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.
yogah: union or integration citta: consciousness vrtti: fluctuations nirodhah: restraint Yoga is the cessation of the movements in the consciousness. This is definition of yoga. The study of the consciousness with an attempt to bring the thoughts under our control.
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.
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.
pratyaksa: direct perception anumana: inference agamah: texts or scriptures, a person who is a scriptural authority and whose word can be relied on pramanani: kinds of proof Correct knowledge is direct, inferred or proven as factual. There are three ways to know something correctly: you can know from your own direct perception, from deduction, from…
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.
At the beginning of class I occasionally engage the students in a short yoga philosophy discussion. The discussions are usually inspired by my on-going reading and contemplation of yogic texts, such as the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. (A sutra is a short phrase. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a book of phrases, which are…
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Beginning Sept. 2 classes will be held at Grace Episcopal Church. See the schedule. |
