Book 1, Sutra 6: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

How Do We Understand Things?

The 5 Mind States or Vrittis are:

1.     Correct perception which includes sense perception, logic and verbal testimony

2.     Incorrect perception

3.     Imagination

4.     Sleep (passivity)

5.     Memory

We are told there are three main ways to understand something. They are:

1.     Sense perception – we know something is true through the senses of taste, touch, hearing, hearing, sight and smell.

2.     Inference or deduction – an example of inference is that we can infer that there will be a fire if we see smoke, even if we don’t actually perceive the fire with our own senses.

3.     Direct Cognition of the Yogi or Seer – this is where the Yogi is centred in the consciousness of the higher Self on the plane of the Soul. This is pure knowledge or gnosis. We achieve this level of understanding when we are able to use the mind as an instrument of vision and transmission.*

*Seer, Higher Self and Soul are used interchangeably

References

Patañjali, & Bailey, A. (2013). The light of the soul : its science and effect : a paraphrase of the Yoga sutras of Patañjali. London.

Bryant, E. F. (2015). The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali. North Point Press.

Iyengar, S. (2012). Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. HarperCollins UK.

Paramhansa Yogananda. (2013). Demystifying Patanjali: The Yoga Sutras. Crystal Clarity Publishers.

Satyananda Saraswati, Swami. (2013). Four chapters on freedom : commentary on yoga sutras of Sage Patanjali. Yoga Publications Trust.

Sounds True. Second Initial. Michael Singer 2024-2025 The Michael Singer Podcast [Audio podcast]. Website. https://resources.soundstrue.com/michael-singer-podcast/

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