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Commentary by Baba Hari Dass

Sutra 2   Control of thought waves in the mind is yoga.

This sutra defines the essential concept of yoga (union), which is further explained in all of the succeeding sutras. Yoga is defined as a method-the practice of nirodha (mental control) – by which union (the goal of yoga) is achieved. Yoga is therefore both the process of nirodha and the unqualified state of nirodha (the perfection of that process)

The word yoga (union) implies duality (as in the joining of two things or principles); the result of yoga the non-dual state. Union in dualistic terms can be described as the union of the individual with God or with universal consciousness, or as the union of the lower self and higher Self. The non-dual state is characterized by the absence of individuality; it can be described as eternal peace, pure love, Self-realization or liberation.

Shri Vyasa, in his classical commentary on the Yoga Sutras, says this sutra indicates that both samprajnata samadhi (super-consciousness with perfect knowledge) and asamprajnata samadhi (super-consciousness beyond perfect knowledge) are yoga. The sutra simply says, “Control of  thought waves” rather than, “Control of all thought waves.” Control of all thought waves is a state of asamprajnata samadhi, which has no knowledge of an object or seed as a support. In asamprajnata samadhi no knowledge relating to the creation exists and the individual is merged completely in purusha (the Self). This state, called kaivalya (isolation of the Self in the Self), is the goal of sadhana (spiritual practice). In samprajnata samadhi, there is complete higher knowledge of creation, and vrittis (thought waves) still exist in their subtle forms, although their gross forms have been eliminated by mental purification. Samprajnata samadhi constitutes the stages preceding asamprajnata samadhi. The stages of samprajnata samadhi are a step-by-step revelation of the true nature of material existence.

The reality that is attained through the practice of yoga is nothing external to one’s true Self. Therefore its attainment is accomplished simply by removing the obstacles that veil one’s true nature. These obstacles come in the form of vrittis (thought waves or modifications) in the mind.

What is this chitta (mind), and how do the vrittis (thought waves) obscure reality?  The chitta is the field of consciousness in which all actions of the present, memories of the past, and visions of the future take place.  All bhoga (experience) and apavarga (liberation from experience) take place on this field; indeed experience and liberation are the nature of the chitta. Just as a projector shines light in a movie screen, so purusha (the eternal principle of consciousness) enlightens prakriti (the eternal principle of matter), creating the chitta (mind field), which in its cosmic form is called mahat (cosmic mind). The individual mind evolves from the cosmic mind. Our lives are played on the mind field, just as a movie plays on the movie screen.

The interactions of chitta with the three other aspects of mind collectively forms the antahkarana (human psyche). The antahkarana is divided into four faculties according to function:

1.      Manas (recording mind) receives impressions through the senses and responds to .........them through the organs of action.

2.      Buddhi (intellect) discriminates and contains intuitive wisdom.

3.      Ahamkara (ego) is the owner of all experiences, relating them to its identity.

4.     Chitta (mind or field of consciousness) includes manas, Buddhi, and adamkara as  described above, and also the storehouse of sassafras (latent impressions).

These four minds, interacting with the jnanendriya (subtle organs associated with sense perception) and karmendriyas (subtle organs associated with action), create a feeling of separate identity and experience within the duality of the subjective and objective world.

“Yoga is the control of the vrittis (modifications of the mind field)” means the control of all four faculties of the psyche. The word vrittis means to revolve or fluctuate, so any movement in the chitta is called vrittis. The term vrittis includes any kind of thought process – such as cognitive, reflective, gross, or subtle – as well as any emotion, feeling or memory. Therefore, vrittis, which is translated here as thought waves, is sometimes translated as mental modifications. The nature of vrittis is movement; thoughts are ephemeral and transitory. As such, they are disturbing to the mind seeking peace and are considered obstacles to yoga.

The word nirodha is variously translated as, “ to control, to suppress, to restrain, to hinder, to arrest, to stop, or to block.” Theses meanings do not imply a repression (as in repressing emotions), but rather nirodha is the mechanism by which the mind excludes various inputs in order to focus on a selected object. Here, nirodha is translated as control because both focus and exclusion are required. This is further elaborated in Sutra I:12.

Nirodha is necessary for concentration, as the mind must remove itself from competing objects in order to concentrate on one object. The internal discipline of spiritual life starts when a spiritual object such as Om, is chosen for concentration. This is dharana (concentration), and it leads to dhyana (meditation), which, when further refined, becomes samadhi (super-conscious absorption).

Nirodha is therefore the operative factor in switching the mind from its multiple external preoccupations. It causes the mental consciousness to turn inward to become aware of its source. Nirodha is both a process of refinement of consciousness and, in its perfection, a non-dual state of consciousness.

Nirodha develops as follows:

1. The mind turns inward, leaving its external activities.
2.  The samskaras (prints of past actions in the mind) do not get active.
3. Samadhi (super-conscious state) leaves its own samskaras (prints) in the chitta (mind field).
4. The knowledge that purusha (the Self) is separate from Buddhi (intellect) is acquired.
5. The Self gets established in its own true nature, or it can be said, the Self dwells in the Self.

This last state is called asamprajnata samadhi.

The states of union indicated by the various samadhis develop in levels as the process of nirodha advances and the mind penetrates deeper and deeper into reality. With each stage of samadhi comes jnana (knowledge) and vairaga (dispassion); knowledge of what is real and dispassion for what is unreal. The dispassion that comes from knowledge leads the aspirant to subtler and subtler levels of consciousness.

If the chitta is likened to a body of water, the vrittis can be seen as the waves on its surface. Just as wind creates waves on the water, similarly pratyaya (objects) create vrittis (thoughts) in the mind.  If the wind calms down, the waves merge back into the water. In the same way when the objects are removed from the mind, the thought waves merge back into the chitta (mind field). This state is called chitta vrittis nirodha (arrested mind). When the vrittis are controlled and not allowed to go out to worldly objects, but rather are reversed back and absorbed into the chitta, that is called yoga.

The internalization of consciousness can also be seen as a process of purification of the chitta (mind field).  The chitta, like all evolutes of prakriti (matter), is constituted by the three gunas (qualities of creation). Chitta has three characteristics according to the predominance of the respective guna:

1. Prakash (illumination) is caused by the predominance of sattva guna (purity).
2. Kriya (effort) is caused by the predominance of rajas guna (activity)
3. Sthiti (stability) is caused by the predominance of tamas guna (inertial).

The refinement of consciousness that accompanies the progressive stages of samadhi occurs as sattva guna becomes predominate. In samadhi, sattva guna (purity) illuminates the mind, while rajas guna (activity) and tamas guna (stability) play supporting roles.

When the chitta (mind field) is predominantly sattvik (purified), it has four attributes:

1. Dharma (righteousness, with the quality of non-violence)
2. Jnana (knowledge achieved through yoga)
3. Vairaga (dispassion)
4. Aishvarya (sovereignty and spiritual freedom).

When the buddhi (intellect) is completely purified by the practice of samadhi (super-consciousness), viveka khyati (discrimative wisdom) dawns. By this process, the sattva Buddhi (purified intellect) experiences purusha (pure consciousness) as separate from its reflection in the chitta (mind field). This brings paravairagya (supreme dispassion) for even the highest knowledge, and consciousness merges in the Self.

So, in the words of the sutra, yoga (union) takes place when the vrittis (thought waves) in the chitta (mind), which are caused by the mind’s involvement with external experiences, are arrested through nirodha (control). In this process the vrittis turn inward and merges into their origin. When the mind is free from the disturbances of vrittis, it merges in the paramatman (supreme Self). Such a yogi is called a yoga mukta (joined in yoga).