Yoga dictionary. Vasana
According to another version, character traits are already genetically determined, and it is only possible to partially adjust the character of the child in the process of education. From the point of view of yoga, the soul, incarnating in the body, already brings with it the experience of past lives, which is stored in the form of karmic prints or “Samskaras” in the mind of every living being. Sets of karmic prints form the so-called Vasanas. And these Vasanas largely determine the development of the living entity. Vasanas can be manifested only in favorable conditions, so we can not say that the presence of Vasana is a predetermined destiny of man, which can not be changed.
The word “vasana” is translated from Sanskrit as `impression` or `predestination`, the literal translation of the word — `give fragrance` or `aromatize`. Just as a fragrance can permeate the clothing in which a person is dressed, so vasana “permeates” the mind of a person with a quality or inclination. Continue reading
Yoga dictionary. Vairagya
This is the phenomenon on which all suffering in the material world is based. Being attached to objects of pleasure, to the comfort zone, to a habitual state of Affairs, a schedule of life, Outlook and so on, the person is doomed to sufferings. This is due to the impermanence of the material world. No material object can exist forever. Everything that is created will be destroyed sooner or later. Moreover, even what lies beyond the material – our own thoughts, feelings, perceptions, concepts, mental patterns, and so on – is also subject to constant change. And what yesterday people considered good, today can be considered evil despite the fact that the external situation has not changed. Due to constant changes in the external and internal world of man, everything to which a person is attached, sooner or later destroyed, or rather – is modified. Continue reading
Yoga dictionary. Vritti
More often than not, the mind is either in a state of experiencing the past or planning for the future. This forces a person to experience many times again the suffering already experienced in the past, or to worry about their future. All these actions of the mind are due to its fluctuation. The Yoga sutras of Patanjali deal with the concept of Vritti.
Translated from Sanskrit “Vritti” means ‘excitement’, ‘hesitation’. A comparison may be made with a pond whose water is at rest. And in this case, it reflects the Moon. By the Moon one can understand objective reality, which, provided the mind is calm, is reflected in it without distortion. When the water begins to be affected by the wind, it begins to fluctuate, and the reflection of the moon becomes distorted. The water in the pond is the mind of the living entity, and by the wind one can mean just Vritti — its vibrations. And under the influence of Vritti, the mind begins to distort objective reality. That is the danger of such a thing as Vritti. Continue reading
Yoga dictionary. Vivec
And from the absolute point of view, these concepts are very conditional. What in one situation is poison to one person is medicine to another, and Vice versa. And the concepts of good and evil, right and wrong often turn into dogmas that cause no less harm than the absence of any principles and rules at all. In his philosophical treatise on yoga, Patanjali described such a phenomenon as “Viveka”. And this is the key to understanding how to distinguish black from white. Moreover, it is the key to understanding that life is not a black-and-white film and in addition to these two colors there is a whole range of colors.
In Sanskrit, Viveka means ‘discrimination’. This concept is revealed in Sutra 24, Chapter 4. One of the most curious translations of this Sutra is that of falkow, and His version of the Sutra reads as follows:”for one who has attained mastery of discernment, the contradictions of the nature of the soul are mitigated.” The point is that all contradictions exist only at the level of the mind. Continue reading
Yoga dictionary. Kaivalya
In the modern world there are many interpretations of this concept. Freedom can be on the economic level, mental, material, spiritual and so on. In most cases, when it comes to freedom, it means the ability to get what you want without any restrictions and act as a particular individual sees fit. And in this case, the freedom of the individual is determined by the boundaries of his desires and fantasies. And since no desire can be fully satisfied (either because of lack of resources or because of limited sensory perception), such freedom is very illusory.
What is Liberation, of which there is much talk in the various branches of yoga and Dharmic religions? Patanjali in his philosophical treatise fully reveals this concept not from a material but from a transcendental point of view. Continue reading
