atha: now, auspiciousness, a prayer
yoga: joining, union, junction, combination
anusasanam: advice, direction, order, command, instructions
With prayers for divine blessings, now begins an exposition of the sacred art of yoga.
We can begin our study of yoga now. Anytime. Patanjali gives the instructions to follow on the path.
pramana: valid / correct knowledge viparyaya: inverted, perverse vikalpa: doubt, indecision, imagination or day-dreaming nidra: sleep smrtayah: memory They are caused by correct knowledge, illusion, delusion, sleep and memory. The five-fold fluctuations of consciousness.
sabdajnana: verbal knowledge anupati: followed in sequence, pursued vastusunyah: devoid of meaning vikalpah: imagination Verbal knowledge devoid of substance is fancy or imagination. Having an imagination is helpful (and fun) but we cannot live in this realm all the time. At some point the imaginary words or thoughts can become an untruth.
tada: then, at that time drastuh: the soul svarupe: in his state avasthanam: dwells Then, the seer dwells in his own true splendor. When the consciousness is stilled then our impression of our self is no longer distorted.
viparyayah: perverse, unreal mithyajnanam: illusory knowledge atadrupa: not in its own form pratistham: occupying, standing, seeing, beholding Illusory or erroneous knowledge is based on non-fact or the non-real. A false conception can generate wrong feelings. Our consciousness then responds to the wrong feelings by generating more thoughts, based on the original false impression. A vicious…
abhava: feeling of non-being, absence of awareness pratyaya: going toward conviction, trust alambana: support, abode, dependence on a prop vrttih: function, condition, thought-wave nidra: sleep without dreams Sleep is the non-deliberate absence of thought-waves or knowledge. In a dreamless sleep the consciousness is stilled without any effort.
vrtti: fluctuations, modifcation sarupyam: indetification itaratra: at other times At other times, the seer identifies with the fluctuation consciousness. When the consciousness is not stilled the seer gets caught up in the fluctuations. The fluctuations appear as a reverie which take one away from the present moment.
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Beginning Sept. 2 classes will be held at Grace Episcopal Church. See the schedule. |
