Patanjali Yoga Sutra
Transcribed from Parisamvad at The Yoga Institute.
Chapter 1, Sutra 11
Anubhut-Vishay-Asamprosha-Smriti
Recollection is the mental modification
caused by the reproduction of the
previous impressions of an object without adding anything from other sources.
Anubhut : experienced
Vishay : objects of experience , impressions
Asamprosha : not being lost , not having addition
Smriti : memory, remembering
"The Sutra tells us about the
mechanism that can help or harm. Things are seen, heard, felt and somehow this
gets retained. This is called as Smriti,
memory. Some exciting fact registers, not everything is registered. Once it is
retained it repeats again. This is the first stage. In case what is registered
is helping us – that’s a better position. We see mistakes, we decide on some
good things – this can also happen. As a result, good habits get formed, life
proceeds on a better path. Otherwise the retention is of bad things. They keep
repeating and strengthen themselves and spiritually they weaken us. So it is a
mechanism that is there. If we can understand and handle it, it can help. If
you don’t, like children, just remember things that were pleasing, they are
retained and forgotten. A person who has taken to yoga will have to be careful
– what is it that is getting registered? Things that are good, try and see if
you can retain them and repeat. That is the way of yoga. So Smriti is an
important part of our mental construction. A French psychologist made a famous
sentence that he wanted everyone to repeat every morning if they wanted to
improve. The sentence was, ‘Everyday, in every way, life is getting better and better,’ and he
promised good results. So this is based on the same principle."
Q : Can one have control over
what is registered in the mind?
A : If a person has a certain
attitude, a certain value, naturally the thing he selects or indulges is going
to be different. A musician will recollect some pleasant notes. This is the way
the mind works.
If there is something bad - for example, we
like to read news. If a dog bites a man it’s no news. If a man bites a dog, it’s big
news and we want to remember it, and tell others. Unfortunately that’s the way we
are made.
Q : How to eradicate past
traumas, suffering?
A : Don’t mention it – that’s the
first step.
"Whatever we discussed in the last
few weeks, Pramana, Viparyaya, Vikalpa,
Nidra – we are creating new new memories. It’s like black box of an
aircraft. Whatever happens gets registered in the black box . The same is with our mind. You can’t stop memories. You can create
much less memories by living in the present. Past thoughts will come but keep them aside. Now, there is a chair on which some family member used to sit. Now that
person meets with the accident and dies. Whenever that chair is seen, the memory of that person will come. You see
someone who has spoken harshly to you in the past, that old memory will come.
The memories are dormant but when the situation arises, the old memory surfaces.
We should be alert. Each and everything, every person has a memory. Through
memory you keep a person alive, although he may not be there.
Memories could be
positive or negative, worthwhile or worthless. The same bad memory can make you
suffer again and again, which is stupidity. That time also we suffered, now also we are suffering and in the future also we will suffer – what nonsense! One has to create new thoughts in
the mind; have a new way thinking. Whatever has happened in the past, there was
a reason – somebody was ignorant so he spoke like that, somebody was angry so
he spoke like that, somebody was frustrated so he spoke like that. We should
give some logic to what happened. We don’t blame anybody as to why he behaved
like that or spoke like that. That doesn’t have any meaning in my present life.
Let’s not even talk about it or think about it. Thoughts will come but we
should be able to laugh at it. If we got hurt in the past it was our stupidity.
Now we should become wise and not get hurt. We should become matured. The past
is there for our learning. Don’t hate anyone. According to our Karmas all the
people are around us. Don’t blame, learn."
About Parisamvad
On every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, The Yoga Institute, Santacruz holds Parisamvad sessions - Free interactive sessions that are open to all. These session begin at 7:20 am and end around 7:45 am.
The Friday Parisamvad is dedicated to explanation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by our esteemed Gurus, Dr. Jayadeva and Smt. Hansaji.
