Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali

Author(s): Prabhavnanda Swami, Christopher Isherwood
Publisher: Ramkrishna Math Madras

Page 18

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PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS
दृष्टानुअविकविषयवितृष्णस्य वशीकारसंज्ञा
वैराग्यम् ॥
15. Non-attachment is self-mastery; it is fre desire for what is seen or heard.
The waves of the mind can be made to flow in tw directions-either toward the objective world (" desire") or toward true self-knowledge ("the wil tion"). Therefore both practice and non-attachmen sary. Indeed, it is useless and even dangerous to a without the other. If we try to practice spiritual without attempting to control the thought-waves our minds will become violently agitated and perh nently unbalanced. If we attempt nothing more t negative control of the waves of desire, without rai of love, compassion and devotion to oppose then result may be even more tragic. This is why ce puritans suddenly and mysteriously commit sui make a cold, stern effort to be "good"-that is, n "bad" thoughts-and when they fail, as all hun sometimes must, they cannot face this humiliation really nothing but hurt pride, and the emptiness in selves. In the Taoist scriptures we read: "Heaven compassion those whom it would not see destroyed
The spiritual disciplines which we are to pract described in due course. They are known as the eig of yoga. Perseverance is very important, in this c No temporary failure, however disgraceful or h should ever be used as an excuse for giving up the we are learning to ski, we are not ashamed when we or find ourselves lying in some ridiculous entangle We pick ourselves up and start again Never min