Yoga Sutras and the World of Human Mind

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The eight limbs of Patanjali’s Yoga completely remove the impure inherited tendencies of the mind. First, one practices ethical disciplines and then acquires a good posture for meditation. Then, one is able to obtain an effortless and free yogic concentration. This concentration leads to spiritual insight and the power to break through all bondages of the mind. Verse: II.28

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture constitutes a review of the process by which Yoga leads us beyond mental conflicts and to inner contentment. Mental conflicts come from hidden inherited tendencies from past lives - Samskaras. This idea is Patanjali’s major contribution to psychology. By taking care of these samskaras, we can transcend the conflict between intellect and the accumulated habits and memories.

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The mind is not the real I, the real I is Purusha. Reason has its limits but this instinctive wisdom goes beyond this. That’s why great prophets could do things and say things whose meaning only become apparent after a long time. They had special insight. They found the whole foundation of truth within themselves. By not using such power for selfish purposes, we are able to prevent a fall. Then only Prarabdha Karma remains. Verses: IV.28, IV.29, IV.30

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture contains a detailed analysis of the nature of the real seer, Purusha or Atman, according to multiple approaches. Verses: IV.17, IV.18, IV.19, IV.20

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Vivarta Satkaryavada in Advaita Vedanta is reviewed. Nominalism of Buddhism is also explained. Advaita, according to Shankaracharya, is a combination of Absolute Idealism and Realism. Verses: IV.15, IV.16, IV.17, IV.18

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. A comparison is made between Buddhist schools of philosophy and Yoga on the question of the relationship between minds and objects. Verses: IV.14, IV.15

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Our tendencies from previous life cycles are re-expressed when put into an appropriate environment. When we suddenly feel at home with a profound philosophical idea, it means we have some previous acquaintance. This allows us to continue our spiritual evolution. Verses: IV.9, IV.10, IV.11

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. There are good, bad, and mixed actions. These actions lead to tendencies that will manifest when the appropriate environment is available. Even though there is a separation in time and place, these manifestations form a continuous link. The different kinds of karmas are discussed in this context. These tendencies are without beginning. However, they come to end when we identify ourselves with our transcendental nature. Verses: IV.7, IV.8, IV.9, IV.10

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. All power is already within us. We remove the obstacles to manifest the divinity within us. Verses: IV.1, IV.2, IV.3, IV.4, IV.5, IV.6

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Kaivalyam, liberation means liberation from ourselves. We are trapped in a cycle of actions, mental impressions, tendencies, and then repeated action. By changing our identification we begin to evolve. Our obstacles are in the form of Klesas, obsessive likes and dislikes. This creates a conflict between what the intellect wants to do and what the mind allows us to do. The root is a wrong identification of who we are. To overcome this, the first step is the practice of friendliness, compassion, admiration, and indifference towards the happy, unhappy, virtuous, and negative. The higher powers mentioned in the Vibhuti-pada can be obtained by birth, herbs, mantras, austerities, and concentration. The only safe ones to practice are mantras and concentration practiced with ethical disciplines - Yamas and Niyamas. Verse: IV.1

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. With Ritambhara-Prajna, the higher intuitive insight also comes with the confirmation that it is true. This knowledge creates a great Vritti that counters the innumerable conflicting Vrittis in the mental system. This knowledge goes beyond all ordinary tools of knowledge such as direct sensory perception or inference. Swami Vivekananda says that a high ideal is necessary to counter all negative ideals. When this Ritambhara-Prajna comes, all accumulated tendencies react with great force. Finally, when even this Vritti is repressed, one reaches a state where all tendencies, Vrittis, have been burnt. Verses: I.50, I.51

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Ritambhara-Prajna is a kind of spiritual intuition filled with infallible truth. It goes beyond all normal human tools of epistemology. A person with this insight is a Rishi, seer. The testimony recorded in the scriptures is the authentic testimony of those endowed with this knowledge. By Guru-Disciple tradition, a line of authentic teachers has preserved this knowledge. Ritam is the harmonizing link we realize in ourselves. The experience of truth is non-remote. Swami Vivekananda says the experience of this truth is religion, the rest is preparation. Verses: I.48, I.49

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Shabda, Artha, Jnana, sound, meaning, and knowledge are still mixed up in Savitarka-Samadhi. At Nirvitarka-Samadhi, the three are no longer mixed, only the resulting knowledge remains and therefore there are no more conflicting thoughts. Prakriti is the source of material evolution in Sankhya philosophy. All of the created things in the mind can be taken back to their unmanifest form in Prakriti. A Yogi withdraws his identification with different evolutes of material nature. It is a process of dehypnotization. By withdrawal of the senses, we reverse evolution. At this stage of meditation, the seeds of past actions still exist, Sabhija, but they do not trouble us much. Verses: I.42, I.43, I.44, I.45, I.46

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Shabda, Artha, Jnana, sound, meaning, and knowledge are usually mixed up. When we reach Savitarka Samadhi, we are able to gain deep insight into things. At this stage, Shabda, Artha, and Jnana are still mixed up. A Sanskrit verse explains that geniuses are known to have deviations in life if they do not have spirituality. At a higher stage of meditation, Nirvitarka-Samadhi, the three do not mix, memory is purified, and conflicting thoughts subside. Verses: I.42, I.43

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Deep inner contentment gives us a feeling of being spiritually rich. When the Vrittis have become weakened, a person’s mind becomes like a crystal. It reflects the light of whatever it meditates upon clearly. This concentration with freedom comes only when it is preceded by the practice of Yamas and Niyamas, the 10 fundamental ethical disciplines. When he concentrates on a holy thought or person, he reflects it clearly. St. John wrote the same about the purest divine love. It is a state of blessedness. Verses: I.17, I.33, I.35, I.41, I.39

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The practices of Pranayama and friendliness toward fellow spiritual seekers can help us conquer our obstacles. Intellectual conviction only goes skin deep. Pravrtti, transcendental experience, will reinforce our belief that we are on the right track. There is also a higher type of experience, which is beyond all sorrow and destroys all doubts. You can tell if it is a valid experience by the result. The result should be a deep-rooted contentment and friendliness towards all. Another method is meditation upon the life and mind of a saint who is beyond all desire. This thought purifies the mind. Verses: I.35, I.36, I.37

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Patanjali explains that regulating human relationships, Pranayama, transcendental experiences, and meditation on the heart of a holy person can lead to deep contentment. We take on the characteristics of that which we meditate upon. Some dreams give a feeling of blessedness. They can also be a support. The mental system is a mirror which reflects our spiritual nature, Atman or God. The impurities are our obsessive likings and dislikes. When they are cleaned up we reflect our divinity more clearly. The Vedantic analysis of the three states of consciousness: waking, dreaming, and deep sleep is described. Verses: I.33, I.38, I.34, I.35, I.36, I.37

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The higher aspiration of Yoga is to reach a state of Nirodha, complete freedom from obsessive likes and dislikes, Vrittis, of the mind. Before reaching that stage, several stages of concentration are classified: restlessness, dullness, swinging between extremes, and one-pointed. Kshina-Vrtti is a state when the mind’s vrittis have been weakened or transcended. The mind then attains a state of Yogic concentration, which is free. Verses: I.1, I.2, I.41

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. What makes a Buddha or a Christ is the sense of Atha, the desire for something higher in life. When this higher aspiration comes, obstacles and despair are inevitable. In order to conquer them focusing on one chosen high ideal is recommended. We can conserve our energy resources by a developing an inner filtering mechanism toward negative ideas. The four kinds of relations – friendliness, compassion, admiration, and indifference – are four doors to peace. Proper practice of Pranayama for linking our energy to the infinite cosmic energy can also yield peace when practice with ethical disciplines, Yama and Niyama. Verses: I.30, I.31, I.32, I.33, I.34

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Indifference is a vaccination towards contagious negativity. It is not insensitivity but enlightened sensitivity. Pranayama can lead to peace of mind. The breath is a thin thread linking us to the cosmic energy. Prana cuts new channels through the mental system. When we try to cut new channels, the mind and body may react. The mental system has tendency to run in the same conservative ruts. For this reason, the aspect of religion involving changing the world is always more popular than the aspect of changing ourselves. Verses: I.33, I.34

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. In order to gain inner contentment, Citta-Prasada, we can practice regulating our human relationships according to friendship, compassion, admiration, and indifference. Another method is Pranayama, breath work, but this must be undertaken with proper ethical disciplines, Yamas and Niyamas. Spiritual concentration without hatred or obsessive like is the natural by-product of Citta-Prasada. Along the way, we may also experience things beyond the psychophysical realm. Verses: I.32, I.33, I.34

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. There is a conflict between what our mind allows us to do and what the intellect wants to do. For this reason, many unexpected mental obstacles appear when we try to progress in spiritual life. We do selfless work to purify the mental stream. Having joy without its opposite or inner contentment is the key to progressing in spiritual life. We should cultivate friendliness with fellow seekers, compassion for those who are trying to progress, admiration for those who are more advanced than us, and indifference towards negative influences. This preserve mental equilibrium, mental energies, and gives us clarity of mind. Prana is described as the sum total of cosmic energy. Breath is only the gross manifestation of Prana. Verses: I.30, I.32, I.33, I.34

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Obstacles inevitably arise when we take to spiritual life. Bhranti Darshana, false experience is a very dangerous one. It can either come in the form of feeling we have made great progress when we have not or feeling we are not making progress even though we are. Also, there is the problem of not being able to retain higher experiences. The mind sometimes swings back down. Purification is required to stay at a higher plane. Active interest in philosophy and scriptures can provide an intermediate safeguard so we do not need to fall all the way to the bottom when the mind comes down. The types of despair and suffering that are the visible symptoms of these obstacles are also described. Verses: I.30, I.31

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Spiritual practice is bitter at the beginning and sweet at the end. When Japa matures and our mind ascends, we find the obstacles to spiritual practice disappearing. Patanjali gives a comprehensive list of psychological obstacles. Being aware of them clears the way for further progress. A sense of sanctity for spiritual practice, Shraddha, neutralizes most of these obstacles. The first set of obstacles are Vyadhi, Styana, Samshaya, Pramada, Alasya, Avirati – Disease, Languor, Doubts, Carelessness, Lethargy, Pleasure-Seeking. These are the manifestations of the unspiritual Samskaras still in the mind. Verses: I.27, I.28, I.29, I.30

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. God in Yoga is omniscient, beyond all sorrow, and the teacher of all teachers. A seeker’s spiritual practices prepare him to receive God’s grace. He can then recognize God’s grace as his grace. A spiritual teacher helps lead him to that stage by removing darkness. The theory of Pratika, symbols, is explained. OM is the symbol for the ultimate transcendental reality. It is the substratum of all sound and therefore that of all thought. When we practice repetition of a Mantra, our realization of its meaning goes from gross to the most subtle. At the highest stage, we become completely identified with the meaning of the mantra. Verses: I.24, I.26, I.27

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. With Shraddha, a sense of sanctity attached to spiritual practice, comes complete awareness, Smrti. An example of the development of modern Japan is given to illustrate the intensity of practice. Devotion to God is another option for intensification. In Yoga, God is the teacher of all teachers, not a conventional creator God. By intense devotion, his qualities of purity, knowledge, and dispassion come to you. The difference between him and a liberated soul is his omniscience. In Nyaya, God distributes the results of all actions to everybody. Vedanta accepts all these but goes farther and says that God is present in the world as the indweller. He enters the world and becomes one with his creation. Verses: I.20, I.21, I.22, I.23, I.24, I.25, I.26

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The great Indian sage Patanjali wrote major treatises on Ayurveda, Sanskrit grammar, and Yoga. From Samprajnata Samadhi, mastery of nature, we ascend to Asamprajnata Samadhi, freedom from nature. Intensification of practice means constant regulation of the intake of positive food, both mental and physical. Mild, medium and intense levels of practice are possible. The mind cannot keep quiet so it must be fed good spiritual food. In Vedanta, we find that spiritual life is returning to our true home. There is no vacation from spiritual life. We return to our home. That is the meaning of intense spiritual practice. Verses: I.21, I.22

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Smrti, memory, is constant remembrance and awareness. Mindfulness is a modern diluted form of a Buddhist tradition, which practices this Smrti. Shraddha is an untranslatable word, which roughly corresponds to sincerity, dedication, faith, and a sense of sanctity. It allows you to persevere and protects you like a loving mother. It leads to Virya, psychic energy. That leads you to Smrti, a constant remembrance. These are the characteristics of a real yogi. Verse: I.20

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Good tendencies liberate us from the bad tendencies but they still do not give freedom. In Shunyavada school of Buddhism, the ultimate reality is beyond all description and non-dual. Desire vanishes and the Soul, Atman, is left in its own splendor. The unmanifest-manifest, Ayakta-Vyakta, the theory of cyclicism is reviewed. When we are able to resolve the effect back into the cause we are freed from it. Some yogis merge into nature and become celestial beings. Others reach the ultimate goal. Verses: I.18, I.19, I.20

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Samprajnata Samadhi is mastery over nature. Asamprajnata is freedom from the senses. In Samprajnata Samadhi, the old vrittis are controlled. In Asamprajnata Samadhi, the old vrittis are no longer able to function. We are freed from past tendencies. We are free from the cycle of birth and death. Having transcended the mind, we transcend ordinary knowledge and are established in transcendental intuition. We go beyond good and evil. We are finally able to completely surrender to God. The example of Kumarila Bhatta is given. Verses: I.17, I.18

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Swami Vivekananda says that Samprajnata Samadhi allows mastery over nature, but Asamprajnata Samadhi allows freedom from nature. Buddha had to negate all the hundreds of memories from previous life cycles when he sat for meditation to reach the highest realization. The eighteenth sutra explains that Virama Pratyaya, the negation of impressions, leads us to the highest. The thoughts that come up in meditation can be resolved back into their fundamental cause, the Chitta, mind-stuff. This process of involution is explained. By constant practice, renunciation, Yamas and Niyamas, the mind-stuff is cleaned and we are able to transcend the mind itself. Verses: I.17, I.18

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Dispassion leads to mastery of nature. The Samkhya philosophy explains the evolution of the material universe from Prakrti to the entire physical and mental world. In addition, there is a sentient witness Purusha. Dispassion leads to Samprajnata Samadhi, concentration filled with transcendental insight, into everything in the material world. This leads to mastery over nature. According to Swami Vivekananda, the second method of concentration is to concentrate directly on Spirit. This leads to freedom from nature. Verse: I.17

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture begins with the reminder that stable Yoga-Sadhana can only come when we develop a sense of sanctity towards practice. The two stages of dispassion are discussed. In the first, all tendencies remain only as tendencies. We are able to control them through dispassion. In the second stage, even those tendencies are no longer functional. To become established in the first stage of dispassion requires disciplined beneficial spiritual associations. Then concentration only more and more subtle objects become possible in Yoga. In contrast, Vedanta is about a direct inquiry into reality. With concentration, Samadhi, come tremendous skills. Yamas and Niyamas are needed to practice higher concentration. Verses: I.6, I.12, I.14, I.17, II.30, II.32

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture begins with a review of the chapter order of the yoga sutra classes. The world of Vrittis that constitute our mental world, keeps us in a cycle of activities and tendencies. Yoga helps us to break the cycle and evolve. The first step is to use actions, Kriya Yoga, to generate good tendencies. To break the cycle, the root ignorance of our nature must be removed through continuous practice of discerning wisdom, Viveka-Khyati. Ethics, Yamas, and Niyamas are the foundation for the practice of higher concentration. The lecture ends with a brief introduction to the eighteenth sutra, which tells the method of reaching higher concentration. Verses: I.1, I.2, II.15, II.29, II.30, II.32, I.18.

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture beings with a review of Vashikara Vairagya, the first stage of dispassion. The higher vairagya, Para-Vairagya, means going beyond the influence of the three Gunas. The commentators have explained that Pratiprasava, involution, is the process by which these tendencies get dissolved into their causes. At the highest stage, even the desire for Viveka-Khyati, discerning wisdom, is transcended. With concentration, we become filled with Prajna, transcendental insight into the true nature of everything. Examples are given from the life of Sri Shankaracharya. Verses: I.15, I.16, I.17.

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture begins with a reminder of the mental blocks that come from the accumulated Samskaras in our Antahkarana. We can restrain the Vrittis by the practice of feeding good tendencies and remaining indifferent to the negative tendencies of the mind. Swami then discusses the Ishavasya Upanishad’s concept of enjoying the world by renouncing it. The fifteenth and sixteenth sutras discuss the lower and higher stages of Vairagyam, dispassion. At the higher stage, even the idea of craving for worldly enjoyment vanishes. From dispassion comes Samadhi, concentration, which yields many superhuman powers of the mind. The example of Swami Vivekananda memorizing an encyclopedia is given. The seventeenth sutra lists the types of this Samprajnata Samadhi. Verses: I.12, I.15, I.16, I.17

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture begins with a discussion of the Vedanta and Yoga explanation of the variety of human beings. At the physical and spiritual level, all are the same, but at the subtle personality level, there is a great variety. The goal of Yoga is to become free from the trap of this subtle body, Antahkarana. For that, the practice of Vairagya, dispassion is essential. Swami discusses that in Yoga hermeneutics words have a specific well-defined meaning. The first stage of dispassion, Vashikara-Vairagya, is described as a turning away from the negative towards the positive. The four relations – Maitri, Karuna, Mudhita, Upeksha – are emphasized at this stage. The lecture ends with a Puranic story emphasizing how good deeds performed early in life can save one late in life. Verses: I. 15, I.16

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture begins with a discussion of the meaning of the invocation verse describing the great sage Patanjali. Nirodha state, the goal of Yoga is reviewed. We can either rest in our true nature or identify with changing sense phenomenon. The five types of mental impressions, Vrittis are reviewed. We are kept rotating in a cycle of Karma, action, Vrittis, Impressions, and Samskaras, strong tendencies. Vyasa compares this to the river of the mind, which can flow either in an auspicious or negative direction. Practice and Dispassion, Abhyasa and Vairagya, and ethics, Yamas and Niyamas, are the prescribed methods for channeling the mind towards auspiciousness. Verses: I.2, I.3, I.4, I.5, I.6, I.12, I.13

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Most of us are living under the strangle of mental impressions, Vrittis. We must practice detachment from memories, Smrti. Another important practice is to 1) live as much as possible in the company of spiritual aspirants – Maitri, 2) be compassionate towards good people who are struggling to make progress – Karuna., 3) admire the good - Mudhita, 4) and keep a long distance from those who may hurt our spiritual aspirations – Upeksha. We practice the attitude of the witness. We have many chances, many births to practice. Ultimately, it must become natural, spontaneous, and effortless. This requires a sense of sacredness towards our practice. Finally, we reach the first form of detachment called Vashikara, where even heavenly pleasures are eliminated. The difference between this kind of heaven and the spiritual heaven of some Abrahamic faiths is clarified. Verses: I.12, I.13, I.14, I.15

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. In order to cross over the ocean of our accumulated tendencies, vrittis, Patanjali says we must practice Vairagya, dispassion. Vairagya comes with a realization of the impermanence of sensory enjoyments as well as a positive refinement of all our tendencies toward something higher. By the repeated practice of Vairagya, our mental blocks and negative tendencies are weakened and our mind begins to flow towards wisdom. Repetition leads to Viveka, discerning wisdom. How can we repeat such a difficult activity for a long time and without interruption? Only through a sense of sanctity and sincerity – Shraddha. I.2, I.12, I.14

Lecture By Swami Tattwamayananda. We feel complete restfulness in Nidra, deep sleep and in Samadhi because there is no other. The difference is the lack of awareness of that knowledge in deep sleep. Awareness is important to make knowledge functional. Desire is replayed in sleep and in memory. Forgetfulness can free us from negative memories and memory of spiritually helpful experiences will take us forward. The best way to refine the mind is by doing good physical actions. We change the composition of the bag of Vrittis that constitute our character. We have much more freedom at the physical level. Verses: I.10, I.11, I.12

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Patanjali has given us the knowledge to purify and refine the human mind. Mind functions at the level of experiences and reactions. The knowledge of Yoga was transmitted through a succession of teachers and disciples. There are seven major important commentaries in this line. Our mental tendencies, Samskaras, constitute our essential characteristics. The valid tools of knowledge in Yoga are direct perception, inference, and authoritative testimony. Wrong knowledge and imaginary knowledge can also constitute part of our character. Verses: I.5, I.6, I.7, I.8, I.9