Читать книгу Edgar Cayce and the Yoga Sutras - Istvan Fazekas - Страница 11

There is virtually nothing historically reliable to help us know Patañjali. Patañjali may have been an individual spiritual adept or merely identified by a collection of writings, perhaps developed over centuries, attributed to one teacher. Regardless of this enigma, the Yoga Sutras reflect the culmination of a philosophical climax. These sutras weave together different philosophical elements and yet remain as a distinct composition able to defend itself against rival beliefs of the time, circa 200 C.E. One scholar believes them to be the fusion of two methodologies, kriya yoga and ashtangha yoga.¹

The following is a reinterpretation of Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras for the modern Western reader, especially in the light of the Edgar Cayce readings. It is not meant to be a direct translation as much as a revitalized spiritual rendition faithful to the ethos and wisdom of the sutras.

These sutras should not be read in a hasty manner. They were originally meant to be discussion and instruction points between teacher and student. Keeping this in mind, each line and paragraph is a meditation in and of itself. Patañjali condensed profound mystical philosophies into small spaces. In reading these sutras, one should travel slowly and continually ask oneself, How does this apply to me? These words are not so much expositional as they are symbolic, meant to impel you to dive within the depths of your mind and heart.