To paraphrase the observations of a Sufi sage, unless we come to know the Essence we will never understand the apparent. Most spiritual traditions share this insight. The non-dual Vedantins allude to this truism by claiming that the apparent “world is illusion (maya)” unless we cultivate a deeper vision, while the Taoists affirm that the Way is to be found neither in action or inaction. The confounding truth is that just behind the veil of conditioned perception of materiality lies the ever vibrant, expanding pure Awareness-Love. The question is how to draw the curtain back.
The yogic tradition recommends several pathways to follow that help to peal away the dead skin that has to be shed. Ultimately what these practices enable is a change of heart and clearing of mind that have become burdened, desensitized and made dull. Redirection of effort and energies are essential for emergence of “the Sky of the Heart,” held unheralded inside each of us. Lets touch on some of these pathways, sometimes called “tapahsvadhyesvarapranidhana.”
Tapas is what is known as the heat and radiance of right effort. This effort is the summoning and marshalling of energy in ways that free us from being held captive, largely by things and also beliefs and dogmas. A fundamental understanding in yogic literature is that humans have unique and powerful attributes, but such gifts are often misdirected and squandered. It’s a bit like a powerful army misdirected to the east when the invader is encroaching from the west. Resources count for little when not yoked (a translation for “yoga”) or harnessed skillfully. A yogi once said “the heart is the hubs of all places, go there and roam in it.” So, knowing where and how to look is first and foremost. Then apply effort. Uplifting practices like consistent mantra repetition, meditation, contemplation of Truth and asana without forcefulness or ego will all begin to change quality of mind and heart. Inner radiance that is of our unique attributes begins to glow through such ardent practice. But consistency and enthusiasm are non-negotiable. That’s the tapas bit.
Svadhyaya or study of the Truth is the next part of the aphorism cited above. In the Vedantic tradition there is a fourfold process for realizing the Essential. The third and most crucial step is called manana which can be translated as deep reflection over the nature of Reality. While this entails consistency, attention and affinity to the object of our contemplation, the capacity to probe and revisit again and again is necessary. The unobvious, more nuanced meanings and instructions are then revealed. Then comes the “Aha! Now I get it!”
Another aspect of svadhyaya is the influence of the company we keep. Since so much of communication is non-verbal, who we hang out with really effects us. This why the practice of satsang or being in the company of lovers of the Truth is so powerful. It is not just what is spoken of in their surroundings but the energy they carry. People dedicated to uplifting practice and contemplation of the essential rather than just the apparent are uplifting to be around. It’s a contact high that lasts and has lasting effects on our internal makeup. The first time I met my teacher I was gobsmacked by the forcefield around him. I just sat in his company for about an hour. Nothing was said, nor needed to be. He just radiated a feeling of such ease, contentment and genuine warmth. I left that meeting deeply shifted internally, now also feeling at ease, content and love.
This brings us to the final part of the aphorism which is “isvarapranidhana.” This term can be interpreted several ways but the meaning that has most centrality for me is “heartfulness and deep trust in the Divine.” All practices are like the spokes of a wheel. They eventually connect us from where we place ourselves outside, in relationship to the apparent, to the hub or the center of all things. In the yogic tradition that center that is everywhere is called “hridayam” or Heart. Along the way we begin to trust our innermost feeling which springs from the Heart and that connects us to the Great Heart that is everywhere.
Deep trust in the Divine is the essence of compassion, both as practice and realization. A time comes when reverence becomes a natural feeling for Life, for all creatures, and for the unseen benevolence that underlies everything. Then it feels natural to perform puja or acts of worship that extol the presence of the shimmering Beauty that has become so evident. When this happens then we can trust that we are being guided to a return with Essence. And then we understand the apparent for what It really is.