Looking at the Mirror of the Mind
- Feb 12
- 6 min read
Dear Friend,
From what I can tell yoga seems to attract different people for different reasons. It could be quite useful to check in from time to time and clarify what is our main purpose for doing yoga or what expectations we have from the practice. In some cases people start out for one reason and then things change as they deepen their understanding of what yoga is all about, but it's not always the case. For me it was quite simple in the beginning, I was coming out from an unhappy period of time which was a result of some bad choices and unresolved matters, and I was looking for an effective method or formula that could bring more happiness into my life. At that point I already arrived at a conclusion that all the things I was taught from a young age to pursue cannot bring any real sense of fulfilment or joy, or fill the void, and the lingering question was—what can?
One thing that I figured out quickly is that "happiness" as most of us perceive it is not the answer. Being happy for most of us is usually associated with transient experiences of pleasure or some sensual satisfaction. True and lasting happiness, one that can actually be sustained within the turmoil of life, is inner peace, a state in which one remains steady and at ease among the constant everlasting fluctuations, internal and external.
After experimenting with all sorts of approaches, including an introspective nomadic journey in the spirit of Jack Kerouac, I happened to encounter yoga and decided to give it a try. I still remember that intuitive sense that I felt after the first time taking a class that yoga has tremendous potential that I need to explore. Fast forward a decade plus of regular practice and study, I was still seeking true happiness and inner peace but there was also a shift that came about that led to a curious urge to investigate the nature of the mind and the strong sense of Self or identity that seem to dominate every thought, feeling, or experience. I was taken by this sense of urgency to look into what appears to be the most important aspect of life, that which drives every thought and action, that which colors every experience, that which determines what every moment of life really feels like. Another decade later and I'm still on that path.
That determination to discover ultimate truths about what is going on underneath the surface of appearances, beyond the matrix of illusory identification with thinking, has led me to Buddhist traditions, not because the teachings of yoga don't offer valuable insight into the nature of the human mind, but mostly because I needed to open more pathways to nuanced perspectives, to challenge what I came to believe or what I took at face value. One thing that all worthwhile contemplative teachings agree on is that seeking happiness and truth are not just compatible one with the other but actually interdependent. One cannot sustain inner peace without wisdom, and wisdom cannot be achieved without a clear state of inner peace.
Both in the Buddhist and yoga traditions there are many terms and concepts that are used to highlight different features of the mind in order to guide us in contemplating them with the intention of cultivating inner peace and wisdom about the nature of the mind and Self. It is like a map we are given so we can start to navigate these complicated and somewhat confusing terrains. One term I like a lot, not just conceptually but also sonically, is the term Papañca (pronounced Pa-pan-cha) which refers to the human tendency to proliferate conceptually.
What does it actually mean?
When we take some time and observe the patterns of the mind, just like looking at a mirror, we start to discover all sorts of tendencies that repeat themselves in different contexts or content. If we learn how to skillfully notice our thoughts instead of being lost in them, without projecting opinions or self-judgment onto them as we often do when looking at ourselves, we can easily notice that there is an ongoing mental chatter which is present to one degree or another during most of our waking (as well as dreaming) states. That chatter very often starts with a raw experience such as a sound we hear, a sight we see, or some thought or image that appears in the mind, which triggers a mechanism that generates an elaborate story, usually a complex one, that superimposes into this initial encounter our anxieties, obsessions, longings, or any other psychological imprint. This inherent tendency of the human mind leads to continuous internal commentary that goes on either in the background or foreground of our field of attention, and is often full of self-criticism, self-evaluation, judgement, and many "what if" scenarios or other similar psychological patterns, depending on the specific ingrained conditioning of the individual.
For example, we could feel frustrated about something, and then we start to manufacture a narrative that contains storylines like blaming others or ourselves, ruminating on past mistakes, worrying about consequences or repercussions, imagining all sorts of hypothetical "worst-case" scenarios, or getting caught in loops of self-criticism. I think we can all relate to that, and if not then all we need to do is simply look into our own mind with some level of clarity and detachment that allows us to see things more or less as they are. It could be shocking initially, but as Jesus said - the truth will set you free!
You may wonder what is the problem with Papañca?
It can be quite entertaining, possibly replacing what could otherwise be boredom with some drama and excitement. Many of us may feel a strong urge to cling to this familiar and predictable inner space that we have been living in most or even all of our life. Why would we expose and potentially even dispose of it for some unknown new territory that could completely disorient or even deeply disturb our comfort zone?
That notion is not completely wrong!
The process of uncovering these truths and allowing them to transform us should be slow and patient, and with a long-term view. People who are in an all-or-nothing-fast-track mode tend to end up in a bind. However, the problem with being so utterly submerged in this proliferated distorted view of ourselves and others, one that is merely a product of stories we generate, is that it detaches us from life, from what is actually happening to us and within us. When we perceive everything and everyone through the lens of our anxiety, fear, longing, self-criticism, etc, all we really do is project our ego structure and related psychological impressions onto every experience. It would be a good idea to take it slowly with caution and simply invite ourselves from time to time to create some space for moments of clarity, when we can see these patterns of the mind happening in real-time, and then perceive them along with anything else that we can directly feel at that moment, in their essential nature, as they truly are and not as we think them to be. We always have the choice to drop back into our default settings when we want, getting lost in the familiarity of the above mentioned chatter until the next moment of clarity becomes available, whether after a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days, at our own pace.
The most important thing is that we notice the Papañca patterns without judging them or ourselves, and instead simply recognizing them as a natural phenomena, just like a little breeze of air that comes and goes.
I would like to recommend the practice of meditation, which is a yoga practice intended for those who are ready to take the next step, or for those who have a genuine interest to know themselves better. We sit quietly and observe the mind in optimal settings and then start to develop the skill of being mindful, which is seeing the mind itself with clarity and wisdom. During meditation it is very common to have frequent moments of being lost in mental chatter, but there are also moments of waking up from it which can be explored in-depth and then gradually become another happy and deeply fulfilling space we can be in if and when we choose to. We can slowly learn how to let thoughts and emotions be, without getting trapped in them or stuck in their loop like patterns, and then they naturally lose their grip over us, they simply move on and vanish.
From my experience, and I suspect many other long-term meditators would agree, the tendency to mentally proliferate doesn't ever go away, although it may somewhat subside, but our relationship to these self-generated stories and trains of association often changes dramatically. We can still get easily distracted or lost in the the inner chatter but there is a kind of mindfulness alarm clock that has been installed after many hours of seated practice that goes off, whether during formal practice or informal daily activities, and reminds us to look within. This reminder may awaken us right at the moment of getting identified with the content of these thoughts or it may come about after being lost in them for a while, it doesn't matter that much. What matters is that it gradually becomes another option that we have, one that we can deliberately choose, that may lead to making different choices, cultivating different relationships with people, circumstances, or things, ones that are rooted in being in tune with the actuality of things, with what or who they truly are.
If you find yourself curious about these kinds of topics - join a workshop, a retreat, or any other event on offer.
Looking forward to sharing yoga with you!
Wishing everyone peace and happiness,
Oren
♡
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