Sadhana Pada

2.1-2.9 minimizing gross colorings that veil the Self

These sutras are the start of the Sadhana Pada, which outlines to the beginner and the practitioner how to advance their practice.

The first nine sutras outline the types of coloured thoughts (kleishtas) there are and the four states in which they reside.

I find that the swamji site is very helpful as it groups the padas, whereas the Iyengar is a continuous flow and you’re not sure where to stop to think.

Iyengar makes a point in the first sutra of this pada to tell the reader that although many people think of this pada as a beginners guide to practice, it has much to offer the more advanced as well, since even evolved people have some coloured thoughts from time to time. He describes the three types of colouring to be mental, emotional and instinctual

The five colourings are outlined as

1- avidya (2.4-2.5) ignorance, or lack of wisdom

-as swamji suggests this is not the sort of ignorance that is educated at school which is accumulated knowledge and critical thinking. It is more like a cloudy day, when the clouds clear you see your spirit clearly in the sunshine, then one can see the true spirit and nature of the world.

2- asmita (2.6) ego, I-ness and individualism

- many people think of themselves in terms of what they do, what they like or dislike, and what they own. None of these things are who you are, each of us is, at our core, a divine being which is untouched by these material shrouds.

3- raga (2.7) attachment and addiction to thoughts

- swamji has a good description of this, he describes eating a candy and liking it. The enjoyment of the candy is a coloured thought, but it is the desire for another candy which is the attachment.

4- dvesha (2.8) aversion or hatred towards to thoughts

- swamji discusses how hatred or aversion is simply a different form of attachment, it is negative rather than positive, as one dwells on the things one dislikes as much or more than objects or thoughts we like

5- abhinivesa (2.9)- attachment to your own life and survival

- this is a base instinct which is part of all of us, but to achieve samdhi we must give up even this attachment as it leads to other attachments as well.