YSP Study Group – Sutra 2.15

परिणामतापसंस्कारदुःखैर्गुणवृत्तिविरोधाच्च दुःखमेव सर्वं विवेकिनः॥१५॥

pariṇāma tāpa saṁskāra duḥkhaiḥ guṇa-vr̥tti-virodhācca duḥkham-eva sarvaṁ vivekinaḥ ॥15॥

pariNaama=change; taapa=acute anxiety, suffering; saMskaara=impression; duHkhair=pains; guNa=between the three gunas; vRutti=modification of the mind; virodhaat=on account of opposition or conflict; cha=and; duHkham=pain; eva=only; sarvaM= all; vivekinaH=to the enlightened;

Taimni

" To the people who have developed discrimination all is misery on account of the pains resulting from change, anxiety and tendencies, as also on account of the conflicts between the functioning of the Gunas and the Vrttis (of the mind)."

As per this sutra, all experiences are actively or potentially full of misery to the "viveki", a wise person whose spiritual perception has awakened. In the previous sutra we learned that virtue and vice will bring out pleasurable and painful experiences respectively. However, this does not imply that if we decide to do only virtuous deeds, we will only get pleasure. According to the present sutra, every pleasure is short-lived and will end up in pain eventually. This is so because of the reasons stated in this sutra:

Parinama means change or transformation. Everything in the universe is in a state of constant flux and change is happening every moment whether or not we are aware of it. It is the effect of Maya that we are unaware of the constant change happening all around us. We become aware of this change only after we attain the state of viveka (discriminatory wisdom). At that time, we develop a sense of fear and loneliness as everything seems to move so rapidly. It is only when we follow the practice of yoga intently that we begin to realize that there is something Eternal deep inside us despite all the change happening. With that comes the realization that little pleasures and ambitions in life are only transitory.

Tapa means anxiety.  We are constantly in fear of losing those objects which give us pleasure. Whether it is love or money or any other possession, we always have a sense of anxiety that we will lose it one day.

Samskara means impressions or ‘habituation’. Every experience creates an impression in our mind. Repeated similar impressions create habits. However, as noted above, or surroundings and circumstances in life are constantly changing. There is a conflict between the ‘status quo’ expected due to habits and the change that is always happening, threatening the very habits that we develop. This conflict is a cause of misery and unhappiness.

Guna-vritti-virodha: This refers to the conflict between the dominant guna (sattva, rajas or tamas) and the state of the mind at any given time. A person with a dominant tamasik guna, who wants to rest all the time, may be forced to work hard to support himself and family. This causes conflict and results in mental suffering. The wise man learns to renounce desires to eliminate conflict.

As a result of these four kinds of afflictions, the wise man knows that any pleasure in life is only transitory and will ultimately result in pain and suffering.

Aranya

" The discriminating persons apprehend (by analysis and anticipation) all worldly objects as sorrowful because they cause suffering in consequence, in their afflictive experiences and in their latencies and also because of the contrary nature of the Gunas (which produces changes all the time)."

Experience of happiness is due to attachment to objects and that of suffering is caused by hatred or dislike for an object. The karmashaya (storehouse of karma) is a result of these experiences. When the senses are accustomed to short experience of happiness, they are not inclined for renunciation since their attachment is increased. For a Yogin, even these pleasant experiences are source of ultimate misery and he shuns attachment to these objects.

Greed and infatuation are the cause of aversion which brings misery as one pursues to overcome the source of aversion. The mind of a yogin or a wise man is as sensitive as the surface of the eyeball. The touch of a falling cobweb hurts only the eyeball, but no other part of the body. Similarly, miseries due to the changing nature of things affects only a yogin due to his enhanced sensitivity. Others, under the influence of ignorance (avidya) suffer from misery due to their own deeds. They go through the cycle of birth and death and are engulfed in the three-fold sorrow.

The mutual opposition of the modifications of the gunas (sattva, rajas and tamas) impacts the buddhi (intellect) and gives rise to corresponding experiences. The dominant guna tends to overtake the impact of the lesser gunas and produces a sattvika, rajasika or a tamasika experience. Since nothing can be purely sattvika all the time, for a yogin all worldly pleasures are full of misery.

As medical science has four divisions – illness, cause of illness, recovery and therapeutics – concept of salvation has four parts, namely, cycle of births causing suffering, its cause, liberation and the means of liberation. The association of Purusha and Prakriti is the cause of ignorance which causes cycles of birth which must be stopped (liberation). Understanding the immutable nature of Purusha is called the right knowledge which leads to liberation.

Bryant

"For one who has discrimination, everything is suffering on account of the suffering produced by the consequences [of action], by pain [itself], and by the samskaras, as well as on account of the suffering ensuing from the turmoil of the vrittis due to the gunas".

Memories of pleasure propel people to try to experience that pleasure again and again and they thus get caught in the vicious cycle of karma resulting in cycle of birth and death. For a person of discrimination, a viveki, all is suffering, even these so-called pleasures. A viveki is one who can see the separation between Purusha and Prakriti.

The four noble truths of Buddhism also echo the same theme as in this sutra. The first noble truth "sarvam duhkham" (all is suffering) uses the same terms as Patanjali. The other truths – there is cause for suffering, we can end the suffering and there is a path to that end – are similar to the treatment of duhkha in the yoga sutras.

Vyasa explains that pleasure means attachment to the objects that provide pleasure and aversion from the object that give a painful experience. Both pleasure and aversion create desires that motivate action resulting in ‘karmashaya’ which is the cause of multiple births and deaths. Even when a desire is fulfilled, it never is fully satisfied as it grows even stronger for the same or similar objects – like fire that flares up with the oblation of butter.

All pleasure is momentary because of the ever-changing nature of everything. The word ‘parinama’ in the sutra means transformation or change. Because of this constant change, even a pleasure will ultimately change to pain and suffering.

The second type of suffering, ‘tapa’ (or pain) is usually identified by three standard sources of pain – adhyatmika, suffering produced by the self such as illness, injury, insecurity etc; adhidaivika, suffering through sources beyond our control such as storms and earthquakes; and adhibhautika, suffering produced by other beings such as mosquitoes, enemies, family members etc.

Sanskaras, or subliminal impressions in the mind are the next source of suffering mentioned in the sutra. Memories of past experiences create desire for pleasure or aversion which again perpetuate more actions and create more sanskaras. Thus it leads to an ongoing cycle of birth and rebirth, each bringing more suffering. This vicious cycle causes concern only to the yogi who is as sensitive as an eyeball – a strand of thread causes distress only when it falls on the eyeball, not on any other part of the body. Non-yogis cannot see the hidden, long-term suffering inherent in every temporary pleasure.

The fourth item on the list of causes of suffering is the constant change happening in the mind due to the three gunas – sattva, rajas, and tamas – which are always in a state of flux. Depending upon which guna is dominant at a given time, we experience temporary happiness, pain or delusion. All these emotions are always present at any time since all three gunas are present in some proportion. This constant turmoil is ultimately a source of suffering.

These sources of suffering are caused by avidya (ignorance) which is the first of the five kleshas mentioned by Patanjali and refers to a lack of discrimination and being attached to the wrong notion of I and Mine. This notion makes us identify with the body, mind, intellect etc. The yogi seeks real happiness which is attained by transcending these false identifications and finally identifying with Purusha which is separate and independent from Prakriti.

Discussion

In our study group, we spent a lot of time discussing this sutra. My first reaction to the sutra was that "this sutra is too depressing!". If everything is a source of pain, then this life is not even worth living. We all have our sources of happiness – a walk in the evening, listening to our favorite music, eating our favorite food etc. If I have this notion constantly at the back of my mind that this is a source of suffering, I can never enjoy anything in life. I brought up the example of a mango fruit which I truly enjoy. I realize that it is a seasonal fruit and is not available all the time. But that doesn’t cause any distress in my mind because I know not to think of or desire a mango when it is not in season. But should I stop enjoying my mango because eventually it is going to cause suffering?

The second point that I had trouble understanding was the statement in the sutra that for a viveki (a man of discrimination), everything is suffering (sarvam duhkham). In my understanding, a viveki is a person who has transcended the perception of pleasure and pain and can stay in a state of bliss.

It was only after a lengthy discussion and self-reflection that I came to terms with the sutra. I think the main idea in the sutra is to understand that pleasure and pain are all associated with material objects which are transitory. Even the pleasure of attaining heaven is transitory! Pain and suffering are a result of attachment to these ephemeral items and this attachment gives rise to strong desires and aversions which ultimately cause suffering.

My understanding of the sutra became a little clearer when we started talking of the gunas and how this constant conflict between gunas and the vrittis (guna-vritti virodha) of the mind keeps changing the state of the mind. I would like to relate a small incidence that happened just a few days ago that brought to light the interaction of the gunas and the vrittis. I was sitting in my morning meditation and was enjoying my  sattvic state of the mind. Suddenly, a thought came to my mind – ‘oh my God! I had put my hot cereal on the stove which I was supposed to shut before I sat for meditation!’. From a sattvic state, the mind immediately came into a rajasik state and I had to immediately get up and rush to the kitchen to turn the stove off. Of course, the cereal by that time was already a little over-cooked! When I came back to my mat, I couldn’t continue with my meditation as the mind was too distracted by that time. This experience did cause some distress in the mind. We all go through these sudden shifts of moods and attitudes all the time because the dominant guna at a given time can shift at any time. This is all related to the sanskaras and past memories which can come up onto the mental plane at any time and create a distraction in the present activity.

So, when the sutra says that for a viveki everything is duhkham, it means that the viveki has come to realize the transient nature of the pleasures associated with mundane objects and he no longer is attached to or identified with these objects.