viveka-khyatir aviplava hanopayah (2:26)
Through focus and discernment we understand that we are both divine awareness and individual experiences.
. . . . . . .
tasya saptadha pranta-bhumih prajna (2:27)
Wisdom becomes enlightenment through discrimination and study.
. . . . . . .
yoganganushthanad ashuddhi-kshaye jnana-diptir-aviveka-khyateh (2:28)
Practicing the eight limbs of yoga removes the obstacles and the resulting wisdom leads to enlightenment.
. . . . . . .
yama-niyamasana-pranayama-pratyahara-dharana-dhyana-samadhayo shtav angani (2:29)
The eight limbs are made of moral codes and observances, as well as physical, emotional, energetic, and mental disciplines to purify and steady the mind.
THE WAY TO connect with our true self and not get caught up by the whims, desires, and fears of our everyday self is through discernment (viveka).
At its simplest, discernment is practicing good judgment. It’s observing ourselves and the world around us so we can make clear, good, healthy decisions. It helps us recognize and choose actions that serve our true, inner self rather than give in to immediate pleasures.
How did we lose our true self in the first place? Meet the ego. We create the ego to help others understand our place in the world. It’s the part of us that answers the question Who am I? As we mentioned, it’s the “I-maker”—the way we describe ourselves to others. I am Amy. I am a lawyer. I am a baseball fan. We need the I-maker, the ego, to help us organize and navigate life, but when we’re defining who we are for other people, we can lose who we are for ourselves.
Yoga is both the goal and the means. Through discernment we understand the difference between our objective and subjective realities and the mind becomes clear—the goal of yoga. We can’t just flip a switch and turn on discernment. We work on it by practicing ashtanga yoga—the means. Ashtanga means eight (ashta) limbs or rungs (anga) and describes a systematic discipline that helps us improve our relationship with the world, others, our body, mind, and spirit. When we climb the rungs of a ladder, we take things one step at a time. Limbs branch out of the same tree trunk, growing at the same time though not always at the same rate. With these two interpretations of anga, we understand the eight practices can be done both successively and simultaneously. Each rung will carry us to the next, but at the same time we also practice each limb as best we can in the present moment.
As we work the eight limbs of yoga, we experience deeper stages of awakening and understanding. Eventually, through this practice, we will understand our true self (purusha) and purpose (dharma) so clearly we will be free from the things that hold us back and can live with ease, capable of anything.
REFLECTION
In what circumstances do you judge yourself most harshly? What does your inner critic say to you?