Understanding the Forces That Make Up Your Life and the True Purpose of Meditation

A substantial part of Yogic practice is rooted in suppression.

You might even say that the entire practice is built upon suppression—at least in the beginning, with the foundational ‘Yamas and Niyamas’; the disciplines and constraints as described in the first two limbs.

It is important to acknowledge this fact right from the start, and to wholeheartedly accept the practice that we are working with, so we do not fall in the trap of resenting the practice later on when this element of suppression is no longer serving us.

It is also important to not be afraid of suppression. The word “suppression” often carries a negative connotation, bringing the association of something that leads to issues later down the line. And rightfully so, when done improperly, it indeed often does.

But, as with most things, not everything is as black and white.

Think about it: what would a spiritual practice without suppression look like?

A life without suppression look like?

A life without any form of suppression would be a disaster.

Imagine if, every moment we want to eat McDonald’s and ice cream, we eat it.

If, every moment we feel aggression and anger, we yell, curse and fistfight.

If, every time we are lazy and unmotivated, we just lay in bed all day and doomscroll and watch Netflix.

We must suppress certain tendencies (samskara's or vasana's) in order to not be destructive, for as long as these tendencies are still alive in us.

And we must discipline ourselves into healthy behaviors, to reap the good benefits, even before they become an effortless part of our life.

This is what the whole path of Yoga is all about: it is a process of transformation, from disease to ease, from unhappiness to happiness, from division to unity.

Now, there are later stages in the Yogic process—crucial stages—where the transformation process is less about suppression and discipline, and it all becomes more beautiful and wholesome.

Because the deepest form of transformation doesn’t come from suppression.

In fact, for as long as we need to suppress something, we are divided inside, and our transformation is very, very incomplete.

True transformation, that lasts, only comes from total undividedness—when our entire being agrees with it.

When there are no doubts.

In meditation, we come to such undividedness.

When our attention penetrates deeply enough into the psyche, and it begins to expose, consume, and uproot all the countless false and outdated thoughts, beliefs, and conditioning that motivated our destructive behaviors, and that demotivated our wholesome behavior.

How many of us know a cigarette addict that, for years, even decades, proclaims that they should quit, but never quit?

It is not because they are unwilling, or lying.

It is because they are divided, on a level inside of themselves that is unconscious.

They don’t even realize that they are divided.

They have never looked deeply enough inside themselves.

If they would look deeply, they would see all unconsciousness that is alive in them that does not want to quit. All the thoughts that can’t believe that life truly will be better without cigarettes.

And in that moment of clarity, where they can see the total sum of forces that motivates their current behavior, they would be liberated. Undivided.

But be careful not to expect what liberation, enlightenment, and undividedness should look like.

Someone who is undivided would either wholeheartedly continue smoking, or wholeheartedly quit. But there would be no more in between.

They would be an undivided smoker, or an undivided quitter.

The entire spiritual process, in its deeper stages, is nothing but a process of self-exposure.

It’s not about adding more, but about removing what’s false and outdated.

It’s about understanding the trinity of forces that shape our entire life and everything we do—forces that brought me to write this article and you to read it until this point.

Jnana - Iccha - Kriya

Understanding - Will - Action

Our level of understanding, Jnana, shapes our motivations, Iccha, and our motivations become our action, Kriya. In other words, whatever we do or not do, comes from a desire.

Whatever we desire, comes from what we belief is possiblem and from what we understand will make us happy.

If we wish to become undivided, we must change at the very root - at the level of understanding.

Until that day of true understanding, Yoga teaches us to restrain and discipline ourselves at the level of action.

And for most of us, this is probably a very good thing.

It’s just not the end.