#12 PART.II.thought — Rajayoga and Introducing the 'Ending of Time'

The Goal in Architecture PART.II.0.1 Introduction on input on spirituality.

I am aware that a lot of what I am writing now might seem distant from actual building or other things that we traditionally or conventionally work with and influence as architects. These articles develop architecture as practice, and in doing that, they derive from changes that have already long ago happened and the ongoing change in people and the world. The profession in Canada and USA is responsive technological change, but it is dogmatic about the fundamentals. The people who are architects (which is everyone who presences architecture) and practicing architects, who usually become professionals, are so much of what really makes up practice. It is not the technology, styles, engineering or construction, which are all means, that we do this for. Understanding how architecture as people works is important since we have fallen behind in this part of the field. This begins to prepare for the complete sea change that architecture is about to face.

Rajayoga is introduced here in anticipation of diving into Krishnamurthi and Dr. David Bohm's long discussion on conflict and 'psychological time' in thought¹ to add to our discussion on thought in light of architectural practice. The points that they develop help us to develop G¡a’s approach to thought. Their discussion takes place around “psychological time”, sometimes they call it ‘inward’, linking conflict with ignorance and our spiritual evolution. They discuss how this implicates and generates the violence we commit against each other and to nature, colonialism and oppression.

Yoga as practice is proven to relate anywhere around the globe, as Buddhism’s spread throughout the west, and the practice of hatha yoga and the asanas and pranayama spreading around the globe evince.² The Cloud of Unknowing is an easily available example of European Christian spiritual practice. It correlates with the Yogasūtra and others. The Zone book, The Movement of the Free Spirit describes western religious forces that have limited spirituality socially and politically, including examples of stamping out even Christian spiritual practices in Europe. The introductory discussion of Carl Jung’s Psychological Types is helpful in contextualizing spirituality in terms of European religious dogmatic and gnostic approaches. Rajayoga is a gnostic approach. The dogmatic Christian approach joined with the still existing (ancient) Roman government and eventually formed a culture of materialism driven by our evolutionary needs.³ The evolving human consciousness through materialism relates to our topic of the knowledge of mind through spirituality directly and evolving architecture in practice. These are some influences that I like. I will develop them more deeply in later.

The Yogasūtra of Patañjali⁴ is the primary textual antecedent of rajayoga. It is based in the Vedic knowledge system. The Yogasūtra is instructions on dealing with thought and mind. The Yogasūtra is orientated to supporting and generating practice of yoga. It expresses control of ‘modifications’ of mind with thinking means that is then left behind in evolving consciousness.

Freedom-of-choice is granted us. It can be a liability, but it is the core of our approach with our aspiration. Rajayoga as a practical approach to attaining a higher personal condition facilitates being able to make choices in life to support the goal of life, eventually handling our freedom perfectly. The Yogasūtra passes no judgment of any choice one may make and does not moralize. The implication is of something better coming. It describes our consciousness, its aspiration and what that implies as a set of ‘facts’ that may be verified by any of us in practice.

After describing many powers that can be attained for worldly ends whereby the modifications of mind are controlled for utilization rather than to transcend them, the Yogasūtra expresses that such power(s) are useless for meaningful attainments and ruinous to the seeker of the goal of life. This potential and its release through technology and its material power are connected with these powers. Increase of subtle ‘powers’ beyond sensible methods for manipulating matter (which appears like magic) endanger well being with disfigurement and diversions and do not solve the problem of dwelling. Of course, we do not validate powers such as becoming invisible today. It is the concept of gaining power vs developing oneself and humane capacity that are still valued.