In Episodes 1 and 2, Dr. Bharat Thakur took us on an introductory tour of the entire matrix of the the eight limbs, ashtanga of yoga. This was a preparation for an exploration of, “what can yoga do for me”, before we dive into the question of “what is yoga”. 

In Episode 3, we dive into the ‘vibhuti’, the attainments that come along the way of the serious practitioner. What is the purpose of the occurrence of these powers? Manifesting powers seem to be a dramatic way ‘prakriti’ or Nature tells you where you stand in your evolutionary journey. Maybe, it can create the hunger you need to press on, on your fantastic inner journey. 

In the fourth and final episode of Chapter 1 of The Yogi Diary, “The Field Of Possibilities”, we understand what it means to apply the skills and realize the potentials that one has gained along the way. 

EPISODE 3: SEGMENTS

7. THE INNER JOURNEY .. A WALK IN THE CLOUDS

Ashtanga is a map of subjective experience 

8. THE MAGNIFICENT THEATER AT THE THRESHOLD OF BEING 

Manifesting powers seem to be a dramatic way ‘prakriti’ or Nature tells you where you stand in your evolutionary journey  

In Episode 1, Dr. Bharat Thakur spoke of the three limbs of yama, niyama and asana of the eight limbs of ashtanga Yoga. The question that’s being dwelled upon is “what can yoga do for me” and the context is “what is yoga”. 

In Episode 2, we discuss the deeper legs of the journey of the traveler of the inner world, as it traverses through the dimensions of pranayama, pratyaahaara, dharana, dhyaana and samadhi, the remaining five limbs of ashtanga, thus completing the introduction to the matrix of this journey, called yoga.

EPISODE 2  - SEGMENTS 

4. PIERCING THE VEIL 

pranayama … the long and subtle breath that takes you to the threshold of the infinite world of possibilities 

5. QUIET THE LIFE WHEN YOU ARE THE SANCTUM   

pratyaahaara … from having experienced objects …  you now experience the essence of it as it changes your very outlook to life … now you want the ultimate …  

6. EYES SET ON INFINITY … A SMILE LIGHTS UP THE ROAD AHEAD

dharana dhyaana samaadhi … its not the external kind of journey anymore … it’s a ‘Yatra’

“The Yogi Diary: Logs Of The Eternal Traveller” is an exploration of the question “what is Yoga” by Dr. Bharat Thakur, where the question is not seen as a target to be brought down with an apt answer, but a cue to travel, to explore, to dive deep into the basic questions that occur to each of us, as they have occurred to the great explorers of the inner world - the Siddhas, Buddhas and the Yogis. 

The exploration begins with Chapter 1: THE FIELD OF POSSIBILITIES, where Bharat starts with with addressing the question “what can yoga do for me”, with an introduction to Ashtanga, the eight limbs of Yoga, followed by an exposition on the Vibhuti Pada of the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, where the powers, ‘Vibhuti’, that accrue to serious practitioners of Yoga and their significance on the Yoga journey are discussed. 

PART 1

Bharat dwells on the three of the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga, namely Yama, Niyama and Asana.

Bharat describes asana as an ideal vehicle created for the seemingly endless exploration of the inner world. What exactly are the features of this vehicle, and what kind of effort is best suited for this journey. From here we move to a deeper understanding of the Yama and Niyama, the restraining and affirmative modes of conduct that are often thought to be too strict and impractical. He shows us how asana talks about a relaxation of effort, a coolness in the effort that creates the space for the spontaneous flowering of discipline.

EPISODE 1 - SEGMENTS 

1. THE ETERNAL TRAVELERS AND THEIR FANTASTIC VEHICLE - with exploration as the only goal, the yogis must have felt the need for a good vehicle
2. THE OPTIMAL TEMPERATURE OF ‘BEING’ - Asana , much more than what it seems on the surface, a source of endless delight 
3. A BRIDGE ACROSS THE VALLEY OF THE SENSES - Yama & Niyama,  amazing discoveries during solo travel and how true discipline is spontaneous

How can one explore the agama, or the knowledge that is inherently within us? The knowledge that is represented by the collective unconscious, something that is transpersonal, something that all of humanity shares, something that is inherited from the archetypes.

In this episode, Dr. Bharat Thakur delves deeper into archetypes through the exploration of the deity Kali. In a beautiful poetic way he describes the goddess Kali as we see her, dark skinned, red tongue, many arms resplendent with armour, fierce....He paints a picture without analysis. This picture is an archetype; one of many that reside in each of us.

How does one associate the goddess Kali, the archetype and the Kali Yantra, the universal archetype?
Dr. Bharat Thakur compares the image of Kali to the geometric image of the Kali Yantra. the geometric image is a universal archetype. He shares the significance of each aspect of the Yantra's geometry.  Its 5 nested triangles, each triangle representing one of the 5 koshas. The inverted triangles representing the feminine, regenerative power. The two circles representing life and death and the bindu in the center representing the soul.

He recommends not to analyse the image but think of it as a hardware device. This device when coupled with a software, a specific mantra, sets one on a journey of intuitive knowledge.

In this episode, Dr. Bharat Thakur introduces us to the concept of Tantra. Tantra is a science of practice, not of scholars, however brilliant. It begins at the point where the conscious mind ends, is frustrated. You don’t stop when you have reached the limit of your analysis, the journey begins then. If you give up here you will have done all the hard work and stopped. It is like searching for the Ganga and when you get to her banks you are scared to dip into her waters; it's too cold or the current is too fast.

Dr. Bharat Thakur quotes from the sufi poet amir khusro. “Khusro dariya prem ka, jo ulti wa ki dhaar, jo ubhara so doob gaya, jo dooba so paar”. Meaning, the river of love or knowledge has a reverse principle, the one who struggles to stay afloat drowns and the one who takes the plunge willingly gets to the other side of the river.

In this episode, Dr. Bharat Thakur highlights how we often interpret the word Maya to be synonymous with  'illusion',  while it is actually measurement. He subtly points to how we begin to associate the ability to measure as a proof of reality. Hence, Maya = measurement and hence the fallacy of reality.

He suggests thinking about the the theory of relativity and  Quantum Mechanics as unfinished works. In the absence of an explanation for many fundamental questions about the universe, these theories continue to be work in progress. 

He encourages the listener to be the researcher, to explore these theories for himself/ herself. He highlights how the yoga sutras are the questions we need to seek answers to, the equations that we each need to solve for ourselves.

In this episode, Dr. Bharat Thakur explores duality. Is it possible to be in two states at the same time? This possibility questions determinism. It questions what we call deterministic reality. Through simple and beautiful examples, Bharat explains the duality of the nature of light - as a wave and a particle and explains how the duality concept rejects determinism.

He ponders upon the question of “why is the universe here”. He illustrates how this question boggles the schools of materiality and determinism. He explores how Tantra and philosophy allow duality.

In this episode, Dr. Bharat Thakur explains Determinism in Science. Through thrilling stories of wars amongst the greatest Science in history, he explains a very profound concept of Determinism. His simple explanation throws incredible insight and simplifies the concepts of the Theory of Relativity and Quantum Computing. He outlines the difference between deterministic approach to thinking and the non deterministic behaviour of nature.

In this episode, Dr. Bharat Thakur explores Science and Tantra, the similarities and the differences. 

He points out that Science and Tantra share a common God - ‘learning’.  In order to learn, we need to be open.  Open mindedness is often observed when when one's view is challenged. He suggests that when we are  disturbed by another’s point of view, a view that is different from our view, we need not react.

He points out that exploration begins with assumptions. That without basic assumptions, one cannot develop a theory or create a formula. Modern science is based on assumptions. They are Determinism, Materialism, Empirical, Observable, Replicable. 

In this blog, we dive into the connection between science and materialism. 

This episode is dedicated to exploring “who am I”. How does one enquire into the self?

So as we study his method, the thing to realize first is that there is no reference to ‘god’, a particular faith, or a technique of meditation. It is about you. We get to understand that liberation and enlightenment cannot be stations that we can arrive at. You cannot buy a ticket to it. There is no last station, there is no where to reach, no achievement to make. Sri Ramana Maharshi has defined liberation as realizing one’s true nature.

Lasting peace is to be found in our essential nature if we are willing to forsake all that is non-essential, so that we are in the process of finding out what is essential, what is the very substratum of my existence, all existence .. 

What is non essential? The process of enquiry begins with finding out ‘am I this body’ .. because if I am the one aware of this body. Who is that I? Similarly, if we look at breath, we could say that I am aware of my breath, so the one who is aware of the breath is not the breath, so I am not the breath and as we pursue with this line of enquiry relentlessly the doors begin to open it is like an investigation into a crime or a fraud. As you eliminate the possibilities, automatically you begin to see things you could never see before and then you investigate a whole new bunch of factors.

So the method of self inquiry is not a technique. It is about doing it till you reach the clarity that your life can never be the same. As the enquiry continues, we are left with just the mind. We have eliminated our identification with everything, the body, which means  its ups and downs.

We are then left with the flow of thoughts. All kinds of mundane and serious thoughts and what we call mind is just what exists because the thought process is on. Apart from the thought process there is no ‘mind’. If this is done continuously, without break, without identifying with anything that arises, the seat of our sense of ‘who I am’ shifts from the head to the heart.