Kleshas: The coloring of the mind Part 3/3
Abhinivesha is often translated as “fear of death,” however, it is not so much a fear of death, as it is clinging on to life as you know it. You cling on to all that you have: family, friends and material possessions. Whether you live in a mud hut or a palace, you don’t want to leave it.
Five categories of the mind
There are five categories of the mind: disorganized, stupefied, divided, one-pointed and the mind in a state of equilibrium. This article, explaining these five categories, is an excerpt from my book The Yoga Sutras Illuminated.
Asanas
Asana means “seat” in Sanskrit. In Yoga, the different poses or postures are called asanas. There is only one sutra in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali that mentions the word asanas. It says: Sthira sukham asanam. Sthira means “steady” and indicates a static pose without movement. While sukham typically means “happy,” it means “comfortable” or “relaxed” in this case. This sutra indicates that The Yoga Sutras are referring to static poses, not done in the spirit of competition.
Karma and Samskaras Part 2/2
As long as the unconscious mind remains, the impressions will ripen, come forward and manifest in the form of birth, span of life and experience. Just like a plant that emerges out of its winter sleep, even though it may have completely dried up, so also a disembodied being is reborn due to the impressions in the jiva that must be lived out. Thus, death is like winter sleep.
Karma and Samskaras Part 1/2
Karma means “action;” these are deeds you perform. Samskaras are “impressions,” created in the mind by actions. These samskaras in turn lead to more karma; repeated action strengthens the samskaras. There are four kinds of karma.
Understanding ignorance, death, meditation and samadhi
“If you understand only these issues — ignorance, death, meditation, and samadhi — everything will be revealed to you. No book can go beyond this.”
The Essential Yoga Sutras
These are 74 essential sutras that are useful to meditators on the path of internal research. Sincere seekers, who wish to unravel the greatest of all mysteries, the mind, can begin here.