Abhyasa and Vairagya – Practice and
Dispassion
Divine Life
Society Publication: Chapter22- True Spiritual
Living by Swami Sivananda
The control of the mind is
effected by a spirit of renunciation and tenacity of practice, says Patanjali: abhyasa
vairagyabham tannirodhah. The nirodha, or the discipline or
inhibition of the modification of the mind, is effected by two consistent
efforts – the spirit of dispassion, and persistent practice. The effort of the
mind to repeatedly think the same thing, and not allow itself to think anything
else other than what it has chosen for its ideal, may be regarded as 'practice'
for the purpose of yoga.
A deep, whole-souled
concentration or absorption of the mind on a given subject, an object, or a
concept, works a wonder. A thing that is far off, is impossible of achievement
or acquisition, ordinarily speaking. But the mind which is connected to
objects, can overcome the barrier of space and time; and by repeated
concentration on what it wishes to achieve, acquire, possess or experience, it
can materialize that object at the spot by abolishing the distinction between
the subject and the object that is brought about by the factors of space and
time. What makes it difficult for us to
achieve anything, possess anything or experience anything directly is the
spatial distance between us and the object. We have to abolish this spatial
distinction, and this is the purpose of practice.
But, simultaneously, Patanjali
says that this kind of effort at abolishing spatial distance between us and the
object is impossible unless we have another qualification, called vairagya.
Vairagya means a spirit of understanding the true nature of things, on
account of which the mind ceases from attaching itself to particular things of
the world, knowing very well that every particular object in the world is
included in that which it seeks. When this knowledge arises, when there is this
discrimination, this ability to understand correctly the relationship of any
particular object in the world to that which one is seeking in yoga, there is
automatic dispassion. The absence of passion is dispassion; the absence of raga
is viraga. The condition of viraga is vairagya. Vairagya
and abhyasa should go together.
But vairagya is the
most difficult thing to understand. It is one of the things which we very much
misinterpret, misconstrue, and mispractice. We may be very seriously attached
inwardly, but we may be glorious renunciates outside – again due to the fact
that the understanding is not going hand-in-hand with the emotion or the
feeling. The reason why we cannot be inwardly detached is because our
understanding is not friendly with our feelings. A great man said, "The
heart has a reason which reason does not know." If this is the condition,
the emotions will refute all the assertions of understanding. Intellectual vairagya
is no vairagya, because the feeling of detachment is more an emotional
condition which touches the vital being in us rather than merely an outward
activity of logical judgment.
'Not to need an object' is
generally defined as the condition of vairagya. Not that we cannot get
it, or we are exerting not to think about it. But we have no necessity for it,
because of various reasons. One reason is that it is an illusion or optical
illusion, like the rainbow or the water in a mirage. So, when we realize that
the thing is itself not there and we are under a misconception about it, and we
are very thoroughly convinced about it, then, of course, we will not get
attached to it. For instance, we are not attached to the treasure that is seen
on the screen in a cinema, because we know it is not there, that it is only a
shadow that is cast on the wall or the canvas. But suppose we are not able to realize
that it is an illusion, then the emotion will run towards it.
While the discovery of the
illusory character of an object may be a factor in stirring a spirit of
detachment within us, the spirit of detachment can also come by knowing, “What
I have with me already includes the object towards which the senses are
moving.” If I have hundred million dollars, one dollar is already included in
it, and I need not run after one dollar, because I have hundred million. That
is one way. Or, “It is not a dollar at all, it is only a deceptive picture that
is kept before me.” Then also the mind will not go there.
How are we to practice vairagya?
There is no vairagya without abhyasa, and no abhyasa
without vairagya – practice and dispassion.They go together, like two
wings of a bird. This is also emphasised in the sixth chapter of the
Bhagavadgita: abhyasena tu kaunteya vairagyena ca grhyate (Gita 6.35),
says Bhagavan Sri Krishna. "How this turbulent mind can be
controlled?" asks Arjuna, "Is it possible at all?" "Yes, it
is possible by abhyasa and vairagya."
Therefore, if we are
well-established in this double attitude of the consciousness of abhyasa
and vairagya, we are already rooted in yoga.
Excerpts from:
Abhyasa and Vairagya - True Spiritual
Living by Swami Krishnananda
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