Going Inward

The Foundation of Yogic Philosophy

From the Samkhya Yoga Sutras of Patanjali to the practices of Shaivism and Buddhism, going inward in a meditative state divorced from materiality and time has been a staple of Eastern philosophy and practice. At this point I must warn you that I come from the perspective of Buddhism on this subject and have a slight bias. This form of meditation comes in many ways such as Zazen and Japa, but the goal remains the same, to explore the microcosm of the mind through sensory deprivation and to refine the mind like gold. Instead of being outside looking in, this form of meditation unites you with the Intellect within (called in various traditions: Rigpa, Shiva, The Nous) and you are now seeing from the inside. The external world is now a place in which you can control. This form of meditation can help you detatch from your Ego and other outside notions that hinder physical and spiritual development. By escaping the duality of subconcious and concious thought, cutting problems out by their roots, you can achieve a higher state of mind. Your past experiences, the anxiety about the future and dread you may feel now can be conquered by this simple yet difficult to master practice and lead to a true awakening as well as self-mastery. Here are some choice quotes from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali:

(Yoga Sutras, Parts 1 and 2)

Detatchment

The cornerstone of this practice is detatchment from the sensory world and the use of various practices such as Kriya Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation to gain awareness of the subtleties of the mind to achieve "one-pointed focus". This focus is one that is quite literally like a laser beam that never tires and grants the state of Samadhi, which could be described as sort of an intellectual trance state of inspiration. The use of entertainment, drinking, smoking and sex (with attatchment) pulls us away from the universe within our minds, and back into titanic materiality without real willpower. Even identifying yourself with your mind, body and the things in your general vicinity pull you out of this precious state. In Tantra and its various traditions such as Vajrayana, Trika Shaivism and Aghora (the latter being the most controversial) all use sense objects and materiality to actually fuel this inward state of self (or no-self) realization. Aghoris think it a great challenge of their will to engage in intoxicants such as alcohol, opium, hashish, mercury, arsenic and datura, they also believe this to be a way of relating to their Lord Shiva who is in constant "intoxication" through Samadhi. The use of "lust" is also used to achieve this state by transmuting what would usually be reckless desire amounting to nothing of use, into mental clarity, focus and inwardness. Long term fasting and sleep deprivation are also recorded as methods but can be dangerous. I believe I have illustrated here that both extremes are used, sensory deprivation and sensory over-load, both are also effective for different people.

The Spiritual Realms

The "intellectual realm" as it is called in Platonic philosophy is the realm of the Gods and the source of Intellect, which is what you connect to once you have achieve this inwardness. But it is a mistake to think it is separate from yourself or lack there of, as some eastern traditions (in particular Buddhism and Tantric Shaivism) posit that our world and others are immanent yet transcendent, as are the Gods themselves, and can be connected to through this powerful union of the mind. This is what is called "God-Consciousness" or "Living Theurgy" in which every act is spiritualized, without attatchment and a connection to the divine through this inner union. In Buddhism one can be spiritually present at any time in one of the six realms of Samsara. One moment you may feel like an animal (being present in the realm of animals) or you may feel like a God (the realm of Devas) the next. Inwardness is a tool to recognize these subtlties and transcend them, ultimately to Nirvana or outside the wheel of Samsara into Divinity or Non-Duality. Even if one doesn't believe this specifically it shows that there are subtle influences on us especially when engaging the sense organs (eyes, mouth, ears, etc) but when we go inside our minds and cultivate awareness we can stabilize ourselves and transcend these limiting states. Our goal should be to unite with the inherent wisdom of all things, practioners of Dzogchen call this "Rigpa", while Shaivites (more or less) identify this as Shiva, instead of being tossed around by the outside world.

The Goal

The goal of this state of mind and the various practices that go with it varies within each tradition, in Buddhism the goal is liberation through detatchment from Samsara (Cyclical existence) and the wisdom of Anatman (no-self), in Shaivism it is the ultimate self-realization of the Atman which is seen as an extension of Shiva as Brahman, as well as liberation from material existence and attaining the highest level of Samadhi. But the lofty goals stated here are not for everyone, nor should they be. This method of meditation could even be seen as similar to a ecstatic Shamanic state and realization of the world being just a dream or a powerful force to control. But this practice can provide anyone with well needed tools of realization, focus and awareness that everyone is in short supply of these days. So take a moment out of your day to just try to go inward and be introspective. Preferably you should take a gander at the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali mentioned above. Simply focusing on breathing with no distractions can help anyone relax and see a situation with more perspective, as well as detatchment. This simple practice is described in a Shaivite Text, Vjnana Bhairava Tantra:

"The breath is exhaled with the sound 'Ha' and inhaled again with the sound 'Sa'. Thus the individual always repeats this particular mantra Hamsa." - Vjnana Bhairava Tantra, page 67

This practice is also recorded in Advaita Vedanta and is usually said within the mind as you breathe. The Hamsa mantra means "I am", implying "I am Brahman" or "I am Shiva". Doing this can cultivate your awareness and lead to a higher degree of focus, as well as relaxing you.

Conclusion

The purpose of this article, was to bring this core belief of Yoga to the community and bring them a way of higher understanding and realization of the true nature of supreme reality. The practice of Yoga and Tantra are truly fascinating subjects and Western Polytheists specifically should be applying this knowledge if they ever want to take that extra step. This is not meant to insult one's particular ethnic faith or play into their dualistic notions, but to help one realize the potential and wisdom of these practices. Hopefully you can apply the practices talked about here in some form and can start your own study of these treasured philosophies of the East. Apply them to their fullest and you will certainly see the results. To provide a fitting end, I will leave you with a quote from a Zen Buddhist text, The Platform Sutra:

“In every thought, do not think of former states. If past, present, and future thoughts succeed one another without interruption, it is bondage. Not to dwell in dharmas (phenomenon) from thought to thought is to be free from bondage. That is to take no-dwelling as the basis. Good Knowing Advisors, to be separate from all outward marks is called ‘no-mark.’ The ability to be separate from marks is the purity of the Dharma’s substance. It is to take no-mark as the substance. Good Knowing Advisors, the non-defilement of the mind in all states is called ‘no-thought.’ In your thoughts you should always be separate from states; do not give rise to thought about them.”

- Kalin, The Sun Riders

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