For some time, I have been thinking of one problem, of one event in life. Animals move on the instinctive plane. They react instinctively. They are not aware of what they are doing. The human being has the faculty of awareness, yet he generally lives on the instinctive plane. We move but do not know we are moving. We must leave the instinctive plane and make use of the faculty of awareness, which is the special gift given to the human being. We must learn to live on the plane of awareness.
This awareness, which has come into operation and manifested itself the moment we were born as human beings, is termed as jnanam. It is not mere knowledge but awareness. We are aware of what we are doing, what we are thinking and what we did and what we shall do. We are aware of the fact, that we are alive. If given time, and if this is the mode of my sadhana, spiritual practice, then I can sit down the whole day, and I can continue to sing, that I am and I am aware that I am.
This awareness, which has just evolved in the human being, should be intensified. The duration of this awareness must grow longer and longer. Whatever we do, we should do it with complete awareness. Yoga is a method by which we develop this type of awareness, so much so that this awareness is completely separated from the body awareness.
Now I am aware that I am giving a discourse on yoga. I am aware that this awareness is united with body awareness, with mind awareness and with sense awareness. When I know that I am, I am also aware that I have a body. The awareness is not purified; it is not non-sensual awareness. It is awareness but sense awareness. It is awareness but physical awareness. It is awareness, there is no doubt about it.
This awareness should be separated step by step, stage by stage, point by point, so much so that this awareness should remain intact, and keep on expanding. At the same time, all those elements, physical, sensual, mental, psychic, must be removed from its body. Therefore, yoga is a process of purification.
Yoga is a process or act of separation in which we separate the non-self elements from this atman. This awareness is atman, it is pure. It is not aggregated, it is always homogeneous, it is always true, it is always unchanging, it is in me, in you, in all.
For the time being, if you switch from me unto yourself, and think ‘I am aware that I am listening to a discourse’, this fraction of awareness, which is not complete in itself, not pure, is tainted and mixed with mental awareness, is to be separated from other forms of awareness and from our confusions. Through the practice of yoga, maybe through viveka or discrimination, maybe through the yama or niyama, the regulations, the rules, the self-controls, or through pratyahara, the process of withdrawal or act of tranquillity, or by dharana, concentration, or by dhyana, meditation.
We do nothing, but keep on eliminating all those foreign elements, which through habit have become part and parcel of our pure awareness. Stage by stage, the mind is intensified, is made introvert through meditation and concentration. How is it to be done?
There are various methods. There are different techniques of mantra, concentration on a symbol, devotion, prayer, serving humanity with absolute unselfishness, serving gurus or following the path of knowledge. You may choose any path. They are all used to make this atman free from the lower turmoil. There are various techniques of yoga like raja yoga, bhakti yoga, karma yoga and jnana yoga. Raja yoga is the method of meditation, through which you go deeper and deeper, become free from the physical awareness and transcend all sense experiences and finally merge with your own self. But this is not as easy as people have been thinking. Unless the personality is purified and made free from its burdens and tensions, it is not possible to go into deep meditation.
1968 Chicago, USA, published in YOGA Volume 12, No.7 (July 1974)