Pleasure and Pain - YS II- 14

Yoga Sutra II- 14- TE HLADA PARITAPA PHALAH PUNYAPUNYA HETUTVAT - The karmas bear fruits of pleasure and pain caused by merit and demerit.

The commentary by Swami Satchidananda for this sutra is very short. If we have done or performed some action that is meritorious, we will experience pleasure and happiness. If we have performed demeritorious actions, we will experience suffering and pain. "A happy or unhappy life is your own creation. Nobody else is responsible." If we can remember this sutra and or the meaning of it, we won't be able to blame or find fault with others. "You are your own best friend as well as your worst enemy."

There really is not much more to be said of this. We can all look at our lives and see the answers for ourselves, especially if one is awake and alert. Needless to say, if we look at everyday life whether the news, our families, our daily situations in our lives we can see this for ourselves. And if we can't , read the previous posts on karmas and obstacles (klesas):

• Karma Past, Present & Future - YS II - 12
• Five Obstacles -YS II-3
• Avidya -Ignorance YS II-4
• Between Ignorance - YS II - 5
• Egoism - Asmita YS II - 6
• Attachment and Aversion YS II-7 - YS II - 8
• Abhinivesa - Fear of Death YS II- 9

Minimize Obstacles and Attain Samadhi YS II-2

Yoga Sutra II-2 -SAMADHI BHAVANARTHAH KLESA TANUKARANARTHAS CA - They help us minimize obstacles and attain samadhi.


Swami Satchidananda says of this sutra that Patanjali informs us "why Kriya Yoga should be practiced to minimize obstacles and to get into samadhi." Patanjali basically tells us without Kriya yoga, we can never overcome the obstacles and reach samadhi. So basically all the hatha yoga (physical postures), Japa Yoga (silent repetition of the mantra) and living in Yoga residences or ashrams are all part of the process to prepare us for meditation and samadhi.

Distractions that are Obstacles YS I - 30

YADHI STYANA SAMSAYA PRAMADALA-SYAVIRATI BHRANTIDARSANALABDHABHU-MIKATVANAVASTHITATVANI CITTAVIKSEPAS TE'NTARAYAH- Disease, dullness, doubt, carelessness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, failure to reach firm ground and slipping from the ground gained-these distractions of the mind-stuff are the obstacles.

The above statement is from Pantanjali's Yoga Sutras I-30. Swami Satchidananda describes the above examples of obstacles of being more or less like a chain. The first obstacle is a physical disease, which in turn makes one dull. Thus the mind becomes dull as you cannot think correctly. So here comes doubt, thus making one careless and lethargic. Now laziness manifests when the mind loses interest and alertness towards what we have as a goal. If nothing is done at this point, the mind will slow down and descend into sensual enjoyments. An example would be that I am typing this post and then I get distracted with the television and get engrossed in a show. Thus I lose the enthusiasm for the moment and get pulled off my course of completing this writing.

Swami Satchidananda states that these obstacles could be" summed up as the qualities of tamas or inertia, dullness." He goes on to address the slipping down from the progress (ground) one has gained. He gives the example of how as beginners we are enthusiastic about our practice. We may even be proud of our progress, however, all of sudden one day we lose that enthusiasm and slip to rock bottom. It happens to everybody at sometime. This is common as the mind can't function on the same level always. There are ups and downs. If our progress was steady all the time, "there would be no challenge, no game to it."

So Swami Satchidananda reminds us that Yoga is like an obstacle course, or race. Yog is there to let us see our strengths and realize our capabilities. It seems we learn more when we are challenged. I would say it wakes us up when things always seems the same. That is the challenge in completing the course. It is then we see our power and not become complacent.

Obstacles

Obstacles- can be defined as One that opposes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress;An obstruction, barrier, blockage, hindrance. We are all familiar with the experience of having obstacles in our lives in different situations. If we look at the Yoga Sutra, we can learn and gain more insight on obstacles.

Yoga SutraI-29 - TATAH PRATYAK CETANADHIGAMO-'PYANTARAYABHAVAS CA - From this practice all the obstacles disappear and simultaneously dawns knowledge of the inner Self. Here Swami Satchidananda comments that "You get in tune with the cosmic power." The tuning is in reference to japa , the repetition of the mantra OM that connects us with the infinite within us. See the previous post on sutra I-28 regarding reflection on the meaning.

So if you have read the previous posts on the mantra, on OM you might have gained some insight that this practice can plug you into your inner power. Swami Satchidananda says that the mind and body limit us. However, if we hold something infinite(like the mantra OM) we can raise ourselves from the finite objects (obstacles) that bind us and transcend them. With this method we can get rid of all the obstacles freeing our pathway.

Stayed tuned to the different kinds of obstacles.