“In Samādhi there is an understanding.
Something not based on your memories,
something that transcends your memories.
Prajña comes only in Samādhi.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 20

“Asmitā – To confuse memory and wisdom.”
– TKV Desikachar Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 6

“In observing, we must remember a few more things:
Because of our own memories, backgrounds, cultures, etc.
Each person looks at the same problem differently,
which may cause problems.”
(Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 15)
– TKV Desikachar 1981

“The first Śloka sets the saga on the field of Dharma.
Dharma is how we respond, whatever the situation,
presuming we can sustain our view within the present.
Karma is how we respond, having lost sight of our view,
because it’s become obscured by  the force of our memories.
Then Karma is the force now driving us through our memories.
So, Arjuna’s Dharma becomes obscured because of his Karma.”
– Reflection on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter One verse 1

Saṃmoha –
“We are not clear what we are doing.
Because we are not clear, memory wanders.”
– TKV Desikachar on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Two verse 63

“Remember the mind should follow
the exhale, inhale and retention.
Exhale, inhale and retention all support the vital force.”
– From T Krishnamacharya’s composition,
the Yoga Rahasya Chapter One verse 34

“Strongest memory is of that which is introduced when one is young.”
– T Krishnamacharya

“Knowledge is not only memory.
Every day there must be something new.”
– T Krishnamacharya

“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

“Lightness or Sattva is not always correct.
Sometimes it is necessary to create
heaviness and activity for memory, etc.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

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

“These problems in our observation are related to the mixing of:

• Vikalpa: Imagination is already there operating when we begin to observe. All the more that we are better and better informed about what we should see, etc.

• Viparyaya: Because of the past Saṃskāra, there is a sort of perversion in observation.

• Smṛti: Memory is, unfortunately, never factual.

Finally, we should never forget that all conclusions are wrong, because things change. Hence the importance of private lessons, which allow for more flexibility.”
– TKV Desikachar 1981

“When we look at things,
memory always intrudes.
To see clearly,
we need to be in that state described in
the Yoga Sutra in Chapter One verse 43.
In such a state, memory dies, imagination vanishes,
then we can see the reality of the object.
This state is Samādhi.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras December 21st 1988

“Through Śraddhā we get the Vīrya to pursue to the end
and if we hold firm to this Śraddhā we always have the Smṛti,
the memory of our original goal.
This is very important as with progress on the path to the goal,
we get distracted by or satisfied with some of the gains made
that were previously not within our capacity.
It is through Śraddhā that we have the Smṛti,
the memory of the original goal, that prevents us from being satisfied
with anything less than what we started out for.”
– TKV Desikachar on Śraddhā in the Yoga Sūtra

“Your mind is a product of your food, memory is linked to food.
My stability, my confidence is linked to food.
All these facts are mentioned in the texts.
For these reasons I said that food is very important and becomes me.
Not just the muscles, but the whole me, the whole personality.”
– TKV Desikachar from an interview in the Journal Viniyoga Italia on Yoga and Well Being.

“Yesterdays Smṛti can become Todays Saṃskāra,
without Tomorrows Saṃkalpa being re-affirmed,
through Todays Sādhana each and every day.”
– Reflection on Saṃkalpa – The Art of Volition

“If you remove the past from the present what is left?”

Links to Related Posts:

• I feel reflecting on the recent three posts on Īśvara Praṇidhānā……
• Pratyāhāra is not feeding the minds identification with the senses……
• TKV Desikachar talks on Śraddhā in the light of the Yoga Sūtra……