Yoga Sutra Reflections Session 37: Prakriti

Integrating Ancient Wisdom in Modern Life: Seer and Seen

1. Cause of misery is seeing the Seer and Seen as one not as an organic unity. We become what we think and relate. When we start relating and thinking about the Seen, Prakriti we will become the same, temporary.
2. We are Seer, Soul, Consciousness who is untouched by manifestation, Prakriti, and surroundings. Because we are not able to discriminate that Seer and Seen are different we get identified with Prakriti, a surrounding which includes our body, mind, emotions.
3. Purusha and Prakriti are incomplete in Themselves. Prursha is life in gross and Prakriti is gross part of Life. Purusha is the invoker and Prakriti is the creator. When both of them unite as organic unity they created this world.
4. Because of incompleteness, evolution and growth is possible. Incompleteness is a blessing and opportunity to grow. Temporary and permanent are complementary to each other. Our cause of misery is we don’t see permanent and temporary as complementary.
5. For the evolution and growth we need Nature of Prakriti – Illumination, Activity and Stability. It consists of 5 elements and 10 senses. Its purpose is to experience and liberation.
6. For experience and liberation Prakriti has created a laboratory called world, to experiment with desire as reason and instruments for the laboratory are subtle body, gross body and attachment of object and personality.
7. Attachment of the object and personality creates six passions Kama (lust), Krodha (anger), Lobha (covetousness), Moha (delusion), Mada (pride), Matsarya (jealousy), which will be used as vehicles to go beyond.
8. Soul is seed of Prusha came through Prakriti in this world. Biggest challenge for the soul is to liberate from the identity as a form given by Prakriti and become Purusha, Self-Nature.
9. Liberation from identity simply means that one has to pass through this world without any attachment or identification with everything. Due to which organic unity will be realised between Seer and Seen.
10. When we are able to see organic unity between Seer and Seen, life will become an opportunity to evolve from human beings and realise self-nature. Prakriti means that human beings can go against self-nature if they wish. This is man’s freedom. Because of the freedom, man can choose. He can choose either to be with Self-nature or he can choose to be against.
11. When we are focused and put our energy into knowing ourselves, we will become a master of Prakriti, Surrounding. Our lower nature is Prakriti, temporary and higher nature is Purusha, permanent. Choose the higher and lower will subside.