The Basic Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali. Avneet Kumar Singla

nature is built up by the power of image-making, the power that lies behind it and dwells in thought Images. These images do not remain silent in the mind; they are kinetic, restless, stimulating to new acts. Thus the thought image of pleasure suggests and invites a new enjoyment; the image of past joy is framed in regrets or hopes. And there is the incessant play of the desire to know, to penetrate into the essence of things, to classify. This also deals incessantly with the thought Images. So that we can classify the activities of psychic nature in this way:

      6. These activities are: Healthy intellect, unhealthy intellect, predication, sleep, memory.

      We have here a list of mental and emotional powers; of powers that picture and observe, and of powers that picture and feel. But the power to know and feel is spiritual and immortal. What is needed is not to destroy it, but to elevate it from the psychic to the spiritual realm.

      7. The elements of a healthy intellect are: direct observation, inductive reason, and trustworthy testimony.

      Each of them is a spiritual force, thinly veiled. Direct observation is the ultimate form of the pure vision of the soul. Inductive reason is based on the great principles of continuity and correspondence; and this, on the Supreme Truth that all life is of the one. Trustworthy testimony, the sharing of one soul in the wisdom of another, is based on the ultimate unity of All Souls.

      8. Unhealthy intellect is a false understanding not based on a perception of the true nature of things.

      If the object is not really perceived, if the observation is inaccurate and erroneous. Thoughts or considerations based on this false perception are necessarily false and unfounded.

      9. Predication is not carried by words or thoughts, the rest on a perceived object.

      The purpose of this Sutra is, to distinguish between the mental process of predication, and observation, induction or testimony. Predication is the assignment of a quality or action to a subject by adding a predicate. In the sentence "the man is wise", "the man" is the subject; "is wise" is the predicate. This can be simply an interplay of thoughts, without the presence of the object, is thought of; or the things thought of may be imaginary or unreal; while observation, induction and testimony always return an object.

      10. Sleep is the psychic condition that is based States of mind, where all things material are missing.

      In waking life, we have two streams of perception; an outer current of physical things seen and heard and perceived; an inner current of mind-images and thoughts. The outer current ceases in sleep; the inner current continues, and when we see the mental images floating in front of the field of consciousness, we dream.'

      Even if there are no dreams, there is still a certain consciousness in sleep, so when you wake up you say, "I slept well "or" I slept badly.'

      11. The memory holds on to the thought-images of things perceived, without modifying them.

      Here the mental force is still explained in relation to mental images, which are the material from which the psychic world is constructed, therefore the wise teach that the world of our perception, which is indeed a world of thought images, is only the spirit or shadow of the real and eternal world. In this sense, memory is only the psychic inversion of the spiritual, omnipresent vision. That which is ever before the spiritual eye of the seer need not be remembered.

      12. The control of these mental activities is done by the right exercise of the will, and by the cessation of Forbearance.

      If these psychic forces and energies, even such evil things as passion and hate and fear, are only spiritual forces that have fallen and perverted, how are we to bring about their liberation and restoration? Two means are presented to us: the awakening of the spiritual will, and the purification of mind and thinking.

      13. The right use of the will is the steady effort to stand in spiritual being.

      We may have considered ourselves creatures that move on this earth, rather helpless, at the mercy of storm and hunger and our enemies. We are to consider ourselves immortals who dwell in the light, surrounded and sustained by spiritual forces. The constant effort to hold this thought will awaken dormant and unrealized forces that will reveal to us the nearness of the eternal.

      14.this will become a permanent resting place if it is long, persistent, and earnestly pursued.

      We must seek the spiritual life in accordance with the laws of the spiritual life, with seriousness, humility, gentle charity, which is a recognition of the one soul in us all. Only through obedience to this common life, through eternal remembrance of our oneness with all divine beings, our Nothingness except the divine being, can we enter into our inheritance.

      15. cessation of self-enjoyment is conscious mastery over the thirst for sensual pleasure here or hereafter.

      Rightly understood, the desire for sensation is the desire for being, the distortion of the soul's eternal life. The desire for sensual stimuli and excitement is based on the longing to feel one's own life sharply, to gain the feeling of being really alive. This sense of true life comes only with the coming of the soul, and the soul comes only in silence, after the indulgence has been courageously and loyally stilled, through reverence before the coming soul.

      16. The completion of this is freedom from thirst for any kind of mental activity through the establishment of a spiritual people.

      In order to gain a true understanding of this teaching, the study must be supplemented by devotional practice, faith by works. Reading the words will not take up. There must be a real effort to stand as a soul, a real cessation of self-enjoyment. With this awakening of the spiritual will and purification, there will immediately come the growth of the spiritual man and our awakening consciousness as the spiritual man; and this, even to a small extent achieved, will help us especially in our competition. To him who has will be given.

      17. Meditation with an object follows these stages: first external investigation, then internal judicial action, then joy, then realization of the individual being.

      In the practice of meditation, a beginning can be made by focusing attention on an external object such as a sacred image or image or part of a book of devotion. In the second stage, one passes from the outer object to an inner one, who thinks about his lessons. The third stage is the inspiration, the exaltation of the spiritual will that results from this reflection. The fourth stage is the realization of one's spiritual being as sparked by this meditation.

      18. After the want of exercise has stilled the psychic activities, resting, meditation only on the fruit of former meditations.

      Due to continued practice and effort, the need for an external object on which meditation can rest has outgrown. An inner state of spiritual consciousness called the "cloud of discernible things" is reached (Book IV, 29).

      19. subjective consciousness arising from a natural cause is possessed by those who have set aside their body and absorbed it into the subjective nature.

      Those who have died, who have entered paradise between births, are in a state that resembles meditation without an external object. But in the fullness of time the seeds of desire will appear in them and they will be born again into this world.

      20. For the others, there is spiritual consciousness, led by faith, courage, mindfulness, insight, perception.

      It is good to keep in mind these steps on the path to enlightenment: faith, velour, proper mindfulness, insight, perception. None can be dispensed with; all must be won. First faith; and then from faith, velour; from valor, right mindfulness; from right mindfulness, a single pursuit of the soul; from this, perception; and finally, full vision as the soul.

      21. The spiritual consciousness is that of a sharp, intense will the next.

      The image used is the rapid impulse of the current; the kingdom must be taken by force. Firm will come only through effort; effort is inspired by faith. The great secret is this: it is not enough to have intuitions; we must act upon them; we must live them.

      22. The will can be weak, or of middle strength, or intense.

      Therefore, there is a