The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

From the Bodhicittabhavana by Manjusrimitra. Manjusrimitra composed this text. The Indian professor (upadhyaya) Sri Simha and the Tibetan translator Bhikshu Vairocanaraksita translated this [into Tibetan]. This text was translated May, 1995 from the Tibetan into English by the Kunpal Tulku for the Dharma Fellowship of His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa. Key Buddhist Sanskrit technical terms have been included in brackets and translation of those terms remain invariant throughout the text. Some terms or phrases have been added in square brackets to explicate the text.

In a philosophically based system one makes the assumption that correct theory or knowledge will lead to success (the result), but that is not so when the result precludes the eventual and full abandonment of such knowledge. It is not true in an experientially (practice) based system where the knowledge leads to improving one's practice and direct experience, eventually leading the practitioner to experiencing the true nature of one's own mind which lies outside the realm of knowledge or belief. In short belief and knowledge serve to color and limit our experience of what-is=as-it-is, more than enhance it. Too often belief and views (even if they appear correct and valid) are not expansive enough to allow for "reality". In functional yoga the knowledge or information leads to an improved practice and then the practice leads to direct experience. Then there is no need for or tendency toward fixation, belief, or ideology. Rather than belief defining or limiting the yogi's experience, it is one's direct experience which directly affect one's view. Eventually one's view corresponds to the total view -- Great integrity of what-is-as-it-is in samadhi (total integration) -- the true nature of Mind.

Patanjali is saying very straightforwardly that the conditioned mind tenaciously defends and grasps onto as "right knowledge" what is politically correct; what we believe to be right, true, or good as a coloring, limitation and obscuration of Universal Reality. That is a citta-vrtti, as long as it is supported by outside authority, consensus reality of our trusted peers, scripture, or any external source which we have become dependent upon (agama); reductionist logic, inference, or reasoning methods (anumana); and ordinary mental faculties of dualistic perception (pratyaksha) where the sense organs are directed by dualistic and fragmented tendencies (see pratyhara in Pada II.54-55 and I.18, III. 14, III.36, III.49, and III.55 in particular for more).

Since ordinary data perception is limited and since our powers of inference are limited, conclusions based on such limitations are subject to error. For example based on circumstantial evidence and logical inference, combined with witnesses that may be partial or unreliable, one can reach conclusions that may appear to be convincing, but all such conclusions will remain partial and subject to error..

This vrtti, pramana, like the rest of the vrtta, must cease in order for the yogic practitioner to realize the higher states of union (or samadhi). Patanjali makes a very salient point in this profound sutra; i.e., that the conditioned mind suffers and is hindered by the spin of ideology, top-down mental processes, syndromes of left brain logical bias, and theories imposed upon our moment to moment experience by the imbalances and over dominant processes of the cerebral cortex, where normal judgment and decision making processes have become relegated at the expense of true knowing or gnosis,

In short the cognitive process (albeit useful in some regards, but more than useless in dhyana or samadhi) requires an object of cognition and a cognizer, thus creating a dualistic separation from the process of consciousness itself. Cognitive based people are constantly objectifying their "reality" -- constantly placing a separate "it" from the separate observer (I), thus dualistic bias is unfortunately fixated upon. This escape from reality is really an aversion -- a pushing aside the subjective side of consciousness. Fear and the other kleshas exacerbate this imbalance. The imposition of fear and excess fixated pramana upon the rest of the neurophysiology of the living human organism creates both neuro-physiological as well as psycho-neurophysiological impairment

Although pramana may be a theory "proven" through certain manmade contrivances, one must also take into consideration the limitations of the methods of proof. This glue which often forms the "apparently" benign stagnant fortresses of fixated, opinionated, and stubborn firm belief systems, dogma, ideology, radical fundamentalism, prejudice, and prideful identifications actually is a self limiting vrtti as false identification, a wedge of separateness that separates us from the universal consciousness. Indeed pramana it is a limited manmade, artificial thought construct, bias -- a mind prison produced by preconceived notions, prejudice, and institutionalized fear. -- all of which reinforce false identification and avidya, pramana-vrtti is perhaps the most tenacious and insidious of all the vrttis, because the adherents of pramana cling helplessly upon the very instrument which is drowning them. The proofs of the theory which such people who cling upon pramana hold onto as "right belief" winds up as the justification of their own false identification (asmita-klesha) with artifice and continued methods of "Self" denial It is insidious because one will not question what they firmly believe is right , rather they will resist any such indicators to the contrary, and often very aggressively.

~ Mark Twain

We all know superficial people who are walking encyclopedias of external knowledge, capable of regurgitating memorized data/facts at will, experts or "authorities" in various fields of philosophy, semantics, or religion, mathematical savants, and technological geniuses, but have little self knowledge or practical wisdom, who have no realization; who have not brought this knowledge into the heart of their everyday existence. In fact, attachment to this type of inane "correct knowledge" is a (pramana-vrtti), which holds back and prevents liberation by occupying the space where new information can be acknowledged and processed.

Patanjali doesn't say that "correct" views or right knowledge are all afflictive (klishta). Only when they get in the way, obstructing the complete unobstructed view beyond attachment to belief systems which is the precursor for complete realization of yoga in swarupa-sunyam (III.3). These pramana-vrtta, given the right circumstances create kleshas (obstructions to samadhi), which in turn creates further negative karma and suffering (duhkha) such as aversion, hatred, scorn, blame, condemnation of others, fear, jealousy, etc). Some vrttis may be neutral in relation to being associated with afflictions (aklishta), but regardless all vrtti, must be released, liberated, and cease in order to walk into the clear light of original deathless mind (in sat-cit-ananda).

Through authentic yogic practice, a resultant uncomplicated, unbiased, and clear mode of awareness will reveal that it is more difficult for someone to give up their beliefs, valid theories, ideology, judgments, and prideful attachment to false identifications, which have become familiar and comfortable veils, clothing, and filters of reality, because they are solidified and rigidified through surface evidence (pratyaksha), logic, inference (anumana), external authority (agama and smrti), and/or consensus reality. Anyone who has tasted the fruits of meditation knows that such superficiality is a coloring (vrtti) and obscuration to the full dawning of the inner light. Pramana must be surrendered at the altar of direct experience. Rather the type of "Realization" that Patanjali is presenting is not dependent upon such superficial and external dualistic means, but rather their extinction. Sri Patanjali is saying that such methods have to be given up in order to realize citta vrtti nirodha.

Here Patanjali discusses the glue (proofs) that holds together the fixation of pramana-vrtti. Pramana, because it is assumed to be "right" knowledge" and/or is otherwise most often reinforced by the group illusion of the time, group prejudice, group pride, and temporal authority and beliefs becomes more difficult to let go of than knowledge or belief that can be proved to be wrong or perverse (viparyaya). Classically the tenacious glue of pramana (fixated belief systems, conclusions, judgments, theories, rigid mindsets, and so forth) are glued together through the three agencies of:

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