from head to heart...: Patanjali Yoga Sutra: Day 07

DAY 07: KRIYA YOGA & THREE TYPES OF TAPAS

When someone is anxious, he is very aware of every moment but whole focus is only on an event.
Uniting with the time, mind is in the moment waiting for nothing. Waiting in the moment but for nothing is Yoga. Little shift from waiting for an event to waiting for the moment sharpens the intellect and softens the heart. And this is called yoga of action.
Kriya yoga is yoga of action. Action is part and parcel of this creation. There is activity in everything - right from an atom to sun, moon and stars. The entire creation is activity. There is absolutely no silence at all. Even in sleep there is activity. There is a lot of metabolic activity going on in sleep. Growing kids sleep more than aged people.
Even in silence there is activity. One who sees silence in activity and activity in silence is wise.

How can we see this? This can come when there is skill in activity. Skill in activity is yoga.
Kriya yoga comprises of three parts

Tapa (endurance, acceptance): Willingly experience the opposite values without grumbling is Tapa. We willingly decide to do some activity that is not usual and very easy, this endurance is called Tapas. The result of this action is very good such as doing exercise, keeping fast etc.
Sawadhyaya (self study): Observing; observing the thoughts, observing the emotions
Eshwara Pranidhaana (devotion to the divine): Love for the divine

The above things reduce the suffering, misery and give rise to samadhi.

Tapa makes you strong. It strengthens us. Willing going through something that is not pleasant is Tapas.

There are three types of tapas:

(These are discussed below in detail)

Bhootagni: Fire with which we heat our homes; we keep warm. This fire that exists in physical form. It sustains life. This is also present in the body to some extent.
Kamagni: Fire of desire/lust/passion. It gulps you. It is because of this fire that life continues on this planet. The moment desires come we want to immediately fulfill it. Promiscuous people have zero Kamagni. We don’t even let this agni rise. When ever this arises, just observe it, be aware and it moves on. But if you don't allow it to sustain it, it makes you less sensitive and fills you with inertia.
Jatharagni: Fire of hunger/digestion. If this is less or more, it affects the health, the balance. We don’t even allow the hunger to rise to optimal level. We feel a little hungry and we start stuffing.

Fasting (once in a while) can be a very good for us. When we fast every cell of the body becomes alive. Fating is very good therapy. It cleanse your body; the Jatharagni purifies your body. Also, too much fasting is also no good. Fasting can bring dynamism but has to be done with the understanding. Fasting touches the deepest 'sanskaras'.

What is fever - burning all the foreign elements. This is what happens in fever. The purpose of fever is to get rid of foreign element.

Badagni: Fire of criticism. Fire due to opinion of others. Man is a social element i.e. why there is fear of social criticism. We need to follow certain laws. Fire of criticism keeps the morals in you but if it grows out of proportion, the same fire can shutdown your freedom, sense of openness & centeredness.

Premagni or gyanagni: Fire of love or knowledge; the fire of love that can take you above the fire of criticism. This fire begins with intense longing. This can be experienced only in the human birth. This creates unpleasant feeling (sense of longing) in the beginning but moves on to the blossoming of bliss.

When life moves through all these fires, it comes out as gold. Tapa means actually being baked or fried in above panchagni. One who goes through the five fires, crosses over to the other side.

Tamsik (demonic): Torturing oneself
Rajsic: Doing any practice with the desire of achieving something. Doing something with some motive to get something. Tapas that is done with showoff and with sense 'I' & 'I'-ness.
Satvik: You don’t feel as if you are doing tapa. Being aware and going through these fire of life, is satvik tapas.

This world is a phenomenon. This time in the ocean of consciousness is an phenomenon. We all are like the waves arising in the ocean of consciousness. Waves rise and then will merge in the ocean. With this awareness move through the Tapas in life.

Tapa of body: Keep personal hygiene and continence. Having a say on the senses. Overcoming lethargy. Having a control on the senses and body.
Tapa of speech (Vangmaya Tapas): Speaking something that doesn't excite others (in wrong sense); doesn't ruffle others. Speaking the truth - the pleasant truth, that doesn't hurt other. Truth can also be said in pleasant way. Do not use the harsh expression of the truth.

Often when you keep you lips tight the better person you are. Words have the power to bless and to curse as well so should be used properly. Bad words rebound to you but need not to be wish-washy, goody-goody always. Even that is a self deception.

Tapa of mind (Manomaya Tapas): Maintaining the (1) pleasantness with contentment (2) calm and composed (3) silent mind (4) a mind remaining in the self are part of Manomaya tapas. Awareness comes with composedness. If you are calm and composed then you are more aware and sensitive to others' feeling and things around you.

Keeping mind silent is also tapas of mind. Mind goes out again and again but keep reminding to be silent.

Normally we think our mind is in the body but the body is inside mind. Prana is 10 times bigger than physical body; 10 times bigger than prana body is mind body; 10 times bigger than mind body is intuitive body and 10 times bigger than intuitive body is body of bliss…which is limitless and bound less, infinite body.
Whenever you are unhappy, remember your love (which is so big & infinite) has stuck in a small object/box. Love gives you problem when you don't understand its magnitude.

from head to heart...