The notes below are designed to give prospective readers an idea of what to expect from the book, and to aid in making a decision on whether to buy it.
Yoga Sutras translated by Chip Hartranft
Disclaimer
I do NOT like this translation. It's the one I bought in my teacher training, but I'd recommend another one or just look at the very simple scanned Word document that is a translation for FREE at the bottom of this page. Below does not re-translate the sutras but lists some of the comments he has made.
Notes
Yoga means ‘yoking’ and turning inwards. Still patterns of consciousness. Pure awareness can abide in its own nature.
Everything we think of as ‘me’ - physical, emotional, conceptual, spiritual, internal, and external - is part of nature, or prakri.
Objects’ fundamental properties - light, mass, motion - are a sequence of transformations and changing properties.
Both practice and nonreactive yoga are required to still the pattern of consciousness.
4 kinds of thinking: analytical, insight, bliss, and feeling like a self.
Isvara is a distinct, incorruptible form of pure awareness.
Consciousness settles as one radiates friendliness, compassion, delight, and equanimity towards all things, pleasuring or painful, good or bad, or by pausing after breath flows in or out. Or steadily observing when a new sensation is lateralized. Or by focusing on things that do not inspire attachment.
Yoga has three components:
-
Discipline
-
Self-Study
-
Orientation towards pure awareness.
Goals are to disarm causes of suffering and achieve integration. I or me or attachment or aversion are sources of suffering. Suffering is ended by seeing where it comes from - meditation can help with this. Suffering is the root cause of actions. Suffering that has not yet arisen can be prevented.
Focusing with perfect discipline on the sun yields insights about the universe; navel energy center yields insights about the organization of the body; pit of throat eradicates hunger and thirst. Tortoise channel cultivates steadiness; light at the crown of the head perspective of perfected ones; heart nature of consciousness.
Once all the layers and imperfections concealing trust have been washed away, insight is boundless, with little left to know.