My Daily Thread
Today we’re taking another pass at satya, the second yama from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The sutra we’re focusing on is YS 2.36: satya-pratiṣṭhāyāṁ kriyā-phala-āśrayatvam—when one is firmly established in truth, their actions bear fruit. This is a powerful idea. It suggests that when we are rooted in truth, what we say comes to life. Something here touches on the modern idea of manifestation but is grounded in yogic ethics—truth as a force, not just a concept. But Satya isn’t just “don’t lie.” That’s only the surface level. The deeper understanding is about...
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YS 2.36 says: satya-pratiṣṭhāyām kriyā-phala-āśrayatvam — “When one is firmly established in truthfulness, then their words become so powerful that the result of action rests upon them.” We’re back in the section of the Yoga Sutras that deals with pratiṣṭhā, being deeply and firmly established in a state of being. This time, the quality is satya, truthfulness. Patanjali says that when truth becomes our natural state—when we’re rooted in it, consistent with it—then even our words start to carry the power of truth. It’s not that we control outcomes like magic. But...
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Yoga Sūtra 2.35 – ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhāyām tat-sannidhau vaira-tyāgaḥ When one is firmly established in non-violence, all hostility ceases in their presence. Today, we return to ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhām—being established in non-violence—as taught in Yoga Sūtra 2.35. We’ve already explored how the yamas and niyamas are not just rules, but deeply personal practices—moral and ethical disciplines that offer a framework for living. Simple? Yes. But easy? Not always. They are practices for managing our lives skillfully, for creating relationships rooted in integrity, peace, and...
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Yoga Sūtra 2.35 – ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhāyām tat-sannidhau vaira-tyāgaḥ When one is firmly established in non-violence, then all hostility ceases in their presence. Today, we reflect again on ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhām—being firmly established in non-harming. Patanjali teaches that this is not a casual virtue but a transformative power: when someone has deeply integrated non-violence into their being, conflict and aggression fall away in their presence. We see examples of this principle embodied in historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Fred Rogers,...
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Today, we return to our study of aṣṭāṅga yoga, the eight-limbed path outlined by Patañjali. As a reminder, the eight limbs are: Yama – ethical restraints Niyama – personal observances Āsana – posture Prāṇāyāma – breath regulation Pratyāhāra – withdrawal of the senses Dhāraṇā – concentration Dhyāna – meditation Samādhi – absorption or union The first four limbs are external practices—disciplines that we can actively cultivate through behavior and intention. The final four, the internal limbs, arise naturally from the consistent and...
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Today we continue our deep dive into Yoga Sūtra 2.34, staying with the powerful teaching of pratipakṣa bhāvanam—the deliberate cultivation of opposite, positive thoughts to replace those that are harmful or negative. This is no abstract philosophy; it's a daily practice for those on the yogic path. We begin by revisiting YS 2.33: "vitarkāḥ hiṃsādayaḥ kṛta-kārita-anumoditāḥ lobha-krodha-moha-pūrvakāḥ mṛdu-madhya-adhimātrāḥ duḥkha-ajñāna-ananta-phalāḥ iti pratipakṣa-bhāvanam" Negative thoughts such as violence, whether done by oneself, instigated in...
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Today, we continue our deep dive into Yoga Sūtra 2.34, staying with the powerful teaching of pratipakṣa bhāvanam—the deliberate cultivation of opposite, positive thoughts to replace harmful or negative ones. This is no abstract philosophy; it's a daily practice for those on the yogic path. We begin by revisiting YS 2.33: "vitarkāḥ hiṃsādayaḥ kṛta-kārita-anumoditāḥ lobha-krodha-moha-pūrvakāḥ mṛdu-madhya-adhimātrāḥ duḥkha-ajñāna-ananta-phalāḥ iti pratipakṣa-bhāvanam" Negative thoughts, such as violence, whether done by oneself, instigated in...
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We continue our journey with Yoga Sūtra 2.33, and now deepen into the next verse — 2.34. If 2.33 gave us the prescription — pratipakṣa-bhāvanam — then 2.34 shows us the diagnosis, the depth of the problem. Let’s start by recalling the previous sutra: vitarka-bādhane pratipakṣa-bhāvanam वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम्॥२.३३॥ “When disturbed by negative thoughts, cultivate their opposites.” Vitarka refers to thoughts that are harmful, unwholesome, or negative — especially those rooted in violence, attachment, or...
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We continue our exploration through the Sādhana Pāda, arriving again at Yoga Sūtra 2.33 — a powerful and practical teaching that has everything to do with the life we’re living today. vitarka-bādhane pratipakṣa-bhāvanam वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम्॥२.३३॥ “When disturbed by negative thoughts, cultivate the opposite.” It’s deceptively simple yet deeply profound. This teaching lives not in theory but in everyday experience. It’s all too easy to be swept up in negative thoughts or drawn into negative...
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Let's review Yoga Sūtra 2.32, which lists the five niyamas, or personal observances — and in reviewing this sūtra, what strikes me most is the elegant simplicity of the path it offers. These teachings, though ancient, are profoundly relevant today — perhaps even more so in our overstimulated, fast-paced world. Let’s revisit the niyamas through a simple lens of choice: Śauca (शौच) – Choose simplicity over excess. Santoṣa (सन्तोष) – Choose gratitude over striving. Tapaḥ (तपः) – Choose effort over escape. Svādhyāya (स्वाध्याय)...
info_outlineWe continue our journey with Yoga Sūtra 2.33, and now deepen into the next verse — 2.34. If 2.33 gave us the prescription — pratipakṣa-bhāvanam — then 2.34 shows us the diagnosis, the depth of the problem.
Let’s start by recalling the previous sutra:
vitarka-bādhane pratipakṣa-bhāvanam
वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम्॥२.३३॥
“When disturbed by negative thoughts, cultivate their opposites.”
Vitarka refers to thoughts that are harmful, unwholesome, or negative — especially those rooted in violence, attachment, or delusion. The antidote Patanjali gives is pratipakṣa-bhāvanam, the deliberate cultivation of opposing, positive thoughts.
Now, we chant and reflect on the next verse:
vitarkāḥ hiṃsādayaḥ kṛta-kārita-anumoditāḥ lobha-krodha-moha-pūrvakāḥ mṛdu-madhya-adhimātra duḥkha-ajñāna-ananta-phalāḥ iti pratipakṣa-bhāvanam
वितर्का हिंसादयः कृतकारितानुमोदिताः लोभक्रोधमोहपूर्वकाः मृदुमध्याधिमात्र दुःखाज्ञानानन्तफलाः इति प्रतिपक्षभावनम्॥२.३४॥
“When negative thoughts like violence, whether done by oneself, instigated, or approved of, arise — and are caused by greed (lobha), anger (krodha), or delusion (moha), and can be mild, moderate, or intense — they lead to endless suffering and ignorance. Thus, the remedy is to cultivate their opposite — pratipakṣa-bhāvanam.”
Patañjali breaks it down in such a precise and timeless way. He identifies the many forms that harm — hiṁsā — can take. Violence isn't just physical. It can be:
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Kṛta: done by oneself.
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Kārita: incited or commissioned by someone else.
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Anumodita: passively approved of or silently endorsed.
And what’s underneath these harmful tendencies? He gives us the root causes:
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Lobha – greed,
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Krodha – anger,
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Moha – delusion or confusion.
He also shows that these tendencies don’t manifest in just one way. They can be:
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Mṛdu – mild,
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Madhya – moderate,
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Adhimātra – intense.
But no matter the strength or the form, he tells us the fruit is always the same:
duḥkha-ajñāna-ananta-phalāḥ — endless suffering and ignorance.
This is where the teachings connect so powerfully with modern psychology and recovery traditions. In the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions, Bill Wilson talks about “character defects” — and not as moral failings, but as blind spots that bring pain when left unacknowledged.
No one wants to be known as greedy — as a thief. But who among us hasn’t reached for more than our fair share of credit or praise? No one wants to be labeled as violent or angry. But what about the little barbs of gossip we toss, the emotional jabs that quietly undermine others — forms of character assassination?
We all fall somewhere on this spectrum.
Patañjali's wisdom is not reserved for saints or sages. It's meant for us — for humans doing our best in the mess and magic of daily life. And he gives us a clear, consistent path forward: don’t fight the thoughts — redirect them. Cultivate the opposite.
Unchecked, these tendencies lead to duḥkha — suffering — and ajñāna — ignorance, or the forgetting of our true nature.
But the great gift of these teachings is that we can begin again. We can practice pratipakṣa-bhāvanam, moment by moment. Thought by thought. Choice by choice.
More tomorrow.