Yad Bhavati, Tad Bhavati

kamesvari

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In yogic philosophy, there is a concept which posits that what you contemplate, you become. This idea is expressed in Sanskrit as “Yad Bhavati, Tad Bhavati.” While this thousand year old aphorism has been played out over the millennia, from simple spiritual implementation to marketing exploitation, it’s a hard concept to implement.

When asked what the fastest thing in the world is, a myriad of answers might ensue and range from the jaguar to the jet. The clever yogi knows that there is nothing faster than the mind; one can almost feel the whiz-bang, clunking around of the myriad messages we send and receive in our brains on a moment to moment basis.

In one sense, yogic practices are designed to give our busy minds the content that they need. For example, elborate pujas require that the participant fill his or her mind with beauty – contemplation of the deva/devi, the sounds of mantras, the ringing of bells, the offering of flowers. Similarly, yoga asana focuses the mind on the task at hand, be it balancing or standing purposefully in a mountain pose.

So, what is it that occupies our minds? What do we contemplate on a regular basis? What are the pa tterns of our mind our go-to thoughts, emotions, ideas? One surefire method of experiencing the fluctuations of the mind is to sit quietly for five minutes a day and just observe what shows up. Sounds easy enough, but many of us will find this seemingly lovely exercise quite a challenge at least at first. Some people experience panic what do I do with the five minutes? Others still are shocked and amazed by both the content and the volume of thoughts that hurtle through in this short time frame. Either way, it’s worth taking five minutes a day (at the same time everyday) to reflect, meditate and/or simply be present with your breath. In addition to giving yourself a peaceful, easy da ily ritual practice, it’s a good start in understanding the underlying principle of Yad Bhavati, Tad Bhavati.

Contributed by Skanda, October 2008