Yoga Sutras

https://www.ashtangayoga.nyc/yoga-sutra/2019/9/20/tad-drau-svarpevasthnam-ys-13

1. Atha Yogânusâsanam

2. Yogas citta-vrtti-nirodhah

Y O G A Ś C I T TA - V Ṛ T T I - N I R O D H A Ḥ - I . 2

Yoga is the restriction or restraint of thought.

There are two types of yoga - 1. restriction of thought to a single concept or idea
(samprajnata samadhi) and 2. the total restraint of all mental content
(asamprajnata samadhi).

Restriction of thought can take place in a variety of diff erent mental states but not
all of these types of restriction are qualifi ed as yoga.

You can be totally absorbed in watching a movie or playing a video game, you can
be intoxicated to such an extent that your mind gets fi xated or until you stop
thinking all together - these do not qualify as yoga.

There are fi ve states of mind in which the mind can become fi xed on an object:
kshipta (distracted), mudha (confused), vikshipta (agitated), ekagra (one pointed)
and niruddha (restrained) - only the last two qualify as yoga.

Ekagra (one-pointedness of mind) refers to samprajnata and niruddha (restrained)

refers to asamprajnata samadhi.

There are four levels of samprajnata yoga:

Vitarka, vichara, ananda and asmita samadhi. These diff erent types of samadhi
each depend on a diff erent object of contemplation. Vitarka results from
contemplation on a physical object, vichara on a subtle object, ananda from
meditating on the feeling of bliss and asmita from meditating on the feeling of "I
am". These are all described later in the chapter.
Beyond samprajanata samadhi is asamprajnata - while the fi rst type is experienced
through the mind, the second type is experienced beyond the mind - as pure
consciousness. This is also described later in the chapter.

There are 64 yogic arts and sciences, each of which can lead the practitioner to
samadhi. Hatha yoga or Ashtanga Yoga is just one of these. Other arts and
sciences include playing a musical instrument, singing, dance, cooking,
mathematics etc - each of these arts and sciences can bring the mind to deep
concentration and samadhi.

Why is samadhi important? Samadhi brings deep knowledge of the object

contemplated upon (Einstein developed his theory of relativity through deep
contemplation on the nature of the movement of objects through space).

The second fruit of samadhi is self knowledge. This is the main purpose of yoga.
According to yoga, the nature of the Self is pure consciousness. Samadhi brings
one to an awareness of this, our intrinsic nature.

3. Tadâ drastuh svarûpe 'vasthânam

TA D Ā D R A Ṣ Ṭ U Ḥ S VA R Ū P E ' VA S T H Ā N A M - Y S
1.3

YS 1.2 yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ - is always heralded as the defi nition of yoga as

per Patanjali, but this sutra is pretty meaningless without its follow up sutra 1.3.

While 1.2 tells us that yoga is concentration/stilling the mind/absorption etc - 1.3
tells us what happens when concentration takes place.

1.2 tells us about technique but 1.3 tells us about the result and therefore also the
purpose of yoga practice.

Like the famous buddhist parable about the fi nger pointing at the moon - the
fi nger is not the intended target of attention, the moon is - sutra 1.3 tells us about
the actual target of yoga practice.

Which is... once the mind has been stilled, then the dra ṣṭuḥ - the Seer - is
established in its own (sva) form (rūpa).
In other words, when the mind stops moving we experience consciousness, our
true essence, as it is. In the next sutra Patanjali explains - 1.4 v ṛtti-sārūpyam
itaratra - at other times consciousness follows the form of thought/experience.

The word sutra means thread. The sutras are woven together to make a fabric of
interconnected ideas. These three sutras belong together and only become
meaningful when considered in concert.

It was stated above that in the state of samadhi, the Seer is established in its own
form - this is a bit misleading. The nature of consciousness is that it has no form.
A better translation might be the Seer is established in its own state, or its natural
condition, its unconditioned state, its pure essence.

According to yoga, embodied existence is a dual condition. Consciousness is not a

material thing, while mind and body are both material in nature.

Mind is an element of prakṛiti - material nature. Mind is dependent on the brain,

nervous system, endocrine system, internal organs etc. as well as sense data,
material facts, concrete memories, emotionally distorted memories, instinctive
drives etc..

These elements that are material in nature are the forms that consciousness fi lls.
Consciousness is itself formless but like water it fi lls any container, it forms itself
according to the boundaries created by the container - whether they be thoughts,
memories, emotions, perceptions, passions etc.. The mind creates the form and
consciousness fi lls the form.

That is why one can only become aware of the true nature of consciousness, when
it is not colored by, delimited by or formed after the contours or currents of the
mind. Only when the mind is empty and still can consciousness be experienced as
it is.

The nature of consciousness is reality, consciousness and bliss - Sat-cit-ānanda

This is our true, essential nature. A healthy human being will naturally experience
times of tranquility when the mind ceases activity and feels identifi cation with
essence. However in our modern era, with all its stresses and our unhealthy
lifestyles, this phenomenon rarely takes place.

Since consciousness seems to take the form of thoughts and mental activity never
ceases, we have lost sense of who or what we truly are. Our best bet follows the
course of our mental patterns. We identify with our habits, professions, sexual
orientation, political affi liation etc.. but we feel somehow lost, disconnected from
our real being, our true identity.
This is why we need samādhi. Samādhi brings us back to health by allowing us to
remember who and what we truly are. Am I this body? Am I this mind? These
elements that are going through continuous change? Or am I something that has
permanence and depth? Am I something that transcends the day to day, that
transcends suff ering, small mindedness, ignorance etc.? I think we feel this
instinctively even though today we are told we are nothing but biology.

"The hard problem" and the simple solution.

Western psychology assumes that consciousness is predicated on biology. What is

known as "the hard problem" in psychology is to trace the link between neural
activity and consciousness. This link has not been seen or adequately explained.

Even though modern science assumes that consciousness is "caused" by material

processes, the irony is that all material processes can only be known indirectly,
whereas consciousness is the one thing that can be experienced immediately.

All observations about the world are mediated through the mind and senses and
presented to inner consciousness. We cannot directly touch, smell, see anything
material - every experience is mediated via the senses (which may function well or
not).

The only thing that we can be concretely and objectively aware of is consciousness
itself - so the only true science we can do is to observe our inner being.

Although the inner Self is the only thing we can truly know concretely, ironically,
the science of self, or psychology, is the least developed scientifi c fi eld.

Western psychologists have resisted looking at consciousness directly and only

look at the consequences of conscious activity (behavior), while in the East,
consciousness has been a central focus of observation for thousands of years.

The problem is that you cannot directly observe another person's consciousness.
One can only observe the eff ects of consciousness - ie behavior/images recorded
by fMRI machines etc.. There is only one place one can look to observe
consciousness directly - within one's own experience.

A science of subjectivity! Is this an oxymoron, or is this the only true science

possible?

Since all experience is mediated via the subjective apparatus of mind and senses,
how can knowledge be truly scientifi c and objective? Before looking at facts of the
world, we had better improve the instrument of knowledge. Then, maybe, our
conclusions will become valid.
But since the mind is dysfunctional, impure, imprecise, incapable of being
controlled - and is the preeminent scientifi c instrument - should its mastery (yoga)
not be the fi rst scientifi c discipline?

Understanding consciousness is not "the hard problem" because we cannot get

our heads around it. It is the hard problem because we cannot control the mind
and stop thinking!

When the mind stops thinking, consciousness abides in itself.

The simple solution.

According to yoga, consciousness does not depend on biology - consciousness is

non-material in nature. This could only be known through direct experience when
all activities of the mind body have been suppressed.

Tāḍa (ताड).—a. [taḍ bhāve ac] Beating, striking.

-ḍaḥ 1 A blow, knock, thumb, whipping, chastisement; विपाटयिष्यत्यय- मुत्तमेन सद्धर्मताडेन दरु ासदे न (vipāṭayiṣyatyaya-
muttamena saddharmatāḍena durāsadena) Bu. Ch.1.8.
2) Noise, sound.
3) A sheaf.
4) A mountain.
--- OR ---

Tadā (तदा).—ind.

1) Then, at that time.

2) Then, in that case; (corr. of yadā); Bg.2.52-53; Ms.1.52, 54-56;

3) Therefore, hence; अनुभूय तदा कामं ततः प्राप्स्याम्यहं जराम ् (anubhūya tadā kāmaṃ tataḥ prāpsyāmyahaṃ
jarām) Rām.7.5.3; यदा यदा-तदा तदा (yadā yadā-tadā tadā) 'whenever'; तदाप्रभति
ृ (tadāprabhṛti) 'since then',
'thenceforward;' तदाप्रभत्ृ येव विमुक्तसङ्गः पतिः पशूनामपरिग्रहोऽभूत ् (tadāprabhṛtyeva vimuktasaṅgaḥ patiḥ
paśūnāmaparigraho'bhūt) Ku.1.53.
--- OR ---

Tāḍa (ताड).—&c. See under तड् (taḍ).

See also (synonyms): tāḍana.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary
Tāḍa (ताड).—(1) m. or nt. (Sanskrit tāla, Pali tāḷa, cymbal or some percussion instrument; also clap of the
hand etc.), a musical instrument, cymbal: vīṇāś ca tāḍā paṇavāś ca SP 51.13 (verse); saṃgīti-tāḍa-samaye ca
viniścayajñāḥ RP 42.17 (verse), but here and in the next tāḍa could mean not the instrument, but the sound made by
striking it; vādya- tāḍa-nināda-nirghoṣa-śabdair SP 338.11 (prose); others, see s.v. śamya; see also tāḍāvacara;
(2) m. (= Pali tāḷa, m.; see next), key (in Sanskrit tāla, lock, compare tālaka; see John- ston, note on Buddhac.):
saddharma-tāḍena Buddhac. 1.74; tāḍam ādāya gṛham asya gatvā Av ii.56.2; tāḍam apahṛtya gṛhaṃ gatvā 3 (ms.
tāḍan both times).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary
Tadā (तदा).—ind. Then, at that time. E. tad that, dāc affix, implying time.
--- OR ---

Tāḍa (ताड).—m.

(-ḍaḥ) 1. Beating, whipping, inflicting bodily chastisement. 2. Sound, noise. 3. A handful of grass, corn, &c. a sheaf. 4.
A mountain. 5. A kind of grass, (Andropogon serratus.) f. (-ḍi or -ḍī) A kind of palm, (Coripha talliera, Rox.) See tālī.
E. taḍ to give pain, to beat, &c. affix bhāve ac karmaṇi ac vā .

Meaning of the Sanskrit Word: drastuh

  draṣṭuḥ—of the seer    SB 2.5.17, SB 2.9.1, SB 3.7.11, SB 3.31.45-46
  draṣṭuḥ—of the speaker    SB 3.26.33
  draṣṭuḥ—of Him who is the seer of everything    SB 5.19.12
  draṣṭuḥ—of the Supersoul, who witnesses everyone’s activities    SB 9.24.57

Meaning of the Sanskrit Word: svarupe

  svarūpe—unto Svarūpa Dāmodara    Madhya 12.125, Antya 17.22, Antya 17.29
  svarūpe—unto Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī    Madhya 14.182, Antya 6.1, Antya 6.327
  svarūpe—in nature    Adi 4.164
  svarūpe—in its original form    Adi 7.126
  svarūpe—features    Adi 10.56

4. Vrtti-sârûpyam itaratra

1 . 4 V Ṛ T T I - S Ā R Ū P YA M I TA R AT R A

While in the state of samadhi, consciousness is experienced in its pure state, at

other times there is an apparent union, conjunction or merging of consciousness
with the mind.

Contrary to the most popular defi nitions of yoga - ie yoga is union, union of the
individual soul with the universal soul, union of the mind with god etc., Patanjali
says that union (of consciousness with mind) is the problem and dis-union of
consciousness from the mind is the solution.
The fourth chapter of the Yoga Sutra is called the Kaivalya Pada - the chapter on
isolation or aloneness. The soul, or purusha is experienced in isolation or separate
from mind and body in the state of samadhi.

Union of consciousness with mind is also called ego or asmita in the yoga sutra -
this union is the primary obstacle to be overcome.