#3 Identification Creates The Illusion Of Reality | Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali

This world is a projection that appears to be real because there is the identification of the witness to various forms of projection. In order to understand that, learn what is Chitta (the mind screen), Vritti (the projections on that screen), and the witness (the one who is experiencing the show).

Patanjali says:
Then the seer rests in his own unmodified state
In other states, the seer is identified with the modifications

Transcript

Namaste and a very warm welcome to all of you in this daily morning live meditation session with me,

The answer my salutations to Patanjali to the knowledge of yoga for allowing us to bring this knowledge into our life to transform our life and take us out of our miseries that we create for ourselves and for the world.

Yoga is clarity of mind,

Clarity of consciousness so that you not only understand it superficially,

Understand yourself superficially but rather as deep as possible.

The entire construct of who we are,

How we function,

How the mind is,

How the mind functions is all illustrated in yoga is all a part of yogic understanding.

As you go along with me through these yoga sutras of Patanjali not only you will understand the sutras theoretically but the understanding of it just by going through these sutras your energies will reorganize,

Your energies will come into yoga into a union by just going through these sutras.

That is the design of Patanjali,

The highest intelligence put into the design of yoga into the build up of these sutras in a way that while going through these sutras just by understanding them just by revealing the meaning of them to ourselves by being open by receiving them there is already transformation.

The sutras that we are currently going through,

Yoga chitta vritti nirodha,

Yoga is cessation of the mind stuff from taking various forms.

Swarupaavastanam,

Then the seer rests in his own unmodified state.

Vritti svarupayam itaratra in other states the seer is identified with the modifications.

See that Patanjali is already setting a goal a clarity for you what yoga is about when yoga happens so that you are not kept in the dark so that you know what to aim at so that you can measure constantly see what's happening and see whether you are on the right path or not.

Yoga is the cessation of the mind stuff from taking various forms.

I explained this yesterday in detail but afterwards some of you wrote to me to make this more clear what is this mind stuff what is this chitta and what are the forms that it takes.

In very simple words if you do not want to have this sophisticated understanding the surgical understanding of this topic you can see this as mind simply as mind cessation of mind meaning the silence of mind when the mind is completely silent then yoga happens.

Yoga is when mind is completely silent that would be the most simplistic definition the most simplistic understanding and explanation whatever you call as mind if that is silent that is yoga that's when yoga happens that's when energies reorganize and come into union into one.

Now the more sophisticated understanding of what is this mind stuff what are the forms to understand that we have to go slightly back in the past and then in the future and I hope by doing that you will have a better picture of what is chitta the mind stuff which Patanjali is talking about.

Let's go into the past first.

I grew up in India over there there was sometimes electricity was there sometimes it was not there and in the night in the evening when it's dark and there was no electricity we used to light up a candle and as we were children what I distinctly remember us enjoying was to play in front of the candle with our fingers and the fingers making a shadow on the wall and this I remember distinctly when I saw for the first time the joy in my eyes to see that the two fingers were not actually the two fingers they were the rabbit on the wall they were the eagle on the wall on the projected wall the shadow when it was projected it was for me the rabbit for me it was the eagle so this projection on screen is the chitta the screen on which you see the projection in this case it's a two dimensional screen chitta is multi-dimensional in its originality it's not not even three dimensional it's multi-dimensional but to understand it the two-dimensional screen on the wall on which the candle and the two fingers were making the shadow of a rabbit and me as a child assuming identifying with the shadow as a rabbit is what Patanjali is referring to as first of all chitta the screen the shadow the form that is there on the screen is the form which he is talking about which is taking place in chitta and the third thing is the identification the seer me the child the seer when the child the seer is looking at that eagle or at that rabbit on the wall it's identified with it it thinks that this is real it thinks that this this is actually happening in these two the play of two things the form on chitta and the seer identified with the form is the secret of the entire world the entire world is a projection in front of us where all what is happening is we the seer in the state we are currently is identified with it is seeing this as real it's the same as a child looking at the shadow of the fingers thinking it's a rabbit or an eagle now let's go somewhat into the future for those who never had no issues with electricity who may not follow the logic who may not follow the analogy in future we are coming up with this virtual reality if you had put up these virtual reality glasses ever you will see that the moment you put on these glasses you're thrown into a completely different world the world where there is a beautiful landscape you are immediately taken into the depths of the ocean you see dolphins and fishes floating you are taken to another planet you are taken to whichever place when you put on these virtual reality glasses it's also a chitta there there is also a projection there and in that projection you see that projection you are in that projection the only difference here right now is that you somewhat know you're not the child who doesn't know that this is not a rabbit this is just finger and the shadow of the finger making the image of the rabbit you in virtual reality glasses right now know what you see the landscapes the journey it takes you you know somewhat as involving as beautiful or if you're watching a horror film or anything a projection whatever thoughts whatever emotions you go through during that projection somewhere deep down you know that this is not reality this is just a projection but imagine in future when this identification with what you see becomes more and more solid and this understanding this deep down clarity that this is just a projection becomes more and more blur comes to a point where we forget that what we see when we put on these glasses is not real when we take it for reality imagine what will happen imagine that state when you are putting up a virtual reality glass you are in whichever situation you would like to be in and you have no sense of breaking this identification or in other words the identification is so strong that you take that projection as a reality yoga is to always bring you back from this projection to reality to make you always understand remind you there is a seer remind you there is a chitta there is a projection there is an image and give you a way in which this projection is over the only way you would know that this was a projection is when you become aware of the seer when for even a short while the projection is taken away from your mind screen and you are dis identified with what's happening now what is chitta we went into the past we went into the future let's come to this moment when you close your eyes and I tell you to imagine an elephant in a jungle do that right now in that present moment close your eyes and imagine an elephant walking in the jungle now where is this projection made that screen that you see in front of your closed eyes where that elephant is actually walking in the jungle that is chitta the form of the elephant walking is the form is the vritti which is the modification in your chitta and who is watching that elephant walking in the jungle is the seer remember this basic principle these basic elements of the construct of your mind that there is a screen which is the chitta which takes forms images and then there is a seer it's very important to note the seer as well as much as it is important to note the projection and the form on that projection with that let us very briefly go through what the sutras mean the sutra says yoga is cessation of the mind stuff from taking various forms so yoga is when this projection is not happening anymore when there is only bright light or not even light there is absolutely no projection the chitta is completely clear there is no form no object no projection then then the seer rests in his own unmodified state only when the movie is over when there is nothing to see on the screen slowly the seer is coming to rest the seer is not caught up in the projections is not always excited to see what is on the screen and lastly in other states the seer is identified with the modifications i already explained that that when some movie is going on constantly on the screen you are constantly identified with it and that's not just true for what's happening in the mind but that's true for what you see and what you experience throughout your life this whole world as you see is a projection and you're identified the seer in you is identified with all the projection making it real take the projection of take the identification of and the seer sits in its restful place in its unmodified state for today's meditation for today's silence i would like you to reflect on what is being explained please close your eyes put your hands in your lap or on your thighs with your back upright awareness to your mind screen all images thoughts everything that is going on in your inner space in the projection of your mind take a note of this screen as chitta see that someone in you the seer is observing this mind screen is observing what's happening on the mind screen and for the next minutes assume whatever is happening on your mind screen is just a projection it's just an illusion is not real whatever you're thinking the images the sounds the inner chatter the noises from the outside everything from perception to the projections on your mind screen is all unreal all inner conversations thoughts images even emotions perceptions all are unreal stay in this realization you As all these forms settle and the mind screen clears,

Notice the seer,

The witness.

Let that witness rest.

Let that witness be disidentified with the projections.

Let that witness be disidentified with the projections.

The screen is blank.

The mind is silent.

Awareness on the seer,

Allowing the seer to rest.

Let that witness rest.

Let all projections go.

Let that witness rest.

Let that witness rest.

Let that witness rest.

Notice this restful state.

Remember this restful state.

Let that witness rest.

Let that witness rest.

If you wish to stay longer in this meditative state,

Keep your eyes closed.

Let no projections arise.

Let your witness be at rest for as long as you like.

Or very gently and slowly open your eyes.

See how the perception turns into reality.

How the seer,

The witness,

Once again identifies what is in front.

Maintain this silent awareness and the learnings from the session throughout your day.

I will see you tomorrow at 7 am Central European Time.

Namaste.

Reviews

Thank you for these teachings from Patanjali’s yoga sutras. So clear and helpful.

I enjoyed the talk on yoga and the screen projection of our minds discussion. It was a beautiful feeling of peace in the meditation. 🙏

Lovely. Thank you. 🙏