This time of year can present us with many challenges when it comes to maintaining peace amongst friends and family that may see things a bit (or even a lot…) differently than we do. And although what I’m sharing here is something we all inherently know, it can be easy to forget. So, as I remind myself, I thought it might be good to share.
vastu-sāmye citta-bhedāt tayor vibhaktaḥ panthāḥ
Because there is a multiplicity of minds (perceiving an object) but yet the object remains consistent, there is a difference in nature between the object and the mind (of the observer).
PYS IV.15 - from Edwin Bryant’s “the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali”
I find myself stunned each time I come across a pro-Trump Facebook post from someone I know. A similar mind process unfolds: (1) you’ve got to be kidding me; (2) why in the world do they support this man?; (3) how on earth could they view anything he does as moral or ethical?; (4) I’m gonna comment; (5) no, that won’t do anything but create tension between us; (6) close Facebook.
It’s about perspective. Yours and mine. The objects of the material world – prakriti – that surround each and every one of us, are what they are. And yet, we perceive something different than the person standing right next to us for everything we see. This is true on a very practical, gross level and can be validated by simply placing the same object in front of two people and independently asking them to describe it. You will get different answers. Of course a key factor here is what objects we choose to place in front of us….
Another side of this concept can be explored when we go beyond the obvious and into the subtle aspects of our perception. Why do we perceive differently? Because we each have uniquely influenced thought patterns. And those thought patterns determine our response.
PYS I.5 says, vrttayah pancatayyah klista aklista – we have five categories of thought patterns and they are either klista meaning distorted by the kleshas or not (aklista). Kleśas are hindrances to yoga that come about due to ignorance of Self, inflated ego, attachment to pleasure, aversion to hardship, and clinging to life. Each of these play out differently and shape our views. The trick is whether we acknowledge these factors and make effort (through a yoga practice, for example) to understand and mold their impact on our being, or not.
Our thought patterns begin to change dramatically when we explore concepts such as emptiness, soul/Self, samskara (habits, tendencies) and samsara (the repeating cycle of birth, life, death). We may begin to put everything in the light of the Self and under the scope of our ultimate reality – purusha. Purusha is the changeless reality, the lifeforce we all share that lies beneath the material world – prakriti. Purusha is not affected by the goings on of the world, and yet it remains the constant, strong, energetic force that supports the world.
The yogi’s perspective becomes tempered by the knowledge of purusha. They are less disturbed by what’s happening outside themself. Their thoughts are less and less disrupted by the tragedies of the world. It’s not that they don’t care, they do, deeply. But, they accept that the material world is one of change and their place in it is temporary. Their efforts become increasingly directed at connecting more fully with their eternal, blissful, Self. There is nothing that has greater impact on their awareness of the objects placed before them. That impact is one of equanimity that brings a calmness to their existence. From this place they can operate in the world with great passion, but limited attachment. The ups and downs, successes and failures, do not have the impact on their efforts that they once did. They are able to stay the course, stay on the path, do the work – because it’s the right thing to do, not because they are seeking material, or even spiritual, gain - and continue to love everyone. As Barbara Stoler Miller wrote in “Yoga – Discipline of Freedom”, “The path to freedom consists of a gradual unwinding of misconceptions that allows for fresh perceptions.”