Yoga Sutras and Practical Life
Meditationtime Forum Post
Date: Posted 5 years before Dec 19, 2017
MiBeloved 5 years ago
Email correspondence:
After reading the translation and Part 2 of Patanjali Yoga Sutras, my mind had turned into a Superhuman. The approach given in was the greatest.
However, the fault is that i am no more able to apply that in practical life. Earlier, I was able to grow disinterest in all the worldly things for everything but sleep. But now it has become a difficult job for me to grow disinterest. What should I do?
MiBeloved's Response:
Yoga Sutras is just what it is which is the definition of yoga and how that practice yields certain results. Yoga in that way is a detachment kind of life.
The application of such yoga to cultural activities is explained in Bhagavad Gita under the heading of karma yoga, which means karma cultural life executed efficiently through yogic insight.
Yoga practice yield insight in one’s past life, the purpose of one’s present life and the way to out maneuver the rebirth system for either a better spiritual opportunity in the next life or no reincarnation but elevation to a higher sphere in the afterlife.
From yoga one gets insight and from that one can see what one must do to fulfill the obligations which are laid out before one by providence.
Unless one gets an exemption from the Supreme Being, one cannot successfully avoid social obligations. This is because if one neglects that one incurs faults for dereliction of duty. The Supreme Being will not agree to cover one’s liabilities. Thus these will fall on one’s head even if one is a yogi. Therefore one should practice yoga, gain spiritual insight and use that to efficiently take care of the obligations.
There is a warning in Bhagavad Gita where the Supreme Person, Krishna, issues a disclaimer saying that He does not absorb the effects of anyone pious or criminal activities. This means that each of the limited entities is on its own respectively. Doing yoga will not help one to avoid liabilities but it will give one the insight in how to discharge these efficiently. Since the Supreme Being refuses to absorb the karma result-energies from our social interactions, we are stuck with the responsibility.
न कर्तृत्वं न कर्माणि
लोकस्य सृजति प्रभुः ।
न कर्मफलसंयोगं
स्वभावस्तु प्रवर्तते ॥५.१४॥
na kartṛtvaṁ na karmāṇi
lokasya sṛjati prabhuḥ
na karmaphalasaṁyogaṁ
svabhāvastu pravartate (5.14)
na — not; kartṛtvaṁ — means of action; na — nor; karmāṇi — actions; lokasya — of the creatures; sṛjati — he creates; prabhuḥ — the Lord; na — nor; karmaphalasaṁyogaṁ = karma — action + phala — consequence + saṁyogaṁ — cyclic connection; svabhāvaḥ — inherent nature; tu — but; pravartate — it causes
The Lord does not create the means of action, nor the actions of the creatures, nor the action-consequence cycle. But the inherent nature causes this. (5.14)
नादत्ते कस्यचित्पापं
न चैव सुकृतं विभुः ।
अज्ञानेनावृतं ज्ञानं
तेन मुह्यन्ति जन्तवः ॥५.१५॥
nādatte kasyacitpāpaṁ
na caiva sukṛtaṁ vibhuḥ
ajñānenāvṛtaṁ jñānaṁ
tena muhyanti jantavaḥ (5.15)
nādatte = na — not + ādatte — perceives; kasyacit — of anyone; pāpaṁ — evil consequence; na — not; caiva = ca — and + eva — indeed; sukṛtaṁ — good reaction; vibhuḥ — the Almighty God; ajñānenāvṛtaṁ = ajñānena — by ignorance + avṛtam — shrouded; jñānaṁ — knowledge; tena — through which; muhyanti — they are deluded; jantavaḥ — the people
The Almighty God does not receive from anyone, an evil consequence nor a good reaction. The knowledge of this is shrouded by ignorance through which the people are deluded. (5.15)
=========================
Therefore it makes sense to do yoga, gain a deeper insight into the operations of fate and make peace with providence. Read Bhagavad Gita very carefully because it is the existential insurance coverage for human beings.
