Greetings Yogis and
Yoginis,
This week in class
we will be exploring Abhinivesah which translates as "Clinging to
life" or "Fear of death".
We know only that
we are living in these bodies and have a vague idea, because we have heard it,
and because our faith tells us so, that we possess souls.
– Saint
Teresa of Avila
I am not my body.
This body is like a jacket that I wear.
I have a brown
jacket with a Nehru collar, made in India , which has served me very
well. I take good care of it, and I expect it to last me at least another five
years. This body of mine is another brown jacket, made in South
India and impeccably tailored to my requirements by a master
tailor, whose label is right inside. This jacket has to last me much longer
than the other, so I am very careful with it. I give it the right amounts of
nutritious food and exercise. Just like my Nehru jacket, this body-jacket will
someday become too worn to serve me well. When death comes I will be able to
set it aside, with no more tears than I would shed when I give my old Nehru
jacket away.
Words to Live By:
Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran
The homework is
to review the fifth klesha (afflictions)
called Abhinivesah. Abhinivesah translates as
"Clinging to life" or "Fear of death". In the Yoga sutras it is written that the
root of all of the afflictions is
Avidya or spiritual ignorance. The other
afflictions are egoism, attachment to pleasure, and aversion to pain. What does it mean to you to be
"spiritually ignorant" and how would not being spiritually ignorant
help us overcome the kleshas?
References: Yoga
Sutras II:2 - II:12 (and many more referenced).
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
info@rushingwateryoga.com
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal,
and Vancouver Washington
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