Yoga Sutras And The World Of Human Mind

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The seer can be found in the waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states. This is analyzed in the Mandukya Upanishad. In Vedanta, that which is changing is not absolutely real. The seen objects change, but the seer does not change. The process of knowing in Yoga and Vedanta has to be divided into the knowledge of an object and knowing that you know the object. In Vedanta, these two processes come together. When we get an intuitive knowledge of the self-awareness after long years of meditation, then we become aware of our nature as the eternal subject. Verse: II.20

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The witness is aware but not a participant. This idea is common to both Buddhism and Vedanta. In the Bhagavad Gita, it is explained that you should be able to see inaction in action. You should see that your senses and mind are engaged in action but that Atman itself is not involved in action. The three gunas – sattva, rajas, tamas – are explained and the process by which we develop more sattva guna is also explained. Verse: II.18

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins with the story of how Indra disguised himself as a pig and enjoyed life with a she-pig and children. The other angels came and pierced the body of the pig and he laughed and immediately understood his situation. In the same way, when higher Duhkha comes, there can be a quantum leap in our perspective. We get identified with our body and mind. Vyasa says mind functions as a magnet attracting objects according to its nature. When we purify it and link it to a high ideal we are able to receive and attract a higher percentage of helpful things. Verses: II.15, II.17

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Culture begins when we start looking for something higher. That is Parinama Duhkha and it is the prerequisite for yoga. We can indeed acquire a new perspective. Life and death are a continuous process of spiritual growth over many lifecycles. The classical example of Jada Bharata, the King who was reborn as a deer and then as a man who had this Duhkha. The cause of this Duhkha is the identification between the seer and the seen. A dog will enjoy a piece of meat more than a human being because its identification with its senses is far greater. As we evolve, our sense of identification also evolves. Verses: II.15, II.16, II.17

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Duhkha is not a negative philosophy of life, it takes a realistic and complete view. Sankhya philosophy explains the evolutes of material nature both mental and physical. Our difficulty is that we identify with these and forget our transcendental dimension, Atman. We can eradicate suffering by having a comprehensive perspective toward the reality of our life. We break the identification between the seer and the seen. Such a person does not become inactive. Rather, a Raja-Rishi is a person who has the dynamism of a king and the wisdom of a sage. Verses: II.15, II.17, I.2, II.16, I.6

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins with the second topic of Sadhanapada: Duhkha-Caturvyuha. It goes into detail about the nature of suffering. By evolving a higher sense of suffering, we evolve spiritually. At first, we suffer from Samsara-Duhkha, the results of our evil tendencies accumulated from previous lives, and Tapa-Duhkha, the constant fluctuation of the mental system. Parinama Duhkha is the sense that even while surrounded by wealth, friends, and happy situations, they will not last for long. It is related to Atha, the state of being ready for Yoga. Vyasa says the bliss of higher spiritual consciousness is still at most one-sixteenth of the bliss of desirelessness. Though we cannot practice that now, Patanjali helps us to recognize the causes of our obsessive desires. The realization itself reduces the intensity of the problem. Verses: II.15, II.16, II.17, I.1

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins with a review of the structure of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The sutras teach us how to befriend the mind and achieve a state of perfect mental poise. The psychological obsessions of Raga, Dvesa, and Abhinivesa are reviewed. The five stages of concentration are also reviewed. The sum total of all these mental tendencies you have accumulated by action is called your Karmashaya. The Samskaras can come from this life or the previous life. The purpose of yoga is to come out of the rotation of action, impressions, and tendencies. Verses: I.1, I.2, II.1, II.3, II.12

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Viveka means the ability to understand what is real and worthwhile. The first kind of Duhkha, suffering, described in the fifteenth sutra is Parinama Duhkha. It is the understanding that happy and unhappy experiences are changeable. Yudhishthira says in the Mahabharata that the greatest wonder is that every day we see people dying, but we think we will be immortal. This Duhkha is possible only for Yogis and people with spiritual insight. Tapa Duhkha is suffering due to not getting what we want. Buddha’s example of his concern for the welfare of all human beings is given for Parinama Duhkha. It is helpful in spiritual life. Samskara Duhkha comes from actions that create grief prompted from Vasanas from remaining in the Karmashaya. Vyasa says a Yogi develops a sensitive eye and is able to see future suffering before it happens. This is the Heya, the problem to be eradicated. Verses: II.15, II.16

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. In Sadhana, the first step is selfless action, Kriya Yoga. The second part of the Sadhanapada discusses the quadrangle of Dukha, suffering. Suffering comes from constant slavery to changeable sensory experiences. Ultimately, the awakening of Viveka-khyati, discerning wisdom, removes the root of this suffering. The ethical disciplines of Yama and Niyama lead us away from pampering the senses. The sixteenth sutra mentions how we are able to avoid future suffering by the practice of such discipline. Verses: II.15, II.16

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Through selfless action, Kriya Yoga, we begin the process of weakening our obstacles. Through meditation, we nullify their external manifestations. Through Pratiprasava, counter-evolution, we find the subtle causes of our obstacles. Yoga gives solutions and methods for changing your destiny by evolving your Karmashaya, your accumulated tendencies constituting your character. A simple story is narrated to drive the point home. Spiritualizing all of our secular activities, we do not separate out what the intellect wants to do and what our mind actually allows us to do. The nature of dreams is then discussed to illustrate the concept of our subtle mental tendencies. Verses: II.1, II.10, II.12

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Patanjali explains the reason why we behave the way we behave through the concept of Karmashaya. It is the sum total of all the residual effects of all positive and negative actions we have performed in this life or in previous lives. According to Mimamsa philosophy, these residual effects also have a cosmic dimension in determining the circumstances we may encounter in the world. Yoga teaches that knowing this, we can change our destiny. The practical application is that all good deeds and thoughts can be added to our Karmashaya and at the moment of death, we may have good thoughts fill our mind to take us forward in our spiritual journey. Kriya yoga, meditation, and Pratiprasava remove internal obstacles, Kleshas. By this process, the light of Prajna, wisdom begins to open up as we begin to realize the real inner obstacles we face. Verses: II.10, II.11, II.12

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins by pointing out the trap of Raga, Dvesa, and Abhinivesa that we are in. In order to counter this self-defeating negativity, Patanjali recommends Pratiprasava, counter-evolution. When we are able to track the cause of our hatred, obsessive attachment, or fear back to experiences in this life or previous lives, immediately we start becoming free from it. For spiritual seekers, surrender to our inmost transcendental nature by opening the heart in prayer or spiritual practices is the most powerful method. Our negativity and cynicism may try to stop us from doing it, but if we take the first step, the mind itself will evolve and the next step becomes clear. Do not try to get the whole roadmap before starting the spiritual journey, you yourself will evolve on the journey. Verses: II.8, II.9, II.10

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins with a review of the three common types of Kleshas: Raga, obsessive attachment, Dvesa, obsessive hatred, and Abhinivesa, fear. Through the tracks of Vrittis and Samskaras, we travel back to memories of fear, hatred, or attachment. Real happiness comes when we reach transcendental joy or blissfulness. This link to transcendental joy is illustrated in the Katha Upanishad by the three boons Nachiketa asks of Yama. He evolves from asking for satisfaction in the world, then heavenly satisfaction after death, and finally for the truth about his own nature and of all reality. This highest transcendental thought will take us beyond fear and obsession. Verses: II.3, II.7, II.8, II.9

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins by explaining Asmita, the apparent identity of the seer and the seen. This allows Raga, obsessive attachment to enslave us. At the same time, Dvesa, obsessive hatred comes to enslave us. Swami gives the famous imagery of a chariot from the Katha-Upanisad to explain the power of controlling the senses and linking the mind to Atman, our transcendental nature. Lastly, Abhinivesa, the fear of death can also be countered by the knowledge of reincarnation. Verses: II.6, II.7, II.8, II.9

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins with explaining Yoga philosophy and Vedanta philosophy’s approaches to defining our fundamental misunderstanding that we are a psychophysical mechanism. We take the unreal to be the real. In Yoga, this is a cognitive error, but in Vedanta, this is taken as a fundamental category for the explanation of reality. Then the power of genuine surrender to God is illustrated by the example of a bohemian turned into a saint through contact with Sri Ramakrishna. Verses: II.3, II.4, II.5, I.8, II.1, I.28

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins by reminding us of the importance of the doctrine of reincarnation. The four external relations of Maitri, Karuna, Mudhita, Upeksha are once again recommended to counter the psychological obstacles of spiritual life. Citta Prasada, inner contentment, is the goal. It is to be obtained through Pratyak Cetana, awakening to our transcendental nature. The method is Japa, repetition of a holy name, with concentration on the meaning. Four levels of mantra repetition are discussed. According to Bhagavata Purana, the highest devotee of God is one who feels the presence of God in all beings and feels the presence of the whole of creation in God. Verses: I.33, I.30, I.31, I.32, I.29, I.23, I.28.

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Ignorance, Avidya, is discussed from the viewpoint of Yogacara Buddhist philosophy, Yoga Philosophy, and Vedanta. In Vedanta, there is no evil, there is only error. The solution to the obstacles that we face when we take to spiritual life is sticking to one ideal of practice, Abhyasa, and dispassion, Vairagya. Four fundamental relations regulate external contact. Maitri is being friendly with those who are happy when you make progress in spiritual life. Karuna means being compassionate towards those are trying to make progress but are struggling. Mudhita means genuinely admiring the virtues of virtuous people. Upeksha means filtering out and remaining indifferent to ideas and influences that may take us off track. Verses: II.4, II.30, II.31, II.32, II.33

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The root distraction, Klesa, is Avidya, ignorance of our true nature. The Vedantic idea that Avidya consists of concealment of truth and then a projection of a false superimposition is explained as the root of all Klesas. When you start your spiritual life, you start swimming against the natural current so psychological obstacles start being felt. The main ones are disease, conflicts, doubts, carelessness, laziness, inability to renounce old pleasure seeking patterns, and false experiences. According to the Bhagavad Gita, the sign of a great yogi is his inner contentment and lack of obstacles. Verses: II.1, II.3, II.4, II.30

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The three aspects of Kriya yoga -Tapah, self-control, Svadhyaya, self-study, and Ishvara-pranidhana, self-surrender – are reviewed. Then, the distractions, Klesas, of obsessive attachment, Raga, obsessive hatred, Dvesa, and fear, Abhinivesa are explained. Attempting to practice the disciplines of Kriya yoga neutralize Klesas. As a result, an inner filtering mechanism develops to counter our negative tendencies. Verses: II.1, II.2, II.3

Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Vairagya, dispassion, means saying no to sense pleasures and the instinctive tendencies of the mind. Four stages of Vairagya are described. The real meaning of Nirodha is not a wishing away of negative realities but putting an end to false identification. Tapah, self-control, Svadhyaya, self-study, and Ishvara-pranidhana, self-surrender constitute Kriya yoga. Tapah is not a military discipline, which brings the mind down to the level of the body. Svadhyaya means reading good books with a sense of sanctity while avoiding unhealthy mental food. The famous metaphor of the chariot and charioteer is used to explain the difference between letting the senses run our life and controlling our minds through a transcendental link. Verses: I.12, I.15, II.1