September 18, 2025
Fundamental to all the spiritual practices is viçara (pronounced vichara). Without viçara there is no spirit in any practice, in anything that we do. The word 'viçara' is derived from the root 'çar' - to move: it implies movement - the car also moves. 'Vi' as a prefix denotes 'very efficiently'. So viçara is 'to move very efficiently'. In thinking or reasoning the thinking is not smooth and undistracted. When you are even mentally arguing the pros and cons, you are jumping from one to the other. But in viçara (vichara)there is no such jumping.
To begin with, you think of the pros and cons, all the factors involved; then there is internal argumentation or internal dialogue, and finally you come to the conclusion of logic. You realize that one can go on arguing like this for the rest of one's life without really coming to grips with the problem. Instead of beating about the bush asking why this or that happened, I want to know what it is.
So instead of analyzing a psychological factor or an emotion, is it possible to become directly aware of what it is? The risk in analyzing is that if you ask the wrong question and take the wrong road, you go far away very fast. If you have a Master sitting in front of you, he can probably knock you back; otherwise there is danger. But the question of 'What?', which is the essence of viçara, does not have this difficulty. If there is unhappiness or sorrow in me, I am not going to ask 'Why is it there?' or 'How did it arise?' but 'What is it?' What happens when this question arises in you is viçara.
The moment the question arises, you realize that instantly there is great attention. If at the same time there is intellectual cooperation and emotional involvement, there is tremendous energy. But even if at least they do not interfere with this process, it can go on. It is only when the intellect obstructs this viçara or the emotion runs away from this viçara that you are lost.
Viçara is complete in itself and must form part of any practice that we undertake. That means we must be intensely aware of whatever happens. And that is yoga.