Yoga Sutra I,2: The Definition of Yoga

Yoga Discussion Structural Yoga Therapy
#1

[b]I, 2 Yogah citta vritti nirodhah

Yoga
is experienced
in that mind
which has
ceased
to identify itself
with its
vacillating waves of perception.[/b]

M. Stiles

Based on Iyengar’s and Sw. Satchidananda’s commentary, citta (consciousness) is composed of three aspects:
i. manas: mind; the part which collects information using the senses
ii. buddhi: intellect; the part that discriminates and discerns
iii. ahamkara: ego

Sw. Satchidananda provides an excellent example which demonstrates these three aspects: You are sitting quietly and peacefully. But then your quietness is disturbed by the perception of a smell. Manas recognizes the sensation of a smell. Buddhi identifies the smell as tasty Swiss cheese. Ahamkara then decides to eat some of the tasty cheese.

The vacillating waves of perception (vritti) are those that give rise to the desire that disturbs the peaceful state; in the example above, it is the perception and identification of the smell which leads to the desire to eat some cheese. Once the desire is satisfied, the peaceful state returns.

To quote Sw. Satchidananda:
?The entire outside world is based on your thoughts and mental attitude. The entire world is your own projection. Your values may change within a fraction of a second. … If you feel bound, you are bound. If you feel liberated, you are liberated. Things outside neither bind nor liberate you; only your attitude towards them does that. … That is why Yoga does not bother much about changing the outside world.? (p. 5).
?So if you can have control over the thought forms and change them as you want, you are not bound by the outside world. … If you control your mind, you have controlled everything. Then there is nothing in this world to bind you.? (p.6)

Iyengar, B.K.S. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. New Delhi, India: Harper Collins Publications India. 1993
Swami Satchidananda. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Buckingham, VA: Integral Yoga Publications. 1990

Comments by Helen Barker:

I K Taimni ? One of the most important and well-known Sutras - it defines with the help of only 4 words the essential nature of Yoga. ?The full significance of the Sutra can be understood only when the subject of Yoga has been studied thoroughly in all its aspects?.

Bernard Bouanchaud says that, ?The other aphorisms will not be properly understood unless they are approached in relation to this one.?

IK Taimni. The Science of Yoga. The theosophical Publishing House, Adyar 2005

Bernard Bouanchaud. The Essence of Yoga. Rudra Press. 1997

#2

Alistair Shearer - “Yoga is the settling of the mind into silence” - this is a sutra I quote regularly during class and agree it is one of the most important to understand. I like Mukunda’s description of “vacillating waves of perception” which describes the sense of an aggitated mind completely. In my view he is saying that the mind only knows truth when it is still without thought.

#3

I’m not clear if Desikachar’s translation is the same - what do others think?
“Yoga is the ability to direct the mind exclusively toward an object and sustain that direction without any distractions”. He says that the ‘object’ can be God, an area of interest, a concept.
Is ‘ceased to identify itself with its vacillating waves of perception’ the same as ‘directly the mind exclusively toward an object’?

#4

I think that the question of whether one-pointedness or ?the ability to direct the mind exclusively toward an object and sustain that direction without any distractions" is the same as cessation of the vritti, maybe answered by sutras III,1-12.

Sutras III 1-3 defines dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Dharana or contemplation is the ability to fix the thought on one point. Once accomplished it leads to dhyana or meditation which is the a continuous flow of awareness towards one point. Dhyana, in turn, leads to samadhi or absorption in the object of meditation to such an extent that self awareness is lost. However, this is not the end since these three states are external to samyama.

Sutra III, 4 defines sayama as the integration of the dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. And sutra III, 8 states that even samyama is not the goal because it is still external to nirbija (seedless) samadhi. I think that nirbija samadhhi is the realization of the True Self (but am not sure since I am not an expert.)

In between samyama and nirbija samadhi, there are three transformations of consciousness (sutras III 9 -12). These three transformations are:
i.moments of restrained thought that eventually become continuous
ii.continuous appearance of one-pointedness
iii.evolution of one-pointedness to no-pointedness

So in response to the question about one-pointedness, it seems to me that it is the penultimate state to nirbija samadhi or no pointedness.

I don’t know if that answered your question or just confused it further… it is just what occured to me when I read your question. :wink:

#5

Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. B.K.S. Iyengar 1993

Page 50
"Yoga is defined as restraint of fluctations in the consciousness. It is the art of studying the behaviour of consciousness, which has three functions: recognition, conation or volition, and motion. Yoga shows ways of understanding the functionings of the mind, and helps to quiten their movements, leading one towards the undisturbed state of silence which dwells in the very seat of consciousness. Yoga is thus the art and science of mental disclipine through which the mind becomes cultured and mature."

#6

I have just received my copy of Swami Shyam’s “Patanjali Yog Darshan”, one of the commentaries recommended by Mukunda.

In his preface, Sw. Shyam actually verifies that the techniques that are prescribed by Pantanjali works: “I, as Shyam, have not only understood the facts revealed in Yog Darshan – I have practiced the techniques it describes and have verified by my own experience that everything that Patanjali has said is exact. The beauty and importance of this science is that it is precise and accurate, and quickly results in the state of perfection.” (p. xi)

Having said this, Sw. Shyam goes on to devote the next 21 pages to sutra I,2. He strongly feels that this sutra contains all that is necessary; an opinion that is conferred by I K Taimni and Bernard Bouanchaud (see earlier posts). However, he believes that the full meaning is not grasped in the many scholarly translations and therefore remains inaccessible to many.

He explains that Yoga or the state of perfect consciousness is not present at birth. Initially, the mind or citti functions through vrittis in order to experience the world during childhood and consequently develops the state of “duality consciousness”. As one matures, one practices the nirodha state of citti.

The problem comes with the translation of nirodha as control. He disputes this translation, asserting that “Patanjali never intended (for it) to mean “control”. If he had he would have used another word (other than nirodha).” (p. xix) Instead, Sw. Shyam describes the nirodha state of mind as the “inward march of the vrittis towards the state of Yoga”. It is the cessation of the vrittis.

He suggests the following approach “Do not force the mind. Do not kill or curb its capacity ad capability. Simply take the attention and fix it at the centre in front of your closed eyes. The centre will perform its job because it is the source, the self of every being. By itself, it will draw all beings into its own lap.” (p. xix)

He further explains that "Nirodha cannot be planned unless through meditation. A practicant breaks the waking state and creates a situation for the state of nirodh to appear by itself. Just as sleep comes by itself without being planned or controlled by the one who is in the waking state, in the same way the nirodh state comes but not by one’s planning to control the citt vritti state. This is why meditation has been recommended. " (p. xxxi.)

Swami Shyam, Patanjali Yog Darshan, India:International Meditation Institute, 2001, 3rd. edition.