Yoga Sutras and the World of the Human Mind

By Vedanta Society, San FranciscoReligion & Spirituality Spirituality

Yoga Sutras and the World of the Human Mind episodes

February 17, 2019 21 - Why Do We Behave the Way We Behave? | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Patanjali explains the reason why we behave the way we behave through the concept of Karmashaya. It is the sum total of all the residual effects of all positive and negative actions we have performed in this life or in previous lives. According to Mimamsa philosophy, these residual effects also have a cosmic dimension in determining the circumstances we may encounter in the world. Yoga teaches that knowing this, we can change our destiny. The practical application is that all good deeds and thoughts can be added to our Karmashaya and at the moment of death, we may have good thoughts fill our mind to take us forward in our spiritual journey. Kriya yoga, meditation, and Pratiprasava remove internal obstacles, Kleshas. By this process, the light of Prajna, wisdom begins to open up as we begin to realize the real inner obstacles we face. Verses: II.10, II.11, II.12
59 min
February 17, 2019 20 – Countering Negativity | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins by pointing out the trap of Raga, Dvesa, and Abhinivesa that we are in. In order to counter this self-defeating negativity, Patanjali recommends Pratiprasava, counter-evolution. When we are able to track the cause of our hatred, obsessive attachment, or fear back to experiences in this life or previous lives, immediately we start becoming free from it. For spiritual seekers, surrender to our inmost transcendental nature by opening the heart in prayer or spiritual practices is the most powerful method. Our negativity and cynicism may try to stop us from doing it, but if we take the first step, the mind itself will evolve and the next step becomes clear. Do not try to get the whole roadmap before starting the spiritual journey, you yourself will evolve on the journey. Verses: II.8, II.9, II.10
1 hr 2 min
February 17, 2019 19 – Transcending Fear and Obsessions | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins with a review of the three common types of Kleshas: Raga, obsessive attachment, Dvesa, obsessive hatred, and Abhinivesa, fear. Through the tracks of Vrittis and Samskaras, we travel back to memories of fear, hatred, or attachment. Real happiness comes when we reach transcendental joy or blissfulness. This link to transcendental joy is illustrated in the Katha Upanishad by the three boons Nachiketa asks of Yama. He evolves from asking for satisfaction in the world, then heavenly satisfaction after death, and finally for the truth about his own nature and of all reality. This highest transcendental thought will take us beyond fear and obsession. Verses: II.3, II.7, II.8, II.9
1 hr 2 min
February 17, 2019 18 – Who am I? | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins by explaining Asmita, the apparent identity of the seer and the seen. This allows Raga, obsessive attachment to enslave us. At the same time, Dvesa, obsessive hatred comes to enslave us. Swami gives the famous imagery of a chariot from the Katha-Upanisad to explain the power of controlling the senses and linking the mind to Atman, our transcendental nature. Lastly, Abhinivesa, the fear of death can also be countered by the knowledge of reincarnation. Verses: II.6, II.7, II.8, II.9
1 hr 4 min
February 17, 2019 17 – Our Misinterpretation of What We Are | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins with explaining Yoga philosophy and Vedanta philosophy’s approaches to defining our fundamental misunderstanding that we are a psychophysical mechanism. We take the unreal to be the real. In Yoga, this is a cognitive error, but in Vedanta, this is taken as a fundamental category for the explanation of reality. Then the power of genuine surrender to God is illustrated by the example of a bohemian turned into a saint through contact with Sri Ramakrishna. Verses: II.3, II.4, II.5, I.8, II.1, I.28
1 hr 8 min
February 17, 2019 16 – Attaining Inner Contentment and Clarity of Mind | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The lecture begins by reminding us of the importance of the doctrine of reincarnation. The four external relations of Maitri, Karuna, Mudhita, Upeksha are once again recommended to counter the psychological obstacles of spiritual life. Citta Prasada, inner contentment, is the goal. It is to be obtained through Pratyak Cetana, awakening to our transcendental nature. The method is Japa, repetition of a holy name, with concentration on the meaning. Four levels of mantra repetition are discussed. According to Bhagavata Purana, the highest devotee of God is one who feels the presence of God in all beings and feels the presence of the whole of creation in God. Verses: I.33, I.30, I.31, I.32, I.29, I.23, I.28.
1 hr 4 min
February 17, 2019 15 – Your Best Friend is Happy When You Are Happy | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Ignorance, Avidya, is discussed from the viewpoint of Yogacara Buddhist philosophy, Yoga Philosophy, and Vedanta. In Vedanta, there is no evil, there is only error. The solution to the obstacles that we face when we take to spiritual life is sticking to one ideal of practice, Abhyasa, and dispassion, Vairagya. Four fundamental relations regulate external contact. Maitri is being friendly with those who are happy when you make progress in spiritual life. Karuna means being compassionate towards those are trying to make progress but are struggling. Mudhita means genuinely admiring the virtues of virtuous people. Upeksha means filtering out and remaining indifferent to ideas and influences that may take us off track. Verses: II.4, II.30, II.31, II.32, II.33
1 hr 4 min
February 17, 2019 14 – Becoming Aware of Your Obstacles | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The root distraction, Klesa, is Avidya, ignorance of our true nature. The Vedantic idea that Avidya consists of concealment of truth and then a projection of a false superimposition is explained as the root of all Klesas. When you start your spiritual life, you start swimming against the natural current so psychological obstacles start being felt. The main ones are disease, conflicts, doubts, carelessness, laziness, inability to renounce old pleasure seeking patterns, and false experiences. According to the Bhagavad Gita, the sign of a great yogi is his inner contentment and lack of obstacles. Verses: II.1, II.3, II.4, II.30
1 hr
February 17, 2019 13 – Neutralizing Obsessive Distractions | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. The three aspects of Kriya yoga -Tapah, self-control, Svadhyaya, self-study, and Ishvara-pranidhana, self-surrender – are reviewed. Then, the distractions, Klesas, of obsessive attachment, Raga, obsessive hatred, Dvesa, and fear, Abhinivesa are explained. Attempting to practice the disciplines of Kriya yoga neutralize Klesas. As a result, an inner filtering mechanism develops to counter our negative tendencies. Verses: II.1, II.2, II.3
54 min
February 16, 2019 12 – Using Actions to Turn away from the Senses | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Vairagya, dispassion, means saying no to sense pleasures and the instinctive tendencies of the mind. Four stages of Vairagya are described. The real meaning of Nirodha is not a wishing away of negative realities but putting an end to false identification. Tapah, self-control, Svadhyaya, self-study, and Ishvara-pranidhana, self-surrender constitute Kriya yoga. Tapah is not a military discipline, which brings the mind down to the level of the body. Svadhyaya means reading good books with a sense of sanctity while avoiding unhealthy mental food. The famous metaphor of the chariot and charioteer is used to explain the difference between letting the senses run our life and controlling our minds through a transcendental link. Verses: I.12, I.15, II.1
1 hr 1 min

About Yoga Sutras and the World of the Human Mind

From the publisher's feed

Swami Tattwamayananda’s exposition of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras was given at the Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco (founded by Swami Vivekananda in 1900) from October 10, 2014 to…

December 21, 2018 in a series of 111 lectures. These lectures include a mixture of philosophy both Eastern and Western, history, psychology, comparative theology, mysticism, classical parables, and simple everyday examples.

Patanjali was a great Indian sage who wrote major treatises on Ayurveda, Sanskrit grammar and Yoga. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali contain 195 sutras organized into four chapters. It gives a complete analysis of the mental system, how to transcend mental conflicts by linking the mind to a transcendental spiritual reality and how to become established in our true nature.

The classes are given from the viewpoint of Vedanta, one of the oldest philosophies of the world, which constitute the universal spiritual essence of the Vedas, the foundational scriptures of Hinduism. During the exposition, the Swami has drawn extensively from authentic Sanskrit commentaries and interpretative works like ‘Yoga-Bhasya’ of Vyasa, ‘Tattwa-Vaisharadi” of Vachaspati Mishra, ‘Yoga-Varttika’ of Vijnana Bhikshu, ‘Raja-Martanda’ of Bhoja Raja, ‘Yoga-Sudhakara’ of Sadashivendra Saraswati, with occasional references from ‘Yoga-Maniprabha’ of Ramananda Yati, ‘Patanjala-Yogashastra-Vivarana’ of Sri Shankara, and interpretations of Yoga-aphorisms by Swami Vivekananda and Swami Hariharananda Aranya.

“By the Vedas no books are meant. They mean the accumulated treasury of spiritual laws discovered by different persons in different times.” “The moral, ethical, and spiritual relations between soul and soul and between individual spirits and the Father of all spirits, were there before their discovery, and would remain even if we forgot them." (Paper on Hinduism, Swami Vivekananda, World's Parliament of Religions 1893)

According to this series of classes, the Yoga system of Patanjali reaches its ultimate fulfillment in the conclusions of Vedanta, that there is one all-pervading, immanent, eternal spiritual reality, which is our own true nature.

In the original text of Patanjali the order is 1. Samadhipada 2. Sadhanapada 3. Vibhutipada 4. Kaivalyapada. But in this exposition of the Yoga-sutra the speaker has followed a different order, which seems to be more logical from the standpoint of actual Yoga-sadhana, i.e., 1. Sadhanapada 2. Vibhutipada 3. Samadhipada 4. Kaivalyapada. To help beginners in the study of Yoga philosophy, the basic definitions from the first few aphorisms of Samadhipada are explained at the beginning.

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