by William Bilodeau
Education shapes our experience of living; it shapes our very lives. How we come to view ourselves and our circumstances is a product of the education we receive from the earliest moments of our existence. Education is spoken of here in its very broadest sense: the total social input which imparts knowledge or skills to an individual during the course of life. Included among the forces which function to educate would be family, religion, school, community, nation, cultural heritage, or any agency which seeks to transmit knowledge. It is through the cumulative influence of these educative forces that we acquire, consciously or unconsciously, philosophies and viewpoints which become the instruments for the interpretation of the experience of daily living.
That experience is shaped by interpretation can be appreciated by an example. An Indian of an isolated Amazonian tribe might well view a 35mm camera quite differently than a visiting anthropologist. It is quite possible that the Indian, if he is experiencing a camera for the first time, might examine it with great interest and then proceed to use it as a tool to crack open a nut. The Indian could be a very intelligent and skilled human being, but his culture has not educated him to the possibility of camera function. In contrast, the anthropologist, if left alone without supplies, might starve to death in the same jungle unable to interpret the signs of food all around that the Indian would automatically know. It is not a question of better or poorer education but rather of education appropriate to the life context of each.
For most of us, the context of our lives is modern, Western, technological society. We must ask whether the educational inputs are appropriate and sufficient for the fullest well-being of most of its members. On some levels the answer is yes. Economically and technologically most people prosper substantially. Is the same true on the more subtle levels of existence? Is the quality of living satisfactory to most? If we look around carefully at others and read or see the news, we can readily perceive widespread malaise (dis-ease) that manifests as anxiety, ulcers, alcohol and drug excesses, the commercial exploitation of children, violence, greed, sexual obsession, loneliness, and so on. Is living necessarily such a profound problem? It appears that for many people education has not been adequate to prevent or alleviate chronic suffering. Could it be that such serious alienation is a product of inappropriate viewpoints and philosophies?
Suspecting that this may be so, a thoughtful individual might proceed by asking some serious questions such as: Am I at peace with myself? Do I live with a sense of well-being? Do I view my life as a joyful opportunity for creative or serviceful expression? Have the varied educational inputs into my life been sufficient for me to live freely, spontaneously, and fully contented? If the answers to these questions are negative, then one might consider a serious, even a radical change in educational inputs in order to restructure living.
The individual who wishes to change his/her life and thereby his/her whole world in a profound way might ponder the limited intentionalities of conventional educational means and appreciate another intentionality, one which moves toward the experiential realization of the unity of all life. We are most fortunate to have available to us the long established spiritual sciences and philosophies of Eastern cultures, systems of education and training that do manifest that intentionality. This intentionality, called moksa in Sanskrit, is variously translated as liberation, enlightenment, and self-realization. Ironically, as ancient as these sciences are, they are most appropriate in their essential tenets to the serious dilemma of modern Western people; these paths deal with timeless existential questions of how life is lived regardless of geography or culture. The heroic dedication of sages of many traditions has alleviated human suffering (duhkha) through various philosophies and disciplines. In the remainder of this discussion we will focus on yoga since this is the path most familiar to the writer.
From the yogic point of view, the central existential problem is ignorance (avidya) which is the primary cause of all suffering, whatever its many faces. Ignorance here refers not to a lack of conventional knowledge but to a fundamentally false viewpoint of what constitutes reality. Concomitant with ignorance is the alienating consciousness of egoism (asmita), attraction to pleasure (raga), aversion to pain (dvesa), and the strong desire for the continuity of life (abhinivesa). Collectively these five are known as klesas or afflictions, the key modes by which man is held in bondage and suffering. Specifically, klesas manifest as greed, anger, untruth, possessiveness, attachments to comfort and security or to others, lack of tolerance and compassion, and all the endless human weaknesses which persist in spite of extensive social education. The pain of experiencing these weaknesses and the pain of the consequences or fruit are what yogins call suffering (duhkha) and only a radical re-education, a disciplined course of study and training, as propounded by the sciences of liberation, can reduce and eventually eliminate it.
The word radical is critical to our understanding and points to the richness of yoga as total education. Radical here refers to roots or foundation; re-education must, if it is to have any enduring value, penetrate and transform the very basis of our lives. Belief of mental acknowledgement by itself is not enough. Embodiment of the intentions and practices of yoga is required, involving a reconditioning of one’s entire being. Why is such a radical level of re-education necessary in order to realize our goals of liberation and the perfection of living? Because by the time any of us have reached the age of reason, and later the age of responsibility, we have already embodied a world view grounded in the klesas without having had any choice in the matter. This is a result of the dark side of our conventional social education. However, according to yoga, this may be overcome. Ignorance has no beginning in time but fortunately does have a potential end for those who are strong enough, and caring enough to work it through to actualization.
What are some of these practices and disciplines that constitute the yogic way of life? The nucleus of yogic practice is yama (restraint) and niyama (observance) which comprise two of the eight limbs of classical Astanga yoga. Yamas include the practice of non-violence (ahimsa), authenticity (satya), non-stealing (asteya), sexual restraint (brahmacarya), and non-possession (aparigraha). These restraints are to be practiced in thought, word, and deed regardless of time, place, and circumstance. And it is only in daily circumstance (which is the vast laboratory for experimenting with perfection) that radical re-education or embodiment can proceed. Niyamas are the plus side of the yama/niyama balance sheet adding constructive possibilities for transforming one’s life. Tapas or austerity such as fasting or silence is practiced in order to overcome attachments and develop strength. Santosa or contentment aids in the acceptance of life and an appreciation for the law of cause and effect. The universal wisdom of the sages and scriptures is revealed to us in the practice of svadhyaya or self-study. Sauca or purity emphasizes the need for a simpler and more wholesome orientation on both physical and mental levels, while Isvara-pranidhana (dedication to the unity of life) stresses relinquishing the fruit of action.
Beside yama and niyama there are six other limbs of classical yoga. These are: asanas or bodily postures, pranayama or breath control, dharana or concentration, pratyahara or withdrawal of the senses from sense objects, dhyana or mediation, and finally samadhi, which is absorption. All of these means are practiced repeatedly until penetrated and incorporated (the word made flesh, embodied) into the practitioner’s life with the ultimate intention of moksa or liberation.
This intention of liberation from the bondage of ignorance and suffering is what differentiates yoga and similar paths from all other human activities, all other forms of education. According to the yogic point of view it is only through purification and the experiential vision of the unity of all life that one can transcend ignorance and the personal and social suffering that results. What ensues with success on the path is peaceful, harmonious, effective living secured within the endless changes of circumstances. Thus yoga and the other paths of liberation offer a most appropriate and sufficient re-education for contemporary living.