Chapter 3 of the Yoga Sûtras of Patañjali
[Hindu] The eight limbs of Yoga, continued. Effects of Mystical Experience.
WHY SHOULD A CHRISTIAN STUDY A HINDU TEXT?
Reading important texts from other world religions is essential for becoming equipped for Interfaith Dialogue.
The Yoga Sûtras of Patañjali is a key text from Hinduism that non-Hindus generally find interesting and readable.
If you are a Christian and if you have read Patañjali, you will be further equipped for Interfaith Dialogue.
You will have a powerful tool to build bridges with people who meditate. And with Hindus you meet.
THE EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA, CONTINUED
Limb 6. Focus
The Sanskrit word is धारणा (“Dhāraṇā”). It means concentration, introspective focus, one-pointedness of mind.
It is focusing the mind on a single object of concentration for a period of time.
SÛTRA 1. One-pointedness is steadfastness of the mind.
One-pointedness. This is often translated as “concentration.”
However, the word “concentration” implies difficult work. It can be more accurate to think of it as directing your gaze, or simply “attention.”
steadfastness of the mind. That is, focusing the consciousness on a particular object.
Limb 7. Meditation
The Sanskrit word is ध्यान (“Dhyāna”). It means contemplation, reflection, meditation.
There is an uninterrupted flow of the mind toward the object of focus.
SÛTRA 2. Unbroken continuation of that mental ability is meditation.
Unbroken continuation. That is, continuing your “attention.”
is meditation. The Christian term is “contemplation.”
Limb 8. Union
The Sanskrit word is समाधि (“Samadhi”). It means putting together, joining, combining with, union, harmonious whole, trance.
The self-awareness of the mind disappears and only the object of meditation shines through.
SÛTRA 3. That same meditation when there is only consciousness of the object of meditation and not of the mind is realization.
That same meditation. That is, “During meditation …”
is realization. The Sanskrit word is Samadhi. It means absorption or realization. The most analogous Christian word is “contemplation.”
SÛTRA 4. The three appearing together are self-control.
The three appearing together. That is, when concentration, meditation and contemplation form one sequential act.
self-control. The Sanskrit word is Sanyama. It means inner control.
SÛTRA 5. By mastery comes wisdom.
By mastery. That is, by mastering Sanyama, or achieving inner control.
wisdom. That is, the light of cognitive insight dawns.
SÛTRA 6. The application of mastery is by stages.
is by stages. The light of cognitive illumination arrives gradually. It is developed step by step.
SÛTRA 7. The three are more efficacious than the restraints.
The three. That is, concentration, meditation and contemplation.
more efficacious than the restraints. Meditation and contemplation are more powerful than renunciation in transforming our lives.
SÛTRA 8. Even that is external to the seedless realization.
Even that is external. Concentration and meditation and contemplation are wondrous and powerful. But they are not the root transformation that is needed.
seedless realization. The Sanskrit word for realization is Samadhi. It means soul vision. It is not based on any object. It is meditation without a seed.
SÛTRA 9. The significant aspect is the union of the mind with the moment of absorption, when the outgoing thought disappears and the absorptive experience appears.
the moment of absorption. This transitional moment is called Nirodha.
outgoing thought disappears. Our active thinking processes come to a stop. Meditation ceases.
absorptive experience appears. We are taken up into a contemplative moment. It is a mystical experience.
SÛTRA 10. From sublimation of this union comes the peaceful flow of unbroken unitive cognition.
sublimation of this union. That is, through the cultivation of this habit.
the peaceful flow of unbroken unitive cognition. The mind experiences a uniform flow of mystical experience.
SÛTRA 11. The contemplative transformation of this is equalmindedness, witnessing the rise and destruction of distraction as well as one-pointedness itself.
equalmindedness. The more we practice being open to mystical experience, the more we will be able to enter into it continually.
one-pointedness. The mind stops hopping from one thing to another. Instead, it is intent upon a single thing.
SÛTRA 12. The mind becomes one-pointed when the subsiding and rising thought-waves are exactly similar.
becomes one-pointed. The mind is intent upon a single point.
This is called Ekagrata.
SÛTRA 13. In this state, it passes beyond the changes of inherent characteristics, properties and the conditional modifications of object or sensory recognition.
inherent characteristics. That is, the the characteristic property. The “form.”
properties. That is, distinctive mark or use. Their symbolic nature.
conditional modifications. That is, their stages of development.
SÛTRA 14. The object is that which preserves the latent characteristic, the rising characteristic or the yet-to-be-named characteristic that establishes one entity as specific.
latent characteristic. That is, the past.
rising characteristic. That is, the present.
yet-to-be-named characteristic. That is, the future.
SÛTRA 15. The succession of these changes in that entity is the cause of its modification.
The succession of these changes. That is, a series of mystical experiences have a cumulative effect.
the cause of its modification. The cumulative effect of a series of mystical experiences is that our lives are changed.
EFFECTS OF MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE
Effect 1. Knowing the Past and the Future
SÛTRA 16. By self-control over these three-fold changes (of property, character and condition), knowledge of the past and the future arises.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
knowledge of the past. It is possible that Moses had this gift, and that by it, he was able to write the first five books of the Old Testament.
and the future. This is what most people think of as the prophetic gift. It is a knowledge of future events.
Effect 2. Understanding Foreign Languages
SÛTRA 17. The sound of a word, the idea behind the word, and the object the idea signfies are often taken as being one thing and may be mistaken for one another. By self-control over their distinctions, understanding of all languages of all creatures arises.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
understanding of all languages of all creatures. This is the power to understand the meaning of any sound uttered by any sentient being.
It correlates with the Christian gift of languages:
1 Corinthians 13:1. If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.
Effect 3. Knowledge of Previous Lives
SÛTRA 18. By self-control on the perception of mental impressions, knowledge of previous lives arises.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
mental impressions. That is, latent thought-images. Pictures in your mind.
knowledge of previous lives. That is, things that took place during previous incarnations. Christians do not believe in reincarnation. But Hindus do.
Effect 4. Knowing another Person’s Mind
SÛTRA 19. By self-control on any mark of a body, the wisdom of the mind activating that body arises.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
the mind activating that body. That is, the mind of another person.
Effect 5. Invisibility & Inaudibility
SÛTRA 20. By self-control on the form of a body, by suspending perceptibility and separating effulgence therefrom, there arises invisibility and inaudibilty.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
invisibility. Other people cannot see you. This is because their ability to see you has been temporarily curtailed.
inaudibilty. Other people can no longer hear you. As with the above, their ability to hear you has been temporarily curtailed.
Effect 6. Knowing the Time of your own Death
SÛTRA 21. Action is of two kinds, dormant and fruitful. By self-control on such action, one portends the time of death.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
one portends the time of death. You come to know when you will die.
Effect 7. Ability to grant Joy
SÛTRA 22. By performing self-control on friendliness, the strength to grant joy arises.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
on friendliness. The meditative practice is to direct one’s gaze upon friendliness.
the strength to grant joy. Think of all the people who experienced real joy when thy met Mother Theresa of Calcutta.
Effect 8. Great Physical Strength
SÛTRA 23. By self-control over any kind of strength, such as that of the elephant, that very strength arises.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
any kind of strength. One could focus on the powers of the elements, or of the powers of animals.
Effect 9. Remote Knowledge
SÛTRA 24. By self-control on the primal activator comes knowledge of the hidden, the subtle, and the distant.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
the primal activator. That is, objects that are concealed or distant or tiny.
Effect 10. Stellar Cartography
SÛTRA 25. By self-control on the sun comes knowledge of spatial specificities.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
the sun. Literally, the sun in the sky.
spatial specificities. That is, the space between the earth and the sun.
SÛTRA 26. By self-control on the Moon comes knowledge of the heavens.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
the heavens. That is, the stars.
SÛTRA 27. By self-control on the Polestar arises knowledge of orbits.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
the Polestar. That is, the polar star.
knowledge of orbits. By the time of Patañjali in 400 AD, Hindu mystics already knew the earth was not the center of the universe.
They already perceived the orbits of the stars.
Effect 11. Knowledge of Internal Organs
SÛTRA 28. By self-control on the navel arises knowledge of the constitution of the body.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
on the navel. More specifically, the solar plexus.
the constitution of the body. That is, the internal structure of the human body.
Effect 12. Overcome Hunger and Thirst
SÛTRA 29. By self-control on the pit of the throat one subdues hunger and thirst.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
the pit of the throat. That is, the nerve center in the pit of the throat.
subdues hunger and thirst. These strong drives can be subdued.
Effect 13. Immovability
SÛTRA 30. By self-control on the tube within the chest one acquires absolute steadiness.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
the tube within the chest. That is, the nerve center below the pit of the throat.
absolute steadiness. You can prevent your body from being moved, and you do not need to use your muscles to make it happen.
Effect 14. Behold the Angels
SÛTRA 31. By self-control on the light in the head one envisions perfected beings.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
envisions perfected beings. You gain the ability to see heavenly entities.
Effect 15. Powerful Intuition
SÛTRA 32. There is knowledge of everything from intuition.
knowledge of everything. After long practice, you can disregard the above instructions.
from intuition. You will be able to possess any knowledge simply by wanting it.
Effect 16. Other People’s Thoughts
SÛTRA 33. Self-control on the heart brings knowledge of the mental entity.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
on the heart. The Hridaya.
the mental entity. Comprehend the thoughts of others, as well as your own thoughts.
Effect 17. Understanding the Soul
SÛTRA 34. Experience arises due to the inability of discerning the attributes of vitality from the indweller, even though they are indeed distinct from one another. Self-control brings true knowledge of the indweller by itself.
the attributes of vitality. That is, our experiences.
the indweller. That is, the soul. It is disconnected from all material things.
true knowledge of the indweller. That is, a true knowledge of your soul itself.
Effect 18. Intuitional Knowledge of All Things
SÛTRA 35. This spontaneous enlightenment results in intuitional perception of hearing, touching, seeing and smelling.
intuitional perception. This is a mystical knowledge concerning all things.
Effect 19. Transcend the Limits of Sensory Knowledge
SÛTRA 36. To the outward turned mind, the sensory organs are perfections, but are obstacles to realization.
To the outward turned mind. That is, the superficial person who is not interested in spiritual realities.
the sensory organs are perfections. The superficial person finds that the sense organs are perfect.
The sum total of reality is defined by whatever the sense organs can detect.
are obstacles to realization. However, our sense organs can only tell us a tiny fraction of reality.
The spiritual person does not limit their sense of reality to the sense organs.
Instead, they are open to much more.
Effect 20. Transfer your Consciousness to another Body
SÛTRA 37. When the bonds of the mind caused by action have been loosened, one may enter the body of another by knowledge of how the nerve-currents function.
have been loosened. That is, you have become unattached to what your sense organs tell you.
one may enter the body of another. Your inner self can be transferred to another body.
how the nerve-currents function. That is, the knowledge of how the mind and body are connected.
Effect 21. Levitation
SÛTRA 38. By self-control of the nerve-currents utilising the lifebreath, one may levitate, walk on water, swamps, thorns, or the like.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
the nerve-currents utilising the lifebreath. This vital energy is called Udana.
Effect 22. Radiate Light
SÛTRA 39. By self-control over the maintenance of breath, one may radiate light.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
the maintenance of breath. This vital energy is called Samana.
one may radiate light. You have the power to appear as if blazing with light.
Effect 23. Remote Hearing
SÛTRA 40. By self-control on the relation of the ear to the ether one gains distant hearing.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
the ether. That is, air and space.
distant hearing. Whether near or far, whether on the earth or elsewhere in space.
Effect 24. Teleportation
SÛTRA 41. By self-control over the relation of the body to the ether, and maintaining at the same time the thought of the lightness of cotton, one is able to pass through space.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
the ether. That is, air and space.
pass through space. That is, instantaneous travel.
Effect 25. Know all things
SÛTRA 42. By self-control on the mind when it is separated from the body- the state known as the Great Transcorporeal – all coverings are removed from the Light.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
when it is separated from the body. When you are no longer influenced by your body and its perception of reality.
all coverings are removed from the Light. Nothing is obfuscated from your intellect any longer.
Effect 26. Control over the Elements
SÛTRA 43. Mastery over the elements arises when their gross and subtle forms, as well as their essential characteristics, and the inherent attributes and experiences they produce, is examined in self-control.
Mastery over the elements. You have complete control over the elements.
Effect 27. Greatly change your Physical Size
SÛTRA 44. Thereby one may become as tiny as an atom as well as having many other abilities, such as perfection of the body, and non-resistence to duty.
become as tiny as an atom. You can project yourself to be as small as the tiniest atom.
SUTRA 45. Perfection of the body consists in beauty, grace, strength and adamantine hardness.
Effect 28. Master your Senses
SÛTRA 46. By self-control on the changes that the sense-organs endure when contacting objects, and on the power of the sense of identity, and of the influence of the attributes, and the experience all these produce – one masters the senses.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
SÛTRA 47. From that come swiftness of mind, independence of perception, and mastery over primoridal matter.
swiftness of mind. That is, to be able to move your body with the quickness of thought.
independence of perception. That is, to perceive things beyond your location, and independent of whether things are blocked from you.
Effect 29. Omniscience and Omnipotence
SÛTRA 48. To one who recognizes the distinctive relation between vitality and indweller comes omnipotence and omniscience.
omniscience. That is, the knowledge of everything.
omnipotence. That is, a mastery over everything.
Effect 30. Absolute Independence
SÛTRA 49. Even for the destruction of the seed of bondage by desirelessness there comes absolute independence.
the destruction of the seed of bondage. Most people are slaves to their desires. That is true even for most spiritual people. They are enslaved to their goal of spiritual growth.
desirelessness. That is, you are indifferent as to whether you have spiritual growth or not.
absolute independence. This is also referred to as Isolation.
Effect 31. Celestial Beings
SÛTRA 50. When invited by invisible beings one should be neither flattered nor satisfied, for there is yet a possibility of ignorance rising up.
invisible beings. That is, celestial beings.
In Christian jargon, we say angels or demons.
neither flattered nor satisfied. If you see an angel or a demon, do not be impressed with yourself.
a possibility of ignorance rising up. You can still fall to pride or any other spiritual malady and all your progress would be lost.
Effect 32. Perceiving Repercussions
SÛTRA 51. By self-control over single moments and their succession there is wisdom born of discrimination.
By self-control. That is, by directing your gaze upon.
SÛTRA 52. From that there is recognition of two similars when that difference cannot be distinguished by class, characteristic or position.
difference cannot be distinguished. The difference is impossible to be known by any other means.
Effect 33. Intuition
SÛTRA 53. Intuition, which is the entire discriminative knowledge, relates to all objects at all times, and is without succession.
Intuition. It is sometimes referred to as knowledge that saves from rebirth.
Effect 34. Emancipation
SÛTRA 54. Liberation is attained when there is equal purity between vitality and the indweller.
Liberation. This is also referred to as Isolation or emancipation.
YOGA SÛTRAS OF PATAÑJALI
RESOURCES: Rationale, Summary, Outline, Translation
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