Yoga Sutra II- 18 - PRAKASA KRIYA STHITI SILLAM BHUTENDRIYATMAKAM BHOGAPAVARGARTHAM DRSYAM - The seen is of the nature of the gunas: illumination, activity and inertia; and consists of the elements and sense organs, whose purpose is to provide both experiences and liberation to the Purusha.The seen? The gunas? What is this sutra talking about? The seen is the past participle of the word see according to Merriam- Webster Online dictionary - "1 a: to perceive by the eye b: to perceive or detect as if by sight". The gunas are defined in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Swami Satchidananda as the qualities of nature (sattvva, rajas and tamas or balance, activity and inertia).
Swami Satchidananda says that in this sutra Patanjali talks about the drisya, or seen. The Purusha or Seer, is who we truly are. According to Satchidananda, "Patanjali tries to analyze what this 'seen' is that gives us experience. He says it is a combination of different elements and organs controlled by the three gunas." The term used in the beginning of the sutra is prakasa kriya sthiti. Prakasa means illumination which stands for sattva; kriya is action representing rajas and sthiti is inertia or tamas. The question is why is there the "seen" (outside of ourselves) and why does Prakriti (nature, or environment) exist?
"Nature is here to give you experience and ultimately to liberate you from its bondage. Even if people do not want to be liberated, it educates them gradually so that one day they will feel, "I'm tired of the whole thing. I don't want it anymore. I've had enough." Swami Satchidananda says that we will feel this way only after we've gotten kicked and burned enough. The purpose of Prakriti or nature is to give us those experiences. He said "So, we should never condemn nature."
The commentary continues to tell us that Nature, Prakriti is a combination of elements and organs. The organs are the intellect, mind, senses and the body. Even though one might think of nature being outside of us, the body is nature too as it is comprised of the elements (IE. -air, fire, water, earth). We are reminded that nothing in nature can bring our minds unchanging happiness because the mind always changes. If this were not the case we would not always look for change. Think about it. At one time you liked something or someone. Then after a time, you no longer liked the something or someone. Then there is an analogy of how we like to hold on to things and with that comes struggle, tension. We are informed that "All life is a passing show. If we want to hold it, even for a minute, we feel tension." It is pointed out that even with our bodies, we don't want it to change (get older) and the extremes we go to prevent it. "If only we learn to enjoy each change, we can recognize the beauty even in aging." " When we allow things to pass, we are free." By doing this we keep our peace.
Another analogy is given of a silk worm and some of the questions we can ask ourselves are:
- Where are we now?
- Are we still eating?
- Are we in the cocoon?
- Are we meditating?
- Are we growing wings?
So the more we enjoy and we don't listen to wisdom (unless we have extraordinary intelligence), we are then taught by nature that puts us in a tight corner as a lesson. When we finally learn our lesson we no longer cling to that and thus become liberated. "After liberation, although we are still in nature, we are no longer bound by it as we grown the wings of viveka (discrimination of real and unreal) and vairagya(dispassion, detachment or unattachment). Like the silk worm, we slip out of the cocoon, we fly out never to return there again.
Swami Satchidananda ends the commentary with "When you've learned nature's lessons she no longer has any business with you, but she continues to exist to teach the many others who have not yet learned. " He says you have graduated from the university and you may go back as an alumnus, but you are no longer attached to the world. As a liberated person you can be useful in the world but not affected by it.
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