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 26, 2019 81 – Asamprajnata Samadhi: Not Only Mastery but Freedom | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Swami Vivekananda says that Samprajnata Samadhi allows mastery over nature, but Asamprajnata Samadhi allows freedom from nature. Buddha had to negate all the hundreds of memories from previous life cycles when he sat for meditation to reach the highest realization. The eighteenth sutra explains that Virama Pratyaya, the negation of impressions, leads us to the highest. The thoughts that come up in meditation can be resolved back into their fundamental cause, the Chitta, mind-stuff. This process of involution is explained. By constant practice, renunciation, Yamas and Niyamas, the mind-stuff is cleaned and we are able to transcend the mind itself. Verses: I.17, I.18
58 min
February 26, 2019 80 – 25 Cosmic Principles and Mastery of Nature | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Dispassion leads to mastery of nature. The Samkhya philosophy explains the evolution of the material universe from Prakrti to the entire physical and mental world. In addition, there is a sentient witness Purusha. Dispassion leads to Samprajnata Samadhi, concentration filled with transcendental insight, into everything in the material world. This leads to mastery over nature. According to Swami Vivekananda, the second method of concentration is to concentrate directly on Spirit. This leads to freedom from nature. Verse: I.17
55 min
February 26, 2019 79 – Highest Dispassion: Going Beyond the Three Gunas | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture beings with a review of Vashikara Vairagya, the first stage of dispassion. The higher vairagya, Para-Vairagya, means going beyond the influence of the three Gunas. The commentators have explained that Pratiprasava, involution, is the process by which these tendencies get dissolved into their causes. At the highest stage, even the desire for Viveka-Khyati, discerning wisdom, is transcended. With concentration, we become filled with Prajna, transcendental insight into the true nature of everything. Examples are given from the life of Sri Shankaracharya. Verses: I.15, I.16, I.17.
1 hr 9 min
February 26, 2019 78 – Review: Breaking Free From Our Mental Cycles | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture begins with a review of the chapter order of the yoga sutra classes. The world of Vrittis that constitute our mental world, keeps us in a cycle of activities and tendencies. Yoga helps us to break the cycle and evolve. The first step is to use actions, Kriya Yoga, to generate good tendencies. To break the cycle, the root ignorance of our nature must be removed through continuous practice of discerning wisdom, Viveka-Khyati. Ethics, Yamas, and Niyamas are the foundation for the practice of higher concentration. The lecture ends with a brief introduction to the eighteenth sutra, which tells the method of reaching higher concentration. Verses: I.1, I.2, II.15, II.29, II.30, II.32, I.18.
54 min
February 26, 2019 77 – Long Practice of Dispassion Leads to Concentration Filled with Transcendental Insight | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture begins with the reminder that stable Yoga-Sadhana can only come when we develop a sense of sanctity towards practice. The two stages of dispassion are discussed. In the first, all tendencies remain only as tendencies. We are able to control them through dispassion. In the second stage, even those tendencies are no longer functional. To become established in the first stage of dispassion requires disciplined beneficial spiritual associations. Then concentration only more and more subtle objects become possible in Yoga. In contrast, Vedanta is about a direct inquiry into reality. With concentration, Samadhi, come tremendous skills. Yamas and Niyamas are needed to practice higher concentration. Verses: I.6, I.12, I.14, I.17, II.30, II.32
1 hr
February 25, 2019 76 – Renunciation Becomes a Method of Enjoying this World | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture begins with a reminder of the mental blocks that come from the accumulated Samskaras in our Antahkarana. We can restrain the Vrittis by the practice of feeding good tendencies and remaining indifferent to the negative tendencies of the mind. Swami then discusses the Ishavasya Upanishad’s concept of enjoying the world by renouncing it. The fifteenth and sixteenth sutras discuss the lower and higher stages of Vairagyam, dispassion. At the higher stage, even the idea of craving for worldly enjoyment vanishes. From dispassion comes Samadhi, concentration, which yields many superhuman powers of the mind. The example of Swami Vivekananda memorizing an encyclopedia is given. The seventeenth sutra lists the types of this Samprajnata Samadhi. Verses: I.12, I.15, I.16, I.17
1 hr 7 min
February 25, 2019 75 – Detachment Means Identifying With a Higher Ideal | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture begins with a discussion of the Vedanta and Yoga explanation of the variety of human beings. At the physical and spiritual level, all are the same, but at the subtle personality level, there is a great variety. The goal of Yoga is to become free from the trap of this subtle body, Antahkarana. For that, the practice of Vairagya, dispassion is essential. Swami discusses that in Yoga hermeneutics words have a specific well-defined meaning. The first stage of dispassion, Vashikara-Vairagya, is described as a turning away from the negative towards the positive. The four relations – Maitri, Karuna, Mudhita, Upeksha – are emphasized at this stage. The lecture ends with a Puranic story emphasizing how good deeds performed early in life can save one late in life. Verses: I. 15, I.16
57 min
February 25, 2019 74 – Directing the Mental River toward Auspiciousness | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. This lecture begins with a discussion of the meaning of the invocation verse describing the great sage Patanjali. Nirodha state, the goal of Yoga is reviewed. We can either rest in our true nature or identify with changing sense phenomenon. The five types of mental impressions, Vrittis are reviewed. We are kept rotating in a cycle of Karma, action, Vrittis, Impressions, and Samskaras, strong tendencies. Vyasa compares this to the river of the mind, which can flow either in an auspicious or negative direction. Practice and Dispassion, Abhyasa and Vairagya, and ethics, Yamas and Niyamas, are the prescribed methods for channeling the mind towards auspiciousness. Verses: I.2, I.3, I.4, I.5, I.6, I.12, I.13
1 hr 10 min
February 25, 2019 73 – Dispassion Becomes Effortless Like a Continuous Flow of Oil | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. Most of us are living under the strangle of mental impressions, Vrittis. We must practice detachment from memories, Smrti. Another important practice is to 1) live as much as possible in the company of spiritual aspirants – Maitri, 2) be compassionate towards good people who are struggling to make progress – Karuna., 3) admire the good - Mudhita, 4) and keep a long distance from those who may hurt our spiritual aspirations – Upeksha. We practice the attitude of the witness. We have many chances, many births to practice. Ultimately, it must become natural, spontaneous, and effortless. This requires a sense of sacredness towards our practice. Finally, we reach the first form of detachment called Vashikara, where even heavenly pleasures are eliminated. The difference between this kind of heaven and the spiritual heaven of some Abrahamic faiths is clarified. Verses: I.12, I.13, I.14, I.15
54 min
February 25, 2019 72 – The Most Important Practice: The Meaning of Dispassion | Patanjali Yoga Sutras | Swami Tattwamayananda
Lecture by Swami Tattwamayananda. In order to cross over the ocean of our accumulated tendencies, vrittis, Patanjali says we must practice Vairagya, dispassion. Vairagya comes with a realization of the impermanence of sensory enjoyments as well as a positive refinement of all our tendencies toward something higher. By the repeated practice of Vairagya, our mental blocks and negative tendencies are weakened and our mind begins to flow towards wisdom. Repetition leads to Viveka, discerning wisdom. How can we repeat such a difficult activity for a long time and without interruption? Only through a sense of sanctity and sincerity – Shraddha. I.2, I.12, I.14
58 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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