Sambodhi 1980 Vol 09

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 32

Shantilal M. Desai
formulation of both the good and evil thoughts and by this Bhāvanā it can very well be sublimated. This is a great law of sublimation and transcendence.
Bala and Asana
In Balā the Sadhaka is 'getting seated in one's nature.' His attachment to the worldly things begins to vanish. His sitting posture becomes firm. His style of working is without haste and disturbance is eliminated. His desire for the knowledge of scriptures gets keener and he can continuously harbour good thoughts. There are no more distractions in his spiritual endeavour. The parallel concept of Āsana is described as a posture which is firm and pleasant. Here the posture does not merely mean the physical posture but mental equilibrium also. When the mind is self-stabilized and is at ease, the real posture is attained. The two sutras related to this are more, important. Such a posture can be achieved by relaxation and concentration of the mind on the Infinite. These two processes must go together because they are fully interlinked. Relaxation leads to concentration and concentration on the Infinite can give relaxation. The relaxation must not merely be physical but also of the whole nervous system along with all the muscles and eventually it must result in mental ease too. By such relaxation the mind can easily be concentrated. Concentration must be made on anything that is infinite. Such a simultaneous double process would give a firm posture - mental as well as physical. By such a posture the Sādhaka can transcend all qualities and he is not affected by any of them. These qualities may be physical as heat and cold or mental like happiness or unhappiness or spiritual like sin or virtue.
Herein too Patañjali is more specific and clear in his statements. He provides a sound psychological principle by describing Asana. It is the principle of the simultaneous use of relaxation and concentration on the infinite. It is a matter of common experience that wben one sees the vast expanse of the sea or looks up at the infinite sky he finds an inscrutable peace dawning on his mind and the whole of his being. He then feels a a sort of relaxation which cannot be achieved by any other means. The same principle of relaxation-cum-concentration is seen working behind this common experience. This principle has a great experiential as well as existential value and deserves to be applied in a variety of ways in sādhanā as well as in day-to-day life.
Dipra and Pranayama
The fourth stage is Diprā or Prāņāyama. In this stage the sādhaka begins to consider religion dearer than his very life. He would give up life