Sutra 1.37

वीतरागविषयं वा चित्तम्॥३७॥

vItaraagaviShayaM vaa chittam

vIta=free from; raaga=attachment, desire; viShayaM=sense object; vaa=or; chittam=mind

Taimni

"Also the mind fixed on those who are free from attachment (acquires steadiness)."

Vitaragas are those souls who have conquered human passions and risen above Raga-Dvesa. Meditation on the life and character of such a soul will help develop serenity and steadiness of mind. Patanjali recommends meditation not on an abstract virtue but on the virtue as embodied in a human personality. This type of meditation puts us in rapport with that personality and brings about a flow of power and influence which accelerates our progress. The object of meditation may be one’s Master, or a great Spiritual Teacher or one of the Divine Incarnations.

Aranya

" Or (Contemplating) On A Mind Which Is Free From Desires (The Devotee’s Mind Gets Stabilized)."

A mind full of passion or desire thinks of external objects, whereas a mind free from passion can stay unattached and free. Concentrating on a person who is free from desires will help develop the same attitude in the seeker. When the mind is free from desires, it can become completely free from attachment.

Discussion

Much of our discussion focused on the concept of a "guru" since one looks to the guru for spiritual guidance as well as use the guru as a source of inspiration. Several questions came up – how do you go about finding a guru? what qualities to look for in a guru? Can you make progress spiritually if you don’t have a guru? Etc. There are no clear-cut answers to these questions. One usually hears the statement, "when the student is ready, the guru will appear". Does it mean that one makes no effort to find a guru and just wait for the right inspiration to appear? One thing became clear that one needs to have a vehement desire to be liberated before either you can find a guru or the guru finds you. The Sanskrit term used for such a person is "mumukshu" (one desirous of ‘moksha’ or liberation").

We also talked about the pros and cons of having a living person as a guru. Whereas the living person does provide an opportunity for live interaction in case of doubts or questions, there is a tendency to start finding faults with the guru and thus lose faith in the person. With all kinds of political and sex scandals that some of the current ‘highly respected gurus’ are involved in, it is easy to feel a sense of ambivalence in terms of trust in the guru.

Instead of (or even in addition to) having a living person as a guru, one can be heavily influenced by a non-living person who was either a spiritual master or even a social or political figure that you admire. You can pick a virtue in these individuals that you really cherish and use that as a source of inspiration. For example, if ‘ahimsa’ or non-violence is something that you want to inculcate in your life you may be driven toward the ideals held by Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King. In my personal case, I am deeply influenced by the philosophy and teachings available in Patanjali’s yoga sutras and for all practical purposes Patanjali is my guru.