Sutra 1.25
तत्र निरतिशयं सर्वज्ञबीजम्॥२५॥
tatra nir-atiśayaṃ sarva-jña-bījam
Translation:
- There, in the Lord, the seeds of omniscience is unsurpassed. – CT
- In Isvara is the complete manifestation of the seed of omniscience. -SS
- In him, the seed of omniscience is unsurpassed. -EFB
Vocabulary:
tatra—in that, there
bīja—seed
sarva-all
jña—knowledge, knowing (omniscience with sarva)
nir-not, beyond
atiśaya— surpassed
Key Concepts:
In this sutra, Patanjali describes God as all-knowing and as being knowledge itself.
In the image of the circle above, the space within the circle is finite, the space outside is infinite. If you accept there is finite space, you must accept that there is infinite space as well. You can not have one without the other. Our minds and intellect are limited to finite knowledge, so there must be a source of infinite knowledge. That is Isvara.
The definition of omniscience is the state of knowing everything. This degree of knowing everything that Isvara is, is not the same omniscience attainable by you or me.
The use of the word, seed, in the sutra illustrates that there are actually varying degrees of omniscience, just as there are in the development of a seed.
Commentators have described omniscience as, “the ability to understand anything, large or small, individual or collective, either in the past, present, or future – the ability to understand all things from all times.” An omnipresent person is one who the seed of knowledge keeps growing. The collective knowledge is limitless.
Practice
Practice because you love yourself so much, not because you need to fix yourself.
Prayer Ritual
Practice 5X Rounds
Mantra:
- Use your mantra.
- Say your mantra to yourself 5 times out loud.
- Say your mantra in a whisper 5 times.
- Say your mantra silently in your mind 5 times.
*When you catch your mind engaged in an activity that you find harmful, use your mantra to get reset your mind.
Pranayama:
Viloma
- Start ujjayi, create a nice long breath, balancing the inhalation and exhalation.
- Inhale into the belly for a count of 2 and pause for 2.
- Inhale into the chest for 2 and pause for 2
- Inhale into the shoulders for 2 and pause for 2.
- Exhale slowly, smoothly and completely, pausing for 2.
- Reapeat for 5 minutes.
Meditation:
- Draw your attention into yourself. Removing your awareness of the objects of your senses.
- Focus your minds eye on your object of meditation.
- Practice for 10 minutes.
- When you feel your mind wander be so gentle in bringing it back. *Remember we are like infants in this journey. Treat yourself as you would your own child.
Reflection
- How knowledgable do you feel you are?
- I find that I am most knowledgeable about myself (do you see yourself honestly/clearly), about history, about religion, or other cultures? What am I knowledgable about?
- How easily do I accept new knowledge? Am I open to growing and changing?
- Am I able to recognize when or what I am resistant to?
