Where the WILLPOWER comes from?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#41

oak,

"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"

Although tremendous effort and energy is needed to come to one’s enlightenment, one should be careful to cling to the idea that only effort is needed. There comes a point where even effort is to be dropped. One’s effort is needed not to come to a transformation, but to create an inner space which is prepared for it. Beyond this, the transformation happens spotnaneously by itself.

There are those who continue cycling their effort unecessarily, and miss it. There are those who have not been initiating enough effort, and then also miss it. These are two extremes.
When to initiate the effort, when to drop the effort - this is something which becomes revealed as part of the inward journey into the inescapable.

#42

Amir,

You have rightly described the state of will, the energy, as neutral. Ignorance about its source, foul spending in material choices and inability to foster the energy keeps it that way.

But, hope you will agree with me, as Swadhisthana chakra, its source, is re-vitalized and life’s choices turn less material and more spiritual, the will power strengthens into emotional will and later, intellectual will. This leads us into the annals of Bhakti and Jnana Yoga.

Energy of will and the energy of consciousness rising from Muladhara jointly escalate awareness from gross to subtle levels. The growing awareness arrests squandering of will energy and eventually it turns into spiritual will. I think, this is a pre-requisite to the states post-pratyahara, where not just turning inwards but holding oneself there is needed. Of course, in the end all energies merge into one consciousness.

#43

Suhas,

I agree. At the level of one’s experience, one’s energies may undergo various different transformations. And whether one calls it “intellectual will”, “emotional will”, “instinctive will”, or otherwise, these are all just different forms of the same energy, changing from one state into another.

So, for the sake of convenience, we can speak of “Will”, in the sense of energy in it’s original state, or “intellectual will”, “emotional will”, “instinctive will” - as just different expressions of the same energy. The different states of energy of the chakras may be seen in this light. Just as electricity may become magnetism, magnetism may become electricity, nuclear energy may become electromagnetic, but all are just different aspects of the same energy - the same is the case with “Will”. That is what happens in meditation - the energy of the mind goes through various transformations, eventually coming to a direct experience of it’s original source.

#44

Willpower is come from ourselves. If our wiilpower is strong than we can do anything.

#45

suman,

Perhaps if you are on a power trip, then your whole attention is going to be centered around willpower. Otherwise, to be in communion with one’s true nature is not something that can arise as an effort of the mind. Certainly effort is needed, but not to come to one’s liberation, but to dissolve the psychological hindrances which are preventing one’s liberation. Otherwise, it is absolutely choiceless, it is like the blood flowing through one’s veins, or one’s own heartbeat. When the spring arrives, the valley blossoms on it’s own accord.

Once a disciple came to see a master and asked, “What is the Way?”

The master said, “Ordinary Mind is the Way”.

The disciple asked, “How can I attain it?”

The master said, “Move towards it, and it moves away”.

The disciple said, “If that is the case, then how can I attain a knowledge of it?”

The master said, “The Way belongs to neither knowing or not-knowing. Knowing is delusion, not-knowing is blank consciousness. When you have really arrived to the Way without a doubt, you will find that it is as vast and boundless as space”.

#46

Definitions

Sometimes it is hard to define something. Try, eg, to define the colour “green” in words.
Everybody knows what the word “green” means but it is hard to describe it in words.

There are some difficulties with defining “will power” and “concentration.”

Is will power coming from concentration or concentration coming from will power ? IMHO
concentration is coming from will power, but I was wrong before.

#47

oak333,

It may be far more useful to do away with these words completely, they can be tremendously misleading. There is an energy which arises as an effort of the mind, and there is something else which is of a force of it’s own, which is not of one’s conscious effort of the mind. “Concentration” belongs to the first.

#48

What makes you think willpower makes you better off?

#49

That is a good question. I suppose it is up to your personal life purpose. For me, having strength of will goes a long way in determing my own destiny. Without it my path
may be vulnerable to another’s will. For some this is a good thing, but not for me.

#50

[QUOTE=AmirMourad;52615]oak333,

It may be far more useful to do away with these words completely, they can be tremendously misleading. There is an energy which arises as an effort of the mind, and there is something else which is of a force of it’s own, which is not of one’s conscious effort of the mind. “Concentration” belongs to the first.[/QUOTE]

One knows what these words mean, although the definitions might differ, in form but not in essence.

We have exact definitions of these words, as given by the master.

One gram of practice is worth more than one kilogram of theory.

#51

lascar,

“What makes you think willpower makes you better off?”

Though tremendous effort and energy is needed in the work of the expansion of consciousness, once you come to your original nature, to continue pedaling one’s effort is just like continuously throwing stones to bring about a stillness in the lake. Liberation itself does not require any willpower whatsoever, you cannot will what you are into existence. And if it is a matter of choice, then it is not your true nature - you cannot choose to be what you already are which is without beginning and without end. You can be choiceless in it, dissolve into it, merge into it, but they have no place to rest through these hands.

#52

oak,

"One gram of practice is worth more than one kilogram of theory. "

Certainly.

#53

“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.”

It is about achieving that subtle effortless effort state. Where one acts from deeper, higher intentions (which are beyond mental reasoning)

  • I think the trick with cultivating will power is to truly deeply listen to the voice inside. The higher self. That voice is your true voice - and it can help make the choices that are for greater good + the physical, mental, identity based self. In my case it is helping me in meditation - when layers of mental and physical issues slowly fall off. Or if I am in the middle of doing something out in the world - and I need to connect deeper - I suddenly stop and it helps to listen to nothing, at first and then the answer comes again. Sometimes I am really connected… and sometimes I fall down again. But the connection becomes stronger. It is a slow process.

What if it is someone else you know that is not following that inner voice - not cultivating that inner power? It happened to me a few times and I recognize it - I (the mental self) - want someone to become better… or at least more honest to themselves (stop smoking for instance - or start eating healthy food). And no matter what I do and say - they are not changing. And in fact I know they are not going to change just because I (the mental self) want it. What helps here is to totally let go and just turn towards myself again - changing myself and improving myself. Plus who am I to judge what is right and what is wrong about someone else (it is very mental, egoistic - to judge). So in this case change yourself - and anything else will follow (people and the world will change also).

#54

Will power can be cultivated starting with small steps. Eg, when you read a book make the effort to avoid any distraction of thought until you have finished the page (paragraph, etc).

When you take a decison, regardless how small, stick to it. Incredible how these small things pile up !

#55

Will power comes from your inner true self (sub-concious mind to some). Training one’s mind to tap into this inner infinite source of divine energy and knowledge helps develop will power. Mind blanking for about a minute helps open up the sub-concious mind, one’s window to the true self.

#56

Perhaps we have genetic intelligence (instinct) as well as intellectual intelligence (wisdom), ?will power? may simply be the combination of these intelligences rationalizing needs/wants to obtain pleasure/happiness, desire/truth. Pondering so many things but it?s the reoccurring ones that nag at me, this one falls under fate and freewill. I have more questions then answers…