Summary
In chapter 4, Iyengar discusses the workings of the mind and consciousness from a yogic perspective, highlighting it’s three components: 1) mind (manas), 2) ego (ahamkara), and 3) intelligence (buddhi). He explains that the mind is fickle and unable to make productive choices on its own. It processes thoughts and experiences but is prone to creating repetitive patterns. How so? The ego or “I-shape” (ahamkara) creates our sense of individual identity but can become overly attached to experiences and possessions. The key is the intelligence (buddhi) to making conscious choices and breaking free from habitual patterns, since it has the ability to objectively perceive situations and exercise will.
Chapter 4 also explains the concept of samskara – ingrained mental habits that create conditioned responses. Yoga aims to reduce negative samskara and cultivate positive ones. Later, Iyengar describes the role of memory – that can either liberate or constrain us depending on how it’s used. According to Iyengar, the intelligence should interrogate memory constructively rather than mind just reacting to it.
Yoga practices like asana and pranayama help create mental clarity and stability, allowing us to catch and change habitual thought patterns. Finaly, the ultimate goal is to act with awareness in the present moment, free from conditioned responses and karmic consequences. This requires sustained practice to transform consciousness over time.
Questions to reflect on while reading
1. What’s the difference between instinct and intuition?
2. What is cellular intelligence?
3. What is the manas and how does it differ from intelligence?
Insight from our session
In chapter 4 of Light on Life, BKS Iyengar focuses on understanding the mind and consciousness through yoga practice. Iyengar highlights the importance of exercising reason to overcome entrenched behavioral patterns and illusions that cloud our perceptions and lead to hedonism. He asserts that yoga provides the tools to perceive and understand the workings of the mind, enabling a transformative journey toward clarity and heightened awareness.
Iyengar delves into the structure of consciousness, emphasizing the need to understand how it works as it influences behavior and life.
The theory of koshas, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, and Samkhya Yoga teachings are referenced to illustrate the value of separating different forms of being. The key components are the thinking mind (manas) and discerning knowledge (vijnana).
Reason helps liberate us from embedded patterns (samskara), aligning with Patanjali’s definition of yoga as the cessation of mind disturbances.
The chapter explains different parts of the mind: citta (consciousness), manas (mind), ahamkara (ego), and buddhi (reason). Understanding these components aids in managing behavior and choices.
Iyengar illustrates the importance of conscious choice through an example of resisting the urge to eat ice cream, emphasizing the role of reason in overriding conditioning and impulses.
The image of the lake and the mound at the bottom is used to explain how awareness of conditioning weakens it, leading to a life free from past habits.Iyengar describes actions not bound by past habits or personal retribution, which do not provoke reactions.
The practice of changing habits is essential for personal growth and liberation.
