb you only when you are in your waking state or dream state. Vikalpa can happen in your deep sleep state as well.

Your mind and body come in contact with each other at seven points in your body; what we call the energy centres in yoga tradition. They call it as chit jagat granthi (where matter and consciousness meet each other).

Each center becomes corrupted when our imagination is added. Imagination is the ultimate suffering. I am not only talking about imagination related to others, but also imagination related to ourselves. If you have imagination or fantasy about others, at least they will teach you to come down from that fantasy! However, if you have a fantasy about yourself, there will be no one to teach you.

When imagination touches our muladhara chakra (the sex energy center), it will create fantasy about others and fantasy about our self.

When imagination touches our swadhisthana chakra (the fear energy center), it will create fear of others and fear about our self.

When it touches the manipuraka chakra (the worry energy center), we will be worrying about others and worrying about our self.

When it touches the anahata chakra (the love energy center), we will be suffering with attention-need from others and attention-need from our self.

When imagination touches the vishuddhi chakra (the energy center connected to jealousy), we will start comparing ourselves with others and with own our self.

When your imagination touches your ajna chakra (the ego energy center), you start suffering with the ego of others and your own.

When imagination touches your sahasrara chakra (gratitude or crown center) you will be discontented with others and discontented with yourself.

When imagination moves in the different energy centers, it creates problems with others and problems with our self. I can say that vikalpa is the ultimate suffering!

The next thing that people say is, ‘If I can relax from vikalpa consciously, how can I relax from it unconsciously and subconsciously?’ I will give you one important secret; a beautiful technique. I learnt this technique from my teacher, Raghupati Yogi when I once asked him the same question. He told me, ‘Continuously for eleven days, whenever you are consciously imagining, just remember, ‘Imagination will lead to suffering and I should use this to go to joy or bliss.’

Try this for eleven days. Whenever you are consciously imagining, just relax from it. If you try this for eleven days, it will sink into your dream state. If you try this for twenty-one days, it will sink into your deep sleep state; it will sink into your subconscious and unconscious. Don’t even ask the question, ‘How will I leave this idea?’ Avoid fighting with it. Simply, whenever you are consciously remembering remember, ‘Imagination will lead me to suffering. I should use imagination to lead me to joy or bliss!’

If you are out of vikalpa, you are in nirvikalpa; what we call enlightenment.

If you understand svikalpa, you will experience nirvikalpa.