When someone is disturbed, they don’t realize time is passing, isn’t that so? This is because their entire focus is on the incident itself, on the event—not on time. When someone is waiting for a train to arrive, they’re simply waiting. So the entire focus is on the object, not on time itself. You’re either waiting for the doctor or someone else—still waiting for the moment. Do you understand what I’m saying? Every moment exists within time. That is yoga. The mind is in the moment—not waiting for anything, yet still waiting. You get it?This adds a certain quality to consciousness. This perspective sharpens the mind, the intellect, and the heart. That is yoga—action.
This is the next sutra from Patanjali, from the section called Sadhanapada. Sadhanapada is the practice of the path.
“Tapah svadhyaya ishwarapranidhanani kriya yogah”
Tapah = purification; Svadhyaya = self-study; Ishwarapranidhana = surrender to the Divine; Kriya = action; Yogah = yoga
Tapah is kriya yoga. Kriya yoga is the yoga of action.
Action is a part of creation. There is movement in everything—from the atom to the Sun, the Moon, and the stars—they are all moving. There is nothing static in this creation. Only motion.
Everything is active, in motion. Brahman, the infinite, is filled with infinite movement. There is no stillness whatsoever.
Even during sleep, there is activity. You may think you are sleeping, but there is actually even more activity in sleep.The body develops more while sleeping than when you are awake. Did you know that? That’s why a growing child sleeps more. Young people sleep more than the elderly because their bodies are highly active, their metabolism is faster, etc.The body in youth is still developing. In children, every cell multiplies during sleep, and the cells reproduce more. If you deprive someone of sleep, their development stops. There is tremendous activity during sleep.
Even in silence, there is activity.At the same time, in every activity, there is a corner of silence.Krishna says to Arjuna:
“Arjuna, do you know who is truly wise?”Arjuna replies: “No.”Then Krishna says: “The one who sees silence in activity and activity in silence is the intelligent one.”
How do you see silence in action and action in silence?
You need awareness, alertness, and sharpness.This sharpness can come when you bring skillfulness into your activity.That skill in the things you do—that is yoga.Kriya yoga—the yoga of action.
What is kriya yoga?
It consists of three parts. He says tapah.Tapas is acceptance, endurance.For example, you are traveling by plane—on a long flight. You’re seated and your legs are numb. You’re tired, but you keep sitting. You feel heavy, but you remain seated.You can’t say:“Oh! I can’t sit anymore. I’ll get off the plane!”There’s no way.If the flight is delayed and the plane must circle in the air, you have to be there too. You have no choice.If you had a choice, you wouldn’t sit for eight hours straight—in one spot. Impossible.But on the plane, you sit voluntarily, without complaining.That is tapah.
(This series is part of knowledge based on the commentaries of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.)
