Guest guest Posted January 24, 2004 Report Share Posted January 24, 2004 Unconsciousness: The Only Enemy A True Yogi Must Confront “You have only one enemy, only one devil in your life,” Swamiji was fond of telling us, over and over. In the brashness of youth, we were eager for battle, eager for confrontation. “Who is it Swamiji? We asked where is he / she? We are ready to fight!” “Just stay where you are,” he would respond, bright eyes twinkling. “Your only enemy is right here and now – your very own past – your collection of experiences through life times – your past! He would then remind us that “lived”. Your only “devil” is “living backwards, living in the past, living in the sub-conscious, unconscious mind.” “Yoga is brining the unconscious and sub-consciousness to the conscious level. Then, using various Yogic techniques, cleansing it clearing it, pruning it, throwing it out. Then you will understand what the great sage Patanjali meant when he said, “Yoga Chitta Vritti: Nirodha – Yoga is the stilling of the whirlpools of the mind.” The “Sub-consciousness’ or Chitta is constantly agitated. By bringing it into the filed of Manas, or consciousness, we can “still” it, cleanse it, control it. Carl Gustaf Jung, the great Swiss psychoanalyst, in the book Memories, Dreams and Reflections gave a brilliant description of the unconscious mind. Unconscious – everything which I know, but which I am not at the moment thinking, everything of which I was once conscious, but which I have now forgotten, everything perceived by my senses, but not noted by my consciousness, everything which, involuntarily and without paying attention to it, I feel, think and remember, want to do; all the future things that are taking shape in me and well at sometime come to consciousness – all this is the content of the unconscious. He analyzed mind as having four levels. Memories, Dreams and Reflection 389. One : Ego Consciousness Two : Personal Unconsciousness Three : Collective Fourth : Psychoid – Ultimate base, mind dissolve and becomes one with nature. In this he touched in a rough way many Yogic concepts through his own study and introspection. By whatever name it is called, the unconsciousness is a mighty foe as we enter the biggest battle of our lives, we may feel compelled to echo the surprised words of the great General who climbing a hill preparing to energy his opponents in battle on the other side. On reaching the crest of the ridge, he was astonished to find a regiment of his own battalion waiting to fight him! He cried out in great surprise, “we have met the enemy and he is us!” Truer words were never spoken.Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani Chairman Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER 25,2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry-605 013 Tel;0413 2622902 / 0413 2241561 abb,yognat2001 Website: www.icyer.com SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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