Patanjali on sleep
June 30, 2009 by scc
Filed under Gus, Sleep and Spirituality
Healing sutra’s of Patanjali.
by TKV Desikachar and Kausthub Desikachar.
Credit: http://www.yogaofyoga.com
Prelude:
The message of Patanjali in the yoga sutra is that, mental activities, which can be classified into five types, are both useful, as well as a source of trouble. This time we look at the fourth type of mental activity, sleep.
abhava pratyaya alambana tamo vrttih nidra | Yoga Sutra I.10
Sleep is the absence of any mental activity, which is sustained by the dominance the quality of heaviness.
Sleep is the favorite pastime of most of us. Although it is a state of mind that is devoid of any mental thoughts, Patanjali calls it as a mental activity. This is because even this state of inactivity is an activity. Much like how “nothing” is also something.
When Patanjali defines sleep as a state of no mental activity, he is talking about deep sleep and not the one that is filled with dreams. He does not consider state of dream, as sleep, since here the mind still is active, albeit in a sub-conscious manner. It is intriguing to explore why Patanjali says, a state of mind that is devoid of any activity is both a source of trouble as well as a useful tool.
1.6
The five varieties of thought patterns to witness are: 1) knowing correctly
(pramana), 2) incorrect knowing (viparyaya), 3) fantasy or imagination
(vikalpa), 4) the object of void-ness that is deep sleep (nidra), and 5)
recollection or memory (smriti).
(pramana viparyaya vikalpa nidra smritayah)
