Mountains are no longer mountains, waters no longer waters
Levels of Pratyaahaar, and the highest Pratyaahaar
Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah. Salutations to all the teachers.
“Philology is not a language but the science of languages, the study of which will enable the student to learn his own language better. Similarly, Yoga1 is not a religion by itself. It is the science of religions, the study of which will enable a saadhaka the better to appreciate his own faith.”
- BKS Iyengar, Light on Yoga
Yoga can be seen as a structure that can be applied to any of the world’s great traditions to make the teachings actionable and practical. However, unlike philology, which cannot be used as a language, Yoga can stand alone as its own soteriological tradition.
As is true for the other limbs, Pratyaahaar - sense withdrawal or abstraction - is not unique to Yoga. Various traditions around the world teach some form of this limb in various ways, depending on the cultural and historical context from which the tradition stems.
That is not to say that all these methods are all to be followed, rather that understanding the importance of Pratyaahaar can help us understand the root of what these traditions are trying to get at.
In today’s article, we will go through the five levels of Pratyaahaar, with a basis in Vyasa’s commentary on this limb in the Yoga Sutra.
Levels of Pratyaahaar
Vyasa, in his commentary on the Yoga Sutra, delineates five distinct levels of Pratyaahaar, and denounces the first four in favour of the fifth:
“Some say [that Pratyaahaar is] the non-addiction to sense objects … Others say [that Pratyaahaar is] the non-enjoyment of prohibited sense objects … Some others say [that Pratyaahaar is] is enjoyment according to will, rather than what the senses dictate … Still others say [that Pratyaahaar is] engaging with sense objects without their causing pleasure or pain, due to the absence of attraction or aversion. Jaugisavya (a famous Yogi) says that [the highest Pratyaahaar is] the [complete] non-inclination of senses towards their objects by the one-pointedness of mind.”
- Vyasabhashyam on Yoga Sutra 2.55
Level 1: Non-addiction
Remember, Pratyaahaar is defined as the withdrawal of the senses from their respective objects. Normally, the mind is tilted outward, towards the objects of the world. Objects are not just physical objects, but also include thoughts, ideas, mental images, ruminations, and so on. Anything that is perceived by Awareness is an object.
This obsession with objects - gross and subtle - leads to suffering, and distracts from the journey towards the Self which cannot be perceived or grasped by the senses.
Some schools of thought say that Pratyaahaar is simply non-addiction to sense objects.
The word used by Vyasa is vyasana (व्यसन) which means addiction, disaster, evil passion, or fruitless effort.
Normally, we are not just drawn to objects, but are actively addicted to them. We feel like we need to fill silence with words, or that we need to fill our minds with content. We can experience this directly by trying to sit still and silent for a few minutes and seeing how we feel an urge to look at our phones, watch or listen to something, speak, or move around.
Even if we are somehow able to control ourselves, the mind starts to create mental (ie. subtle) objects to watch or listen to. This addiction to sense objects distracts the attention from moving further inward, and so relieving oneself of this addiction is a level of Pratyaahaar.
However, Vyasa says that this is not, in fact, Pratyaahaar.
The reason is that even if one is not addicted to sense objects, one may still feel a desire to engage with them, and this desire is in itself counter-productive to the goal of Yoga.
Level 2: Depending on prohibition
Depending on the tradition, there are some objects which are considered “prohibited”, and others which are “allowed.” These objects can be gross or subtle.
In terms of gross objects, Islam, Sikhism, and Jainism prohibit the consumption of alcohol. In Judaism and Islam, pork is prohibited. In Jainism, Buddhism, and some “Hindu” traditions, eating meat is prohibited, and so on.
Many traditions also forbid particular subtle objects.
For example, in Christianity and Judaism, while alcohol is not strictly forbidden, drunkenness is prohibited. Other forbidden objects in Christianity and Judaism include modifications of the karmendriyas like cursing parents (gross or subtle), pagan beliefs (subtle), pagan ceremonies (gross), breaking the sabbath (subtle), and so on.
Prohibited objects extend beyond religion into general society as well.
These are things which we generally consider to be unacceptable, especially in public or in particular settings. For example, public excretion, public nudity or sexual behaviour, certain forms of imagery, some words, and even certain substances are not considered generally acceptable in all settings.
In Yoga, nothing is expressly prohibited or allowed. Rather, the Yogi is empowered to understand the logic behind the technique, and practice it based on the consequences that they want to cultivate.
In the case of Pratyaahaar, the Yogi may decide to use societal, traditional, or cultural prohibitions as a tool or prop to strengthen their practice.
This level can be seen as a method to train the mind by using the collective will and momentum of the society you live in. It is the mindful practice of enjoying only those objects that fall within what is considered to be “acceptable”, and not enjoying those objects that are prohibited.
However, while this may be helpful, Vyasa is clear on the fact that this is not, ultimately, Pratyaahaar.
P: Why?
First of all, prohibitions of objects - both gross and subtle - depend entirely on cultural context, and are limited by time, place, and circumstance. There is no universal truth behind something being “good” or “bad”, it is simply a matter of what people in a particular time and place decide and agree upon. For example, in the Middle East, pork is considered to be dirty, and prohibited, whereas in Spain, it is a common food. Eating dogs in the US would be considered abhorrent, whereas the Tallensi and Yaakuma traditions in Ghana consider dog meat to be a delicacy. There are no rational grounds upon which one prohibition can be considered more “true” or “correct” than the other.
Second, following prohibitions like this can actually lead to the violation of the Yamas, and can thus be counterproductive to the goals of Yoga.
Societies at different times and places may prohibit behaviours and objects that lead to the exclusion and disenfranchisement of some people within it. If practised without care, this level of Pratyaahaar can lead to violence against entire communities, thus violating the first Yama - ahimsa.
To make this clear, consider the example of cannabis in India.
For millennia, this plant has been used for ceremonial and recreational purposes. Families have subsisted off growing the crop, and depend on it for their livelihood. Since it was outlawed (through a series of measures including a United Nations treaty, as well as the passing of a number of regional laws), these farmers have had their crops burned and seized by law enforcement, pushing them and their families into poverty.
Given this knowledge, if someone living in India were to practice this level of Pratyaahaar taking this prohibition as their defining line, it may mean not consuming cannabis. If such a person were to take this prohibition seriously, the method would then transform into a belief. If such a person were then to share this belief with others by communicating that cannabis is somehow “bad” or “morally wrong”, they would be contributing to the violence against the communities by reinforcing the prohibition on their source of livelihood. This violence would then be in conflict with the ahimsa, taking them further from the goal.
To make matters worse, if such a person were to try to force another person to conform to their belief, it may force the other person to suppress their kleshas, which would only strengthen them.
Therefore, in trying to help, forcing beliefs like this upon other people not only increases your own avidya, but also takes the other person further away from the goal.
This logic also extends to subtle objects such as pleasure or attraction. In many cultures, attraction to members of the same sex or gender is prohibited.
Following this kind of prohibition, or even simply remaining silent and allowing it to continue, results in violence in thought, word, and deed, against entire communities. This violence is a violation of ahimsa, and thus strengthens avidya, taking the Yogi further away from the goal of Yoga.
To avoid this level of Pratyaahaar from turning into violence, two things are important to note:
This level of Pratyaahaar is a method, not an indicator of truth or absolute morality. Just because society says that something is not allowed, doesn’t mean that it is universally “bad.”
It is a method for you, and you alone. The Yogi cannot force others to practice their path, even if they wanted to. Everyone has their own path, and there is no rush, nor any compulsion. Even within those who follow the path of Yoga, everyone is on their own journey, suited to them, as they are in this moment.
While the examples here are about cannabis and homosexuality, it applies to any kind of sense object - gross and subtle. If you choose to practice this level of Pratyaahaar, take care to be extremely mindful, so as not to take it seriously, and to not communicate your practice as a moral imperative. Otherwise, you may risk taking yourself and others further from the goal of Yoga.
Third, following prohibitions mindlessly can lead to the suppression of kleshas. Suppressing kleshas only strengthens them, and strengthening kleshas increases suffering, exacerbates avidya, and takes the Yogi further from the goal. Consider the example of Saubhari, in a story from the Bhagavata Purana that we discussed briefly in the article on brahmacharya.
A long time ago, Saubhari was a famous sage who lived in Northern India, and was well known for his austerities and knowledge of Yoga. However, he had trouble following the Yama of brahmacharya, in particular when it came to his desire for sex. As a result, he decided that he would meditate underwater, where there was no possibility of any human coming close to him to arouse his desire.*
Using his Yogic power of Kevala Kumbhaka (complete, infinitely elongated breath retention), he submerged himself in the Yamuna river, and sat down on the riverbed in meditation.
Several days passed, and he was completely immersed in his underwater meditation. Suddenly, however, he heard a peculiar sound. Distracted, he opened his eyes and saw a pair of fish mating just a few feet in front of him. Seeing this, his mind became aroused with desire, and thoughts of sex. The impressions that were latent in his mind were awakened. Even though he had tried everything to suppress them, the suppression had made the desire impossible to ignore. No longer able to sit still, he rose from the depths of the river and gave up his Yogic practices.
To summarise, following societal or cultural prohibitions mindfully can help to strengthen Pratyaahaar, especially if you find that your willpower is not strong. However, there are three problems:
No prohibition is universal, and taking them seriously increases tamas by hiding from this truth.
Following societal or cultural prohibitions mindlessly can lead to violence against entire communities, thus increasing avidya.
Suppressing kleshas (like attraction or aversion) in order to follow prohibitions can lead to strengthening the kleshas, thus taking the Yogi further from the goal of Yoga.
Level 3: Not being dragged around by the senses
In the Kathopanishad, the Lord of Death - Yama - gives the example of a chariot with five horses to describe the human mind.
आत्मानं रथितं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु। बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥ ३ ॥इन्द्रियाणि हयानहुर्विशयां स्तेषु गोचरान्। आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ॥ ४ ॥यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्ययुक्तेन मनसा सदा। तस्येन्द्रियाण्यवश्यानि दुष्टाश्वा इव सारथेः ॥ ५ ॥यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति युक्तेन मनसा सदा। तस्येन्द्रियाणि वश्यानि सदश्वा इव सारथेः ॥ ६ ॥Know the Self as the rider in the chariot, and the body as nothing but the chariot. Know buddhi to be the charioteer, and know the manas as the reins.
The senses, it is said, are the horses; the objects which they perceive, the road; the Self, the senses, [the buddhi] and the manas combined, the wise call the enjoyer (bhoktaa).
That person without wisdom, whose mind is uncontrolled, the senses cannot be controlled, as the vicious horses of a charioteer.
But of the wise one whose mind is always controlled, the senses are always under control as are the good horses of the charioteer.
- Katha Upanishad, 1.3.3-9
In the first level of Pratyaahaar, the Yogi avoids addiction to sense objects. However, this is problematic because the desire for sense objects may still remain.
In the second level, the Yogi follows prohibitions and injunctions, harnessing the collective will of their society to help them reign in the senses. However, this is problematic because it can lead to increased tamas, violence, and suppression, thus increasing avidya and the kleshas, taking the Yogi away from, rather than towards, the Self.
Here, in the third level, the Yogi is able to use their own will, or buddhi, to control their consumption with sense objects.
In the example from the Kathopanishad above, the human being is compared to a chariot with five horses. Each horse is a buddhendriya - hearing, touch, sight, smell, and taste. The reigns are the manas, or attention. The charioteer is the intellect - the buddhi - and the rider is You, the Purusha, or Pure Consciousness.
The horses are a lot stronger than the charioteer.
As a result, an unskilled charioteer is pulled by the horses in all directions. The horse of sight moves, as if automatically, towards objects of sight. The horse of hearing runs in the direction of beautiful sounds, the horse of hearing towards attractive smells, and so on. With all the horses moving in different directions, it is very difficult to go anywhere at all! On the other hand, a skilled charioteer is able to use the reigns to control the movement of the horses, despite the fact that the horses are a lot stronger than them.
In the same way, the skilled Yogi is able to use their manas to reign in their senses with nothing but will-power (aka buddhi, or the nishchaya-vritti).
Strengthening willpower to this extent takes practice, and the technique of Kriya Yoga is expressly for this purpose. Once the buddhi is strengthened to a sufficient degree, the Yogi can decide for themselves which objects they wish to include in their sensory diet, and which objects they choose to leave out.
For example, a person may know that eating fattening foods is bad for their health, but if the kleshas are strong and the buddhi is weak, they will not be able to stop themselves. Another person may know that drinking alcohol makes them feel sick or tired the next day, but if the kleshas are strong and the buddhi is unskilled, they will drink even though they know it will make them feel bad.
To be very clear, an unskilled buddhi is not a sign of “weakness of character” or anything of the sort. It is simply a matter of fact. As in the practice of Aasana, weak or inflexible hamstrings is not a sign of weak or inflexible “character”, so in Pratyaahaar a weak buddhi does not have any meaning aside from an indication to strengthen that area through practice.
Just as anyone can strengthen their physical body through the practice of Aasana, anyone can strengthen their buddhi through the practice of Kriya Yoga.
In this level of Pratyaahaar, the Yogi is no longer dependent on the will of society, and can choose the objects they wish to include within their boundary. The key, however, is in following that choice when faced with temptation.
Again, this is not suppression. If it feels like suppression, the Yogi should strengthen their practice of Kriya Yoga to weaken the kleshas enough that they do not have a strong hold on their attention.
Notice how the Yamas are, in a sense, an expression of this level of Pratyaahaar. The buddhi decides to be non-violent, truthful, non-indulgent, and so on, and so the karmendriyas follow its lead. Additionally, the buddhendriyas no longer pull the mind in the direction of objects that would violate the Yama. The same goes for all the other Yamas as well.
Most often, we violate Yamas due to desire and/or aversion for objects - both gross and subtle. In this way, Pratyaahaar strengthens the Yamas, and in turn, the Yamas reinforce Pratyaahaar.
However, this level of Pratyaahaar is still problematic, because engagement with sense objects, even if controlled by the will, results in samskaaras (ie. mental impressions), and thus strengthens existing kleshas.
For example, if a person already has an aversion towards taking a cold shower, and they decide to not to take cold showers, this will only strengthen their tendency. Similarly, if a person already likes ice cream, and decides that they will eat ice cream every day, this will strengthen their tendency towards ice cream (or create an aversion, depending on how much of it they eat!).
In this way, just because the senses are following the buddhi doesn’t necessarily help to reduce avidya, which is the ultimate goal of Yoga.
Level 4: Without attraction or aversion
Let us continue with the example of the chariot. At first, the horses were untrained and dragging the chariot about in every direction, no matter what the charioteer wanted them to do. Then, the charioteer was able to train the horses, and control their movement using the reins.
Taking this a step further, in this fourth level of Pratyaahaar, the horses are so well trained that the charioteer can completely let go of the reins, and they will continue to move forward on the road without any explicit direction.
At this level, the movement of the indriyas (the sense organs and organs of action) is no longer driven by the kleshas of attraction or aversion, and these kleshas do not arise when the indriyas contact their respective objects.
To make this clear, the Yogi may have initially had such a strong desire for ice cream that they could not stop themselves from consuming it. Then, they were able to decide to stop consuming it, but the attraction may have remained at a deeper level, and whenever they had ice cream, the attraction would arise in the mind. Here, the Yogi can come near ice cream, and even consume it, without the feeling of attraction arising in the mind at all.
In this example, the klesha of raag (attraction) that once coloured the perception, imagination, or memory of ice cream is now either completely absent, or is prasupta (dormant), but does not sprout in the presence of the object. Ice cream no longer has a hold on this Yogi’s mind, and so they can interact, or not interact with the object as they please.
P: This sounds amazing - how do I do it?
Jogi: Weakening the kleshas to this level takes practice. The method is Kriya Yoga, and eventually meditation (dhyaan). However, this is still not the final aspect of Pratyaahaar.
P: Why not?
Even if the objects are no longer coloured by the kleshas of attraction and aversion, the heart of the problem is left unaddressed. Attraction and aversion are only symptoms of avidya, which is the root cause of dukkha.
The goal of Yoga is to get rid of avidya altogether, to cure dukkha, not simply alleviate it.
In his commentary on Vyasa’s commentary on this Sutra, the ninth-century philosopher Vachaspati Misra says,
“Even the greatest professor in the science of poisons, who has controlled a serpent, does not sleep with the serpent in his arms, without fear.”
The kleshas are like poison, and even if they are currently absent, it does not mean that they cannot return.
To make this clear, consider an object that you once thought to be uninteresting, but now are either attracted to or averse to. That is, there was a time when you were neither attracted to it, nor averse to it, but it is now of interest to you.
For example, at one point, perhaps as a child, you may have been indifferent towards a certain brand or style of clothing, but you have recently found it to be attractive. This can also be true for subtle objects, like types of behaviour. Perhaps there was a time when you did not think anything of people who behaved a certain way, but now you consider it to be abhorrent. It can also extend to Yoga itself - there was likely a time in your life when the teachings of Yoga were neither attractive nor aversive. You knew about Yoga, but didn’t think much of it. Now, you are learning more about Yoga and are developing raag towards the teachings.
Just from this example, it is clear that just because attraction or aversion do not exist at one point in time, doesn’t mean that they will not exist in the future. Through interaction with sense objects, we are more likely to develop a taste for them - one way or another. This “taste”, or klesha, in Yogic terms, is like poison, and so Vyasa says that even this level of Pratyaahaar is not sufficient to achieve the goal of Yoga.
P: What?! So then what level of Pratyaahaar is sufficient?
Level 5: No objects
ततः परमा वश्यतेन्द्रियाणाम्॥Tatah paramaa vashyateIndriyaanaamFrom this comes the highest control of the senses.
- Yoga Sutra, 2.55
Last week, we discussed how what we normally consider to be gross and subtle objects are, in fact, a collection of discrete, momentary “pixels”, combined from the five buddhendriyas (aka jnanendriyas, or powers of sense). These “pixels” are called pratyayas, and we mentally combine these pratyayas to form vrittis (mental whirlpools) like perception, imagination, memory, and so on.
Normally, we take the groupings seriously as objects, and then colour them with “I”-ness, attraction, aversion, and fear (the kleshas). However, if we see the vrittis as combinations of these discrete, momentary pratyayas, rather than as objects in themselves, the kleshas automatically disappear.
This is the final stage of Pratyaahaar, and is what Patanjali considers to be the “highest” sense control.
Said in a different way, the Yogi completely ceases contact with all objects of the senses. This doesn’t mean that there is a complete blankness as in deep sleep. Rather, objects are no longer “objects” as one normally conceives them. Just that what were originally experienced as separate “objects” are now seen to be nothing but collections of momentary pratyayas.
老僧三十年前未參 禪時、見山是山、見水是水、及至後 夾 親見知識、有箇入處、見山不是山、見水不是水、而今得箇體歇處、依然見山 秪 是 山、見水 秪 是水Lǎo sēng sānshí nián qián wèi cānchán shí, jiànshān shì shān, jiàn shuǐ shì shuǐ, jízhì hòu jiā qīn jiàn zhīshì, yǒu gè rù chù, jiànshān bùshì shān, jiàn shuǐ bùshì shuǐ, érjīn dé gè tǐ xiē chù, yīrán jiànshān zhī shì shān, jiàn shuǐ zhī shì shuǐThirty years ago, when the old monk did not practice Zen, he saw that mountains were mountains, and waters were waters. When he saw more clearly, mountains were no longer mountains, waters were no longer waters. But now that he is at rest, he sees that mountains once again as mountains, and waters once again as waters.2
- Ch'uan Teng Lu, 22
A traditional example describes a piece of burning wood moving in circles in the dark. To a spectator, it appears to form a continuous circle of fire. However, it only appears to be a continuous circle because the image is retained on the retina for longer than it takes to complete the circle.
Since there are no “objects” to speak of, “contact” with them becomes nothing more than a conceptual construct. When this is clearly seen, the illusion of “objective” reality drops away, and attention is freed from its fetters.
Normally, attention is always at risk of being “pulled out” by objects. Now, there is nothing to pull the attention, and so it can be “let out” freely and completely. When this stage arises, focus becomes effortless, and the experience of life becomes more visceral.
Now what?
Understanding the levels of Pratyaahaar can help us to contextualize this category of practices in the world’s great traditions, and see the practical benefit in them. Additionally, seeing the end of the road can be helpful during the course of practice, so we know what to strive for.
P: Do I have to reach the final stage of Pratyaahaar to be ready for the next limbs?
The final stage of Pratyaahaar need not be achieved before moving on to the following limbs of Yoga. In fact, the later limbs of Yoga help to see objects more clearly as collections of pratyayas rather than as vrittis.
Having said this, Pratyaahaar is a key to deepening meditation. Without it, the mind is constantly drawn outward.
P: When should I practice Pratyaahaar?
Pratyaahaar can be practised on the cushion during a meditation session, or off the cushion in your day-to-day life. Consider how the Yamas and Niyamas help to establish Pratyaahaar, and carefully notice the objects that you are drawn towards, or averse to. Weakening the kleshas through Kriya Yoga also helps to establish Pratyaahaar, as does Praanaayaam. Finally, during a seated meditation session, start by noting the objects that appear to your senses, and rather than viewing them as distractions, carefully notice the details with curiosity and openness. Over time, the mind will be less drawn to objects, and will be ready for the next limb - Dhaaranaa, or concentration.
“Use every distraction as an object of meditation, and they cease to be distractions.”
- Mingyur Rinpoche
Until next time:
Find your current level of Pratyaahaar, and write it down. Meet yourself where you are today.
Note down which particular objects you are drawn to or averse to. These are the kleshas that you can work to weaken over time with Kriya Yoga.
Try to see objects as collections of pratyayas rather than taking them for granted as “objects” in themselves. Rather than forcing it, let go of the concept of the object, and notice the process of how your mind groups individual perceptions, and then labels them as a cohesive whole.
Next time: Dhaaranaa - the sixth limb of Yoga
In this context, the word “Yoga” is used in the generic sense (ie. including all four Yogas), not just Raja Yoga.
There is a deeper meaning to this quote relating to the Ultimate Reality, but as is the case with many such phrases, the same analogy can serve a purpose at many different levels of Yoga. Other such analogies that can be used at multiple levels include the pot and clay example, the wave and water example, and the circles of fire example.
Also, note that even the highest level of Pratyaahaar is only the second stage described in this quote. There is a third, and final, stage, where mountains are once again mountains, and waters are once again waters.