SADHANA PAD SUTRA 6

                     DRIG   DARSHAN   SHAKTYOR   EKATMATA   IWA   ASMITA

THE  SEER  AND  POWER  TO  SEE, ARE  MISTAKEN  TO  BE  ONE -THAI  IS  ASMITA

    One needs to know the difference between the PURUSH and the PRAKRUTI. The Purush is very different than the Prakruti. The Purush is the Self and the Prakruti is the Nature. The Self is Unchanging and does not have any Qualities or Gunas . So the the mind , intellect and the Chitta , which is more or less 'mind stuff', are all part of Nature or Prakruti. So when we see anything in this physical world, there is seer and the seen. But the power with we see is in Chitta.The seer is the Self.So the two are different , but when we look at it grossly , we feel it is same.. If you ask a child as to ,'how 'do you see?' , The answer will invariably be that," I see with eyes". But then when one goes deeper eyes are not the seer , nor is the nerve that carries the impulses or not even the center in the brain. These are part of physical body. But then is it possible that the mind is seeing . The real thing that sees is the Self , with the medium of Mind or Chitta.
     So when we confuse the Self with Mind or Chitta , theta is called Asmita. So when we think that Self is limited by the physical body and the mind and the chitta , which are all part of Nature or Prakruti , it is Ego. So the Ego is awareness of self .But the Self is limitless and when we feel that it is limited by body, that same Self is Ego .So when we start saying that  'I am happy" or' I am tired ', we are actually referring to body or mind . but we think it is Self which is tired.So this confusion is mentioned here and it is called Asmita , limiting limitless Self to the body.

SADHANA PAD-SUTRA 5

                                      ANITYA  ASHUCHI  DUKHANAM  ANNATMASU

                                       NITYA   SHUCHI   SUKHA ATMAKHYATIR

                                                                   AVIDYA

WHEN ONE THINKS OF A THING WHICH IS CHANGING OR NON ETERNAL TO BE CHANGELESS OR ETERNAL , IMPURE TO BE PURE ,GIVING PLEASURE WHEN IT IS SORROW CAUSING AND NON SELF TO THE SELF , IT IS IGNORANCE

The ignorance is commonly used term . We could be ignorant of physics or chemistry or sports or politics.But that is not what this sutra is talking about . They are talking about different things .When we 'think' of something as eternal when in actuality is mortal , that is ignorance . Many a times we are told that this world is not 'real' ,but just a dream of the God. But in religion when we say it is not real, we mean that it is "changing". We think that the body is real,but it is changing all the time . Infant becomes child and the child becomes youth and young adult becomes adult . The adult grows old and then dies.The body disintegrates in to 5 great elements, the 'PNACHA MAHABHUTAS' .So even when we we think that body is real (not unchanging , which is real definition of real or unreal ).
     We also think things which are not body is pure , but is it ? The body has flesh , blood , urine and excreta and many other things that are far from being 'pure'. We do every thing for this body .We decorate it put cosmetics , on it dress it well and love it .But what happens when we are sick or when we are dead?Is that body pure?So again we confuse impure for pure.
     If we are asked if ice cream gives us pleasure or not or having a million dollars will make on happy or not . Invariably the answer will be thy all are things that will give us pleasure.But is it true? The pleasure that we get is 'transient' and may be that the source of the pleasure. If I like ice-cream and feel that it gives me pleasure, then when I don't get the ice cream , then I will be unhappy. So indirectly it is causing sorrow. If I have a million dollars , then I would worry that some one may steal it or I may invest it and loose them etc. So the worry that it will bring would be causing sorrow rather than happiness.
     Sometimes the happiness is in mind and not in the external source. If stake was the source of the happiness then all will be happy . But we know that vegetarian people do not find pleasure in eating stake.If happiness is in having sex, then rape will also be pleasurable. So the happiness is in our mind.
     The last part is we thinking that the SELF is our body or mind or intellect But we all the time think that the self is body . That is why we refer to our body as self. In reality SELF is real does not have any qualities or Gunas, The Gunas are related to Nature and not self. So the physical body , the mind the chitta and the intellect are all part of Nature and not self . But we all the time confuse  these things  for Self. This is the last part of the sutra We confuse Self for NON SELF.

SADHAN PAD-SUTRA-4

 AWIDYA  KSHETRAM  UTTARESHAM  PRASUPTA  TANU  VICHHINNA  UDARSHANAM

    THE IGNORANCE IS THE SOURCE OF THE REMAINING 4 AFFLICTIONS AND THEY
                                                                                                                                                                           ARE IN ONE OF THE 4 STATES, DORMANT ,ATTENUATED,CONTROLLED (OR

                                   NEUTRALIZED) AND FULLY DEVELOPED

       In the last Sutra we were told that there are 5 afflictions . In this one we are told that the origin of latter 4 is the first the IGNORANCE. We are also told that these all exist in four different stages at one or other time .
      Ignorance is the origin or the 'field'. In any field things grow. So if the field is destroyed or not futile then the things will not grow. So to remove these afflictions we have to remove the ignorance. But it is not easy, as these afflictions remain one out of four states. The first one is the dormant In this stage we may not be aware of the affliction, as it is in the Dormant state. This could be any one of the four.This has to do with the 'Impressions'that we 'carry' duo to 'actions' that we do.(Every action has a reaction, or every Karma leads to an Impressions' or Saunskar).So we may have had good food and that has left us with an impression.But we may not be aware of it .I am not aware of the impression that was left by eating Pizza, if I had a full meal of my favorite things. So the desire is dormant. But now the situation is changed.I have become vegetarian or I am fasting and the desire to eat Pepperoni Pizza may come and may go away .At times we may have desire to eat something that we should not or do something that we know is not good , kill someone or beat someone or have sex with some one . This may arise so transiently that we are barely aware of it and we do not have to suppress it , but it automatically goes away.
      This the second state or called Attenuated. REMEMBER IT IS NOT GONE , But it is still there. It is like weeds. When we do not uproot them but just cut them , they are still there and will pop up under nurturing conditions.
       The next one is controlled status . We want to go out to eat and have desire to go to a favorite restaurant.So the time is right and our desire to eat a favorite food is there and it is right at the top .But then we get visit from some friend or have an emergency and we have to go to do the job, or for whatever reason the conditions are not conducive to the fulfillment of the desire. We end up eating the left over and our desire is suppressed. This is the third state.
       The last one is one which is expressed .We have the desire and the circumstances are favorable and we can fulfill the desire . So this is the fully developed or expressed.
    Now when we talk about the lower levels of existence , namely the animal YONI, whenever there is desire they will try to fulfill it. But the same behavior is not possible as Human beings.So sometimes we have to suppress them , sometimes we fulfill them and sometimes that are so inappropriate due to the societal structure, that they remain dormant.Even though we talked about the desires, in various stages , the same applies to the 4 afflictions that are mentioned. Let me take one quick example . We don't like particular vegetable , say Broccoli, but when we visit our in laws , they have it specially cooked for us , what are we going to do . WE SUPPRESS THE DISLIKE and eat it.I am sure that we all can find examples of all 4 types of the afflictions if we think about it .

SADHAN PAD SUTRA-3

                    AWIDYA  ASMITA  RAGA  DWESHA  ABHINIVESH  KLESHA

  THE IGNORANCE,  EGOISM, ATTACHMENT,  HATRED AND ATTACHMENT (TO BODY)

  (ARE FIVE )KLESHA OR AFFLICTIONS

     In this Sutra we are told about the five different Klesha or the afflictions. Theses are called Klesha as they cause the suffering for the Jiva . Jiva is the soul that relates to the physical body and forgets it's pure nature and which is 'free' from the bodily afflictions. The Ignorance is the origin of the latter 4 afflictions. When we have ignorance , it causes us to be egotist and get either happy when it is satisfied and unhappy when it is insulted. Ignorance is what causes us to be attached to things that are not immortal  and when things that are immortal and are destroyed or change , we are unhappy.We have attachment and hatred due to ignorance and lastly the bodily attachment is purely comes out of ignorance about the changing nature of the body . We are born and an infant becomes child , then the child becomes young man or women and the the young becomes old and old person dies. But what dies is the physical body and not the the soul . But our attachment to the physical body which comes out of ignorance is also the cause of sorrow and unhappiness.
    The relationship of these different afflictions are in Geeta too. In the first chapter, verse 8 it is mentioned that the warriors on the side of Duryodhana , the oldest of the Kaurawas, are Drona, Bhishma, Karna , Vikarana ,Kripa ,Ashwathama, Somadatta and Jayandratha.The symbolic meaning of these characters is much deeper than what has been addressed or not addressed by most the GEETA commentators. According to PARAMHANSA  YOGANANDA, each one represent what we talked in this sutra. The Drona represents 'past impressions ' or saunskars, the Bhishma represents Universal Ego or ASMITA, the Kripa(charya) is AVIDHYA or ignorance ,Karna is the RAGA or attachment (to pleasure), Vikarna is representing the Hatred or the DWESHA , Jayandratha is representing the attachment to the BODY. or called ABHINIWESH .As one can imagine all of them are on the side of Druryodhana or the one of the bad habits out of 100.Kaurawas. The Duryodhana is the King of the Desires and is son of Blind King (which is actually blind mind )
     I know this is too deep and difficult , but will be better explained as we go farther in this PAD . 

SADHAN PAD SUTRA-2

             SAMADHI  BHAWANA ARTHAH  KLESHA  TANU  KAARAN  ARTHASHCHA

             BY THIS (KRIYA YOGA) KLESHAS(AFFLICTION OF MIND AND BODY ) ARE

             DESTROYED AND SAMADHI IS ATTAINED.

       In all the Sutras , there is always reference to the previous Sutra and it is understood that one is reading these Sutras at one sitting. Os there is no direct mention of the Kriya Yoga, in this Sutra , but it is understood that we are talking about the effect of the Kriya Yoga, which was mentioned in the first Sutra .So when one tries to do Samadhi , then there are various problems that will arise due to mind going all over. The emotions take over and then it becomes difficult to do the concentration , that is required for the Samadhi . So there is a relationship between the two which is reciprocal. When we get better in the meditation,or get better in achieving Samadhi, then the things that affect our mind and it's concentration, (Klesha) are reduced. And when the Kleshas are more dominant then one can not concentrate and get better in Samadhi . But it is stated that when we try to do the Kriya Yoga (which is control of mind , body and speech, doing chanting and adopting  breathing techniques,study of the scripture and offering everything to the GOD ), will help us in reducing the mind tendencies .
      These Kleshas are described in the next Sutra.

SADHAN(A) PAD SUTRA -1

                  TAPAH  SWADHYAYA  ISHWAR  PRANIDHANANI  KRIYA  YOGAH

  DOING TAPAH,(AUSTERITY),STUDY (OF SCRIPTURES),AND OFFERING(EVERYTHING)

  TO THE GOD, MEANS KRIYA YOGA

In the previous chapter and in different sutras, we have been told about these means in achieving the goal. In this chapter we will be discussing the YAMA and NIYAMA, the so called Does and Don'ts of the behavior to help meditate and get better in getting to the goal.So in this Sutra we are told that 3 main things that constitutes the KRIYA YOGA.
    The first of these is the Tapah. This is called Austerity.When we talk about the Austerity, we tend to think about the great Austerity that was done by the great sages , like VISHWAMITRA, or  by rakshasas like RAWANA. but here we are talking about the change in our behavior by ordinary person, who is  'living' in this society with all it's attractions and temptations. So when we talk about the austerity we need to think in terms of 3 things.We need to think in terms of PHYSICAL austerity, MENTAL austerity, and by way of speech. We may think right , but may not act right , or we may act right but may not say right. A simple way of stating would be that we need to think positive about our self and OTHERS, we need to speak respectfully and in a insulting way to others and we need to physically act in a helpful way.We may be helping him but at the same time saying or thinking bad thing. If some one comes to me or calls me at 10 pm , I may talk to him and may give him right advice or call right medication to his pharmacy , all the while cursing him (in  mind ) as to why he had to call so late on the Sunday.So my action is right , but my thoughts are not right.The chanting and practice of meditation is also part of it.
     The study of scriptures is the next one . We all tend to have time for watching TV and it's sitcoms , we do not have time to read our scriptures. The reading without understanding is not the Swadhyay. The study means understanding the meaning of the scriptures and then thinking about them and then acting upon them , this is real STUDY.
      The last one that is mentioned is the one of the most important and least practiced and most difficult thing . We do offer several things to the GOD . We offer flowers and incense,and food and sweets and many other things. When we offer, we know that the GOD is not going to take it , he is not going to eat . So we are safe  and we offer .But if we offer and then he takes it from us or eats the PRASAD , do you think we would be that generous?If one thinks about this, he will realize that what we offer is actually NOT ours. Every thing has it's origin in the God and so it actually belongs to the God . So when we offer it  to him , we are essentially taking it from HIM and offering it to HIM!So if we develop this thought process and act in that way that is real offering to the God. We should offer every thing to him every minute, every day and night. So when we cook, eat, or do any work or make money or are involved in the actual process of the doing POOJA , then we should OFFER him.If we truly believe in this process we are not likely to do bad things . We would not offer bad food to the God , we would not offer money that we made by cheating some one.So having this thought precess ,will help us in improve our day to day behavior.
     

SADHAN PAD1

     In the first section , Samadhi Pad, we were told that we need to control the mental tendencies. We were also told the gradual progress of the concentration or meditation or Samadhi will lead to higher levels and then the final Liberation.Now in this chapter we are told about different things that will help us to achieve the highest levels. It may feel or sound as if it is repetition . And to some extend it is , but it is in much more details in this chapter.
     In this chapter there are 55 sutras.This chapter is called SADHAN PAD.I have seen it also being called SADHANA PAD. Each means different things.SADHAN means instrument , while SADHANA means study . In any case both are related to the same subject and the object and the goal.