Who is the founder of the famous philosophical school of yoga. yoga philosophy

03.03.202127.05.2017

But I must say that this activation does not happen quickly for all people. Therefore, for many, yoga remains the same. exercise type morning exercises which simply makes the person "feel good". This is for those people who understand their physical body by the word "I" or "myself". That is, for those who think that he is "a piece of meat with bones and a brain." This is why so many people get stuck in yoga. The physical body is good - and okay.

Having been engaged in such yoga exercises for several years, a person develops flexibility and a certain dexterity in performing asanas. In the future, people often become yoga instructors (as it is now profitable and fashionable) and continue the line of “yoga without teaching”. Therefore, at the moment we have many yoga schools where the instructors do not know anything about yoga! Although they perfectly bend on the rug in different poses.

But I'm not saying it's bad! For most people, this is just what you need. Since not everyone can understand yoga as a teaching. Yoga is first and foremost a teaching.! And it was intended for the caste of warriors (rulers) and brahmins (teachers). For those who can see in this teaching a school of life on Earth. The rest of the castes can learn yoga only as exercises for the physical body.

But for me personally, magic began precisely with yoga, so I want to explain to everyone what yoga is, since this question is often asked to me. It can be said that I still do yoga, but already at its highest levels. In my understanding, magic is the so-called raja yoga (yoga of kings or yoga of the elect). On this moment there are thousands of different variations of yoga. How to deal with them?

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

The very doctrine of yoga is described in only one treatise. This treatise is called the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. What it is? There used to be such a sage Patanjali (according to various sources, it was around the second or fourth century BC). He was a sage who studied the Vedic scriptures for many years. And since the era of degradation has already begun, he took and collected his knowledge for posterity in his yoga sutra and passed it on to his students along with a set of exercises. So, all yoga there is divided into 8 steps.

Each step involves the passage of the previous steps. The first 4 steps are conditionally called hatha yoga. The next steps are raja yoga. That is, both hatha yoga and raja yoga are just subsections of the classical eight-step yoga described by Patanjali. All other varieties of yoga are also just smaller fragments of the classic 8-step yoga! Except for the already obvious gag, which has nothing to do with yoga. Therefore, in order to understand whether any direction can be called yoga, you need to read the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali itself.

yoga steps

Niyama.
Asana.
Pranayama.
Pratyahara.
Dharana.
Dhyana.
Samadhi.

The first two stages of Yama and Niyama are philosophical life principles, without the approval of which the student was not allowed to the next stages. The very first principle of Yama is Ahimsa(not causing harm - neither in thoughts, nor in words, nor in deeds), hence vegetarianism and the corresponding perception of the world follow! This is only the first step of the first step, and there are five of them.

Only after mastering the philosophy of yoga, the student was allowed to study asanas, and only then pranayamas were shown to him. The student could reach the next fifth step only after decades. Everything depended on the ability of the student. Since yoga is white path”, assistance to the student was minimal. The white teacher's best assistant is a stick.

All steps, starting from the fifth, this is what we call magic. But we are already doing this in isolation from the body, as well as with the help of body-oriented practices. We can afford it, because we have experience and energy. For people walking on their own, this approach is not possible. Therefore, their path is longer and more difficult. However, with all this, those who follow this path develop more harmoniously and correctly, since they do not forget about their body! Therefore, I strongly recommend to all magicians and esotericists not to abandon body-oriented practices.

The most famous school in the world Indian philosophy Yoga aimed at awareness of the spirit. The very word " yoga” from Sanskrit is translated as “connection”. The philosophy of yoga comes from the connection of the soul with the Absolute. In yoga, the spirit is seen as an independent principle, free from the limitations of the mind, emotions and body.

The yoga system is a combination of spiritual and physical practices working on the comprehensive development of the individual in the spiritual, physical and mental aspects. Yoga intellectual: it involves the harmonious inclusion of the forces of the mind, its provisions are based on philosophical texts. The philosophy of yoga is aimed at comprehending the secrets of being through the acceptance and awareness of the personal spirit. Yoga teaches kindness and love. In particular, the idea of non-violence came out of yoga philosophy. However, yoga is very practical as it offers body control techniques.

Interestingly, we can meet the ideas of yoga not only in the teachings of other orthodox philosophical schools, but also in such religious and ethical teachings as Taoism, Buddhism, Sikhism, etc.

Basic Principles of Classical Yoga Philosophy(it is commonly called Raja Yoga) were formulated by Patanjali in the work "Yoga Sutra" in the 2nd century BC. However, it is wrong to consider Patanjali the author of yoga philosophy. He systematized ideas that can be found both in the Vedas and other sacred texts of ancient India.

The system of principles created by Patanjali is divided into the following parts:

Samadmtada - dedicated to the forms, goals and means of achieving yoga.
Sadhanapada - includes a narration about the forms of suffering, as well as methods for stopping them.
Vibhutipada - describes the internal components of the yoga system, talks about supernatural powers that a student can acquire in the process of yoga.
Kaivalyapada - tells about the nature and forms of the Liberation of the Spirit.

For the purpose of Liberation and Enlightenment, Patanjali proposed the eightfold path of yoga - Ashtanga Yoga:

Pit (social norms).
Niyama (self-discipline).
Asana (meditative position, posture).
Pranayama (breath control).
Pratyahara (control of the senses).
Dharana (concentration).
Dhyana (contemplation).
Samadhi (reunion with the energy of the Universe).

Comprehending life with the help of yoga practices, a person gains knowledge about the true reality, which is initially hidden from a person. He must acquire it himself. The goal of yoga can be considered a change in the consciousness of the individual, her awareness of her divine nature. The sages of antiquity, practicing yoga, came to the conclusion that reality exists not only in the Universe itself, but also within the personality (Atman). However, the many-sided world is a manifestation of only one Reality (Brahman). Living this Reality is called Samadhi, which is the highest goal of yoga.

Yoga directs a person to the liberation of Spirit from Matter (Purusha from Prakriti). In yoga philosophy, it is believed that all human suffering comes from the limitation of a person's own being by the framework of Prakriti. Because of this, a person is increasingly striving for feelings of satisfaction and attachment. But pleasures end sooner or later, and the greater the disappointment, the stronger the satisfaction. This is the reason for the existence of Karma. So we plunge into an endless whirlpool of transformations. The highest form of existence of a personality is its desire for liberation from the endless circle of rebirths. To come to this, according to the followers of yoga, is possible only by giving up desires in the material world. Thus, Karma is not created in a person and his Spirit is freed from Matter.

The word "yoga" in Sanskrit means a spiritual connection, and with God himself. In practice, this connection is carried out through a complex of physical and mental exercises that develop a person physically, mentally and spiritually.

The philosophy of yoga is to prepare the individual for direct communication with the Almighty. It has methods leading to the liberation of the consciousness weighed down by worldly passions, its enlightenment and nirvana - a state in which the Buddha appears before a person and brings him real joy.

The essence of the mission of yoga is in its basic properties:

spirituality focused on karma and liberation from passions, comprehension of one's destiny and purpose in life through strengthening one's spirit;
ethics aimed at exceptional virtue and the achievement of peace among people;
emotional attachment to others;
practicality and accuracy in controlling your body;
intellectuality, which allows you to strain your mind as much as possible during meditation.

The origin of yoga and its primary sources

Yoga is a philosophy of life and a way of knowing it. In India, it is one of the oldest philosophies that form the foundation of not only Buddhism, but also Taoism and Sikhism. Its founder Patanjali in his "" in 195 aphorisms (sutras) briefly formulated the main canons that theoretically substantiated classical yoga.

All the sutras are grouped into four works:

Samadhipada is dedicated to the goals of yoga, its forms and ways to achieve nirvana ().
The Sadhanapada lays out specific meditation techniques for penetrating Samadhi. Their essence is that nirvana can be achieved only by completely renouncing everything that exists. Existing refers to the four forms of suffering with the possibility of being distracted from them.
Vibhutipada describes the inner features of yoga and the practical, supernatural benefits of fully mastering it.
Kaivalyapada reveals the form and essence of liberation from worldly fuss.

But the history of yoga has its roots much deeper than the second century BC, when this Indian sage lived. Its origins can be found in ancient sacred texts, such as the Vedas or the Upanishads, which comment on Vedic principles. There, the teaching is called Raja Yoga, in other words, "royal."

Since the Vedas, the spiritual practice of yoga has been considered a continuation of the practice of Samkhya, only more adapted to life. Sankhya proceeds from the fact that every person in his life is influenced by two opposing principles - Purusha and Prakriti. The first concept means the spiritual world, the second - the material. The yogi, in the course of his meditations, must free the spirit from the influence of matter.

According to some Buddhist theologians, Patanjali's sutras alone are not enough to comprehend the true essence of yoga. His work only restored and systematized the knowledge inherited from the former teachers. At present, Vyasa is the most authoritative philosopher after Patanjali. "Yoga Bhashya", which he wrote, not only comments on the thoughts of the predecessor, but also develops them.

Eightfold Path

To achieve the necessary spiritual heights, Patanjali suggested in the Yoga Sutra to use (ashta - eight, anga - step). This technique, better known as the eightfold path, is the main darshan in the Buddhist philosophy of India. To connect with God, the Indian sage suggests going through eight stages:

Yama, requiring adherence to moral precepts that prohibit negative deeds and mobilize the spiritual potential of a person to go all the way to the Buddha.
Niyama, who cultivates habits and skills that help introspective perception of life. This practice disciplines a person.
Asana - a stable posture in which it is convenient to meditate.
Pranayama - series breathing exercises allowing you to direct your life energy to achieve your goal.
Pratyahara, concentrating the mind and thereby facilitating the separation of the spirit from its material basis.
Dharana, which allows you to focus your mind on a certain thought, object or phenomenon. At the same time, control is exercised over one's feelings by abstracting them from a specific object.
Dhyana, attuning the thought to the chosen goal and constantly returning to it until no other thoughts are mixed with this thought.
Samadhi, finally enlightening thought and giving the opportunity to finally contemplate the Buddha and communicate with him in a state of complete liberation from everything - nirvana.

Consistent development of each of these stages leads to samadhi, the state of true enlightenment. It is impossible to miss something - all the links of the eightfold path are inextricably intertwined and are necessary condition to move from a lower state to a higher one. On the first two steps - yama, niyama - the student basically comprehends the moral norms of yoga and trains his thoughts, tuning them to ethics.

So, the basis of the pit is five principles that inspire a practicing yoga person to abstain from vices:

ahimsa sets up non-violence towards all living things;
satya - truthfulness, refraining from self-deception and lies;
asteya--denial of theft;
aparigraha--avoidance of any boons and superfluous things;
brahmacharya - to refrain from sensual temptations.

The role of Niayama

The role of niayama is no longer in the rejection of the vicious, but in the acceptance of the virtues. There are also five basic principles:

Shaucha calls for external and internal cleanliness;
santosha - to positive emotions, satisfaction with life;
tapas - to diligence, self-discipline and self-restraint;
svadhyaya - to self-knowledge, the study of the works of spiritual mentors;
isvara-pranidhana - to piety, faith in God, dedication to him entirely.

Additional principles of niyama, some other sources include:

saumanasyu - benevolence towards others;
niragu - dispassion in choosing the path and following it;
man-dhataru—thoughtfulness;
avasu—independence;
-vidyu - knowledge of mantras;
damsanavantu--possession of super strength;
nishpratidvandvu - lack of opponents.

Asana immediately follows the ethical complex of ashtanga yoga. In fact, this is a respiratory exercise. Its purpose is to control spiritual energy with the help of specific physical activity(asanas), regulating the physiological processes in the body. By influencing the musculoskeletal system, asanas train and tone the muscles.

Pranayama continuation of asanas

Pranayama is the physical continuation of asanas. It multiplies their strength and allows you to control not only your own spirit, but also the primary energy of the entire Universe. At this stage, the habit is developed to control breathing and thereby accumulate the necessary energy for a fulfilling life. At the same time, breathing is trained at all levels, from superficial to medium and deep.

Regular execution respiratory exercise saturates the cells of the brain and the whole body with oxygen. The entire respiratory system is cleansed. As a result, the brain relaxes, the mind calms down and is not distracted by thoughts that are not related to yoga. This kind of training is essential. Without them, transitions to the higher levels of Ashtanga Yoga are impossible.

At the fifth stage of training, pratyahara, the practitioner stops responding to all manifestations of the external world: sounds, visual images, tactile and olfactory sensations. He feels them, but does not perceive them, because he constantly keeps his mind under control, and thus remains alone with his consciousness focused on meditation.

Having mastered pratyahara, a person crosses a kind of Rubicon, beyond which there is no way to retreat. He is no longer a slave to his subjugated body - his mind is under control and is capable of deep meditation.

This process is launched in consciousness at the next stage of yoga - dharana. It represents the ability to concentrate the mind in only one direction without any digression to the side, demonstrating reckless involvement in the subject.

Dharana gives a person the opportunity to comprehend his "I", to discover the true nature of things.

Dhyana is a more perfect stage of dharana. The process of concentration on one thought or object here takes a little longer, but the consciousness is enlightened much deeper and more fully. As a result, only the personality's own existence and the object of its meditation remain in it.

Samadhi is the highest stage of the eightfold path, superconsciousness. At the peak of its power, a person's thought merges with the object of contemplation. At this moment, she is able to be reflected in him, as in a mirror. Biological needs, time, space - everything disappears. There is a feeling of complete happiness - nirvana.

Liberation Theory and Karma

Karma in yoga is the definition of destiny, which for each of us is made up of a whole series of actions performed or not performed in the past and affecting the position of a person in the present and future. Translated from Sanskrit, this word means "action". But since in this case it affects just fate, it is more correct to perceive karma in an expanded sense.

Thoughts, actions, even expressed simply in words, can create a good or bad fate. For yoga, only bad karma matters, because it basically prevents the achievement of Samadhi and makes a person pay for his negative past with suffering in the present. A person must be freed from it in order to give him the opportunity to become happy again, as at birth.

But where in the human body are those centers that yoga should influence? The Sutras of Patanjali indicate seven points along the human body, - chakras. It is in them, according to the author of the Yoga Sutra, that all the evil and good of a person's destiny are concentrated. Purposefully influencing certain points, yoga frees each of the chakras from the negative accumulated in it and contributes to the renewal of the body.

This process is in many ways similar to the normal metabolism inherent in human physiology. The peculiarity of liberation in yoga is only that it operates with the category not only of matter (Prakriti), but also of spirit (Purusha). The task of yoga is to free Purusha from Prakriti, which fetters his freedom in the chakras.

Conclusion

Modern Buddhist philosophy tends to see the Yoga Sutra as a kind of scientific treatise on the meaning of human life. And what is our life? In fact, it is a constant pursuit of pleasure. But they cannot be endless: even pleasant feelings always fade away. The reason for this is satiety, in other words, fatigue. This is how dissatisfaction with others arises, and with it - suffering. The stronger the pleasure was in the past, the more painful will be the disappointment and the more negative the karma that interferes with a fruitful life.

The purpose of yoga is to gain knowledge, primarily about yourself, and develop your physical and spiritual capabilities. This will transform your karma, and ultimately your life. For only in this way can one realize one's divine nature and achieve the highest goal of yoga - nirvana, or samadhi.

The philosophy of yoga is understood as the most ancient teaching about the improvement of the human spirit. This teaching came to us from the ancient civilization of the Aryans. Yoga is one of the schools of philosophy (darshan) in India. The basic principles of yoga are described in the treatise Yoga Sutra, authored by Patanjali. Very little information about the author has come down to our time, various sources date the Yoga Sutra between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century AD. However, it is reliably known that Patanjali did not invent the teaching itself. The primary source of the yoga he described is the oldest written treatise - the Vedas (2nd millennium BC), as well as in the Upanishads (6th-3rd century BC), and in such ancient works as the Mahabharata and Ramayana (1 millennium BC). In all these ancient sources there are references to the key yoga techniques, but there is no system and order. Patanjali was the first to summarize and systematize all ancient knowledge about yoga in his work "Yoga Sutra" and after more than two thousand years, his work is deservedly considered a classic in the theory of yoga. The Yoga Sutras, like most books written at that time, consisted of short sayings - sutras, which most likely acted as reminders for memorizing long oral discourses. Obviously, for the disciples of Patanjali, this was enough, but for followers who do not have the opportunity to go directly to the teacher, it is impossible to practice yoga only on these sutras. Therefore, there are explanations for the Yoga Sutra. The most authoritative of these were written by the philosopher Vyasa, who wrote his treatise Yoga Bhashya in the 5th century AD.

yoga philosophy

Everything that exists is divided into two components - Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is the spiritual component and Prakriti is the material component. Matter is all that we can see, hear, feel in any possible way and is called Prakriti. In other words, it's practically everything, from molecules to planets and galaxies. Purusha is the eternal Spirit or spiritual principle, outside the material world, it does not have a specific form, and it is difficult for a person to imagine it. Purusha is the highest part of being and at the same time has consciousness, while there is no consciousness in matter. However, Purusha should not be confused with the idea of God in the West. Nevertheless, in the classical version of yoga there is a god - Inshvara, this is the incarnation of Purusha, but besides him there are many other deities, and he is considered the main one among them. Inshvara did not create the Earth and does not dominate the world, but can unite spirit and matter. There are three main forces that make up Prakriti (matter). These forces are called gunas. Guna sattva - peace, guna rajas - movement, guna tamas - degradation. As long as the spiritual principle does not affect matter, these forces are balanced. When Spirit and matter unite, the forces begin to interact and change, forming everything that exists. In the interaction of forces, the first thing that is formed is the ideal basis of the universe (Buddhi-mahat). In the future, five elements are formed: water, earth, fire, air and ether. From the five elements, everything else that exists in Prakriti is formed. Very important point in this philosophy is the absence of time. Yoga considers everything that exists as a continuous process of change, so there is no time, but there is a process of change. That is, time is a change in the state of matter. Unlike Prakriti, Purusha is considered immutable, therefore it exists outside of space and does not depend on time. Purusha is compared to an observer who watches the changes of Prakriti.

Yoga teaching about man

The main point in the philosophy of yoga is that a person is a micro Universe inside a large Universe, respectively, is also the result of the connection of Purusha (spirit) and Prakriti (matter). As a result of the interaction of Purushu and Prakriti, Budhi-mahat is created, the ideal basis of the Universe, everything happens in a person in exactly the same way, only an individual budhi is created for each person. Further, as a result of transformations, other organs appear: the organs of action, the organ of consciousness, the sense organs. All this belongs to the material and is in the individual buddhi. The spiritual part of a person, his Purusha is the Spirit, his true Self, which never changes and controls all processes and changes in our material part of Prakriti. The teaching of yoga compares Purusha and Prakriti with the blind and legless, who are lost in the forest and can only get out by joining their efforts.

The Central Teaching of Yoga

The classical teaching of yoga says that the ultimate goal of human existence should be liberation from the material. In the standard state, a person is able to perceive himself only from a material point of view. A person identifies himself with his actions (I do), feelings (I feel), thoughts (I think), but this is all material and is contained within the framework of Prakriti, in fact, all this is the result of the interaction of forces (gunas). And the true consciousness, the true Self is Purusha. Everything material changes - our loved ones are subject to aging and death, repeated events do not bring initial satisfaction, pleasure always ends, and emotions change from positive to negative. A person wants to constantly have fun, but this is impossible. And the more pleasure that a person receives, the more he is disappointed when the pleasure ends. The desire for material things affects Karma. In fact, karma is the law of cause and effect, which states that all actions performed by a person affect what his future will be like. In the Vedas, this law is interpreted as follows: whoever sows good will reap good, whoever sows evil will reap evil. Unlike the Western concept of “fate”, which does not depend on a person, the concept of “karma” completely determines the future depending on a person’s actions, both good and bad. All our aspirations for the material leave imprints on our buddha. Every moment we do something, think, say something and it leaves new traces, and after the death of the body, our spirit is reborn in a new form, depending on what prints were left in a previous life. Thus, there is a constant cycle of rebirths (the wheel of samsara), and a person is constantly present in the material environment and must constantly suffer. According to the teaching, one can escape from the cycle of rebirths only by practicing yoga and gradually coming to an understanding of one's higher being and renunciation of the desire for material things. A person who succeeds in renouncing material attachments will cease to be reborn, will break out of the circle of samsara and will exist only in spiritual world in the form of an unchanging Spirit, which is equal to the god Inshvari. Such an existence cannot be imagined, but it excludes suffering or dissatisfaction. However, with the ever-growing popularity of yoga, its original goals are being lost, and now people who practice yoga are striving to gain more in the material world than to achieve spiritual liberation.

The philosophy of yoga in a broad sense can be called the ancient doctrine of the spiritual self-improvement of man, which came to us from the civilization of the Aryans and developed into the form known today in the religious and philosophical schools of ancient and medieval India.

Yoga is one of the darshans, the six orthodox (following the spiritual tradition of the Vedas) philosophical schools of India. Its theories and principles are set forth in the fundamental work of this school, the Yoga Sutra, and commentaries on this work. We know almost nothing about the author of the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali. In India, he has long been considered a great teacher, yogi and philosopher, who lived in the II century. BC. However, today most scholars agree that, in terms of content and terminology, the Yoga Sutra should be attributed to the 2nd century AD.

Patanjali was not the person who invented the teachings of yoga. We find the origins of the yoga outlined by him in the oldest monument of world culture - the Vedas, the sacred texts of India (II millennium BC). Patanjali acted as a systematizer of this teaching.

Coming directly to the philosophy of classical yoga, we single out two fundamental categories that include all being, all that exists. These are Purusha and Prakriti - spiritual and material substances.

Prakriti (matter) is everything that we see, hear, touch or are able to feel in any other way. This is everything that the most advanced instruments can register, from the smallest particles to space-scale objects. The concept of Prakriti contains the entire universe, all physical objects and energy fields.

Purusha is understood as the eternal Spirit, the spiritual principle. Purusha is the highest part of being. There are no forms characteristic of Prakriti in Him, therefore it is impossible to imagine Him. He is conscious, while matter is unconscious. It is not necessary, however, to identify Purusha with the doctrine of God familiar to Westerners. Purusha is devoid of any personal attributes. The god of classical yoga - Ishvara - is a manifestation of Purusha, but He does not create the world and does not control it. Besides Him, there are other gods in the Spirit, but Ishvara is the highest among all spiritual beings. It also has the most important property for yoga philosophy to connect and separate Purusha and Prakriti.

Until the connection of Spirit and matter, the latter is in an unmanifested state. This means that the universe does not exist, and the three main properties or forces (gunas) of Prakriti are in balance. Guna sattva is responsible for the principle of clarity, rajas - for the principle of movement, activity, tamas - for the principle of rest, inertia. When the Spirit and matter are united, Purusha, as a conscious principle, begins to control Prakriti in a certain sense, to cause changes in it. The gunas begin to interact with each other in many combinations and, passing through certain stages, form the objective world in all its forms. In this case, the first product of the interaction of the gunas becomes Buddhi-Mahat. This important concept of yoga philosophy denotes the ideal basis of the entire future universe. In the course of further evolution through a series of stages, five primary elements are formed: ether, air, fire, water, earth, of which all objects consist.

Unlike Prakriti, Purusha is not subject to change. Therefore, we can say that he is outside of time and space.

Now consider the teachings of classical yoga about man. Here it is necessary to understand an idea that is unusual for the consciousness of modern Western man. In the anthropology of yoga, the inner world of a person corresponds to the outer being. Man is considered as a microcosm, which is identical in its structure to the macrocosm external to him. Thus, man is also the result of the union of Purusha and Prakriti.

Purusha in a person is pure consciousness, his Spirit, his true Self. Yoga assumes the existence of many “small parts” of Purusha, individual souls that manifest through different beings in Prakriti. Our true self is eternal and unchanging. It is conscious and directs all processes in the sphere of Prakriti. The model of the connection of Purusha and Prakriti in a person is often compared to two people lost in the forest. One of which is without legs (Purusha) and the other is blind (Prakriti). It is clear that, having united, they will be able to begin to get out of the forest. Purusha, interacting with Prakriti, fills the individual buddhi of a person, the matrix of all his mental phenomena, with the ability to self-consciousness. Therefore, we, not knowing about Purusha, are aware of ourselves in our mental activity.

So, having considered the main philosophical categories of classical yoga, we move on to the theory of liberation, the central teaching about the meaning of human existence, for which the Yoga Sutra and its commentaries were written. Liberation is the separation in man of Spirit and matter, Purusha and Prakriti. Why is such a division necessary? The fact is that a person in his usual state does not know his true Self and identifies himself, at best, with his individual buddhi. But the ability of buddhi to be aware of itself is nothing more than an illusion, because only Purusha has true consciousness. We always say to ourselves: “I walk, I feel, I think”, etc., thereby limiting our being to the framework of Prakriti. As we already know, any manifestations of Prakriti are only consequences of the interaction of the gunas. They are changeable and no form is eternal. We, identifying ourselves with our psyche, become attached to its manifestations and to the forms of the objective world. All our suffering comes from this attachment. Attachments give rise to desires and expectations in relation to the world around us and to ourselves. But the world is changing - people close to us grow old and die, the things done do not bring former satisfaction, negative emotions replace positive ones, any pleasures always end. We want a constant feeling of satisfaction, but this is not achievable, and, as a rule, the more pleasure we get from something, the greater the disappointment later. Moreover, striving for the forms of Prakriti gives existence to our karma.

Karma is a causal relationship generated by a person and other beings. By our attraction to one form or another of Prakriti, we determine what we will be in the future. For example, if we tend to be kind and honest, we want to be judged according to these virtues, which in turn creates our desire to be the same in the future. Aspirations leave, figuratively speaking, imprints (vasanas) in our individual buddhi. Every moment we do something, feel, think, adding more and more new imprints. After physical death, our spiritual essence is embodied in another body (reincarnation), and the vasanas are preserved, determining our future life. As long as our adherence to the forms of Prakriti remains, more and more imprints are added to the buddhi, which ensures the next births. Thus, we are in a series of rebirths (the wheel of samsara), eternally suffering in the changing world of Prakriti.

Liberation from suffering is possible, and the pursuit of it is the highest possible goal of existence. Through the practice of yoga and philosophical reflections, a person gradually, better and better, realizes his higher being, Purusha, achieves complete spiritual dispassion, ceases to strive internally for anything in the material world. Then his karma is no longer created, and he comes to the separation of Spirit from matter, leaves the circle of samsara and achieves absolute liberation. Such a person will no longer be born, but he may still continue to live in his real life, being in an unceasing awareness of oneself as an eternal and unchanging Spirit. This is the state of a god in essence equal to Ishvara. This being cannot be described in words, but it is difficult to imagine a better being than one in which there is not even the very potential for suffering or any dissatisfaction, and at the same time there is full awareness.