Patanjali - Astanga Yoga and true path of indian meditation

Yoga’s classical period is considered to be from 200 BCE - 200 AD.

Patanjali’s eight limbs to the path of self

realization

• ‘Patanjal Yoga Sutra’ is divided into four parts, each one being called ‘pada’. They are as follows-

– 1. Samadhi pada -51 verses – Nature of yoga

– 2. Sadhana pada – 55 verses – cause of sorrow & ways of getting rid of them

– 3. Vibhuti pada - 55 verses – dharana (retention), dhyana (meditation), samadhi (transcendence), restraint & its achievements

– 4. Kaivalya pada – 34 verses - nature of chitta (consciousness)

Philosophical Background -

• God is one

• We are a part of Him

• Union with the God is the ultimate goal

It is verbalized by OM

That indwelling omnipresent sole reality is verbally alluded to as OM, which is the ever— new and eternal cosmic sound that is heard in all natural phenomena (thunderclap, roaring of the ocean, wind rustling trees in the forest, and the conflagration) and even in the reverberations of the musical instruments, the hum of engines, and the distant din of the carnival crowd

Two requisites for spiritual growth

Abhyasa (Practice), and Vairagya (non- attachment) are the Keys to control the mind

There are eight limbs

– There are eight limbs structured by Patanjali called Astanga Yoga

• Asta – eight

• Anga-limbs

• Yoga- Union

1.Yama • Yama is social behavior,

• How you treat others and the world around you.

• These are moral principles.

• There are five Yama1. Ahimsa

2. Truth

3. Non-stealing

4. Celibacy

5. Non-possession

1.Ahimsa –nonviolence

• Mind – mental violence

• Body – physical violence

• Speech – sticks & stones can’t hurt me but words can

Ways to enrich nonviolence -

– nonviolence is to treat others in a way as one wants to be treated by others

– Be self analytic– The company you choose makes a difference

2. Truth

• Soft with awareness

• Not painful truth

• A speaker of truth is always in peace

• Silence

3. Non-stealing

• Don’t accept any thing without permission

• This controls desire

• Happy in limited possession

4. Brahmacharya - Celibacy

• Brahma – charya – living in Brahma (soul )

• Continence helps gaining inner strength (virya)

• Purity is important for spiritual practice

• Self discipline of senses & mind

5. Non-possession

• Non-acquisition means not accepting the subjects of organs of senses

• Root cause of violence, misery

• More possession leads to more unhapiness

• As Iyengar says, a person starts “to realize that all creation is meant for bhakti (adoration) rather than for bhoga (enjoyment), that all creation is divine, that there is divinity within himself and that the energy which moves him is the same that moves the entire universe.”

Niyama

• The niyamas are associated with one’s body, senses and self (antah-karan). It makes ones life sattvic (pure) and divine. Niyamas are action oriented (Pravritti Moolak) because these inspire one into practising yoga

• Niyama is inner discipline and responsibility, how we treat ourselves. These are sometimes called observances, the do’s.

• There are five niyamas:

1. Purity (saucha)

• External - external cleanliness & realizing the true nature of body

• Internal – clear away the negative physical and mental states of being.

• Anima, Neti….(cleansing of bowel, mucus)

• Keep yourself, your clothing, and your surroundings clean. Eat fresh and healthy food.

2. Santosh (Contentment)

Contentment (santosha). Cultivate contentment and tranquility by finding happiness with what you have and who you are. Seek happiness in the moment, take responsibility for where you are, and choose to grow from there. 

3. Austerity (tapas) • Keeping the mind stable in conflicts and ups and downs of life, is

known as penance. (yoga samadhi pada) one achieves the siddhis of anima-mahima, etc.( mystical powers )

4. Study of the sacred text (svadhyaya). Education changes a person’s outlook on life.

• Self-study means chanting of mantras like ‘Om’, ‘Gayatri’ etc, regularly studying the shashtras (holy books) leading to liberation, and provide knowledge of the ‘self’ (Atma Gyana) and ‘God’ (Brahma Gyana).

• “Be directed to me!”

5. Ishvara Pranidhan

• Living with an awareness of the Divine (ishvara-pranidhana). Be devoted to God, the Divine

• It means devoting every little action and it’s result to God.

Asana -

• Stable posture where mind is stable & body with mountain stillness

• Exercise not to get slim, but enabling the body for higher spiritual pursuit.

Pranayam- control of breath

Prana and mind are strongly correlated.

The prana stabilizes the mind. Pranayama is essential for stabilizing the prana. It helps develop concentration.

Pratyahar (Withdrawl of Senses)

• ‘to withdraw’. • Pratyahara hinders the extrovertness of senses.

The senses run after their subject but with practice, they follow the chitta (Consciousness).

• When the meditator withdraws his senses from the infatuation of external world and concentrates on his goal, then his senses and chitta reach the ‘Niruddha’ state (no- effect).

Dharana (Retention)

• Concentration involves teaching the mind to focus on one point or image.

• It enhances the capacity of retention

Dhyana

• Uninterrupted meditation without an object is called dhyana. Retention (dharana) leads to the state of meditation.

• Awareness of distraction is concentration, meditation is non-distraction.

• Savikalpa – Meditation with contemplation keeping any image, object

• Nirvikalpa – meditation without any external means, pure observation

Samadhi

• The ultimate goal of the eightfold path of yoga is samadhi or transcendental state

• Achieved samadhi are enlightened. Paramahansa Yoganananda called it the state of God-Union.