Obstacles (antarāya): context
Last month we looked at the obstacles (antarāya) and Patañjali’s encouragement that we find ways to continue our yoga practice in the face of them. Since there is a definite structure underlying each book (pāda) of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras, bringing these structures to light is helpful for understanding both the individual sūtras and their relationship to each other. It might be helpful to review the broader context of Patañjali’s discussion of the obstacles in the first pāda.
Patañjali begins the first pāda by defining yoga as stilling (nirodha) the movements of the mind (cittavṛtti). As is his custom, he proceeds to explain the meanings of his terms—in this case cittavṛtti and nirodha. Patañjali explores five categories of cittavṛtti and glosses nirodha as consisting of two parts: (i) practice (abhyāsa) and (ii) dispassion (vairāgya). After this initial section, Patañjali begins to explore the state of samādhi, since this is the state that Patañjali equates with cittavṛtti nirodha, in which we find spiritual freedom. After this, Patañjali introduces us to the figure of īśvara, or God. In I.23, he says that in addition to the methods already given (which rely on the sole efforts of the practitioner), one can achieve a samādhi state through dedication to God. Patañjali then devotes the next six sūtras to providing us with more insight into his understanding of God. His discussion of God concludes with the assertion that God can help us overcome the obstacles facing us in our practice. The structure of the first pāda can be outlined as follows:
definition of yoga as cittavṛtti-nirodhaḥ
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exploration of key terms cittavṛtti and nirodha
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cittavṛtti nirodha
exploration of five types of cittavṛtti exploration of its two components
pramāṇa, viparyaya, vikalpa, nidrā, smṛti abhyāsa/practice and vairāgya/dispassion
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introduction to the four different samādhi states
vitarka, vicāra, ānanda, asmitā
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God’s (īśvara) role in achieving samādhi
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outlining the nature of īśvara
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īśvara as aid to overcoming the obstacles
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exploration of the obstacles
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ways to overcome the obstacles
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further exploration of samādhi states
Between the section on samādhi and the one on the obstacles, God plays a dual mediating role as helper for bringing about samādhi and as remover of obstacles. God is a being who can both help us avoid the obstacles in the first place and one whom we can call on when confronted with life’s obstacles. It is clear that for Patañjali, God can be a powerful source of aid if we direct our devotion towards the divine.
This is our entry point into the section which deals with the obstacles, their impact on us and the means for their removal. In his commentary, B.K.S. Iyengar notes that the kind of dedication to God that Patañjali has in mind, far from being an easy option, is a practice that few are able to attain. He believes this is why Patañjali offers us additional practices to help us overcome the obstacles.
A generic practice for overcoming the obstacles: ekatattvābhyasa
tat pratiṣedhārtham ekatattvābhyāsa (I.32)
For the purpose of overcoming the obstacles, one should engage in a practice (abhyāsa) of focusing on one thing/phenomenon.
Various commentators translate this sūtra in different ways. We have already encountered the term abhyāsa in I.12, which along with dispassion (vairāgya) is given as one of the two pillars of yoga. Vyāsa in his commentary on I.32 specifically references Patañjali’s earlier discussion of abhyāsa and vairāgya. He argues that dispassion, in addition to practice, is a means to ovecoming the obstacles because of this former association. Thus, the two pillars of yoga practice are also the pillars for overcoming the obstacles.
The phrase eka (one) tattva (thing) is ambiguous. Vyāsa interprets it as “one truth,” which the classical commentators equate with God, continuing with the idea that devotion to God is the best remedy for the obstacles. B.K.S. Iyengar translates it as “adherence to single minded effort,” Bryant as “fixing the mind on one subject,” Ravindra as “focusing the mind on one truth,” and Carrera as “concentration on a single subject (or the use of one technique).” We can read this sūtra as exhorting us either to pick one practice and stick with it or to pick a practice or practices that bring the mind to a one-pointed state by focusing it on one thing. This reading makes good sense. As Carrera notes, in this way the distracted mind (the state of mind caused by the obstacles) is brought back to a focused state and order is restored.
Practices for overcoming the obstacles
In I.33-38, Patañjali gives us a range of practices to remedy the obstacles, which should therefore be viewed as specific examples of the generic practice described by the phrase eka-tattva-abhyāsa. What these different practices have in common is that they all help us regain our spiritual concentration. He ends his list by opening things right up in I.39, telling us that we can pick anything we choose as our mental focus, whatever works for us! Once again, Patañjali demonstrates his pragmatism. Unlike the eight limbs of yoga, these practices have something of an à la carte quality to them—we may choose just those techniques that work best for us. We know this because while listing a range of useful practices when facing difficulties, he uses the Sanskrit particle vā (or) after each one. The list therefore can be read as, “Do A, or B, or C, etc.”
Unlike the practices listed in I.34-39, however, the practice given in I.33 is not presented as a choice (it does not come with the particle vā). Like turning to God in times of trouble, Patañjali is sending a strong message that this is a practice that we ought to engage in.
I.33 maitrī-karuṇā-muditopekṣāṇām sukha-duḥkha-puṇyāpuṇya-viṣayāṇāṁ bhāvanātaś citta-prasādhanam.
Through cultivation of friendliness, compassion, joy and indifference to pleasure and pain, virtue and vice respectively, the consciousness becomes favorably disposed, serene and benevolent.
(B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on the Yoga Sūtras in Popsi Narasimhan)
I.33 is one of the best known of the sūtras, often singled out as providing a blueprint for how to live an ethical and emotionally healthy life. Yet it is worth reminding ourselves of the context in which Patañjali presents us with this sūtra as a practice for removing obstacles. If you look back at the nine obstacles listed by Patañjali in I.30, one can see how I.33 would be a useful antidote to those obstacles. For example, we should respond to disease, the first of the obstacles, with compassion, whether that be for ourselves or others who are sick. The more general conclusion that we can draw from this sūtra, however, is that a powerful way to overcome obstacles in our own lives is to direct our attention to others, and to focus on cultivating healthy emotions in our social interactions.
After giving the practice in I.33 as something we should follow to overcome obstacles in our lives, Patañjali suggests a range of practices that we might find helpful. These include:
(i) Focusing on the breath, specifically the exhalation and the subsequent pause (I.34). The exhalation is particularly useful in helping soothe the nervous system. In Light on Life, B.K.S. Iyengar describes an exhalative practice that helps us to let go of life’s difficulties:
“We carry so many toxins in memory, feelings that we have stored away and allowed to stagnate and fester. We get so used to carrying this sack of rubbish around that we even conclude it is just part and parcel of our character. There is something called “echo” exhalation that impresses this point even further. Exhale slowly and fully. Pause. Then exhale again. There is always a slight residue left in the lungs. In that residue is to be found the sludge of toxic memory and ego. In that brief further exhalation, let them go—and experience an even deeper state of relief from burden, of peace and happiness.” (B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life, p. 97)
(ii) Pursuing specialized yoga practices that result in restoring our faith in the efficacy of the yogic path (I.35-36). Vyāsa, for example, describes a practice of focusing on the tip of the nose, which bestows a supernormal sense of smell on the practitioner. Such practices may seem somewhat esoteric to us, but the lesson here is that practice is its own best justification. Regular practice brings results, thereby helping to overcome any doubts that we might have and fortifying us to face life’s other obstacles.
(iii) Drawing from our dreams and deep sleep for sustenance (I.38). Patañjali seems to be giving some commonsense advice here, that after a good night of deep sleep (nidrā) we will be better equipped to face life’s challenges. In relation to dreaming sleep (svapna), the classical commentaries single out dreams about God as being particularly helpful.
(iv) Pursuing any practice that helps us regain our mental focus (I.39). Patañjali, having offered us a list of his suggestions, concludes by saying that if none of his ideas work for us, then we should find some practice for ourselves that will sustain us through difficult times. For practitioners of Iyengar Yoga, our āsana practice certainly qualifies as one such sustaining practice. Perhaps it could be something simple, such as gardening. The point is that we need to establish practices in our lives that will provide us with a mental anchor in difficult times and help us regain our mental equilibrium.
Concluding thoughts
The practice of yoga undoubtedly can help us avoid many of life’s difficulties, yet we are not always in control of our life’s path and the obstacles we will have to face. We are not helpless in facing these challenges, however. As always, Patañjali directs us to the importance of practice. Practice is the means to both prevent obstacles from arising and dealing with them when they do arise. We would do well to establish our practices when times are good, so we are better prepared for when times are bad.
In conclusion, this section on the obstacles indicates that Patañjali viewed God as an important source of strength for the yoga practitioner. This theism might come as a surprise to some practitioners, since it is not emphasized in contemporary yoga. This section on the obstacles is one of three places where Patañjali exhorts the practitioner to turn to God. Next time we will take on this thorny topic to better understand the role of God in Patañjali’s yoga.
Joy Laine taught philosophy at Macalester College for over thirty years and teaches Iyengar Yoga around the Twin Cities.
Resources
Edwin Bryant, Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. North Point Press, 2009.
B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life. Rodale Books, 2006.
B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on the Yoga Sutras, in Popsi Narasimhan, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A Collection of Translations. 2018.
Rāma Prasāda, The Yoga Darśana of Patañjali. Logos Press, 1912/2005.
IYNAUS, BKS Iyengar Achives Project. 2007.
