Sutra Sunday
Sundays, Maggie Reagh presents a series of blog posts on one of Patanjali’s key Yoga Sūtra-s (YS), encouraging you to reflect on how it relates to your current life situation through a Yoga Sūtra Journal Question.
The sacredness of Sun (Surya)-day, the day that the Sun is honoured in many cultures, is a brilliant day to do Sva-dhyaya (Self-reflection) through the vehicle of the YS, which like koans, can break your head open, revealing the wisdom of your inherent shining Heart.
Maggie honours her great Yoga-acharya, DV Sridhar of Yoga Rakṣanam, Chennai, India for teaching her the YS for more than 10 years. This blog is dedicated to him and her other Yoga Masters, Radha Sridhar and Viji Vasu with great gratitude.
While what she has learnt from her Masters is the starting point of her Sūtra reflections, Maggie’s blogs include her own insights and interpretations from 20 years of Yoga practice both on and off the mat.
She requests your indulgence for any mistakes unintentionally made and would appreciate any feedback.
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What is the Soul?
I-2 Yogaḥ Citta-Vṛtti -Nirodhaḥ - CVN
The state called Yoga naturally arises when we continuously practice directing (nirodhaḥ) the cognitive processes (vṛtti-s) of the mind (citta).
Soul – Many Terms – Many Roles Ātmā That which pervades everywhere
Jiva The individual soul that lives in the body for a temporary period of time like a tenant
Puruṣa Saņkhya Philosophy’s term for the Soul’s passive state of Being with the power to perceive and experience. It is a passive observer/perceiver and is resident of the puram (the town), half sleeping like images of the reclining Viṣnu/Buddha. In its passive Observer/Perceiver form, Puruṣa is a synonym for the Cit in the YS. In its Active Seer form, Puruṣa is a synonym for the Drasta in the YS.
Cit The Yoga Sutra term for the Soul’s passive state of being – Pure Source of Consciousness – Source of the citta (mind - impure). It has the power to understand and is the One who is conscious in us as a silent Observer/Perceiver.
There is a debate as whether the citta (mind) decides to evolve or whether it is the Cit (Soul) who makes this choice. Is the Cit a distinct individual or inextricably linked to Source? Does the citta have any power to decide anything without the Cit, its Source? Your perspective depends on whether you are an Advaitan (Soul and Source are One) or a Dvaitan (Soul and Source are two).
In my view, both perspectives are true on a continuum of the Soul’s (Cit) evolution from limitation to the Freedom of realizing its Source as an eternal awake Spirit (Draṣţa). As long as we believe we are an individual soul (Cit), we keep evolving as an individual mind-soul (buddhi/citta + Cit) from life to life, somewhat disconnected from our pure unchanging Source/Spirit (Draṣţa). But when we become completely Free or Enlightened (Kaivalyam), all individuality ceases because the citta (mind) finally decides through freewill to surrender all of its activities (karma-s) to the dictates of its Source of Consciousness (Draṣţa). The student (citta) must decide she wants to learn from the Inner Knower/Teacher (Draṣţa).
Until that day, the Cit can only observe as a passive Puruṣa and cannot direct the show of our lives as an active Inner Teacher/Knower (Draṣţa). It cannot act as the master of our minds. What we call transformation of the soul is the citta (mind’s) gradually disidentification with the dictates of the world and instead listening to the guidance of its activated Draṣţa (Spirit). When Cit cannot identify who it is other than through the still unevolved citta (mind), we call that mix up “soul”. When that mix up ends, the individual soul has become re-identified with Draṣţa and has merged with its Source, Universal Spirit. The mind-soul’s transformation is finally complete. It has gotten off the wheel of life and death and is Free!
Draṣţa The Draṣţa is the YS term for Soul’s active state of Being with the power to actively perceive and experience , to attentively shine like the brilliant Sun. The Spirit in such an watchful state has become firmly rooted in its original state of being as the master of the mind.
When citta does decide to surrender to the Heart (Cit), the mind (citta) will evolve into a sattvic mind, pure enough to reflect the true nature of its Spirit (Draṣţa). Its kleśa-s will have decreased while its vivekam (inner wisdom) will have increased until it becomes continuous vivekam (Kaivalyam – Freedom). The mind (citta) has to decide to wake up the sleeping Giant (Puruṣa/Cit) within at which point the Cit becomes the active Master of the mind called Draṣţa in the YS.
I-3 Tadā-draṣtuh-svarūpe-avastānam
As a result of being in the state called Yoga (CVN), the Soul (Cit or Puruṣa), becomes firmly rooted in Its own original state of Being - Draṣta (Active Seer) and takes its rightful place as master of the mind (citta).
- The mind’s vṛtti-s (activities) have become so focussed in one direction for a sustained period of time (nirodhaḥ) that the mind (citta) takes the same form as the Cit (Soul). The Cit is now awake and free from the limitations of its mind-body lens of perception. It is now shining in its original form as Draṣta (Spirit) like the Sun.
I-4 Vṛttisārūpyam-itaratra
Otherwise, the Cit takes the same form as the citta’s (mind’s) vṛtti-s (5 mental processes).
- Svarūpyam means the Cit’s (Soul’s) original form (YS I,3)
- Sārūpyam means NOT the Cit’s (Soul’s) original/true form. In such a state of ignorance, the Cit (Soul) takes the same form as the mind’s vṛtti-s (YS I,4). The Soul is entrapped by the mind-body experience and cannot see clearly.
The Soul can only see what the mind presents to It through the mind’s mirror. Yoga practice is like using Windex. We have to continuously clean the mirror of the mind so that it can reflect the Light of the Spirit directly, not through a glass darkly.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known ~1 Corinthians 12
Yoga Sutra Journal Questions for September
How do you experience that state called Yoga in your daily life? How do you undercover your natural state of Happiness and Joy? What activities help you reign in the untamed mind so that you can experience the Joy that naturally arises from that quiet state of body-mind? Can all of these activities promote that state of mind called Yoga? Can they all be considered Yoga practices?
What are the Five Cognitive Processes of the Mind?
I-2 Yogaḥ Citta-Vṛtti -Nirodhaḥ - CVN
The state called Yoga naturally arises when we continuously practice directing (nirodhaḥ) the cognitive processes (vṛtti-s) of the mind (citta).
I-5 Vṛttayaḥ pancatayyaḥ-kliṣţākliṣţaḥ
The five vṛtti-s can lead to a state of a mind clouded by misperception (by the 5 kleśa-s – see YS Ch II) OR an unclouded mind.
- The mind cannot give us lasting Happiness (Ānanda). It can only bring us duhkham (mind clouded by the 5 kleśa-s) or sukham (pleasure and comfort that always turns into duhkham).
- The mind is not given a positive role in finding lasting Happiness. It can only give us unhappiness (a clouded mind) or NO unhappiness (neutral state with an unclouded mind). Only freeing the Cit (Soul) from the clouded mind that it sees through can give us lasting Happiness (Ānanda)– Kaivalyam (Freedom).
- Happiness is our natural state when the mind is free from is obscuring kleśa-s. In this state, the Cit becomes the master of the mind and the mind becomes the tool of the Cit rather than the citta (mind) thinking it is the Cit (Master – True Self).
- At best, the mind (Individuated consciousness) can be crystal clear like a diamond and perfectly reflect the source of its Light, the Cit (Pure Consciousness). This Happiness is our natural state.
The mind (citta) is only known through its five cognitive processes (vṛtti-s):
I-6 Pramāna -viparyaya-vikalpa- nidrā -smṛtayaḥ
- Pramāna: Correct understanding
- Viparyaya: Misunderstanding
- Vikalpa: Imagination
- Nidrā: Sleep
- Smṛti: Memory
Yoga Sutra Journal Questions for September
How do you experience that state called Yoga in your daily life? How do you undercover your natural state of Happiness and Joy? What activities help you reign in the untamed mind so that you can experience the Joy that naturally arises from that quiet state of body-mind? Can all of these activities promote that state of mind called Yoga? Can they all be considered Yoga practices?
What is the Mind?
1-2 Yogaḥ Citta-Vṛtti -Nirodhaḥ - CVN
The state called Yoga naturally arises when we continuously practice directing (nirodhaḥ) the cognitive processes (vṛtti-s) of the mind (citta).
The Mind – Many Terms – Many Roles Manas – Mental processor - processes all sensations - leader of the senses – etymologically related to the word “man” or “hu-man”. It can’t process outside information/knowledge (vidya) via the senses clearly because of ignorance/misperception (avidya). It has not applied knowledge through actions from deep within (vivekam) – the manomaya (brain, 6th sense) level in pancamaya system.
Ahamkara – Ego - believes it is in charge (the Master of the system) – steals the Cit’s (Soul’s) power to direct our lives. It does not understand that Cit (Soul, Seat of Consciousness) is its Source. It is the interface between the manomaya (brain) and vijnānamaya (deep-seated applied knowledge) level in pancamaya system.
Buddhi – Deeper mind – Values, deep seated samskāra-s (unconscious patterns/tendencies from this life and other lives). It must be trained to choose correctly and help the manas (brain) decide what to allow through its filter and what to reject. It is closest to the Draṣţa (Active Perceiver, Soul). The more sattvic (pure) it is, the more vivekam (intuitive, unmediated wisdom) it has at its disposal. When it is able to listen to the whisperings of the Soul, it receives its unmediated perfect wisdom (vivekam), not based on the knowledge of senses or the brain (indriya-s/manas). It is able to reflect what the Soul (Draṣţa) correctly determines is the best course of action for the least amount of suffering in any given situation. It is the vijnānamaya (deep seated applied knowledge) level in pancamaya system.
Citta - Individuated consciousness –Part of prakṛti (mind-body-matter) – Synonymous with buddhi since it too understands that Cit (Pure Consciousness, Puruṣa, Soul) is its Source. Citta (mind) is known by its 5 cognitive processes (vṛtti-s) and is covered in kleśa-s (the 5 misperceptions of a clouded mind). As it evolves, it becomes more sattvic (pure) with more prajna-vivekam (unmediated spontaneous intuition-wisdom from the Soul) and fewer kleśa-s (5 misperceptions).
The purpose of Yoga is to bring duality to Oneness. Citta (individuated consciousness) eventually merges back into its Source, Cit (pure consciousness). The mind’s purpose is to show the external world to the internal Soul and to reflect the Light of the Soul so that it remembers who IT is (IV,23). The citta (mind) serves the Cit (Soul) and cannot function without it. It has no purpose except to act as the servant to the Soul (Cit) rather than the false master (IV, 24 and II, 21). The mind (citta) is always changing while the Perceiver (Cit) is not (IV,19).
Yoga Sutra Journal Questions for September
How do you experience that state called Yoga in your daily life? How do you uncover your natural state of Happiness and Joy? What activities help you reign in the untamed mind so that you can experience the Joy that naturally arises from that quiet state of body-mind? Can all of these activities promote that state of mind called Yoga? Can they all be considered Yoga practices?
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