A Yogic Enquiry into Self

By Steve Correa and Raghu Ananthanarayanan

For a moment, think of a human being as an iceberg. The physical, social, and personality forms are visible above the water level — the ‘Me’ visible to both self and others. Likewise, all other sentient beings and other non-sentient forms comprise the outer world that is manifest and tangible. This is the Bhuta Akasha — the ‘object’ world. This is the world of vi?es?a, where separateness is experienced — all forms are distinctive and separate. This is the world where one sees one’s distinctiveness from the other.

In Indic psychology, the mind at the level of vi?es?a experiences the bhu?ta a?kas?a. through the senses is called manas. Manas plans and acts with executive control to make sense of the world using our sense organs — the skin, eyes, mouth, ears, and nose. The manas is operative both at the waking (jagrut) and sleeping state (Sapna). At this level, there is the manifestation of emotional qualia, i.e., rasa, the liminal feelings that arise and transform into thought and action. There are nine rasa. Given the centrality of rasa in the transformation process, an understanding of rasa is essential. Rasa means “sap,” the energetic liquid that enlivens a plant, and “essence,” the most subtle form of a substance, implying a chemical process.

Rasa is the ground of being (ālambana) and the basis of the dynamicity of living. It is the quintessential experience of living and is analogous to taste. It is the most essential experience of Being and, simultaneously, the essence of Brahman from which all existence arises.

Some crucial aspects of the Rasa theory:

● There are nine basic rasas that a person experiences.

● These are: ??ingāra- affection, love; vīra- Courage, conviction; roudra- anger, aggression; bhayānaka- fear, anxiety; adbhuta- wonderment, surprise; bhibhatsa- aversion, contempt; hāsya- humour, joy; karu?a — compassion, kindness; ?āntam — quietude, tranquillity.

● These subtle inner movements of the psyche are usually beyond awareness.

● They are inferred through the expression of the emotion.

● When they emerge as an emotion, it can be experienced consciously.

● Each of these rasas generates an archetypal form that energises bhāva expression.

● Communication happens when the bhāva that is expressed is perceived, and a resonant rasa is experienced.

Rasa is a quintessential emotion observed from ?āntam. When the process of experiencing is witnessed from ?āntam, it also evokes karu?a, i.e., compassion towards life in all its expressions. However, it takes a lot of maturing and cleansing of sam?ska?ra before one can sense and experience rasa. One experiences the impact of the subtle dynamics of life as it evolves into gross forms. One is aware of its effects on the body. It causes a bracing up in fear, rousing oneself through anger, desire, vigilance or anxiety. These gross forms are also experienced as sukha (pleasant) or du?kha (unpleasant) and lead to rāga? — pleasure-seeking (sukha-anu?ayī rāga? — YS 2.7) or dve?a? — pain avoidance (du?kha-anu?ayī dve?a? — YS 2.8).

Inner Archetypal Figures

The rasas give way to several Archetypal Inner Figures (AIF):

In working with several lab participants over the years, one sees the protagonist’s persona, i.e., the AIF of the Actor, that ought to reflect vi?rya (courage) energised by one or the other of these AIFs: the Victim (bhaya?nakam? — fear), the Guardian (roudram? — anger), The Judge (bi?bhatsam? — disgust), and the Beckoner (adbhutam? — wonderment). These AIFs and the drama they play out cause du?kha.

Caught in the stranglehold of these archetypes, the Actor is not able to access and unfold one’s best potential.

Yet there are other minds: Ahan?ka?ra and Buddhi .

In man’s inner world, there is the avi?es?a level, where the potential is awakening and gestating before manifesting. The ahan?ka?ra- I-maker is the energy and process that creates the “self”. When one is anchored here, one experiences the “self” as subtle and deeply interconnected with one’s world. The Actor is energised by the Friend (?r?n?ga?ram?- love) and the Dreamer (ha?syam? -joy), and the true potentials of the person start to flower. The Nurturer (ka?run?yam?- compassion) enables the sprouting to grow, and the protagonist realises their vision for the self.

The Buddhi is the energy of awareness and is silent and still, i.e., in profound ?āntam. ?āntam is experienced when one locates oneself in awareness. This is the third level of experiencing the “self” undifferentiated from the universe. The Meditator witnesses the whole drama and waits patiently for the Actor to discover the bliss of being anchored in equanimity as the person encounters life.

The fourth level of “self” is a profound oneness with Purus?a. Purus?a is pure Consciousness. The energy of Consciousness cit ?akti- experiences/ sees because of the ability of -citta ?akti, the mind, to reflect the objects grasped by the senses. Experiencer/ Seer, however, is Purus?a. This level of “self” is touched in sama?dhi and is a rare happening except for advanced Yogis, who can be anchored in this level of Being for extended periods.

When one accesses the Intelligence of Purus?a from buddhi and resides in the space of ?āntam, transformation is possible. The “normal” form of the “self” is a frozen, repetitive way of encountering the world. One repeats the familiar patterns of living by remaining entrenched in keeping trauma alive and reinforcing defence/ acquisition mechanisms. This is an “inner drama” played out at the ahan?ka?ra level when one lives mindlessly. One is unaware of this inner drama unless one practices introspection and self-reflection when the Friend is awakened, and one can begin to observe oneself as one is.

When one observes the drama of the inner world from the space of ?āntam, one can enquire:

1. What would be the Actor’s potential if his courage was not locked by fear, and he playing the victim?

2. If the Guardian were to stop being vigilant and quick to fight with Anger?

3. If the Judge would put aside his disgust and stay still, what possibilities open up for the actor?

4. If the beckoner would not support escapism,

5. What if the Friend’s voice (of love) converses with the actor,

6. What will unfold when the Nurturer tended the potentials revealed by the Dreamer but hidden by the Victim, Guardian, Judge and Beckoner with compassion?

When we look at the personas we play out each day, there is evidence of the wastage of energy that can be conserved and directed to the latent potentials. Then the Healer, Warrior, Wise person, Seeker, and Lover come alive.

This observation, characterised by compassion and curiosity, is a meditative enquiry into oneself and is an intense energy that releases one from the hold of all du?kha creating patterns. This is called dhya?na agni.

The Ramayana describes the vi?ryava?n — the hero as a person capable of remaining anchored in ?āntam while encountering the trials and tribulations of life. Yogacharya Krishnamacharya’s definition of a mature human being as one who can experience all nine rasas in their fullness appropriate to the context and return to resting in ?āntam as soon as the moment has passed echoes this idea.

[i] Steve Correa is an Executive Coach and Author of The Indian Boss at Work, Thinking Global, Acting Indian

[ii] Raghu Ananthanarayanan is a behavioural scientist, yoga teacher and author of several books.