Ishvara Pranidhana

Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
 

Described in the second chapter of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Niyamas establish the rules of conduct that apply to individual discipline.  Practicing and adhering to these principles creates self purification in the practitioner. 

This week in class we will be exploring Isvara Pranidhana, the fifth Niyama. 

The fifth niyama, Isvara Pranidhana is found in verse II.45 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

Although Ishvara is the Sanskrit word for God, it is not personalized.  The ancient teachers of yoga were not offering a theological testament on the Godhead, but rather a deep psychological analysis of the transformational potential of the opening of the human heart and mind to the divine.  In the Yoga Sutras, Ishvara is described as being without suffering or the seeds of suffering, and not as the Creator God of traditional religious doctrine.  In this context, Ishvara represents that living symbol of the divine that is in our hearts.  For the Christian, it could be Jesus; for the Muslim, it could be Allah; for the Hindu, it could be Krishna; for the Buddhists, it could be Buddha; for the atheist, it would represent whatever is the highest value in his or her heart.

Pranidhana is a technical term usually translated as “surrender.”  The implication of this word is the profound recognition of that which sustains us and gives meaning to our lives.  It is a kind of faith – in the sense of the “place” where we put or give our hearts.  It implies an element of self-sacrifice – the sacrifice of our own self-importance.

Ishvara Pranidhana is an implicit knowing that we are not in control of everything and cannot know what is ahead.  In this sense, there is a surrendering of control and an openness to receive whatever life brings.  This attitude is antidotal to the pervasive fixation around “me and mine” that dominates most all of us most of the time.  It implies an open attitude towards our own mistakes and a sincerity in relation to repentance.  Ultimately, it is faith, deep in our hearts, in our potential to become free from suffering and to achieve our destiny as human beings.

What we can see from this is that Ishvara Pranidhana is fundamentally about a relationship to something higher than or beyond ourselves.  It may be a higher force, as in the context of traditional religious traditions, or it may be in relation to human values, such as kindness and compassion.  In either case, it will manifest in our lives as the ability to let go of the tyranny of our self-importance – whether it reveals itself as pride and arrogance, or self-pity and low self-esteem.  It will awaken in us attitudes such as gratitude and appreciation.  As a result, we will be able to simply wake up in the morning and say,”Ah, I’m alive another day.”  We will feel grateful in our hearts for the gift of this life.  We will take the time to look and appreciate the beauty around us.  In our relationships we will become open to receiving each other with respect and appreciation.       

Homework:  What does the concept of “sacrificing your own self-importance” mean to you to?   Does this sacrifice have to come before the qualities of kindness, compassion, gratitude, appreciation and respect can be cultivated?  What little step can you take today to begin or deepen your practice of Ishvara Pranidhana?

References:

Quoted and paraphrased from Iyengar the Yoga Master, edited by Kofi Busia, Kriya Yoga: Transformation Through Practice – A Western Perspective, by Gary Kraftsow.

Blessings,

paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga

417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994

www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com

Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003