Collated Related Short Posts & Quotes:

“The self is special in
that it is awareness,
untarnished by
afflictions, actions,
fruits and seeds.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 24

“The immutability of consciousness
is transcendent within the cycle of
emotion, outcome, consequence and deposit.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 24

“Īśvara Praṇidhānā is from the Yoga Sūtra
and is mentioned more than once.
It is given on three levels and
both presented and utilised
in Chapters One and Two.
In Chapter Two Patañjali mentions
Īśvara Praṇidhānā as part of Kriya Yoga.
Tapas is elimination, we have things
to remove from body and mind.
Svādhyāya is a reflection of what
I am and what is my goal in life.
Īśvara Praṇidhānā is where we are
more concerned with the quality
of the action rather than the fruit.
Here, Īśvara Praṇidhānā symbolises
our attitude to our actions and the
result of our actions.
Again it is mentioned in Chapter Two
as part of the Niyama,
as part of our daily practices.
Īśvara Praṇidhānā is something
we do every day to bring us
into contact with God.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two

“Every action, even thoughts have some effect at some level.
Actions create fruits and leave seeds which eventually come
back to the performer of the action, either directly or indirectly.
These actions can be black, white, mixed, or have no colour.
The black actions can potentially have a negative comeback;
whereas white actions can potentially have a positive comeback.
But most actions are mixed, with a vague or indistinct outcome,
or they will have a distinct outcome, but it is difficult to discern.
Those actions that are seen as having no colour are the result
of actions from the highest dispassion, free of self–motivation.
Because these actions from a Yogin are free of self–motivation,
they are free of self–interest, either black, white or mixed.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 7

“Even though Yoga talks about the possibility of
a state of being expressing motiveless action,
for the rest of us there is always an ulterior motive.
The issue is what it truly is, rather than just whether it
had what we believed as a white, grey or black intention.
Also, whether this intention is what we wanted to believe,
or is there another truth lurking within our sense of right?
Thus, the outcome may well differ from what we believed.
However, as many of our motives fall within the grey spectrum,
a deeper introspection into the reality of intention is important.
To at least minimise Viparyaya, existing as a flight of fancy, or
posing as if a truth convincing in its rightness to exist, when in
reality, merely an opinion, even if not its deeper partner Avidyā.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 7

“Actions produce fruits,
fruits produce seeds.
The seeds root within us
as unconscious drivers.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 8

“We predominately act with
motivation of some kind,
and any motivation will have
some effect on the outcome.
Therefore our motivations have
to be as considered as possible.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 8

“Thus we can only know Avidyā through
īśvara Praṇidhānā by action and its results.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983