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YOGA AND ITS PRACTICE
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This is the technique of raising an opposing thought-wave in order to overcome distracting thought-waves in the mind. It has already been discussed in connection with the first five aphorisms of Chapter I.
वितर्का हिंसादयः कृतकारितानुमोदिता लोभक्रोधमोहपूर्वका मृदुमध्याधिमात्रा दुःखाज्ञानानन्तफला
इति प्रतिपक्षभावनम् ॥३४॥ 34. The obstacles to yoga such as acts of violence and un
truth-may be directly created or indirectly caused or approved, they may be motivated by greed, anger or selfinterest, they may be small or moderate or great, but they never cease to result in pain and ignorance. One should
overcome distracting thoughts by remembering this. Everything we do, say, or think, or even indirectly cause or passively sanction, will inevitably produce consequences good, bad, or composite-and these consequences will react in some measure upon ourselves. Our most secret ill-wishes toward others, our remotest permission of evil done to others, can only end by hurting us by increasing our own ignorance and pain. This is an absolute law of Nature. If we could remember it always, we should learn to control our tongues and our thoughts.
अहिंसाप्रतिष्ठायां तत्सन्निधौ वैरत्यागः ॥३५॥ 35. When a man becomes steadfast in his abstention from
harming others, then all living creatures will cease to
feel enmity in his presence. We are accustomed to use the word “harmless” in a rather derogatory sense; it has become almost synonymous with "ineffectual." Yet the perfected harmlessness of the saint is by no means ineffectual-it has a positive psychological force of tremendous power. When a man has truly and entirely renounced violence in his own thoughts and in his dealings with
