YSP Study Group – Sutra 2.33

वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम्॥३३॥

vitarka-bādhane pratiprakṣa-bhāvanam ॥33॥

vitarka=negative thoughts; baadhane=when disturbed by; pratipakSha=opposite thoughts; bhaavanam=should be thought of

Sw. Satchidananda

"When disturbed by negative thoughts, opposite (positive) ones should be thought of. This is pratipaksha bhavana."

If the thought of hatred is in the mind, cultivate the thought of love. For example, while the husband and wife are arguing about something, if their young child crawls up to them, their anger instantly melts away and converted to love for the child. They even forget their own argument. Change of environment can help in controlling negative thoughts. When you are angry, take a walk in the park and try to bring about positive thoughts.

Bryant

"Upon being harassed by negative thoughts, one should cultivate counteracting thoughts."

Negative thoughts arise in the mind as a result of the past impressions, samskaras, that are deep rooted in the chitta. These thoughts usually violate the values of yamas and niyamas. Thus these are thoughts directed toward violence, untruthfulness, stealing, sexual indulgence, accumulation, uncleanliness, discontentment, luxury, disinterest in scriptures and lack of devotion to Ishvara. When negative thoughts, which are a natural outcome of the samskaras, arise, we do not berate ourselves for having such thoughts. We simply learn to cultivate the opposite thoughts (pratipaksha bhavana). We should keep in mind that thoughts of violence, dishonesty etc. arise because of impressions of past practices of similar nature that are imprinted in the chitta. The practice of yoga helps created a stronger presence of the sattva guna which helps in activating positive thoughts when confronted with negative ones. When pratipaksha bhavana is practiced regularly, it creates a stronger sattvic field in the chitta which can prevent further activation of negative thoughts.

Discussion

(Commentary by Kailasam Iyer)

YSP II- 33 If afflicted by perversity in the mind assume a counterstrategic stance.

This is a caution and a suggestion by a seasoned yogi to a novice in the context of the novice having committed himself to a path of discipline toward liberation. As Subhash elaborated in his most recent comment on this blog, sustained committed practice of Ashtanga Yoga causes the elimination of asuddhi in the mind and steadily enhances the discriminating wisdom to recognize, identify with, and commune with Purusha. (YSP II-28). In an earlier sutra (YSP II- 20), we were informed that Purusha, though a pure witness, appears as an impression in the mind looking over Buddhi in the sense everything happens in the mindfield. This pretty much makes it mandatory to clear the mind of distractions before Purusha can be recognized. I invite you to look at the attachment to get a possible physical image of this phenomenon.

After listing the yamas and the niyamas and the need to practice uncompromisingly, the Acharya describes the human frailty attendent on the novitiate and guides him on how to handle this problem. Doubts, temptations, thoughts of vengeful actions against others in the false belief that they protect and enhance self interests, etc., arise in the mind AND they must be nipped in the bud. Vyasa reminds us that such perturbations in the mind were the specific ones which were sworn against and rejected by the yoga practitioner on his path. A dog attempts to reclaim its own vomit; a human does not. Vyasa recommends that the practitioner may want to meditate on the disgust a human feels towards his own vomit and use this disgust to counter the perversity if and when it arises in the mind(field). The implication is that the practitioner has to be ever vigilant against being repossessed by earthly distractions which clog the mind. An analogous experience in the physical body can be felt when one does the Taadasana as explained by Subhash in his Newsletter a week or two ago.

One could argue that the entire Bhagavadgita is an explanation of this sutra. I’d also like to point out the following in the Sermon on the Mount:

• Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Matt. V- 8
• Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Matt. VI – 13

Patanjali elaborates further in the next sutra and dramatizes the situation.