Samadhi-Pada Yog - Book Review

This First Chapter of the book is focused on the outlining the essentials of yogic practice. According to the author the earlier translations of this form of yoga are wrong. He then goes into translating the first Chapter of Samadhi-Pada. The opening aphorism states the subject and nature of treatises, which looks at the instruction. The nature of Patanjali's treatise is not clear and understanding the term for exposition. Pantanjali, is simply a complier but actively contribute to the elaboration of yoga theory and philosophy. The next text in the book looked at what yoga is. Yoga, in the standard form of its meaning comes yoke to even mathematical calculus. The meaning of yoga where it refers to the union and disunion, however, it does not include the meaning of the Viz. This is because does not include the three terms for viz, which are citta, vrtti, and nirodha. These terms look to define the concept of consciousness. The concepts of consciousness are highly sophisticated but are not problematic. The first degree of restriction is achieved by meditative-absorption. Furthermore, there are fluctuations which are named as aphorism and can be regarded to as another comprehensive view point. This is followed up by the idea of transformation which constitutes the quintessences of nature. Consciousness activity is a special instance of this overall flux. HW 2

This section of the reading dealt with the idea, of enstasy and how to reach genuine self-awareness ground and the type of practice necessary to achieve such enlightenment. Self awareness grounds its practice on five features or path to follow. The five features are Faith, Energy, Mindfulness, entancy, supra-cognition. These five traditions are also known as the five Buddhist traditions. Looking at entancy, this section of the reading begins to talk about the Lord. The devotion of the Lord according to this text is important in order for a person to entasy. However, it is weird how in this reading the idea and conceptualization of the Lord could be rejected or accepted by the devotee. I do not understand how this idea could be dependent on a person's personal beliefs. Secondly, this section regards the Lord as a special self who is untouchable. This would mean that all the physical thing which so easily gets in our way such as sickness, languor, doubt, heedless, sloth, etc... Do not hinder or rather do not exist in the level of his existence. The level of his existence cannot be reached by man; however, he can reach down and help us by teaching us some virtues. Furthermore, in order to achieve or become an authentic instrument of intrernalisation one must follow the attainment of habitual inward-mindedness and also the disappearance of the obstacles. Such obstacles include sickness, sloth and doubt just to name a few. Therefore, even more important is following the directions of the instructor carefully because otherwise doing Yoga, could lead to a great deal of harm.