The idea of disinterestedness can be a very useful tool to measure one's progress in a study like Yoga. The usual external objects, like strong physique or an increase in strength or more relaxation or better concentration, are also tools. But then they are slightly deceptive. One may gain strength physically, and yet one may not have progressed much as far as self-development is concerned. The strength might get used in wrong ways. Or one may gain a good external physique, but that too is no guarantee that there has occurred a true spiritual growth.
A thing like relaxation is very useful, but one can relax by ordinary techniques, and yet that relaxation may not generate anything by way of understanding or knowledge. On the contrary, it may lead to a Tamasic state. Or even concentration, which is the cream of the whole effort, may not produce a true insight and understanding. After all, it is just like training one's muscles. One can gain strength in certain mental faculties, but just strength of the mind in this direction is not the end.
A REQUISITE
Disinterestedness is like becoming air-worthy to fly. Have you given up things so that you can rise high? If you are holding on to a lot of things, flying is difficult. It is in giving up that you gain. This is the whole idea. Possessions, external paraphernalia, even your own involvements, your ideals, your thoughts, all these are a hindrance to a true spiritual growth. It is only in giving up these things that you can rise. One does not function freely when one is bound. So the effort is to see that you can get free of these various binds. And this is a difficult thing, because you love your own self, you love your ideas, you love your aspirations, your goals. The most important thing is our love for our own ego. To give that up is the highest development. So this can be a good yardstick: to see whether you can give up things and yet function happily, or whether you depend on these external aids and cannot do without them.
Disinterestedness is like becoming airworthy to fly. Have you given up things so that you can rise high?
In traditional literature there are several stages. There is non-stealing, which really means less and less interest in material things, not adding to one's possessions. Why does an individual steal? Because he wants to add something to what he already has. If he could manage with what he has, then he would not steal. But he wants more, not knowing that by his acquisitions he is tying himself down to these things. At a little later stage, the suggestion is non-greed; not only that one does not add, but one rather sees if one can give away a little. So at this stage one consciously does away with a few things which one earlier could not. Now one realizes that these wants and needs and these external things are creating their own hindrances. So one after the other the individual is suggested to give up as much as he can, to come down to the barest. Then he has reached such a stage that he feels considerably free. He is not tied down, he is not dependent.
Then there is a positive content: as a result of giving up, one gets in touch with the inner awareness and one sees the worthwhileness of growing in that spiritual awareness. This means Santosha, or contentment. One has something within, and that is why it is easy to give up things which are seen as hindrances. Now there is an assurance that one has things that are quite satisfying. And in fact that is the goal — the inner peace, the inner tranquility. So this is the stage of Santosha.
VAIRAGYA
And again beyond this, the idea is to consciously cultivate disinterestedness. At first one has to recognize the areas where an effort, a conscious exertion, is to be done. The earlier stages were rather subconscious; it was very directly suggested that one should feel disinterested. It was just suggested that one should try to reduce one's wants, try to create contentment. From now onwards it is a very definite suggestion that one should try to understand what are the things holding one down. First one has to identify the areas; later one tries to find out which areas one can easily give up — certain physical things, certain sensory things. So one reaches a particular development and growth.
After that one comes to difficult areas, the stages that are called Ekendriya. At this stage it is not a question of the usual material objects one holds on to generally, but there are certain opinions, experiences, perceptions, certain ideals which are a cause of attachment. They are very difficult to give up because they have been arrived at after a considerable amount of work and study. One is reluctant to give up things which one has always felt to be the most worthwhile.
This difficulty is seen in other systems too, like the school of devotion. There the devotee does not want to forget his own personality. Because if he does, then who worships whom? After all, the feeling is that he has to worship, and when he is not there, how can he carry on the worship? So the devotee wants to remain the devotee, and God the God. It is a difficult stage when one has to create the understanding that even that little feeling of being a devotee is a changing concept. As the devotee grows, he cannot remain the tiny self that he was earlier. Just like a child holding on to a toy, he cannot hold on to it all his life. He grows out of that, though it gives him a lot of joy at that age. He feels that it is his own and he can enjoy it. But he can enjoy it only so long as he is a child. When he is no longer a child, he cannot enjoy it anymore.
HIGHER DISINTEREST
So the later stage of what is called Vairagya is one where you recognize and identify certain difficult spots. Then you work towards the ultimate, which is called the sense of mastery, when nothing can attract or disturb or cause desire in the aspirant. He is not interested in anything. He has understood the limitations of everything. And that, it is said, leads on to higher knowledge.
These two are considered as the same. On one side we call it disinterestedness; on the other side we call it knowledge and understanding. Because here one realizes that which is worthwhile as against that which is worthless. Earlier, one was attached to things, considering them as essential. Now one realizes something else as really essential. And when one realizes that, one does not bother about small things.