Links to Related Resources & Longer Articles:

• In exploring the links between Āsana and the Breath and Prāṇāyāma…
• Notes from a lecture by TKV Desikachar – ‘Is Veda a Religion?’
• TKV Desikachar talks on Śraddhā in the light of the Yoga Sūtra……
• Trumperies and Tactics for the Discerning Gardener……

Collated Related Short Posts & Quotes:

“The mind is subject to change or Pariṇāma and as such can be channelised.
Certain movements can be emphasised or de-emphasised.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“The mind is like a fluid,
which can modify into different things.
A sense of change.
Thus restraining modifications is channelising.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“Given the at all other times in this verse,
we need to thwart the ploys of the mind to
conform to its unhelpful fluctuations by reducing:
1. The tendency of the mind to perceive in too many ways.
2. The tendency of the mind to distort what we see.
3. The tendency of the mind to fantasize.
4. The tendency of the mind to go to sleep at inappropriate moments.
5. The tendency of the mind to get lost in memory or impose memory on reality.
When these old or other tendencies take over you are not there.
So if you are not consistent with your efforts,
you will not change your state of mind.
Plus, the unhelpful aspects of the fluctuations reduce
the tendency of the mind to experience a clarity of being.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“In this Sūtra, Patañjali lists the five types of mental activities:
Pramāṇa Vṛtti, Viparyaya Vṛtti, Vikalpa Vṛtti, Nidrā Vṛtti, and Smṛti Vṛtti.
Vṛtti and Pariṇāma are synonymous, meaning “change of form”.
These five Vṛtti represent changes in the characteristics and functions of the mind.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 6

“Anubhūta is the change that
occurs in one’s state of mind
when it is related to external objects
through the involvement of the senses.
This is also known as experience.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 11

“Yoga is about recognising change and
recognising that which recognises change.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 16

“Or, from a respectful attitude
when mediating between the
immutability of awareness and
the mutability of the psyche.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 23

“It is intriguing, or even at times beguiling, in what
choices we make in relation to the nine interventions
elegantly presented in Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30.
In other words what ploys do we deploy and employ
with regard to at least living intelligently within,
even if unable to transform at this point in time,
with what appears as if a distraction between how
we feel we are and how we feel we would like to be.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“The Yoga Sūtra says you can’t change your life,
however you can change your perception of it.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 5

“This Sūtra describes the origin of Duḥkha.
Duḥkha arises because of change, greed and conditioning.
Besides the Guṇa cause inherent changes unexpectedly.
This disturbs balance and Duḥkha follows.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 15

“There is a relationship between
Pariṇāma, Tāpa and Saṃskāra.
When you recognise this phenomena
there is something that recognises it.
That something is not part of the phenomena.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 15

“What we observe is changing,
What we observe with is changing,
Where we observe from is unchanging.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 20

“The association with the world full of form and change starts with the mind.
Suffering caused because of this association is an eye opener.
Who is suffering?
Who is recognising it?
What can release this suffering?
All these questions exist because of this association,
even though it may often be painful”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 23

“According to TKV Desikachar,
the process of cultivating a
state of meditation involves a
connective triad consisting of:
1. Dhyāta
Or, that which initiates the link,
namely the source of our awareness
as in Cit, Ātman, or Puruṣa, in other
words, something other than the mind.
2. Dhyeya
What it is I choose to link with, as in
the place, point, object or Deśa, as in
the Yoga Sūtra of Chapter Three verse 1.
3. Dhyāna
The activities of the psyche or Citta,
as in that which acts as the link or
connection between, for better
or for worse, the Dhyāta or the
meditator, and the Dhyeya or
that which is meditated upon.
Thus, according to this teaching,
the continuity and quality of the link
between the Dhyāta and the Dhyeya,
is dependent on the consistency
and clarity of the mind which links
the meditator and the meditated.
Hence, acccording to the teachings of
T Krishnamacharya, you must first
change the mind In order to meditate,
rather than trying to meditate in
order to change the mind.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 2

“From Meditation
arises Integration.
The Splendour of Knowing
Connective Moments of
Containment within the Psyche.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 3

“What is the fruit of Saṃyama?
As one progresses day after day,
then slowly something unfolds,
as in Ālokam, as a gradual change
in the dawning of a vision of Prajña.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 5

“How can our minds, which
are used to one way of
operating, be changed?”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 9

“The only change in this process is time.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 12

“The changes we see in one person,
(in terms of Dharma, Lakṣaṇa and Avasthā)
are because of Karma Vāsana.
The Lakṣaṇa or Avasthā that appear
very much depend on Karma Vāsana.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 13

“Without Rajas Guṇa
there can be no Pariṇāma.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 16

“What is the common factor of all the ideas in this Sūtra?
From one character to another.
Changes of mind are not based on the acquisition of new qualities,
but on those that already exist.
To bring about a desired change in the mind,
one must vary the proportion of the three basic qualities:
openness, activity and heaviness.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 2

“Powers are different arrangements
of what already exists as us.
The common factor is a redistribution of matter.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 2

“Patañjali talks about the process of how something changes.
The possibilities are already there, it’s up to you to make the changes.
So we all have the potential for change.
This change is a rearrangement of what already exists.
You can expose different people to the same influences,
and they will respond or change in different ways.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 2

“Who does this?
What is the force that brings about this adjustment?
We need some means – that is called Nimitta.
We must have the intelligence to know the basic
characteristics of our materials and their possibilities.
We must also have ability to bring about desired change.
Change of the mind, as in the movement from an ordinary mind
to one that is extraordinary, is similar to the process of irrigation.
A farmer attempts to direct the flow of water from
an oversupplied plot to one with insufficient supply.
The very nature of water makes it necessary only to cut
a dam to cause it to flow. However, he must recognise
which plot is surplus, which is deprived and which
dam he must cut in order to solve his problem.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 3

“Nimitta is seen as the agent for change, as if a farmer.
Everything required is there, along with the intelligence.
You just have to find the intelligence to find the intelligence.
So verse 3 talks about the tools, materials and intelligence.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 3

“Metaphorically speaking, we are all made of the same clay.
Therefore, we all have a similar potential for change.
However, to make something different out of this clay,
a wheel is needed, but this is no use without a potter.
Here, the skill of the potter is crucial.
Patañjali uses the word Nimitta
as a cause for change in the clay.
Hence, the potter is Nimitta.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 3

“Those who use their Nimitta have another facility at their disposal.
They have the ability to influence another.
In that they can change other people’s states of mind.
Asmitā is the common source of this influence over another.
The link between teacher and student is through Asmitā.
The more open the link the stronger the influences.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 4

“Changes are according to
the predisposition of the
Saṃskāra of the person,
and therefore not identical,
and therefore may not be
what the source desires.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 5

“Attitude is nothing but an attitude.
If you can change your attitude,
you lay down another Saṃskāra.
The mind learns through habits.
So by changing habits you change the mind.
Yoga is a way of taking steps to initiate change.
Therefore Yoga practice is a Saṃskāra,
to prepare the mind for a different attitude.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 11

“The means by which we obtain the
Yoga of result is the Yoga of action,
Kriyā Yoga.
While only part of Yoga,
Kriyā Yoga is the practical aspect of
Yoga which can initiate a change for
the better in the quality of our lives.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter One Page 12

“There is no death for the Puruṣa
because there is no change for it,
and what is death but change.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga
Chapter Six Page 87

“Depending on what and how you feed Pariṇāma and Saṃskāra
you can have good or bad reactions.
Pariṇāma relates to perception,
Saṃskāra relates to memory .”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“Pariṇāma is change and can be from one moment to the next.
Suppose we are listening to music we like, a Saṃskāra or tendency,
and something happens to jar the appreciation.
The change is immediate and opposite to how we were.
Thus the Saṃskāra of listening to a particular style of music
causes friction when there is change.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“When Saṃskāra takes one view and
Pariṇāma another there is friction.
Coming to Madras is Pariṇāma,
being unable to have those things you had before causes friction.
When you want those things you are used to through Saṃskāra,
then the Pariṇāma which caused this can bring Duḥkha.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“There is a relationship between
Pariṇāma, Tāpa and Saṃskāra.
When you recognise this phenomena
there is something that recognises it.
That something is not part of the phenomena.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“Depending on what and how you feed Pariṇāma and Saṃskāra
you can have good or bad reactions.
Pariṇāma relates to perception,
Saṃskāra relates to memory .”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“The mind has the characteristics that make other things possible.
To develop tendencies or Saṃskāra.
The mind can also adapt and change or Pariṇāma.
Saṃskāra is the opposite of Pariṇāma.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“The learning process is
only possible with Pariṇāma.
Remembering what you
have learnt is only
possible with Saṃskāra.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“A Yogi is one in who Pariṇāma and Saṃskāra are in harmony.
When there is no harmony there is the wrong
combination of Pariṇāma and Saṃskāra.
This is known as Avidyā or not knowing a thing as it is.
The right combination is Vidyā.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“The practice of Yoga is an attempt to influence
Saṃskāra and Pariṇāma in a  positive way.
If not the practice is wrong.
Therefore Yoga is a Saṃskāra which
gradually changes from old Saṃskāra.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“We must consider the direction of one’s Āsana Practice.
Where are we starting from?
Where are we going to?
Is this journey of Pariṇāma working with immediate needs in mind?
Is this journey of Pariṇāma working with long term needs in mind?
Is this journey of Pariṇāma trying to integrate both immediate needs and long term needs?”
– TKV Desikachar 1980

“In observing, we must remember a few more things:
We must respect time and change,
although the tendency nowadays is otherwise.
We must wait and observe more than once
so as not to be trapped by the fact
that things appear like this one day
and like that another day.”
– TKV Desikachar 1981

“Patañjali has proposed 3 approaches to verify the indications.
Tapas – Process of action
Food, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma.
You will be doing something that you will not be habitually doing.
For example one day no salt, cigarettes, Prāṇāyāma.
Tapas is from the root to create thirst.
It means to deprive.
It will tell us about ourselves.
It will reveal our Saṃskāra and Pariṇāma or changes in ourselves.
From this Tapas we will start to get an indication of our individual nature.
For example active or lazy.
Tapas indicates the the beginning of the Bheda, through the Bhāva.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

Question to TKV Desikachar on Pariṇāma:
“Change is universal but not the same for everybody.
Pariṇāma gives life to Saṃskāra.
Saṃskāra gives stability to Pariṇāma.
So there is an order in any change.
If there is no Pariṇāma or Saṃskāra there is no Vidyā or Avidyā.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“We can summarise all the Bheda into three:
– Saṃskāra Bheda (division by tendencies)
– Pariṇāma Bheda (division by transformation or change)
– Avidyā Bheda (division by illusion)
They are not bad things, only different.
We need to recognise and do something so the negative differences don’t take us over.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“What we observe today might not be the same tomorrow.”
– From study notes with TKV Desikachar England 1992

“The Yoga of Patañjali, presented in very brief pithy statements,
asserts that all human problems emanate from the mind
and can be resolved by changing the quality of this mind.
Not only can they be resolved, but a person can also
utilise this refined mind for every use possible,
including comprehending the divine mystery.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1996

“To use the breath in Āsana
practice is to check change.
To be able to realise that
something has changed.”
– TKV Desikachar

““Yoga serves the individual,
and does so through inviting
transformation, rather than
by giving information.”
– TKV Desikachar

Gaṇeśa and the Role of Endings in the Beginnings of Change
“In Indian life, with its rich resources for transformative teachings,
much emphasis is placed on an appropriate beginning for any
situation where the intention is a change towards a more
creative relationship within our life and its surroundings.
Here, this was popularly realised through the symbolism
inherent in the iconography of Gaṇapati or Gaṇeśa,
who was traditionally seen throughout India as the
‘Remover of Obstacles’ and ‘Lord of Beginnings’.
However, in order to successfully initiate an
appropriate beginning we may also need to have
successfully initiated an appropriate ending.
So, how do we as Yoga practitioners in the West,
with our own psychology, culture and attitudes,
appreciate and apply these teachings in our lives?
Especially with regard to the relationship
between the role and importance of apt endings
as a foundation for the rooting of new beginnings.”
– Theme from an old flier for an Autumn Retreat held in November 1996

“According to the teachings
of Krishnamacharya,
you must first change the
Manas in order to meditate,
before trying to meditate in
order to change the Citta.”
– 108 Dhāraṇā Practice Pointers

“In the Indian tradition some Mantra
are known as Mahāvakya or great sayings.
They express and re-mind us, in both
a mystical and poetical way, of the
presence of the eternal Awareness
within the everyday flux of existence.
There is one such Mahāvakya, renowned
and beautiful in its profound simplicity as
a heuristic means for revelation, whether
your Sādhana traverses either of two paths.
Either, the Sādhana path of Jñana Dhyānam
or, the Sādhana path of Bhakti Dhyānam.
Namely:
तत् त्वम् असि
Tat Tvam Asi ॥
“That Thou Art”
from the Chāndogya Upaniṣat VI.8.7
– 108 Dhāraṇā Practice Pointers

“According to the teachings of Krishnamacharya,
you must first change the mind In order to meditate,
rather than trying to meditate in order to change the mind.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“We, as practitioners of Yoga today,
do use many Āsana techniques as a
means for change in our personal
Yoga practice and teaching work.
Yet, Yoga emphasizes that Āsana
is only a means to serve a subtler
or more internalised practice in our
journey from the outer to the inner
namely, the practice of Prāṇāyāma.
What is this practice and how do we
cultivate a deeper relationship with
Prāṇāyāma, through which we could
experience the sagacity of the maxim
emphasised by T Krishnamacharya?”
Namely:
“Practice Āsana for the body,
and Prāṇāyāma for the mind.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Yoga practice evolves from an external
other cooked restaurant experience,
to an internal self cooked home
experience via the stages of:
1. Dependence on an outside teacher
and external ambient support venue.
2. Interdependence, where we explore
the beginnings of an independent home
practice as an addition to our existing
external support and outside teacher.
3. Independence, where we have refined
the skills to rely more on an independent
home practice and be primarily nourished
by the fruits of our self cooked experience.
This is Svatantra.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

The Adaptation of the Āsana Practice
“Thus, there are always changes, or Pariṇāma,
in the outcome of the interactions between our
physical processes and breathing processes, and
our mental patterns within our emotional flows.
However, we can also tend towards becoming
either over-adaptable or under-adaptable, in trying
to absorb, or overcome, these changes in ourselves.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Summary of Ideas around Practice Planning
“Given the changes in the body are manifold and
the changes in the mind are also manifold, as
well as the manifold changes in the emotions.
How can we meet these manifold changes and
yet still promote well-being within our practice?”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

“Yoga is both a
healing and a learning
process that evolves
from an inquiry
into our limitations
towards one that
extends our potentials.”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers