Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is a 3,000 year old, 200-line “poem” which outlines the science and practice of meditation: a path to self-discovery, peace of mind, and ultimately enlightenment.
Patanjali memorialized the classical Indian discipline of yoga or meditation as it had been passed from teacher to student for hundreds of years before the advent of written language. Due to limitations inherent in the form of the text and translations, students are advised to study multiple interpretations and explanations of Patanjali’s work to arrive at their own understanding of this ancient treasure map.
For those who may be curious about the “mental” and “spiritual” aspects of classical Indian yoga, we’ll revisit the first two chapters of Patanjali’s outline, one section at a time – beginning with the introductory lines of Chapter 1, which address the question, “What is Yoga?”
Keep in mind that classical Indian yoga is a path of self-discovery: an effort to realize our true nature: the essence of who we are which lies deep within us: our immutable consciousness.
Chapter 1, aphorisms 1-4 – in short, “What is Yoga?”:
1.1 “atha yoga anushasanam”; loosely, “now we’re going to discuss yoga”
1.2 “yogash chitta vritti nirodhah”; loosely, “yoga is transcending our thoughts”
1.3 “tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam”; loosely, “to realize our essence”
1.4 “vritti sarupyam itaratra”; loosely, “otherwise, we identify with our thoughts”
As summed up by Swamij.com: “When activity of all levels of mind have been transcended (1.2), we experience pure consciousness (1.3). However, the rest of the time, mind flows towards the many sensory experiences we have, as well as towards the streams of memories and fantasies (1.4).”
For info about workshops in self-discovery and peace of mind see the ‘Contact Us’ page of this site.
God bless, Skip
#patanjali #consciousness #meditation
