Message 58

Church ‘Saint Atanasee’, Perustitsa, Bulgaria, 18 June 2003

Yoga Sutras of Patanjaly

Kaivalya Pada

Aloneness is the fourth and the final step

4.1 janmauṣadhi-mantra-tapaḥ-samādhijāḥ siddhayaḥ

Perfection and excellence (Siddhayah) are the outcome of birth, herbs, sacred sounds, burning mental conditioning and finally equanimity (samadhi).

4.2 jātyantara-pariṇāmaḥ prakṛtyāpūrāt

It is the overflowing grace of nature (Prakriti-apurat) that results in the transformation of one trait (guna) to the other (jati-antara).

4.3 nimittam aprayojakaṃ prakṛtīnāṃ. varaṇa-bhedas tu tataḥ kṣetrikavat

Like a farmer (Ksetrikavat) who merely removes obstacles (varana-bheda) to natural growth; although one’s activities may seem important (nimittam), they are not really necessary (aprayojakam) for the traits (gunas) or nature (prakriti) to perform eventually.

4.4 nirmāṇa-cittāny asmitā-mātrāt

All the concoctions of the mind are just aspects of ego (asmita-matra).

4.5 pravṛtti-bhede prayojakaṃ cittam ekam anekeṣām

It is different conditioned responses (pravritti-bhede) that produce the various fragmentations of the mind (chittam-ekam-anekesam).

4.6 tatra dhyānajam anāśayam

Freedom from accumulation (anashayam) is the beginning of meditation (dhyanajam).

4.7 karmāśuklākṛṣṇaṃ yoginas trividham itareṣām

The actions of yogis are neither good nor bad because they are free from opposites (as a result of direct perception), whereas the activities of others are of three kinds – good, bad and mixed (as a result of concepts and conditioning).

4.8 tatas tad-vipākānuguṇānām evābhivyaktir vāsanānām

Cravings and desires requiring fulfillment manifest themselves in accordance with the turbulence of one’s traits and tendencies (gunas). (This turbulence or immense intensification is the I-ness).

4.9 jāti-deśa-kāla-vyavahitānām apy ānantaryaṃ, smṛti-saṃskārayoreka-rūpatvāt

The structure of experience and conditioning is similar in all humanity despite differences of birth, place and time. The existential eternity is outside this structure.

4.10 tāsām anāditvaṃ cāśiṣo nityatvāt

Existential eternity is beginninglessness (anaditwam), benediction (ashisah) and endlessness (nityatvat).

4.11 hetu-phalāśrayālambanaiḥ saṃgṛhītatvād eṣām abhāve tadabhāvaḥ

The absence of accumulated habitual reactions (hetu-phala) in which a cause always leads to a particular effect (ashraya-alambanaih), results in freedom from the structure of experience and conditioning (tat-abhavah).

4.12 atītānāgataṃ sva-rūpato ’-sty adhva-bhedād dharmāṇām

In the natural state, beyond past and future (the domains of the mind), one is available to a penetrating insight into that which holds life (adhwabhedad dharmanam).

4.13 te vyakta-sūkṣmā guṇātmānaḥ

And thus the subtle aspects of the mind’s conditioning are revealed.

4.14 pariṇāmaikatvād vastu-tattvam

The consequence (parinam) of these revelations is non-duality and that is the existential reality (vastu-tatvam).

4.15 vastu-sāmye citta-bhedāt tayor vibhaktaḥ panthāḥ

Harmony with existential reality then manifests (panthah) by transcending all the differences, dualities and divisions of the separative consciousness (chitta-bhedat tayor vibhaktah).

4.16 na caika-citta-tantraṃ vastu tad apramāṇakaṃ tadā kiṃ syāt

Existential reality is not concerned with the matters of the separative consciousness (na cha eka chitta tantram vastu). What would happen if (tada kim syat) cognition by the separative consciousness (chitta) did not take place (tat-apramanakam)?

4.17 taduparāgāpekṣatvāt cittasya vastu jñātājñātam

Existential reality remains known and unknown (vastu jnata-ajnatam) depending on one’s degree of involvement in the mind’s mechanisms (tat-uparaga-apeksitvat chittasya).

4.18 sadā jñātāś citta-vṛttayas, tat-prabhoḥ puruṣasyāpariṇāmitvāt

Cosmic intelligence is consequence-less, change-less, choice-less and eternal (purusasya aparinamitvat). Only it can always see (sada jnatah) the protective mechanisms of the mind and ego (chitta-vrittayah) and can supercede them (tat-prabhoh). (That is, can set us free from mind-ego in spite of it remaining available for practical functioning).

4.19 na tat svābhāsaṃ, dṛśyatvāt

This (chitta – separative consciousness) cannot observe itself, nor can it understand itself (svaabhasam).

4.20 eka-samaye cobhayānavadhāraṇam

Cosmic intelligence and ego-mind (ubhaya) cannot be held (anavadharanam) simultaneously (eka-samaye).

4.21 cittāntara-dṛśye buddhi-buddher atiprasaṅgaḥ smṛti-saṃkaraś ca

Disorders in the field of memory and in the structure of experience (smrti-samskarah cha) occur when perception (buddhi-buddheh) is confused (atiprasangah) by mental images and investments (chitta-anantaradrishye).

4.22 citer apratisaṃkramāyās tadākārāpattau sva-buddhi-saṃvedanam

When the mind ceases to contaminate perception (chitteh-aprati samkramaya), then ‘what is’ (tat-akara) arises (apattau). This leads to perception (samvedanam) and insight (swa-buddhi).

4.23 draṣṭṛ-dṛśyoparaktaṃ cittaṃ sarvārtham

To transcend beyond (aparaktam) mind’s division between the observer and the observed (drastri-drishyya) reveals the wonder of all existence (sarvartham).

4.24 tad asaṃkhyeya-vāsanā-citram api parārthaṃ, saṃhatya-kāritvāt

Then harmoniousness (samhatyakariyvat) with the otherness (Paratham) is possible despite (api) the continued existence of innumerable (asamkhyeya) images (chitram) produced by motives (vasanas).

4.25 viśeṣa-darśina ātma-bhāva-bhāvanā-vinivṛttiḥ

When the total annihilation of the feeling of I-ness takes place (atma-bhava-bhavana-vinivrittih), an indefinable yet immanent seeing (vishesa-darshinah) is possible.

4.26 tadā viveka-nimnaṃ kaivalya-prāg-bhāraṃ cittam

Then separative consciousness (chittam) becomes inclined to a profound conscience (vivekanimnam) and is thus tilted towards aloneness (kaivalya-pragbharam).

4.27 tac-chidreṣu pratyayāntarāṇi saṃskārebhyaḥ

Holes in this conscience (tad-chidresu) may still appear because of conditioning (samskarebhyah), other feelings and emotions (pratyayantarani).

4.28 hānam eṣāṃ kleśavad uktam

Negating (hanam) such (esam) conditioning is said to (uktam) remove many kinds of suffering (kleshavad).

4.29 prasaṃkhyāne ’-py akusīdasya sarvathā-viveka-khyāter dharma-meghaḥsamādhiḥ

In equanimity (samadhi) there is an increasing intensification (megha) of the natural state of being (dharma). The climax of a conscientious consciousness (viveka-khyateh) is always (sarvatha) a state of tranquil wakefulness. And this happens when there are no aspirations whatsoever, even (api) for samkhya knowledge, that is, when one is totally disinterested (akusidasya) in all pursuits.

4.30 tataḥ kleśa-karma-nivṛttiḥ

Thereafter arises freedom from affliction and suffering (klesha) and from the cycle of cause and effect (karma).

4.31 tadā sarvāvaraṇa-malāpetasya jñānasyānantyāj jñeyam alpam

Then by the denial (apetasya) of all veils and impurities (sarva-avarana-mala), wisdom becomes infinite (jnanasya anantyat) and hardly anything is left to be curious about (jneya).

4.32 tataḥ kṛtārthānāṃ pariṇāma-krama-parisamāptir guṇānām

Thereafter, for the blessed ones (kritarthanam), the consequences (parinama) of the phenomenon (krama) of conditioned reflexes disappear (Samaptih). An absolute freedom indeed.

4.33 kṣaṇa-pratiyogī pariṇāmāparānta-nirgrāhyaḥ kramaḥ

The veracity of the phenomenal consequences of conditioned mind is to be perceived (nirgrahyah) from moment to moment (ksana-pratiyogi).

4.34 puruṣārtha-śūnyānāṃ guṇānāṃ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṃ, sva-rūpa-pratiṣṭhā vā citi-śaktir iti

he elimination of the entity appearing as self (purusa-artha) leads to involution and the absorption (pratiprasavah) of all conditioning (gunanam). This consolidates the natural state and gives rise to total aloneness (kaivalyam svarupa-pratistha). Now one is wholly available to cosmic intelligence (chiti) and energy (shakti). Now silence (iti).

Om Tat Sat