Hello Folks,
This Tuesday we will start the first of weekly meditations on the section of Yoga Sutras that describe īśvara, the transcendent principle of consciousness.
The class will include pranayama and the guided chanting of the below sutras, followed by the chanting of Om twenty-one times and
meditation.
Patanjali arguably spends more time in Yoga Sutras discussing īśvara than any other specific topic. While many ideas receive three or four sutras to describe them, īśvara has seven sutras in chapter one and two in chapter two, making it an integral but often under-examined part of Yoga.
These sutras are where bhakti, or devotion, is described in the context of Yoga, and where the direct path to the heart of the process of Yoga is taught.
You can attend either in person or on Zoom, and I look forward to meditating on īśvara along with you!
You may use
this link to sign up.
Best,
Eddie
From Chapter 1 of Yoga Sutras:
īśvara-praṇidhānād-vā ॥23॥
From special devotion to īśvara, also (samādhi becomes imminent).
kleśa karma vipāka-āśayaiḥ-aparāmr̥ṣṭaḥ puruṣa-viśeṣa īśvaraḥ ॥24॥
Isvara is a particular puruṣa unaffected by affliction, deed, the result of actions, or the latent impressions
thereof.
tatra niratiśayaṁ sarvajña-bījam ॥25॥
In
īśvara, is the seed of omniscience which cannot be exceeded.
sa pūrveṣām-api-guruḥ kālena-anavacchedāt ॥26॥
The teacher of all the past teachers, because īśvara is not limited by time (omnipotent).
tasya vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ ॥27॥
The sacred word designating īśvara is praṇavaḥ (or the mystic syllable OM, that which is ever new).
taj-japas-tad-artha-bhāvanam ॥28॥
Repeat it and contemplate its meaning with full devotion.
tataḥ pratyak-cetana-adhigamo-‘py-antarāya-abhavaś-ca ॥29॥
From that comes the realization of the Self and the inner obstacles are resolved.