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The Teachings of Yoga (Part 11: Obstacles & Solutions)

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Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – Chapter 1: (Obstacles & Solutions; Sutras 1.30-1.32)

Overview of part 11…

As your practice evolves obstacles are to be expected: Yoga sutra 1.30 lists a number of predictable obstacles that arise on your inner journey, and sutra 1.31 mentions several consequences that grow out of these obstacles. Although the serious student may feel challenged as these obstacles (and their consequences) arise, they can take a degree of comfort in Patanjali’s assurance that they are perfectly natural and a predictable part of a maturing practice.

The Predictable Obstacles Yoga Sutra (1.30):

  1. 1. Illness,
  2. 2. Dullness,
  3. 3. Doubt,
  4. 4. Negligence,
  5. 5. Laziness,
  6. 6. Cravings,
  7. 7. Misperceptions,
  8. 8. Failure,
  9. 9. Instability.

There are also four consequences resulting from the above Obstacles (1.31)

There is a single, underlying principle that is the remedy for both these obstacles and their consequences, and that is the one-pointedness of mind (1.32). Although there are many forms in which this one-pointedness can be fixed, the principle lies in the uniformity and regularity of practice. A focused mind is far less likely to get entangled and lost in a quagmire of illusions and delusions that can occur as a result of these obstacles.

Now on to the sutras…

Yoga Sutra (1.30) – vyadhi styana samshaya pramada alasya avirati bhranti-darshana alabdha-bhumikatva anavasthitatva chitta vikshepa te antarayah. Vyadhi means disease, illness, sickness, Styana implies dullness, mental laziness, procrastination, Samshaya is doubt, indecision, Pramada means carelessness, neglect of duty, Alasya means laziness, sloth, Avirati means sensuality or to dissipate our energies,  Bhranti-Darshanais is false perception, wrong views (bhranti = false; darshana = views, perception), Alabdha-bhumikatva means failure to attain stages of practice (of concentration), Anavasthitatva means instability or slipping from the ground obtained, Chitta is mind field, “stuff” of the mind and Vikshepa means distraction, diversion, Te equals they are or these are, Antarayah means obstacles or impediments.

Together these words are translated as…Naturally encountered on the path are the following distractions that are found to be obstacles, there are nine and they are physical illness, tendency of the mind to not work efficiently, doubt or indecision, lack of attention to pursuing the means of samadhi, laziness (both in mind and body), failure to regulate the desire for worldly objects, incorrect assumptions or thinking, failing to attain stages of the practice, and instability in maintaining a level of practice once it has been attained.

In order not to have to deal with the consequences of the obstacles that arise as a result of distractions it is best to prevent the distractions from arising in the first place. By making the mind one-pointed, we may focus it in such a way that the distraction does not arise. This may seem difficult in the beginning, but persistence will prove that the ability to focus the mind is critical and well worth the enormous effort to cultivate it.

Yoga Sutra (1.31) – duhkha daurmanasya angam-ejayatva shvasa prashvasah vikshepa sahabhuva. Duhkha represents pain (either mental or physical), Daurmanasya is sadness, despair or depression, Angam-Ejayatva (Anga is limbs or body and Ejayatva unsteadiness, shakiness), Shvasa expresses inhalation (implying agitated breathing) Prashvasah means exhalation (also implying agitated breathing), Vikshepa is distractions,  Sahabhuva means symptoms, accompaniments.

This sutra is translated as… From the obstacles listed in sutra 1.30, there are four additional consequences that also arise:

  1. 1. Mental or physical pain,
  2. 2. Sadness or dejection,
  3. 3. Restlessness, shakiness, or anxiety, and
  4. 4. Irregularities in the exhalation and inhalation of breath.

Yoga Sutra (1.32) – tat pratisedha artham eka tattva abhyasah. Tat equals those or their, Pratisedha means prevent, reduce, diminish, Artham is for the purpose of or in order to, Eka is one, single, Tattva means truth, principle or topic, Abhyasah is practice (enthusiastic).

Translated this sutra means… To prevent or overcome these obstacles and their consequences, making the mind one-pointed is recommended and this is done by training it how to focus on a single principle or object.

As Swami Satchidananda has paraphrased, we are told not to become spiritual “grazers,” moving from one practice to another, but instead to sink our roots deep and commit with faith to a (one-pointed) practice that suits our own needs.

*Part 10 may be viewed by clicking on: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 10: Samadhi Attained by Devotion, cont.)

*Part 9: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 9: Samadhi Attained by Devotion)

*Part 8: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 8: Effort & Commitment – Cont.)

*Part 7: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 7: Effort & Commitment) – and parts 1 through 6 may be found at the bottom of part 7.

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500.

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 10: Samadhi Attained by Devotion, cont.)

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Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – Chapter 1: (Samadhi attained by devotion, cont.; Sutras 1.25-1.29)

This practice takes the student on a direct route inward, systematically penetrating each of the levels of consciousness. As we have already reviewed in part 9, it is done with sincerity and dedication (sutra 1.23) directed towards the untainted creative source or pure consciousness, Ishvara (sutra 1.24). Now in part 10 it will be shown how Ishvara is represented and invoked by OM and how that consciousness contains the seed of omniscience which is the very source of the teachings from all the ancient sages.

We will also be reminded in these next sutras that for it to have its proper effect, the sound of OM needs to be remembered with a deep feeling for the true meaning of what it represents.

On to the sutras…

Yoga Sutra (1.25) – tatra niratishayam sarvajna bijam. Tatra means there, in Ishvara (that special purusha); Niratishayam is unsurpassed, the highest, limitless; Sarvajna means all knowing from (sarva, all and jna, to know); Bijam means seed, root, origin.

Translated to mean…The pure consciousness is also the seed of pure knowledge or omniscience. In other words. Ishvara is unmatched and is the ultimate source of all knowledge, while in us (or others) it is only a seed.

Yoga Sutra (1.26) – sah purvesham api guruh kalena anavachchhedat. Sah is he or that, Purvesham means of the first, former, of the ancients; Api is even, also; Guruh means guru, teacher; Kalena means by time; Anavachchhedat indicates not limited by time, unconditioned, continuous.

From that consciousness (Ishvara) the ancient-most teachers were taught, since it is not limited or conditioned by the constraint of time. So, God/Isvara is the original teacher of all, even the most ancient of teachers, and is not limited by time.

Ishvara, being pure consciousness and eternal in nature, is the direct teacher of all of the ancient, earlier, or even the first of the teachers within human history. In other words, some of the original teachers of humanity have learned directly from pure consciousness, not from a human lineage of teacher-student, etc., whereby there is just a passing on of information. This direct learning from the source continues to be available at all times and places, though the help of human teachers is certainly a useful, if not an essential aid in keeping the student focused on the goal.

Yoga Sutra (1.27) – tasya vachakah pranavah. Tasya means of that, being (Ishvara); Vachakah is a verbal symbol, word, indicator or term; Pranavah is the mantra symbolized by AUM or OM this symbol always retains its purity.

Translated…The sacred word designating this creative source (Ishvara) is the sound OM, called pranava.

OM has a high vibrational quality but also has many other meanings, one of which is as a sound or term that denotes pure consciousness (Ishvara) as referred to in the preceding sutras. The word pranavah literally translates as “humming.”

Traditional teachers say that to properly chant OM (more clearly pronounced AUM), begin in the throat, then role through the mouth, and end with the closing of the lips. This then implies that OM represents the joining together of all possible sounds. Other particular mantras are simply a specific characteristic of “a sound” while Om is the totality of all sound. Used as the sound of Ishvara (God), Om implies that Ishvara (God) is ALL, the sum total of creation, existence, and change.

Yoga Sutra (1.28) – tat japah tat artha bhavanam. Tat means its, whose, being; Japah is repeated remembrance, repetition; Tat means its, whose, being; Artha equals meaning; Bhavanam means understanding with devotional feeling, absorbing, dwelling upon.

Translated…This sound is repeatedly remembered with deep feeling for the full meaning of what it represents. Swami Vivekananda translates it thusly: “The repetition of this (Om) and meditating on its meaning (is the way).”

It is important for the student to remember that not only the vibration (japa), but also the deep meaning of the mantra, and avoid performing a merely parrot-like repetition in the mind. Keep in mind one of Raja Yoga’s basic tenets is focused attention (in this case on OM) that results in deeper and more subtle perceptions.

Yoga Sutra (1.29) – tatah pratyak chetana adhigamah api antaraya abhavash cha. Tatah is thence, from this practice; Pratyak is the inner, individual; Chetana means true Self, consciousness; Adhigamah is knowledge, understanding, realization or attainment; Api means also; Antaraya is of obstacles or impediments; Abhavash means absence, disappearance, elimination; Cha means and or also.

Translated this sutra means…From that remembering comes the realization of the individual Self and the removal of obstacles.

Here Patanjali points out two direct benefits that come from the proper practice of the OM mantra:

  1. 1. Obstacles are removed.
  2. 2. This is a direct route to Self-realization.

If one is able to sincerely, devotedly, intensely practice the OM mantra to the depths of its meaning, it is a complete practice in and of itself. Swami Satchidananda summarized this sutra, clarifying it, when he wrote, “Normally, the mind and body limit you, but by holding something infinite, you slowly raise yourself from the finite objects that bind you and transcend them. Through that you get rid of all the obstacles and your path is made easy.”

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 10: Samadhi Attained by Devotion, cont.)

*Part 9 may be viewed by clicking on: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 9: Samadhi Attained by Devotion)

*Part 8: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 8: Effort & Commitment – Cont.)

*Part 7: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 7: Effort & Commitment) – and parts 1 through 6 may be found at the bottom of part 7.

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500.

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 9: Samadhi Attained by Devotion)

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The Teachings of Yoga (Part 9: Samadhi attained by devotion)

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – Chapter 1: (Samadhi attained by devotion; Sutras 1.23-1.24)

Patanjali uses the next few sutras to focus on the concept of Ishvara  in the framework of yoga. Early writings often used Ishvara to mean “master.” A yogesvara was therefore a “master of yoga.” Ishvara is derived from the root is, meaning to rule or to own, and is translated by many modern commentators with terms such as Supreme God, Lord, and Divine (with form). In the Upanishads, the word Īśvara is used to denote a state of collective consciousness. Thus,  as opposed to some other religious concepts, God is not a being that sits on a high pedestal or cloud high up in the sky along with the sun, moon, and stars; God is the actual state of Ultimate Reality. But due to the lack of direct experience, God has been personified (given form) and given various names and features by religions throughout the history. When someone expands their individual consciousness to the Universal Consciousness, it is called Self-realization, for the individual self has realized the unity of all diverse things, the very underlying principle, or “Universal Self”, constituting all forms and names. The great sages of the Upanishads avoid the confusions related to various religious conceptions of God and encourage students of yoga to be honest and sincere in their quests for Self-realization.

As Christopher Isherwood aptly noted in “How to Know God,” we can’t imagine or conceptualize the true reality of God, but we are able to understand a personalized God. In yoga, this personalized God is a reflection of the connection that we may find through concentration, meditation and samadhi.

But it is necessary to keep in mind that God as experienced through Isvara is still an object, and the experience of separation between ourselves and the object of our devotion remains intact until in the end, we must release even this devotion if we are to attain asamprajnata (objectless) samadhi. This requires a huge leap of faith, and one that our egos will constantly resist.

On to the sutras…

Yoga Sutra (1.23) – ishvara pranidhana va. Ishvara means creative source, personal God, supreme Guru or teacher; Pranidhana is dedication, devotion (surrendering of fruits of practice); Va means “or”, also.

Translated this may mean…From a process of dedicated devotion and releasing into the creative source from which we originated (Ishvara pranidhana), the arrival at the state of samadhi is near. Or, in other words…The goal (Samadhi) can also be attained via submission to the concept of a Ishvara (personal God).

So, through sincere, dedicated, and devoted practice to the pure consciousness known as Ishvara, God, or Guru, the results of samadhi will come more quickly; this is much like a type of short cut, or a more direct route to the center of consciousness.

Yoga Sutra (1.24) – klesha karma vipaka ashayaih aparamristah purusha-vishesha ishvara. Klesha means colored, painful, afflicted or impure, (the root klish means to cause trouble);  Karma means actions and effects; Vipaka equals the fruits of, or maturing (ripening); Ashayaih means by the vehicles, accumulations, mental deposits in the unconscious; Aparamristah is untouched, unaffected; Purusha-Vishesha a special, distinct consciousness, (purusha = a consciousness; vishesha = special, distinct); Ishvara is a creative source, personal God, supreme Guru or teacher.

Translated this may mean…That creative source (referring to Ishvara) is a particular consciousness (purusha) that is unaffected by colorings or afflictions (kleshas), actions (karmas), or the results of those actions that will happen when latent impressions arise and cause those actions. B.K.S. Iyengar translates this sutra, thusly: God (Ishvara) is the supreme Being, totally free from conflicts, unaffected by actions and untouched by cause and effect.

Stay tuned as this series continues with Yoga Sutra (1.25)…

*Part 8 may be viewed by clicking on: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 8: Effort & Commitment – Cont.)

*Part 7: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 7: Effort & Commitment) – and parts 1 through 6 may be found at the bottom of part 7.

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500.

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 8: Effort & Commitment – Cont.)

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Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – Chapter 1: (Effort & Commitment – cont.; Sutras 1.21 – 22)

These two sutras (1.21 and 1.22) discuss the levels of intensity applied to actual practice and commitment to the goal. This way each person can progress at their own rate and still have a direct experience. Remaining aware throughout your practice is extremely useful and great freedom results from that awareness.

 Yoga Sutra (1.21) – tivra samvega asannah. Tivra means fast, intense; Samvega is practice, momentum, conviction or enthusiasm; Asannah means very close, near.

Translated this sutra means…Those who practices with full intensity of feeling, vigor, and a firm conviction achieves concentration and its results quickly, as compared to those who’s practice is mediocre. More simply put – The goal is achieved rapidly through intensive conviction and practice

What Patanjali seems to indicate here is the intensity of conviction and practice will determine how quickly the reach the goal. Someone with all the time in the world to practice but with little conviction will not progress as rapidly toward the goal as someone (like most of us in the West) who has limited time but who’s practice is done with intense conviction and enthusiasm.

Yoga Sutra (1.22) – mridu madhya adhimatra tatah api visheshah. Mridu is mild, gentle or slow; Madhya means medium, moderate; Adhimatra is intense, strong; Tatah would mean, from that or from this practice; Api is also; Visheshah is differentiation or distinction (between levels).

This may be translated as…For all those who’s practices and conviction are both intense the degree of intensity is defined as three basic divisions of practice, those of mild intensity, medium intensity, and vehement intensity.

On the surface this sutra seems to be little more than an elaboration or restatement of sutra 1.21 (Success in yoga comes quickly to those who are intensely energetic), but in fact, the two sutras refer to related but separate ideas. According to traditional and modern commentators, sutra 1.21 addresses the practitioner in terms of their “relationship” to their practice while 1.22 refers to the “content” of the practice itself.

So what is meant by mild, medium or vehemently intense practice?  On popular view is: a mild practice is one that is irregular and lacking in enthusiasm, basically luke-warm.  The medium level of practice is more regular, but is isolated from the rest of the student’s life.

So what is a vehemently intense level of practice?  This could be perceived as a practice that is led by being clearly, and continuously focused on the goals of yoga, where the   student sees all aspects of their life as an opportunity for spiritual growth. The more that practice is incorporated into daily life, permeating all action, the sooner the veil of Maya (ignorance, illusion) diminishes. But here our Western conditioning may tend to push too hard, so caution needs to be exercised when our egos urge us to, “do more, work more, be more!”  This caution reminds us that any practice or lifestyle that pushes on, disregarding balance and harmony will generally lead to lopsided development, and an outlook that is too rigid. By keeping these thoughts in mind, we are less likely to become attached to our physical practice and much less likely to judge and define ourselves by our progress (or lack thereof), which means we’ll be less likely to be distracted from our true goals. The bottom line is, all practice should be balanced by non-attachment.

*Part 7 may be viewed by clicking on: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 7: Effort & Commitment) – and parts 1 through 6 may be found at the bottom of part 7.

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500.

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 7: Effort & Commitment)

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Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – Chapter 1: (Effort & Commitment; Sutras 1.19 – 20)

Yoga Sutras 1.19 and 1.20 describe two kinds of aspirants, both of whom can attain the goals of Yoga:

  1. 1. Advanced, born with true insight: These aspirants are those who have made tremendous advancement in previous lives and find samadhi easy to attain (1.19).
  2. 2. Others: Most of those that aspire to be yogis are of the this type, which means following five types of effort and commitment outlined by Patanjali (1.20).

Yoga Sutra (1.19) – bhava pratyayah videha prakriti layanam. Bhava comes from the Sanskrit root bhu to be or become; Pratyayah is content of mind, true perception; Videha means bodiless or incorporeal; Prakriti represents nature, creative cause; Layanam is merged into, becoming one with.

Translated this means…Some who have attained higher levels (videhas) or know un-manifest nature (prakritilayas), are drawn into birth in this world by only a few remaining latent impressions of ignorance. When such impressions remain, the aspirant retains the possibility (and the cause) of birth, even after being freed from the present body and after becoming integrated with one’s own or the cosmic nature. This type more naturally comes to the states of samadhi.

This sutra applies to only few rare people. Most need to follow the second path, which is the five-fold path outlined in the next sutra (1.20).

Yoga Sutra (1.20) – shraddha virya smriti samadhi prajna purvakah itaresham. Shraddha means trust, certainty, faith or conviction; Virya is energy, conviction, determination; Smriti equals memory, recollections and mindfulness; Samadhi is deep absorption of meditation, ecstasy and the goal of yoga; Prajna is wisdom and discernment; Purvakah means coming before, preceeding; Itaresham means of (or for) others.

This sutra is commonly translated to mean…Others follow a five-fold systematic path to lay the groundwork by which the higher samadhi (asamprajnata samadhi) is attained. These five principles and practices form a very simple, straightforward guide outlining the personal commitments necessary to properly follow the path of Self-realization. It benefits one to memorize these five, reflecting on them often. This five-point means of orientation works in conjunction with the eight rungs of Yoga introduced later in Sutra (2.28).

The five attitudes, goals and efforts to cultivate are as follows:

  1. 1. Shraddha: Developing the faith that you are going in the right direction
  2. 2. Virya: Committing the energy to go there
  3. 3. Smriti: Cultivating memory and mindfulness
  4. 4. Samadhi: Seeking the states of samadhi
  5. 5. Prajna: Pursuing the higher wisdom

By cultivating a practice of constant remembrance of these five types of efforts and commitments, the specific practices of each are all understood in a simple step-by-step process. This helps immensely to inspire the aspirant to follow through on performing the actual practices suggested throughout all the Yoga Sutras.

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 7: Effort & Commitment)

Swami Prabhavananda’s comment on this sutra: “The concentration of the true spiritual aspirant is attained through faith, energy, remembrance, absorption and illumination.”

Inspiring steps to follow on the Path of Yoga no matter what stage or level you’re currently at. So stay tuned, next well cover Chapter 1: (Effort & Commitment, cont.; Sutras 1.21 – 22).

*Part 1 can be viewed by clicking on: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 1 – Yoga Defined)

*Part 2, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 2: Un-coloring Your Thoughts)

*Part 3, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 3: Un-coloring Your Thoughts – Cont.)

*Part 4, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 4: Practice & Non-Attachment)

*Part 5, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 5: Practice & Non-Attachment, cont.)

*Part 6, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 6: Types of Concentration)

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500.

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 6: Types of Concentration)

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Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – Chapter 1: (Types of Concentration; Sutras 1.17 – 18)

Yoga Sutras 1.17 and 1.18 describe the entire process of samadhi, the higher tool of meditation. Therefore, the whole process of yoga is summarized in these two and the preceding sutras. The remaining yoga sutras give more expanded explanations, including the process of stabilizing the mind and more specific ways to attain samadhi, plus how to learn to use samadhi as the finer tool for Self-realization.

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 6: Types of Concentration)

In this diagram “P” indicates with content or object.

Yoga Sutra (1.17) – vitarka vichara ananda asmita rupa anugamat samprajnatah. Vitarka means gross thought or reasoning; Vichara is subtle thought or inquiry; Ananda is even more subtle, bliss; asmita means “I-ness” or sense of self; Rupa is appearance, nature or form; Anagumat means resulting from or associated with; Samprajnatah is absorption, absolute knowledge of, also indicates “lower” Samadhi.

According to this sutra, Samprajnata (lower) Samadhi is explained, defining a deep attention, or concentration on any object. Translated this means…All objects are in one of the four stages listed. Virtually every type, style, method, or object of meditation is assigned to one of the four stages or levels described in this sutra, but here, near the beginning of the yoga sutras specific objects are not being recommended. Instead, the four categories of which any and all possible objects of meditation are introduced. The content itself can be anything; from an external object to an idea in the mind, but as long as there is active content, and the consciousness is absorbed in that content, it is called Samprajnata Samadhi. Sometimes Samprajnata Samadhi is defined as being “with support” or “with seed.”

According to Patanjali, this form of concentration or absorption (with content) consists of four levels. These are:

1: The gross (savitarka): This is the most dense, like an entry level of meditation. It consists of concentration on physical objects (matter), sense perceptions, mental visualizations, streams of thoughts, physical breath, etc.

2. The subtle (savichara): This is a more subtle level of content and concentration. This level consists of attention on the more subtle levels of matter/objects, energies, fundamentals of the mind, and qualities such as non-attachment, etc.

3: Bliss (sananda): This is an even more subtle level of reality and concentration. It consists of attention that goes beyond the gross and subtle levels of the mind. In this state bliss accompanies the meditator.

4: I-ness (sasmita): This level is one of the subtlest states of concentration as its attention is focused on the very core of the individual, the I behind or the witness of all experiences.

*Note on the prefix “sa” in these four words means “with” or accompanied by.

Thus Yoga Sutra (1.17) defines and sums up the whole process (or levels) of the concentration type meditations. The other type of meditation is the seedless (or unsupported) meditation, or meditation without objects or content, which will be defined in the next sutra.

Yoga Sutra (1.17) – virama pratyaya abhyasa purvah samskara shesha anyah. Virama means cessation, letting go, stopping, receding; Pratyaya is the cause, content of mind or cognition; Abhyasa means enthusiastic practice; Purvah indicates preceding or coming before; Samskara means deep impressions, imprints in the unconscious, deep habits, subliminal activators; Shesha is residual or that which remains; Anyah refers to the other (the lower samadhi).

Translated… In this yoga sutra, concentration or attention is without any content or object that can be described, and this is called Asamprajnata (seedless or unsupported) Samadhi. In this state, in addition to the gross and subtle thoughts, the senses and thinking apparatus of the mind remain in a latent state. It is a very high state of “knowing,” and is of the kind that is often described as indescribable in words (beyond words).

Much more than just a state of quietness: It is important to understand that the objectless-ness referred to here is far deeper than simply quieting the busy conscious mind. Allowing that noisy mind to gradually still itself is no doubt an important step, however, it is only a stepping stone to opening the veil obscuring the unconscious. Once attained, the many impressions (samskaras) that are normally not seen are allowed to come forward, and along with them an awareness of the sensing and thinking instruments, the subtle energies, and all the subtle building blocks of mind and matter. All of these, not just the surface level thoughts, are the subject of objectless-ness or seedless meditation.

*Part 1 can be viewed by clicking on: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 1 – Yoga Defined)

*Part 2, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 2: Un-coloring Your Thoughts)

*Part 3, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 3: Un-coloring Your Thoughts – Cont.)

*Part 4, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 4: Practice & Non-Attachment)

*Part 5, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 5: Practice & Non-Attachment, cont.)

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500.

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 5: Practice & Non-Attachment, cont.)

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Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – Chapter 1: (Practice & Non-Attachment; Sutras 1.15 – 16)

Yoga Sutra (1.15) – drista anushravika vishaya vitrishnasya vashikara sanjna vairagyam. Drista means seen or perceived. Anushravika means revealed, heard (from others). Vishaya is objects, subjects or entities. Vitrishnasya is of one who is free from desire or craving. Vashikara means supreme, mastery or total control. Sanjna means awareness, consciousness or knowing. Vairagyam is non-attachment, indifference, dispassion or neutrality.

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 5: Practice & Non-Attachment, cont.)

Translated this means…When the mind loses desire even for objects seen or described in a tradition or in scriptures, it acquires a state of utter (vashikara) desirelessness that is called non-attachment (vairagya). Or in other words: dispassion (or non-attachment) results from a balance in (or mastery of) the consciousness, and when the desire for all things that we see or have heard of is extinguished.

This non-attachment is not suppression nor detachment as these are both pretentious and a case of “doing” something. This non-attachment is instead a “non-doing” sort of thing. It means that your attention does not hold (or grab onto) any impression that appears in the mind in the first place. Non-attachment is cessation! If attachment does occur (whether appealing or aversion), and attention fixes itself on a deep mental impression, the subsequent non-attachment comes from the cessation of mental clinging, not from an act of forcefully prying attention away.

Patanjali further explains that non-attachment (vairagya) applies to progressively deepening levels of our being. While we might begin with our more shallow level attachments, such as the objects and people encountered in daily life, this practice is intended to deepen to include all of the objects or experiences even those we might have only heard about, including the many powers (siddhis) or experiences of the psychic or subtle realm. We gradually come to witness that even these are nothing more than distractions on our journey to Self-realization, and we learn to let them pass by as clouds in the sky.

Yoga Sutra (1.16) – tat param purusha khyateh guna vaitrshnyam. Tat is “that.” Param is higher, superior, supreme, transcendent. Purusha means pure consciousness, Self. Khyateh means through knowledge, vision, discernment. Guna represents the elements, prime qualities, constituents or attributes (three gunas of sattvas, rajas and tamas). Vaitrshnyam is that state of freedom from desire or craving (for the gunas)

This sutra can be translated to mean…Indifference to the subtlest elements, constituent principles, or qualities themselves (gunas), achieved through a knowledge of the nature of pure consciousness (purusha), is called supreme non-attachment (paravairagya). Or put another way: The highest state of desirelessness (unsurpassed non-attachment – paravairagya) arises from the experience of the true Self and in this state even the most basic elements of nature lose their power over us.

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 5: Practice & Non-Attachment, cont.)

Supreme non-attachment (paravairagya) to the gunas (the three primal elements that the yogis refer to as the prime constituents of both manifest and unmanifest matter (prakriti) includes non-attachment in relation to not only the gross physical world, but also to the entire subtle, psychic and astral planes, as well as the causal realm out of which they arise.

Paravairagya comes after Self-realization and is described in these sutras as where non-attachment ultimately leads, that is, once you have the tool of samadhi and direct experience of the Self.

*Part 1 can be viewed by clicking on: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 1 – Yoga Defined)

*Part 2, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 2: Un-coloring Your Thoughts)

*Part 3, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 3: Un-coloring Your Thoughts – Cont.)

*Part 4, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 4: Practice & Non-Attachment)

*Of related interest… The Three Gunas

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500.

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 4: Practice & Non-Attachment)

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Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – Chapter 1: (Practice & Non-Attachment; Sutras 1.12 thru 1.14)

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 4: Practice & Non-Attachment)Practice (abhyasa) and non-attachment (vairagya) are the two foundational principles on which the entire system of Yoga rests. Through the cultivation of these two principles, all other Yoga practices evolve and eventually mastery over the mind field (chitta) occurs, and allows the realization of the true Self (Atman).

Regular practice keeps you headed in the right direction, while non-attachment provides you with a means to continue your inner journey without getting sidetracked by the pains and pleasures encountered along the way.

Abhyasa and Vairagya go hand-in-hand as companion practices, and they are the tools for mastering (nirodhah) the many levels (fluctuations) of the mind, thus allowing the experience of the true Self.

In order to properly practice and cultivate non-attachment, it is necessary to become consistently better at discriminating between which actions, utterances, and thoughts take you toward the goal of union, and those which tend to separate and divide. Developing this increasing discrimination is both a foundation practice and a subtle tool for advancing the inner journey.

Practice means having an attitude of persistent effort to attain and maintain a state of stable tranquility. Non-attachment involves learning to let go of the many attachments, aversions, fears, and false identities that are clouding the true Self.

Yoga Sutra (1.12) – abhyasa vairagyabhyam tat nirodhah. Abhyasa means practice (also cheerfulness). Vairagyabhyam is non-attachment, indifference (or dispassion). Tat means this (of those). Nirodhah in this context, means control, regulation, restraint or mastery.

Translated this sutra means these thought patterns are controlled via a balance between cheerful practice (abhyasa) and non-attachment (vairagya).

Yoga Sutra (1.13) – tatra sthitau yatnah abhyasa. Tatra means “of these two” (abhyasa and vairagya). Sthitau represents stability, consistence and undisturbed calmness. Yatnah is effort, persistent exertion or sustained struggle. Abhyasa means with (repeated) practice.

This sutra can be translated as: Practice (abhyasa) involves applying the chosen effort, and doing the actions necessary to bring a stable and tranquil state (sthitau). In other words – It means resolutely and consistently adhering to one’s practice of yoga until stable and undisturbed calmness is attained.

A note on Sthitau as a stable form of tranquility: This stability is more than just a matter of regaining your peace of mind when it has been lost, it is taking the extra steps when planning your life to support meditation; no only when meditating formally (like sitting meditation) but also when in “the marketplace.”

Yoga Sutra (1.14) – sah tu dirgha kala nairantaira satkara asevitah dridha bhumih. Sa means the same, that (practice). Tu is but or in any case. Dirga Kaka (Dirgha = long. Kala = time). Nairantarya is continuous; uninterrupted. Satkāra means seriousness; care. Adara is respect; consideration for others. Asevito (from asevita) means practiced, followed or continued. Drdha means sound, well founded. Bhumiḥ (from bhumi) basis, foundation or earth.

Put together all these words mean: When that practice is done for a long time, without a break, and with sincere devotion, then the practice becomes a firmly rooted, stable and solid foundation. In other words – Success can definitely be achieved through a sound and continuous practice over an extended period of time, when carried out in a serious and thoughtful manner.

Because consistency is such an important part of practice, choose a practice to which you commit yourself. Rather than be overenthusiastic when establishing your practice and taking on more than you have time (or energy) for, it is better to start by choosing a level of practice that you know you can maintain without a break. As your lifestyle changes to give you more time for meditation you can increase your time to include a session of longer duration.

Next in this series, Part 5 (Practice and non-attachment, cont.), Yoga Sutras 1.15 – 16.

*Part 1 can be viewed by clicking on: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 1 – Yoga Defined)

*Part 2, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 2: Un-coloring Your Thoughts)

*Part 3, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 3: Un-coloring Your Thoughts – Cont.)

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500.

Karma, Self-determination and Free Will

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Karma: this frequently heard word has entered most Western languages including English. The word karma comes from the Sanskrit root kri meaning “to do.” Karma translated is action, plain and simple, whether involuntary or voluntary, although as a religious term, karma often refers to intentional (usually moral) actions that affect our condition (or level of existence) in this life and the next.

We also hear of good karma and bad karma, which simply refers to actions that lead to positive or negative results. In Sanskrit, the word for result is “phala,” which means “fruit.” So the fruit of an action can be positive, negative or mixed. Hinduism adds an extra dimension to this understanding of karma, meaning the results of any given karma may not only bear “fruit” in this life, but may also bear fruit in a future lifetime. Similarly, actions performed in a former lifetime may be bearing results in this lifetime.

The concept of Karma (or kamma in Pali) is common to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, but each interprets karma in different ways. According to Hinduism the concept of karma or “law of karma” covers the broad principle that all of life is governed by a system of cause and effect, of action and reaction, in which one’s deeds have corresponding effects on the future. Thus, karma is often used as a way of explaining evil and misfortune in the world, even for those who do not appear to deserve it; their misfortune must be due to wrong or “bad” actions in a previous life.

In Hindu texts, the word karma first appears in the ancient Rig Veda, but there it simply meant religious action and in both the Rig and the Yajur Vedas that sometimes involved animal sacrifice. There is some hint of the later meaning of karma in the Brahmanas, but it is not until the Upanishads that karma was expressed as a basic principle of cause and effect resulting from actions. One example is in Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5. where it is said: “According as one acts, so does he become. One becomes virtuous by virtuous action, bad by bad action.”

So, Karma is commonly regarded today as a fundamental law of nature that is automatic and mechanical. It is not some personal vendetta that is imposed by God (or a god) as a system of reward and/or punishment, nor something that the gods can even interfere with.

In general usage today the word karma refers primarily to “bad karma”; that which is accumulated as a result of wrong actions (papa, or actions that split us from within and takes us away from integration). Bad karma binds a person’s soul (atman) to the cycle of rebirth (samsara) and leads to misfortune in this life and poor (or even miserable) conditions in the next incarnation. The moral energy of a particular act has a continuum which bears fruit (automatically) in the next life, and this may be manifested in one’s class, disposition, health, and character.

To offset “bad karma” Hindu texts prescribe a number of activities (e.g.; pilgrimages to holy places, acts of devotion, study of scriptures, etc.), that can wipe out the effects of bad karma. These positive actions (punya, or actions that bear positive results and elevate a person) may be referred to as “good karma,” and many believe the theory of karma embraces morally good acts as having positive consequences (not simply neutralizing wrong actions).

According to both Vedanta and Yoga teachings, there are three basic types of karma:

1.    Prarabdha karma: Karma experienced during the present lifetime.

2.    Sancita karma: The store of karma that has not yet reached fruition.

3.    Agamin (or Sanciyama) karma and Kriyamana karma: Karma sown or accrued in the present life. Although in the same category, these two have subtle but significant differences.

·        Kriyamana karma: Results of our current actions (instant karma).

·        Agamin karma: Intended, or contemplated actions; precursors to future karmas.

There is also the process by which karma is understood to work which involves various rebirths is as follows:

·        Good or bad actions create impressions (samskaras) or tendencies (vasanas) in the mind, which in time will come to fruition in further action (more karma).

·       The seeds of karma are carried in the subtle body (linga), in which the soul transmigrates.

·       The physical body (sthula sarira) is the field in which the fruit of karma is experienced and more karma is created.

The purpose of life according Hindu scriptures is to minimize bad karma in order to enjoy better fortune in this life and insure a better (or higher) rebirth in the next. The ultimate spiritual goal is to achieve release (moksha) from the cycle of samsara (the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth) altogether. Some believe this may take hundreds or even thousands of rebirths to rid oneself of all their accumulated karma and achieve moksha, while others believe it can be realized here, in this very life. But only until then can one be said to have found the true meaning of life. The person who has become liberated (attained moksha) creates no more new karma during the present lifetime and is not reborn after death.

Various methods to attain moksha are taught by different schools, but most include avoiding attachment to impermanent things, carrying out one’s duties without regard to results, and finally realizing the ultimate unity (yoga) between one’s soul or self (atman) and ultimate reality (Brahman).

Everyone’s karma is uniquely their own and is, in part, a result of previous incarnations, but we also share (collective) karmas, with our country of origin, our community, and our family and friends.

Karma entails the understanding that we are all ultimately responsible for our own lives. The self-determination and accountability of each individual soul rests on its capacity for free choice. This can only be exercised only in the human form. Lower species are devoid of the capacity to make moral decisions and are instead bound by instinct. Therefore, although all species of life are subject to the results of past activities, any such karma can only be generated while in the human form.

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500.

The Teachings of Yoga (Part 3: Un-coloring Your Thoughts – Cont.)

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Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – Chapter 1: (Un-coloring Your Thoughts; Sutras 1.6 thru 1.11)

Yoga Sutra (1.6) – pramana viparyaya vikalpa nidra smritayah. The five types of thought patterns to witness are:

  1. 1. Correct knowing (pramana)
  2. 2. Incorrect knowing (viparyaya)
  3. 3. Fantasy or imagination (vikalpa)
  4. 4. The void-ness that is deep sleep (nidra)
  5. 5. Recollection or memory (smriti)

Of the five kinds of thought patterns, pramana, or correct knowledge is the one to cultivate. Incorrect knowledge (viparyaya) or fantasy or imagination (vikalpa) are both made up of thought patterns that may have verbal expression and knowledge, but for which there is no real object or basis in existence. Dreamless sleep (nidra) is the subtle thought pattern which has absence or non-existance as its object. Recollection or memory (smriti) is mental modification of a previous impression.

Yoga Sutra (1.7) – pratyaksha anumana agamah pramanani. Pratyaksa is that which is right in front of our eyes (directly seen or perceived). Anumana means that which comes from the intellect (manas, a conclusion). Agamah (from agama), legacy or learning from reliable sources. Pramanani (from pramana), insight, accurate perception; accurate knowledge.

The Yogi learns to witness these five kinds of interfering thoughts (sutra 1.6) with non-attachment, discriminating between these five, and to cultivating the first type of thought, which is knowing correctly (pramana), and there are three ways of gaining correct knowledge:

  1. 1. Perception
  2. 2. Inference
  3. 3. Testimony or verbal communication from others who have knowledge.

According to the oral Yoga tradition, it is taught that you should not simply believe what you hear, but should seek your own direct experience. This is the meaning of the first of these three ways of knowing (Pratyaksa – perception). The second part is that of reasoning (Anumana – inference), whereby you want that experience to be understood in the light of your own inference or reasoning. The third part is that you seek the validation through some respected authority (Agamah & Pramanani – testimony). This might be an oral authority (e.g.; some respected person who has firsthand knowledge) or a written authority (such as the Yoga Sutras or Upanishads).

Yoga Sutra (1.8) – viparyayah mithya jnanam atad rupa pratistham. Viparyaya means false perception or false knowledge. Mithya, also false; misleading. Jnanam (root is Jnana) is knowledge, insight. Atad (a-not, tat-that) means “not that.” Rupa is form, nature. Atadrupa means different form. Pratistham (from root pratistha) is rooted, calming, compatible.

All together these words may be translated as “Error arises from knowledge that is based on a false mental construct” or “Incorrect knowledge (viparyaya) is false knowledge formed by perceiving a thing to be other than what it really is.”

Yoga Sutra (1.9) – shabda jnana anupati vastu shunyah vikalpah. Sabda means word. Jnana is knowledge. Anupati means consequent upon (real). Vastu can be reality, object, thing or entity. Sunya means devoid or empty. Vikalpah is imagining, illusion or semantic confusion (the illusion that a semantic construct actually exists).

Translated – “Imaginings are engendered by word/knowledge without regard for what actually exists in the real world.” Or in other words; “Fantasy or imagination (vikalpa) is a thought pattern that has verbal expression and knowledge, but for which there is no such object or reality in existence.”

Yoga Sutra (1.10) – abhava pratyaya alambana tamo-vritti nidra. Abhava means absence or non-presence. Pratyaya is cognition, impressions (i.e.; impressions in chitta via vrittis). Alambana is support, basis, foundation. Tamo means inertia (Tamas is one of the three gunas or basic properties of matter). Vrtti means lack of clarity (thought waves or patterns). Nidra is deep sleep.

Translated – “Dreamless sleep (nidra) is the subtle thought pattern which has as its object an inertia, blankness, absence, or negation of the other thought patterns (vrittis).”

Yoga Sutra (1.11) – anubhuta vishaya asampramoshah smritih. Anu (from), Bhuta (that which has been experienced in the past). Visshaya is experience (or objects of experience). Samasampramosash means neither being stolen or lost. Smrtih is  memory or recollection.

This Sutra is translated to mean: “Recollection or memory (smriti) is mental modification caused by the inner reproducing of a previous impression of an object, but without adding any other characteristics from other sources.” Or more simply stated…”Memory is the recollection (in the current moment) of (past) experienced objects.”

Next in this series, Part 4 (Practice and non-attachment), Yoga Sutras 1.12 thru 16

*Part 1 can be viewed by clicking on: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 1 – Yoga Defined)

*Part 2, here: The Teachings of Yoga (Part 2: Un-coloring Your Thoughts)

Of related interest, click on: The Problem of Thoughts & Yoga’s Solution

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500.