Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2: 4 & 5

The fertile field for impurities

Avidya Kshetramuttaresham Prasupta Tanu Vicchinna Udaranam

Anithya Ashuchi Dukha Anatmasu Nithya Shuchi Sukha Athma Khyatihi Avidya

After outlining the five impurities, in these two Sutras, Patanjali says that Avidya or ignorance is the root cause for all the other four impurities.

In the fertile soil of Avidya, a conducive atmosphere is presented for the sprouting of the sapling of Asmita or the "I, Me, Myself," ego, the attachment of people, places, things and situations born out of that ego, hatred to all that doesn't act in conformity with this ego and finally an effort to preserve this false and non-existent ego are the impurities in consciousness born out of Avidya. These impurities are almost non-existent, dormant, lean, thin and weak. They express sometimes in fits and starts or are fully active. The fully active cases of these Kleshsas is what we see manifested in today's world of terrorism, killing, violence and gore.

The next sutra explains what Avidya is. Confusing or mistaking the impermanent, impure (mixed qualities), the sorrowful and material for the permanent, pure, pleasurable soul is Avidya. To quote an example - the human body and mind is impermanent - it is born and goes through phases of transformation and dies. It is impure in the sense, it is not one homogenous composition, but a mixture of matter and thoughts of innumerable frequencies ofr vibration. They are afflicted by sorrow. It is non-spirit by its sheer gross eistence. Taking this body and mind to be the permanent, pure, blissful soul is Avidya. Though the hand writes, we say, "I am writing," confusing the soul "I" here with the body. Knowledge or Vidya is a 24/7 understanding that we are the one indivisible soul and this body and mind are tools for its expression. - Swahilya Shambhavi (Pic. A garden of a Babaji's Kutir in Ukhimath, Himalayas. There is possibility for plants and weeds in the garden soil.)

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 2:3

The five impurities

Avidya Asmita Raga Dwesha Abhiniveshaha Kleshaha

Sutra 2 spoke of the need to do any three parts of Kriya Yoga or the Yoga of Action - Penance, Self-Study and Surrender to the Supreme for achieving a state of Samadhi and to remove impurities. This Sutra outlines the impurities. Patanjali lists five types of impurities of the mind. The first is Avidya or lack of knowledge and right understanding of the one consciousness. The second impurity is Asmita. Asmi means "I am". Asmita is an assertion of myself as the physical ego. Asmita is born of Avidya. Lack of knowledge of the real self which is consciousness leads to an erroneous and arrogant perception of oneself as intelligent, or stupid, rich or poor, handsome or ugly - all the differences. Raga is attachment born out of ego. If I like myself so much, I like to surround myself with people, things and situations that I like. My mind goes berserk in this search and loses its stability. This loss of balance is the impurity or klesha that can be fixed by Kriya Yoga. Dwesha is selective dislike and hatred. If there is a type of food I like, there is a certain thing I may hate. Same with persons, places, things and happenings. This hatred is a mental impurity.

Abhinivesha is the human nature of holding on to life. This is an impurity and impurity here is not the common understanding of uncleanliness but of something that distorts our perception or vision. When I cling on to life, I may do a lot of things that can disturb the balance of mind. Clinging to life means running away from death. Fear, born as a result of Abhinivesha is the greatest destroyer of clear perception. A clear and stable mind allows awareness to shine through. These five impurities don't let that happen. - Swahilya Shambhavi.

(Photo: Patanjali gives even my shaky pictures a chance to be here! This is Pranayama at the Robinson Park in Old Washermenpet, Chennai. The picture is here on account of its shake. To show how a balance of mind and body can result in a distorted perception!)

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 2:2

The result of Yoga

Samadhi Bhavanarthaha Klesha Tanookaranarthascha

The practice of Tapas - austerities, Swadhyaya - studying one's own mind and the different aspects of one's self - the physical, bio-plasmic, mental, intellectual and bliss bodies and Ishwara Pranidhana - offering all our actions and the fruits of the action to God or the one supreme being, the three parts of Kriya Yoga is to first give us the experience of the Samadhi state of mind and to also lessen the potency of the various impurities in the mind and body. - Swahilya Shambhavi. (Pic. An evening on the Ganga. The Sandhya time when the sun sets is when nature is in a state of Samadhi. - Swahilya Shambhavi.)

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 2:1

Sadhana Padaha

Here begins the second chapter of the Patanjali Yoga Sutra called the Sadhana Padaha. It outlines the different steps to the most famous Ashtanga Yoga. All the different Yogic practices that are being taught in the Yoga studies around the world have their beginnings in this chapter that gives us the eight steps to reach the state of Yogic union of the individual and cosmic consciousness.
Tapah Swadhyaya Ishwara Pranidhanani Kriya Yogaha
Kriya Yoga - the yoga of action has three steps or rather parts to it. The first is Tapas. Tapa is to burn. Just like how one burns calories which is converted and released as energy on the treadmill, con stant and conscious exposure of the mind to the light of consciousness generates a psychic heat that actually burns away the impressions or seeds in the mind that germinate as distorted thoughts. Taas has many variations - silence is Tapas, fasting is Tapas, physical, mental and breath workout is Taas.
The next is Swadhyaya. Swa - One's own, Adhyaya - study. To practice Swadhyaya is to study what is happening to us at five levels - body, breath, mind, intellect and bliss. These are five parts of our being. A constant attention to how these five parts are is Swadhyaya. Reading or learning aything that shows us the way to do this is also Swadhyaya.
Ishwara Pranidhana - Ishwara is Lord - consciousness. Pranidhana is to surrender. All practice bears fruit only with this complete surrender of our thoughts, words and action with love to this consciousness. Immersion into this consciousness gives us the strength. These three are the steps to the Yoga of Action. - Swahilya Shambhavi.