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Sep 6, 2018

Sadhana Pada: Practice | The Yoga Sutras | Book II

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Book II - Sadhana Pada - Practice

II.1 Kriya yoga consists of tapas (self-discipline), svadhyaya (self-study), and isvara pranidhana (surrender to God)

II.2 Kriya yoga is for the purpose of bringing about samadhi and weakening the kleshas (impediments).

II.3 The kleshas are avidha (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion), abhinivesha (clinging to life).

II.4 Avidya (ignorance) is the field in which the other kleshas grow, whether they be dormant, weak, or fully activated.

II.5 Avidya (ignorance) misinterprets the non-self, which is the temporary, impure, and subject to suffering to be the Self, which is pure, eternal, and joyful,

II.6 Ego misinterprets the seer and the power of sight as the same thing.

II.7 Attachment comes from positive experiences.

II.8 Aversion comes from experiences of suffering.

II.9 Clinging to life (or fear of death) pervades even the wise.

II.10 When the kleshas are eliminated, the mind returns to its original state.

II.11 Meditation eliminates these fluctuating states of mind.

II.12 The kleshas are the root of the karmic actions built up from current and unsen births.

II.13 As long as that root exists, it bears fruit in the form of birth, life span, and experiences.

II.14 In these lives, pleasure and suffering are fruits, the result of virtue and vice.

II.15 The discriminating mind knows the consequences of action and that mental suffering is a result of vrittis (fluctuating states of mind) due to the gunas, and indeed, everything is suffering.

II.16 Avoid suffering that is yet to manifest.

II.17 Avoid conjoining the seer and that which is seen.

II.18 That which is knowable has the nature of action, activity, and inertia, has the nature of the elements and the senses, for the purpose of experiencing liberation.

II.19 The gunas can be particular or imparticular, distinctive or indistinct.

II.20 The seer is the pure power of sight, only witnessing the images in the mind.

II.21 The only purpose is for the seer the essential nature of that which is seen.

II.22 Once this is accomplished, that which is seen no longer exists to that individual, though it does not cease to exist because it is still common to others, who have not achieved liberation.

II.23 The conjunction leads to understanding the nature of the powers of the possessed and the possessor.

II.24 Ignorance is the cause of the conjunction.

II.25 With the removal of ignorance somes the removal of the conjunction. This is absolute freedom of the seer.

II.26 The path to total liberation is uninterrupted discriminative discernment.

II.27 The yogi's wisdom has seven stages

II.28 From the practice of the limbs of yoga, upon the destruction of impurities, this lights the lamp of knowledge, leading to discrimination.

II.29 The 8 limbs are yamas (moral restraints), niyamas (observances), asana (postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), samadhi (absorption).

II.30 The yamas are ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (sexual restraint), and aparigraha (non-attachment).

II.31 The yamas are a great vow, everywhere on earth, unlimited by class, place, time or circumstance.

II.32 The niyamas are saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (self-discipline), svadhyaya (self-study), and isvara pranidhana (surrender to God).

II.33 When being harrassed by negative thoughts, cultivate the opposite.

II.34 Negative thoughts are violence, may be performed or caused to be done, and can be triggered by greed, anger, or delusion. They may be slight, moderate, or cause intense, never ending suffering. Cultivate the opposite.

II.35 In the presence of someone established in ahimsa (non-violence) one gives up hostility.

II.36 Upon the establishment of satya (truthfulness), the fruits of all actions are supported.

II.37 Upon the establishment of asteya (non-stealing), all jewels manifest.

II.38 Upon the establishment of brahmacharya (sexual restraint), one gains power.

II.39 From consistent non-attachment comes understanding of the cycle of births.

II.40 From saucha (cleanliness), one develops a distaste for one's own body and for contact with others.

II.41 From purification comes the sattvic mind, which is cheerful, one-pointed, self-controlled, and fit to perceive the self.

II.42 From contentment, one achieves the highest happiness.

II.43 From self discipline, one removes impurities, perfecting the body and senses.

II.44 From self-study, one establishes a connection to the divine.

II.45 Ultimate samadhi comes from surrender to God.

II.46 Asana (posture) should be steady and comfortable.

II.47 This comes from relaxation of effort and the power of the mind engrossed on the infinite.

II.48 In this way, one is not afflicted by the play of opposites.

II.49 When relaxation of asana is accomplished, then comes pranayama, or the regulation of inhalation and exhalation.

II.50 Pranayama restricts the external and internal movements of the breath by place, time, and number.

II.51 The fourth type of pranayama goes beyond the limits of external and internal.

II.52 Then the veil over illumination is weakened.

II.53 And the mind becomes fit for concentration.

II.54 Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses) happens when sense objects do not come in contact with the senses, resembling the nature of the mind.

II.55 From this comes the highest control over the senses.

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