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September 30, 2019
Herein lies a great difference with modern physics, according to which you need light for the image of an object to come to the eye. Even when light is present, as well as an object that can be viewed, still there must be something that calls us out to see, to think, to listen. This impulse comes from the puruṣa within, not from outside.
There are various opinions about how the relationship between puruṣa and prakṛti came about.
There are also many theories about what happens to our puruṣa when we die.
Change is not a direct or even an indirect consequence of yoga or any other practice. We cannot depend on it. What we can count on gaining from our yoga practice is a quieter mind—somehow
The mind cannot observe its own changes.
For this very reason we describe our puruṣa as the witness as well as the source of our action.
If real clarity is present, we experience quietness and peace within us.
Our aim in practicing yoga is to bring about a change in the quality of the mind so that we can perceive more from the puruṣa. Yoga attempts to influence the mind in such a way that it is possible for our puruṣa to operate without hindrances.
Yoga cannot guarantee us this or that particular benefit if we practice diligently.
We can understand the whole practice of yoga as a process of examining our habitual attitudes and behaviors and their consequences.
The attitude we have toward things and people outside ourselves is called yama in yoga, and how we relate to ourselves inwardly is called niyama.
Yama and niyama deal with our social attitude and lifestyle, how we interact with other people and the environment, and how we deal with our problems. These all form a part of yoga, but they cannot be practiced.
Yama and niyama are the first two of the eight limbs of the body of yoga.1 Both words have many meanings.
Ahiṃsā is more than just lack of violence. It means kindness, friendliness, and thoughtful consideration of other people and things. We must exercise judgment when thinking about ahiṃsā.
In every situation we should adopt a considered attitude.
The next yama mentioned by Patañjali is satya, truthfulness. Satya means “to speak the truth,” yet it is not always desirable to speak the truth come what may, for it could harm someone unnecessarily.
If speaking the truth has negative consequences for another, then it is better to say nothing.
asteya is the opposite—to take nothing that does not belong to us.
We can understand brahmacarya as a movement toward the essential.
More specifically, brahmacarya suggests that we should form relationships that foster our understanding of the highest truths. If sensual pleasures are part of those relationships, we must take care that we keep our direction and do not get lost.
This control, however, is not identical with total abstinence.
The first niyama is śauca, cleanliness. Śauca has both an inner and an outer aspect.Outer
Practicing āsanas or prāṇāyāma are essential means for attending to this inner śauca.
Another niyama is saṃtośa, modesty and the feeling of being content with what we have.
That is the real meaning of saṃtośa—to accept what happens.
tapas refers to the activity of keeping the body fit. Literally it means to heat the body and, by so doing, to cleanse it.
Earlier I discussed āsanas and prāṇāyāma as means by which we can keep ourselves healthy.
Svādhyāya therefore means to get close to yourself, that is, to study yourself.
In the context of the niyama we find the term often translated as “the study of ancient texts.”
we sometimes find svādhyāya translated as “the repetition of mantras.”4
Īśvarapraṇidhānā means “to lay all your actions at the feet of God.”
The Yoga Sūtra does not mention the concept of kriyā when discussing the various niyama. The word kriyā means “action.” In the context of your question it refers to cleansing. Something from the outside is used to clean the inside.
if by “self-denial” you mean a sensible, well-founded discipline that helps you move forward in life, then you are talking about real tapas. Tapas must not cause suffering.
The relationships we have with the outer world—with other people and things around us—can help us to recognize a moment of self-deception.
Yamas and niyamas can be both cause and effect.
First we must simply observe—the first thing we do is watch and see what is happening. Then we see what we need to be wary of. We do not simply drive onto a motorway and take off. We must be constantly looking around as we go forward.
Isn’t it easier to abide by yogic principles if you live in a quiet place like a monastery rather than living in the family home? A: Both settings can be helpful.
Change helps. We must look at both fire and water if we want to experience how we will react to them.
a little change is very important. The mind grows so used to things that our action quickly falls into habits (saṃskāras). We can never experience our real nature if we do not expose ourselves to change.
Q: I understand how we should give up living out a desire that we recognize is bad for us. Where should the emphasis of our work then lie—on giving it up or on making sure that the desire does not reappear?
We must first of all determine whether that which we consider to be a problem really is one.
To recognize if there really is a problem, it is often helpful to change your surroundings and look at things from a different perspective.
The Yoga Sūtra says that if something is really causing you problems, imagine the opposite situation—this can help you sort out the right thing to do.
Encouraging a change of perspective is a matter of finding a new situation that can allow a fresh attitude to develop.
In any situation, when you do not know exactly how you should behave then you should not act immediately.
Whenever you are in doubt, it is best to pause.
The goal of yoga is to encourage us to be a little better than we were before.
Our behavior changes gradually as we progress along the yoga path,
Similarly, on the path of yoga all eight aspects develop concurrently and in an interrelated way. That is why the Yoga Sūtra uses the term aṅga for the eight limbs of yoga. Patañjali refers to them collectively as aṣṭāṅga.
Pratyāhāra can be a means for controlling physical discomfort by directing the attention elsewhere.
