The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali 5-11

Hello,

Yogi.

Welcome to my podcast.

I'm Aiko and on this show we explore ways to put spiritual theory into sustainable practice.

Hey,

Sham.

Welcome.

Hi.

Thank you.

So today we're going to speak about Sutras 5 to 11.

As we mentioned last time,

It's the second section of the first chapter,

Which contains five sections in total.

So would you like to give a brief recap of the first four Sutras and say where we are?

Yes.

So the first four Sutras are very logical.

The first one says,

Now the teaching of yoga.

Then it gives a definition of yoga.

Yoga is the stilling of the waves of the subconscious.

Then in the third Sutra,

It says when this is achieved,

The stilling of the waves of the mind or the subconscious.

There can be several translations of Chitta.

Then the self is resting in itself.

And then in Sutra 4,

So then conversely,

If you don't achieve this stilling of the movements,

The cyclical movements of the mind,

Then you will identify with those movements and you will not be resting in yourself.

You will be projected into those movements.

Right.

So now we are in the second section where we're going to explain and say what those movements we are speaking about are.

Yes.

And also,

Now I remember that the day after we recorded this first episode,

We saw a funny video on TikTok that kind of talked about the mind is like having 18 tabs open at the same time in your browser.

And now I don't remember all the details of that,

But one funny thing was like,

And where is that music coming from?

You know,

Like when you have one tab playing something and you can't find like in which tab that is,

But that is kind of like when you have like,

You know,

Like some music on your mind that you can't get off.

Yeah.

You especially,

You often have many songs and sings during the day.

And sometimes we are thinking like,

Where this song is coming from?

And often we can't get back enough to remember where it's coming from.

Yes.

So,

So you can say that like yoga is to kind of close down all those tabs and just like rest in your own self.

Yeah.

And focus in what you're doing right now.

Yeah.

Okay.

So let's start with the sutra number five.

Yes.

Sutra number five is kind of giving a preface to this whole section here,

Which is of seven verses.

So just like the first four verses have a very logical sequence.

Also these next seven verses have a very logical sequence.

So the first of them,

Number five says that we have like the movements of the mind can be kind of put in,

In five categories.

And these can be either pleasant or unpleasant,

And you can also see it as they can be beneficial or non-beneficial for your yoga practice.

So this fifth sutra,

It goes vritaya,

Panchataaya,

Klista klista.

There are five kinds of changing states of the mind and they are either detrimental or non-detrimental to the practice of yoga.

Yeah.

I think here it's kind of important to say that it's not that maybe two are detrimental and three are not,

Or one or four,

Like all of them can be both,

Can be good or can be not good,

Can be simple or complex.

But all of them,

In each of them,

Those qualities are.

Yes,

Exactly.

So then like having said that there are five,

Then sutra number six outlines the five categories and then the following five verses gives a definition of each category.

So this is the logical sequence.

So then sutra number six gives this outline.

Pramanaviparyaya vikalpa nidras mritaya.

These five vrittis are right knowledge,

Error,

Imagination,

Sleep and memory.

What do you exactly mean by right knowledge?

Because I've seen it also like as judgment or something that you can measure.

Yes.

So there can be like more or less like simple definitions.

There is a definition here like the next sutra gives like the definition of right knowledge because like they come in the same order.

Correct.

So maybe we can just read them.

Yeah,

We can go ahead into the next sutra.

Okay.

So the next sutra giving a definition of the one you asked about here called right knowledge.

Pratyaksha numananam pratyaksha numanagama pramanani.

Right knowledge consists of sense perception,

Logic and verbal testimony.

Can you give me some practical example?

Yeah.

So by sense perception here,

Like it says pratyaksha is what is translated as sense perception.

So it is things that you are experiencing right now through your senses.

Like for example,

If you eat something bitter or sweet,

You immediately know,

Oh,

This is bitter or this is sweet.

Yes.

And that is like the most kind of direct knowledge we can have.

Like it's,

It's like experience right now.

Yeah.

This is in a sense,

That's all you have really.

And so like,

Literally pratyaksha means like in front of your eyes,

Like actually his eyes.

It's like what you can see here,

Like here and now,

Like,

Like,

If you see it,

You believe it,

Like there's a saying like that.

So this pratyaksha direct experience is,

Is part of this thing that is called right knowledge here.

But you can also have right knowledge from logic and from someone else's testimony.

So like,

Even if you are not directly experiencing something,

You can still like,

Like,

Know,

Like,

Know it through logic.

Yeah,

You can kind of connect the dots and make your,

Your judgment.

Yeah.

So like,

Like,

Let's say for example,

That the newspaper is falling in through the mail slip in the door.

And even if you didn't see the postman still like you,

You know that he was there because yeah,

Because the newspaper is there.

Yeah,

Exactly.

And then there's also like testimony of others.

Like,

Like for example,

If you ask,

Like,

You don't know where someone is.

So you ask someone else like,

Hey,

Like,

Where did he go?

And they,

And they tell you where that person went.

And like,

And then you,

You know,

So,

So you can know things through other others testimony.

Yeah.

And from other testimony,

You mean the word Agama?

Because then are included also like teachers and scriptures and books.

So it's everything basically that you didn't experience,

But you trust the source.

So you make it like,

Like if it's that way.

Yeah.

It's actually like,

Kind of like,

Like most of science is only understood really by those who are super into it,

Like who are the scientists and others are just kind of,

You know,

Trusting them.

And in the same way as like when the newspaper came in through the mail slip,

Like we have all these things that are working because of science,

Like,

Like this,

This microphone right now and the computer here and all this is working because things they found out through science and put together,

You know,

So,

So we can see that tangibly that's,

It's working.

They found out something,

You know,

That we can't understand,

But we can see the effects of.

So maybe we can give some examples of this so-called right knowledge pramana in this three different kind of work because we said that all of them can be like complex or simple and good quote unquote or not.

So beneficial for our spiritual life.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So for example,

Okay,

So let's take some then direct experience of something as complex or not complex.

We could take something so simple as eating something.

If you eat an apple,

Then you're only tasting the apple.

But if you eat something with a lot of ingredients and like a connoisseur can,

Can like tell like this or like,

Or like,

Or this wine comes from grapes from that vineyard.

And this has been,

It must've been stored for like 45 years to taste exactly like,

You know.

Yeah.

And also maybe like,

Uh,

One day you taste a very good apple and tastes good,

But the other day you're sick and you don't have anymore that the same taste of in your mouth and maybe you're not even hungry.

And then that same apple is just tasteless.

Yeah,

Exactly.

And,

Uh,

And of course,

And so,

So the,

So we had like the complex and the simple,

Then the good and the bad,

Like you said,

A good apple or as you said,

Like no taste.

So then,

Uh,

A direct experience that would be good for your yoga practice would for example,

Be to see an accomplished yogi with your own eyes,

Just,

And just see,

Um,

Like their state of mind and be inspired by that.

For example,

That will be like a direct experience that's helpful for your yoga practice.

And this is so good,

Like example or so for the opposite,

Because there are so many,

Um,

Quote unquote fake gurus who pretend,

Who just try to take advantage of you and,

Um,

And they manipulate you.

And unfortunately it's happening,

Um,

Everywhere.

Also in the world of yoga in all religions,

There are like charlatans and good people and in the world,

Unfortunately everywhere.

So that gives a very good example because with your eyes,

You can see,

But someone will see that he's a cheater,

But someone will think he's a good person.

And just by going through,

You will understand what was what.

Yes.

So this actually leads into the next sutra,

Which is error.

So the next sutra reads we pariyayo mityagyanam atad rupa pratishtam.

Error is false knowledge stemming from the incorrect apprehension of something.

So that,

That could be,

Yeah,

You seem what you like,

Like what we were just speaking about,

Like seeing an inspiring person,

Uh,

With the community,

You see an inspiring person,

But it's inspiring for the wrong reason.

Like you think,

Oh,

This is what an advanced yogi looks like,

But it's actually,

Um,

Someone who is just kind of posing as a yogi and has some charisma and,

Uh,

But a lot of internal work to do actually.

Yeah,

Exactly.

Yeah.

I think we,

We all have this kind of experience in life,

Like unfortunately,

But also fortunately because we learn from those experiences and,

Uh,

Yeah,

Exactly.

And here actually you're stating like,

Well,

What's the positive thing with this?

Like how does,

How it can be beneficial for your yoga practice?

Like you see that,

Oh,

Like I've,

I've made these,

These mistakes,

But actually this is the way it is.

Like,

Like you're like the mistakes give you kind of also in a way a ground to,

To stand on.

Yeah.

I wouldn't call it really like a mistake,

More a misjudgment because it's like,

Like telling a baby who falls because he doesn't know how to walk,

That he's making mistakes and that's why he's falling.

He's not really falling because he's making mistakes.

He's learning how to walk.

So I just don't like the word mistake.

Okay.

That's,

That's fine.

Okay.

I think this,

This verse is very much self explanatory.

So maybe we can go,

Uh,

To the next Sutra.

Yes.

So the next Sutra describes,

Uh,

Imagination,

Which is one of these movements of the mind.

Uh,

Shabda kyananupati vastushunyavikalpa.

Imagination consists of the usage of words that are devoid of an actual object.

And this,

This refers to,

To,

To metaphors and similes.

And this is like things that we are,

Uh,

We don't even think of in daily life in daily language,

But it's things that don't have,

Have any,

Any basis.

Some examples that are given are,

We say that the sun is rising and setting,

But that's just like an imaginary way of talking about it because the sun is not rising or setting.

It's just in one place all the time,

Uh,

Or that the time is flying.

Time is not flying.

Um,

Or like we can try to like imagine what,

What infinity is like,

But it's,

It's simply trying to kind of think of what the opposite of limits are,

But like we don't actually have a direct experience of infinity,

But we have some kind of imagination of it.

Yeah.

And these things can be,

Can be helpful.

Of course,

Here it's,

Uh,

It is,

As we have been talking about,

There can be helpful imaginations and unhelpful imaginations.

So we can imagine things that are,

You know,

We're just like daydreaming about nonsense stuff,

You know,

That's,

That's just like distracting us from,

From our path.

But also like imagination can be helpful.

Yeah.

Because like an interesting thing about imagination is that really there is no limit.

Like you can be in prison.

You can be like without,

I don't know,

Without the ability to,

To use your hands or body or anything,

But you can't stop your imagination.

So you can really do good things and go on the right direction.

Use your imagination to have good thoughts or,

Or not.

Yes.

So then the next sutra describes deep sleep.

Abhava pratyaya lambanā vṛtyr nidrā.

Deep sleep is that state of mind,

Which is based on an absence of any content.

Can you say something more?

Yes.

So this is very interesting because like this is one of the movements of the mind.

It's,

It's,

It's,

Uh,

As we have been hearing these days as we have been studying.

So these cyclical compulsive states of mind that we are in a cycle,

We are like pulled into them again and again.

So one of them is deep sleep.

So it's something that we,

We kind of require,

But it is some,

It is still a compulsion that in,

In the higher stages of yoga,

One will be able to replace by samadhi basically like by absorption in yoga,

Like yoga nidrā.

But the interesting thing is that deep sleep,

Like it said,

It's devoid of any content.

Like there are no,

No thoughts and no,

No like other experiences then,

Then the deep sleep itself.

So that this sounds very similar to samadhi.

It is not in itself helping your samadhi,

Even if you,

Even though you have several hours of deep sleep every day.

So it is kind of like an unproductive samadhi you can say.

So samadhi would be something like deep sleep,

But with clarity.

Very deep meditation.

Yeah.

So whereas deep sleep is without any kind of kinds of distractions,

But it's,

It is still not clear.

Like you're not vivid in that.

Yeah.

So the key here is to have controlled sleeping,

Like not just sleep until 12 and then not sleep for two days or things like that to have it controlled and regulated.

Yeah.

Yeah.

To like regulate your sleep in a way that is beneficial for your yoga practice.

And then in higher stages,

Not something you have to worry about now,

But in higher stages you can actually stay awake during your,

Your,

Your deep sleep.

So the last sutra of this section is about memory.

Anubhuta vishaya sampra moshaha spriti.

Memory is the retention of images of sense objects that have been experienced.

So instead of,

Instead of talking about forgetfulness,

To say that forgetfulness is when you don't remember,

Here it's reversed,

It's saying memory is when you don't forget.

It's when you retain what you have directly experienced.

And that is what kind of,

This memory is what kind of allows you to imagine things.

Like if you only had your direct experience in the present moment,

Then you couldn't like daydream or anything like that.

Because there like would be no sense to like,

You can only daydream if you,

If you have kept memories of other things.

It's only because of memories that you can think of the future paradoxically.

Yeah.

Yeah,

Of course.

Because it's,

It made you who you are and you have this inside of you and yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

The important thing here,

Like to differentiate the good and how it can be beneficial and how cannot is I guess the attachment to not be attached to what was in your past,

But to acknowledge and acknowledge that it was important and it made you who you are right now,

But it's not the now.

So you shouldn't be attached to that.

Yes.

To let go.

Of course you should,

You should keep what is beneficial for your,

For your yoga practice and the rest you can let go of.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So,

So with that,

If we,

If we should summarize,

Perhaps there are the movements of the mind can be put in five categories and those,

Uh,

And the things in those categories can be either beneficial or not beneficial for your yoga practice.

And then there is the outline of what these five categories of movements are and it's right knowledge,

Error,

Imagination,

Deep sleep and memory.

And then there were five sutras with definitions of each of those five categories of movements.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Very nice and interesting.

So,

Um,

Next section will be from sutras 12th to 16th and,

Um,

And here there will be explained the means of controlling these waves of the mind.

So how can we practically do that?

Yes.

So that's again,

Going back to those first four sutras.

So,

So like we came into this,

This section now because there was the verse that was saying,

You know,

We have to still the movements of the mind.

So then it was explained what are those movements and it was saying we have to still them.

So how should we still them?

So that's,

As you say,

That's the next section.

Thank you very much.

Happy Kadesi,

See you next time.

Thank you so much.

I'm so happy to be here.

I hope this episode fulfilled its purpose of inspiring you.

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