Group of action toward Peace:
KENDALL ASHRAM
Sharing the tradition of the Himalayan Masters
Just a little drop of truth in the ocean of delusion
Yoga Sutras and other STUDY MATERIALS
These are the material we make reference too in the blog.
What are the Yoga Sutras?: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali succinctly outlines the art and science of Yoga meditation for Self-Realization. It is a process of systematically encountering, examining, and transcending each of the various gross and subtle levels of false identity in the mind field, until the jewel of the true Self comes shining through.
When Patanjali codified, or compiled the Yoga Sutras, it was not that a new system was created, but rather, the ancient practices were summarized in an extremely organized and terse way. While the Yoga Sutras are thought to be as old as 400 BCE, archaeological evidence and other texts suggest that the methods described in the Yoga Sutras were being practiced as early as 3000 BCE. Oral tradition states that the period may be even longer.
Yoga means union & sutra means thread: Yoga means union of the parts of ourselves, which were never divided in the first place. Yoga literally means to yoke, from the foot yuj, which means to join; it is the same as the absorption in the state of samadhi. Sutra means thread, and this thread, or multiple threads weave a tapestry of insight and direct experience. Some say that the name of the text uses the word sutra in its plural form, as Yoga Sutras, in that each of the sutras, or threads, comes together to form a complete tapestry. Others say that it is used in its singular form, as Yoga Sutra, in that there is one, consistent thread that flows through the entire text. Both views add a useful perspective to the process being described. In these writings, both terms are intentionally used.
Yoga Sutras are divided in 4 chapters and the total of sutras ( or vesicles) is 196.
Witnessing the inner world: Yoga is a journey within, exploring and moving through the various levels of our being. There is a paper on the website entitled Witnessing Your Thoughts, which gives practical suggestions on exploring this inner world. Most of the principles and suggestions in that paper are directly related to the Yoga Sutras.
Yoga Sutras is a preliminary step: In the tradition of the Himalayan sages, this ancient, oral yoga system, recorded by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras is accepted as a preliminary step. Building on that foundation, the Advaita Vedanta system is practiced, particularly relating to the states of waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and the fourth state, turiya. Purely internal tantra is practiced as a means of spiritual awakening and realization. Thus, Yoga, Vedanta, and Tantra work synergistically in philosophy and practice.
DEFINITION OF YOGA
Yoga is the Art and Science
of systematically observing, accepting, understanding and training all of the levels of our being
in order to integrate and coordinate those levels and rest in the DIRECT EXPERIENCE of the Center
of Consciousness.
Yoga Sutras 1.1-1.4:
Yogash chitta vritti nirodhah.
Tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam.
Yoga is the mastery of the activities of the mind-field.
Then the seer rests in its true nature.
What is Yoga?
Being prepared to start: To sincerely begin the pursuit of Self-realization is a most significant step in life, when the highest goal of life is taken on as number one on your list of things to do. The first word of the Yoga Sutras is atha, which means now (1.1). This particular word for now implies a preparedness in arriving at this auspicious stage of desire and commitment towards Self-realization, the highest goal of Yoga.
Definition of Yoga: The first four sutras define Yoga, with that definition being expanded upon in the other sutras. In a systematic process of meditation, you gradually move your attention inward, through all the levels of your being, gaining mastery along the way (1.2). Eventually you come to rest in your true nature, which is beyond all of those levels (1.3). This action and the realization of this center of consciousness, is the meaning of Yoga.
Knowing what's left after setting aside the obstacles: There is a fundamental simplicity to the process of Yoga that is outlined in the Yoga Sutras. While the process might appear very complicated when reading the Yoga Sutras and many commentaries, the central theme is one of removing, transcending or setting aside the obstacles, veils or false identities. The many suggestions in the Yoga Sutras are the details or refinements of how to go about doing this. By being ever mindful of this core simplicity it is much easier to systematically progress on the path of Yoga.
The true Self shines through: Once the obstacles and false identities have been temporarily set aside, the true Self, which has been there all along, naturally comes shining through (1.3). The rest of the time, we are so entangled with our false identities that we literally do not see that this misidentification has happened (1.4). It is the reason that sometimes it is said that we are asleep, and that we need to awaken. That awakening to the Self is the meaning of Yoga.
All the material on the Yoga Sutras is a compilation of the vast material writen by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati.
Diagram of the AUM sound as it appears in the Swami J web related to the Mandukya Upanishad
Five states of mind: In describing this sutra, the sage Vyasa names five states of mind, of which the one-pointed (ekagra) (1.32) state of mind is the desired state of mind for the practice of Yoga. These five states of mind range from the severely troubled mind to the completely mastered mind.
•Kshipta/disturbed •Mudha/dull
Mudha/dull •Vikshipta/distracted
Vikshipta/distracted •Ekagra/one-pointed
Ekagra/one-pointed •Nirodhah/mastered
Nirodhah/mastered Know where you are: It is very useful to be aware of these stages, both in the moment, and as a general day-to-day level at which one is functioning. It reveals the depth of practice that one might be able to currently practice. Some aspect of yoga meditation applies to every human being, though we need to be mindful of which is most fitting and effective for a person with this or that state of mind.
Two of the states are desirable: Of the five states of mind (described below in more detail), the later two (one-pointed and mastered) are most desirable for the deeper practice of yoga meditation. For most people, our minds are usually in one of the first three states (disturbed, dull, or distracted). To deal with the troubled mind and the lethargic mind is progress, leading one to a merely distracted mind, from where one can more easily work on training the mind in one-pointedness.
Stabilize the mind in one-pointedness: By knowing this, we can deal with our minds so as to gradually stabilize the mind in the fourth state, the state of one-pointedness (Note that this use of the phrase fourth state is different from that used in relation to the fourth state of turiya). This is the state of mind which prepares us for the fifth state, in which there is mastery of mind. (The first two states might also be dominant or intense enough that they manifest as what psychologists call mental illness.)
Knowing where your mind is now
tells you how to get where you're going.
1. Kshipta/disturbed: The ksihipta mind is disturbed, restless, troubled, wandering. This is the least desirable of the states of mind, in which the mind is troubled. It might be severely disturbed, moderately disturbed, or mildly disturbed. It might be worried, troubled, or chaotic. It is not merely the distracted mind (Vikshipta), but has the additional feature of a more intense, negative, emotional involvement.
2. Mudha/dull: The mudha mind is stupefied, dull, heavy, forgetful. With this state of mind, there is less of a running here and there of the thought process. It is a dull or sleepy state, somewhat like one experiences when depressed, though we are not here intending to mean only clinical depression. It is that heavy frame of mind we can get into, when we want to do nothing, to be lethargic, to be a couch potato.
The Mudha mind is barely beyond the Kshipta, disturbed mind, only in that the active disturbance has settled down, and the mind might be somewhat more easily trained from this place. Gradually the mind can be taught to be a little bit steady in a positive way, only occasionally distracted, which is the Vikshipta state. Then the mind can move on in training to the Ekagra and Nirodhah states.
3. Vikshipta/distracted: The Vikshipta mind is distracted, occasionally steady or focused. This is the state of mind often reported by students of meditation when they are wide awake and alert, neither noticeably disturbed nor dull and lethargic. Yet, in this state of mind, one's attention is easily drawn here and there. This is the monkey mind or noisy mind that people often talk about as disturbing meditation. The mind can concentrate for short periods of time, and is then distracted into some attraction or aversion. Then, the mind is brought back, only to again be distracted.
The Vikshipta mind in daily life can concentrate on this or that project, though it might wander here and there, or be pulled off course by some other person or outside influence, or by a rising memory. This Vikshipta mind is the stance one wants to attain through the foundation yoga practices, so that one can then pursue the one-pointedness of Ekagra, and the mastery that comes with the state of Nirodhah.
4. Ekagra/one-pointed: The Ekagra mind is one-pointed, focused, concentrated (Yoga Sutra 1.32). When the mind has attained the ability to be one-pointed, the real practice of Yoga meditation begins. It means that one can focus on tasks at hand in daily life, practicing karma yoga, the yoga of action, by being mindful of the mental process and consciously serving others. When the mind is one-pointed, other internal and external activities are simply not a distraction.
The ability to focus attention is a
primary skill for meditation and samadhi.
The person with a one-pointed mind just carries on with the matters at hand, undisturbed, unaffected, and uninvolved with those other stimuli. It is important to note that this is meant in a positive way, not the negative way of not attending to other people or other internal priorities. The one-pointed mind is fully present in the moment and able to attend to people, thoughts, and emotions at will.
The one-pointed mind is able to do the practices of concentration and meditation, leading one onward towards samadhi. This ability to focus attention is a primary skill that the student wants to develop for meditation and samadhi.
5. Nirodhah/mastered: The Nirodhah mind is highly mastered, controlled, regulated, restrained (Yoga Sutra 1.2). It is very difficult for one to capture the meaning of the Nirodhah state of mind by reading written descriptions. The real understanding of this state of mind comes only through practices of meditation and contemplation. When the word Nirodhah is translated as controlled, regulated, or restrained, it can easily be misunderstood to mean suppression of thoughts and emotions.
To suppress thoughts and emotions is not healthy and this is not what is meant here. Rather, it has to do with that natural process when the mind is one-pointed and becomes progressively more still as meditation deepens. It is not that the thought patterns are not there, or are suppressed, but that attention moves inward, or beyond the stream of inner impressions. In that deep stillness, there is a mastery over the process of mind. It is that mastery that is meant by Nirodhah.
In the second sutra of the Yoga Sutras (the sutra below), Yoga is defined as "Yogash Chitta Vritti Nirodhah," which is roughly translated as "Yoga is the control [nirodhah] of the thought patterns of the mind field." Thus, this Nirodhah state of mind is the goal and definition of Yoga. It is the doorway by which we go beyond the mind.
FOUR FUNCTIONS OF THE MIND
Manas, Chitta, Ahamkara and Buddhi
Manas, the lower mind: Manas is the lower mind, through which the mind interacts with the external world and takes in sensory impressions and data. Manas questions and doubts, which can cause great difficulties if this tendency becomes excessive.
Chitta is the memory bank: Chitta is the memory bank, which stores impressions and experiences, and while it can be very useful, Chitta can also cause difficulties if its functioning is not coordinated with the others.
Ahamkara is “I-am-ness,”: Ahamkara is the sense of "I-am-ness," the individual Ego, which feels itself to be a distinct, separate entity. It provides identity to our functioning, but Ahamkara also creates our feelings of separation, pain, and alienation as well.
Buddhi is higher mind: Buddhi is the higher aspect of mind, the door-way to inner wisdom. The word Buddhi itself comes from the root budh, which means one who has awakened. Buddhi has the capacity to decide, judge, and make cognitive discriminations and differentiations. It can determine the wiser of two courses of action, if it functions clearly and if Manas will accept its guidance.
Manas, the lower mind: Manas is the lower mind, through which the mind interacts with the external world and takes in sensory impressions and data. Manas questions and doubts, which can cause great difficulties if this tendency becomes excessive.
Manas is supervisor of the senses: Manas is like the supervisor in the factory of life, and directs the ten senses or Indriyas. Manas does a wonderful job of carrying out directions, but it is not supposed to be the key decision maker in the factory. That is the job of Buddhi. If Buddhi is clouded, then Manas has a habit of continuing to question, seeking good instruction. Then it often listens to whoever is speaking the loudest in the factory, which is the wants, wishes, desires, attractions, and aversions stored in the memory bank of Chitta.
Be mindful of actions and speech: A good way to cultivate the witnessing of Manas is to be mindful of actions and speech, as well as your senses of smelling, tasting, seeing, touching, and hearing. By observing these, you come to see how Manas is the one behind these actions and senses. Thus, Manas is like the supervisor of the employees in a factory. Manas is not the boss, but the supervisor, who is giving the direct orders to the active and cognitive senses.
Chitta is the memory bank: Chitta is the memory bank, which stores impressions and experiences, and while it can be very useful, Chitta can also cause difficulties if its functioning is not coordinated with the others.
Coordinating Chitta: If Chitta is not coordinated with the other functions of mind, then the thousands, millions, or countless impressions in this bed of the lake of mind start to stir and arise. It is as if these many latent impressions, coming to life are all competing for the attention of Manas to carry out their wants in the external world. In the absence of a clear Buddhi, the competing voices of Chitta often drive Manas to take actions in the world that are really not so useful.
Witnessing Chitta: A good way to cultivate the witnessing of Chitta is to simply be aware of the streams of thoughts, emotions, images, and impressions that arise in front of Manas (on which Manas may or may not act). Notice how the stream of thoughts comes from somewhere, and then recedes back into that same place. This place is Chitta.
Yoga Sutras: In the Yoga Sutras, the term Yoga is defined with inclusion of the word Chitta, as Yogash chitta vritti nirodhah (See Yoga Sutra 1.2). Throughout the Yoga Sutras, the word chitta is used many times. By taking a quick look at those usages, the meaning of chitta becomes clearer.
Ahamkara is “I-am-ness,”: Ahamkara is the sense of "I-am-ness," the individual Ego, which feels itself to be a distinct, separate entity. It provides identity to our functioning, but Ahamkara also creates our feelings of separation, pain, and alienation as well.
Ahamkara takes on partners: This wave of "I-am-ness" called Ahamkara then aligns itself or forms partnerships with the data or impressions in Chitta (causing them to be colored, or klishta), and, in turn, with Manas, which then responds to the desires being sought by this "individuality." Meanwhile, Buddhi, the deep aspect, which knows, decides, and discriminates, remains clouded. Thus, it is said that purifying (or un-clouding) buddhi is a most important task in the path of meditation and Self-realization.
Witnessing the coloring by Ahamkara: A good way to cultivate the witnessing of Ahamkara is to be aware of the fact that rising thoughts and emotions are often colored with either attraction or aversion. The attraction or aversion may be strong, or it may be so weak that it is barely noticeable. Noticing the weak ones can be very insightful as to the subtlety of Ahamkara's coloring (It's much easier to neutrally witness the weak ones at first).
Buddhi is higher mind: Buddhi is the higher aspect of mind, the door-way to inner wisdom. The word Buddhi itself comes from the root budh, which means one who has awakened. Buddhi has the capacity to decide, judge, and make cognitive discriminations and differentiations. It can determine the wiser of two courses of action, if it functions clearly and if Manas will accept its guidance.
Buddhi should be the decision maker: In the factory of life, we want Buddhi to be making the choices for the factory. Otherwise, Manas gets its instructions from the habit patterns stored in Chitta, that are colored by Ahamkara, the Ego. Often, Buddhi is clouded over by all of the coloring and impressions in the Chitta. Thus, a major task of sadhana, spiritual practices, is to un-cloud the clouded Buddhi. Then, with clear choice one can ever improve the choices that lead to the fruits of spiritual practices.
The ten senses:
5 importers:
eyes, ears, tong, skin, nose.
5 exporters:
Feet ( movement), hands (grasping), mouth (talking), reproductory or sex organs (reproduction), excretory organs (excretions)
