3 Apr 2022 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
We present a blog on Bondage and Liberation. There are three forms of suffering, due to which an idea arises in Purusha that it is bound. Whenever the three gunas are active, there is disharmony, and dealing with disharmony causes struggle. This conflict and suffering are categorized into three types: adhibhautika, adhyatmika, and adhidaivika. The first kind of pain stems from, material causes, the second from personal, inner causes, and the third from cosmic or divine influences. More on Bondage and Liberation.
When purusha, being the conscious nature, identifies with the three classifications of suffering, it appears bound. Prakriti is the cause of all sufferings but does not identify with them, because prakriti does not have consciousness. We interact with the pains and pleasures of the world based on our inherited or innate predispositions (bhavas), which either entangle us further in karma or help us detach from it.
Dharmena gamanamoordhvam gamanamadhastaadbhavatyadharmena;
Jnaanena chaapavarago viparyayaadishyate bandhah.
One ascends to higher planes of existence through the predisposition towards a virtuous nature (dharma). Through inappropriate or vicious behaviour (adharma) one descends to lower planes. Through knowledge comes release and by its reverse (i.e. avidya or ignorance) one becomes bound.
When Purusha is freed from the influences of mahat (buddhi), ahamkara, and manas, it is chetana, pure consciousness. However, when Purusha comes into contact with Prakriti, it forgets its own nature. Due to its ignorance, Purusha identifies with intellect, ego, and mind, and begins to believe it is not different from the experiences it has in the realm of Prakriti.
This association of Purusha with Prakriti causes bondage through false identification. It is like reacting to a dream. While dreaming that somebody is chasing you with a gun, you experience fear and anxiety. But upon awakening, you realize it was just a dream. Purusha is conscious by nature, which relates to the state of wakefulness. However, when Purusha interacts with Prakriti, the consciousness becomes dissipated.
When you sit alone in a room, you become introspective and absorbed in your thoughts. However, as soon as someone walks in, you shift your focus to them and begin communicating, forgetting about yourself. Similarly, Purusha remains at peace when independent. However, when Prakriti comes before Purusha, it starts interacting with Prakriti, causing the awareness to dissipate.
Interaction and then identification begins due to association with Prakriti. Purusha loses its self-consciousness and begins to observe and react to the nature of Prakriti. Because of this loss of awareness and self-identification, Purusha thinks, “ I am the bhokta, the enjoyer” and begins to identify personally with the experiences of buddhi, manas, and ahamkara, which are manifestations of Prakriti.
The subtle (sukshma) body, and the body born of mother and father, together with the objects made of the gross elements, are specific. Of these, the subtle body is constant and continues to exist from one life to the next, whereas the gross body born of parents perishes. Purusha experiences suffering brought about by old age and death on account of the non-cessation of the subtle body (linga). Therefore, pain is the very nature of things.
At this point, Purusha becomes a witness to the experience of pain, pleasure, and indifference, due to identification with the effects of Prakriti and its trigunatmika nature. The natural and inherent consciousness of Purusha recedes further from awareness as Purusha identifies with the dance of Prakriti. That identity gives rise to the feeling of bondage. “I am limited, confined, I am only seeing, knowing, understanding, and experiencing what is being shown to me by Prakriti.” Due to the influence of the three Gunas Purusha experiences bondage, and the ability to discriminate is lost. Now, the question arises as to why Purusha, being conscious, is affected by the role that Prakriti plays. One example is as follows:
Parents become happy when their children do something positive and constructive, and unhappy when they do something destructive or negative. Although the parents are different from their offspring, they respond to the activities of their children because of an emotional relationship or connection. Similarly, a relationship exists between Purusha and Prakriti. Therefore Purusha is not able to separate its role from the role of Prakriti and begins to think, “I am not different from the intelligence which guides Prakriti,”.
In this way, Purusha becomes identified with Buddhi and forgets that Buddhi (mahat) is the product of Prakriti. This wrong identification or lack of discrimination is the cause of bondage. It is similar to parents identifying with the suffering of their child. Although the parents are not suffering, still they sit beside the child`s bed, knowing they cannot do anything to alleviate the suffering.