The world is dual for now, but unitary in reality. So how can the now which feels so real be just an illusion? And if it is just an illusion, who is it that is experiencing the illusion?

Only Purusa has awareness, and its awareness is perfect, so how could we be possibly under an illusion if this is the case?

The schizophrenia is perhaps related to the dual polarity of extraversion (sense experience) and intraversion (reflection/meditation) which necessarily occurs.

“But in yoga we are attempting to make the concrete fluid” – we know that material phenomena are transitory, but we dont necessarily believe the soul is eternal – this is what, I think, produces all our anxiety – we believe everything will come to an end, and then what? A deep void.

I dont think its about strengthening structures, its about deepening and strengthening a feeling for Self identity. The deep confident inner stillness which is produced by intense practice is re-enforced on a daily basis. Grasping for understanding can undermine this, so its better just to sit with it if questioning just produces more anxiety and doubt.

The part of your response that I really like is that schizophrenic thing, which taps into the contexts within contexts within contexts infinitely thing: is there something to hold onto or not? Of course, there is: for most of us, the phenomenae in the present moment are totally concrete. But in yoga we are attempting to make the concrete fluid. But you can only do this if you get stronger and more solid. But that is a practice which will snare you in its structure and never allow any freedom. But freedom is unbearable unless you get stronger. But you need to be strong enough to let go of your structure. But you let it go too soon and now you are just koo-koo.

Yogis are ecstatic schizophrenics.

I think it depends on the personality and the motivation for practice. Unfortunately (perhaps) most people have no idea or particular interest in the true goals of yoga.
These practitioners will be particularly unaware of their own character faults, gaining pleasure as they do from the transformations and improvements they experience.
Along with this comes the notion: “Do your practice and all is coming” – so nothing else remains to be done.

However, the question as to what is practice? Or how far does practice extend? Is not usually asked. We know very well that asana cannot stand by itself, it has to be supported by lifestyle and moral changes. How do we know what has to change? we see our faults (shadow) and adjust accordingly.

But we know that practice is actually much deeper than this. We know that yoga is about controlling the mind, not just the body, and for this continuous discrimination and practice is required. Yoga is somewhat bizarre and schizophrenic in saying that reality is non-dual and the perceived world is just an illusion, a temporary collection of atoms, which dissolves and changes at every moment, and at the same time says: “You (You must have some substantive part) must change to perceive this reality”

There are those who are interested in a continuous monitoring of their own moral failures and attempting to transform these, but mostly we say : “This is who I am, if you dont like it, go and **** yourself”

I completely share your frustration with the West’s appropriation of yoga to its own materialistic and narcissistic ends. However, I think Yoga Journal is already beyond our help as is much of the rest of society’s perception. I think the only thing we can do is to teach and present a deeper and fuller yoga without fear that this might frighten potential students away.

Thank you.

I agree with you with one reservation: the Hindus and yogis must have had a few reasons for their zealous protection of the inner sanctum over millenia. You might say the cat’s out of the bag now.

Patanjali implies that yoga is so powerful that it can blow up one’s ego to profound proportions, which isn’t going to help.

I think yoga is so great that I believe it can help us all with our planetary constant crisis. I’m just trying to stir things a bit, according to my view of what’s good.

steve

my only comment is that isn’t there an aspect of quality here? That elusive, undefinable differentiator between the great and the rest? I just don’t believe that the “quality” of Yoga, the core wisdom, is even capable of being diminished – regardless of how commercialized, bastardized or westernized it becomes. In fact, if less than 1% of the “samplers” find the juice within, then the wisdom has spread and grown.

great post!

Well, you’ve done it, that third paragraph of yours is what I’ve been waiting for. I’m going to read it again.

It’ll get a few thousand hits just having it here.

But the great hope: Krishnamacharya was and Patabhi Jois is…beautiful, charismatic, and so real it makes your heart ache. Mastery like that FEELS SO GOOD (when it doesn’t hurt like hell or make you feel like you can’t breathe).

thanks for that
xo Steve

I sense that you’re tempted to disown our great American yoga culture, but choosing to engage it—and not out of a shadow attraction to the chatter. If you have made that choice, it’s inspiring and a little mind-blowing. Hermitism too easy in a world in which laundry exists? I think that’s what Krishnamacharya would have said.

I have often thought, but lacked the courage to blog, that the greater yoga community provides the perfect conditions for Wilber’s mean green meme to flourish. Who am I to comment on the easy-target actor/ model/ “teachers”? Someday, when I’ve processed the reactions this culture gives me, I’ll try to write about this interesting situation: the hub of American yoga is itself a Hollywood sub-market. E.g.: Yogaworks directly targets models and actors for TT programs: it’s what you do when other celebrity-paths don’t pan. It’s another field for careerism, and all the ways it gets accessorized. But as you say: when you live in a world in which reputation and looking great and money are the only graspable bonifides, when the pursuit of so-called wisdom directly conflicts with the pursuit of this “happiness” (and could be just a legitimation racket for the disappointments of getting older), I guess that makes sense. Enter the green meme, on an AUM and an ujjayi breath.

Finally, not to write a whole dissertation on you, but: on the claim that, developmentally, you can’t go back. Yeah, systems theory/cybernetics says this. But, if I may advocate for the devil, I suspect this teleology is a story we tell to give ourselves hope—itself the other side of defeatism (Kornfield is good, if I remember, on undercutting this kind of it’ll-all-turn-out-in-the-end optimism). Looking around, I see plenty of people go into dark nights of the body/heart/soul and never again emerge. We forget that life can be deeply degrading: not only if one is a war victim but whenever one opts for the materialistic path you described so perfectly–of casting off the sentimental belief in growth and embracing shallow, immediate crap because it’s all you’re sure is real. I’d submit that development is a choice! And this is what makes makes committing to it, and committing to the development of others, so urgent.