PATANJALI describes MEDITATION to attain UNION with GOD  

Meditation will free the mind from the bondage of the personal self.
Meditation helps a person to see the world in a different light.
Meditation is one of the best treatments for stress.

PETE'S JOURNAL, MAY 2002

 www.seekeronline.org

"There is no way to happiness,
Happiness is the way."

Buddha

5-1-02

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

"It is not known exactly when Patanjali lived, or even if he was
indeed a single person rather than several persons using the same
title. Estimates of the date of the Sutras range from 5,000 B.C. to
A.D. 300. In any case, he did not in any sense 'invent' Raja Yoga,
[The Royal Path to Union] but rather systematized it and compiled
the already existing ideas and practices. Since that time he has been
considered the 'Father of Yoga,' and his Sutras are the basis for all
the various types of meditation and Yoga which flourish today in
their myriad forms."

"Sutra literally means 'thread,' each sutra being the barest thread
of meaning upon which a teacher might expand by adding his or
her own 'beads' [commentary] of experience, example, and so on
for the sake of the students." From: Integral Yoga

The Sutras are sometimes called aphorisms which means, a short
sentence stating a general doctrine of truth.

In the following text I have tried to render Pantanjali's Sutras and
commentaries in simple plain English so that the seeker does not
have to refer to countless references to grasp the spiritual meaning.

The content and meaning of the commentary for each sutra vary
a great deal among sources. I chose the commentary or parts
of commentaries that best expressed the seekers point of view as
outlined in these journals.

The seeker attempts to reach union with God through physical
and mental purity, right thinking and exhilaration of the mind.
Patanjali's Raja Yoga outlines a path to union with God by
controlling the mind... meditation. Both are valid paths. The seeker
can learn a great deal about how the mind works and ascending
the spiritual path from Patanjali's sutras, even though they do not
practice meditation.

"Though the aspirant should show devotion to many scriptures
and teachers, he must take from all of them the essence only,
as a bee takes the essence from many flowers."

I have drawn from the following excellent sources:

How to Know God, by Swami Prabhavananda and C. Isherwood
Integral Yoga, by Sri Swami Satchidananda
Patanjali's Meditation, Yoga by Vyn Bailey
Psychology of Mystical Awakening, by Swami Savitripriya
Raja Yoga, by Swami Vivekananda

Part I. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras---Concentration.

1-1. Now, instruction in Yoga.
Yoga means union... to unite the personal self with God.
Yoga is also the science or 'how to' of accomplishing this union
by meditation.

5-3-02

1-2. Yoga is the stilling of the Mind.
Union can be accomplished by stilling the mind. Stilling of the
mind does not mean inducing a trance state but becoming
completely aware or fully conscious.

5-5-02

1-3. Then a persons consciousness is abiding in Reality.
"When the lake of the mind becomes clear and still, man knows
himself as he really is, always was and always will be. He knows
that he is the Soul. [God] His 'personality,' his mistaken belief in
himself as a separate, unique individual, disappears."
From: How to Know God

5-7-02

1-4. Otherwise, (when not concentrating) the personal self
identifies with the thought waves of illusion of a separate
reality from God.
For instance, someone blames me; this produces a modification,
(vritti), in my mind, and I identify myself with it, and the result is
misery." From: Raja Yoga

What this sutra is saying is that when you are not identifying with
your Soul, your Christ self, you identify with the personal minds
world view of yourself, which is illusion. Meditation helps a person
to contact and realize their true self.

5-9-02

1-5. There are five kinds of thought waves, some are
troublesome and some are not.
Even though, some thought waves are troublesome... "it is through
these very workings of the mind that we are studying yoga."
From Patanjali's Meditation Yoga

5-11-02

1-6. The five kinds of thought waves are: right knowledge or
truth; wrong knowledge or error; imagination; sleep; and
memory or remembering.
"Right knowledge: "What's wrong with knowing the truth? How can
that possibly be classed as something troublesome, as an obstacle
or a mental process to be restrained? A weed can be defined as a
plant in the wrong place. Many of our distractions in meditation
come from right knowledge in the wrong place--facts which force
their unwelcome presence on our attention. They are actually harder
to dismiss than the fantasies or vague daydreams precisely because
they do reflect an objective reality." From Patanjali's Meditation
Yoga

5-12-02

Two years today on the path.

5-13-02  

1-7. The basis of right knowledge is direct perception;
inference or correct conclusion; inspired spiritual texts
or teachings.
"You can only be certain that your understanding is correct if there
is a mutual agreement between three sources: your own direct
personal perception; logical conclusion you reached based on
inference [a logical conclusion from given data or premises]
(i.e.,where there is smoke, there must be fire); receiving verification
through examples in the scriptures or through the spoken words of
an Enlightened Master." From: Psychology of Mystical Awakening

5-15-02

1-8. Wrong knowledge or error is based on deceptive
appearances.
Wrong knowledge: "...also has its roots in reality, though in this
case, the reality is misrepresented in our mind."

"The next class of vittis (thought wave) that arises is the mistaking
of one thing for another, as a piece of mother-of-pearl is mistaken
for a piece of silver." From: Raja Yoga  

"The classic example given in yoga literature is that of a piece of
rope which is mistaken for a snake. In this case, wrong knowledge
will cause us to fear the rope and avoid it or kill it."
From: How to know God

"Error comes to us through the same channels as truth, which
makes it so much harder to detect. If the end result [of our
perception] does not correspond to objective reality, then we have
error, instead of right knowing." From: Patanjali's Meditation Yoga   

5-17-02

1-9. Imagination is based upon images which have no real
existence.
"Imagination occurs when you, the Conscious-Seer, scan the
recorded impressions in the mind and embark on mental
fantasy... " From: Psychology of Mystical Awakening

Other sources translate this sutra to mean:
"Verbal delusion arises when words do not correspond
to reality."
"A common form of verbal delusion is jumping to conclusions.
We hear somebody speaking and form a hasty and inaccurate
picture of his meaning. In political speeches one often finds...
verbal delusions. Such expressions as 'the spirit of democracy,'
and 'the American way of life,' and so forth, bear rich crops of
verbal delusion every year, in newspapers [on TV] and over
the radio." From: How to Know God

5-19-02

1-10. Deep sleep is the lack of consciousness and movement
of thought waves in the mind.
Deep dreamless sleep occurs when there is a break in
consciousness between the Knower and the personal mind.
"...so only the brain-wave pattern characteristic of mental
void is produced." From: Psychology of Mystical Awakening

Sleep is unconsciousness, while meditation is super-consciousness.

5-21-02

1-11.Remembering or memory are thought waves not
forgotten that return to consciousness.
"Memory [remembering] suggests the deposit of past experiences
into which our retrieval system delves. Memory plays an enormous
part of our mental life. Not only are past experiences recalled, but
subconsciously they color our waking hours. Reactions of fear,
anticipation and aversion are triggered by our memories that have
become part of us. Some are personal and identifiable, some are
repressed and subconscious. Memories may [certainly will] have
to be dealt with if we are to attain serenity and freedom."
From: Patanjali's Meditation Yoga

5-22-02

1-12. Stilling the thought waves is accomplished by continual
practice coupled with detachment. This leads to meditation.

1-13. Practice is repeated effort to permanently control the
thought waves in the mind.

5-25-02

1-14. It becomes firmly grounded by long and constant effort,
with great love for the end to be attained.
"Margot Fonteyn, at the very peak of her career, still attended
ballet class every day. She tells us that all top ballet dancers do
the same. 'Miss one class,' she says, 'and you will notice it.
Miss two classes, and your teacher will notice it. Miss three, and
and the public will notice it.' From: Patanjali's Meditation Yoga

"The first qualification for the practice is that it should be done
for a long time. And it should be without break. And the last
qualification: 'in all earnestness.' That means with full attention,
with the entire application of your mind and with full faith in your
achievement. We need all these three qualities: patience, devotion
and faith." From: Integral Yoga

"So our practice, regular and punctual, is to continue uninterruptedly for a long time. Yoga practice can and should be a continuously
rewarding experience, part of our daily life. Time is needed, for the
end result will involve deep-seated and fundamental changes in
mentality and outlook. Ingrained habits may have to change, behavior patterns to be reversed, neural currents rerouted. Repetition, with fidelity and perseverance, is the way."
From: Patanjali's Meditation Yoga


5-27-02

1-15. To overcome the desire for objects seen or heard of is
non-attachment.
"The first thing you must do is form the habit of relinquishing
highly charged emotional attachments to certain things, and
aversions to others, in order to eliminate this basic cause of
emotional suffering. You can recognize an attachment by
becoming aware of every intense desire, expectation and demand
that an object, person or event be responsible for your pleasure and
happiness."

"And you must give up your dependency on others to make you
happy. This does not mean that you should give up friends and
family, or not enjoy life, it only means that you should not become emotionally addicted so that you feel that you cannot survive or be
happy without their approval, or their supplying your deficiency
demands."

"To eliminate attachments and aversions you must learn to raise your Center of Consciousness up and out of the lake of the [personal] mind and remain poised in the place of the Director. This is the way to eliminate this cause of unnecessary suffering, and get off the emotional pendulum that swings between the opposites of desire and fear, love and hate, which creates conflicting waves in the mind that collide with each other and create a stormy life experience." From: Psychology of Mystical Awakening

5-28-02

1-16. One ceases to desire any manifestation of nature when
they attain knowledge of the Soul.
"Once you become free from emotional suffering caused by desires
and fears, your mind and emotions will become calm. Then you will
become aware of the permanent presence of Divine Consciousness
and Love within your heart, which is so much more satisfying and
complete than the best experiences of impermanent objects of the
world. This is the highest state of non-attachment."
From: Psychology of Mystical Awakening

5-29-02
I have been having a hard time for the past six weeks or so because of a terrible falling-out with a friend. The issue has been resolved but I was so emotionally upset that I am still not a peace within myself. This kind of thing takes a devastating toll on a persons spiritual life. I have lost all verbal contact with my inner Voice.

I have not been able to do any upgrading on my diet. I have been
eating mostly a 50\50 raw and cooked vegetarian diet. Every time I
eat cooked food now I am gently reminded of Jesus' words in the,
Essene Gospel of Peace, Vol. I, "But I do say to you: Kill neither
men, nor beasts, nor yet the food which goes into your mouth. For
if you eat living food. the same will quicken you, but if you kill your food, the dead food will kill you also." I plan to do a long fruit fast
starting in June.

Jesus said, "pray without ceasing," in, The Life and Teaching of the
Masters of the Far East, and I believe he meant this literally.
I don't pray as much as I should which lifts the vibrations of a persons whole being, but I do continue to practice Japa, repeating my mantra often, "I am the Christ and I am One with God." I am on the path.

5-30-02

A couple of times in the past few days I have had an intense flash of
intuition that I am not Pete, my personal self, but something other. Its like I am standing off looking at myself and knowing that the "Looker" is separate from the Pete being viewed. The experience is not frightening but different and interesting... really got my attention for a moment.

Still no contact with my inner Voice or I would ask what is going on. The thought does come to me that its my 'true self' looking at the illusion, of Pete and Pete's world, and knowing that my true self is separate from the illusion. Like I (my true self) is standing off and looking at Pete and his actions and realizing that no matter what happens to Pete, my true self will be unaffected. Like watching a movie, I see it and hear it but it is really not a part of me.

5-31-02
We got www.seekeronline.org published on the internet today. I will continue to write about Patanjali's Sutras and meditation next month.

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