Yoga-sutras (Ancient and Modern Interpretations)

by Makarand Gopal Newalkar | 2017 | 82,851 words | ISBN-13: 9780893890926

Yoga-sutras 2.6 [Asmita—egoism], English translation with modern and ancient interpretation. The Patanjali Yogasutras describe an ancient Indian tradition spanning over 5000 years old dealing with Yoga:—Meditating the mind on the Atma leading to the realization of self. This study interprets the Yogasutras in light of both ancient and modern commentaries (e.g., Vyasa and Osho) while supporting both Sankhya and Vedanta philosophies.

Sūtra 2.6 [Asmitā—egoism]

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Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of sūtra 2.6 [asmitā—egoism]:

दृग्दर्शनशक्त्योरेकात्मतेवास्मिता ॥ २.६ ॥
dṛgdarśanaśaktyorekātmatevāsmitā || 2.6 ||

(6) Asmitā is tantamount to the identification of puruṣa or pure consciousness with buddhi.

Ancient and Modern interpretation:

Asmitā is identity or blending together, as it were,of the power of consciousness (puruṣa) with the power of cognition (buddhi).

Asmi means ‘I am’ which is pure awareness self-existence.But when it comes in contact with māyā it changes to ‘I am this’ where ‘this’ represents physical body.Here it gets bound by avidyā. So, yoga practice destroys asmitā and reduces veil of avidyā.

Osho says,^[1] that,

“Ego is lack of awareness.One troubles himself by clinging. He gives example of a river flowing and you are pushing the river towards the ocean. One does not understand that if you want to go to the ocean, you can be just part of river and the river will take you.”

Same way clinging to life indicates fear of death and fear of death creates death. Otherwise there is no death and no fear.So, in nāma-rūpa, only forms and names change,everything remains. Life is like ocean and a person will be like wave on ocean which comes and goes,but ocean remains.

The whole life is like a dream.It needs no interpretation.You have to come out of it as everyday morning one gets up from bed and gets into conscious world.

But ego is the greatest technician in the world. The ego lives on know-how. It is very basis of all technology.East could not develop technology as people surrendered their ego. West has become expert in technology. The reason that Western culture has been trying to protect, feed the ego. The whole structure of technology is based on the ego. If ego drops, the whole structure of technology drops. The world becomes again natural, not man-made.

God has not finished creation. It is ad-continumum. But man, as the ego is trying to conquer nature.One needs to watch the doer and live life as it comes.Be ordinary and nothing is wrong in that.If you realise this, then you are extraordinary and celebrating each moment. ^[2]

He says,^[3] ‘You can become a child again’. Jesus is right when he says,‘Only those who are like small chidren will be able to enter the kingdom of my God’.

In Yogavāsiṣṭha, Vasiṣṭha while discussing ‘ sapta-jñābhūmis’, has given^[4] third step as ‘tanumānasa ’which is state of thin mind brought about by detachment and contemplation.

In bhaktiyoga, complete surrender to God is the surrender of ego.