Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 30

Five attitudes towards the world

Ahimsa Satya Asteya Brahmacharya Aparigrahaha Yamaha|

The five attitudes towards the external world are Ahimsa - non-injury to people, other creatures and material objects - by thought, word and deed and an active practice of compassion, Satya or speaking the truth as it is, in a way that it does not hurt or harm others as it should be in tune with Ahimsa, Asteya - not stealing or taking something that does not belong to you, integrity in using only that which belongs to you, Brahmacharya - treading the path of the Brahman or consciousness in all thoughts, words and action and Aparigrahaha - not acquiring excessive material possessions, more than what you may need.
These five qualities help to purify the mind and make it a fit vehicle to grasp the truth of consciousness. - Swahilya Shambhavi.

Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2: 29

Eight steps to liberation

Yama Niyama Asana Pranayama Pratyahara Dharana Dhyana Samadhayoshtavangani||

The eight limbs or parts of yoga are yama or self-restraints, niyamas or following certain regulations, asana or a steady posture, pranayama or regulation of the flow of prana by regulating the breathing pattern, Pratyahara or withdrawing the sense organs of smell, touch, taste, hearing, vision and the mind from going outwardly into objects of the world and turning within towards the supreme consciousness, dharana or the one-pointed concentration as an uplifting symbol, person or thought, dhyana or meditation. The eighth part, Samadhi is a natural outcome or the terrace space of emptiness after you climb the other seven steps. Of these eight parts, practice of the first five constitute Bahiranga Sadhana or outward practice while the last three amount to internal practice or Antaranga Sadhana. This can happen well within the mind unknown to other onlookers.
- Swahilya Shambhavi. (Pic. by Swahilya Shambhavi taken of a step farming in Ukhimath, Himalayas.)

Practice

Practice maketh a man perfect

Yoganganushtanath Ashuddhikshaye Gnana Dipthihi Avivekakhyateh
There is a lot of talk these days on the benefits of yoga. Yoga can make you fit, healthy, trim, smart, give you concentration, peace of mind, help attain Siddhis - so many many more are just the side effects of yoga.
In this Sutra, Sri Patanjali gives as one aphorism, the supreme benefit of the practice of many parts of yoga. By practising the different parts of yoga, the impurities of the mind, speech and body are destroyed. Impurity here has nothing to do with pollution, contamination or any virus as we commonly understand. Any thought, word or action that can disturb the equillibrium of your mind and take it away from being anchored in the essence of your being, truth or consciousness is an impurity. Yoga removes such disturbances. Due to that, the mind becomes still. It stops deflecting awareness in a million thoughts as it is wont to always. Because of this state of stillness, the light of awareness shines through the mind in its fullest glory. - Swahilya Shambhavi.

Patanjali Yoga Sutra: 2 - 27

The seven steps

Tasya Saptadha Prantha Bhumihi Pragnya

Once in touch with awareness, the individual transcends seven steps to reach total awareness. The seven steps are described by many different masters in many ways. It could also be through the seven layers of consciousness, chakras or vortices of energy - the muladhara or earth, swadhishtana - water and vital energy, manipura - fire and mind, anahata - air and intellect, vishuddhi - space and bliss, agnya - sound and cosmic vibrations and sahasrara - the empty vast and cosmic awareness.
The more and more purity happens, through Tapas - austerity, swadhyaya - studying your own self and Ishwara Pranidhana - surrendering to the divine, the light of awareness present in all our states of existence begins to shine through. As it shines through each frontier of our being, that aspect of our life becomes known to us.
Awareness is like a torch. In darkness, all we need to reveal the different objects is to direct the torch at it and it becomes known. - Swahilya Shambhavi.

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 2-26

The light is you

Vivekakhyatihi Aviplava Hanopayaha|

The means of removing that Avidya or attachments to the people, things and happenings in life that are transient and come and go - is by identifying oneself with the ever- present awareness that helps you to discriminate between what is temporary and what is permanent. Awareness is like a floodlight on a football field. The light illuminates the field. Players come. Some win, some lose,some retire hurt, some abuse, audience cheer or swear. The light does not take part in all this. It just throws itself on what's happening. When the match is over, the ground becomes empty again and the light continues to reveal the empty ground. Similarly our awareness is theinner light that helps us to be aware of what we see, hear, taste, touch, smell and think during our waking hours, watch our dreams during the dream state and realise the next morning that we slept well in the deep sleep state. Identifying always with this awareness is the only way to come out of the ignorance of clinging on to the transcient things and fretting or getting excited about it. - Swahilya Shambhavi.
(Pic. Lamps lit by members of the Gayatri Parivar, chanting the Gayatri Mantra. - SS)

Patanjali Yoga Sutra: II - 25

The cause disappears together with the effect!

Tad Abhavat Samyoga Abhavo Hanam Tad Drisheh Kaivalyam

When the veil of ignorance that separates the one who sees, the Purusha, from all that is perceived by the five senses - prakriti, drops with the constant practice of yoga - then the duality of this world also leaves. When the sun of awareness shines brightly, the darkness of ignorance or avidya that creates a non-existent division between the subject and object vanishes by evaporation. When there is no duality - there is nothing to separate the purusha from the prakriti - the light alone remains. This sense of separation which is the adi vyadhi or the primordial disease is dissolved - that state of mind is called Kaivalya or a liberated being. - Swahilya Shambhavi

Patanjali Yoga Sutra - 2: 24

The root cause for ignorance

Tasya Hetuh Avidya

The last sutra said that the experiences we have in the field of prakriti or nature is to get us to experience purusha or consciousness. This sutra tells us that the union of the individual human mind with the different happenings, situations and people in nature is the root cause for avidya or ignorance of the truth within. The sanga or the association of the mind has to be with the truth within and not the apparent scenes, situations and people in the world outside. - Swahilya Shambhavi.

Patanjali Yoga Sutra: 2 - 22

The purpose of relationship

Swa Swami Saktyoho Swaroopa Upalabdhi Hetuhu Samyogaha|

The union of the Master - consciousness and its own nature or Prakriti is for this achievement of self-realisation of the true form, which is consciousness. All the events and incidents that happen on earth and all the experiences we go through serve the only purpose of helping us to realise our true self which is the one undivided consciousness and for no other reason whatsoever. - Swahilya Shambhavi

(Pic. Floating a diya into the Ganga at Rishikesh. Relating to nature in one way or the other takes us to realise our true self.)

Patanjali Yoga Sutra: 2 - 22

Nature drops you to attend to others

कृतार्थं प्रतिनष्टम् अपि नष्टं तदन्य साधारणत्वात्|

Kritartham Prati Nashtam Api Anashtam Tadanya Sadharanatwat|

(On request from a few blog visitors, I have tried my hand with google transliteration! Please excuse me for some errors such as anashtam and sadharan where I am not getting the teevra Na! I promise to get better!)

The nature outside is a beautiful means through which you get to know your true self which is consciousness. But after this self realisation happens, nature no more bothers you. It continues its work however on others who require its agency for their own self transformation.

An athelete runs with and climbs atop the pole vault, cross the bar and gracefully drops the pole and jumps to the other side. The pole is of no use to him when he has crossed and has to be necessarily dropped.

Nevertheless, the pole - nature - continues to serve otyhers who want to cross the bar to fall into the ocean of self realisation. - Swahilya Shambhavi.

(Pic: Like this cable car in an amusement park, nature takes you on a roller-coaster trip in this world. There is all the thrill or fear until the lessons are mastered and you realise consciousness. Even after you get dropped, the cable car continues shuttling other passengers in the game!)

(swahilya.soulmate@gmail.com)

Patanjali Yoga Sutra: 2 - 21

Matter only for spirit

Tadartha Eva Drishyasyatma
The prakriti or nature exists only for the sake of this purusha or consciousness. Consciousness is the only essence that pervades everything. This is still silent, colourless, odourless and the witness for all that happens. From this substance called consciousness emerges dynamic movement, light and sound called energy. Energy in turn manifests as matter and the five elements. All the five elements are enlivened by consciousness. Consciousness is the basis for their existence. They exist only for the sake of this Purusha and for nothing and nobody else.
- Swahilya Shambhavi.