Threading the Sutra
By Manorama
***
Yoga
Sutra 1:12
abhyasa-vairagyabhyam
tan-nirodhah
The
mind is made tranquil by practice and non-attachment
Patanjali’s
Yoga Sutra is a mystical text that guides you from a lack of awareness about
who you are, to one of profound grounding in who you are.
In
sutra 1.2, Patanjali describes the definition of yoga as the
experience
where thoughts subside on the field of our minds. Sutra 1.12 gives the aspirant
clues
about
how to experience the state beyond thoughts. It says, in order to experience
quiet in the
mind you must practice. As you practice,
vairagya will naturally rise in you.
When
the mind becomes quiet your true Self is apparent.
***
Developing
Practice Through Sutra Study
The Sanskrit word Abhyasa translates as both
repetition and practice. In chapter one of the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali cites the
notion of practice as the cornerstone of his Yoga model. According to
Patanjali, practice is the antidote to man’s suffering. It is the panacea that
brings healing to the misbelief that we are something that we are not, i.e., the
body and mind alone.
Patanjali says, Abhyasa-Vairagyabhyam Tan
Nirodhah 1.12
This sutra states that the process of
misidentification with what we are not subsides through abhyasa, practice
and vairagya, non-attachment. Another way
to say this is: To experience what you truly are, begin to study what practice
and non-attachment mean because according to Patanjali, these are the elements
that lead to freedom.
If practice is the crux upon which freedom hinges,
then the next question is: What is practice?
In sutra 1.14 Patanjali answers this question when he
states:
Sa Tu
Dirgha-Kala-Nairantarya-Satkarasevito-Drdha-Bhumih 1.14
The sutra says, practice becomes firmly established
over a long period of time, when without interruption, with constant effort,
dedicated focus, and great love, one fixes one’s mind on the higher Self.
In sutra 1.14, Patanjali describes the full nature of
a mature yogic mind. He defines practice as evolving naturally over a long
time without any rush. By indicating that, time must thread through the
teachings. He is saying that you must take your understanding of yoga with you
into each new life experience you have, and that each time you return to formal
teachings bring all of your life experiences to those teachings as well. When
you do this, you gain great insights and a wider yogic perspective.
Patanjali also describes the nature of both the
practice and the practitioner, providing the student with a guide. As the
student follows this map, the floor emerges underneath. When this happens,
even though you move through your body and mind, you do not feel bound by the
body and mind alone, and you experience freedom within.
***
Luminous Shabda Sutra Practice:
- Each day for a
month write sutras 1.12 & 1.14
- Then each week
select a new word or idea from the list below to focus on.
- At the end of the week, write down your insights.
Sutra 1.12
Practice & Non-Attachment.
Sutra 1.14
What builds a firm ground?:
steadiness,
a long time,
not rushed,
continuous,
uninterrupted.
Qualities needed by the student:
constant effort,
dedication,
great love,
ability to fix one’s mind on the higher Self.
Copyright 2013 Luminous
Shabda/Sanskrit Studies, Manorama
