Yoga Pradipika
The Online Resource of Yoga Philosophy and Practice
Yoga Sutra
Samadhi Pada
Sutra 1.37
वीतरागविषयं वा चित्तम् ॥३७॥
vītarāga viṣayam vā cittam ॥37॥
Also by the meditation devoid of attachment to the sensory objects.
vītarāga= without attachment
viṣayam = sensory object(s)
vā= also
cittam= the mind stuff
Stability of the mind is also attained by the meditation devoid of attachment to the sensory objects. The mind being delinked with the sensory objects by meditation becomes tranquil.
Commentary by Maharishi Vyasha
Or by the mind having its objects passionless.
The mind is coloured by its objects. When it is supported by passionless objects, it attains steadiness.
Commentary by Swami Vivekananda
Or (by meditation on) the heart that has given up all attachment to sense objects.
Take some holy person, some great person whom you revere, some saint whom you know to be perfectly non-attached, and think of his heart. That heart has become non-attached, and meditate on that heart; it will calm the mind. If you cannot do that, there is the next way.
Commentary by Sri Osho
ALSO, MEDITATE ON ONE WHO HAS ATTAINED DESIRELESSNESS.
That tool Patanjali is giving you A veetaraga, one who has gone beyond all desires – also meditate on him. Mahavira, Buddha, Patanjali – your own – Zarathustra, Mohammed, Christ or anybody you feel an affinity and love... Meditate on one who has gone beyond desires. Meditate on your Master, on your guru, who has gone beyond desires. How it will help? It helps because when you meditate on someone who has gone beyond desires he becomes a magnetic force in you. You allow him to enter within you; he pulls you out of yourself. This becomes your availability to him.
If you meditate on someone who has gone beyond desires, you will become like him sooner or later, because meditation makes you like the object of meditation itself. If you meditate on money, you will become just like money. Go and look at a miser; he has no more a soul. He has only a bank balance; he has nothing inside. If you listen, you will just hear notes, rupees: you will not find any heart there. Whatsoever you pay your attention, you become like it. So be aware. Don’t pay attention to something you would not like to become. Only pay attention to something you would like to become because this is the beginning. The seed is sown with the attention, and soon it will become a tree.
You sow the seeds of hell, and when it becomes a tree then you say, ”Why I am so miserable? You always pay attention to the wrong; you always look to that which is negative. You always pay attention to the fault; then you become faulty.
Don’t pay attention to the fault. Pay attention to the beautiful. Why count the thorns? Why not see the flower? Why count the nights? Why not count the days? If you count the nights, then there are two nights and only one day between the two. If you count the days, then there are two days and only one night in between. And it makes a lot of difference. Look at the light side if you want to become light; look at the dark if you want to become dark.
Says Patanjali:
ALSO, MEDITATE ON ONE WHO HAS ATTAINED DESIRELESSNESS.
Seek a Master; surrender to a Master. Be attentive to him. Listen, watch, eat and drink him. Let him enter you; allow your heart to be filled with him. Soon you will be on a journey because the object of attention ultimately becomes the goal of your life. And attention is a secret relationship. Through attention, you become the object of your attention.
Krishnamurti goes on saying, ”The observer becomes the observed.” He is right: whatsoever you observe, you will become. So be alert Beware Don’t observe something which you would not like to become, because that is your goal; you are sowing the seeds.
Live near a veetaraga – a man who is beyond desires. Live near a man who has no more to fulfil here, who is fulfilled. His very fulfilled ness will overflood you, and he will become a catalyst.
He will not do anything, because a man who is beyond desires cannot do anything. Even he cannot help you because help is also a desire. Much help comes through him, but he doesn’t help you. He becomes a catalyst without doing anything if you allow him; he drops into your heart and his very presence crystallizes you.