These sutras teach us about how to practice. One of the important concepts to be aware of are the qualities of nature and of the mind. These qualities are called the gunas; they are cosmic energies that pervade all of nature. There are three qualities of nature: rajas, or the energy of activity, change, evolution and development. In the mind rajas is the energy attachment, wanting, grasping and desire; it is the fight of the fight, flight or freeze response. Without rajas we would never get anywhere.
The next quality of nature is tamas which means inertia or lack of movement. In the mind it is stubbornness, resistance to change, apathy or a feeling of being “stuck”. Tamas represents that tendency to freeze, the reluctance to trying something new.
Sattva is the point of balance between rajas and tamas. At the level of the mind, sattva is a balance of clarity and light. Sattva is a feeling of peace, balance and harmony, a sense of being enough, doing enough and having enough. If our practices are too rajasic, they will be too harsh and austere. If too tamasic, they will never get off the ground; we will be too lazy, or we won't try something new because we "have always done it that way". One way to tell if our practices are working is if they create a sense of sattvic balance.
Y.S. 1.33 Maitri karuna mudito peksanam sukha dukha punya apunya visayanam bhavantah citta prasadanam
Maitri – friendliness
karuna – compassion, mercy
mudita – gladness, joy
upeksanam – to be indifferent and apathetic, to look at things without interest
sukha – happiness
dukha – sorrow
punya – virtue
apunya – vice
visayanam – regarding an object, concerning a thing
bhavantah – conception, remembrance, infusion, recollection, thoughtfulness
cittaprasadanam – graceful diffusion of the consciousness, favorable disposition
In daily life we see people around us who are happier than we are and people who are less happy. Some may be doing praiseworthy things and others causing problems. Whatever may be our usual attitude toward such people and their actions, if we can be pleased with others who are happier than ourselves, compassionate toward those who are unhappy, joyful with those who are doing praiseworthy things and remain undisturbed by the errors of others, our mind will be very tranquil.
What this means in our daily life: If we can be happy when others are happy, then we can experience happiness more frequently. If we can overlook the mistakes of others, then we know that our own transgressions can be forgiven. Also, the act of doing good is its own reward. We do not need praise or recognition for doing the right thing.
Y.S. 1.34 Pracchardana vidharana abhyam va pranasya
Pracchardana – emitting, sending forth, discharging, expelling, exhalation
vidharanabhyam –restraining, maintaining, supporting, executing
va – or, an option, also the power of choosing correctly, selection, alternatively
pranasya- of breath
When we find interruptions in mental clarity:
The practice of breathing exercises involving extended exhalation may be helpful:
One should inhale and exhale slowly and pause, maintaining the retention for as long as is comfortable. This practice ensures a state of consciousness which is like a calm lake.
What this means in your daily life: The breath is the greatest indicator of the state of the mind. When the breath is not smooth and regular, something is disturbing us. Find out what that is and deal with it and the breath should be able to return to a smooth and regular rhythm.
Y.S. 1.35 Visayavati va pravrttih utpanna manasah sthiti nibandhini
Visayavati – related to, attached to object, that which is perceived
va - or
pravrttih – moving onwards, advancing, progressing, contemplating, devoting, applying
utpanna – born, produced, acquired, accomplished
manasah - mind
sthiti - state
nibandhini – origin, basis, foundation, binding together,
By regular inquiry into the role of the senses we can reduce mental distortions. Or, by contemplating an object that helps to maintain steadiness of mind and consciousness.
What this means in your daily life: Use a tool to help you meditate. It can be a mantra, your breath, an altar on which you set meaningful objects and symbols of your devotion or the ritual of lighting a candle. But do set up a routine that helps you turn inward on a regular basis.
Y.S. 1.36 Visoka va jyotismati
Visoka – free from grief, sorrowless effulgent light
va - or
jyotismati – luminous, bright, shining, possessed of luminous bodies, a tranquil state of mind
When we inquire into what life is and what keeps us alive, we may find some solace for our mental distractions.
Consideration of things greater than ourselves helps us put ourselves into perspective.
Here, the concentration is on the innermost core of the heart, wherein alone the sorrow-less, effulgent light glows. That is the seat of the soul. The mind is guided in such a way that it becomes engrossed and penetrates toward its source. Movements in the form of thoughts in the mind are waves, and citta, or the seat of consciousness, is the ocean. The sadaka, practitioner, must learn to keep the citta motionless and thoughtfully silent, without creating waves of thought. This effort or stilling and silencing the citta brings forth the sorrow-less effulgent light of the soul.
What this means in your daily life: You are sitting to meditate and there is some noise outside, someone is working or mowing the lawn and it is disturbing your meditation practice, or your peace. In reality, this is not someone who is doing something to you, they are simply mowing their lawn. It has nothing to do with your meditation practice, or your peace. In fact, the noise is part of your meditation practice. You can choose to meditate later, or you can welcome the sound of mowing into your practice. The problem is that we want the world to operate according to our personal agenda and when it doesn't, we get upset; it distracts us mentally. We blame the noise on our inability to concentrate, when in fact the noise is simply a test of our concentration.
For those of you who are interested in the texts I have been using, I base my commentary on The Yoga Sutras from a combination of several texts and one app:
The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar
Light on The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by B.K.S. Iyengar
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Edwin F. Bryant
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Swami Satchidananda
And an app on the Yoga Sutras developed by Daniel Levine