Patanjali Yoga SUTRA – II – 22

 Same for the other senses too

Etena Shabdaadi Antardanam Uktam|

By the same process mentioned in the previous sutra, one can meditate on one’s own experiences of sound, taste, smell and touch. When the focus is brought to the vibrations caused in the mind, the disconnection with the outside source soon makes us disconnect with all the sounds, taste, touch and smell. - SS

Patanjali Yoga Sutra – III – 21

 The Invisible Man

Kaya Rupa Samyamath Tadagrahya Shakti Sthambhe Chakshuh Prakasha Samprayoge Antardhanam|

When the yogi is meditating on his own body first with eyes open, either seeing the form in the mirror or seeing directly and then with the eyes closed, bringing the form to the mind’s eye – it soon dissolves in consciousness. With constant practice, the consciousness of a physical form vanishes for the Sadhaka. This invisibility of the body experienced by oneself, with constant practice, will soon begin to influence other minds too and they also experience that invisibility. The aim of this practice is to simply transcend body consciousness and not make any H.G. Wells science fiction attempt of becoming invisible! No separate time needs to be set apart for this too. Each day we do take a look at the mirror to set ourselves right. Instead of getting lost in the image in the mirror, we can take a few seconds to keep the eyes closed and see that the form is actually not there! – SS

Patanjali Yoga Sutra – III – 20

No general images can be known

Na cha tat salambanam tasyavishayi bhutathwath|

Continuing from the previous Sutra, Patanjali Maharshi says that while knowing the general repetition of thoughts and emotions can reveal only a general nature of another’s mind, it is not possible to know all the specific thoughts as even the other person’s mind has not full grasped the specific details. There is hence an objectless state of existence for such thoughts.

For instance, a person’s anger, hatred and jealousy can be easily seen as a repeated thought as it has an object to focus on. Without such an object, the general thoughts of another’s mind cannot be understood. If I am angry with someone it is easy for the one who knows this anger movement. If I am contemplating on the nature of human life, then it is very difficult as it is a general idea.
To know another”s mind is to know the contents of one”s own mind. Then it is worth the effort to know only the mind of God and the saints. Staying in tune with the repeated thought of the Lord or the Guru, uplifts us to their heights. Tuning in to ordinary minds with their ego< hatred and greed drags us down -  SS

Patanjali Yoga Sutra – III – 19

Knowing the mind better

Pratyayasya Parachitta Jnanam

When the Sadhaka perceives the repeated flow of thoughts, he gets a knowledge of what is going on in another personn’s mind. What is going on in our mind when we are in a group or with another person, reveals what is oing on in the other mind too. This is not to jump into the dirty job of reading others’ minds. No respectful yogi would risk his sadhana by indulging in such wastage of mental energy. Patanjali Maharshi outlines the process of how the mind works and this knowledge can be applied in uplifting ourselves from difficult situations and helping others who approach us for guidance. – SS.

Patanjali Yoga Sutra – III – 18

Watching your impressions

Samskara Sakshathkaranath Purva Jati Jnanam|

By constantly watching one’s own Samskara or deep thought impressions, the Yogi gets to know one’s own past birth or lives. By focussing on our own Samskaras, the perception soon extends to a similar knowledge about others’ past lives too.

What one has been constantly thinking in a lifetime gets stored as a Samskara or a deep thought impression. Our past actions gave  us our Samskaras or impressions that govern the present life and our present Samskaras or thought formations that we make will govern our future life or lifetimes. - SS

Patanjali Yoga Sutra – III – 17

Separate the sound, form and meaning

Shabdartha Pratyayanam Itaretaradhyasath Sankaram Tatpravibhagasamyamath Sarva Bhoootha Rupa Jnanam

Every object, person or creature has three things in them. They have a name, a form and together they generate an idea in the mind of the perceiver. For instance – take a guava fruit. It has a name – Guava which is a sound vibration. It has an almost round shape and is either green, yellow or a mixed colour. It brings up many ideas in the mind – sweet, sour, seeds that can get caught between the teeth – the ideas are different according to our different preferences and past experiences with the fruit.

This practice of samyama which Patanjali Maharshi tells us to do is to meditate on the word of an object alone, on its form alone or the idea it brings to our mind separately. Usually, there is a confusion born out of a natural superimposition of the name, form and our ideas.

This practice when done constantly gives rise to a knowledge of the sounds produced by humans, animals and even inert objects which are constantly communicating through sound vibrations. - SS

Patanjali Yoga Sutra – III – 16

Powers of yogic practice

Parinama Thraya Samyamath Ateeto Anagata Jnanam

By the union of the three states of the mind – Dharma or its basic nature, Lakshana or its quality and Avastha or its state, the Yogi is able to know the past and the future.

 Samyama means Samyak Yamayati or in good control, Whether it is in a state of nirodha or arrested thoughts, when it is throroughly concentrated or in Samadhi where the mind is totally absorbed, the one who practises Samyama brings his awareness to the state of mind. Such a practitioner is able to easily look into the past history of a situation or person and into the future too. - SS

Patanjali Yoga Sutra – III – 15

It all happens in a sequence

Kramaanyatwam Parinamanyatve Hetuhu

The Chitta or mind keeps constantly transforming itself. The transformation is faster when there is practice and is slow, taking even lifetimes, without practice. The reality however is that, constant change is happening. The change in one state of the Chitta leads to the changes in the next. It is a continuous process that goes back and forth endlessly. – SS

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - III - 14

The qualities and their substratum

Shantoditaavyapadeshya Dharmanupaati Dharmi|

Born out of a quiet mind, the qualities of the subcoscious mind follow a nature of their own, which is in tune with the changeless sustratum called the self. Dharma is the quality and Dharmi is the substratum. Heat is the Dharma of fire and fire is the Dharmi of heat. When the chitta becomes Satwic, it is well established in the Dharmi or the Atman, which is the changeless substratum that has witnessed all the changes of babyhood, childhood, youth, adoloscence, middle age and later old age.- SS

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - III - 13

What is within changes without too

Etena Bhutendriyeshu Dharma Lakshanaavastha Parinamaha Vyakhyathaha|

When the mind is modified through constant practice of the Yama, Niyama, Asana Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi into three states - Samadhi, an experience of dense consciousness, one-pointedness of mind and a cessation of thoughts, the functioning of the sense organse are also transformed.
What happens within is also expressed outside as Dharma, Lakshana and Avastha. With the mental transformation, the sense organs of perception and action also function according to thair dharma or nature and not according to the whims and fancies of the mind. They gain a proper definition of purpose and hence do not go astray. They are well settled in their own positions, contente to be where they are. There is no unchecked desire of its own to be fulfilled. They quieten down their role and obey the wisdom of the intellect-supported mind. - SS