His Holiness the Dalai Lama in conversation with Indian Yogic master BKS Iyengar[Tuesday, 23 November 2010, 9:18 a.m.]

Demonstration of yoga postures during the dialogue between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Dr B K S Iyenger, in New Delhi, on 20 November 2010/Photos: Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

New Delhi:
His Holiness the Dalai Lama today engaged in a conversation with
renowned Indian master Dr Yogacharya BKS Iyengar on mind training and
compassion in a discussion titled ‘Yogic and Buddhist Techniques of
Mind Training and Cultivating Compassion’ at the convention center of
India Habitat Center in New Delhi.His Holiness said happiness
is generally understood as deep satisfaction; however, it is important
to make a distinction between satisfaction achieved through sensorial
level and mental level. The mental level of happiness, he said, can be
achieved through spontaneous willingness from within as well as mind
training leading to ultimate compassion. For a Buddhist practitioner,
His Holiness said the ultimate goal is achieving Buddhahood by
cultivating a compassionate mind and the by-product of thus practice is
the ability is to achieve a calm and positive mind in one’s day-to-day
life.Dr Iyengar known for deciphering the code of Patanjali
Yoga Sutra in a scientific way and who has practiced yoga for the last
60 years explained the seven stages in achieving happiness through
yoga. He said the moment the intellect of the heart and mind meets
through complete understanding of body and mind cleansing, that is when
the consciousness of the egoistic self or the “I” is nullified and a
practitioner experiences boundless uncolored joy. The aim of yoga, said
the sprightly 93-year-old is to achieve non-colorisation of happiness
where remnants of the self is eliminated. He said a yoga practitioner
treats negative emotions such as anger as separate entities and thereby
brings the mind under control.His Holiness referred to the
various stages of mind as are described in Buddhist texts saying daily
meditation coupled with investigation on shunyata or emptiness
helps a Buddhist practitioner in achieving happiness. He said the yoga
Mandala practice in Tibetan Buddhism involves the understanding of the
concept of emptiness or shunyata. Unless a practitioner has a deep understanding of shunyata, it perpetuates grasping of false realities or perceptions.

From right: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dr B K S Iyenger, moderator Rajiv Mehrotra during a dialogue at India Habitat Center in New Delhi on 20 November 2010

Asked
by moderator Mr Rajiv Mehrotra, secretary cum trustee of the New
Delhi-based Foundation for Universal Responsibility (FUR) if yoga aims
at loosening such grasping to avoid maya or false realities, Dr Iyengar said yoga considers ignorance or mental deficiencies as the cause of all sufferings or dukha
in the world. He said living moment to moment without getting caught up
in the wheel of past or memories is the path to future. In Patanjali
Yoga, he explained, shunyata is known as manolaya or dissolution of the state of mind. Speaking
on the mind and body connection, His Holiness said like yoga practice
that stresses on the connection between emotions and physical postures
to achieve a state of equilibrium of equanimity, Tibetan Buddhist
practice also stresses on the importance of mind and body connection
whereby a practitioner when meditating has to focus on the correct body
posture such as keeping the spine straight in order to allow the
correct flow of energy to provide relaxation during meditation. He then
referred to the Vajrayana school of Tibetan Buddhism where connection
between right body posture and state of mind are described in detail
such as dream state or deep sleep state.Dr Iyengar said there
are some similarities or closeness between Indian yogic tradition and
Tibetan Buddhist approach and suggested both traditions should work
together to find a common avenue to benefit the humanity.  The
discussion was attended by Indian and western scientists among them
physicists and neuroscientists, scholars, spiritual practitioners and
the general public.