Yoga sutras II, 24-25 IGNORANCE BINDS THE SEER TO PRAKRITI

[Hubert]

Touche, Nichole !

I'll get back when I have the sutra book. I only dared to comment on them as it seemed that they seem humiliating in their lack of accessability. What probably is a good thing ... still I feel that we must not allow them to annihilate any positive aspects of our souls. (Courage, trust, a rightly understood self esteem)

Thanks for the link you gave ... you must have a great library.

[Nichole]

Hubert,
I am needing some clarity around the "Touche, Nichole!" Please excuse me if I was unclear in my earlier post; I think that may be the case. I was excited to see that you also picked up the sometimes-dogmatic tone of Isherwood because, as I infer, of his roots in Christianity and a Christian social history. I was only hoping to add to your keen perception by offering some background information about him: who he was, and his time and place in history, which was America in 1954 for this book. He had also lived many years in Berlin in the 1930s when Hitler was building his forces; this also seems very relevant in shaping his voice and I think I hear it that too.

In my Sutra group, we have 5 different translations of the Patanjali's Sutra; it was when all were being discussed together, and read from them alternately, that I saw very clearly how personal history, time and place shaped these translations and especially the commentary. With regards to the "touche," please pardon me if it seemed that I was hitting back, I may have been clumsy in my excitement to share with you that I saw some of the same in Isherwood--though I seem to care for his voice more than you may.

With my friendship,
Nichole

[Hubert]

No, it was a self inflicted wound, you see, I feel I should not comment something I really do not know.

As about Isherwood, I did not know him, but I do not feel I have too much in common with him. His Berlin period ... well that time was of spiritual darkness, you must admit. We are in 2008 now, the times has changed.

But not to be off topic:

It might be a comforting thought to think that the only adversary is ignorance, and perhaps it is so. This does not deal with the fact that there are powers, who make use of our ignorance, both inner and outer, to their own purpuses, and those purposes are usually opposite of our spiritual evolution. And to say that those powers are also ignorant, does not change the fact that they are consciously acting in a detrimental way to human spiritual evolution. Yes, there si crude selfishness what is pretty much aware of it and does not care. Yes there is a cruel struggle for power, and a conscious thirst for domination in them.

The problem with the sutras and yoga philosophy in general is that THEY NEVER WERE MEANT for public use. They were part of a spiritual initiation of a small amount of chosen people done by a guru. Those people were chosen exactly because through their personal karma they were ready to receieve this kind of initiation. So they are elitist in nature, and exactly because of this, there is not much emphasys on yama and niyama, as the disciples already have mastered them to the necessary level, or this is is made easy to them by the presence of a realized soul.

Today an outer guru might not be necessary but this is due to The Mistery of Golgotha, and The Christ's etheric presence in the world. Many of you might be allergic to the image of Christ or the sound of this name. But The Christ has no image or name, but the name you give to Him (Her, as you like it). In fact, you alone can name The Christ, and His* name is I AM.
When the sutras were written, this goal was an outer goal, and reaching it required a huge effort, and help of a guru.
Today, this goal is accessible without having a guru, by acknowledging this Presence, identifying with it, living with it, through it. This is much greater a help than most of us realize, exactly because it is there, it is given.
This does not make yogic practices useless, not at all !!! It only makes them usable to everyone. In fact rediscovering of ancient eastern wisdom was made possible through this impulse working throughout the last two thousand years' history, and it's future fructification is up to us all.

I kind of feel sorry for organized christian faith, but also to any other organized religion, because they are goners. If they cannot make use, and acknowledge personal freedom and capacity to turn towards the spiritual, to the divine, than they will lose their influence and presence, and materialism will get it's hold on more and more souls. This is the real enemy today, a solely materialist conception of the world, and not other religions.