The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation, and Commentary

one—friendliness, compassion, etc., from I.33 must be cultivated in all instances.

teachings or by the intellect” (Muṇḍaka III.2.3). Only puruṣa can know itself. But mind can, however, redirect awareness back to its own original source and thus indirectly reflect puruṣa, just as a mirror can reflect a face. In other words, puruṣa can become aware of itself by means of the reflective nature of the pure sāttvic mind.

scripture is the product of a nirvitarka level of awareness of reality expressed by God or by the sages through words and concepts.

Buddhi, intelligence, is the aspect of citta that produces, among other things, the functions of thought connected to judgment, discrimination, knowledge, ascertainment, and

“Other things [the obstacles to yoga] must be eliminated by sattva, and [then] sattva is eliminated by sattva”

Puruṣa has never been bound; all notions of identity whether bound or liberated are taking place in the prākṛtic mind.

Every sensual experience or mental thought that has ever been experienced forms a saṁskāra, an imprint, in the citta mind. Essentially, any vṛtti leaves its copy on the citta before fading away, like a sound is imprinted on a tape recorder or an image on film.

if one maintains one’s practice, then eventually the mind becomes steadfast and concentrated. If one gives up one’s practice, however, one’s mind immediately becomes overwhelmed again.

Therefore, in Yoga, direct perception is the highest means of gaining knowledge. One must practice and experience the truths of Yoga, not merely read about, discuss, or try to understand them theoretically.