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 inner understanding.
What I love most about this sutra is what it implies: wisdom is a journey. It’s not a sudden download or single lightning bolt of awareness. This runs counter to some modern ideas, especially in the popular “woke” movement, where there’s this notion that one day we suddenly “wake up,” become enlightened, and see clearly forever after. For most of us, though, this process is more organic—viveka unfolds slowly, like petals of a flower opening toward the sun.
Refining clarity takes time. We practice awareness day by day. We look inside, observe the citta-vṛttis—the whirlpools of thought and emotion—and try to discern what is real and what is mental noise. Insight must be trained. One powerful tool for this is Byron Katie’s Four Questions, which help us clear inner confusion with simple, direct inquiry:
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Is it true?
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Can you absolutely know that it’s true?
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How do you react—what happens—when you believe that thought?
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Who would you be without the thought?
This is the kind of inner work that aligns beautifully with Patañjali’s path. He’s telling us that clarity doesn’t come all at once, but rather through progressive stages. The more we pause, examine, and reflect, the more we deepen our viveka—our capacity to see what’s truly going on beneath our habits, conditioning, and projections.
And the good news? We don’t have to rush it. Wisdom grows organically. It’s not a race, and it’s not about performance. It unfolds naturally, like all things in nature—given time, intention, and nourishment. We can trust that our wisdom will deepen, and that the universe supports our growth in ways we may not even see yet.
Stay with your practice. Be patient with your process. Insight is coming.