Yoga Sutras II.33
vitarka-bâdhane pratipakæa-bhâvanam
I first met the word bhavana in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, way before I could have imagined becoming a yoga teacher. A client gave me Satchidananda’s translation when she moved away. I was surprised when I got to Book II, verse 33, and Patanjali says “When disturbed by negative thoughts, opposite [positive] ones should be thought of. This is pratipaksha bhavana.” Here, in a collection of teachings from 2000 years ago, is what amounts to the basic principle of ‘cognitive behavior therapy’. Where have we been all these years? So I went to find out where we got lost.
Glenn Wallis, author of a translation and compilation of sutras called Basic Teachings of the Buddha, emphasizes the word’s agrarian heritage. "One of the Buddha’s favorite metaphors for the practice that we refer to as “meditation” is bhavana, “cultivation.” He certainly had in mind the ubiquitous farms and fields of his native India when employing this image. Thus, unlike “meditation” or “contemplation,” the Buddha’s term is musty, rich, verdant. It smells of the earth. The commonness of his chosen term – it would have resonated with a farmer – suggested naturalness, everydayness, ordinariness. The term also suggested hope: no matter how fallow it has become or damaged it may be, a field can always be cultivated – endlessly enhanced, enriched, developed – to produce a favorable and nourishing harvest." Wallis (2007) (Pg. 150)
The Monday Night Sutta Study class has finished the short sequence of five weeks with a program from Gil Fronsdal on anukampa, Buddha's teachings on care. We just started a program with Bhikkhu Analayo called Foundations of Mindfulness. We are meeting on Zoom. Please contact me if you would like to participate in this program. We sit from 6 - 6:30 and the program begins at 6:30.
The Thursday Evening Discussion and Practice Group is just finishing a course from Pema Chodron called Living with Vulnerability. Next, we will have another lecture series from Gil Fronsdal on anukampa. The group meets on Zoom and in person at the community center (106 Marshall Court, Unit 120) on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00. Feel free to attend when you can. Check the calendar for program details.
We will be posting yoga classes on the yoga schedule and Bhavana Community events on the Bhavana Community Calendar so you can click there for what's on ZOOM and what is live.
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