A Brief History of Yoga Er PataflialiJs Sutras

The ashrams and Gurus of ancient India used to be mental
workshops. They taught and molded the minds of people to be clear,
strong, and to act righteously under all possible circumstances.
If all the spiritual teachers started to teach faith in the Self and
stopped teaching faith in a personality, this world would be
heaven. This existence with its infinite mind is at your command.
You need guidance and training to experience and manifest this.
-YOGI BHAJAN

This chapter includes . . .
The ashrams and Gurus of ancient India used to be mental
workshops. They taught and molded the minds of people to be clear,
strong, and to act righteously under all possible circumstances.
If all the spiritual teachers started to teach faith in the Self and
stopped teaching faith in a personality, this world would be
heaven. This existence with its infinite mind is at your command.
You need guidance and training to experience and manifest this.
-YOGI BHAJAN
The Evolution of Yoga through the Historical Epochs
The Six Schools of Yogic Philosophy
38
42
43
43
44
About the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Short Glossary of Terms
Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga Practice
Yamas & niyamas • The eight limbs & the three minds
The eight limbs & the five gross elements
More about the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
The waves of the mind • Balance of the inner and outer worlds
45
The five stages of mental refinement • The refined mind & Guru Harkrishan

The Evolution of Yoga through the Historical Epochs

TH E SEARCH FOR TRUTH HAS GENERATED MANY SCHOOLS OF
thought and disciplines for experience over thousands of years.
Yoga and the philosophy of consciousness did not spring forth fully
formed and independent of historical and cultural processes. It is
the historian’s job to recast concepts and philosophies so they can
be seen as part of the greater unfolding of historical processes and
the evolution of great ideas. Our job is to appreciate just enough of
that history to help us perceive some order to the evolution of the
schools of philosophy that we will briefly survey. We have a specific
destination: the foundations for yoga and the study of consciousness.
Hence this brief presentation of historical phases is not
intended to satisfy the details necessary for comprehensive history.
It is a conceptual outline to help you recognize and put several key
texts and schools of thought in a temporal order.
Although the process of awakening the kundalini and of transcending
the ego is universal. and can be found in many cultural
traditions. it is in India that the philosophy and the techniques of
the kundalini saw its most complete fruition. This timetable follows
the twists and currents of that great river of knowledge given to us
by the sages and saints of many traditions of the Indian subcontinent.
Remember that all the traditions are linked by a common
quest and by disciplines that guide the student to self-transcendence.

were then reformulated in later cultures at 80,000, 40,000, and
10,000 years ago. and they are being reformulated now.
In the period a few hundred years prior to 1 800 Be, ancient
India was concentrated in the Indus River valley. The civilization
spanned hundreds of miles in the north. northwest, and western
sections of contemporary India and Pakistan. Two great cities have
been excavated: Harappa in the north and Mohenjo-Daro along the
southern end of the Indus River. The people were sophisticated
and had elaborate socio-politico-religious organizations. They carried
on commerce with trade routes stretching from Europe to
China. They even had a system of running water, baths, and a
sewer system that included sit-down toilets in some homes. There
is evidence that the rudiments of yoga were known. and cities contained
as many as 50,000 people by some estimates. The great
cities survived in stable modes for over a thousand years. We know
little of this time. The artifacts and records are sparse. It is clear
that they already had the concept and practice of meditation. They
used symbols for the feminine and masculine powers in the universe
that are still used in modern art and religions.
Although we were not left with specific texts and scriptures.
the motifs of the meditation on Shiva. Shakti, and Vishnu run
through all the later scriptures and techniques.

Prehistoric Epoch (?-1800 scJ
There is evidence that the rudiments of yoga and
meditation are known during this period.

Vedic Epoch (1800 Be -1000 scJ
The Mahabharata is revealed. The realms of the rishis
are recorded in the Vedas. We find the cultural roots of
yoga and the Samkhya philosophy.

We know very little about the civilizations of this early period.
Archaeology has given a few hints. Speculation fills the rest of the
gaps of our knowledge. There are only fragments of later writings
that refer to these early periods. These references are presented in
mythical form. Yogi Bhajan once commented that the oldest
records in the scrolls of Tibet told of civilizations flourishing over
40.000 years ago. He says that even in those times there were
forms of yoga and meditation. The biggest changes in those times
came from the massive shifts in global weather patterns and the
consequent crop and wildlife adaptations. He specifically mentioned
a massive shift in weather about 1 0,000 years ago that
forced migrations. It was these migrations that blended cultures
from different areas and which catalyzed the development of many
of the new cultural forms of spiritual practice. He emphasized that
the early forms of yoga were systematized 100,000 years ago. They

\Vedic Epoch (1800 Be -1000 scJ
The Mahabharata is revealed. The realms of the rishis
are recorded in the Vedas. We find the cultural roots of
yoga and the Samkhya philosophy.
The great migration of the cities of the Indus civil ization by the
Aryans starts the next period. The Aryans were a Sanskrit-speaking
culture that came from the area of the steppes of central
Russia. They had fair skin. light hair and blue eyes. They were
Indo-European nomads (herdsmen) and raiders, and were proud,
aggressive. and warrior-like. They believed in their own superiority,
and they had a great tradition of self-development and yoga.
They had a great variety of weapons. Deep in the core of their
culture. they believed in self-discipline and in the transcendence
of the ego-self.
The Aryans eventually spread into the central areas of India
after establishing in the area of modern day Punjab. This expan-

sian was not peaceful. It was filled with battles, sieges. and grand
conflicts. As they gained wealth and power, they even fought
among their own clans.
The longest war in recorded history is chronicled in the
Mahabharata, a poem of over 1 00,000 stanzas. A playwright once
brought a version of the poem to the stage in New York City. The
play lasted for three full days. It is a record of the battles between
two warring clans: the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The original
version was recorded between 800 and 1 000 sc. It is a storehouse
of myths, symbols, history, philosophy, bel iefs. religion, customs.
and mystical experience. The poem is a source of much lore
about yoga in this period. Over the centuries the Mahabharata
became the central epic of I ndia, and has had many parts added
to it. such as the Bhagavad Gita. And it grew in its role as the
storehouse of cultural knowledge and inspiration.
If you are a serious student, and you want a deep understanding
of the cultural roots of early yoga , then this is required
reading. The earliest version was transmitted orally, and describes
disciplines and sadhanas. The later versions record Samkhya and
yoga philosophies. One of the strongest messages of this epic is
that beyond all the drama, strife. and war, there exist transcendental
states of Being. That liberated state is beyond all opposites:
good and bad. right and wrong, and pain and pleasure. The
personal and internal achievement of that special consciousness
liberates and enlightens the individual.
As the Aryan and Indus cultures merged and influenced each
other, the techniques and experiences of spiritual development
that helped guide the integration of the cultures were recorded in
Sanskrit. in the earliest Vedas (Books of Knowledge): the RigVeda,
the Sarna- Veda, the Yajur-Veda, and the Atharva-Veda. The
Rig-Veda in particular provides stories and hymns about the
adventures and beliefs of the early civilization of the Vedas. These
scriptures came from the Aryans. and they show the influence of
the Indus population in its words and concepts.
The hymns were composed by the great seers or rishis who
had gained a vision from deep contemplation and merger with the
Divine. The hymns were directly spoken and sung from this state
of direct perception. Being in this state of consciousness. they did
not compose the Vedas, but recorded in language the realms they
experienced. These hymns are not intellectual treatises, but the
direct poetic, emotional, and spiritual experiences of the sages.

Brahmanic Epoch (1000 ec • soo ecJ
This is a ritualistic, literal epoch. Yoga and the mystical
precepts for empowering the individual are not promoted.
The priestly class were called Brahmins. They recorded a great
deal of literature about the proper rites, rituals, and behaviors of
the times. They formed a sacrificial and ritualistic class. Worship
and virtue were external. Rather than accept the challenge of
internal development cultivated in the earlier Vedic Epoch, the
Brahmins stabilized their social position through elaborate bodily
rites. Traces of the past were woven through them. but the literal-
thinking minds of fundamentalists were busy at work.
The literature in the Brahmanas and in the Aranyakas, a handbook
for ascetic forest dwellers, does not promote yoga or the precepts
that empower the internal capacities and experiences of the
individual.
Upanishadic Epoch (BOO ec • soo ecJ
The Yoga-Upanishads and the guru-chela relationship
transmit the yogic teachings. King janaka grandly passes on
the traditions of Raj Yoga and Kundalini Yoga.
The reaction to the rigid external ritualism of the Brahmanic
Epoch finally came in the form of the Upan ishads. These ecstatic
writings are full of the technology of transcendence. They are
iconoclastic and inspirational. They internalized all the transformations
of the earlier rituals. They opened the inner ground of
Being as the appropriate place for gradual self-transcendence.
They record the knowledge of many anonymous sages.
The sages of the times who inspired and contributed to the
Upanishads were diverse and unequalled in their sagacity and
vitality. The great King janaka, who was also the transmitter of
the tradition of Raj and Kundalini Yoga, was a grand figure of the
time. Others were ascetics and some were enlightened Brahmins.
Great stories and traditions flow from this epoch.
The word Upanishad literally means to sit near and be meditative.
It reflects the original way the knowledge was transmitted.
It was given from guru to chela. teacher to student, master to
apprentice. It assumed respect and commitment on the part of
the student. There are 1 08 traditionally accepted verses that are
themselves listed in the Muktika-Upanishad. This knowledge is
known as Vedanta and is accepted as revelations or direct transmissions.
Vedanta is known as “The great knowledge which is
complete or which ends the teachings.” Over the centuries, more
than a hundred more verses have been added by various authors.

These newer compositions are respected as both tradition and as
elaboration . There are translations available of all of them and
there are many studies of the content. One group is especially
important: the Yoga-Upanishad. These include a great deal of
instruction on yoga.
All the writings emphasize the discovery and cultivation of an
ultimate ground of Being, that Infinite can be known through
transcendental gnosis. The key insight is that there is an identity
between the Ultimate Truth and the reality of the individual as
truth. The soul and the Universal Being are not different in nature.
This fact is beyond the mind’s capacity for definition and classification.
It requires realization or enlightenment. It must be
known all at once, as a total and complete vision.

from external rituals or sacrifices. The real problem is not the
action of life. but our attachment that keeps us bound to reaction.
I n real liberation, we act free, carefree, and spontaneous
without attachment or fear as motives. When we do not act from
lower motivations, we learn to act from what is cosmically correct
– from dharma. Only then do concepts like love, duty. and
righteousness have any meaning. The writings do not outline systematically
the yoga practices and meditations. Rather. they convey
the spirit and viewpoint that must accompany them.
This became the main scripture for the Va ishnavites. who
worshipped Vishnu. The message of the scriptures is universal ,
however. Vishnu was regarded a s the O n e in a l l a n d the One
beyond all. Awakening was in two main stages: the release of the
attachment and security of time and space, and the absorption
beyond mind into the absolute Being and Love.

Gita Epoch csoo Be – Ao 20oJ
Movement toward systemization of the inner technology. The
Ramayana teaches of Divine Love and self-transcendence;
the Bhagavad Gita the path of dharma, and karma yoga.

Classical Epoch (Ao 200 – Ao soo)
Patanjali reveals his masterpiece of yogic philosophy,
as the long-standing traditions flourish.

During this period, the tradition established in the Mahabharata
flourished and expanded. Many of the streams of thought and the
technologies of yoga were systematized. The six major schools of
philosophy (see Six Schools of Yogic Philosophy this chapter) were
codified and extensively taught. In the later writings of the Sikh
Gurus (the Bhakti Epoch), the “six schools” refer to the philosophies
established in the Classical Epoch. The most important work
during this period was the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. This is the great
work on yoga and its philosophy that has guided students ever
since it was written. (See this chapter for more on Patanajali’s Sutras.)

Puranic Epoch (Ao soo – Ao 1’169)
Esoteric knowledge becomes widespread, Vedanta
philosophy sets the stage for the grant synthesis of
the next epoch.

The Puranas were composed during this period. They are a huge
collection of mythology, philosophy, and h istory. The great
teacher Shankara wrote about non-dual istic Vedanta philosophy.
His writings propelled many seekers into the use of the psychospiritual
technology of yoga. During the same time the emphasis
on tantrism and the use of the esoteric knowledge of the chakras,
the glands, and the aura expanded. The discipline of sadhana to
elevate consciousness and to aid in the philosophy propounded
by earlier texts became widespread.

It came to be understood that it was possible to produce the
spiritual and physical well-being without rejecting the senses and
without being an ascetic. This emphasis led to an awakening of the
philosophy of Shakti, the feminine cosmic principle of energy.
Kundalini is a Shakti energy that manifests the Divine in the finite
body and mind. This explosion of experimentation and practice
prepared the way for the grand synthesis in the next period.

Bhakti Epoch (AD 11169 – AD 1708)
The grand synthesis creates the householder as the sage.

This is the period where opposites fused. The tradition of asceticism
met the tradition of mystical union. The householder who
must live in the daily world was elevated to the status of the forest-
dwelling sage. The catalyst for this was the meeting of the Sant
tradition (which had respect for the Guru or teacher). the Nath, and
Tantra traditions, (which use yoga and psycho-physical technology),
and the Bhakti tradition, (which emphasized devotion as a
means to know truth beyond the confines of the structure of the
mind).
The greatest result of this confluence of influences was the ten
Sikh Gurus and the creation of the scripture: the Siri Guru Granth
Sahib. Yogi Bhajan has said that the Siri Guru Granth Sahib is the
fifth Veda. It completes and culminates the philosophies of all the
previous times. It also extends them. It is the only scripture that is
treated as a Guru. It is not just history, philosophy, and technology,
it is an active vibratory presence. It was designed as a granth,
a knot that binds the Word into a form in which any person can
interact and be transformed It is a primary source for many
mantras and shabds that are the pinnacle of the power of the
Word as understood by the yogis and saints. The Sikh Gurus
emphasized non-attachment, service, and meditation directly on
the Naam. They broke the cycle of searching for a personal guru
and the cults of personality that often misled seekers. They
embodied the Guru in the scripture and declared it a Siri Guru. a
teacher of teachers. The tenth teacher. Guru Gobind Singh,
declared there would be no more human G urus in that tradition.
The result, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, is a modern tool and writing
that emphasizes the need to remember the essence of spirituality
and at the same time the need to embody that essence in a distinct
form. It encourages respect for all traditions and people. and
asks each to recognize in others the common essence we share. and
the Creator who creates us all.

Modern Epoch (AD 1708 – Ao Z011J
The romance between East and West begins. A time of
expansion and discovery, great change and possibilities.
The fall of the Mogul Empire brought about by the Sikh resistance
ushered in the changes that opened civilization to Western influence.
The British established rule over India in the latter part of the
eighteenth century. This diminished the devotional ardor of the
Bhakti Epoch. It increased materialism and secularism. It brought
with it industrialization and, later, high technology. At the beginning
of the 1900s there was a wave of missionaries from the East
who brought many of the concepts to the West. The romance
between East and West began in earnest. The Modern Epoch is the
story of discovery and communication between the two hemispheres
of our world. The great traditions have been established.
Now they have been rediscovered, printed, practiced, and disseminated.
In the United States and Europe, meditation and the practices
of Sikhs, Hindus. Muslims. and others are common. The
recent wars in Vietnam, Cambodia. Africa, Thailand, and the fall
of the old hierarchies in Eastern Europe have led to a great migration
of people across the old cultural barriers. With the rise of
japan as a great economic power and the people fleeing China and
Hong Kong, the oriental cultures have come face to face with the
West. Buddhism, Shintoism, and Taoism have touched the
Western heart and are being assimilated. The Modern Epoch is one
of expansion and discovery. We near the end of that time and prepare
to enter the next epoch. These years will be filled with change,
chaos, and possibilities. The roles of the individual and institutions
will need to find a new balance. Many institutions preserved themselves
through ignorance and fear. The barriers to knowledge have
been attacked by the people and technology of the modern information
era.

Aquarian Epoch (Ao 2011 – ?J
A period based on experience, commitment, and
universality, ushering in a new level of consciousness
and civilization.

The Six Schools of Yogic Philosophy

The key terms for the Aquarian Epoch are globalization,
universality, and the dignity of the human being. No religion
will survive in less than a global context. The historical and
tribal- based traditions of the many world cultures will come
face to face. The need is a comm itment to establish authentic
transformative experience in each i n dividual .
Consciousness and its many levels will be the theme i n this
epoch.
Traditions that rely on fear and ignorance will fall to the
side. During this transition, there will be a polarization and
some chaos as old institutions fight the final battle. Then
there will be neither East nor West. There will be developed
and undeveloped consciousness. We will judge philosophy
and spirituality by the degree of awakening and embodiment
an individual attains, rather than by their association with a
specific group.
The end of the Aquarian Epoch is in dispute from different
sources. By astrological, rather than historical measure, it
should last about 2,000 years. Yogi Bhajan has said that if all
goes well in the transition, the realm of global philosophy,
pluralism, sprituality, and the ethics of Khalsa (the pure ones)
will extend a full 1 1 ,000 years before they pass on. This length
of time will be historically unique-it will be the first time that
the entire globe will be united. It can be a period of stability,
and expansion can occur in the depth of our hearts and in the
reaches of space. Inner and outer space will complement each
other and lead to a vast spirituality and a philosophy that is
based on experience, commitment, and universality.
Each of you who studies these ancient techniques and
puts them into practice in your life is a pioneer of the New
Age. You a re on the historical crest of hope and development
that will usher in a new level of consciousness and civilization.
The changes will happen very quickly. Each of your
efforts to study and to teach Kundalini Yoga gives birth to
the Aquarian Epoch.

The six principal orthodox schools recognized as representing
points of view within the context of Vedic heritage are:
􀁸 Purva-Mimamsa expounds in detail the art and science of
moral and righteous action by following the proscriptions of
vedic ritualism. It was focused on the concept of dharma.
Purva-Mimamsa emphasizes individual responsibil ity for one’s
actions and that we have the free will to create a quality of life.
We find no instruction in yoga in this school. Nor does this
school presume one God.
􀁸 Vedanta (Uttara Mimamsa) In this school we find an
emphasis on the internal experience of ritual, as well as the
nature of meditation and the mystic scriptures of the
Upanishads, including the Bhagavad Gita. Here we find the
integration of the concept of right action within the Oneness of
creation, and the nature of transcendental reality.
􀁸 Samkhya has many schools which are concerned with the
evolution of existence, and the nature of being. The elements of
Samkhya philosophy are woven through classical yogic philosophy.
But samkhya stresses the use of mental discrimination and
analysis to perceive reality, rather than meditative experience.
􀁸 Yoga This school was identified throughout Patanjali’s sutras.
It expounded practical techniques of meditation and self-control
to attain the perception of self and reality. With this school, we
find movement into the more experiential.
􀁸 Vaisheshika approached liberation by understanding all of
existence in terms of six primary categories.
􀁸 Nyaya (literally means 11 rule. 11 ) Emphasis in this school was
on rules, logic and rhetoric.

About the Yoga Sutras of Pataltiali

I N THE VISION OF PATANJALI, and most Eastern and esoteric
traditions , knowledge serves the function of awakening and even
redeeming. It is through clarity, intuition, and understanding the
timeless nature of the Self, that we can transcend suffering and
stop the unconscious actions that create problems.
Patatrjatrs Sutras . . .
􀃧 consist of 195 thought-laden aphorisms. Sutra means
“thread.”
􀃧 remain even today, the definitive work on yoga.
􀃧 are an overview of the goals, philosophy, and structure of a
yoga and meditation discipline.
􀃧 state that the process of yoga is focused on the need to
control the modifications or waves of the mind.
􀃧 describe the Eight Limbs of Yoga essential for yoga practice.
􀃧 merge the two schools of Yoga and Samkhya. Yoga
recognizes our individual consciousness as one with the
Universal Consciousness, Samkhya explains how our
unlimited consciousness manifests into the realm of the
physical world.

The Yoga Sutra itself consists of 1 95 aphorisms presented in four
steps or chapters.
SAMADHI-PADA
Absorption and Higher States of Awareness
II SADHANA-PADA
Discipline and Practices
Ill VIBHUTI-PADA
Powers and Capabilities of the Possible Human
IV KAIVALYA-PADA
The Nature of Liberation

Patalfjalf’s Eight Limbs of Yoga Practice
Ashtanga (8-limbed) Yoga

One of the deep truths captured by the eight limbs is the
need to develop the entire spectrum of body and mind as
a whole system. Kundalini Yoga includes all eight limbs
in each sadhana or complete set.

PATANJAU IDENTIFIED EIGHT I NTERRELATED ASPECTS OF YOGA
practice some time betwen 200 and 600 AD. The eight limbs are
equally essential to steady progress in refining the m ind and discriminating
the real from the illusory. They are called ” limbs” or
” parts” rather than steps to emphasize their integrated nature.
The limbs grow a little in relation to each other, allowing the
coordinated use of all the limbs.
SAMADHI
DHYANA
DHARANA
PRATYHAR
PRANAYAM
AS ANA
NIYAMA
YAMA
Awakening and absorption in spirit
Deep meditation
One-pointed concentration
Synchronization of senses and thoughts
Control of prana (life force)
Postures for health and meditation
Five disciplines [see below] Five restraints [see below] The list above places the eight limbs in a ladder-like manner, missing
the dynamic aspects of the limbs, but emphasizes the natu re of
the practices from the most gross and accessible (ethical behaviors)
to the most rarified and intangible (spiritual or mystic merger).
In the West, most popularizations of the techniques tend to
emphasize one end or the other of the ladder. Either the body is
cultivated without chanting and meditation, or the mind is cultivated
through meditation, without building physical vitality
through exercise. Both lead to imbalances, physically and emotionally.
One of the deep truths captu red by the eight limbs is the
need to develop the entire spectrum of body and m ind as a whole
system. Kundalini Yoga includes all of the eight limbs in each sadhana
or complete exercise set.
Yamas and niyamas
At the base of the eighted-limbed path are the yamas and
niyamas. Yama is choosing to practice moral restraint in external
interactions, and niyama is observing daily practices designed to
clarify the internal relationship to the Self.

YAMAS
Ahimsa (non-hurting). Compassion, patience, love for others,
self-love, worthiness, and understanding,
Satya (truthfulness). Honesty, forgiveness, non-judgment, owning
feelings, loving communication, letting go of masks.
Asteya (non-stealing). Right use of resources, letting go of jealousy,
cultivating sense of self-sufficiency and completeness.
Brahmacharya (sensory control). Channelling emotions, moderation.
Aparigraha (non-possessiveness). Fulfilling needs rather than wants.
NIYAMAS
Shaucha (purity). Evenness of mind, thought, speech. Purity of body.
Santosha (contentment). Gratitude, acceptance, calmness with success
or failure.
Tapas (purification, zeal). Determination, willingness for practices.
Svadhyaya (study). Reflection, meditation, expanding knowledge.
lshvara pranidhana (devotion, surrender). Faith, dedication.
The eight limbs and the three minds
The negative mind is mastered with YAMAS and NIYAMAS.
The positive mind is mastered with ASANAS and PRANAYAM.
The neutral mind is mastered with PRATYAHAR, DHARANA,
DHYANA, and SAMADHI.
The Eight limbs and the five gross elements
Earth: habits-confronted by YAMAS.
Water: emotional impulse-guided by NIYAMAS.
Fire: energy and the urge to do-tended by ASANA.
Air: sensitivity and feelings -directed by PRANAYAM.
Ether: the creative inner space -navigated with
PRATYHAR, DHARANA, DHYANA, and SAMADHI.

More about the Yoga Sutras of Patalfjali

PATANJALI’S SUTRAS, A SHORT CODIFICATION OF THE PRACTICE
of yoga, came out of the classical period of yoga philosophy and
history (200-800 AD).
The Patanjali Sutras are an overview of the goals, philosophy,
and structure of a yoga and meditation discipline. They provide a
sketch of the effort needed and the progress to be expected in a
yoga discipline. They are a map of the process of awakening and
realizing the possible human that is in each of us. As ancient as
they are, they are still an excellent foundation for any serious student
of Kundalini Yoga.
The sutras were written, as many are, in short thought-laden
sentences, assumed to be used under the direction of a master. Its
brevity is a problem and a blessing. A great deal is assumed, making
its use difficult. However, that allows for a wide range of adaptation
to the Teachers who use the sutras. Several teachers have
written commentaries on the sutras to bridge their particular purposes
and audiences. That further emphasizes the importance of a
relationship to a Teacher and teaching community as part of the
process of spiritual practice and growth. There are other texts that
l ist many specific tech niques.
Most yogis preferred direct cultivation of personal experience
and capacity rather than the intellectual enterprise of systematizing,
classifying and analyzing. Substantial commentaries that came from
intellectual efforts of great scope were rare. Patanjali Sutras represent
the efforts of a yogic adept to attempt to trace the central thread of
process across the many schools of practice that existed in the early
Classical Epoch (which corresponded to the Christian era) in India.
They were so well conceived and written, that they rapidly became
the central authoritative text in the yoga tradition. Patanjali’s contribution
seems to be mostly that of a systematizer rather than an originator.
The true beginning of yoga is always attributed to “the womb
of Being” or the Creator. The Sutras are the culmination of the historical
development of yoga up to that point.
In Hindu stories, Patanjali is said to be an incarnation of
Ananta-the thousand-headed ruler of the serpent race. This icon
has the job of guarding the deep treasures of the Earth. The treasure
is the knowledge given by yoga to awaken the possible human;
the ability to manifest the Heavens in the Earth, and the ability to
embody the divine aspects of the self in the profane circumstances
of the normal life. Patanjali’s name came from his desire to teach
and enlighten those of Earth. He fell (pat) from the Heavens and
landed in the palm (anjali) of a saintly woman, his mother,
Gonika. The reverence given to his efforts and its impact on the
tradition of the times is clearly evident.

The Yoga sutras themselves consists of 195 aphorisms presented
in fou r steps or chapters.
SAMADH I-PADA. Absorption and higher states of awareness.
II SADHANA-PADA. Discipline and Practices.
Ill VIBHUTI-PADA. Powers & capabilities of the possible human.
IV KAIVAlYA-PADA. The nature of liberation.
Many scholars argue about the proper order of the aphorisms
in the original unedited text. But taken all together the current version
seems authentic and reasonably complete.
The form of yoga that comes from this compendium is usually
called Classical Yoga. There are some differences with this and
Kundalini Yoga, mostly because Classical Yoga was intended for
monks, people who withdrew from the world for spiritual practice.
Kundalini Yoga was designed for people in the world.
The waves of the mind
The Classical Yoga system Patanjali described was meant to
include and unify the precepts developed in Samkhya philosophy
and in Vedanta. The process of yoga is focused on the need to
control the modifications or waves of the mind. (See Mind &
Meditation chapter.) The mind is considered the link between body
and spirit or consciousness. It is the habits of the mind that bind
us to attachments and duality and, in turn, suffering. It is also the
habit of mind that leads to non-attachment and to the practice of
merger with what is real. The mind is a sophisticated tool that can
give us liberation and the transcendence of conditional living, or it
can give us confusion, ignorance, and bondage.
The mind and body are one emanation of the primal nature:
Prakirti. A fundamental property of this nature is constant evolution
and transformation. The result of this transformation is the
creation of a multilevel gradation of nature from the most subtle
and unmanifest aspects to the most differentiated and gross realm
of the five senses. Body and m ind-the “psyche”- are considered
to be gradations of the same substance produced through three
eternal forces-the gunas. (See Yogic Philosophy chapter for more on
gunas.)
The mind is divided into functional aspects:
manas-the lower mind of senses and reactions;
ahangkar-the ego;
buddhi-discriminating m ind or mind stuff, which includes
memories, subconscious realms, intellect; and
chitta-all other fluctuating waves of mind.
The central task of the yogi is to calm these mental functions
so that a clear perception of what is real and what is false can arise.

PATANJALrS SUTRAS
This is the central goal. Patanjali attributes the universal suffering
witnessed throughout life not to an angry God, nor to any form of
original sin or unworth iness, but to ignorance, the lack of the ability
to properly discern the real from the unreal, the eternal from
the transitory, the essential from the peripheral, and the Self from
the world of experience-maya. Because we are wrapped in layers
of mental and emotional habits that cloud our perception, we make
choices that are against the Self. We initiate sequences of action
with long term pain as their consequence. The moment we do that
we are asleep. We are viewing the moment of choice through the
blinders of ego. If we can awaken, we can discern the reality of the
choice and stay in alignment with what is. Action in line with the
Infinite Self is called dharma. You act in the right way at the right
time. Dharmic action takes you beyond pleasure and pain to ecstasy,
beyond like and hate to love, and beyond want and need to
duty, commitment, and identity.
In the vision of Patanjali. and most Eastern and esoteric traditions,
knowledge serves the function of awakening and even
redeeming. It is through clarity, intuition and special forms of
knowing when the m ind is refined that we can transcend suffering
and stop the unconscious actions that create problems.
The Samkhya and Vedanta traditions were woven together by
Patanjali into the eight-fold path of yoga. Vedanta and yoga emphasize
the use of meditation and other exercises as part of training the
mind. He bridged the few critical differences in a manner that gave
greater accessibility to the yoga approach in gaining knowledge of
the Self. Both traditions recognize the importance of self-knowledge.
But classical Samkhya emphasizes pure metaphysical knowledge.
The methodology of meditation supports and complements
the power of gnosis or sacred knowledge. Real knowledge makes us
aware that we are more than how we usually perceive ourselves. As
we recognize the transitory nature of all experience we gain nonattachment.
Through the practice of yoga discipline-sadhana-we calm the
mind, sharpen its function, and gain discernment to recognize the
real. to hear the inner Word, to follow the impulse of the heartthe
path of dharma.
Balance of the inner fr outer worlds
Kundalini Yoga and humanology concur with Patanjali’s integration.
One departure point is a tendency in Classical Yoga to reject the
world and nature as profane or soiled. Some students take this as a
validation of asceticism. Kundalini Yoga views nature as the sacred
play of the eternal. It is a creation of God the artist. It is a final devolution
of the spirit to its densest form. But the physical body shares
the same elements and qualities that form all of creation. The body
should be viewed as a temple full of treasures. It has the capacity to

influence the mind through breathing and glandular secretion.
Careful cultivation of the body aids the project of gaining inner
knowledge. Neglect and degradation of the body confuses the mind
and creates ill health. In Kundalini Yoga there is a constant balance
of health, happiness. and holiness. It is designed to give the practitioner
awareness and balance in both the inner and outer worlds.
Patanjali emphasizes the need to approach this task with an
equal emphasis on practices and attitudes. The practices include
the eight l imbs of yoga, mental training, concentration, and breathing.
If those are practiced alone, the aspirant is subject to great
spiritual ego from accomplishments and special feats of mind and
body. The attitudes include the yamas and niyamas discussed
below. and the primary attitude of non-attachment to the many
aspects of maya. If only non-attachment is practiced, the aspirant
releases a great deal of psychic energy with no place for it to transform
and be expressed. The result is unexpected neurotic patterns,
the sudden emergence of the shadow aspects of the personality or
other psychosomatic manifestations.
With both regular practice and constant attitudes the path is
clear and without problems.
The five stages of mental refinement
The qual ity of mental and emotional experience changes as the
aspirant guides the mind through the eight limbs of yoga practice.
Patanjali describes five stages of mental refinement. The descriptions
reflect the general principle that all emanations of Prakirti are
composed of some combination of the three gunas: tamas (heavy,
confusion, lack of clarity); rajas (activity, energy); sattva (balance,
subtlety, clarity). The qualities of mind reflect different degrees of
activity and combinations of the three gunas.
The Five Stages of Refinement, their description and the influence
of the corresponding gunas follow:
I . NIRUDHA. Sattva is fully expressed. Total calm. The transcendent
perception of the soul, consciousness or Purusha is now possible.
It is “well-controlled,” can distinguishg false from Real, and see
the nature of the Self reflected throughout the mirror of Prakirti.
2. EKAGRA. Sattva rules. This creates tranquility and calmness.
clear perception about the nature of things. The mind is able to
manifest its intentions.
3. VIKSI PTA. Rajas dom inates, so the mind is fast, flighty,
almost manic. It never rests on one thing, nor commits. Often seeks
stimulation and information, but doesn’t analyze.
4. MUDHA. Predominance of tamas assures laziness, confusion,
sluggishness, ignorance, and even vice. It is a state of dull confusion
or stupidity.
5. KSI PTA. Rajas gives the mind a lot of energy. This combined
with tamas loses discrimination. The mind is distrubed, irritated,

erratic, distracted. Attention is often focused on the wrong things.
The first three states are the normal qualities of the mind that a
novice discovers when beginning to meditate. Gradually the first two
conditions are created and slowly developed into steady states. In
this condition the many dimensions of capability and extraordinary
sensitivity unfold. This process of refinement is discussed by
Patanjali both as an increasing unification of consciousness and as
an incremental purification of mind. Purification removes the disturbing
elements of the mind and body. Unification increases the
scope of awareness and the integration across many parts of the
mind.
As the mind is refined, judgment also improves. The aspirant
makes consistent decisions that lead to happiness and growth. The
final result is not a psychological state. It is a condition of the mind
and a relationship of body, mind and spirit that frees the soul to
create and express without hindrance.
This appreciation of refinement disposes the yogi to pay as
much attention to the process and quality of thought and emotion
as to the content of those thoughts. It is like the old adage: ” You
can pile scriptures sky high on the back of a donkey, and it’s still
just an ass.” The mere recitation of written or book knowledge does
not mean the mind has been refined enough to be able to understand,
act on, and embody the things being referred to in the
abstract. The ability to manifest from the abstract to the concrete,
from the general to the specific, and from the subtle to the gross is
the result of extensive psychoenergetic development and psychological
integration. The fact that we can represent things abstractly to
ourselves is part of our creativity and part of our ability to delude
ou rselves.
The mind’s capacity to represent things gives us both creativity
and self-delusion. That is one reason that all spiritual and developmental
paths require a teacher, Guru, or guide to test the student.
The job of the teacher is to be sure the knowledge is learned
in the heart, in the present, and eternally. Our tendency to appear
right or better for others , combined with ambitions and insecurities
often produce false victories and false failures. The teacher keeps
the student going past the limitations of the beliefs and experiences,
especially the successes. of the student.
For an in-depth study and commentary of the sutras, see How to Know
God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, by Swami Prabhavanada and
Christopher Isherwood. Vedanta Press, 1953.