“The sound of the rain needs no translation”
Alan Watts
Sitting in a cabin on a lake in Maine, listening to the rain falling on the metal roof, allowing the lessons of the past month to fit into the context of this life experience playing out as me. As a child I spent every summer here, and so the context feels broad. 40 years ago I was sitting right here in this same chair at this same table, wishing desperately for a more rapid arrival of adulthood and travel and money and girls and all the adventures of life. Hearing the rain on the roof as a wet blanket smothering the day’s aspirations. Now the things have been done, the adventures happened, and the rain sounds different, it carries an entirely different message of cycles and nourishment and complete harmony.
I spent the past month at a yoga teacher training program at Sivananda Yoga Vedanta headquarters in Quebec. It was an intense program, 15 hours a day with few breaks. The program was designed by Swami Vishnudevananda, and conducted by swamis and acharyas who spent considerable time directly with him. The 28 students came together into 100% immersion in the study and practice of the ancient teachings of Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Karma Yoga. By the end of the month the 28 of us had grown very close, and many of us were profoundly affected by the knowledge and experience gained.
The diploma we received at the end refers to the purpose of this program as “Propagation of Yoga”. So what did we learn, and how should we propagate this?
We can explain and propound the classical teachings – the 8-fold path of Raja Yoga; the necessity to also practice Bhakti, Karma, and Jnana Yoga; the essential Truth of Brahman, the universe, and the nature of the Self. The truths of Advaita Vedanta distilled into their essence 2000 years ago by Patanjali and 1300 years ago by Adi Shankaracharya. But how do we transmit this to another person?
The following emerges as I’ve been reflecting on this today and considering how to move forward:
- these teachings are a system for putting into language the ineffable, inarticulable truths of the nature of Self and the Universe, and that which is Beyond.
- Many teachings from other traditions expound on the same ideas in different language.
- The teachings resonate because they touch something already existing within.
- WE ALREADY KNOW THIS
With that last point the puzzle pieces click together, my own experience and knowledge fit together with the teachings of Yoga, and there can be no discord or disagreement.
Yoga provides a language and structure through which to explain and understand the deepest nature of our own existence. Full understanding and knowledge come through personal direct experience. Yoga can provide tools, techniques, language and practices to lead us to that experience. I’ve been studying Yoga to add to my toolkit, to add language, perspective, credentials, and perspective.
“You don’t need to go to this program and adopt this label. Everything you need is within. All the knowledge is already there”.
Teacher
Teacher told me this very clearly and directly, just before I left for the yoga program, with no room for misinterpretation. I had no doubt that he was correct. I still have no doubt. And I’m still going back next week for another month, the next level yoga teacher training course. And in the end all the pieces of this puzzle will fit together perfectly. They already do.