270. Forget Love, jump to Ahimsa!?
My Daily Thread
we're continuing our journey through the Sādhana Pāda, the second chapter of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras. Let's remember where we’ve just been: in Sūtra 2.28, Patañjali says that through the consistent practice of yoga, particularly the eight limbs, the impurities dwindle and then—then!—“the light of discriminative wisdom arises.” YS 2.28 "Yogāṅgānuṣṭhānād aśuddhi-kṣaye jñāna-dīptiḥ āviveka-khyāteḥ" By the practice of the limbs of yoga, the impurities are destroyed and the light of wisdom arises, leading to discriminative discernment (viveka-khyāti). Then...
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269. The eight limbs, moving to mediation.
My Daily Thread
Jumping right in, friends—today we’re working with Yoga Sūtra 2.29, where Patañjali gives us what is often considered the classic blueprint of yoga: the eight limbs of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga. Yama-niyamāsana-prāṇāyāma-pratyāhāra-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhayo’ṣṭāvaṅgāni “Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna, and samādhi are the eight limbs of yoga.” These eight limbs aren’t just philosophical fluff—they’re the framework, the structure, the entire arc of yoga as a path of inner transformation. Now, in North America and much...
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268. Jñāna dīptiḥ. Let your light shine!
My Daily Thread
Dear followers of this thread, now begins the light of jñāna dīptiḥ, the illumination of wisdom. Jeff first went to India seeking the fiery discipline of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga as taught by Śrī K. Pattabhi Jois. He was drawn by the strength, the sweat, and the challenge. But what he ultimately discovered was a different kind of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga—the classical eight-limbed path described by Patañjali. And that deeper path, the one we’re now exploring, is why many of us are truly here, as Aṣṭāṅgīs, in the whole meaning of the word. So today, we arrive at Yoga Sūtra...
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267. Cultivating clarity, a practice for freedom.
My Daily Thread
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266. Practice is the path...
My Daily Thread
This is the sutra that kept Jeff returning to India, year after year, to dive deeper into Aṣṭāṅga Yoga. It was Patañjali’s words here that affirmed the path and ignited the faith to continue. There was something more than just movement—it was a promise that transformation comes through practice. yogāṅgānuṣṭhānād aśuddhi-kṣaye jñāna-dīptiḥ āviveka-khyāteḥ Through the sustained practice of the limbs of yoga, the impurities are destroyed, and the light of knowledge shines, leading to discriminative discernment. This sutra, YS 2.28, is incredibly special because...
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265. Let the light of discriminative wisdom dawn ..
My Daily Thread
Today’s on My Daily Thread our verse brings us to a powerful turning point in our journey through the Sādhana Pāda. The snippet of wisdom comes from Yoga Sūtra 2.28, and it holds a special place in my heart. So far, we’ve explored how the path of yoga helps us cultivate clarity and viveka-khyāti—discriminative wisdom—to see through confusion and recognize our true Self. That Self is described so beautifully in YS 1.3: tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe ’vasthānam Then the seer abides in their own true nature. And when we truly glimpse this reality—even for a moment—it...
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264. Unshakable!
My Daily Thread
We continue our journey through the Sādhana Pāda of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras. Last time, we studied Yoga Sūtra 2.26, which introduced us to the idea of viveka-khyāti—the unshakable discriminative wisdom that leads to freedom (kaivalya). This unwavering clarity, cultivated through dedicated practice, is the goal toward which all of yoga’s tools and disciplines are aimed. As we reflected previously, one of the powerful questions we can ask ourselves in daily life is: "Is this my true Self, my deepest intuition, or am I reacting from the chirping of my citta-vṛttis—the...
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263. Wisdom time! Is this true?
My Daily Thread
As we continue our deep dive into the Sādhana Pāda of the Yoga Sūtras, we return to Yoga Sūtra 2.27: tasya saptadhā prāntabhūmiḥ prajñā “For one with unwavering discriminative insight (viveka-khyāti), the highest wisdom (prajñā) unfolds in seven stages.” For someone who has developed steady clarity—viveka, discriminative wisdom—prajñā, insight, begins to unfold. But Patañjali doesn’t just say wisdom appears fully formed. Instead, he tells us it happens gradually, in seven stages (saptadhā prānta-bhūmiḥ), moving toward the farthest limit or edge of...
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262. The ground of wisdom... trying to be a wise guy?
My Daily Thread
We continue our journey through the Sādhana Pāda of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras. Last time, we studied Yoga Sūtra 2.26, which introduced us to the idea of viveka-khyāti—the unshakable discriminative wisdom that leads to freedom (kaivalya). This unwavering clarity, cultivated through dedicated practice, is the goal toward which all of yoga’s tools and disciplines are aimed. As we reflected previously, one of the powerful questions we can ask ourselves in daily life is: "Is this my true Self, my deepest intuition, or am I reacting from the chirping of my citta-vṛttis—the restless...
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261. Jeff chirping, A little review ...
My Daily Thread
Let’s do a little review to ground ourselves in the essential foundation of yoga philosophy. The entire project of yoga is based on Yoga Sūtra 1.2: yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ Translation: Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. In other words, yoga is the channeling, calming, or complete stoppage of all the citta vṛttis—the endless ripples and disturbances in the mind. These vṛttis include all the chirping thoughts, the conditioning from culture, the familial imprints we unconsciously carry, and every pattern that stands between us and clear, direct perception of...
info_outlineWe continue our journey through the Sādhana Pāda of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras. Last time, we studied Yoga Sūtra 2.26, which introduced us to the idea of viveka-khyāti—the unshakable discriminative wisdom that leads to freedom (kaivalya). This unwavering clarity, cultivated through dedicated practice, is the goal toward which all of yoga’s tools and disciplines are aimed.
As we reflected previously, one of the powerful questions we can ask ourselves in daily life is: "Is this my true Self, my deepest intuition, or am I reacting from the chirping of my citta-vṛttis—the restless modifications of the mind—acting out of old fears, projections, and misunderstandings?" Cultivating viveka (discernment) becomes a way of life, a constant inner inquiry.
Today, we introduce Yoga Sūtra 2.27:
tasya saptadhā prāntabhūmiḥ prajñā
Translation: "For the one whose wisdom is unbroken, the highest knowledge (prajñā) unfolds in seven stages."
The word supta comes up here, which may bring to mind memories from Pattabhi Jois' led classes where he would say, "Supta, inhale, jump!" during vinyasa transitions. In this context, however, supta (from supta-prānta-bhūmiḥ) refers not to sleep, but metaphorically to reaching certain "grounds" or "stages" of progress toward full awakening.
Prānta means "limit" or "edge," bhūmiḥ means "ground," and prajñā refers to "wisdom," "insight," or "discriminative knowledge." Altogether, the sutra suggests that unwavering discriminative insight (viveka-khyāti) naturally progresses through seven levels or stages, leading to complete freedom from the citta-vṛttis—the whirlpools of the mind.
Interestingly, Patañjali does not specify what these seven stages are. This omission reminds us that he was compiling and distilling teachings from the oral traditions of his time rather than giving us a rigid textbook. Different later commentators, like Vyāsa and others, have offered suggestions about what these stages might be, but fundamentally the message remains: if we develop steady clarity and stay still long enough, wisdom naturally unfolds.
Thus, the focus remains simple and profound: cultivate steady, uninterrupted discriminative wisdom. Let go of attachments to roles, possessions, emotions, and fears, and steadily return again and again to the deepest awareness of your true nature.