online exclusive: illuminating union with sharon gannon
March 24th, 2009 by roseanne Posted in ascent
As we lead up to the release of ascent’s final issue, we have some exclusive pre-issue content to share. In this first post, long-time friend of ascent, Sharon Gannon, reflects on the ideal of union. Stay tuned for reflections from other ascent luminaries… The state of “yoga,” or union, is when the individual self reunites with the infinite undifferentiated eternal Self. Yoga has been described as samadhi or blissful ecstasy because it is such a relief to finally reconnect with your whole being after so many lifetimes of wandering in the illusionary world of disconnection. The methods of yoga help to bring together that which appears to be separate. Enlightenment is the goal of all yoga practices. Perceiving others and perceiving ourselves as separate from others is the biggest obstacle to enlightenment. For a yoga practice to work, it must address how to dissolve the others in our lives. Yoga teaches us that in truth there is only oneness; others are an illusionary projection coming from our own minds, from our own past karmas (actions). The practices help us to purify our karmas, which involve our relationships with others. In the ancient text, The Yoga Sutras, the sage Patanjali suggests a few practices that may help us dissolve otherness and bring us closer to union. Patanjali is speaking to those who are still seeing others but who are interested in dissolving the disconnection between self and other. He suggests that if we are still seeing others and not the divine oneness of being then, number one, don’t hurt them (ahimsa). Number two: don’t lie to them (satya). Number three: don’t steal from them (asteya). Number four: don’t manipulate them sexually (brahmacharya); and number five: don’t be so greedy, taking so much that you impoverish them (aparigrapha). He gives these directives in the second chapter, the chapter on practice and he refers to them as the five yamas (restrictions)—five ways to restrict your behavior in regards to the others you may encounter in your life. On an immediate practical level how we treat others will be reflected in our own experience of life. The others in our lives are a reflection of us. If we ourselves desire happiness and liberation from suffering then our relationships with all beings and things should be mutually beneficial. No true or lasting happiness can come from causing unhappiness to others. No true or lasting freedom can come from depriving others of their freedom. Patanjali tells us what we can expect to see happen in our lives when we become established in the practices of the five yamas. When we stop harming others, others will cease to harm us. When we practice telling the truth we will be listened to. When we stop stealing from others prosperity will come to us. When we treat others respectfully and don’t manipulate them sexually we will enjoy good health and vitality and when we let go of tendencies toward greed we will come to know the reason we were born and with that our destiny will be revealed to us. If we want to come to know who we are it will have to start with how willing we are to look at the way we are treating others. Because how we treat others will determine how others treat us. How others treat us will determine how we see ourselves and how we see ourselves will determine who we are. Sharon Gannon is the co-creator with David Life of the Jivamukti Yoga Method, a path to enlightenment through compassion for all beings. She is a pioneer in teaching yoga as spiritual activism and is credited for making the ancient teachings of yoga relevant to the modern world. Sharon has produced numerous yoga-related DVDs and music CDs and is the author of several books, including Jivamukti Yoga, The Art of Yoga, and Cats & Dogs are People Too. If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
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