His Holiness the Dalai Lama with BKS Iyengar and discussion moderator Rajiv Mehrotra at the Indian Habit Center in New Delhi, India, on November 20th, 2010. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

Dalai Lama in Conversation with Indian Yogic Master BKS Iyengar

November 22nd 2010

New Delhi, India, 20 November 2010 – His Holiness the Dalai Lama today engaged in a conversation with renowned Indian  master Dr. Yogacharya BKS Iyengar on mind training and compassion in a discussion titled Yogic and Buddhist Techniques of Mind Training and Cultivating Compassion at the Convention Center of India Habitat Center in New Delhi.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with BKD Iyengar and discussion moderator Rajiv Mehrotra at the Indian Habit Center in New Delhi, India, on November 20th, 2010. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL

His Holiness said happiness is generally understood as deep satisfaction; however, it is important to make a distinction between satisfaction achieved through sensorial level and mental level. The mental level of happiness, he said, can be achieved through spontaneous willingness from within as well as mind training leading to ultimate compassion. For a Buddhist practitioner, His Holiness said the ultimate goal is achieving Buddhahood by cultivating a compassionate mind and the by-product of thus practice is the ability is to achieve a calm and positive mind in one’s day-to-day life.

Dr. Iyengar known for deciphering the code of Patanjali Yoga Sutra in a scientific way and who has practiced Yoga for the last 60 years explained the seven stages in achieving happiness through yoga. He said the moment the intellect of the heart and mind meets through complete understanding of body and mind cleansing, that is when the consciousness of the egoistic self or the “I” is nullified and a practitioner experiences boundless uncolored joy. The aim of yoga, said the sprightly 93-yr-old is to achieve non-colorisation of happiness where remnants of the self is eliminated. He said a yoga practitioner treats negative emotions such as anger as separate entities and thereby brings the mind under control.

His Holiness referred to the various stages of mind as are described in Buddhist texts saying daily meditation coupled with investigation on shunyata or emptiness helps a Buddhist practitioner in achieving happiness. He said the Yoga Mandala practice in Tibetan Buddhism involves the understanding of the concept of emptiness or shunyata. Unless a practitioner has a deep understanding of shunyata, it perpetuates grasping of false realities or perceptions.

To read more visit News | The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama.