Yoga Sutra 2,9
svarasvahi vidusah api tatha arudhah abhinivesha
• svarasavahi = current, affection for life
• vidusah = a wise man, a learned man
• api = even, likely
• tatha = all the same, thus, also
• rudhah = advanced, dominating, established
• abhinivesha = (abhi= moving toward) + ni = liking + esha = life; the moving toward attachment to life.
Fear of death, felt even by the wise, comes from the desire to cling to life
Though they are extensions of the same idea - one might contemplate two aspects of abhinivesha.
1. Abhinivesha as meaning fear of change or clinging to continuity.
Although abhinivesha is usually referred to as “fear of death," it can also mean our ignorance (affliction) relating to resistance to loss, fear of challenges to our hard-won “identities” and a general resistance to change.
Even for dedicated persons working on the path, there is a firmly established desire for continuation, and a fear of ending – or "death" of cherished identities and ideas about oneself or how the world should be. Intellectual understanding is no protection in relation to our clinging to these "ignorances" (kleshas). It is like a fear of death, though it does not mean death of the physical body. To reduce suffering, we must work on thinning out the thick blanket of our colored thought patterns. We must make a firm commitment to continually work on letting go of our unconsciously cherished aversions and attachments - including all "identities" we have constructed for ourselves and those around us.
2. Abhinivesha as literally meaning "fear of death"
Attachment to life is the most subtle of all afflictions, and yet perhaps the strongest and most deeply rooted. The urge to preserve life can be seen in all beings – from the wisest persons down to the smallest worm. Abhinivesha is a deeply rooted fear (ignorance) which can be overcome through dedicated yoga practice. Through continual practice, one begins to perceive there is no difference between life and death - that they are two sides of the same coin. The life force with which you breathe will merge with the Universe when you are gone. This "death" (passing) is inevitable and insurmountable - just as is the fact of your eternal "life." The constructs of a separate "self" and its identities are simply delusions you seek to preserve. Through grasping the truth of life’s continuum, one can begin to let go of the false attachment to “life” as it relates to the self-cherishing ego. The result is an increased tranquility and sense of peace.
Lana Del Rey - "Born To Die"
Lana Del Rey - "Born To Die (Live at BBC Radio 6)" - mp3 download
___________________________________________
svarasvahi vidusah api tatha arudhah abhinivesha
• svarasavahi = current, affection for life
• vidusah = a wise man, a learned man
• api = even, likely
• tatha = all the same, thus, also
• rudhah = advanced, dominating, established
• abhinivesha = (abhi= moving toward) + ni = liking + esha = life; the moving toward attachment to life.
Fear of death, felt even by the wise, comes from the desire to cling to life
Though they are extensions of the same idea - one might contemplate two aspects of abhinivesha.
1. Abhinivesha as meaning fear of change or clinging to continuity.
Although abhinivesha is usually referred to as “fear of death," it can also mean our ignorance (affliction) relating to resistance to loss, fear of challenges to our hard-won “identities” and a general resistance to change.
Even for dedicated persons working on the path, there is a firmly established desire for continuation, and a fear of ending – or "death" of cherished identities and ideas about oneself or how the world should be. Intellectual understanding is no protection in relation to our clinging to these "ignorances" (kleshas). It is like a fear of death, though it does not mean death of the physical body. To reduce suffering, we must work on thinning out the thick blanket of our colored thought patterns. We must make a firm commitment to continually work on letting go of our unconsciously cherished aversions and attachments - including all "identities" we have constructed for ourselves and those around us.
2. Abhinivesha as literally meaning "fear of death"
Attachment to life is the most subtle of all afflictions, and yet perhaps the strongest and most deeply rooted. The urge to preserve life can be seen in all beings – from the wisest persons down to the smallest worm. Abhinivesha is a deeply rooted fear (ignorance) which can be overcome through dedicated yoga practice. Through continual practice, one begins to perceive there is no difference between life and death - that they are two sides of the same coin. The life force with which you breathe will merge with the Universe when you are gone. This "death" (passing) is inevitable and insurmountable - just as is the fact of your eternal "life." The constructs of a separate "self" and its identities are simply delusions you seek to preserve. Through grasping the truth of life’s continuum, one can begin to let go of the false attachment to “life” as it relates to the self-cherishing ego. The result is an increased tranquility and sense of peace.
Lana Del Rey - "Born To Die"
Lana Del Rey - "Born To Die (Live at BBC Radio 6)" - mp3 download
___________________________________________
Sources:
Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and Philosophy
(Maehle)
Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
(Iyengar)
The Essential Yoga Sutra: Ancient Wisdom for Your Yoga
(Roach, McNally)
Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and Philosophy
(Maehle)Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
(Iyengar)The Essential Yoga Sutra: Ancient Wisdom for Your Yoga
(Roach, McNally)
(Stiles)
(Satchidananda)