Sutra Squad

Hi Sutra Squad family - we're repubilshing this episode due to an audio issue, so while slightly out of order hopefully still meaningful! Thanks for listening!

We continue our exploration of suffering and how it can be avoided by reading this next verse closely - that the ultimate cause of that suffering is the confusion of the Seer, the observer, the true Self with that which is seen or experienced. The temporary phenomena of our sensations and possessions can be a very attractive placement of our attention and identity, yet when we loosen the grip and take the big step back away from the immediacy of sensation we can begin to see the bigger Truth.

We continue our deep exploration of the foundational frameworks of living yoga - now with the the niyamas, or the personal practices of the yogi - sauca (cleanliness), santosa (contentment), tapas (heat or austerity), svadhyaya (study of self and of scripture), and isvara pranidhana (surrender to the divine).  To understand these practices more deeply we are called to cultivate pratipaksa bhavanam - the ability to intentionally cultivate discernment so as to act in accordance with the principles and practices of yama and niyama.  

Now we begin our deep exploration of the foundational frameworks of living yoga - the yamas, or the moral observations of yoga - ahimsa (non-harming or nonviolence), satya (truth or truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacarya (continence or intentional direction of sexual energy), and aparigraha (non-coveting or non-reaching past our grasp).  These moral observances represent a great universal vow, an “all-in” challenge to commit ourselves to living in alignment with yogic values.

This week brings us to the beating heart of embodied yoga practice - the sūtra that outlines the Ashtanga system, the 8 limbs or steps in the path of Yoga: yama (moral observances) / niyama (personal observances) / ãsana (seat or physical practice) / pranayama (breath control) / pratyahara (sensory withdrawal) / dhãrana (concentration) / dhyãna (sustained concentration or meditation) / samãdhi (bilss, total absorption, yoga!).  We’ll look at these as an integrated practice, and set up our exploration of each of these limbs in the coming weeks.

We continue our exploration of suffering and how it can be avoided by reading this next verse closely - that the ultimate cause of that suffering is the confusion of the Seer, the observer, the true Self with that which is seen or experienced. The temporary phenomena of our sensations and possessions can be a very attractive placement of our attention and identity, yet when we loosen the grip and take the big step back away from the immediacy of sensation we can begin to see the bigger picture and ultimate nature of our suffering and the Self.

This week we examine a short, simple, profound statement that the suffering that can be avoided should be avoided.  It is a fundamental tenet that we all face obstacles, the root of our obstacles (as we learned in Sūtra 2.3) is the same as the root of our suffering - avidya - misunderstanding ignorance, or lack of spiritual understanding.  Pain, difficulty, challenges, and obstacles are all real - yet when we bring ourselves fully into the present moment, we can examine our experience in a way that can hopefully help us to avoid the optional suffering of our misunderstanding and attachment.

This week we explore the fundamental obstacles to yoga, as defined in this verse - ignorance or misunderstanding, egoism or “I-am” ness, pleasure, pain or discomfort, and clinging to life.  The sequence of these obstacles is key to their understanding - beginning with the fundamental mis-knowing that gives rise to the rest.  

On this week’s episode we begin our exploration of the second chapter of the Yoga Sūtra, the Sādhana Pāda - the chapter on Practice.  The first verse in this chapter gives us a very practical, yet challenging, prescription for the yoga practice in action or Kriya Yoga.  These three essential elements - tapas, svadhayaya, isvara pranidhana - heat or austerity, study of self, surrender to divine - are the building blocks from which we can truly build a practice of Yoga.

This week we look at one of the suggested points of focused attention that can bring clarity & peace of mind - the effulgent inner light within each & every one of us.  The Yoga Sūtra reference “light” throughout the text, and in this case it refers to the light within that we can perceive when we cultivate stillness and our attention to inner, subtle experience.  The light within each of us is described here as beyond sorrow, and reminds us that we are part of something much much bigger than our individual experience.

This week we come home to exploring the “Locks & Keys”, the attributes that we cultivate to preserve the innate or natural serenity of the yogi’s mind in the face of the worldly winds of material life.  These attributes are also known as the brahmaviharas in Buddhist lineages, the divine abodes or sublime attitudes of the Buddha. We will discuss how we can seek to expand our capacity for each these attitudes - maitri (friendliness or loving-kindness), karuna (compassion), mudito (sympathetic joy), upekshanam (equinimity) as a path toward finding our true self & serenity of mind.