Thursday, 1 September 2022

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras Summary: Book 4: On Emancipation (Kaivalya Pada)

Book 4: On Emancipation (Kaivalya Pada)

1- The evolutive process of incarnation (Exoterically); esoterically : principles of Kriya-Yoga, yogic means of creating and controlling life forms (1-6)

The Supernatural Powers (siddhayaḥ) come with 1- birth (janma), 2- or by means of herbs (auṣadhi), 3- or mantras, austerities (tapas) 4- or perfect contemplation (samādhi)

The transformation (pariṇāmaḥ) into other species (jāti) is accomplished through the filling in of their essential nature (prakṛti). Cause (nimittam) does not set the essential natures (prakṛtīnām) into motion (aprayojakam) but it breaks down the barrier (varaṇa). The created (nirmāṇa) minds (cittāni) are produced from the pure (mātrāt) I-sense (asmitā). Of these created minds, those brought about through meditation (dhyāna) are without any latent impressions (āśayam).

2- The practical nature of Karma, factors underlying mechanisms of re-birth (7-11)

The action (karma) of a Yogī is neither white (aśukla) nor black (akṛṣṇam), while those of others are of three kinds., hence four kinds in all: 1- black: wicked; 2-black-white mixed: causing pain to, or acting kindly towards others; 3-white: those who resort to the means of improvement of study and meditation; 4- nor white Nor black: the Sannyasis, afflictions have been destroyed, present body is the last one.

From the three kinds of action there is manifestation (abhivyaktiḥ) of Vāsanās suitable (anuguṇānām) to their consequences (vipāka).

Vāsanās:  latent impressions of "feelings" produced by birth, life-span and experience of pleasure and pain. (aroma) are residual potencies, the vehicles.

Karmāśaya:  latent impressions, arises out of "actions" or karma and not out of feelings like the former.

Saṁskāra: commonly used to designate "latent impressions" in general.

Because of similarity (ekarūpatvāt) between memory (smṛti) and latent impressions (saṁskārayoḥ), there is immediate (ānantaryam) emergence of Vāsanās even though separated (vyavahitānām) by birth (jāti), space or position (deśa) and time (kāla). Seeing that the desire for self-welfare (āśiṣaḥ) is eternal (nityatvāt), those Vāsanās from which it emerges are also beginningless (anāditvam). Since (Vāsanā) is held together (saṅgṛhītatvāt) by : 1- cause (hetu), 2- fruit or result (phala), 3-refuge (āśraya) and 4- support, or the supporting object which attracts Vāsanā (ālambanaiḥ), in the absence (abhāve) of them, there is also absence (abhāvaḥ) of that Vāsanā.

The cause :-By virtue comes pleasure, by vice pain. From pleasure comes attachment ; from pain aversion. Thence comes effort. Thereby, acting by mind, body and speech, one either favours or injures others. hence come again virtue and vice, pleasure and pain, attachment and aversion. Thus it is that revolves the six-spoken wheel of the world. And the driver of this wheel is Nescience, the root of the afflictions. This is the Cause.

3- Temporal aspect of the nature of manifested reality (12-14)

Past (atīta) and future (anāgatam) exist (asti) in their essential forms (sva-rūpataḥ). The difference is only in the characteristics of the forms (dharmāṇām) at different (bhedāt) times or phases --i.e. past, present and future (adhva). The future is the manifestation which is to be. The past is the appearance which has been experienced. The present is that which is in active operation. It is this three-fold substance which is the object of knowledge.

Those characteristics are a- manifest (vyakta) and b- subtle (sūkṣmāḥ) and consist (ātmānaḥ) of the three Guṇas (qualities of Prakṛti) due to the coordinated or coincidental ekatvāt mutation of the three Guṇas (pariṇāma), an object (vastu) appears to be something real (tattvam).

Sequence (kramaḥ) is correlated (pratiyogī) to the moments (kṣaṇa) and is perceivable or noticeable (nirgrāhyaḥ) on the termination (aparānta) of the mutations (pariṇāma). Further, succesion is found in the permanent also. This permanence is two-fold, the Eternal in Perfection; and the Etemal in Evolution. Of these, the perfect eternity belongs to the Purusa. The evolutionary eternity belongs to the qualities. The Permanent or Eternal is that in which the substance is not destroyed by changing appearances. Both are permanent because their substance is never destroyed.

4- Objective nature of existence, subjective nature of perception (15-18)

Despite sameness (sāmye) of objects (vastu), there is a different (vibhaktaḥ) way or path (panthāḥ) to them both --i.e. object and its inherent knowledge (tayoḥ) since there are different (bhedāt) minds (citta). The object (vastu) is not dependent (tantram) on only one mind (citta), because if so, what would happen when the object is not experienced or cognized (apramāṇakam) by that mind?

5- The mind and cognition (19-24)

The object (vastu) is known (jñāta) or unknown (ajñātam) to the mind (cittasya) according to how (apekṣitvāt) it colors (uparāga) that very mind. To the Lord -i.e. Puruṣa- (prabhoḥ) of that mind,the mental (citta) modifications (vṛttayaḥ) are always (sadā) known (jñātāḥ) because of the immutability (apariṇāmitvāt) of that very Puruṣa. That (mind) is not  self-illuminating (sva-ābhāsam) since it is a knowable object (dṛśyatvāt). And there is no cognizance (anavadhāraṇam) of them both --i.e. mind and knowable objects-- (ubhaya) simultaneously (ekasamaye).

When Consciousness (citi), the essence of being (puruṣa) changes into the form (ākāra) Buddhi (intelligence), awareness (saṁvedanam) arises from one’s own intellectuality (sva-buddhi). Mind (cittam), being affected (uparaktam) by both the seer (draṣṭṛ) and the seen (dṛśya), is all-comprehensive (sarva-artham). Thus those who teach that the knower, the knowable and the means of knowledge are the three modifications of the mind, and thus divide the phenomena into three classes are the only true philosophers. It is to them that the Purusa is known.

6- The recognition of the distinction between the Purusa and the Sattva (25-28)

To one who knows (darśinaḥ) the special distinction (viśeṣa) --i.e. to one who has realized Puruṣa or the Self--, there is cessation (vinivṛttiḥ) of the practice of pondering (bhāvanā) over the nature (bhāva) of his own Self (ātma). Then, the mind (cittam) inclines (nimnam) toward discriminative knowledge (viveka) and is directed (prāk-bhāram) toward complete Liberation (kaivalya).

There can still occur breaks (chidreṣu) of that discriminative knowledge, where other (antarāṇi) mental modifications (pratyaya) emerge because of residual latencies (saṁskārebhyaḥ). The removal (hānam) of these mental modifications (pratyaya) is as that of the Afflictions (kleśa).

7- The Cloud of virtue (Dharmamegha) and Complete Liberation (kaivalyam) (29-34)

One who, having attained discriminative (viveka) knowledge (khyāteḥ) in the highest degree and at all times (sarvathā), does not take an interest (akusīdasya) even in that omniscience resulting from "Vivekajaṁ jñānam" or "Knowledge arising from discernment" (See 3,54, prasaṅkhyāne), experiences a type of Perfect Contemplation (samādhiḥ) known as Cloud of Virtue (dharma-meghaḥ). By the attainment thereof, the affliction of Ignorance, etc.,  are removed, even to the very root. And the good and bad vehicles of action are uprooted. On the afflictions and the actions being removed, the wise man becomes free even while alive (the Jivanmukta). From Dharmamegha, there is cessation (nivṛttiḥ) of Afflictions (kleśa) and actions (karma).

Then, due to the infinity (ānantyāt) of knowledge (jñānasya) free (apetasya) from all veiling (āvaraṇa) impurities (mala), the knowables (jñeyam) appear to be few (alpam). From that Dharmamegha or Cloud of Virtue, when the Guṇas have accomplished their purpose (kṛta-arthānām), there is cessation (samāptiḥ) of the mutative (pariṇāma) sequence (krama) of those very Guṇas. Complete Liberation (kaivalyam) or the Power (śaktiḥ) of Consciousness (citi) established (pratiṣṭhā) in her own nature (sva-rūpa) occurs when the Guṇas return to their original source --i.e. Prakṛti, as they have no further purpose to fulfill (artha-śūnyānām) for Puruṣa.

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