Free your mind

Photo by Sam Schooler on Unsplash

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 Bring the mind into sharp focus and make it alert so that it can immediately intuit truth, which is everywhere. The mind must be emancipated.
- Bruce Lee

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This blog post is part of our Yoga Sutras series.  
​Want to start at the beginning?
Yoga Sutra 3.50
सत्त्वपुरुषान्यताख्यातिमात्रस्य सर्वभावाधिष्ठातृत्वं सर्वज्ञातृत्वं च 
Sattva purusa anyata khyati-matrasya sarva-bhava adhisthatrtvam sarvajnatrtvam ca
By understanding the difference between sattva and Purusha attainment of omnipotence and omniscience are realized. 

I think here is about where - forgive me - trying to understand the Sutras starts to get “scary.”  By that I mean, it is deep into a philosophy created in a very different time and place than the one we are living in now.  It challenges our view of “reality.”  

​The vedic view is a completely different way of seeing the world based on observations from several centuries ago.  Thus at first, the words “omnipotence” and “omniscience” seem to my western mind at best, truly unscientific; at worst, deeply disturbing.  

Also, this is the point I’ve noticed that various translations seem to veer away from one another more substantially.  The nature of this discussion is honestly unknowable so it's really hard to pin down Patanjali’s complete meaning.  That’s exactly why this text is brilliant.  It is so terse, it leaves space for centuries worth of interpretation and discussion.  And what are we discussing at the end of the day?  Ethics.

What I think Patanjali is really telling us is yes, you can know or do anything you set your mind to because the mind is incredibly powerful.  The mind can move mountains and people have done extraordinary things with their lives.  However, desiring or chasing after these things is exactly beside the point.  The more you struggle to attain a desire, the more ensnared by the senses you become.  Only by renouncing one’s attachment to all material benefit will one be able to experience true freedom.

Ram Bhakt’s translation of Yoga Sutra 3.50 is a remarkably direct and clear summary of this section of the Sutras.  “By nonattachment to even omnipotence and omniscience, the root of defects is destroyed and liberation comes.” (180)  

​Really the discussion of omnipotence and omniscience follows logically from the Yoga Sutras we discussed last month.  Even if we attain mastery over the senses (Sutra 3.48) and thus, master nature (Sutra 3.49) becoming omnipotent and omniscient, we must develop nonattachment to these siddhis as well if we wish to find liberation (Sutra 3.51).

In Yoga Sutra 3.52, Patanjali also includes a specific warning to avoid attachment to or pride about admiration from sthany, which I’ve seen translated as “high-placed, presiding celestial beings,” (Stiles, 110) “a place or position, rank, dignity, presiding deities” (Iyengar, 233) and “celestial beings, deities, devas” (Satchidananda, 247)  In other words, people in power.  But beyond that even!  We should avoid clinging to admiration even from celestial beings.

Now I’ve never met a celestial being myself but there are people who claim to have.  Regardless of whether you’ve met a deity before, I think we can all agree that clinging to their approbation will only lead to more suffering in the snare of materialism and temporality.  BKS Iyengar calls these “undesirable connections.” (233)  Essentially, we should avoid these attachments to prevent a “recurrence” (Stiles, 110) or “revival of the undesirable.” (Stiles, 45)

The most practical summary of Sutra 3.52 to me is the Shoshoni Yoga Retreat’s interpretation.

A Yogi with high attainment may be tempted into a return to old patterns and duality by something that seems to hold a particular power.  This could be something attractive, someone of high rank, or even celestial beings.  One's reaction in these cases should be non-action. (43)

Again, what it comes down to is ethics.  To truly be free, don’t get attached and you will behave honorably.  Then your life will be peaceful.  I think that’s what all of these Sutras about the siddhis are ultimately about.  No matter your level of attainment, “do good, be good” as Swami Sivananda used to say.

I am acutely aware that unfortunately, many yoga teachers have harmed others using their level of attainment.  It seems the higher the level of attainment, the higher potential for abuse.  That is why Patanjali’s outline of the Raja Yoga path starts and ends with ethics.  Yamas and Niyamas, remember those?

Although there are egregious examples of this from people who are even quoted here, the purpose of these posts is to elucidate The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and I believe the quotes I’ve selected do.  Perhaps a future blog post can delve into this topic more.  For now, I will conclude this discussion by saying even Patanjali warns you not to worship power as it leads to temptation.  Use it properly if it comes.  Yes, enjoy it!  But don’t get attached to it.  That’s what creates all problems.

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​What are your strengths?  When did you realize others admired you for those attainments?  Did you feel any sort of way about others’ admiration?  How did that impact your feelings, opinions and/or decisions?