Kaivalya Pāda

realizing the Universal Conscious Being


Kaivalya Pāda (is the last chapter)

4.1 जन्मौषधिमन्त्रतपःसमाधिजाः सिद्धयः ॥ ४.१ ॥

janmauṣadhimantratapaḥsamādhijāḥ siddhayaḥ |

Supernormal powers come with or are attained by birth, or through herbs, incantations, austerities or concentration

Outside-Inside

On Substances

Rasa

When external substances are used, or we immerse in some externally induced experience such as music, dance, etc. this creates Rasa, meaning juice or essence.

Rasa is possibly some kind of neurotransmitter that targets the various receptors in our nervous system. 

Rasa lasts only for a limited time, so as it gets consumed more substance will be required to regain the effect of the experience. 

Rasa gives a taste of bliss, so it serves to entice on the path of Yoga, that we make the experience permanent.


Interestingly, similar to the Samyama practice of PYS-chapter 3, in the nAtyashAstra it is said:

विभाव अनुभाव व्यभचारी संयोगात्  रस निष्पत्ति: |

With vibhAva, anubhAva, and vyabhachAribhAva the rasa then ensues.

These are communicated to the Rasika by the performer that then cause Rasa in the beholder.

Annam

Rasa is close, but never quite Ānanda, the state of permanent bliss induced when Annam is properly churned.

Ānanda is Bliss, in the sense of constant, never-ending joy or happiness - but still being aware, and not being "blissed out", but being "blissed in".

The Ānanda-maya Kosha, or the body made of Bliss, is detailed more in the Taittiriya Upanishad.

Ānanda is when we are consistently in a state of mixed reality, effectively bridging the physical & spiritual realms, fully present and also delighted at seeing the patterns that drive Life.

To get to Ānanda the psychomaterial Aushadhi needs to be generated from within. 

The point of getting to the Ānanda mental state is not the state itself but to create the source of stimulation (or vibhAva of Rasa) from within, with no external dependency. 

Only then do we get Ānanda, which is literally mind blowing, and safe, and actually activates Natural Intelligence.

Usage

Patanjali  in PYS 4 - Kaivalya Pada, refers to Aushadhi  औषधि as one of the means to acquire supernatural Siddhi powers.

Aushadhi  is also referred to in the Taittiriya Upanishad, as a substance that comes out of the Pancha Bhuta, the five psychomaterial substances, where it is characterized as an essential food by which the Conscious Being of Purusha is made.

Psychotropics

Use of ganja, or weed, takes the Mind into psychic wormholes, tunnelling into some dark crevices, giving us a different perspective on reality.

Since the practice of Yoga requires the Mind to be fully present, the use of ganja during Meditation is advanced practice, because for a novice it is almost impossible to be aware on the trip.

We can imagine how difficult a practice it could be to add ganja to Meditation, because even in normal, substance-free meditation we are only occasionally able to catch our Mind as it takes off into its own addictive Thought Streams! 

Going down deep Mind holes works to clear the psyche of its blockages (psychic viruses), as long as there is awareness during the trip, else it becomes simply a mindless experience which breeds addiction.

It's also a very good idea to grow our own plants because these are Conscious Beings and their Prāna energies get attuned to us through coevolution, just like any other medicinal plant, and all food, and even the whole Universe as we speak.

Psychedelics

Alcohol