The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

A practicing yogi who meditates (dhyana) experiences this intimately and directly (samjna) through an integrative practice (praxis). Through tasting the effects of vairagya in daily practice (on or off the meditation cushion or practice mat) in the context of All Our Relations. Mindful as to WHEN and WHERE thoughts are arising, wandering, and subsiding (not why and how they arise and set), allows us to release them (not following them). Then our attention is naturally brought back to the core center in "vasikara samjna vairagyam". We become aware of the discursive (monkey) mind wandering. We can at first try to bring the wandering mind and energy back through pratyahara, but later as our practice becomes more subtle, natural, and less dualistic, the mind comes back to its core center simply through vairagya. Here, vairagya is the remedy for all outward cravings and anticipation -- specifically the remedy for the kleshas of raga (attraction) and dvesa (repulsion). It is the very reversing outward flow as in pratyahara away from any obsession with the outward dissipation/distraction neurosis (which is a primary dissociation from wholeness). The energy is brought back into the core center or sushumna ( inward and upward) activating the innate co-evolutionary process. Through vairagyam (where pratyhara is a limb), the yogi withdraws the clinging of the dualistic mental dynamics, while redirecting it to the beginningless non-dual Source that resides in all beings and things simultaneously. Although vairagya is the primary process that dissolves the citta-vrtta preparatory adjuncts are found in Patanjali's limbs of astanga yoga such as pratyhara, tapas, bandha, isvara pranidhana, pranayama, dharana, and dhyana as the yogi we prevents the cit-prana (consciousness and vital energy) from dissipating and spinning outwards through implementing and directing the spiritual gaze (bhava) inside to the universal heart of all hearts (hridayam) -- the holographic center within the center of all. This rekindles our natural innate yearning and passion for the true nature of self (true self-realization in samadhi). It is at once inspiring, strengthening, potenizing, and invigorating. When this re-alignment is well established over time (through authentic abhyasa and vairagyam), it establishes its own energetic dynamic revealing the non-dual (inner/outer) teacher. This creates a karmic shift paralleling that intelligent energetic which the practice itself creates over time. We can call this regaining the natural intelligence of the body or simply a self empowered, practice, which empowers our inner wisdom.

This way we re-educate our pre-existing errant mental. emotional, physical, and energetic proclivities toward seeing the "Universal All PErvading Self" continually in All Our Relations as love loving love. Thus we conjoin the process of unifying with the intelligent Source of cit-prana) more deeply communing with it here and now in sacred presence. We both welcome it, while it simultaneously it welcomes us, bathed in the indefinable Reality of the Great integrity of the unconditional, boundless, all pervading, primordial, Infinite Mind. We gradually become more at home residing in the Ever present HERE. Such reprogramming is the result of functional and authentic yoga practice.

Vairagya self-accomplishes the process by releasing old thought patterns that obsess upon the future or the past, old karmic patterns, old mind-sets, or any such other goal oriented fixation, false identification, neuropsychological dysfunctional pattern, goal dependent orientation, or, more simply put, attachments, expectations, prejudices, and anticipations dependent upon the past or future. This release of anticipation spontaneously directs the vital energy and attention inward to a centered and still place, and thus one's proclivity and passion toward its benefits increases automatically and naturally; i.e., a new positive biofeedback loop or habit is formed, while the practice of "vasikara samjna vairagyam" becomes the practice of no practice -- effortless, invigorating, energizing, self inspiring. self liberating, and free from "self"-will. All contents of the individual mind (pratyaya) must be released. This is achieved when the mental context, from which the contents of the mind have been previously hosted, is expanded limitlessly. That all inclusive (non-exclusive) context is where the yogi rests in natural all seeing peacefulness. That is also the co-evolutionary realm whereupon the yogi interacts in All Our Relations.

On a simple level, vairagya is the acceptance of the present without anticipation, apprehension, fear, desire, longing, expectation, or even preference. Vairagya does not mean some neutral passionless state of detachment, spaciness, indifference, withdrawal, or abstraction; but rather as we will see in the next sutra, vairagya can be equated with the divine passion for ultimate union with param-purusa (reconnection/reunification with universal spirit and consciousness) as our everyday embodiment/manifestation --as our Reality in All Our Relations) is maturing. In other words when we empty out the pot of dank water, it can then be filled with fresh nectar. Thus this is a simultaneous process of letting go of dysfunctional attractions and anticipations (the kleshas of raga and dvesa) while at the same time deepening our passion/communion in sacred presence. Vairagya as such redirects the cit-prana from an outward, dissipating externalized distraction, back into Source and back into the body as an inner directed act that catalyzes divine passion. As such on many parallel levels with such practices as pratyhara, pranayama, aparigraha, santosha, tapas, isvara pranidhana, bandhas, mudras, and others.

When that sense of a deep heart felt "connection" is strengthened through practice, then in turn neurotic distractions spontaneously and naturally lessen. That light of consciousness (citta) which was previously obscured through the action of vrtti (the veil of ignorance) starts to shine through more often, further reminding us to let go of old corrupting and dysfunctional modalities of tension, strife, and disintegration. As vasikara (mastery) becomes slowly perfected (as no longer being subjugated to outward flows of consciousness and prana), it is here also that the bandhas become engaged spontaneously, the inner seeing becomes amplified, our practices become extended to All Our Relations producing virya (empowerment), and unconditional joy re-enters into daily life more continuously.

Sw. Venkatesananda's commentary on this Sutra talking of samjna and vasikara says;

"The attention that was flowing outwards suddenly begins to flow toward yourself. That is called vasikara which means that it comes under your control. That is control of a very different kind. There is neither expression nor suppression, but intense self-awareness. When in the light of self-awareness the mental colouring is seen and the object is then seen not to have that value, simultaneously the craving disappears...That is not yoga because you get so dreadfully committed to the vrtti called control. Yoga has slipped through your fingers".

This state of thirstlessness leads us well into the key of understanding and applying sutra 1.16 in the lofty terms of nonattachment to the gunas (guna-vaitrsnyam) as param-purusa-khyater (the revelation of param purusa). See also the commentary in Sutra I.9 on on vikalpa, sutra I.42 (on words), sutra I.7 (on pramana or belief systems), sutra I.17, on vitarka, and I.49, sutra I.42, and sutra I.16.