Meditation - Hinderances

[Guest guest]

Maharishi Patanjali in his yoga sutras tells yoga in a single

shloka – Yogashcha vritti Niruddham.

 

When all the vrittis(thought-waves) of chita (roughly sub-conscious

but not exact word) are stilled it is called Yoga and we see our

True Self.

 

But stilling the mind stopping all vrittis is not so easy… and it is

very very difficult, if not impossible in this Kaliyuga. Patanjali,

in rest of the book, tells how to make the mind still.

 

He describes the reasons why the mind is difficult to be stilled.

There are many factors which affect the mind and chitta and vrittis

continue to emerge and disturb the mind and make yoga difficult. We

will discuss some of the problems raised and solved by Sage

Patanjali.

 

Distractions of Chitta

================

 

There are Nine main distractions (Vikshepas) of chitta, which make

the mind confronted and disturbed. These are :-

 

1- Vyadhi (disease/illness) Any disease or illness causes

disturbance of Chitta and thus works as a distraction to Yoga.

 

2- Styaan – When we are mentally ready to do yoga but the

Chitta is not ready for it and stops us from doing yoga is called

Styan

 

3- Sanshaya – this is doubt that when we start yoga but have a

doubt in mind if I will succeed in yoga, if I will be able to do it

or not…. This doubt becomes a weakness of our sadhana and pose a

hinderance to Yoga.

 

4- Pramaad – Lazyness of the mind… when we know the path, we

have time and chance but still mind becomes lazy and does not help

in sadhna is called Pramad

 

5- Aalasya – Lazyness of the body… this is normally due to

tiredness, or some mental tension that the body refuses to help in

sadhna.

 

6- Aavirati – When we have infatuation or attractions towards

wordly things or happiness, this Aavirati named distraction does not

allow Chitta to concentrate.

 

7- Bhranti-Darshan : This can be roughly translated as

hallucination. We eighter be busy in some fake visions or dreams

and think we have reached the goal…This is very big distraction as

the mind refuses to go further.

 

8- Alabdha - This hinderance comes when we have progressed a

little in sadhna, but do not reach certain goal…i.e. Samadhi. All

our efforts to reach Samadhi fail…and our Chitta refuses to do

sadhna further and progress stopped.

 

9- Anavasthittava : When one reaches Samadhi, but comes back

soon, the chitta is disturbed and refuses to go further..and the

progress is lost.

 

 

There are 5 great hinderances which are caused due to the above

distractions/disturbances:-

 

These are Dukha, Dormansya, Angameja-yatava, Shwas and Prashavas.

 

1- Dukha (Pain/hurt) : any pain received through mind (like lust,

anger, etc) or any pain received from other living beings (like

humans, animals, insects etc) or any pain received from gods (like

rain, thunder-bolt, earthquakes etc)…are hinderances in the path of

Yoga.

 

2- Dormansya : When any of our desires is not fulfilled and we get a

feeling of inferiority or dissatisfaction in our mind, is also a

hinderance in path of yoga

 

3- Anga mejayattava : Trembling of body or limbs. Either due to

weakness of the body or due to sudden release of prana, if body

trembles, it breaks the concentration and hence is called a

hinderance by Patanjali

 

4 & 5 Shwas-Prashwas : inhaling & exhaling … surprising it may look but

the great sage Patanjali took inhalation and exhalation(without

conscious control of mind) as hinderance to Samadhi. He says as long

as we are breathing, we can not reach Samadhi. During Samadhi

respiration stops…. Still we don't die !!!

 

Sage says the above 5 hinderances come only till the mind is

concentrated…as long as we have these hinderances, it means the

chitta is not without vritti.

 

Further we will see what sage Patanjali says to remove these

hinderances.

 

(will continue....)

[Guest guest]

, beirut_ka_baba <no_reply wrote:

> Sage says the above 5 hinderances come only till the mind is

> concentrated…as long as we have these hinderances, it means the

> chitta is not without vritti.

>

> Further we will see what sage Patanjali says to remove these

> hinderances.

>

> (will continue....)

>

 

Sage Patanjali now tells why the mind can not be concentrated. The

main reasons for the distractions and hinderances lies in Six

Kalushya/muls (dirt) of chitta. Every common person have this

Kalushya or muls and these dirts cause the hinderances for sadhna.

These muls or dirts of chitta are :-

 

1- Raag : A feeling or desire of human being of attachement

towards relatives or material possession is called Raag.

 

2- Irshya : Jealousy. Feeling heart burning to see others

qualities, or others comforts or money.

 

3- Prapkaar : a thought or action to harm others is the 3rd

mul of chitta

 

4- Asuya : To see bad in other's qualities or to call a saint

hypocrite or finding fault in good people is called Asuya. This is

very common in Kaliyuga…even some good people have this mul. That z

why our sages said we should not talk ill of any saint, because we

don't know if that saint is a real saint or hypocrite. This mul

creates negative energies in chitta and causes hinderance in the

path of Sadhna.

 

5- Dvesha / Hate : hating any person, any situation or any

thing is the 5th dirt.

 

6- Amarsha : A thought or action to take revenge from any one

for any reason (even if it is genuine)…is the sixth mul of chitta.

 

Sage Patanjali says, these are very common dirts of chitta and first

we should remove them before trying to enter Samadhi. He tells how

to contradict the negativity generated by these muls as :

 

1- Raag and Irshya Kalushya : By becoming happy to see a person

in joy or in comforts this Kalushya is negated. When we see a happy

and comfortable person, we should think – aha thank god this person

is happy…and I am happy too to see him in joy.

 

2- Parapkaar Kalushya : By having pity upon people in

sufferings or grief, without ego, cancels this Kalushya from

chitta. By feeling the pains of others in our heart creates so much

positive energies that this Kalushya does not ever come back.

 

3- Asuya kalushya : this dirt of chitta can be cancelled by

becoming happy while seeing any person going on the path of truth.

When ever we see a person on spiritual path, without caring for his

truth or falsehood, or without comparing him or judging him, we must

feel – aha God is so great….like he has put this person on his path,

may he take pity on all and take all to this path. Such true

feelings from heart will negate Asuya Kalushya and will help in

concentration of the mind.

 

4- Dvesha & Amarsha : When we see sinners or criminals or bad

people then we should be indifferent towards them. Even thinking

about their sin, disturbs the mind.

 

Thus Sage Patanjali tells various problems in the path of Yoga and

their solutions. In shloka 29, however He reveals that " Ishwar

Pranidhaan " putting all of ourself into the hands of God is the best

way to attain yoga. This takes care of all the Kalushyas and

hinderances.

 

In Geeta also Bhagwan Krishna confirmed that those who surrender

themselves to Him, Krishna takes the burden of his sadhna into his

hands.

 

So finally complete and unconditional surrender is the only key to

Yoga, without which God's grace is not forthcoming

 

Hari Aum