Yoga Sutra Reflections Session 83: Discriminative Knowledge

Integrating Ancient Wisdom in Modern Life: Death and Renewal

1. What is temporary and what is permanent? Life is a series of changes, of death and renewal, of a phoenix rising from the ashes, which is temporary. When we understand this, we do not cling to the past, but dive into each moment with the enthusiasm that is permanent.
2. When Supreme Consciousness, Purusha desired to manifest the unmanifested, he looked at Prakriti, the surrounding. As soon as he looked at Prakruti, Prakruti became alive and started dancing in ecstasy.
3. From this ecstasy vibration/sound is manifested and from vibration of sound touch, form, taste and smell manifested. Which is divided into the subtle forms of Rajas, Tamas and Satav. It further manifested into subtle matter in three forms – Subtle Gyanendriya, Subtle Karmendriya and Subtle Mahabhuta. Further it manifested into gross matter in three forms – Gross Gyanendriya, Gross Karmendriya and gross Mahabhuta.
4. All manifestations of Prakriti are temporary. Because the life in all manifestations of Prakruti is Purusha/Supreme Consciousness. Permanent is Purusha/Supreme Consciousness because it has no form or formless which is giving life to all this manifestation. Which is the same in every manifestation. Manifestations can have different forms, characters and places. But unmanifested don’t have any forms, characters and places.
5. Purpose or goal of human beings is to unplug from temporary and plug in into permanent. To unplug from temporary and plug in into permanent needs Discriminative Knowledge. It needs self-restraint/sanyam.
6. Discriminate knowledge means knowing that whatever happens by itself is worthless. As long as you live that way you will attain nothing. Lack of discrimination that is maya, illusion. This is the state of unconsciousness where you cannot discriminate between what is useful and what is useless.
7. Let me explain to you how to be Discriminated. Thomas Edison has said I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure. Means he will not make the same mistake again even if the circumstances and people have changed. Generally speaking we make the same mistake when the circumstances and people change. Only with our regular practice of how to Discriminate and be authentic with ourselves, then only our Discriminate Knowledge can help us.
8. Discriminate Knowledge will give you so much of alertness that if you trust yourself then with Discriminate Knowledge you can unplug yourself from temporary and plug in into permanent. If this happens you have arrived at Kaivalya Samadhi.