The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali | Prof. Edwin Bryant

Vedanta Society of New York・2 minutes read

Swami Vivekananda invited Swami Abhedananda to teach Vedanta and Hindu culture in the US, leading to a lecture series in honor of his 150th birth anniversary featuring Professor Edwin Bryant, a specialist in Indian religions. The text delves into the Yoga Sutras, emphasizing the goal of attaining Samadhi and controlling the mind, contrasting with Vedanta and exploring challenges from Buddhism, consciousness, and metaphysics, within Patanjali's teachings.

Insights

  • Swami Abhedananda played a pivotal role in spreading Hindu teachings in the West, adapting spaces like the Vedanta Center to resonate with Western culture through elements like organ music.
  • The emergence of systematic texts like the Vedanta Sutras and Yoga Sutras aimed to preserve and systematize knowledge from ancient texts like the Upanishads, reflecting a living tradition adapting to changing times.
  • Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, comprising 198 sutras, emphasize attaining Samadhi and mind control rather than mere mystic powers, with deep commentary necessary for comprehension.
  • The Yoga Sutras, attributed to Patanjali, focus on the stilling of the mind to reach a state of deep consciousness, distinct from surface-level indulgences, highlighting the practice's goal of transcending suffering and redirecting consciousness.

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Recent questions

  • Who is Swami Abhedananda?

    A disciple of Swami Vivekananda.

  • Who is Professor Edwin Bryant?

    A scholar specializing in Indian religions.

  • What are the Yoga Sutras?

    Ancient texts on yoga philosophy.

  • How do the Yoga Sutras differ from Vedanta?

    Yoga focuses on individual nature, Vedanta on interdependence.

  • What is the ultimate goal of yoga?

    Attaining deep consciousness and inner realization.

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Summary

00:00

"Professor Bryant Lectures on Hindu Philosophy"

  • Swami Vivekananda requested Swami Abhedananda to come to New York in August 1897, where he spent 23 years teaching Vedanta and Hindu culture in the United States.
  • To commemorate Swami Abhedananda's 150th birth anniversary, a lecture series on religion and philosophy is being held, with Professor Edwin Bryant as the fourth speaker.
  • Professor Bryant, a Rutgers University professor, specializes in religions of India, holding a PhD from Columbia University and teaching Hinduism at Harvard University.
  • Professor Bryant has authored numerous books and articles on Vedic history, yoga, and the Krishna tradition, including a translation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and a recent work on bhakti yoga.
  • Professor Bryant conducts workshops on the Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, and Hindu philosophy at yoga studios and teacher training courses nationwide.
  • Swami Abhedananda aimed to spread Hindu teachings in the West, adapting spaces like the Vedanta Center to resonate with Western culture, using elements like organ music.
  • The Upanishads, ancient texts, led to the emergence of systematic texts like the Vedanta Sutras and the Yoga Sutras by sages like Patanjali, aiming to preserve and systematize knowledge.
  • The Upanishads briefly mention yoga as a practice to experience Atman and Brahman, with early yogis engaging in intense austerity and mind control to attain powers.
  • Patanjali's Yoga Sutras systematized various yogic practices, emphasizing the goal of yoga as attaining Samadhi and the control of the mind, distinct from mere mystic powers.
  • The tradition of writing commentaries on ancient texts like the Yoga Sutras reflects a living tradition adapting to changing times, with ongoing interpretations and adaptations.

17:25

Evolution of Yoga Sutras in Western Culture

  • Buddhism challenges Vedanta by asserting interdependence and impermanence, contrasting with Vedanta's focus on individual nature.
  • Scholars suggest Patanjali's emergence around the third century, with more interest in the content of his sutras than historical context.
  • Patanjali's identity remains obscure, with a verse associating him with yoga, grammar, and possibly Ayurveda.
  • Patanjali's text, the Yoga Sutras, comprises 198 sutras, each succinct and minimalistic for memorization purposes.
  • Sutras demand deep commentary for comprehension, with Vyasa's commentary being foundational and canonical.
  • Yoga Sutra commentaries generally align on metaphysical principles, unlike Vedanta, which has diverse traditions with fundamental disagreements.
  • Yoga Sutras lost their living tradition status by the British colonial era, later revived by figures like Krishnamacharya and Vivekananda.
  • The Yoga Sutras, with its focus on asana, gained prominence in the West, becoming a canonical text alongside the Bhagavad Gita.
  • In the West, the Yoga Sutras are widely studied, even surpassing their readership in India, reflecting the evolving nature of spiritual texts.
  • The historical evolution of texts like the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita showcases the dynamic nature of spirituality, adapting to changing contexts and audiences.

33:22

Essential Hindu texts reveal path to enlightenment.

  • Hinduism in the West is often represented to Westerners through the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras.
  • The Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras are considered essential texts for understanding Hinduism.
  • The Yoga Sutras are attributed to Patanjali, who continues the teachings rather than inventing something new.
  • "Utter" in the context of the Yoga Sutras signifies the readiness for spiritual practice unique to humans.
  • Interpreting the Yoga Sutras is allowed as long as it aligns with the philosophical principles of the school.
  • "Utter" can also imply readiness to move beyond theoretical knowledge to practical application.
  • Patanjali defines yoga as the stilling of the mind, leading to the seer abiding in its own nature.
  • Yoga aims to transcend suffering by redirecting consciousness from external pursuits to inner realization.
  • The ultimate goal of yoga is to reach a state of deep consciousness, distinct from surface-level indulgences.
  • The practice of yoga involves fixing the mind through meditation on a mantra, common across various spiritual traditions.

48:49

Consciousness, Mind, and Mystic Powers in Yoga

  • The text discusses consciousness and the sternum, highlighting the absorption of consciousness in the mind.
  • Chapter 1 delves into the stages of chitta vritti nirodh aha' known as samadhi.
  • Chapter 2 focuses on preparing the mind, distinguishing between sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic states.
  • The third chapter explores mystic powers, possibly occurring in deep states, with references to the Gospel of Ramakrishna.
  • Patanjali's inclusion of mystic powers may serve as a warning against seeking power and trivial exhibitions.
  • The fourth chapter is a response to Buddhism, characterized by a polite and philosophical approach.
  • The Yoga Sutras are practice-oriented, building on knowledge of Sankhya, emphasizing chitta vritti nirodh aha'.
  • Patanjali suggests fixing the mind on ishvara, indicating a devotional element in the practice.
  • The text advocates for a vegetarian diet, rooted in compassion and the avoidance of tamasic effects on the mind.
  • The Yoga Sutras may not directly address ego death but focus on attaining a clear and sattvic mind for chitta vritti nirodh aha'.

01:04:21

Navigating Doubt, Success, and Ego Death

  • The concept of the "dark night of the soul" involves a period of doubt and questioning one's purpose.
  • Success often follows this challenging period.
  • Ego death, a significant obstacle in Patanjali, requires transcending the ego's identification with the body and mind.
  • Sri Ramakrishna emphasized floating like a lotus to avoid drowning in mysticism.
  • Patanjali's teachings focus on controlling the external mind to internalize and realize reality.
  • Different perspectives on consuming meat exist, with Jainism advocating minimal violence and Vaishnavism suggesting offering food with devotion.
  • Patanjali rejects exceptions to dietary choices based on factors like geography or family background.
  • Mindfulness and meditation in the Yoga Sutras differ, with mindfulness allowing the mind to wander while meditation aims to still the mind.
  • The witness consciousness in Buddhism contrasts with the seer in Patanjali, emphasizing pure consciousness without object association.
  • Substance dualism in Indian philosophy posits that consciousness is non-material, challenging the materialist view in Western philosophy.

01:20:08

Exploring Consciousness in Eastern Philosophies

  • Consciousness is a key focus, with mantras being chanted to allow it to progress naturally.
  • A materialistic dogma is prevalent, termed scientism, lacking evidence and akin to faith.
  • Indian philosophies like Sankhya, yoga, and Advaita emphasize a clear distinction between consciousness and mind.
  • Descartes' philosophy is critiqued for its inability to explain how a spiritual entity can influence a material one.
  • Sankhya and yoga propose the mind as material, avoiding the substance dualism issue Descartes faces.
  • Consciousness is viewed as animating rather than influencing, with Advaita resembling neutral monism.
  • The discussion delves into the historical figure of Veda Vyasa, with debates on his existence as a person or a title.
  • The conversation shifts to the historicity of traditions, particularly the Naths in Bengal, Assam, and Nepal, influencing yoga and Tibetan Buddhism.
  • Differences in metaphysics between Buddhism and Hinduism are explored, focusing on the eternal nature of consciousness in Hinduism versus its momentary and interdependent nature in Buddhism.
  • The concept of Nirvana in Buddhism is discussed as an enlightened way of being within the interdependent flow of existence, contrasting with the Hindu idea of seeking an autonomous individual consciousness.

01:35:48

Reconciling Karma and Evolution in Eastern Philosophy

  • Karma theory in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions requires a human birth for karma to be generated, posing a challenge for evolution theories.
  • Various ways to reconcile the need for human birth in karma theory with evolutionary concepts are discussed, including the consideration of other universes.
  • The subjective nature of consciousness is emphasized, with no objective evidence supporting the idea of all-pervading consciousness.
  • Vedanta focuses on knowledge and systematizing Upanishads, while Patanjali's Yoga Sutras prioritize experiential learning and the cessation of mental fluctuations.
  • The experiential aspect of seeing and consciousness is explored, with different perspectives on the relationship between the seer and the seen.
  • The importance of experiential learning in yoga is highlighted, with the suggestion that proof and understanding come through personal practice rather than theoretical knowledge.
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