In the interview with Brene Brown that I just shared, she cautions us to beware of the shiny object. This is a common warning in yoga, and perhaps in life as well. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna gives Arjuna the same warning:
“You have a right to your actions, but not your actions fruits. Act for the action’s sake.” B.G. II.47
In the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, the third chapter is devoted to the powers or siddhis that one can acquire through the practices of yoga. Patanjali is not merely referring to asana. He very clearly spells out that these yogic practices are specifically related to the last three rungs on the ladder of yoga; namely dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (absorption).
In his commentary on the Yoga Sutras, Mr. Iyengar says this:
“On this innermost quest, supernatural powers or accomplishments (vibhutis) come naturally to a yogi who has integrated his mind, body and soul. There is a danger that he will be seduced by these powers. He should bypass them in order to pursue his practice as far as kaivalya, the height of indivisible existence.”
The essence of what he is saying is that when we strive wholeheartedly towards a goal, gratifying rewards and results will incidentally come our way. It is easy to become enamored of what we have accidentally acquired and that we mistake it for the goal itself.
He gives three examples of how the lure of the shiny object can ensnare us.
The first is that of a young person who dreams of becoming a great actor. On the way he acquires fame, and if he does not have his priorities straight, he makes fame his new goal. This power, or siddhi, can enchant him, swallow him up and spit him out.
The second example is that of a young business man who sets out on his career to provide for his family. Along the way he becomes rich. He now has more than enough, but riches and their pursuit now possess him. He neglects his wife and children who live in sterile luxury while he pursues money and more money for its own sake.
The third example is that of a man who, through the merits of past lives, is born into a royal household. Instead of regarding his good fortune as a sign that he must humbly serve his people, he becomes seized by pride of birth and behaves tyrannically.
In all of these examples, the protagonist has let himself be side-tracked, has substituted an agreeable and merited by-product of his efforts for the real goal. At best his progress is stopped, at worst he is consumed; and in all cases illusion has displaced reality. The lesson of the siddhis for all of us is not to allow ourselves to be side-tracked, but to stay the course. Someone who has let themselves become ensnared by the glamour of the siddhis is like one who believes that the bricks and mortar of the temple are God him/herself. This is known as spiritual materialism.
In the blog post I wrote about Krishna Das and his song Sri Argala Stotram, he talks how about the trap he fell into. When he lived in India on an ashram he had few possessions, he didn’t need many things to survive. When he came back to the States, he felt superior to people who he thought were too attached to their possessions. As he matured, he realized that you need a rich inner and outer life. It is okay to be comfortable. Having possessions or not having possessions is a way of life. One is not superior to the other.
And so it goes with our physical practice as well. Asana is just one of the eight limbs of yoga. Being physically strong and flexible is nice and may make us more comfortable in our bodies. But being able to put your foot behind your head does not mean you are more enlightened than the next person. In my yoga practice I have noticed that whenever the pose became the thing I was seeking, I usually had a lesson delivered to me in the way of an injury. Instead, when I focus on the practice for the sake of doing the work with mind, body and breath intertwined, that is when the magic happens.
