Patanjali Sutras verses 1 – 4 – Vanessa Graham
The Patanjali Sutras have been given to us for guidance on how to awaken our Consciousness and travel on the path of enlightenment. They are just as relevant and useful to spiritual aspirants today as they were when first written. I have dipped in and out of them over the years but it has only been recently that I have taken a closer look. Peter Harrison, my tutor initiated this exploration and I have followed his guidance. Many times I have read the Patanjali Sutras but it is only now that I am linking them to my own studies and understanding their relevance at a deeper level.
At the very beginning of the Sutras it clearly states it is a methodical systematic teaching of yoga (anusasanam) which leads to Self Realisation. Too often in today’s world yoga is just seen as a physical exercise programme and its true essence is lost. The Patanjali Sutras leave no doubt about what is yoga. In Chapter 1 verse 2 it states “Yoga is the connection with the inner rest behind the movements in conscious awareness (vrttis)”. When the mind is restrained the goal of yoga (union) with the Self is realized.
Often students who come to me for meditation want to quieten their mind i.e. rid themselves of vrttis, movements in the mind. Below our mind chatter there is a lake of stillness that gets covered over by ideas thoughts, emotions, memories etc. The analogy is used of a clear blue sky covered by clouds which are our thoughts. If we want to get in contact with that blue sky (Consciousness, Truth, Being) we have to start emptying our mind of unnecessary mind chatter. This does not mean we are critical about what comes up; we just become the detached observer or witness of our thought patterns and emotions, just as though you were watching a film. The witnessing awareness which is deep within us is still, silent and wise. It can be contacted through the silence of meditation. In order to be able to meditate we have to quieten the body first and focus the mind on the breathing for example. With regular practice your true nature of Sat-Cit-Ananda (Being-Awareness-Bliss) comes to the fore.
‘The witness rests in its own nature’ verse 3 and this is the journey of meditation towards understanding this, that we are not the mind or the body we are the witnessing awareness of all, Consciousness itself. We believe ourselves to be our thought and emotions; we view the world from the colour of our culture, traditions and society. We see ourselves as a limited person who names itself as ‘I’ or ‘me’ who has a desiring mind and is attracted outwards by the senses. We believe ourselves to be the bundle of our past experiences which define how we react in the future. We enjoy reliving pleasure memories, avoiding painful ones. We project our hopes, fears and worries into the future and tend to ignore the present moment. This is what Patanjali is talking about in verse 4, that there is identification with these vrttis. It is a journey of ‘knowing thyself’, seeing the mind chatter for what it is, electrical currents in the brain which can trigger physical responses in the body i.e. emotions. We are imprisoned by our mind’s set patterns of thinking and doing. We are much more than this, instead of turning outwards your focus needs to be turned inwards with the question ‘Who am I?’
We are working with the Patanjali Sutras at the monthly satsang which will be an opportunity to raise questions or discuss your experiences. I am always available for your thoughts or queries via email on Vanessaegraham@aol.com