The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

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The yoga sutras of Patanjali, by the God realized saint Patanjali was given somewhere between 820 BC to 200 BC. Patanjali was the first to write down these teachings, for previous to this, the teachings were given orally. For this reason He is regarded as the founder of the science of Raja Yoga, or the "Kingly Science of the Soul".

The great value of His teachings can be seen in the fact that we are currently in the Aryan Age, whose focus is the mastery of the mind. Raja Yoga is the science of yoga that deals with the right use of the mind, as an instrument for soul and hence, for self realization.

In the Lemurian root race the yoga focused on was Hatha Yoga and Laya Yoga because the lesson was physical attunement. In the Atlantean root race, the yoga focused on was Bhakti Yoga, because of the emotional focus. Raja Yoga is the perfect yoga for our current root race. The future yoga will be Ashtranga Yoga, for the next coming root race that has not fully arrived yet.

Raja Yoga helps to bring about the mastery of the mental body and will lead humanity to the fifth initiation. In Alice Bailey’s book, "Light of the Soul - The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali", she says that the three books that every student should have in their hands and study are, "The Bhagavad Gita", "The New Testament", and "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali".

"The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" are a step-by-step system of unfolded and graded spiritual development. They remind me a little bit of "The Course in Miracles" by the Master Jesus. Each sutra is a one sentence long aphorism or teaching. There are 195 sutras in all and are divided into four books. Book one deals with the problem of union. Book two deals with the steps to union. Book three deals with union achieved and its results and book four deals with illumination.

One other interesting fact made known by Djwhal Khul, in the Alice Bailey books is that the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are the basic teachings of the trans-Himalayan school to which many of the Masters of Wisdom belong. This would certainly have included Djwhal Khul, Kuthumi, and the Master El Morya.

The yoga sutras form one of the six systems of Hindu philosophy. The Upanishads, the wisdom teachings of the Vedas uphold the yoga sutras of Patanjali as being among the six systems as containing the most efficacious methods for achieving direct perception of truth. The yoga system of Patanjali has been called the Eight Fold Path which leads to the final goal of "Kaivalya" (absoluteness) in which the Yogi realizes truth beyond all intellectual apprehension.

I would like to introduce you to these sutras since I would imagine that most of my readers have not been exposed to them. This particular graded series of lessons is one of the most valuable courses in spiritual development I have ever found.

For the purposes of this chapter I have extracted what I consider to be the most valuable sutras and will share these with you in the order they are presented by Patanjali. After each sutra I will give a short commentary if I think it is needed. If there is no commentary, it just means the meaning given by Patanjali is straight forward and self explanatory and not needing my comments.

After reading this chapter you will have an excellent understanding and sense of the overall teachings. The particular translation of Patanjali’s sutras which I am using are those of Djwhal Khul, in the Alice Bailey’s book, "The Light of the Soul", and my own.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Book One

1. "AUM. (OM) The following instruction concerns the science of union."

2. "This union (or yoga) is achieved through the subjugation of the psychic nature and the restraint of the chitta (mind)."

• The subjugation of the psychic nature which this lesson refers to is the control of the emotional body, desire nature, and subconscious mind.

3. "When this has been accomplished, the yogi knows himself as he really is in reality."

• Who the yoga really is, of course, is the soul and eternal spirit.

4. "Up till now the inner man has identified himself with his forms and with their active modifications."

• Man has seen himself as his (physical, emotional, mental, and/or etheric) bodies, and/or all of the changes these bodies go through.

7. "The basis of correct knowledge is correct perception, correct deduction and correct witness (accurate evidence)."

• This lesson deals with the correct use of the mind and the need for proper detachment, and ability to see life from the soul’s perspective. and perceiving life from the Christ consciousness, not the negative ego consciousness.

8. "Incorrect knowledge is based upon perception of the form and not upon the state of being."

• The choice for every person is to see themselves and others as just a body (physical, emotional, or mental), or as the Eternal Self living within all bodies.

12. "The control these modification of the internal organ, the mind, is to be brought about through tireless endeavor and through non-attachment."

• Tireless endeavor is one quality that many aspirants on the path lose. It is tied up with the lesson of maintaining one’s personal power and self mastery at all times, and is all connected with what Patanjali calls fiery aspiration towards God and self realization.

13. "Tireless endeavor is the constant effort to restrain the modifications of the mind."

• Sai Baba has called the mind the monkey mind. It is essential to maintain constant vigilance over it, since it is our thoughts that create our reality.

14. "When the object to be gained is sufficiently valued, and the efforts towards its attainment are persistently followed without intermission, then the steadiness of the mind is secured."

• The object the disciple is seeking is complete merger with the soul and spirit (Monad). This unceasing persistent effort leads to learning to keep the mind steady in the light, as Djwhal Khul always likes to say. The Disciple learns to remain in the Christ consciousness at all times as well as attuned to the Higher Self and soul. This becomes an automatic process as the conscious and subconscious minds are reprogrammed to stay attuned to the superconscious at all times. It is a matter of where you keep your attention or focus. Mastery is gained and the lower self, material desire, and negative ego literally die.

15. "Non-attachment is freedom from longing for all objects or desires, either earthly or traditional, either here or hereafter."

• The idea is to die to material desire and makes one’s only desire, that for ascension, or God realization. All desires other than this are hindrances on the path.

16. "The consummation of this non-attachment results in an exact knowledge of the spiritual man when liberated from the qualities or gunas."

• This non-attachment leads to the realization of the Monad or Spiritual Self. This is one step beyond even soul realization. Liberation from the gunas or qualities has to do with the three qualities of matter in Hindu thought. These are sattva (rhythm or harmony), rajas (activity), tamas (inertia). The disciple gains knowledge of the spiritual man because his detachment has led him to be the cause of his reality and the chooser of all form and qualities.

18. "A further stage of samadhi (enlightenment) is achieved when through one-pointed thought, the outer activity is quieted. In this stage the chitta (mind stuff) is responsive only to subjective impressions."

• The disciple’s total focus is only on the guidance from soul and spirit and not the outer world and negative ego.

19. "Other yogins (yogi’s) achieve samadhi and arrive at a discrimination of pure spirit through belief, followed by energy, memory, meditation and right perception."

• This lesson is pretty straight forward. The only thing I would add is that energy follows thought, and the memory function becomes in service of the soul, which allows the disciple to maintain what the Buddhists call "mindfulness", of the things that God would have us be mindful of. Right perception comes from perceiving life from the Christ consciousness, not the ego consciousness. Meditation is essential for self realization.

21. The attainment of this stage (spiritual consciousness) is rapid for those whose will is intensely life."

• This lesson, I believe to have two meanings, in terms of the word will. First of all, the single most important quality for psychological and spiritual growth is the development of personal power which is will. The disciple who learns to own their power in all situations and at all times, in service of God will make super accelerated progress.

The second meaning of will is the Monad or Father in heaven, who embodies the Will aspect of the Creator. Spiritual consciousness as opposed to soul consciousness is an attunement to this energy. Soul consciousness carries the vibration of love/wisdom.

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