What is Knowledge : Ch-6-10.

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Chapter- 6:- Being in Balance with the World-10.

However, this is not the end of the matter. The Reality that we are speaking of, with which you have to set yourselves in tune, is not merely social law – though it is also a very important thing, and you know what will happen if you fight with human society. You do not want to do that, because you will not exist afterwards. But, there is something more than all these things. The yoga system prescribes a rule or a norm by which you have to be in harmony with the reality not only of human society, but also of the world of nature. Can you believe that you can be happy merely by being in tune with human laws but being opponents of natural laws? They will kick you out, and you will not be there. You will cease to be.

Therefore, the yoga exercises or asanas, which are not very complicated from the point of view of Patanjali’s system, imply an attempt on your part to keep your physical and physiological system – your muscles and nerves – in tune with what nature outside will expect from you. Though in the hatha yoga system many types of asanas are prescribed – sirsasana, sarvangasana, and so on – Patanjali does not feel the need for all these complicated exercises. He has a simple recipe: you have to be seated. This is because there is something that you will be expected to do after you are seated.

You may ask what is meant by being seated, and why you should be seated rather than standing or lie down. The standing posture is not possible for a long time, because the very reason for this prescription of maintaining a balance in the system is that you should be able to concentrate your mind on what you consider as the final reality. If you begin to concentrate the mind on reality while in a standing position, you will withdraw your attention from your body and from the effort of standing, and you know what happens if you are not conscious that you are standing; you will collapse. Therefore, a standing posture is not suitable for concentration of the mind in yoga.

Swami Krishnananda
To be continued  .....


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