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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali of 16

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Philosophy & History Module Paper Four Assignment Three May 2013

THE YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI

Jan Lawson

GENERAL BACKGROUND

The desire to know the Self is implanted deeply within all of us and has been since the beginning of time. But such a journey is long and difficult without help. The Yoga Sutras serve as a very clear map for the undertaking of that spiritual journey. Part of the ancient wisdom, probably used and passed down orally centuries before Patanjali’s time, these sutras were codified and written down by Patanjali to give the clearest distillation we have of the knowledge of the science of yoga.

We know nothing of Patanjali, except that he was obviously a yogi of great wisdom and insight and lived in India, possibly in the third century before Christ. In 195 short statements he created one of the most remarkable works of literature in the world, a work which has been expanded by commentaries ever since. The earliest commentary was written by Vyasa (not necessarily the same Vyasa who was the author of the Mahabharata and Gita) in the fifth century A.D., and this scholarly work has been the basis for most commentaries since.

The Sutras use Kapila’s Sankhya philosophical system as a base, but they are also similar in many ways to early Buddhist teachings, which suggests that both were probably influenced by the same older material. They were later absorbed by Vedanta, form the basis of Raja Yoga, have been of great importance in Jainist and Sufi teachings, and the foundation teachings of many early mystery schools, including the Trans Himalayan School.

Patanjali did not intend his Sutras to build up a philosophical base. He already had one in Sankhya (although he did go further than Kapila and formulated the concept of Ishvara, the personal God or Universal Soul). He did intend them to develop a system of practices and methods to guide a person toward a higher level of consciousness, the unfolding of latent forces and ultimately union with the Self and God. His system sets out to control the vagrant impulses of the mind, to refine the mind-stuff (citta) through ethical conduct and meditation until it is pure enough to reflect the true, independent Self.

The Sutras were not written as a literary work, nor are they concerned with presenting the type of linear argument familiar to the Western mind. Rather, Patanjali’s aim is to describe the stages of an inner journey, unfamiliar to most. He uses the austere style of the sutra or aphorism so that each section or verse is self-contained, yet part of a greater whole.

It is necessary that the path be unfolded gradually because what is being conveyed is not head knowledge but the transformation of consciousness.

Philosophy & History Module Paper Four Authorised By: Courses Co-ordinators IYTADate Reviewed: July 2011 Next Review: August 2014 Copyright


THE STRUCTURE OF THE SUTRAS

Patanjali’s Sutras consist of 195 very brief comments or aphorisms, most no more than six Sanskrit words long. The word ‘sutra’ literally means ‘a thread joining pearls of wisdom’, and the sutras are really worded for easy memorising.

‘Just as a thread binds together a number of beads in a rosary, in the same way the underlying continuity of idea binds together in outline the essential aspects of a subject… the effort to discover the hidden “thread” of reasoning beneath the apparently unconnected ideas very often provides the clue to the meaning of many sutras.’

The Science of Yoga - I.K. Taimni

The sutras are often so concise that they can be difficult to make sense of or practise without a commentary or a teacher, and so subtle that they depend on the consciousness of the reader and interpreter.

The Sutras are divided into four Pada, literally a step. These are the steps, carefully laid out and explained, to Enlightenment.

1 Samadhi Pada The Vision of UnionII Sadhana Pada Treading the Path to UnionIII Vibhuti Pada Union Achieved and its ResultsIV Kaivalya Pada Liberation

I SAMADHI PADA The Vision of Union

It is always much easier to begin a long journey if we can see on a map the desired destination. Patanjali knows this and so begins the first Pada by laying down the essence of the whole science of yoga in the first four sutras. This is a method common in Indian literature and allows the reader to gain an overview of the philosophical foundation right at the outset.

1. The following instruction concerns the science of yoga or union.2. This union is achieved by controlling the activities of the mind. (Yogas citta-vritti-nirodhah)3. When this has been accomplished, we know ourselves as we truly are.4. Up to now our essential inner nature has been overshadowed by the activity

of the mind.

The fifty one sutras of this first Pada attempt to answer the question ‘What is yoga?’, and begin to expand on the first four sutras. They explain first of all (sutras 5-12) the various ways in which the mind operates to mould or shape our lives by creating beliefs and attitudes. These mental functions or methods of ideation are:

Knowledge which comes from clear perception, inference or testimonyConfusion which arises from failure to distinguish between what is true and what is falseDelusion which arises when words or ideas are mistakenly taken to be realitySleep a state where most external perception ceases and work with the unconscious

takes placeMemory the recollection (accurate or coloured) of events that took place in the past.



Sutras 12-16 give the person wanting to tread the path to Liberation the first real clues as to what needs to be done to control the whirling and activities of the mind.

‘Control the activities by practice and detachment.’

The path to Self-knowledge is Abhyasa (effort or practice) and Vairagya (uncolouredness, dispassion or detachment). Patanjali knows that what sounds so easy is in reality to prove most difficult. The mind is distracted, and practice slowed by excuses and inability to step back.

Sutras I.30: Disease, lack of enthusiasm, doubt, irregularity, lethargy, yearning for sensual pleasure, hallucination, failure to attain a step, failure to maintain that step, are obstacles that distract the mind.

Mentally, emotionally and morally there is separation from the Source. The remainder of the first Pada explains the nature of the Source/God/Ishvara, and outlines the way to attain union and Liberation by meditation, worship and striving for desirelessness.

II SADHANA PADA - Treading the Path to Union

The fifty five sutras of the second Pada now zero in on the work that has to be done if union is to be achieved, and seek to answer the question ‘why should someone practise yoga?’

They give an initiation or introduction to the system of discipline required of any Sadhaka or disciple (a disciple is one who applies discipline to him or herself), and outline the relationship that should exist within himself, and between himself and his environment.

Sutras II.1: Austerity or purification, self-study, devotion or surrender to God constitute preliminary practical yoga.

This first sutra gives very sensible practical advice to anyone wanting to take up the disciplined life of a yogi.

It suggests a transitional period of training in which the student begins to purify the body and work with the will, trains the intellect in self-examination and inward searching, and learns emotional surrender. This initial period of discipline gives balanced growth and helps remove the hindrances to advancement, known as the Kleshas. They are five in number:

Ignorance or illusion (Avidya) mistaking appearance for realityPride or conceit (Asmita) identifying with the sensesDesire (Raga) caused by attaching importance to pleasureAversion (Dwesha) instinctive recoil from anything unpleasant

or painfulPossessiveness/fear of loss/fear of death (Abhinevesa)

dread of the unknown, clinging to life

All five are bound together in a complex web, but ignorance causes the other four and is the most difficult to eradicate. Once ignorance of our true nature is replaced with knowledge and understanding the other obstacles are easier to overcome, with the cultivation of the opposing mental attitude. As long as they remain, the Kleshas create karma and lead to continued rebirth (see



the paper on Karma and Reincarnation, Assignment 11). This bondage may be overcome by concentration leading to meditation, and by discrimination (Viveka), the uninterrupted practice of the awareness of what is real.

Sutras II.28: Impurities having been washed away by the practice of meditation, the light of knowledge shines till discrimination is complete.

And so the advanced student achieves Liberation.

The second half of the Pada looks at the methods by which these ‘impurities’ can be washed away.

Sutras II.29 introduce the eight limbs of yoga: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. These will be dealt with separately in the next section of the paper.

Sutras 30-55 discuss the first five external practices which are the physical, emotional, mental and moral preparations for the attainment of Samadhi.

III VIBHUTI PADA - Union Achieved and its Results

The second and third Padas really form one whole, broken in the middle by the transition from the external to the internal limbs of yoga practice, and Vibhuti Pada begins with a definition of what Patanjali calls ‘the heart of yoga’, the delicate technique of Samyama or Concentration (a covering term for Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi). Instruction is given in the technique of meditation with suggestions for numerous concentration exercises.

It is the practice of Samyama that results in the unfolding of the Siddhis or supernormal powers, when the mind can appreciate direct knowledge by inspiration, when past and present are merged, when finite and infinite become one.

Sutras III.37: These powers are obstacles to the highest spiritual realisation, but serve as magical powers in the objective worlds.

The Siddhis are listed in a very matter-of-fact way and include: an understanding of the entire universe, levitation, telepathy, the ability to become invisible or to leave the body for long periods of time.

Sutras III.50: Finally, by renouncing even these powers, the seeds of bondage being destroyed, the yogi attains Liberation.

So the third Pada ends on a victorious note.

IV KAIVALYA PADA - Liberation

The fourth Pada is by far the shortest, containing only thirty four sutras, is more piecemeal, and may in fact be incomplete. It presents a number of scintillating philosophical insights that are difficult to grasp hold of because they are dealt with so briefly. These include: consciousness and form, the end of cause and effect, and the three Gunas (qualities of matter).



The second half of the Pada deals with relationship between mind, intellect and self and the process of discrimination (Viveka) which leads to the highest Samadhi - ‘the state of unclouded Truth.’

Sutras IV.29: The man who develops non-attachment, even in his aspiration after illumination and isolated unity, becomes aware, eventually, through practised discrimination, of the overshadowing cloud of spiritual knowledge.

Sutras IV.30: When this stage is reached then the hindrances and karma are overcome.

The inner tutor or intuition which guides the yogin to the source of our inner being or Self is highly developed, memory is pushed back beyond the present life to recall all past incarnations, and the yogin ultimately conceives the sum of all that he or she has been and will be - including the goal towards which he or she is headed.

The last six sutras describe the final transformation into Kaivalya - the eternal Liberation or freedom.

‘When nothing remains to be achieved, (this) is Liberation; the revelation of the power of the Self, the foundation of the beauty of Self.’ Or, as it is expressed in another translation, ‘The pure spiritual consciousness withdraws into the One.’

The final goal of Kaivalya or absoluteness has been achieved and the yogin realises the Truth beyond all intellectual apprehension. He or she is the Self and all things. The yogin, thus liberated from self-imposed bondage, does not lead a life of isolation but, unattached, plays a very significant part in the world.

This brings us to the end of the spiritual inward journey mapped out with great sensitivity by ancient sages and committed to writing in very clear form by Patanjali; just as relevant now as it was over two thousand years ago.

THE EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA

The Sankhya philosophy which forms the background to the Sutras is based on the concept of numbering or classification, and the Sutras follow this pattern. There are five Vrittis, or kinds of ideation; five Kleshas, or hindrances; and three practices to overcome, the Kleshas, purification, self-study and devotion, aided by effort and uncolouredness, another total of five.

Sutra 29 of Sadhana Pada introduces the practical means whereby full union or illumination can be achieved. Patanjali’s system of instruction is divided into eight ‘anga’ or limbs, and so is known as Ashtanga Yoga.

Sutras II.29: The eight means of yoga are:

Yama the commandmentsNiyama the rules for livingAsana posturePranayama the expansion of life force



Pratyahara retirement of the sensesDharana steadiness of mindDhyana meditationSamadhi the illumination of the settled mind

The first five limbs or external means are found in the second Pada, and are made up of the ethical practices of Yama and Niyama, and the bodily practices of Asana, Pranayama and Pratyahara. Pratyahara is the bridge between the external practices and the internal, mental practices of Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi, discussed in the third Pada.

It is significant to note that Patanjali chose the word ‘limbs’ to describe the means. Limbs form part of a body, an organic whole which is integrated and grows together. If he had wanted to stress sequential steps he would have used a word like ‘Bhumi’, a stage. So, all eight limbs can be worked at together in a non-sequential way. But Patanjali also discusses them in a logical sequence, therefore at the same time they may be seen as having a sequential relationship, one following on logically from another.

In this system of yoga each limb balances and strengthens each other limb in a wholistic development that aims to harmonise and balance aspects of personality; a coordinated system of mind and body control and a means of understanding universal law.

‘From the psychological viewpoint, it can be said that the ability to refrain from destructive actions and the conscious attempt to lead a good life are necessary for the maintenance of mental health. A negative act does not simply disappear: it gives rise to various complexes in the unconscious that consequently pose a threat to the conscious level, and may eventually disturb the balance of the mind and the workings of the mind/body relationship which can manifest as disease, neurosis, or other related problems. Without a basic level of control and stability no one can free the energy necessary to begin the process, or maintain the degree of effort and responsibility required for the awakening of other states of consciousness.’

Science and the Evolution of Consciousness - H. Motoyama

What follows is a very brief look at the eight limbs as outlined in the Sutras.



YAMA

The word ‘yama’ literally means ‘to expel, eject, throw out or eliminate’, and in this context is usually taken as restraints or abstentions from wrong acts. The five Yamas look at the proper working out of conduct in relation to others in society, or our relationship to the outside world, and, with the Niyamas, seek to lay down the moral and ethical basis of the life of the Sadhaka. Each Yama should also be studied in the light of its relationship to personal unfoldment and the perception of self.

AhimsaOften translated as non-violence, Ahimsa is not really just a negative injunction. It is, rather, an expression of dynamic compassion, harmlessness and an attitude and behaviour toward all living things based on the recognition of the underlying oneness of life. At its most positive it expresses loving openness, inner peace, freedom from the fear that underlies all violence, forgiveness, and in its practical form, service and goodwill.

Like all the Yamas and Niyamas, Ahimsa needs to be practised at all levels, so this includes harmlessness of word and thought as well as deed, to oneself as well as to others.

Sutras II.35: When we are firmly established in non-violence, all beings around us cease to feel hostility.

SatyaGandhi said, ‘Truth is God and God is Truth’. If the yogin’s whole life is based on truth, then he or she is in tune with the Source. Development of this capacity comes through:

strict attention to words used wise use of silence constant study of the causes behind every act steady endeavour to see the reality in every form avoidance of all exaggeration, half-truths, abuse, obscenity, falsehoods, telling tales,

ridicule, deception, pretence.

As Satya becomes an integral part of the yogin, he or she is more trusted and more at peace with all. Truth cleanses the yogin and provides an armour which protects against illusion and allows unfoldment of intuition (Buddhi).

‘A person who starts practising yoga without first acquiring the virtue of utter truthfulness is like a man going for exploration into a jungle at night without any light. He has nothing to guide him in his difficulties ... and the illusions are sure to lead him astray.’

The Science of Yoga I. K. Taimni

Sutras II.36: When we are firmly established in truthfulness, action accomplishes the desired end.



AsteyaAsteya literally means abstaining from stealing, but again this Yama should be taken in its most comprehensive sense. This means abstention not only from actual theft but from misappropriation of all kinds, on all levels:

craving, desire breach of trust, mismanagement, misuse claiming unwarranted credit or reputation assumption of someone else’s popularity stealing a person’s good name taking emotional benefits like love and favour stealing from nature.

The yogin learns in practising the spirit of Asteya that craving on any level (physical, emotional or mental) destroys tranquillity and inner peace.

Sutras II.37: When we are firmly established in integrity, all riches present themselves freely.

BrahmacharyaThe yogin in his or her search for Truth seeks to know God, to be established in the Creative Principle. In order to be established there, the Sadhaka needs to focus on oneness. In that focus all other desires are blotted out and non-attachment to sensual pleasures which cause constant mental disturbance, deplete energy and waste time is achieved.

Some commentators insist that Patanjali means by Brahmacharya total celibacy, but for the householder yogin this is neither possible nor desirable. What is necessary is the development of a change of focus and self-control which allows transmutation of energy to higher levels for the expansion of creativity on the mental and spiritual planes.

Sutras II.38: When we are firmly established in our search to know God, subtle potency is generated.’

AparigrahaAparigraha may be translated as absence of greed or covetousness, but non-attachment gives a better idea of the underlying idea being expressed. The idea is not that the yogin should own nothing and depend on others for the basics of life. (That person may in fact be extremely covetous of the material possessions of others). It is rather that despite owning material possessions the yogin’s attitude should be non-attached so that the possessions have no hold or control over him or her.

With non-attachment comes the ability to view the world from a much more generous perspective. Not only are most people attached to possessions; they are attached to other people, are often covetous of them, and want to own them. This in time causes great problems in relationships. The yogin gradually begins to accept the necessity for all individuals to live their own lives and be free to find their own destiny, free from emotional pressure and the ties of ownership.



More than anything else, most people are attached to life and live in terror of death (as we have already discovered in discussing the kleshas). They may also be attached to the physical body and fear disfigurement and growing old. There is a danger that yogins may also become unduly attached to the physical body and become obsessed with Asana as an end in itself, rather than seeing the body merely as a vehicle for the real Self (and remembering that it is the soul which has a body, not the other way round). Only when this attachment to form is left behind does the need to reincarnate end.

Sutras II.39: When we are established in non-attachment, the nature and purpose of existence is understood.

NIYAMA

We now come to Niyama the second limb of yogic discipline which lays the ethical foundation for the life of the Sadhaka. The observances of Niyama are designed to govern the life of the lower personal self and to form the basis of character building, or the cultivation of certain qualities. They call for regular active practice, and uncoloured observation of what is being done.

Saucha Saucha is often translated as cleanliness, and at first glance Patanjali appears to be concentrating on the physical:

Sutras II.40: Physical purity destroys identification with the body, and brings freedom from contact with other bodies.

But even in this sutra it can be seen that physical cleanliness for its own sake is not the goal. Rather, the discipline involved allows a person to see his or her own body for what it is, a receptacle for the soul, and to be sufficiently detached from others to see clearly what needs to be done. Although the yogin will endeavour to ensure outer and inner physical cleanliness, by the use of Asana, Pranayama, Kriya and diet, it is important to see that physical purity is only the first and easier step.

Sutras II.41: From mental purity arises cheerfulness, mastery of the senses, one-pointedness and fitness for the vision of the Self.

This sutra gives the results of mental purity, which are far more difficult to achieve, but which bring the body, emotions, mind and spirit into harmony. Purity of mind needs constant working at but gradually comes as the Yama, Niyama and other limbs of the system are practised, and the coarse material of the body is replaced with finer material.

Only then can the yogin see him or herself truly. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’ Matthew 7.8.

Santosha

Sutras II.42: From contentment, unsurpassed happiness is gained.



The result of developing perfect contentment is supreme happiness. This is quite natural. We often live our lives wishing things were different, never being content to accept life as it is with serenity.

This leads to unhappiness and wasteful use of energy. Santosha is all about:

willingness to accept things as they are and work from that point, living in the present, equanimity, retaining equilibrium whether things appear to go well or badly, serenity in activity.

The acceptance of life as it is and people as they are prevents antagonism and allows maximum pleasure to be derived from each moment’s opportunity. The yogin who has learnt to accept his or her lot wastes no time in regret or rebellion but can get on with the fulfilment of Dharma. That person radiates a positive, dynamic strength.

Tapas Tapas is derived from ‘tap’ - to blaze, burn, consume by heat. Although it is often translated as austerity, its fuller meaning may perhaps best be seen if it is defined as ‘fiery aspiration’. The word explains the feeling deep within the yogin that he or she is straining toward the ideal with persistent longing, and willing to work at all aspects of the lower self (including the emotional nature and mental attitude) to push toward that goal no matter what. It is because of that goal that the Sadhaka is willing to discard those things that hinder progress. Austerities in moderation, such as fasting and meditation, provide the inner strength necessary to burn up desires that stand between him and the goal.

‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.’

Matthew 7.6

Tapas can also be seen as the disciplinary fire that purifies the life of the Sadhaka and develops strength of body, mind and spirit. It is the alchemist’s fire that burns away the dross of the lower self leaving the pure gold of the finer qualities.

But with this urgency the Sadhaka must keep a sense of balance in all things. If this is lost then he or she risks being like a wheel out of alignment, unable to move forward evenly and a danger to themselves and others. So the driving force and the steadying force must be counterbalanced and the yogin go forward with courage, wisdom, integrity, straightforwardness and simplicity.

Sutras 11.43 ‘Through fiery aspiration and through the removal of all impurity, comes the perfecting of the bodily powers and of the senses.’



Swadhyaya

‘Know thyself- for through thyself only canst thou know God.’ Ruskin

The first step on the path of self-study is the reading of inspiring literature and the scriptures. This provides spiritual food and allows reflection on real problems and questions in the looking beyond the words to thoughts and intent.

‘The person practising Swadhyaya reads his own book of life, at the same time that he writes and revises it. There is a change in his outlook on life. He starts to realise that all creation is meant for Bhakti (adoration) rather than for Bhoga (enjoyment).’

Light on Yoga B.K.S. Iyengar

And so the second step is to seek to see below the surface, to delve into the mind, to be introspective and not be afraid of what is seen. To see the reality of the inner Self is to touch the divine.

Sutras II.44: Self-study results in contact with the soul (or divine One).

Ishvara Pranidhana Aspiration, together with the study of the self, help achieve the final observance. All the Yama and Niyama find their end and their beginning in Ishvara Pranidhana, devotion and dedication to God/ Truth, and if this Niyama is studied and practised all the rest will follow. As the yogin strives to contact the divine within, he or she will come to the realisation that ‘God is in us and we are in God’. Through daily meditation the Sadhaka begins to understand that every aspect of life is yoga or union with the Source, and that all life is devotion and dedication.

With that realisation there is no longer the need to seek in everyday life for gratification of the senses, and the four-fold being (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual) can be devoted to growth and service, and transformation can occur. By refining this attitude of self-surrender to God the yogin can by stages attain Samadhi or illumination.

Sutras II.45: From surrender to the Lord, the state of Samadhi is perfected.

The ten Yama and Niyama are essentially guidelines for helping the yogin achieve non-attachment on many different levels: physical, emotional, mental, moral, ethical, and spiritual. They lay before him or her ideal in conduct, they provide inspiration, and show how the life force can be concentrated for use in developing yoga practice and understanding. In following them the Sadhaka can gain self-control, inner strength, insight, wisdom and the contentment that comes from knowing that he or she is part of the Source.

ASANA

Asana or posture is the third limb of Ashtanga Yoga. Patanjali sees it as a means to effective concentration, for only when the body is controlled and forgotten and the mind in a state of equilibrium can the mind be gathered into meditation.



Asana brings steadiness of health, flexibility, vitality, endurance, resistance to fatigue and strain, balance and agility and frees the yogin from physical disabilities and mental distractions. It keeps all systems of the body functioning at peak efficiency, develops fitness for the practice of Pranayama, and promotes willpower and flexibility of the mind.

Sutras I.46: The posture assumed must be steady and comfortable.

The aim of yoga Asana is to make the body a fit vehicle for the spirit and prepare the yogin to sit steady in one posture - probably Sukhasana, Siddhasana or Padmasana - for considerable periods of time in meditation. The body must be balanced and stable at this time and the spine free.

‘When the body is thus concentrated into a single position, the mind is released from concern with physical movement, and attention can be turned to the field of Consciousness.’

Science and the Evolution of Consciousness - H. Motoyama

PRANAYAMA

Sutras II.49: Next come the breathing exercises which suspend the flow of breath and increase life energy.

What does Patanjali mean by Pranayama? Prana may be defined as the cosmic energy that manifests on a gross level as breath in living creatures. It is life energy. Ayama denotes increase or expansion. So Pranayama can be seen as the scientific process by which subtle life currents or life energy is increased, expanded and strengthened.On another level, prana in the body of the individual can be seen as part of the cosmic breath of the Universal Spirit and Pranayama an attempt to harmonize the individual’s breath with cosmic breath.

Erratic, irregular breathing promotes restlessness, while slow quiet breathing retards the flow of thoughts and quietens the organism.

Sutras I.34: The peace of the citta is also brought about by the regulation of the prana or life breath.

So Patanjali sees the practice of Pranayama as essential for acquiring the breathing pattern and the expansion of life energy necessary for Pratyahara and Concentration.

While outer actions are being practised, inner power is being cultivated.

Sutras II.52: Then the cloud that obscures the light melts away.Sutras II.53: And the mind is prepared for concentrated meditation.

The breathing is regulated (it may ultimately be suspended for a period of time), life energy is expanded. There arrives a state of deep calm, of one pointedness. Contact with the subtler bodies is achieved and the yogin is now aware of clear mental images in the three stages of concentration.



PRATYAHARA

Patanjali’s two sutras on Pratyahara bring to an end the second Pada and an examination of external yoga practices. Pratyahara is the door that leads into perception. It is the art of centring and allowing the natural impetus of the mind to lead it inwards to its own source. Then it will begin to settle down of its own accord. The essential technique then is not control of the senses but withdrawal of the mind into itself. This is facilitated by rhythmic breathing.

In Pratyahara dispersed psychic energies are collected together for the purpose of discovering greater depths of reality; fragmented awareness is integrated so that deeper levels of consciousness can be realised. The activities of the ordinary consciousness are suspended, the mind is drawn back in from the outside world, the seed subject or matter is revolved in the mind in order to understand it, and the real work of concentration may begin.The first five limbs eliminate one after another different sources of disturbance to the mind and prepare it for the final three limbs:

Yama & Niyama: Emotional disturbances due to moral defects in the yogin’s nature.

Asana: Disturbances of the physical body.

Pranayama: Disturbances caused by irregular or insufficient flow of vital forces in the pranic sheath.

Pratyahara: Disturbances coming in through sense organs.

Thus is accomplished Bahiranga or external yoga and the Sadhaka becomes better capable of coping with Antaranga or the internal limbs of yoga.

DHARANA

Sutras III.1: Attention fixed upon an object is Dharana.

The word Dharana has the double meaning of ‘holding’ and ‘flow’, so may be seen as total fixed attention or focusing, steady but without strain. Limited movement or flow of the mind is possible because any object used for concentration has innumerable aspects and the mind can take in only one aspect at a time so it moves while being fixed on the object of concentration

Focusing may be on objects of four kinds:

1. External - pictures, forms in nature etc.2. Internal - centres in the etheric body etc. 3. Qualities. 4. Mental concepts.

Here focusing moves from physical objects to abstract concepts, and suggestions for such concentration are given in the following Sutras.

Sutras I.36 on Light and Radiance; Sutras I.38 on the knowledge which dreams give; Sutras I.39 on that which is dearest to the heart;



Sutras III.22 on immediate or future karma; Sutras III.23 on friendship, mercy, joy.

DHYANA

The literal meaning of Dhyana is ‘entering into’. As the yogin moves from Dharana into Dhyana deeper states of knowing are experienced. The physical body, emotions, surroundings, all sights and sounds are left behind and the mind is conscious only of itself and the seed object or topic of meditation. This is pure fixed attention, the flow of concentration is uninterrupted, and the state that arises is Dhyana.

Sutras III.2: Union of mind and object is Dhyana.

A merging of subject and object begins to take place and body, breath, senses, mind, reason and ego are all integrated in the object of contemplation. Unless this stage can be mastered Samadhi cannot occur.

SAMADHI

Sutras III.3: Samadhi is that condition of illumination where union as union disappears, only the meaning of the object on which the attention is fixed being present.

At the peak of meditation the yogin passes into Samadhi, where body and senses are at rest as if asleep, the faculties of mind and reason are alert as if awake, but he or she has gone beyond consciousness. The ordinary mind is transcended; the point upon which the mind has fixed dissolves.

‘Sam’ means ‘complete’ or ‘absolute’. So Samadhi is the state of absolute awareness, the state of knowing Self, not intellectually but directly by the absorption of the individual into the Self/Universal Mind. At this point there is no sense of ‘I’ or ‘mine’, there is only the experience of consciousness, truth and unutterable joy; the peace that passes all understanding. In illumination there is a merging with the Eternal and no duality between the knower and the known.

This condition has four outstanding characteristics: Absorption in the soul consciousness and awareness of the soul of all things. A

vision of the reality is revealed, no longer veiled by form. Liberation from the three worlds of sense perception. Realisation of the oneness of all souls. Illumination or perception of him or herself as a point of light, a point of fiery

essence.

Samadhi itself can be achieved at different levels, and the experience of complete unboundedness is the most refined of a number of levels of tranquillity; that is Samadhi without seed, pure bliss consciousness.

Sutras I.51: When this state of perception is itself superseded, then is pure Samadhi achieved.

Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi together are given the name Samyama.



Sutras III.4: When Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi form one sequential act, then is Samyama achieved.

This is only possible to the yogin who has mastered the three internal limbs, the three states of mind control. This mastery has produced certain results:

Freedom from the physical, emotional and mental worlds. Focus and steadiness of mind at will. The ability to centre and to know him or herself separate from form, emotions,

desires and mind. The faculty of contemplation. Ability to become one with the Self.

Sutras III.5: As a result of Samyama comes the shining forth of the light.Illumination, or the light of the soul.

CONCLUSION

All this paper has done is to give a very brief introduction to some of the ideas contained in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The next step is personal study, and the Sutras are designed so that each aphorism can be read and meditated on separately as well as being seen as part of a very integrated whole. The first requirement is a translation that feels comfortable and perhaps has its own commentary, the second requirement is time in the midst of daily living to ponder and to begin to live the sutras. As the Introduction said, ‘what is being conveyed is not head knowledge but the transformation of consciousness’.

‘These Yoga Sutras affirm at the outset that human unhappiness results from man’s acceptance of servitude to the low condition of his own mind. They do not leave it there however but they show how men can overcome this condition and become like the saints and sages and heroes of their dreams’

Yoga - Ernest Wood



BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER READING

Useful Translations with Commentaries

Bailey, A.A. The Light of the Soul. N.p.: Lucis Pub., n.d.

Shearer, Alistair. Effortless Being. N.p.: Wildhorse House., n.d.

Shree Purohit Swami. Aphorisms of Yoga. N.p.: Faber, n.d.

Taimni. The Science of Yoga. USA: The Theosophical Publishing House, 1961.

Other Reading

Hittleman, Richard. Yoga: the Eight Steps to Health and Peace. N.p.: Bantam, n.d.

Iyengar, B.K.S. Light on Yoga. Great Britain: George Allen & Unwin, 1966.

Mayne, Sylvia. Manual of Yoga Techniques, Volumes 1-4. Kawerau.

Motoyama, H. Science and the Evolution of Consciousness. California: Californian Institute of Human Science, 1978.

Wood, Ernest. Yoga. N.p.: Pelican, n.d.

Matthew 7. The Sermon on the Mount.


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