Yoga: The Alpha and the Omega, Vol 1

CHAPTER 1

Introduction to the path of Yoga
25 December 1973 pm in

NOW THE DISCIPLINE OF YOGA.
YOGA IS THE CESSATION OF MIND.
THEN THE WITNESS IS ESTABLISHED IN ITSELF.
IN THE OTHER STATES THERE IS IDENTIFICATION WITH THE MODIFICATIONS OF THE MIND.

We live in a deep illusion – the illusion of hope, of future, of tomorrow. As man is, man cannot exist
without self-deceptions. Nietzsche says somewhere that man cannot live with the true: he needs
dreams, he needs illusions, he needs lies to exist. And Nietzsche is true. As man is he cannot exist
with the truth. This has to be understood very deeply because without understanding it, there can
be no entry into the inquiry which is called yoga.

The mind has to be understood deeply – the mind which needs lies, the mind which needs illusions,
the mind which cannot exist with the real, the mind which needs dreams. You are not dreaming
only in the night. Even while awake, you are dreaming continuously. You may be looking at me, you
may be listening to me, but a dream current goes on within you. Continuously, the mind is creating
dreams, images, fantasies.

Now scientists say that a man can live without sleep, but he cannot live without dreams. In old
days it was understood that sleep is a necessity, but now modern research says sleep is not really
a necessity. Sleep is needed only so that you can dream. Dream is the necessity. If you are notallowed to dream and allowed to sleep, you will not feel in the morning fresh, alive. You will feel tired,
as if you have not been able to sleep at all.

In the night there are periods – periods for deep sleep and periods for dreaming. There is a rhythm
– just like day and night, there is a rhythm. In the beginning you fall into deep sleep for nearabout
forty, forty-five minutes. Then the dream phase comes in, then you dream. Then again dreamless
sleep, then again dreaming. The whole night this goes on. If your sleep is disturbed while you are
deeply asleep without dreaming, in the morning you will not feel that you have missed anything. But
while you are dreaming, if your dream is disturbed then in the morning you will feel completely tired
and exhausted.

Now this can be known from the outside. If someone is sleeping you can judge whether he is
dreaming or asleep. If he is dreaming, his eyes will be moving continuously – as if he is seeing
something with closed eyes. When he is fast asleep, eyes will not move; they will remain steady. So
while your eyes are moving, if your sleep is disturbed in the morning you will feel tired. While your
eyes are not moving, sleep can be disturbed, in the morning you will not feel anything missing.

Many researchers have proved that human mind feeds on dreams, dream is a necessity, and dream
is total autodeception. And this is not only so in the night: while awake also the same pattern follows;
even in the day you can notice. Sometimes there will be dream floating in the mind, sometimes there
will be no dreams.

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