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Yoga as Absorption, not Concentration: A Continued Conversation with Prashant Iyengar

We have been sharing Alexandra Carilli’s 2018 conversation with Prashant Iyengar. Please enjoy the following installment.

If you don’t know about Prashant I’d like to say his gift is clear. He is a walking, talking anthology of ancient wisdom with a wonderfully witty sense of humor. He is our in-house philosopher. Understanding his teaching precepts takes time. His way of transmitting classical yoga seeps into you drop by drop. At first what is confusing later starts reforming your ideas. If his precepts touch you, they will carve and shape you from the inside with a profound, sanctified, rarified and unlimited breath. His classes are radically different. In the end, it was an absolute pleasure to do this interview. One Saturday afternoon in October 2018 I went to RIMYI with my friend Jennie Willford and we sat with Prashant and talked for about 90 minutes. He was serious and good-natured and, of course, made us laugh. I asked my questions and we enjoyed the ride. I hope you do too.

Alexandra Carilli

Prashant Interview October 13, 2018
By CIYT Alexandra Carilli
Questions 9-13

AC: We learn that the word “yoga” literally means to yoke, join or unite. We also learn that yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of consciousness/mind-stuff, which implies a certain kind of concentration. Can you help us understand where these two definitions come from and how they may or may not relate to one another?

PI: First of all, let me say there is nothing like concentration here. Yoga doesn’t have concentration. Concentration is only in the senses. There must be sensory objects and therefore it is a sensory act. You can’t concentrate if there is no sensory act and no sensory object. How can you concentrate on a void and in a dark room? Where will you concentrate? In a dark room, you can see nothing. In a dark room and in a soundproof room and with nothing in the room-void in the space there, where are you going to concentrate?

AC: So, there is nothing active about stilling the fluctuations? Is it something that happens? 

PI: Fluctuations are one thing. Concentration is a very psycho-sensory term. Fluctuation of the mind and its management are part of yoga no doubt about it. If the mind is not fluctuating, you can’t say you are concentrating. A fluctuating mind is a fluttering mind; it gives you a problem, difficulties.

AC: To maintain that stillness isn’t there is some kind of effort?

PI: It is absorption, not concentration. It’s an absorption. Yoga is absorption and that is why the fluctuations rest or are mitigated or controlled or minimized. It is not concentration. Because in yoga you are to be keeping away from sensory objects. Vairagya. Vairagya is to be keeping away from sensory objects. If you introduce sensory objects, that is not vairagya. You can’t be saying I am indulging, but I have vairagya. Sensory gratification and vairagya cannot go together. Sensory gratification requires sensory objects. Eyes require pleasing sights, ears require pleasing sounds, tongue requires something like a relishable taste. So that’s the gratification. And in sensory acts when you get concentration there is gratification. “I am not liking this novel but I am concentrating on it” is not possible. “I don’t like this piece of poetry or this piece of literature”–you can’t be concentrating if you don’t like it. You must get absorbed in the novel or the piece of literature, then only you will concentrate. But then if you have a repulsion for it, if you don’t like it, if you hate it or you don’t relish it, you can’t be concentrating. So concentration requires gratification.

AC: But isn’t absorption gratifying?

PI: Yes, because and if there is an object. That’s why in yoga you have to go for vairagya, why you are asked to go for vairagya. There will be no gratification here; there will be absorption. You get absorbed into something which is non-object.

AC: But it’s appealing to go in that direction. There is satisfaction in finding stillness.

PI: You see getting absorbed is beautifully described by one of the mystic saints. A fly gets absorbed when sitting on fecal matter. It equally gets absorbed when it is sitting on a cake. There is no difference in its absorption on a cake and on fecal matter. But, we can see there is a difference between getting absorbed on a piece of cake because that is sweet and that is something relishable. And it is a different kind of absorption for a fly to be on fecal matter. So, for absorption, what should be an object for absorption is more important. “I get absorption” is not a good condition. Where you get absorbed is more important. In yoga, it is an internal activity which is part of the initialization of yoga–an internal activity, with an internal agency and an internal purpose–so you are getting away from objects that are an obstruction in the senses. Senses are drawn in and senses are not going after an object at all. Inside they don’t have objects. Objects are only outside and that’s why they are gathering outside. Yoga is an internal activity with an internal agency for an internal purpose. The absorption will happen there.

“When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world.”

Geeta Iyengar

UPCOMING EVENTS

JANUARY 2020

Yoga Philosophy, Pranayama, & Meditation Ongoing Study
Gary Reitze
Iyengar Yoga Center of Denver
January 4

New Year’s Asana & Pranayama Workshop
Angie Woyar and Lisa Wolf
Iyengar Yoga Center of Denver
January 4

Practice and Study
Lisa Beckwith Wolf
Iyengar Yoga Center of Denver
January 10-12

Basics 6-weeks Series
Iyengar Yoga Center of Denver
January 12 – February 16

Basics 6-weeks Series
Iyengar Yoga Center of Denver
January 14 – February 18

Craig Kurtz Workshop
Iyengar Yoga Center of Denver
January 18

Yoga for Knees Workshop
Kathy Curran
4 Corners Yoga
January 25

Asana & Philosophy
Craig Kurtz
Santosha Yoga
Wheatridge, CO
January 25

FEBRUARY 2020

Yoga Philosophy, Pranayama, & Meditation Ongoing Study
Gary Reitze
Iyengar Yoga Center of Denver
February 1

Practice and Study
Lisa Beckwith Wolf
Iyengar Yoga Center of Denver
February 7-9

Backbending with Props
Kathy Curran
4 Corners Yoga
February 15

Craig Kurtz Workshop
Iyengar Yoga Center of Denver
February 15

Yoga for Cancer
Deborah Baker
Iyengar Yoga Center of Denver
February 21

Yoga for Strong Bones & Osteoporosis
Deborah Baker
Iyengar Yoga Center of Denver
February 28

Teaching Yoga to Cancer Patients and Survivors: A Workshop for Teachers, Volunteers, and Cancer Survivors
Deborah Baker
Park Hill Yoga
Denver, CO

Yoga Fiesta with Nancy Stechert 2020 — details to come

Senior Teacher Weekend Workshop
John Schumacher
Yoga Shala
May 15-17 2020

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