We continue our exploration of Yoga Sūtra 2.17, which speaks to the root cause of suffering—misidentification with what is not our true self.

draṣṭṛ-dṛśyayoḥ saṁyogo heya-hetuḥ

English Translation: "The cause of suffering is the association (or identification) of the seer with the seen."

In essence, suffering arises because we confuse the seer (draṣṭṛ, the pure awareness, the true self) with the seen (dṛśya, all external experiences, roles, and attachments). This same teaching is echoed in Yoga Sūtra 1.3:

tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe'vasthānam

English Translation: "Then the seer resides in their own true nature."

This is the ultimate goal of yoga—to return to our true essence and no longer be caught up in misidentification. In Sāṅkhya philosophy, this pure awareness is called Puruṣa, the unchanging, eternal witness. Some may call it the soul, while others, like Eckhart Tolle, refer to it as "the deep I"—the awareness beneath all passing experiences.

Daily, we frequently misidentify ourselves with our jobs, relationships, emotions, and social roles. We think:

• "I am a teacher, a parent, a leader."
• "I am my achievements, my failures, my possessions."
• "I am my emotions—happy, sad, anxious, angry."

But these are not who we truly are. They are just temporary states and roles we inhabit. The deeper self remains untouched by these fluctuations.

This is why attachments play such a significant role in our suffering. When we cling to relationships, status, or material possessions, we strengthen the illusion that these external factors define us. But when they inevitably change or disappear, we experience distress.

Yesterday, we spoke about Carpe Diem—seizing the day. But we must seize it not by chasing distractions or achievements but by cultivating presence and awareness. Sri O.P. Tiwari used to say:

"Be absorbed..."

Absorbed in what? In the immediacy of the present moment, we must be fully engaged in what we are doing without distraction or attachment.

Another practical exercise is observing the labels we assign ourselves and others. We constantly define ourselves by words: parent, friend, partner, success, failure. But none of these labels capture the vastness of who we indeed are. They keep us entangled in misidentification.

This is not tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe'vasthānam—it is not resting in our true nature.

When we begin to detach from these identities and witness ourselves from a place of stillness, our problems start to look different. The solutions no longer come from a place of stress or ego but from clarity, peace, and deep wisdom.

And with that, we can move past them.