YSP Study Group 1/22/11 – Sutra 2.4

Sutra 2.4

अविद्याक्षेत्रमुत्तरेषां प्रसुप्ततनुविच्छिन्नोदाराणाम्॥४॥

avidyā kṣetram-uttareṣām prasupta-tanu-vicchinn-odārāṇām ॥4॥

avidyaa= ignorance; kShetram=field; uttareShaM=of the following ones; prasupta=dormant; tanu=attenuated; vichChinna=scattered; udaaraaNaam=expanded, fully operative

Taimni

"Avidya is the source of those that are mentioned after it, whether they be in the dormant, attenuated, alternating or expanded condition."

Avidya is the root-cause of the other four kleshas. Moreover, these kleshas are connected in a series of cause-effect relationship. There are four states in which these kleshas may exist:

• Dormant: Klesha is present in a latent, potential form and cannot find expression for lack of proper conditions.
• Attenuated: Klesha is feeble and inactive. However, it can become active given appropriate  stimulus.
• Alternating: Two opposing tendencies dominate each other alternately. For example, the feelings of attraction and repulsion between two lovers may alternate, though both are based on attachment.
• Expanded: Klesha is fully operative

Only in the case of advanced yogis, kleshas are present in the dormant form. For others they are present in one of the other three states.

Aranya

"Avidya is the breeding ground for the others following it whether they be dormant, attenuated, interrupted or active."

The four forms of klesha are:

• Dormant: klesha is in the form of a germ or latent power. It can awaken with appropriate stimulus.
• Attenuated: klesha has been thinned by kriya-yoga (sutra 2.1)
• Interrupted: klesha has been suppressed by other kleshas
• Active: Fully operational; at the time of anger, aversion is active and attachment is hidden.

A dormant klesha is somewhat similar to a parched seed. However, a dormant klesha can "wake up" given the appropriate stimulus, whereas a parched up speed cannot bear fruit. So, Vyasa calls this state of ‘parched seed’ as the fifth state of the kleshas.

When the klesha becomes like a parched seed, the yogin becomes a ‘jivan-mukta’ (liberated though alive). For such a yogin, the present life would be the last one and he will not be born again.

Bryant

"Ignorance is the breeding ground of the other kleshas, whether they are in dormant, weak, intermittent, or fully activated state."

Avidya is the foundation for the other kleshas, the field (kshetra) in which they grow, and hence the cause of ‘samsara’ (the cycle of birth and death). When ignorance is dispelled, the other kleshas also disappear.

The four states are:

• Dormant: only kleshas other than ignorance can be in the dormant state. Avidya, being the breeding ground for the others, cannot be in the dormant state. A dormant klesha can germinate when a suitable trigger is present.
• Weak: When one can develop a state opposite of the active klesha, it becomes weak. Practice of kriya yoga helps in thinning the active klesha.
• Interrupted: in this state, kleshas appear and disappear. When klesha of attachment is present, aversion is absent at the time. It can reappear at another time but not at the same time as attachment. For example, when Chaitra (name of a person) is attracted to one woman at a given time, his attraction for other women is in a latent state (either dormant or thinned) which can manifest at a later time.
• Active: in this state, kleshas actually exert influence on the mind at a given time

Burnt seed: kleshas can be burnt and made ineffective by practicing the deepest state of meditation

Discussion

It is not clear to me why Vyasa decided to ‘invent’ yet another state, in addition to the four given by Patanjali. In my view, this is redundant due to the following:

• Sutra 2.2 talks about ‘tanukarana’ or thinnig/weakening of the kleshas using kriya yoga. Weakening of klesha cannot be implied to mean eliminating them by burning their seeds.
• Patanjali is giving the states of those kleshas which find their cause in Avidya. Vyasa talks of attaining the  state of a ‘jivan-mukta’ (liberation while still living) by burning the seeds of kleshas. The state of liberation has been identified as ‘kaivalaya’ in the yoga sutras. This state can only be attained when Avidya has been eradicated. So, again I see no point in bringing in another state which can never be attained as long as avidya is present.
• To arrive at the state of ‘kaivalya’ (final liberation/freedom), Patanjali has mentioned ‘nirbeeja samadhi’ (seedless samadhi). So, how can the state of ‘burned seed’ help one to get to ‘kaivalya’ when as per Patanjali one needs to go into ‘seedless samadhi’?

I would love to hear your thoughts on Vyasa’s introduction of ‘burned seeds’ as the fifth state of klesha.