Discussing the Yoga Sutras this weekend and on previous occasions with the Antwerp Yoga Teacher Training group and then later with my dear friend (who has indirectly taught me more about the Sutras than all books/translations combined), we discussed the first word of the Yoga Sutras by Patañjali, that being "atha".
The Yoga Sutras begin thus:
atha yogãnushãsanam
Again, with the sutra style of writing, with sutra being the origin of our English medical term, suture, they are short, pithy phrases that are linked together like the threaded stitches of the surgeon's closure.
The word "atha" is important. Seemingly innocuous, we still must give pause on it. Unlike today, writing used to be an effort because space and materials were at a premium. Although the Sutras and most major Indian texts were originally oral, eventually they were written down, and as such, were an effort. One could not merely (for example, I just edited this as I saw a typo when posted...) type so prodigiously on a laptop as I am now, not worrying about mistakes because we can just press delete, and it is deleted. Spelling? No problem, spell check is there for us.
This was not always the case, in fact, when you sit down and scratch your head and really think about it, it is shockingly recent. Now we don't have worry about the resources needed to write. Now everything is instant, ephemeral.
However, when the Sutras were composed, every word counted, so we should count the first one, "atha".
Atha can mean a few things, namely: "now", "then", "at this time" or "next" among others. Most often in translations of the Sutras, the word "now" is chosen. Fair enough, but what does that really mean? Now...
The full translation of 1.1 could read:
Now for the official explication of Yoga.
or
At this point begins the treatise on Yoga
and the like, again, remembering that without specific grammar clues, we have some options.
Let's choose "now" then. Seems simple enough, but, as Morrissey asks, "How Soon is Now?" And, if it is now, what came before? And, that gives us the pause. What came before now?
There are a couple of interpretations about this word. One is that Patañjali of the Yoga Sutras is the same Patañjali who wrote about Sanskrit grammar and Ayurvedic studies. That theory (which is highly unlikely in truth) is that this would be the third piece in his triptych on mental and physical health, Yoga. As such, one would have had to master Sanskrit and Ayurveda before, and the "now" said person could begin the study of Yoga. Interesting theory, but again, highly unlikely they were composed by the same person. Yet, it is a good caveat. Before beginning the study of Yoga, some preparation may be in store.
The objection may arise, "But, Yoga is not academic, and there is no one way, it is what you make it." Yeah, well, okay. Yoga does have a wide berth of definitions and iterations these days, but if you are going to read the Yoga Sutras, some context does suit you well.
The Yoga talked about in the Sutras was primarily, if not exclusively about meditation and self-study. It is a a fascinating look into the psychological make-up of the human mind, millennia before the advent of neuroscience and psychoanalysis. It is not always easy going and they are extremely dense and do take time to "study". We are allergic to that word these days. We want our Sutras, and we want them now. And, so, most people skip to the bumper-sticker worthy 2.46 sthirasukhamãsanam (I'll deal with this one in another post...) and smugly say they are quoting the Yoga Sutras...not knowing the slightest about what this means and how it fits into the Sutras as a whole.
We skip what comes before "now" and then just take what we want now. I want it NOW says the petulant Veruca Salt, and we all know her fate in the Chocolate Factory.
So, how soon is now?
How much preparation should one take or not take before delving into the Sutras? What tools will you need?
Simply answered: Patience
When reading the Sutras, it is tempting to skip to what serves us well, but, remembering that they are Sutras, the key word, a la Dirk Gently is, "Everything is connected." And, so, we should not take the "atha" for granted.
Now is the time...are you ready for it?
The Yoga Sutras begin thus:
atha yogãnushãsanam
Again, with the sutra style of writing, with sutra being the origin of our English medical term, suture, they are short, pithy phrases that are linked together like the threaded stitches of the surgeon's closure.
The word "atha" is important. Seemingly innocuous, we still must give pause on it. Unlike today, writing used to be an effort because space and materials were at a premium. Although the Sutras and most major Indian texts were originally oral, eventually they were written down, and as such, were an effort. One could not merely (for example, I just edited this as I saw a typo when posted...) type so prodigiously on a laptop as I am now, not worrying about mistakes because we can just press delete, and it is deleted. Spelling? No problem, spell check is there for us.
This was not always the case, in fact, when you sit down and scratch your head and really think about it, it is shockingly recent. Now we don't have worry about the resources needed to write. Now everything is instant, ephemeral.
However, when the Sutras were composed, every word counted, so we should count the first one, "atha".
Atha can mean a few things, namely: "now", "then", "at this time" or "next" among others. Most often in translations of the Sutras, the word "now" is chosen. Fair enough, but what does that really mean? Now...
The full translation of 1.1 could read:
Now for the official explication of Yoga.
or
At this point begins the treatise on Yoga
and the like, again, remembering that without specific grammar clues, we have some options.
Let's choose "now" then. Seems simple enough, but, as Morrissey asks, "How Soon is Now?" And, if it is now, what came before? And, that gives us the pause. What came before now?
There are a couple of interpretations about this word. One is that Patañjali of the Yoga Sutras is the same Patañjali who wrote about Sanskrit grammar and Ayurvedic studies. That theory (which is highly unlikely in truth) is that this would be the third piece in his triptych on mental and physical health, Yoga. As such, one would have had to master Sanskrit and Ayurveda before, and the "now" said person could begin the study of Yoga. Interesting theory, but again, highly unlikely they were composed by the same person. Yet, it is a good caveat. Before beginning the study of Yoga, some preparation may be in store.
The objection may arise, "But, Yoga is not academic, and there is no one way, it is what you make it." Yeah, well, okay. Yoga does have a wide berth of definitions and iterations these days, but if you are going to read the Yoga Sutras, some context does suit you well.
The Yoga talked about in the Sutras was primarily, if not exclusively about meditation and self-study. It is a a fascinating look into the psychological make-up of the human mind, millennia before the advent of neuroscience and psychoanalysis. It is not always easy going and they are extremely dense and do take time to "study". We are allergic to that word these days. We want our Sutras, and we want them now. And, so, most people skip to the bumper-sticker worthy 2.46 sthirasukhamãsanam (I'll deal with this one in another post...) and smugly say they are quoting the Yoga Sutras...not knowing the slightest about what this means and how it fits into the Sutras as a whole.
We skip what comes before "now" and then just take what we want now. I want it NOW says the petulant Veruca Salt, and we all know her fate in the Chocolate Factory.
So, how soon is now?
How much preparation should one take or not take before delving into the Sutras? What tools will you need?
Simply answered: Patience
When reading the Sutras, it is tempting to skip to what serves us well, but, remembering that they are Sutras, the key word, a la Dirk Gently is, "Everything is connected." And, so, we should not take the "atha" for granted.
Now is the time...are you ready for it?
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