YOGA IS THE CESSATION OF MIND.
This is the definition of yoga, the best. In many ways yoga has been defined; there are many
definitions. Some say yoga is the meeting of the mind with the divine; hence, it is called yoga –
yoga means meeting, joining together. Some say that yoga means dropping the ego: ego is the
barrier; the moment you drop the ego you are joined to the divine. You were already joined, only
because of the ego it appeared that you were disjoined. And there are many, but Patanjali’s is the
most scientific. He says,
YOGA IS THE CESSATION OF MIND.
Yoga is the state of no-mind. The word ”mind” covers all – your egos, your desires, your hopes, your
philosophies, your religions, your scriptures. ”Mind” covers all. Whatsoever you can think is mind.
All that is known, all that can be known, all that is knowable, is within mind. Cessation of the mind
means cessation of the known, cessation of the knowable. It is a jump into the unknown. When
there is no mind, you are in the unknown. Yoga is a jump into the unknown. It will not be right to say
”unknown”; rather, ”unknowable”.
What is the mind? What the mind is doing there? What it is? Ordinarily we think that mind is
something substantial there inside the head. Patanjali doesn’t agree – and no one who has ever
known the insides of the mind will agree. Modern science also doesn’t agree. Mind is not something
substantial inside the head. Mind is just a function, just an activity.
You walk and I say you are walking. What is walking? If you stop, where is walking? If you sit
down, where the walking has gone? Walking is nothing substantial; it is an activity. So while you are
sitting, no one can ask, ”Where you have put your walking? Just now you were walking, so where
the walking has gone?” You will laugh. You will say, ”Walking is not something substantial, it is just
an activity. I can walk. I can again walk and I can stop. It is activity.