Trāṭak by Yogi Anand Ji

Tratak and its Significance in Yogic Practice

Document Overview:

This book focuses on the practice of Tratak, a yogic technique involving focused gazing. The text, attributed to Yogi Anand Ji, explores the practical application, underlying philosophy, and profound effects of Tratak, particularly in relation to mind control, spiritual development, and the nature of reality itself. The author integrates personal experiences, spiritual insights, and traditional yogic principles to provide a comprehensive understanding of this practice.

Main Themes & Key Ideas:

The Nature and Purpose of Tratak:

Definition: Tratak is defined as “keeping staring at any substance without blinking the eyes.” It is contrasted with ‘Dwatak’, the normal state of vision where the eyes blink and shift focus. The goal is to “fix or bind the vision on any substance.”
Goal: The primary purpose of Tratak is to control and stabilize the mind by making it introverted. It is seen as a tool to overcome the “fickleness of mind,” which is constantly drawn outward by desires and the senses. “The fickleness of mind can be made introverted by stabilizing it through trāṭak.”
Mind Control: Tratak is viewed as a crucial step in yoga because the mind needs to be controlled and focused before higher practices like Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (superconscious state) can be achieved. “So long as the mind will not become introverted being stable at one place, till then the practice of Dhārana, dhyāna and samādhi can’t be practised.”
Enhanced Determination: Regular Tratak practice leads to “strength of determination in the seeker gets enhanced very much.”

The Role of Chitta, Vrittis, and Karmashayas:

Chitta:** The chitta is presented as the storehouse of impressions (samskaras) and karmic accumulations (karmashayas). It’s the foundation of mental activity and is described as having a vibratory nature.
Vrittis: Vrittis are described as the mental fluctuations or “rings” formed on the chitta due to accumulated karmas (actions). They manifest as outward projections of energy (tejas) through the eyes, shaping our perceptions of the world. “Due to vibrations on the chitta, the karmashayas emerge out in the form of annular vrittis.” These vrittis are comprised of the five elements (Tattvas) and three gunas.
Karmashayas: The text distinguishes between Prarabdha Karmashayas (past karmas to be experienced in this life) and Sanchit Karmashayas (past karmas to be experienced in future lives), explaining the seemingly random nature of experiences. It is stated that “the karmāśhayas which remain mainly on the upper surface of the chitta, they are called Prārabdha karmāśhaya.”
Mind Wandering: The restless nature of the mind is explained as being due to the constant vibrations and outward projection of vrittis from the chitta. The mind is seen as being pushed by Rajoguna and Prana

The Five Tattvas and Three Gunas:

Five Elements: The five tattvas (elements) – Akasha (sky/ether), Vayu (air), Agni (fire), Jala (water), and Prithvi (earth) – are foundational to the material world and are also present in the vrittis, with each element having a specific color: yellow (earth), green (water), red (fire), smoky/gray (air), and blue (ether).
Three Gunas: The three gunas (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas) are the modes of nature. These influence mental and physical states, with Sattva associated with purity, Rajas with activity, and Tamas with inertia. The text explains that the proportions of gunas within the karmas and vrittis influence one’s actions and perceptions. “If someone has committed violence, miscreants, criminal acts, then Tamoguna will be in much amount in his karmāśhayas, and the amount of Satvaguna remains minimal.”
Interrelation of elements: It is also described the subtle and pervasive relationship of these elements to each other: “The Vayu Tattva within the Ākāśha Tattva, the Agni Tattva within the Vayu Tattva, the Jala Tattva within the Agni Tattva, and the Prithvi Tattva inside the Jala Tattva remain present respectively.” The text goes on to note that “Each Tattva is denser compared to the one from which it manifests.”

Tratak and the Purification Process:

Purification: Tratak, along with other yogic practices like Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama etc. is seen as a process for purifying the body, prana, mind (man), ego (ahamkara), and chitta. “With practice, the body, prāṇa, Man (mind), Ahaṃkāra (subtle ego) and chitta gradually start to get purified.”
Visual Phenomena: As a seeker progresses in Tratak, they may see colored spots or rings (yellow, green, red, smoky/grey, and blue) around the object of focus. These colors represent the different tattvas and reflect the changes happening in the practitioner’s own energy and vrittis. “The yellow, green, red, smoky and blue colours are seen respectively while doing practise on the dot respectively. These colours are of five elements.”
Mind as a Blue Tejas: With practice, the mind begins to appear as blue-colored rays emanating from the eyes.

Shaktipata and Kundalini:

Shaktipata: The concept of shaktipata (spiritual transmission) is central, where a guru imparts energy to a disciple. Tratak is presented as a tool for giving shaktipata, and it is stated that “shaktipāta on disciples is necessary because the spiritual path of the seeker gets accelerated by it“. It is believed to accelerate spiritual progress and remove obstacles.
Kundalini: The text touches upon the Kundalini energy, emphasizing the importance of its proper understanding and guidance. It also acknowledges the potentially transformative power of a “fierce” kundalini.

Tratak and Hypnotism:

Potential for Misuse: The text highlights that Tratak can be used for both spiritual and negative purposes, including hypnotism, which the author experienced. “That person robbed 70 rupees from me using hypnotism.”
Hypnotism Explained: The document explains that hypnotism is possible by harnessing the power of Tratak and is more easily applied to someone who has a weaker mind. The text explains: “The hypnotist is a person of strong mind. The person on whom hypnotism is to be applied is of weaker mind.”
Countering Hypnotism: The text suggests techniques for counteracting hypnotism. “After some time, assert in mind, ―I am completely free, my mind cannot be under anybody‘s authority‖. You will start to feel lightness on doing so repeatedly.”

Tratak and the Control of Lust:

Lust as a Dominant Samskara: The text identifies the samskara of sexual desire as particularly powerful and difficult to overcome. “When the saṃskāras of such type come out of the chitta to be enjoyed, then the other three types of saṃskāras become inconsequential.”
Control through Tratak and Other Practices: Tratak, alongside pranayama, vegetarian diet, and Uddiyana Bandha, is recommended for mitigating lustful thoughts.
Shaktipata and Lust: It’s suggested that advanced practitioners can use shaktipata to temporarily suppress lustful thoughts in others.

Importance of Celibacy:

Brahmacharya: Brahmacharya (celibacy) is presented as crucial for developing a strong will, and a strong will enhances any yoga practice, including tratak. “The seeker is required to observe brahmacharya (celibacy), because the determination of the celibate is very powerful.”
Inner Eye: It is mentioned that in the subtle body there exists a “third eye,” the divya drishti, which is a “single straight vertical eye.” Celibacy is implied as a means to activate this vision.

The Path to Samadhi and Liberation

Importance of Samadhi: The document states that samadhi is the highest state attainable by the practitioner of yoga, and is a way to achieve yogabala (yogic power). The text notes: “The seeker should practise samādhi to attain yogabala.”
Types of Samadhi: It describes two types of samadhi: Sabija Samadhi (with a seed) and Nirbija Samadhi (seedless), highlighting the process of deepening meditation.
Liberation: Through the path of yoga, including practices such as Tratak, it is possible to be freed of the bondage of ignorance and be liberated, even while alive.
Importance of Yoga: The document notes that, unlike Tratak on its own, it is the practice of all yoga that truly develops the practitioner from the grossest elements to the subtlest, up to the chitta itself. “The purity from gross to chitta can‘t be achieved only through the practice of trāṭak, rather practice of yoga is essential for this.”

Key Takeaways:

Tratak is not merely an eye exercise but a profound practice for mind control and spiritual growth.
Understanding the chitta, vrittis, karmashayas, and the interplay of the five elements and three gunas is crucial for grasping the true potential of Tratak.
Tratak can be a powerful tool for purification, self-discovery, and spiritual advancement, but it requires proper guidance, discipline, and ethical practice.
The practice of Tratak should ideally be done in conjunction with other practices of yoga, with the ultimate goal of Samadhi and liberation.
The author cautions that even with proficiency in tratak, siddhis (powers) may not manifest without appropriate karmic alignment.

Conclusion:

“Tratak_English.pdf” presents Tratak as an integral part of the yogic path, offering a framework to understand the mind’s workings and achieve a higher state of awareness. The document emphasizes the need for dedication, ethical conduct, and a holistic approach to yoga to realize the true benefits of this potent practice. The document also stresses that Tratak can be misused, especially for purposes such as hypnotism, so proper understanding of these implications is necessary.

The source provides practical instructions and exercises for practicing Trāṭak, and they are summarized below:

Trāṭak on Dot

Practice should be followed on the dot first.
Practice in the morning, afternoon, evening or at night, but not immediately after having a meal.
Ensure there is no disease in the eyes.
Use a white chart paper, blue sketch pen, transparent tape and a scissor.
The room where practice is done should be clean and quiet with proper lighting.
Paste the chart paper on the wall, just two feet above the floor.
Make a dot of diameter two millimetres in the middle part of the chart paper with the blue sketch pen.
The distance of the Asana from the chart should be one or one and a quarter meters.
The dot and your eyes should be in the parallel direction so that the practitioner need not look either upward or downwards to see the dot.
Sit in Sahajāsana (comfortable posture) to do practise.
Keep the eyes closed and wipe the tears of your eyes slowly with that soft cloth which you have kept aside.
The practice of trāṭak should be done twice a day in the beginning.
While doing practice of trāṭak, no thoughts of any kind should be brought into your mind and even no mantras should be chanted.

Trāṭak on Portrait of Deity

Those practitioners who are the followers of devotional path may practise trāṭak on their tutelary deity, if they wish to do so.
When you will practise on the image of a deity, the effect of different types of colours present on that image is there.
Wipe the tears of the eyes slowly with soft thickened folded cloth which you have kept aside.
When the practitioner is sitting with his eyes closed, he should try to mentally visualize the face of god.

Trāṭak on Flame

When the practitioner has mastered the practise on dot for an hour, start practising trāṭak on the lamp’s flame.
While practising on the flame, keep it in mind that practise should be followed on such type of flame that it is not emitting smoke.
Practice of trāṭak on the flame should always be done in a closed room, so that there is no effect of gust of wind at the time of practise.
The height of the lamp’s flame should be parallel to the eyes, just same as was at the time of practising on the dot.
While doing practise on the flame, the important thing is that the seeker should stare at the tip of the flame or the upper end of the flame.
After a while, the seeker will begin to feel slight heat in his eyes.
Now he should close his eyes and sit quietly, do not try to open eyes immediately.

Trāṭak on Mirror

The practice of trāṭak on the mirror is very necessary for the seeker.
Practise on the mirror is followed in a closed room.
Take a big mirror, hang it on the wall.
Hang it so high on the wall that when you sit on the asana, his face should be seen in the centre of the mirror.
The light inside the room should be such that it should not be thrown directly on the mirror.
While doing trāṭak on the mirror, do not be afraid and do not even panic.
Stare at it neutral.

Trāṭak on Tree

After practising trāṭak on the mirror, the seeker should practise it on the tree.
To practise trāṭak on the tree, he will have to go out of the village or of the city, only then practise can be done.
While doing practise, he does not have to run his vision on any other part of the tree.

Trāṭak on the Moon and Stars

The seekers should also practise on the moon.
It is necessary to have dark night to practise trāṭak on the stars.
Practise on the moon can only be followed when more than half of the Moon is visible in the sky.
The seeker can practise trāṭak on the moon according to his will either by sitting on the roof of his house or by sitting in the room.

Trāṭak on the Sun

Even the evening time (slight before the sun sets) is also appropriate for the practice of trāṭak on the sun, because the brighter light is not emanated at the time of rising of the sun in the morning.
Practise should be followed only in a lower light.
Practise should never be followed in the brighter light of the sun, because there is a risk of getting the eyesight weakened in such a state.
When the sun is rising above up and its light gets brighter, it is good to practise trāṭak through the light coming from the window of the room of the seeker.
As the sun begins to rise, the seeker should concentrate his vision on the sun at that very moment.
You should definitely keep a soft folded cloth beside you, as earlier, at the time of practising trāṭak on the sun.
When you start to practise trāṭak on the sun, practise it only for about 15-20 minutes.