The chips came first. It was the annual five five-day retreat run by HYMNS, the Netherlands group of the Himalayan Yoga Tradition.

During the introductory session Swami Ma Tripura was presented with a huge shiny bag of chips by the other teachers. Surprise gave way to laughter. So the tone was set, banter to introduce serious and difficult thinking and just beyond thinking, the light.

Swami Ji didn’t expect that item of her training to become so public but she took it in good part. The shiny bag of chips was a tactic to introduce and consider the kleshas and vrittis that stand in the way of samadhi. It was explained with more laughter that Swami Ji had been in a serious state of raga concerning these chips. A whole bag would disappear at a sitting. Her teacher gave her two bags to eat.  It was an elephantine amount.  The bags were given with the instruction to eat each chip mindfully so she could appreciate the nature of her compulsion and learn to put it aside. The bag of chips, or any such compulsion, doesn’t matter so much as learning to control the impulse by vairagya. The message was to consider your compulsions and by meditation and contemplation learn the nature of what stands between you and reality.

So the scene was set.  We had yet to be told what reality is.

Through to the subtle body we went and on to consider consciousness beyond mind. It was explained that there are many threads to the Himalayan Yoga Tradition brought to us by Swami Rama and Swami Veda.  Vedanta is a core teaching, and it is encapsulated in atmatattwavalokanam.  The banter didn’t stop despite the serious subject. Pierre and Shailendra played the daft boys by contesting each other’s knowledge on the subject. They discussed how we were to consider ourselves in the wholeness of being: we were to go to sleep and wake from the same wholeness, that is the tattwa, the being-ness which is the root and tree of all being.  And further, to remember the witness in our karma. So do your contemplative walking remembering atman, remembering Brahman, we were told. As they say in Thailand, same-same.  It’s in the Prayer at Dawn by Śaṅkarācārya we are more than we think:

tad brahma niskalam aham na ca bhuta sanghah

It’s in the last line of the meal prayer:

brahmaiva tena gantavyam brahma-karma-samādhinā

A fixture of the Dutch retreat is an akhanda japa for 24 hours.  In accord with the theme of mind to consciousness Swami Ritavan had suggested japa with the gayatri mantra. The sangha joined with the mantra and shared silence.

It was the contemplative walking that got to me. After some practices I noticed that firmness of balance, posture and movement depend on a clear mind. Thoughts interrupt the body’s poise, so best be empty of thought. Or have pleasant thoughts.

As I glided effortlessly over the wet grass I thought how nice it is to come to Holland to the retreat. I thought of Kries Manniesing who retired from the HYMNS board together with the other members after many years of service and the sadhakas and teachers all enjoying the silence and the sunshine. Just as the days and nights came together in silence so did the teachings come into their own light. The coherence in the teachings of the tradition is brought down to us and so much as been done by HYT to promote these teachings with seriousness and respect and with lightness of heart. As I walked the wet grass I had many pleasant thoughts about being there.  Another line from the prayers come to mind,

śiva-sankalpam astu

Bit by bit like rain, the meanings in the prayers come to light as does everything.

Editor’s Note

Jim Fraser is an initiate in the Himalayan Tradition and has received 500-hour certification through the Himalayan Yoga Tradition – Teacher Training Program (HYT-TTP).