I wrote sometime ago about Patanjali’s definition of Yoga from the Yoga Sutras as “yogash chitta vritti nirodhah” or “yoga is the control (as in soothing, cessation or suspension) of the fluctuation of the mind.” I’m again not going to explore this definition, but instead will explore Patanjali advice on how to achieve a state of yoga: “Abhyasa-vairagyabhyam tan-nirodhah” or “the mind can reach the state of Yoga through practice and detachment.”
Detachment. I suck at that. This Saturday night I got the great opportunity to practice detachment going to the Black Party, a celebration of sex and violence. Not such a great place to practice yoga in general, considering that two of the Yamas (advice for yogic behavior or Ethic Code) are Ahimsa or Non-Violence and Brahmacharya or Non-Abuse of Sexual Energy. But I was up for the challenge.
This is where attachment comes into play, I never went to the Black Party, but last year "someone" went without me, not to get to much into details but I was pissed. Being in a different state of mind this year I recognized that the reason I was eager to go to this sex and violence celebration is to correct the foul experience or memory of last year’s event (which I did not attend, how crazy can one be!)
As the party was getting closer I started imagining and creating expectations of what would happen at the party, how would be and how would people around me react. It stopped being about experiencing the event, it was just what I expected it to be. So I stopped, really. I am not completely sure how, but I just dropped all expectations and went for it.
It is important to recognize these events in our life, they are so dramatic that we cling to them as if they have to happen in some planed way. Stop, recognize why you are attached to the event or experience, if needed write down the reasons. Explore if those selfish and distractive attractions to the event are really that important to you. You don’t have to give up the experience; all I am suggesting is to experience the experience as it is, with no expectations, while being kind to the other participants.
Funny, the Bhagavad Gita is a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Krishna is another name for Black and Arjuna is shiny or full of color. So this Krishna Party (I think I’m pushing it now) might be a symbol of our ability to come colorless, passionless, with no expectation, leave our armor behind, and experience the party-life as it is.
3 comments:
Though I'm not into S&M, I would disagree with your characterization of it as violent. I think of violence as agressive, violative and, most importanly, non-consensual. S&M is about voluntarily letting got of control to another person. Just my two cents.
Bryan, you are absolutely right, I see in the S&M “world” or “scene” more respect then in many other places.
and you're going without me???? how rude...
one thing i learned (dont dare laugh at this!!) about control and domination, was from CSI (vegas, duh..)and it was that the true controller is the supposed submissive party. he's the one that actually calls the shots. when you think about it, it makes perfect sense, and gives a whole new depth to the debate regarding the limits of violence and passion. my two cents...
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