Yoga: A Study Of Opposites

A brief talk on the kleshas, or the causes of suffering according to yoga philosophy, and their opposites: a path to self-understanding and happiness. Any student of yoga might appreciate the talk, or anyone interested in the concep of opposites.

Transcript

Yoga is very much a study of opposites.

Inhale and exhale,

That's the most basic.

Prana,

That energy which moves up,

And apana,

That energy which moves down.

Even the obstacles to our happiness,

The kleshas,

Have an opposite.

Avidya,

Which is ignorance,

A fundamental obstacle to happiness,

Has its opposite in knowledge,

Of course.

Knowledge of ourselves,

Knowledge of theory.

Asmita,

Which is our distorted self of identity,

The I,

Me,

My-ness,

Has its opposite in connectedness.

A feeling not of ego but of being as one,

As the same,

As your neighbor,

As your fellow person.

Raga,

That suffering caused by attachment,

Has its opposite in detachment,

In letting go,

In feeling of having enough.

Daivyasa,

Suffering caused by aversion,

Has its attachment in embracing that which might otherwise disgust us.

So,

Looking at that which we might find ugly and finding it human instead,

It has its opposite in compassion.

Finally,

Abhimanesha,

The suffering caused by the fear of death,

Has its opposite in embracing the present moment,

Being present and being alive,

Moment by moment,

Back to breath,

Breath by breath.

Reviews

Interesting!