Where the WILLPOWER comes from?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#21

[QUOTE=Joanna63;50541]When the desire for these things outweighs whatever is inhibiting you, this is where willpower comes from - strong desire?

So Will Power is rooted in Desire.

Ohh wait. one can build will power to do a right thing, and that would be based not upon desire, but on something deeper. hmmm. I’m trying to think of how to define that, but it’s not coming to me here in my cubicle on my lunch. :frowning: Not the best place for deep thought.[/QUOTE]

Yes…it’s a tricky wicky one Joanna xx…maybe …mmmm…well…mmmm I’m still thinking here n there about it…

#22

Slippery question…lol

#23

Dont know for sure…but…

If you had Diabetes 2 and knew you had to regulate sugars, You might design your own set of tools to assist your will, you think… like moving the cookies out of sight …and still you might be tempted to go and find the cookies…so you get rid of them…and still you might want to buy some from the shop…so you just buy one with a cup of tea in a restaurant…and then you decide to just buy some plain cookies…and then you find your eating more and more plain cookies…etc etc etc…and now your saying …“I just don’t have the will power, my will power is weak”

All of these things could have been avoided if you took it seriously in the first place.

The trouble with taking it seriously is you have to be sure that it’s right. After all, you could be exercising will leading to negative results.

I think the power behind will becomes settled when your in meditation. so you are left with the right decision but no power needed to get it.

just spotted Suhas post…reading it…

#24

[QUOTE=Suhas Tambe;50626]We have three forms of energy - (1) essence of consciousness (sourced at muladhara chakra) which activates with the first breath at birth; (2) “will” power (sourced at swadhisthana chakra) activates at the second breath. Both these energies perpetuate, but carry an expiry date. (3) Awareness: this is sourced from the earlier two energies, when will power causes essence of consciousness to travel upwards and to activate other chakras. Thus, awareness is progressive and ultimately merges with the essence of consciousness to become ‘pure consciousness’ itself.

However, will power is born faint and neutral. While growing up, this power remains imprisoned in the physical world and is mostly exhausted in making choices in life’s struggles. At best, it grows up to become ‘emotional will’ when our choices are not by near-animal instincts, but more human.

When we take the spiritual path, the early purification processes elevates awareness to anahat chakra, when emotional will is firmly active. Soon the awareness keeps elevating as the will turns intellectual and eventually, spiritual. Since will elevates awareness, the will’s power is manifested in the choices we make. This is why one with intellectual will has to make efforts to stay non-attached to objects, while one with spiritual will does it effortlessly.

But,it is not a one-way street. We can dissipate the will energy, as well. Excessive indulgence (as swadhisthana chakra is associated with regenerative organs), swings of emotions, inconsistent yoga practice, locking oneself up in intellectual battles and the likes of such deeds can deplete the energy.

But, in any case, CitiMonk, I don’t think DESIRE or STRONG EGO have anything to do with cultivating will. And if at all we can inherit anything it may not be brain, but ability to purify swadhisthana, when it comes to will.[/QUOTE]

Well there it is…you always explain it well Suhas…
Its so nice knowing what is really happening…

#25

[QUOTE=CityMonk;47958]I was reading on how to cultivate it… every tip starts with something like :“do what you do not like to train your willpower:)”

But the one who lucks the willpower sometimes just do not want to do what he likes!!!

…[/QUOTE]

There are many PRACTICAL methods to cultivate willpower. From yoga you can take, e.g., trataka:

http://www.dlshq.org/download/kundalini.htm#_VPID_64

In this book of Sivananda you can find other exercises too.

Just for curiosity, you might look at the methods used by hypnotists to develop power of will and concentration. There are lots of them on the Internet. In Canada “hypnosis courses” are offered everywhere, and even cheaply.

#26

I do not believe that the one who lacks willpower will have a will power to practice trataka…

Most of the times that one who lacks willpower will not do any attempts to develop it…

Probably the koshas here need to be worked on first? What do u think?

#27

[QUOTE=CityMonk;50952]I do not believe that the one who lacks willpower will have a will power to practice trataka…

Most of the times that one who lacks willpower will not do any attempts to develop it…

Probably the koshas here need to be worked on first? What do u think?[/QUOTE]

Like physical strength, will power can be developed. Actually it is already in you, but undeveloped.

#28

[QUOTE=oak333;50964]Like physical strength, will power can be developed. Actually it is already in you, but undeveloped.[/QUOTE]

Yes, it’s just a question of will power!

#29

[QUOTE=The Scales;50594]First you say willpower is a Gift a God.

Then you say willpower is cultivated by gazing.

‘God’ endowing one person with the strenght of ‘willpower’ and denying Joe Blow 12 pack the strenght of will power sounds an awful lot like “God playing favorites.”

Does God playing favorites sound Logical to you?[/QUOTE]

There is no contradiction. Will power is a gift from God, but how you grow it it is up to you.

Same as physical strength and intellectual strength, in principle.

There is a saying: “God helps those who help themselves.” The meaning of this saying is that God gave you everything to pass the tests of life. That
includes the development of you qualities.

#30

[QUOTE=oak333;50964]Like physical strength, will power can be developed. Actually it is already in you, but undeveloped.[/QUOTE]

moreover, I think, will power can be developed through regular physical exercise:) caz it takes willpower to exercise regularly:) :confused:

#31

[QUOTE=CityMonk;51553]moreover, I think, will power can be developed through regular physical exercise:) caz it takes willpower to exercise regularly:) :confused:[/QUOTE]

That is for sure.

#32

[QUOTE=oak333;50964]Like physical strength, will power can be developed. Actually it is already in you, but undeveloped.[/QUOTE]

Very true. However I believe it exists in each of us in varying degrees from birth. Also, our environment as we grow up - parenting, community, peers, experiences - help shape our wills. Those with strong wills endure some of the harshest penalties and persevere. Others, strong or weak, may be diminished or enhanced through life-experiences.

And, like City Monk posted, will power can be developed like any other strength or skill through practice. Physical and mental exercises help.

#33

Can willpower be a skill? Something that can be taught or even made into a habit? The example the willpower to wake up early to attend class on time, or the willpower to walk away from the hot dog stand and eat the apple I already have in my bag.

#34

[QUOTE=FlexPenguin;51557]Very true. However I believe it exists in each of us in varying degrees from birth. Also, our environment as we grow up - parenting, community, peers, experiences - help shape our wills. Those with strong wills endure some of the harshest penalties and persevere. Others, strong or weak, may be diminished or enhanced through life-experiences.

And, like City Monk posted, will power can be developed like any other strength or skill through practice. Physical and mental exercises help.[/QUOTE]

Yes, it can be developed , but how to stimulate another person ( the one with slagging willpower) to develop good habits?

[B]It seems a vicious circle to me… : to develop willpower one HAVE to … NEED to… exercise, do things on time, refrain from certain foods and bad habits etc… but in order to put one’s life in order one need to have a willpower [/B]

Where is the breach in this circle?

#35

[QUOTE=Buzz Bee;51656]Can willpower be a skill? Something that can be taught or even made into a habit? The example the willpower to wake up early to attend class on time, or the willpower to walk away from the hot dog stand and eat the apple I already have in my bag.[/QUOTE]

Will power can be more than a skill. Can be a profession. Look at the professional hypnotists.

Chris Angel, eg, makes a tidy income.

#36

It seems a vicious circle to me… : to develop willpower one HAVE to … NEED to… exercise, do things on time, refrain from certain foods and bad habits etc… but in order to put one’s life in order one need to have a willpower

Where is the breach in this circle?

The breach is an assumption that actions energize ‘will’. Action is an outcome and is preceded by a thought. Willpower pushes positive thoughts and bridges the usual gap between thought and action. The results of the action at best generates “good” feedback to foster similar thoughts in the future, but ‘will’ remains a form of energy independent of both.

We are born with a source of will-power, but we let its fountainhead rust through ignorance and abuse. The fountainhead is Swadhisthana chakra which has a continuous loop with Muladhara. Asana and pranayama exercise it and yama-niyama protect it. It is this energy that pushes energy of consciousness upwards via chakras.

Whatever will-power that trickles, inspite of our ignorant use, is wasted in satiation of material desires. [U]This[/U] is a vicious circle. We can break it through increased awareness of futility of material pleasures. Then, Swadhisthana chakra will slowly activate, will-power will be produced more and its waste will reduce, it will sustain behavior and raise awareness further. Awareness is a partner of will-power since, it reduces the resistence requiring less will to accomplish good deeds.

#37

[QUOTE=Suhas Tambe;51681]T

We are born with a source of will-power, but we let its fountainhead rust through ignorance and abuse. The fountainhead is Swadhisthana chakra which has a continuous loop with Muladhara. Asana and pranayama exercise it and yama-niyama protect it. It is this energy that pushes energy of consciousness upwards via chakras.

.[/QUOTE]

as I supposed the BASIC willpower comes from the basic instinct to survive (muladhara-svadhistana) … and the manifestation of willpower will come from the basic need been disrupted… such as:

  • i do not have food, I should find a job and make some money
  • im sick because im fat and i should start to exercise

but non-BASIC willpower is pushed by ego and greed:

  • i want better food, I need a better job
  • i want better partner, so I must exercise more to look like a top model

But what happens to BASIC willpower when:

  • oh, i know that I’m fat and sick, and I do not care if I will get diabetes and cancer and die in few years. WHAT had happened to basic instincts? Basic instincts are “killed” bu depression? to get rid of depression one need good food, love, and movement… but he is the one who does not care… VICIOUS CIRCLE…
#38

Will-power is energy, with no agenda of its own. That’s why one has to facor in ‘awareness’. That decides what you sepnd the energy on. Either animal instincts or egotistic ones.

Lower the awareness, more physical the actions, consume more will power. Higher the awareness, more subtle the domain, consumes less will power. We realize the use of will power only when we do things unpleasant or tasks difficult. But like a running engine will power pushes all conscious actions. It is not used only in automated responses, like breathing, or habits.

I guess, you are taking actions, thoughts, awareness and will-power all blended together.

#39

I have read texts like Dhammapada of Buddha, writings by gurus like Yogananda, Sivananda et al.

They all emphasize the great role of concentration and will power.

Some texts even write: “the great secret of yoga is concentration.”

#40

Suhas,

“Will-power is energy, with no agenda of its own”

I agree, but for a totally different reason. Most people cannot discriminate between the will, and one’s desire.“Will” is simply the energy of existence itself, there is nothing which does not arise out of the will for being. It is something choiceless, beyond one’s conscious control. It is the ground of one’s very existence- just a mirror reflecting all forms. And from the source of existence to it’s million and one expressions, everything is outward oriented, outward flowing. That is why the spiritual process can appear to be difficult in the beginning, because the senses are also outward oriented, extroverted. And you are trying to reverse the whole current. That is what happens when one’s awareness starts turning inwards, the current starts moving in the opposite direction towards it’s original source.

Concentration is something which requires your conscious effort of the mind, one will have to channel one’s energies with a certain one-pointedness. And it is an argumentative process in the beginning. The mind is like a wild spirit which simply wants to work according to it’s programming, one will have to beat it again and again into submission before it cooperates. And one can use concentration as a method to come to meditation, effort to come to the effortless, but in itself the sharpening of one’s concentration is not will.