Old age has a few benefits. We old timers have very little invested in our future as defined, and thus automatically less attachment. One advantage of old age is that I am free to say whatever I truly believe, no matter what attachments I may have had in the past regarding how others would think of me (favorably or unfavorably) as a result.
In the past, I studied yoga from the academic and religious viewpoints as well as through praxis/practice. The first two approaches had their pros and cons. They gave me a “perspective” on yoga; yet at the same time, they tended to color and prejudice my practice. In short, I had to put the theory to a test in the cauldron of an active practice.
This internal conflict between theory and practice continued for many years. Eventually, I realized that the only yogic benefit of theory was to empower a successful practice by pointing the yoga practitioner back to an experiential practice. Those with academic, philosopher, or religious bents of mind may differ. Lacking self-confidence as a youth, I most often sought answers, direction, guidance, and authority from the published books, teachers, and external authorities; but eventually I realized that such conformity was inauthentic. I realized the real intent of yoga; i.e., that such feelings of confidence, trust, meaning, guidance, and authority were found within. When that opening occurred through practice, then I recognized the presence of that very same authority within all. Then, I was able to interact in All My Relations in that space of clarity and light.
After studying the Yoga Sutras and practicing yoga for over 45 years, I decided to do my own translation. The first reason for writing this translation was that I found after dedicated practice, certain realizations result, which because they did not fit within the boxlike framework that the common interpretations and translations of Yoga Sutras evinced, I wanted to make note of them. As these experiences continued, I wrote these down and decided to discuss and share them with others, as well as to free my own mind from institutionalized hegemony, sycophancy, and ideology. A pattern was made clear. Yoga was not a matter of conformity and obedience to external rules, externally imposed discipline, external authority, or patriarchal tradition; rather it was all about an internal process (inner awakening) – of knowing the true nature of our own mind so that we can view an unobstructed reality.
Yet another, albeit related, reason for completing this translation was presenting the important role of asana in the overall scheme of yoga. As so-called hatha yoga became more popular in the West, I met many friends, who had taken up yoga as a practice. Unless I was teaching in an ashram, for the most part, when I asked them what it was that they liked or got from yoga, their answers generally were that yoga made then feel good. When I asked further, how that was so, there was generally a lack of articulation or self understanding. Many answered that they were proud of their body, that they were more confident, because they were making progress in the practice, their health improved, or that they looked better. In short, yoga was taken as a system of exercise or health. It was difficult going any further with such self-infatuated conclusions. For the most part if I tried to go further, I would meet resistance, taken as if I knew better and they were somehow stupid. I eventually accepted that certain people took what they called yoga, as an ego-gratification system and as well as sycophancy, and hence closed their minds off to anything that contradicted that.
Although I had hoped that more people would be interested in breaking through the ego, while awakening to amazing gifts and boons that spiritual truths bestow, I have accepted that this can be a long process of awakening for the ordinary human being mired in dualistic identification. Functional yoga practice is designed to break apart pre-existing negative mental conditioned processes, while at the same time allowing for a more satisfying and infinitely fulfilling life, which is the true nature of the union of clarity and light -- "reality".
Having released my attachment in attempting to change such friends, I occasionally would meet a student or friend, who wanted to know more, who actually was a true seeker. In that situation, I would recommend the Yoga Sutras in conjunction with yam/niyam, asana, pranayama, dhyana, etc, however the English translations bifurcated greatly on key points regarding nature and consciousness. In general, they missed the deepest revelatory parts and substituted philosophical or religious ideology instead. The reason why asana and pranayama are so vital today is that they bring us into direct subjective and conscious experience of prana (the life force), the unification of cit and sat (consciousness and beingness), or cit-prana/cit-shakti). This direct experience can be adequately explained in a pragmatic context utilizing such a non-dual translation and commentary. In this way the Yoga Sutras come alive commensurate to the degree of aliveness of one's practice.
There are many other reasons why I was motivated to share this translation and commentary. For example, the yams/niyams are most often presented as rules to follow in a mechanical and sycophantic manner, much like Western formulations of acting good, then one goes to heaven; and acting bad, then one goes to hell by conforming to these rules. Although there is an underlying wisdom behind these rules, just the mechanical following of rules tends toward disempowerment and authoritarianism. Our creative potential then becomes squashed. In yoga, ahimsa is the primary yam. It comes alive when the yogin is able to feel prana (the energy of the life force) in body, mind, and speech -- in All Our Relations. Hence ahimsa has broad social and ecological implications, as in honoring life and not harming anyone or habitat. Yam and niyam are not some philosophical concepts, but are practices, which are to be implemented everyday in our current socio-political situations. It is something that grows from inside outward from effective practice. The presentation of yam and niyam must be updated according to time and place with practical examples in practice; albeit the fundamental living principle behind them are timeless.
Simply stated, this translation and commentary of the Yoga Sutras has been offered for the true seeker who desires to awaken to "thyself" in the transpersonal living ocean of limitless love and light, experientially. Such presentations of the Yoga Sutras had here-to-fore been unavailable.
WE BE THEE!
Dedicated to all beings in all times. May they all awaken!
Table of Contents: The Yoga Sutras As-It-Is
Foreword to The Yoga Sutras As It Is
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras Made Accessible: An Essay Designed to rescue the Yoga Sutras from excess intellectualization/elaboration
An Ashtanga (Eight Limbed) Yoga Meditation Practice
Beloved Yoga Teacher, Sri Dr. G. K. Pungaliya Essay on Patanjali and Jnaneshwar Sri Pungaliya was an ardent student of yoga, and subsequently became a modern master. Here Sri Pungaliya shares his insight on Samkhya, Patanjali, and Sri Jnaneshwar.
Yogiraj Shyamacharan Lahiri's Translation of the Yoga Sutras A more classic but inspired translation by the Grandson of Lahiri Mahasaya. This is very long download in PDF format.
Yoga Sutra Translation by Chester Messenger A refreshing, little known, and sincere work of a life-long meditator.
Links to over 25 Different Web Based English Translations of the Yoga Sutras. at HRIH.NET. Most of these translations are unoriginal and offer little insight. They are mostly an exercise in grammar, semantics, and epistemology.
A Sanskrit to English Annotated Glossary
Professor Whicher's commentary on Prakrti and Purusa
Alien Gods: Samkhya Interpretation of Nature (using Brahmacarya as the example)
A Review of Ian Whicher's. The Integrity of the Yoga Darsana: A Reconsideration of Classical Yoga by Georg Feuerstein
Yoga as seen in the Light of Vipassana by S. N. Goenka
A Short History of the Yoga Sutras
"Is Yoga a Religion": an astute and concise article by Georg Feuerstein
An article entitled "Is Yoga a Religion", by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati
Yoga is not a Religion, by Shakti Das
Proceed to Chapter One of the Yoga Sutras: Samadhi Pada