Yoga

The world is part of
the Enlightened One!

Patanjali Yoga Sutra Knowledge Sheet 63

Contd. from knowledge sheet 62

The next sutra says –

Tadartha eva drushyasyatma’’ (II Sutra 21)

tad = that; artha = purpose; eva = only; drushyasya = the scenery; atma = existence.

“For that purpose only (for the unenlightened only) the world exists.”

Though this world does not exist for the enlightened one, it exists for the one who is not enlightened.  The world continues to exist with its opposition.  For the one who is awakened to knowledge, there is no more suffering from them.  The world appears completely different. For the enlightened one, every inch of this creation is filled with bliss or part of the self.  But for others it does exist as the seed.  So, though the enlightened one has realized this world and sees it as separate from themselves, but a part of the self. It does not exist for them, but exists for some others. It exists.  It is like; you have come out of the airplane or come out of the bus. The journey is over. The airplane keeps moving. The bus keeps going. The bus still goes because it has to take somebody else.  But for you the journey is over.  Just because your journey is over, the bus does not stop. The bus continues.  Is that clear?

Kruthartham prati nashtam api  anashtam tad anya sadharanatvat’’ (II Sutra 22)

ktuthartham = the one who has achieved (the enlightened one); prati = to him; nasthtam = destroyed; api = even though; anashtam = not destroyed; tad = that; anya = to others; sadharanatvat= to the commoners.

“For the enlightened one the world is destroyed even though for others who are commoners (unenlightened) the world is not destroyed.”

Swa swami shaktyoho swarupa upalabdhi hetuhu samyogaha’’ (II Sutra 23)

swa = of being owned; swami = of owning; shaktyoho = of powers of both; swarupa = nature; upalabdhi = brings about, attracts; hetuhu = cause; samyogaha = union.

“The power of nature is the cause when which united with the seer brings about its effects.”

There is a power of nature. Like, your body is made up of three gunas, sattva, rajas and tamas and these three gunas act accordingly. Accordingly the paths come. According to the behavioral patterns many things happen and it accordingly attracts the events, situation and circumstances around. When tamasic guna dominates it creates more dullness, sleep, lethargy. When rajasic guna is dominating you may be in different atmosphere. But wherever you are, your mind is restless, full of desires and anguish and it gallops on a horse.

When the mind is dominated by sattva, then the mind is alert, sharp, joyful and enthusiastic.  All these qualities come up. These three gunas act in your body, according to their nature, time, and place whatever.  Identifying that, “Oh! I am this. I am dull person, lethargic person, I am this, I am this” is again ignorance. Observing the tendencies that come up in you and not thinking that you are those tendencies because guna vruttis, they are nature.  It is nature.

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(This is part of a series of knowledge sheets based on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's commentaries on Patanjali Yoga Sutras.)