I think anyone practising Yoga should read the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. You can start with an easy version, such as the one written by Swami Satchidananda or the one translated by Alistair Shearer. My favourite version however is by Edwin J Bryant.
The Yoga Sutras were written by Patanjali. Some say that he was not one man but several men over time, who combined the yoga teachings. It is however believed that he was Vyasa, the main commentator of the Sutras, whose commentary, Edwin Bryants writes, ‘are as canonical as Patanjali’s primary text’. The Yoga Sutras are about the control of the mind. The whole text revolves around one Sutra:
1.2. Yogas citta-vrtti-nirodhah - Yoga is the stilling of the changing states of the mind.
The Yoga Sutras explain the different methods to still the fluctuations of the mind and reach the blissful state of Yoga, Samadhi.
I will only focus here on what I see as the main points of the first two chapters of the Sutras. Chapter 1 is for practitioners whose mind is already controlled and sattvic (balanced, luminous) and can go straight into the practice of meditation (part I). Chapter 2 is more appropriate for those whose mind is still under the influence of rajas (passion) and tamas (inertia) - most of us, as we will see in part II.
I. Abhyasa / Practice and Vairagya / Dispassion
In the first part (pada) of the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali explains that stilling the fluctuations of the mind is done by practice - abhyasa, and dispassion - vairagya.
Practice / abhyasa is defined as the effort to be fixed in concentrating the mind (1.13). Dispassion is the absence of craving for sense objects. Simply put, Bryant writes, citing Vijnanabiksu, dispassion “consists in the idea of ‘enough’ of this sense gratification.” And it is a by-product of practice.
For practice, which must be done without interruption and over a long period of time (1.14), we need to focus on one object. Patanjali gives several examples of objects of concentration we can use to still the mind and be free from its disturbances (disease, idleness, doubt, carelessness, sloth, lack of detachment, misapprehension, failure to attain a base of concentration, and instability - Sutra 1.30). We can focus on the breath, on a sense object such as a sound, on a pure-minded yogi…. and Patanjali concludes that we can focus on ‘anything of one’s inclination’ (Sutras 1.33 to 1.39). Among those objects, one is most effective - Isvara. I will write more soon about this essential point.
Once we concentrate on one object without interruption, we meditate. This is a way of stilling the mind and reaching Samadhi.
The basics of Yoga are laid in the first pada of the Yoga Sutras, the second pada gives more guidance on how to be grounded through the practice of Yoga.
II. The Klesas, Kriya Yoga and the Eight limbs of Yoga
A. The second chapter lists the afflictions at the root of our suffering (klesas). The first klesa is the most important one if one wants to understand the goal of Yoga. It is avidya or ignorance of our True Self. It is because we think we are our body and our mind and fail to be aware of our True Self or Purusa that we suffer. What we are seeking through Yoga practice is to remove avidya. The other four afflictions result from ignorance: ego, attachment, aversion or resentment towards pain, clinging to life or fear of death.
The klesas are weakened by Kriya Yoga (Sutra 2.2) and their effects on the mind eliminated by meditation (Sutra 2.11).
B. Kriya Yoga or the Yoga of action, is a new form of Yoga appearing in this chapter. It is defined as Tapas or austerities (one way of practising Tapas is through our physical practice), Svadyaya (studying the scriptures) and Isvara Pranidhana (surrendering to God).
This new form of Yoga does not contradict the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras, and we should in any event still practice abhyasa and vairagya as Edwin Bryant explains. The Yoga of action is more appropriate for those whose mind is still under the influence of rajas and tamas. This applies to the majority of us, leaving in big cities, with our minds constantly solicited by the senses and the outer world activities.
The practice of Kriya Yoga will make one’s mind more sattvic, a requirement to be able to attain Samadhi and for Purusa to be revealed.
We will see that the elements of Kriya Yoga are Niyamas, one of the eight limbs of Yoga.
C. It is in the second chapter that the eight limbs of Yoga are introduced. They must be practised to destroy the impurities of rajas and tamas, which is the prerequisite to reach discriminative discernment or viveka. Discriminative discernment destroys ignorance and is the way to liberation (2.26).
The eight limbs of Yoga are key to the practice of Yoga and are the following: Yamas or abstention, Niyamas or observances, Asanas or postures / seats, Pranayama or breath control, Pratyahara or disengagement of the senses, Dharana or concentration, Dhyana or meditation, and Samadhi or absorption (Sutra 2.29).
Yama and Niyama are essential, ‘Yoga without Yama and Niyama is like the spaghetti without the sauce’ Dharma Mittra says. The five Yamas are: ahimsa (non-violence and love), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (control of the senses) and aparigraha (non-hoarding). The five niyamas are: saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (discipline), svadhyaya (study) and Isvara-pranidhana (surrender to the Divine).
Note that Kriya Yoga is made of three Niyamas: tapas, svadyaya and isvara-pranidhana. So by following the Yamas and Niyamas, we practise the Yoga of action in any event.
I will highlight two elements, which I find very helpful and important.
(A) The first one is Sutra 2.33:
2.33. Upon being harassed by negative thoughts, one should cultivate counteracting thoughts.
Negative thoughts are thoughts that go against the Yamas and Niyamas. It is almost unavoidable for anyone (not enlightened) to have those thoughts from time to time - violent thoughts, thoughts directed towards untruthfulness, stealing, sexual indulgence, accumulation, uncleanliness, feeling discontent or envious, lack of interest in the scriptures, devotion to ungodly persons or lack of devotion to Isvara.
Sutra 2.33 explains that these negative thoughts will arise and we must deal with them. We must ‘cultivate counteracting thoughts’, which means we must reflect on those thoughts, contemplate the consequences (ongoing suffering - Sutra 2.34), we must go to the roots of those thoughts and entertain the opposite. As we have taken time to analyse them, they will come up less often, helping us towards a more sattvic state of mind. And if they do come up again, we will know what to do; we can cut them off at their roots easily once we know where they come from. Applying this Sutra is not always easy but can be a great help in everyday life.
(B) Another very important element is Svadyaya or studying. Studying the scriptures is essential. Only practising asanas is not enough and actually could make us forget what Yoga is really about if we only did the physical practice. Svadyaya and reading words of wisdom always gets us back on the right track. Whenever we have doubts about our behaviour, our thoughts, our actions, we should take the Yoga Sutras or any wise book to guide us.
I am saving the relation between our beloved asana practice and Kriya Yoga for my next blog, which will be shorter, but I thought it was important to lay the foundations with this blog first.
The second pada ends with the description of Pratyahara, the fifth limb of Yoga, which is the control of the senses (Sutras 2.54 and 55). This limb is the bridge between the more external limbs of ashtanga yoga and the internal ones, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi, which are described in the third pada.