The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali | Page 4

first book, Patanjali is concerned with the
first great problem, the emergence of the spiritual man from the veils
and meshes of the psychic nature, the moods and vestures of the mental
and emotional man. Later will come the consideration of the nature and
powers of the spiritual man, once he stands clear of the psychic veils
and trammels, and a view of the realms in which these new spiritual
powers are to be revealed.
At this point may come a word of explanation. I have been asked why I
use the word Sutras, for these rules of Patanjali's system, when the
word Aphorism has been connected with them in our minds fora
generation. The reason is this: the name Aphorism suggests, to me at
least, a pithy sentence of very general application; a piece of proverbial
wisdom that may be quoted in a good many sets of circumstance, and
which will almost bear on its face the evidence of its truth. But with a
Sutra the case is different. It comes from the same root as the word
"sew," and means, indeed, a thread, suggesting, therefore, a close knit,
consecutive chain of argument. Not only has each Sutra a definite place
in the system, but further, taken out of this place, it will be almost

meaningless, and will by no means be self-evident. So I have thought
best to adhere to the original word. The Sutras of Patanjali are as
closely knit together, as dependent on each other, as the propositions of
Euclid, and can no more be taken out of their proper setting.
In the second part of the first book, the problem of the emergence of the
spiritual man is further dealt with. We are led to the consideration of
the barriers to his emergence, of the overcoming of the barriers, and of
certain steps and stages in the ascent from the ordinary consciousness
of practical life, to the finer, deeper, radiant consciousness of the
spiritual man.
BOOK I
1. OM: Here follows Instruction in Union.
Union, here as always in the Scriptures of India, means union of the
individual soul with the Oversoul; of the personal consciousness with
the Divine Consciousness, whereby the mortal becomes immortal, and
enters the Eternal. Therefore, salvation is, first, freedom from sin and
the sorrow which comes from sin, and then a divine and eternal
well-being, wherein the soul partakes of the being, the wisdom and
glory of God.
2. Union, spiritual consciousness, is gained through control of the
versatile psychic nature.
The goal is the full consciousness of the spiritual man, illumined by the
Divine Light. Nothing except the obdurate resistance of the psychic
nature keeps us back from the goal. The psychical powers are spiritual
powers run wild, perverted, drawn from their proper channel. Therefore
our first task is, to regain control of this perverted nature, to chasten,
purify and restore the misplaced powers.
3. Then the Seer comes to consciousness in his proper nature.
Egotism is but the perversion of spiritual being. Ambition is the
inversion of spiritual power. Passion is the distortion of love. The
mortal is the limitation of the immortal. When these false images give
place to true, then the spiritual man stands forth luminous, as the sun,
when the clouds disperse.
4. Heretofore the Seer has been enmeshed in the activities of the
psychic nature.
The power and life which are the heritage of the spiritual man have
been caught and enmeshed in psychical activities. Instead of pure being

in the Divine, there has been fretful, combative. egotism, its hand
against every man. Instead of the light of pure vision, there have been
restless senses nave been re and imaginings. Instead of spiritual joy, the
undivided joy of pure being, there has been self-indulgence of body and
mind. These are all real forces, but distorted from their true nature and
goal. They must be extricated, like gems from the matrix, like the pith
from the reed, steadily, without destructive violence. Spiritual powers
are to be drawn forth from the }'sychic meshes.
5. The psychic activities are five; they are either subject or not subject
to the five hindrances (Book II, 3).
The psychic nature is built up through the image-making power, the
power which lies behind and dwells in mind- pictures. These pictures
do not remain quiescent in the mind; they are kinetic, restless,
stimulating to new acts. Thus the mind-image of an indulgence
suggests and invites to a new indulgence; the picture of past joy is
framed in regrets or hopes. And there is the ceaseless play of the desire
to know, to penetrate to the essence of things, to classify. This, too,
busies itself ceaselessly with the mind-images. So that we may classify
the activities of the psychic nature thus:
6. These activities are: