Importance of Patanjali’s Chitta Prasadanam for Mental Wellbeing

Abstract

The mind has a built-in propensity to be drawn to the outside environment. The ability to gaze within is not inherent in the mind. Therefore, challenges present themselves when attempting to focus inward. However, these barriers are not distinct from consciousness; rather, they are a component of it. They are inevitable and have specific points in the framework of consciousness. Such contaminants and impediments must first be eliminated. The mind must be cleared, and inner calm must be brought about to be able to focus. The Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.33 refers to “Chitta Prasadanam,” which literally translates as Calm mind. “Maitri Karuna Muditopekshanam” is how it is spelt. “Bhavnatas Chitta Prasadanam Sukh Dukh Punya Apunya Vishyanayam.” According to the Sutra, your mind is guided toward tranquility and peace when you have a favorable attitude toward both happy and unhappy individuals, are only affected by virtues, and do not even consider the drawbacks.

1. Introduction

Afflictions (anything that produces pain or suffering) are the primary cause of all suffering. The Sage Patanjali refers to these ailments as the five kleshas. These are classified as beings of ignorance, ego, attachment, attachment to others, hatred, and fear of death (Avidya, Asmita, Raga, Dvesha, Abhinivesa). The first step toward achieving eternal bliss is realizing and acknowledging the existence of these klesha inside oneself. These klesha offer a glimpse into the mind. Warfare throughout history and the current state of human misery are the outcomes of raga and dvesha. Before acting, one should think clearly and view the situation through the lens of klesha. This leads in deeds, rather than regret and sorrow. Chitta Prasadanam, a lovely formula provided by Sage Patanjali, can be used to make decisions that lead to bliss. “Blissful Mind” is the literal translation of Chitta Prasadanam. The great sage also provided a straightforward, tiered strategy to help everyone experience this joy.

All we need to do is practice camaraderie (maitri), compassion (karuna), and joy (mudita), and cultivate apathy toward pleasure (sukha), pain (dukha), virtue (punya), and nastiness (apunya). One can acquire chitta prasadanam, the blissful and tranquil condition of chitta (mind), by repeatedly adopting this attitude.

Only the practice of pranayama (breath control), guided by a qualified teacher, can accomplish this. You can attain mental clarity through pranayama. All that is left to do is change your bad emotions into positive ones. For instance, when one of your friends succeeds, do not be envious of them or try to find fault; instead, really celebrate their achievement. In addition to making you happy, this also wins you a lifelong buddy. The contrary is also true; when someone is grieving, be compassionate and helpful. Increase someone’s happiness when they are experiencing a happy time by telling others about their accomplishments; this will make them feel even happier.

1.1 What is chitta?

According to Samkhya philosophy (25 elements theory), the Chitta is the combination of Manas (mind), Buddhi (intellect), and Ahamkara (ego) [1]. Trigunas are also a part of the Chitta, which is the origin of human consciousness. The proportion of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas in the Chitta varies from time to time and determines how an individual acts and perceives the world, as well as their intelligence. Trigunas are responsible for our fluctuating emotions, which range from being restless and lethargic to being very active and curious about things.

2. Need of purification/cleansing of chitta?

The sutra on Chitta Prasadana is after the sutra on Chitta Vikshepa (disturbances of mind). Patanjali explains that disturbances of mind could be in form of sadness, disappointment, anger, imbalance in breathing, etc. and is caused by nine kinds of Antarayas (distractions) that occur on a yogi’s journey to self-attainment [2].

2.1 Panch klesha

The only way we can achieve enlightenment or samadhi is by defeating these five challenges. We are unable to advance past the physical body when we interact with the pancha klesha, which keeps us bound to earthly afflictions. Recognizing and comprehending these mental afflictions can aid us in returning to our genuine nature because our truest selves are free from this klesha.

Of these five challenges, avidya is likely the most significant because ignorance makes it difficult to identify the other ills. The most severe form of suffering results from our ignorance of our true nature because it fosters a sense of alienation from all other beings. A strong sense of our interconnectedness with the universe, as well as our inherent traits of calm and compassion, are necessary for overcoming avidya.

Ignorance gives rise to a dualistic view of oneself and the world. Asmita, or egoism, is a dominant sense of I, Me, and I. We lose sight of the fact that everything is interconnected, that our actions affect others as well as ourselves. Strong attachments to people, locations, and roles are also brought on by egoism. When we are emotionally invested in our wishes, we experience intense hunger, or rage, which causes suffering when things do not turn out exactly how we want them to.

Aversion, or the persistent desire to turn away from the things we find unpleasant, is the result of being controlled by need. This fosters a lingering, nagging sensation of unhappiness and is dvesha. It is only normal for us to dread change when we have this kind of mix of attachments, desires, and aversions. This struggle for survival—abhinivesha—is the last barrier. We can only completely free ourselves from pain when we can let go of control and accept impermanence.

2.2 Yoga antaraya

Yoga’s nine key challenges are:

Vyadhi - Physical or mental illness or disease. If you are physically ill, practicing yoga is challenging. To prevent sickness and promote good health, it is crucial to have a healthy lifestyle.

Styana: Lack of interest in carrying out one’s kartavya or duty. By putting off our practice and making up reasons to not be on the path and complete the work, we procrastinate.

Sanshaya is the act of doubting one’s abilities or the effects of yoga. According to the Brihad-ranyaka-Upanishad (4.4.23), we can only know Reality once we are free of uncertainty. It is crucial to develop faith in both the yoga path and one.

Pramada: A lack of persistence, carelessness, and heedlessness. Yoga is a science and an art and doing it improperly can have unpredictable effects that could even be harmful.

Alasya: Inertia of the body or mind brought on by the dominance of the tamasic element. Yoga’s path involves self-control, ardor, and tapas (willpower). You will not reach your full potential if you are lazy.

Affection for enjoyable goods and overindulgence. If we want to advance in yoga, we must learn to “let go” of our ties to desires and material things.

False vision and hasty assurance are both examples of bhrantidarshan. The formation of an incorrect belief about yoga practice and its results can cause injury and disappointment in addition to taking one off the path of yoga.

Non-attainment of the following yogic level or accomplishment is known as aladdha-bhumikatva. This occurs because of incorrect or subpar practice, which gives the impression that one is “stuck” and inspires discouragement.

Anawasthitatwa: An unstable or transient stage or achievement in yoga. Being unable to retain an accomplished level can be quite frustrating. Again, improper or subpar practice may be to blame [3].

3. Chitta prasadanam

Chitta Prasadanam, as prescribed by Maharishi Patanjali in his famous Yoga Sutras, is valuable wisdom that can help us maintain a peaceful and beautiful state of mind, regardless of the actions of others. Chitta in yoga is defined as the mind-stuff and Prasadanam means the act of making something pure and beautiful.

मैत्रीकरुणामुदितोपेक्षाणां सुखदुःखपुण्यापुण्यविषयाणां भावनातः चित्तप्रसादनम् ॥३३॥.

Maitrikarunamuditopeksanam.

sukhaduhkhapunyapunyavisayanam.

bhavanataschittaprasadanam (1/33 PYS) [4].

Maitri: friendliness; karuna: compassion; Mudita; gladness; upeksanam: indifference; sukha: happiness; duhkha: misery; punya: virtue; apunya: vice; visayanam: of the objects; bhavanatah: attitude; chitta: mind; prasadanam: purification, making peace.

By practicing the attitudes of friendliness, compassion, gladness, and indifference in response to happiness, misery, virtue, and vice, the mind becomes pure and at peace.

Without first purifying, or making the mind tranquil in nature, it is impossible to develop focus. This sutra illustrates the ideal method for doing this. It is a technique for developing a kind, compassionate, joyful, and unconcerned attitude toward those or things that bring happiness, suffering, virtue, or vice. By upholding this mentality—friendliness toward the joyful, compassion toward the miserable, joy regarding the righteous, and indifference toward those who are full of vice—the aspirant’s mind is liberated from disruptive forces, and as a result, it is at peace.

According to the sutra, practicing the four mental virtues namely, Maitri, Karuna, Mudita, and Upeshka is the ultimate way to experience the calmness of the mind.

3.1 Maitri—friendliness

Maitri could be understood as the feeling of friendliness or loving-kindness. So, this part of the sutra suggests developing kind and friendly thoughts toward the happiness of people.

We all know people who could be more blessed than us—be it in terms of wealth, beauty, or possessions. And oftentimes we end up comparing ourselves to them.

Maharishi Patanjali teaches us to regain our peace of mind by developing friendly thoughts toward happier people, instead of allowing insecure thoughts to enter our mind.

The renowned yogi Swami Vivekananda interprets it as having friendly thoughts toward all fellow human beings; after all, we are part of one cosmos and connected to each other in a way.

3.2 Karuna—compassion

Karuna is the attitude of compassion toward other people’s sorrows. This part of the sutra teaches us to develop loving compassion toward people who are in pain or suffering.

The mind may be accustomed to being indifferent toward other people’s pain because it is not our own. Or we could feel pity for people who are not as blessed as us. But the feeling of pity only separates us from them.

Instead, training the mind to feel genuine compassion and concern toward others enables us to connect with them and our higher self eventually.

3.3 Mudita—joy

Mudita means joy or delight. This part of the sutra teaches us to develop gladness over the good deeds and achievements of others, instead of allowing envious feelings to take over our mind.

Jealousy is a vice that can easily plague us when we hear of others’ achievements. In fact, the human mind can look for flaws even in the most virtuous people.

While it may not be natural for us to feel elated over a neighbor or colleague’s achievements, we do feel joyous over the achievements of our close ones. The difference is that we experience the happiness of only those who we feel connected with.

We must remind ourselves that we are all connected in this world. And feeling genuinely happy for all others, devoid of any envy, allows the divine peace to flow within us.

3.4 Upeksha—apunya

The word Upeksha is displaying indifference or neutrality toward negative behavior or vices of others. And this may be the toughest part of practicing.

Let us admit, it takes deliberate effort to not act judgmental toward others. The mind can cling on to the mistakes made by others and look for opportunities to correct them.

Maharishi Patanjali advocates exactly the opposite of this habit —to show acceptance or “equanimity” toward wrong actions [5]. An easy way to instill this habit is by reminding ourselves that we all make mistakes while being unaware of them. Others could be doing the same. We must let our mind accept that “simply overlooking other people’s wrongdoings” is the prescribed way to finding peace according to our ancient scriptures.

4. Mental wellbeing

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community [6].”

When it identifies positive feelings and positive functioning as essential components of mental health, this definition raises several questions and lends itself to potential misunderstandings, even though it represents a significant advancement in moving away from the conceptualization of mental health as a state of absence of mental illness.

It is challenging to reconcile the multiple challenging living situations in which well-being may even be ill with the idea that well-being is a fundamental component of mental health. For instance, most people would consider it mentally unhealthy for someone to feel at ease while killing several people during a war operation, but they would consider it good for someone to feel desperate after losing their job in an atmosphere with limited work alternatives [7].

People with good mental health experience depression, illness, rage, or other negative emotions regularly; this is a necessary component of leading a full life. Despite this, mental health is commonly perceived as a completely good condition marked by joyful emotions and environmental control.

5. Yoga antraya and chitta prasadanam remedies to enhance mental health

When the devotees of yoga practice yoga, then according to the rituals, some obstacles arise, which can be of physical and mental level. These obstacles block the path of yoga, due to which the practice of yoga gets obstructed. Maharishi Patanjali describes Antaraya in the context of the obstacles that end because of contemplation of God’s name and form and explains how the seeker can end these obstacles and purify his mind. Maharshi Patanjali describes nine types of obstacles and describes the other five sub-obstacles that happen along with them. To remove those obstacles, he describes various measures according to the ability of the seeker. These obstacles are called Yogantraya and the way to remove them is called the way of Chitta Prasadanam. Antaraya means disturbances or distractions, that is, whatever distractions occur in the mind, it causes distractions and creates the barrier in the path of Yoga that leads to the Samadhi.

Vyadhi-Styana-Samsaya-Pramada-Alasya-Avirati-Bhrantidarsana-Alabdhabhumikatva-Anavasthitatvani-Cittaviksepah-Te-Antarayah (Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1/30) [8]

Vyadhi: disease, illness, sickness

Styana: inefficiency, dullness

Samsaya: indecision, doubt

Pramada: carelessness, negligence

Alasaya: sloth, laziness

Avirati: sensuality, craving

Bhranti darsana: false views or perception

Alabdhabhumikatva: failing to attain stages of practice

Anavasthitatvani: inability to maintain

Cittaviksepah: distractions of the mind

Te: they are

Antarayah: obstacles, impediments

According to Swami Hariharanand Aranya- With Ishwar Pranidhan, all these obstacles are removed.

According to Vigyanbhikshu, those who disturb the mind are called Antaraya. Interruptions are visible in the presence of mind-sets due to their disturbance. Due to being nutritious to the body, the dissimilar imbalance of Vata, Kapha, and Pitta, the juices resulting from diet and the eyes and mind, etc., is called disease. Once’ inability to perform yoga rituals is called inactivity. Mental inactivity is called styana. Ambivalent knowledge is called doubt. It is foolish not to research the means of samadhi. Due to Kaphadi, there is physical gravity and due to Tamoguna, there is mental gravity. Laziness is the root cause of sadhaka’s inability to practice the ritual of samadhi due to these two reasons. The attachment derived from the closeness of the subject is called avarati. Having opposite knowledge about the substance certified by the Acharyas is delusion. Not getting even a single piece of land like Madhumati etc., even after performing the rituals of the means of attaining yoga, is the absence of land. The loss of concentration due to the instability of the mind after attaining any of the Madhumatyadi lands is called non-existence.

According to Swami Vivekananda, this body is the only boat to go across this sea of life. One whose body is unwell cannot be a Yogi. When mental inertia sets in, all our interest in yoga is lost. And in the absence of this interest, there will be neither determination nor strength to do spiritual practice. No matter how strong our thought-generated belief in this subject may be, until there are supernatural experiences like Doordarshan, etc., many doubts will be present about the veracity of this knowledge. When all these are realized little by little, then the seeker becomes even more diligent in the path of meditation. While doing sadhana, you will see that for a few days or a few weeks, the mind becomes concentrated and stable without any effort, but suddenly this source of progress has stopped, do not lose your perseverance.

According to Swami Omanandatirtha - These nine obstacles are removed from concentration.

According to Pandit. Shriram Sharma Acharya - Obstacle to a seeker walking on the path of Yoga. Those who lead astray are of nine types-

1. (Vyadhi) Disease- Any kind of disease in the body, weakness in the senses and anxiety etc. in the mingles a disease.

2. (Styan) - Being unable to work, inaction, discouragement in work or lack of ability is called styan.

3. (Sanshaya) Doubt- Not having faith in the objective condition of Yogavidya and doubting the success of one’s efforts is called doubt.

4. (Pramada)Negligence-Doing yoga carelessly, leaving the routine incomplete and not worrying about it even if it gets spoiled is called Pramad.

5. (Alasya) Laziness- due to the presence of Tamoguna, the body remains healthy, but excess of tamoguna leads to the tendency that will not let us engage in work.

6. (Avirati) - due to being attached to the subject, the mind remains attached to the objects and the lack of disinterest in the mind is called avirati.

7. (Bhranti Darshana) Illusion- Due to some reason of lack of knowledge, there is no knowledge of the philosophy and means of spirituality or this means is not suitable, such illusory knowledge is called illusion.

8. (Alabdha-bhumikatva)- Not being able to reach the state of a seeker even after doing continuous meditation and the speed of mind getting blocked in the middle is called alabdha bhumikatva.

9. (Anavastitha) - The inability of mind to remain concentrated or steady, due to which it cannot reach the role and because of instability, the wavering of the mind is called anavasthiti.

These are the nine kinds of obstacles that interrupt peace of mind and lead toward the mental health degradation.

6. Conclusion

Chitta Prasadanam is an ancient technique that was used by the Yogis for the purification and stability of the mind so that they can pursue the Yogic practice with the excellence or without any distraction. Nowadays this practice is very beneficial not only to attain the state of samadhi but to achieve good mental health. The lives of almost every individual have become hectic due to numerous reasons. In this cutting-edge period, an enormous extent of populace adjusting current culture like stationary lifestyle, amount, and nature of food, abandoning their practice, way of life. Today, most of the individuals are prepared to think twice about their prosperity to accomplish more significant standards to adapt up with the cultural strain their way of life put on them, subsequently stress has turned into our steady friend. Apart from stress, there are numerous factors which are affecting our mental health. If we practice the Chitta Prasadanam, then we can modify our thoughts, be able to give positive direction to our thoughts so that we can be in the state of mental peace. It is a very simple rule that if our mind is at peace every other thing can be at peace. Ultimately each one of us is doing work just for satisfaction or for the mental peace. If we can pursue the four feelings “Maitri, Karuna, Mudita, and Upeksha,” then we can transform other negative feelings “guilt, greed, envy, jealousy, etc.,” and can save our mind from the several mental illnesses.