"What is real? How do you define real? If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain." ~ Morpheus (The Matrix)
Remember Morpheus? He's the large, intimidating captain of the Nebuchadnezzar. He asked Neo to choose either the red pill or the blue pill.
The quote was from a conversation Morpheus had with Neo. Neo had just asked him about the 8 limb path of yoga. An off camera moment that turned out to be more interesting than the script. The directors added it to the movie, though the context never survived the edit. In The Matrix, Morpheus seemed to explain that the world is actually a computer program. Could have been worse, I suppose.
MorpheusThe seventh and eighth limbs are the consequences – or fruits – of the first six:
Physical stillness came with Asana.
Mental stillness came with Pranayama.
Sense stillness came from Pratyahara.
One learned to focus the amassed energy effectively in the sixth stage.
What happens next? Its gripping!
7. Dhyana.
Dhyana means perfect contemplation. When you concentrate completely on an object, the mind is transformed into the shape of that object. On the eight-limb path, our goal is to unify with the divine intelligence, so concentration will be on the shape of this, so to speak. Whatever form that is for you. “Real”, as Morpheus suggested, kind of falls apart; or better, it becomes apparent.
In Dhyana, one might feel like the world is more unreal than what experiences we have in meditation. Imagine someone who unknowingly grew up in a movie set and walked off it for the first time ever, to see himself and the universe as it really is. As the mind becomes clearer in Dhyana, you can probably imagine how free you might feel.
Spoon BoySpoon boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Spoon boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Spoon boy: Then you'll see. It is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.
~ The Matrix
Woah, right?
8. Samadhi
Samadhi means to merge. In this limb, the separation created by ideas like “I” and “mine” fall away. One no longer distinguishes between the self and the non-self, or the object contemplated and the process of contemplation.
Ever heard of a spiritual path or a guru described as a canoe? It's an essential tool that guides us to our destination. When you arrive, you no longer require it. The canoe in this case is the 8-limb path, and once we arrive at Samadhi, it's job is done. Samadhi's only experience is consciousness, truth, unutterable joy.
Imagine that enlightenment is a light filled with joy. Turning away from this light makes you feel isolated, and the opposite of joy. Use these two guiding posts to navigate life's challenges.
Yoga, meditation, healthy eating, and responsible behavior draws me towards harmony and joy. Opposing the universal laws of health and nature takes me into separation and darkness.
Neo: What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets?
Morpheus: No, Neo. I'm trying to tell you that when you're ready, you won't have to.
~ The Matrix