yoga - different viewpoints
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
The next few posts is to take a look at the different ways yoga is considered. It will not be only patañjali-muni , but others that have offered their direct views and experiences.
This whole notion of yoga is of great interest ( to me ). Why so ? Because different muni's describe this yoga in different words and terms.
What they try to offer us is the the defintion, conditions, methods, and achievement by trying to actually define the term yoga. So, I thought to offer some of the ideas of this term yoga from various view points for one's kind consideration.
So, if I may, let's set the foundation:
Patañjali-muni defines one view of yoga in the 2nd sūtra ,samādhi-pāda (1st chapter).
yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ
- yogaś - process of yoking; union from 'yuj'
- citta - as a noun it is thinking , reflecting , imagining , thought; some put this as active mind
- vṛtti - ' rolling , or rolling down' i.e. patterning, turnings, movements.
- nirodhaḥ - suppression , destruction ; some prefer stilling, cessation, restriction
If we look at the definition above there is one word that is implied , yet not written. It is the word ' occurs' . This sentence then reads:
Yoga occurs (when) stilling (nirodhaḥ) the active (vṛtti) mind (citta).
It is the next sūtra the informs us of the ~condition~ that occurs due to this 'stilling' (nirodhaḥ):
tadā draṣtuḥ¹ avasthānam svarūpe
then the seer/perceiver resides (in) his own form
Said another way, then the SELF abides in its true, original unperturbed form.
This word yoga is rooted in yuj. It is defined as:
- to join , unite , connect , add , bring together
- to come into union or conjunction with
- to fasten on or in
- to be absorbed in
If we reivew the words from the above list, ' to be absorbed in' begs the question , to be absorbed in what ?
To this we have different ( not opposing) answers and thus the subject of the next post.
praṇām
words
- draṣtuḥ - dṛṣṭa - seen , perceived ; dṛṣṭi - seeing beholding
- avasthānam - resides, dwells, rests
- svarūpe - svarūpa - one's own form or shape , the form or shape ; 'in reality'
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
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