YOGA SUTRA OF PATANJALI

from translation by B.K.S Iyengar

Introduction

1- Afflictions

                 -Bodywork:                     Witnessing , Controling and Harmonizing  Body, Mind and Spirit -  
                   -Meditation:                    Mind control and Meditation 
                   -Yoga Sutra of Patanjali:  The steps to Union  YS-II -     3  -  26      

"  Book II- Ways to attain Yoga (Sadhana Pada) -  Afflictions 

 The five afflictions which disturb the equilibrium are: ignorance or lack of wisdom, ego, pride of the ego or the sense of "Ï”, attachment to pleasure, aversion to pain, fear of death and clinging-to-life. 

 

The wise man knows that owing to fluctuations, the qualities of nature (guna vritti), and subliminal impressions (samsaras), even pleasant experiences are tinged with sorrow, and he keeps aloof from them.

 

The cause of pain is the association or identification of the seer (atma) with the seen (prakriti)  

 and the remedy lies in their dissociation.   

 

Nature, its three qualities (gunas), sattva, rajas and tamas, and its evolutes, the elements, mind, senses of perception and organs of action, exist eternally to serve the seer, for enjoyment or emancipation.. "   

1- Stages of illumination

                   -Bodywork:                      Bodies Awareness   
                   -Meditation:                     meditation and  Meditation 
                   -Yoga Sutra of Patanjali:  The steps to Union  YS-II - 27 -  29       

"   Book II- Ways to attain Yoga (Sadhana Pada) -  Stages of Illumination

 

Through this unbroken flow of discriminative awareness, one gains perfect knowledge which has seven spheres. They are: integration of the body (sarira samyama), the senses (indriya samyama), energy (prana samyama), mind (mano samyama), intellect (buddhi samyama), consciousness (citta samyama) and soul (atma samyama).

 

By dedicated practice of the various aspects of yoga impurities are destroyed:

the crown of wisdom radiates in glory.


The eight constituents of yoga are:

                                             Yama – Moral injunctions

                                    Niyama – fixed observances

                                    Asana - postures

                                    Pranayama – regulation of breath.

                                    Pratyahara – internalization of the senses towards their source.

                                    Dharana - concentration

                                    Dhyana - meditation 
                                   Samadhi  – absorption of consciousness in the self.  "   

   
 translation by B.K.S Iyengar     

2-Yama and Niyama - Restriction and Discipline

                   -Bodywork:                      Body, Mind and Spirit Purification   
                   -Meditation:                     Mind Purification Meditation 
                   -Yoga Sutra of Patanjali:  The steps to Union  YS-II -  30- 45        

"   Book II- Ways to attain Yoga (Sadhana Pada) -  Yama and Niyama- Restriction and discipline

 

Non-violence (ahimsa), truth (satya), abstention from stealing (asteya), continence (bramacharya), and absence of greed for possessions beyond one’s need (aparigraha) are the five pillars of yama

 

Yamas are the great, mighty, universal vows, unconditioned by place, time and class.

 

Cleanliness (saucha), contentment (santosha), religious zeal (tapas), self-study and surrender of the self to the supreme Self or God are the Niyamas.

. .

When the body is cleansed, the mind purified and the senses controlled,

joyful awareness needed to realize the inner Self, also comes.

 

From contentment and benevolence of consciousness comes supreme happiness.

 

Self-discipline (tapas) burns away impurities and kindles the sparks of divinity.

 

Self-study leads towards the realization of God or communion with one’s desired deity.

 

Surrender to God brings perfection in meditation (samadhi).  " 

3-Asana and Pranayama - Postures and Breath

 

     -Bodywork:                     Steady and firm Postures  
     -Meditation:                    Pranayama and  Meditation 
     -Yoga Sutra of Patanjali:  The steps to Union  YS-II -   46 - 55           

"   Book II- Ways to attain Yoga (Sadhana Pada) -   Asana and Pranayama-  Postures and Breath

  Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence and benevolence of spirit.

Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is   reached.

From then on, the sadhaka is undisturbed by dualities.

Pranayama is the regulation of the incoming and outgoing flow of breath with retention.  

 It is to be practised only after perfection in asana is attained.

Pranayama has three movements: prolonged and fine inhalation, exhalation and retention;

all regulated with precision according to duration and place.

The fourth type of pranayama transcends the external and internal pranayamas and appears effortless and non-deliberate

Pranayama removes the veil covering the light of knowledge and heralds the dawn of wisdom.

 

The mind also becomes fit for concentration (Dharana).

 

Withdrawing the senses, mind and consciousness from contact with external objects, and then drawing them towards the seer, is pratyahara.

Pratyahara results in the absolute control of the sense organs.

translation by B.K.S Iyengar

II-46-55

 

4-Integration

    -Bodywork:                     Full body and Integration   
    -Meditation:                    Integration Meditation 
    -Yoga Sutra of Patanjali:  The steps to Union  YS-III. 1-14           

"  Book III: Powers (Vibhuti Pada) : Union achieved and its Results

 Integration 


  Fixing the consciousness on one point or region is concentration (dharana).  
 

A steady continuous flow of attention directed towards the same point or region is meditation (dhyana. )

 

When the object of meditation engulfs the meditate, appearing as the subject, self-awareness is lost. This is samadhi. 
 
 These three  together-dharana, dhyana and samadhi – constitute integration or Samyama.

From mastery of samyama comes the light of awareness and insight

translation by B.K.S Iyengar

III  - 1- 14

   

5- Supernatural powers

    -Bodywork:                     Full Awareness BodyWork   
    -Meditation:                    Power Meditation 
    -Yoga Sutra of Patanjali: The steps to Union  YS-III.  15 - 35             

"  Book III: Powers (Vibhuti Pada) : Union achieved and its Results

 Supernatural Powers

.                   By mastery of the three transformations of nature (dharma), quality (laksana) and condition (avastha) through samyama on the nirodha, Samadhi, and ekagrata states of consciousness, the yogi acquires knowledge of the past and the future.

By Samyama on the elements —their mass (sthula),, forms (svarupa),, subtlety (suksama), conjunction (anvaya) and purposes (arthavattva),, the yogi becomes Lord over them all 

.                   Through Samyama upon the purpose (arthavattva) of the conjunction of the process of knowing (grahana), the ego (asmita), and nature (anvaya), there is mastery over the senses.  

 

                   By mastery over the senses of perception, the yogi’s speed of body, senses and mind matches that of the soul, independent of the primary causes of nature. In aided by consciousness, he subdues the first principle of nature (Mahat).   

  

Only one w ho knows the difference between the illuminative intelligence (sattva) and the seer (Purusha) attains supreme knowledge of all that exists and all that manifests.  


 

translation by B.K.S Iyengar

III  - 15 - 1 6 

7- Dangers  of Supernatural powers and Freedom

 -Bodywork:                    Sound   Work   
 -Meditation:                   Meditation and Meditation 
 -Yoga Sutra of PatanjaliThe steps to Union  YS-III.  51-56 and YS-IV-1-6             

"  Book III: Powers (Vibhuti Pada) : Union achieved and its Results

  Dangers of  Supernatural Powers 


.                 By destruction of the seeds of bondage and the renunciation of even these powers, comes eternal emancipation.(kaivalya).

Book IV: Absolute Freed    om (Kaivalya Pada) – Illumination and Freedom  

 

   Accomplishments may be attained  through  birth, the use of herbs, incantations (Mantra), self-discipline (tapas), or Samadhi.


 Of these activities of consciousness of perfect beings, only t ho se which proceed from meditation are free from talent impressions and influences. 
 

translation by B.K.S Iyengar

III-51-56   and IV.1-6     

8-Karma                    

                   -Bodywork:                     Purification and Harmonization   
                   -Meditation:                    Mind purification Meditation 
                   -Yoga Sutra of Patanjali:  The steps to Union  YS-IV. 7-17          

"  Book IV: Absolute Freedom (Kaivalya Pada) –Illumination and Freedom

Karma

Life is a continuous process, even though it is demarcated by race, place and time. Due to the uninterrupted close relationship between memory and subliminal impressions (samsara), the fruits of actions remain intact from one life to the next, as if there were no separation between births.


Impressions and desires are bound together by their dependence upon cause and effect.
 In the absence of the latter, the former too ceases to function.

translation by B.K.S Iyengar

IV  - 7- 17

 

10- Total Liberation

 

        -Bodywork:                     Free Dance -  
        -Meditation:                     Alpha to Omega to Alpha  Meditation 
        -Yoga Sutra of Patanjali:  The steps to Union  YS-IV.   30 - 34             

"  Book IV: Absolute Freedom (Kaivalya Pada) –Illumination and Freedom

                   Total Liberation 

Then comes the end of afflictions and of karma. 
 
Then, when the veils of impurities are removed,  
 the highest, subjective, pure, infinite knowledge is attained,  
 and the knowable, the finite, appears as trivial. .

 

translation by B.K.S Iyengar

IV  -   30  - 34      

 

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