Saturday, April 25, 2009

Actions of a Yogi YS IV - 6,7

Yoga Sutra - IV - 6 - TATRA DHYANAJAM ANASAYAM -Only the minds born of meditation [the artificially created ones] are free from karmic impressions.

Yoga Sutra - IV - 7 - KARMASUKLAKRSNAM YOGINAS TRIVIDHAM ITARESAM - The actions of the Yogi are neither white [good] nor black [bad]; but the actions of others are of three kinds: good, bad and mixed.

Swami Satchidananda translated sutra IV - 6 without commentary. In regard to sutra IV - 7, Swami Satchidananda tells us "The esoteric meaning of white and black is good and bad, or pure and impure. But in the Yogi's case there is no pure or impure karma. As a Yogi, your actions are performed with such equanimity that you don't bring them into either category. You are above good and bad."

Satchidananda gives us an example with the illustration of a knife. "A knife just cuts. If the knife cuts a fruit you may say it is good, and if it cuts a throat it is bad. But to the knife, a cut is a cut. It doesn't matter where it cuts or what it cuts. The one who wields the knife might face the good and bad reactions. Like that, the Yogi is not an agent for his or her actions. The Yogi is above the dualities."

Then he tells us that for a normal person there are three actions which are classified as good, bad and a mixture of the two. The example given is that you may do a good deed but with a selfish motive. "It's good for others but not for you." So that's the difference between the Yogi's karma (actions) and normal people's karma.

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