Great Throughts Treasury

"By that the veil over manifestation (of knowledge) is thinned."

"By the expiration and retention of breath."

"Cleanliness, contentment, austerity (mental and physical discipline), Svadhyaya (study of scriptures and chanting of Mantras) and devotion to God are the Niyamas (observances)."

"Cognitive meditation is accompanied by reasoning, discrimination, bliss and the sense of 'I am.'"

"By this (what has been said in the two previous Sutras) Samadhis of Savicara, Nirvicara and subtler stages (Sutra .) have also been explained."

"By this (by what has been said in the last four Sutras) the property, character, and condition-transformations in the elements and the sense-organs are also explained."

"Coming into activity of (higher) senses also becomes helpful in establishing steadiness of the mind."

"Consciousness appears to the mind itself as intellect when in that form in which it does not pass from place to place."

"Concentration is the confining of the mind within a limited mental area (object of concentration)."

"Continence is a very important part of yoga. If a handful of people come forward with strong wills, nothing is impossible. One Buddha changed half the globe; one Jesus, three quarters of the world. We all have that capacity."

"Created minds arise from egoism alone."

"Deep sleep is the modification of the mind which has for its substratum nothingness."

"Deserting the longings for physical comforts and following one?s conscience is the main feature of restraining sense organs. It is our conscience that causes the sense organs to be indifferent for comforts. When the conscience is fully trained, sense organs are also controlled."

"Depending on their psychic make up, for some people, closing the eyes or being quiet produces anxiety and increases mental agitation. In such situations it is better to undertake the practice of yoga?whether physical yoga or meditation?with other people with whom one is comfortable and at ease. Gradually, as we see more and more clearly their roots, the fears and the imaginings will diminish. Mental distractions are harder to overcome when practicing alone."

"Desirelessness towards the seen and the unseen gives the consciousness of mastery."

"Creative nature is not moved into action by any incidental cause, but by the removal of obstacles, as in the case of a farmer clearing his field of stones for irrigation."

"Depending on the knowledge of dreams and sleep."

"Disease, inertia, doubt, lack of enthusiasm, laziness, sensuality, mind-wandering, missing the point, instability- these distractions of the mind are the obstacles."

"Different states of consciousness project different images of God?loving or vengeful or jealous, energetic or terrifying, and different images of God affect the nature and quality of our response to God... The image or idea of God as wrathful and jealous will have a different effect than the image or the idea of God as loving. Similarly, whether God is regarded as male or female will have a significant impact on the culture."

"Disease, languor, doubt, carelessness, laziness, worldly-mindedness, delusion, non-achievement of a stage, instability, these (nine) cause the distraction of the mind and they are the obstacles."

"Distractions arise from habitual thought patterns when practice is intermittent."

"Each one of us needs to discover the proper balance between the masculine and feminine energies, between the active and the receptive."

"Egoism is the identification of the power that knows with the instruments of knowing."

"Energy-control which goes beyond the sphere of external and internal is the fourth level- the vital."

"Each place is the right place--the place where I now am can be a sacred space. It is useful to study different traditions in order to be free of attachment to any one way of expressing what is beyond expression."

"Egoism is the identification, as it were, of the power of the Seer with that of the instrument of seeing [body-mind]."

"Equal-minded contemplation is nearest to those whose desire is most ardent."

"Even that (Sabija Samadhi) is external to the Seedless (Nirbija Samadhi)."

"Even for the destruction of the seed of bondage by desirelessness there comes absolute independence."

"Even though the external object is the same, there is a difference of cognition in regard to the object because of the difference in mentality."

"Experience arises due to the inability of discerning the attributes of vitality from the indweller, even though they are indeed distinct from one another. Self-control brings true knowledge of the indweller by itself."

"Even that is external to the seedless realization."

"Facts of right knowledge (are based on) direct cognition, inference or testimony."

"Everything is sorrow for the wise."

"Fancy is following after word-knowledge empty of substance."

"Flowing by its own energy, established even in the wise and in the foolish, is the unending desire for life."

"Experience is the result of inability to distinguish between the Purusa and the Sattva though they are absolutely distinct. Knowledge of the Purusa results from Samyama on the Self-interest (of the Purusa) apart from another's interest (of Prakrti)."

"For others, clarity is preceded by faith, energy, memory and equal-minded contemplation."

"For one who sees the distinction, there is no further confusing of the mind with the self."

"For those beings who are formless and for those beings who are merged in unitive consciousness, the world is the cause."

"For removing these obstacles (there should be) constant practice of one truth or principle."

"For the sake of the soul alone the Universe exists."

"From it (result) the disappearance of obstacles and turning inward of consciousness."

"From devotion to God, Samadhi is attained. (The attainment of trance by making Ishvara the motive of all actions.)"

"For the prevention of the obstacles, one truth should be practiced constantly."

"From contentment supreme joy is gained."

"From it (Viveka-Jam-Jnanam) knowledge of distinction between similars which canot be distinguished by class, characteristic or position."

"From mental purity (arises) purity of Sattva, cheerful-mindedness, one-pointedness, control of the senses and fitness for the vision of the Self."

"From physical purity (arises) disgust for one's own body and disinclination to come in physical contact with others."

"From purity follows a withdrawal from enchantment over one's own body as well as a cessation of desire for physical contact with others."