Turnings of Thought
What does the phrase "turnings of thought" conjure in your mind?
Perhaps the very process of turning is activated by such an inquiry. The gears of the mind begin to turn as we seek an answer to the question. This is especially the case for the things that surprise us, stump us, and stress us.
The mind has a tendency to run in circles, spinning at a thousand thoughts a minute. The turnings of thought trace their origin deep into our evolutionary past, when the capacity to think up quick solutions to existential threats in the form of predators stood to save our very lives.
At one point, such turnings of thought yielded overall stability for us.
Now, however, the tables have turned.
These days, the turnings of thought tend to backfire, like wheels that have lost traction when a vehicle is stuck in a ditch. The wheels keep turning, tossing up dirt and dust, but the vehicle fails to move.
Such is the desperate state in which we've landed, wherein our thoughts run rampant around artificial stressors of our own creation. Our mental health suffers and we experience burn out.
Of course, thinking has its practical use, but getting spun around by our own thoughts does no good to oneself or others.
Spinning in Circles
Consider for a moment the act of spinning in circles and the feelings it evokes.
Spinning offsets vestibular balance, a function of the nervous system responsible for keeping us on our feet rather than falling flat on our face on the floor. When we spin in circles and then stop in place, the world around us continues to wobble and we usually find ourselves unable to stand our ground. We begin to stumble around and may even lose our footing. Scientists refer to this as a disruption in equilibrioception, the sense of balance. We call it discombobulation.
As children, we may recall the experience of spinning in circles or whirling in a chair, then feeling like our world keeps spinning as we struggle to keep our balance. We end up laughing uncontrollably or throwing up out of nausea. Either way, our system reacts. Clarity is distorted. We become disoriented.
The sort of discombobulation that comes from spinning in circles is comparable to severe turbulence on an airplane, the sudden ups and downs while riding a roller coaster, or twists and turns during a particularly bumpy ride along a rocky, winding road. We may feel as though the stomach lurches, jumping into the throat, then sinking deep into the bowels. Nausea ensues. Some laugh it off while others succumb to motion sickness. Needless to say, our steadiness is disrupted.
Each of these processes of physical disorientation can be likened to the relentless spinning of thoughts in our minds.
The Yoga Sutras
The Yoga Sutras were composed in roughly the year 400 of the common era by the Indian sage Patañjali. Not much is known about Patañjali's life and character other than he was likely a Sāṃkhya philosopher. What can be known from his writings, however, suggests a deep understanding of the human mind.
Patañjali's Yoga Sutras examine the turning of thoughts, which spin us around on a whim, giving rise to a disoriented state of mind. Our capacity for clear vision is obscured by such turnings. The Yoga Sutras offer a practical analysis of this process.
In section 1.2 of the Yoga Sutras, Patañjali defines yoga as the cessation (nirodha) of the turnings (vṛtti) of thought (citta). In this case, the turnings of thought refer specifically to mental disturbances that obscure the clarity of our true nature, which is termed puruṣa.
The cessation of the turnings of thought requires letting go of those attachments that bind and wind us up. Whether desires, worries, or stories in our heads, the wise one does not get spun by them. When we detach from these sources of spinning, we are able to observe the turnings of thought at a distance without identification. Eventually, they grow still.
Pointing at this very state, the Yoga Sutras confirm, “when citta ceases, the observer (draṣṭuḥ) stands (avasthānam) in its own form (svarūpe)” (YS 1.3). In other words, the observer no longer misapprehends reality through imaginative contortions but instead apprehends things as they are without distortions. She stands still amidst the turnings.
In this undisturbed state, the observer is able to see, without distortion, her authentic self (puruṣa). This original state is like a bright mirror reflecting everything that comes before it exactly as it is.
Balance and Clarity
How do we go about restoring clarity and regaining balance when our tendency is to spin and turn?
The turnings of thought disrupt the balance and clarity of our true nature. This true nature is originally luminous, without distortion. When the agitation of spinning ceases, then such balance and clarity are restored.
To calm the turnings, we must understand the causes for imbalance.
When misunderstanding arises, we see things in a dizzy blur, a lens through which we fail to apprehend them as they are. In section 2.4 of the Yoga Sutras, we find that ignorance (avidyā) gives rise to misunderstanding. That is, we misunderstand on account of our ignorance. We lose touch with our true nature and get thrown off kilter.
Ignorance (avidyā) in this context entails misapprehending the impermanent as permanent, the impure as pure, suffering as happiness, and non-self as self. This is what we learn from section 2.5 of the Yoga Sutras. Out of this sort of confusion emerge the forces that spin us out of control. In turn, our thoughts, speech, and actions are misaligned.
How do we respond to misalignment? Patañjali would probably agree that we need to stop spinning. Without stillness, we cannot steer in the right direction. Thus, Patañjali suggests cultivating forces that steer us on the right path. In section 1.12, he specifies that these steering forces are practice (abhyāsa) and dispassion (vairāgya), which enable and empower us to reclaim control over our system's coordination.
Restoring clarity and regaining balance require stillness. When mind and body are regulated, we remain firmly grounded without being swayed in every direction. We may then find stillness amidst the turnings.
What are some simple ways of finding stillness? Stay tuned for our next post to find out.
No comments:
Post a Comment