Yogi Book of August 2023: Yoga, Power, & Spirit
Why Yogi Book of the Month?
Yogi Book of the Month was born in the hopes of making Jnana Yoga (the Path of Knowledge) more accessible.
Few of us have the luxury of access to living gurus or the attention span/ability to unpack the dense yogic scriptures on our own. Thankfully, gurus are many, gurus do not have to (necessarily) be alive, and knowledge that leads to sincere contemplation and self-realization can be found in stories and books imbued with profound meanings. Here at 7YGH, we endeavor to present you with various sources of such knowledge on a monthly basis.
To provide some instruction on how to best digest this source of knowledge, you will find a general explanation of Jnana Yoga in Jnana Yoga 101 followed by tips on how to apply Jnana Yoga while you read in How to Read This Book. If you are informed and/or would like to skip to the meat of the book review itself, use the Table of Contents below to navigate to your desired section.
Table of Contents
i. Jnana Yoga 101
ii. How to Read This Book
iii. About This Book
iv. Why You Should Read This Book
v. 3 Powerful Yoga Sutra Translations
The Path of Knowledge
Traditionally, the path of Jnana Yoga refers to 3 processes. The main goal of these 3 processes is to answer the Big Question: Who Am I? By answering this question, smaller critical questions such as “Why Am I Here?” and “What Do I Do With What I Have Been Given?” are automatically answered.
These 3 processes are as follows:
(1) Sravana, or wholeheartedly (open mind, open heart) listening to yogic scriptures (Sruti) from the mouth of a verifiable source (Guru)
(2) Manana, or constant reflection upon what was heard, application of that which was heard to one’s own life and lived experiences, as well as the integration of that knowledge into daily action
(3) Nididhyasana, otherwise known as the culmination of sravana and manana, is a type of meditative and transcendent awareness that happens spontaneously on its own accord. It is a deep understanding and subsequent embodiment of the Truth gleaned from the process of listening deeply with one’s heart, contemplating, and living the knowledge.
Why Should You Practice Jnana Yoga?
The systematic processes of Jnana Yoga should be undertaken frequently to nurture the soul, put things in perspective, and loosen the bonds of strong attachments. Jnana Yoga directly nourishes our inner world by teaching us the skill of maintaining distance, of separating the “I am” from what follows. At its subtlest levels, the practice of Jnana Yoga allows us to mold reality with our right perception.
By regularly analyzing the nature of life, existence and the identity of the “I am” through the practice of Jnana Yoga, we are able to maintain peace of mind and more quickly come back to a place of balance during emotional upheaval, crisis, and the inevitable stresses of the world.
In its early stages, the practice helps us build endurance to the pain of opposites—heat, cold, love, loss, thirst, hunger, desire, repulsion, etc.
In later stages, the practice culminates in a transcendence of the pain of opposites, a state wherein we are able to truly bear witness to our bodies and minds, as well as the bodies and minds of others, without attachment or judgment. In so doing, Jnana Yoga allows us to live our lives to the utmost; by helping us understand the true nature of reality, Jnana Yoga results in the loss of attachments, and in the loss of attachments we are relieved of expectations. Freed of the bondage of expectations, we can truly and fully enjoy the world.
Treat this book as you would a more traditional transmission of knowledge (i.e. a living Guru or Teacher). Treat the book with reverence and respect; this is the first step to taking the knowledge contained within seriously, and the most important step to opening up your heart to receive and understand this knowledge.
If you aren’t open to learning, if you aren’t striving for betterment, and if you aren’t willing to be wrong (!), even the highest knowledge won’t be effective/can’t help you. Half the work of self-realization comes from effort on our parts to retain open minds and open hearts with a complete awareness of our nature’s tendency to do the opposite (to judge, close off, guard). The goal is not to stop these processes of judgment, etc., but to always be aware of them and to persevere to push past them when they flare up.
Do not rush through the book as you would a piece of purely sensual entertainment; savor the passages for their poetic and philosophical values. The point is not to drown yourself but to submerge yourself (!); you are not escaping nor chasing but running towards (!).
Take time after each reading to ponder implied meanings, reflecting on how lessons of characters/narrators/etc. can be applied to your own life—past and present. Try journaling, creating lists of lessons learned, and writing down those lessons on stick notes that you place in conspicuous places (e.g. on your bathroom mirror or kitchen fridge). And, most importantly, start applying the lessons you learn, becoming a living embodiment of the knowledge you are gaining.
Title
Yoga, Power, & Spirit
Author
Alberto Villoldo
Genre
Philosophy
Language
English
Length
167 pages
Publisher
Hay House Inc.
Summary
💡 Alberto Villoldo’s translation of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is poetic, concise, and fits in your pocket. Infused with the feminine spirit, it is influenced by Villoldo’s 25 years of yoga practice and shamanic studies. Because it has no commentary, this translation is ideal for contemplation; it asks you to dive deep into the essence of the teachings so that you can use your intuition for an interpretation that is personal, profound, and applicable to your daily life.
It fits in your pocket. This is a great book to carry with you on the go. This makes this book extremely supportive of a contemplative sutra practice. At any time of day, when you find yourself with even five minutes to spare, you can whip this book out, bask in the concise and poetic glory of its translation, and sit and chew on the meaning and application of the words to your daily life.
A fresh and invigorating take on a well-loved classic that is rooted in the feminine interpretation — the study of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras often accompanies serious practice of yoga, meaning that most yogis have had some exposure to some interpretation of what’s considered as groundwork for modern yogic theory and thought. Most translations and interpretations (at least, the ones I have come across) are decidedly yang in nature. This makes sense; the type of yoga ascribed to Patanjali — the yoga of postures, cleansing, breath, and concentration — is very masculine; it requires force and a good amount of effort. Villoldo’s introduction touches on the Divine Mother and speaks of the yogi of the sutras as a she; he says he “felt inspired to write a version of the Yoga Sutras that celebrated the feminine and more direct path to Spirit”. This is a refreshing departure from previous translations of the Yoga Sutras.
Short and sweet, without any commentary. Granted, Villoldo’s translation itself is the commentary. Still, by this law every translation is an interpretation (and, it is); yet, there is something to be said for the fact that Villoldo’s translation does not require paragraphs espousing the meaning. There is something beautiful about the inherent trust here; the trust between us, the readers, and Villoldo as the translator. We don’t need to know the history or have a word broken down this way and that to grasp the meaning. All we need is the ability to go inwards. Since all of us have this ability (and perhaps only need to cultivate it), this translation is graspable by all regardless of temperament, education, or background.
Strikingly accessible and poetic in its simplicity — this isn’t a dry, scholarly, or verbose translation of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The words are modern. The sentences are concise while retaining their inherent poetry.
Inspiring for contemplation. Due to the above, this translation is ripe for contemplation. The short translations, unburdened by commentaries, support the production of our own commentaries. This version of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is less about learning or grasping/understanding. Instead it relies on feeling, the feminine art of intuitive knowing, which rests upon the pillars of going inwards and contemplating indirectly. It is easy for Villoldo’s words to follow you throughout the day, and the poetic nature of the translation removes any pressure or need for the words to be understood in the logical sense. This translation, like poetry, asks to be pondered over, turned around in the head at random in conjunction with disparate thoughts that bring clarity to the original material in unforeseeable ways.
Applicable to daily life. Stripped of the strictness that comes from adherence to traditional, priestly, or more dogmatic interpretations, this translation of the Yoga Sutras is modern and thereby easy to apply to one’s own daily life. Even the moral codes laid out in the yamas and niyamas feel less religious, more spiritual, leaving room for interpretation based upon your culture and lifestyle. This, in my opinion, is how such laws of conduct should be taught in today’s world; with the understanding that humans come in all flavors of character and that there are universal principles of energetic exchange that can govern our conduct without needing to be colored prematurely to be understood (or followed). This kind of flexibility in language (again, drawn from that inherent poeticism) makes the Yoga Sutras not only that much easier to live by but also that much more desirable to live by.
A great tool for beginners and a necessary thought-provoking translation for veterans. This translation, in large part due to its accessibility, is an incredible tool for beginners to the study of the Yoga Sutras. It is even a worthwhile read for those new to yoga, those who aren’t necessarily interested in the study of the Yoga Sutras, and those who may not be interested in yoga at all. For these latter categories of humans this translation of the Yoga Sutras offers a distillation of the essence of the yogic philosophy, examinations of the mind and human psychology, as well as food for thought regarding human behavior in society and towards oneself. Moreover, this translation offers all this in bite-sized form that wastes no time at all. For experts and serious students of the Yoga Sutras, this translation offers a real opportunity to go deeper into the essence and meaning of yoga. Without the weight of commentary, the serious student is able to go beyond cognition into the realm of intuition, merging the contemplation of this translation with the knowledge and experience of previous translations. And, for the serious student who is set in her (more traditional interpretation of yoga) ways (like I was), this translation will be that necessary splash of cold water upon the face that awakens one to the possibility of other meanings, other interpretations, ultimately inviting one to imbibe the teachings on a truly profound and personal level.
Pada 1, Sutra 11
Memory is when an experience
continues to live within you,
haunting you
like a hungry ghost.
Pada 2, Sutras 30 & 31
The Great Vows are:
Nonviolence . . .
bring no harm to yourself or others.
Truthfulness . . .
be true to your word, and let your word be true.
Integrity . . .
do not steal; walk your talk.
Moderation . . .
use wisely the life force within you.
Generosity . . .
give more than you take,
for nothing in the world really belongs to you.
No matter your name or your circumstances,
no matter your age or the labels you affix to yourself,
the great vows are universal.
Pada 3, Sutras 17 & 18
Hear the call of the loon resounding across the lake.
Practice samyana on its haunting cry
and you will understand its language.
Know that it is flirting with its mate
or singing in joy.
Practice samyana on your lover’s words
and you will not confuse her speech with what she is telling you
in her heart.
The specters of formed lives
are dim apparitions that float through your mind.
They can be seen clearly when you practice samyana.
Your stories will appear on their faces,
memories from every one of your past lifetimes.
You will remember everything that you have forgotten.