BLUFF OF KNOWLEDGE OF PREVIOUS BIRTHS

SUTRA (III-18) – MIRACLES OF YOG
VERSUS THE BLUFFS OF YOGA
ALL THE BLUFF – CALL THE BLUFF

SUGGESTED PRECAUTION

In spite of all the precautions taken by Patanjali the spiritualistic yoga translations not only gave birth to several bluffs regarding the supernatural powers possessed by a yogi but have actively contributed in spreading these to the extent that it becomes a subject of imagination only to think on the lines of considering Patanjali Yogsutras as practical and scientific in essence. I think there are two main factors responsible for spreading such ignorance. One is the literal translation and the other is the spiritualistic insistence. Though an effort has been made to explain the purport of this sutra as near to as what Patanjali meant by comparing it with the standard spiritualistic translation having obvious infirmities at a glance yet it is suggested that it is read along with INTRODUCTION TO THE BLUFFS OF SUPERNATURAL POWERS OF YOGA AND YOGI as given in THIRD BLUFF YOGA (Continued-4) for arriving at your own conclusions and calling the bluff permanently.

BLUFF OF KNOWLEDGE OF PREVIOUS BIRTHS - SUTRA (III-18)

It is one of the most debated and circulated concepts of Indian thought process because it is distinctly unique and common to various brands of spiritualism prevalent in India. The commonality is restricted to the term REBIRTH (PUNARJANM पुनर्जन्म) only and the debate revolves round the various explanations given to the term. In Christian and Islamic spiritualisms the soul doesn’t carry the weight of the previous births to their imaginary final Day of Judgment. The sutra quoted as authority to prove the acquisition of knowledge of previous births by a Yogi is:

(III-18) SANSKAR SAKSHATKARNAT (first part) PURV JATI GYANAM (third part)
(III-18) संस्कार साक्षात्करणात (सूत्र का पहला भाग) पूर्वजाति ज्ञानम् (सूत्र का तीसरा भाग)

In this sutra word of the second part SANYAM is not written. It should be presumed to be present
As usual the STANDARD SPIRITUALISTIC translation is as under which is arrived at by filling in the blanks of the outline as given in THIRD BLUFF – YOGA (continued-4)

STANDARD SPIRITUALISTIC TRANSLATION

By MEDITATING / CONCENTRATING on good and bad behavior patterns, inherent tendencies, social and economic status (SANSKAR) etc, a yogi is blessed with the power of gaining the knowledge of previous births.

BLUFF PROPAGATED – A yogi is aware of all his previous births and rebirths (PUNAR JANM)

INFIRMITIES OF SPIRITUALISIC TRANSLATION

The spiritualistic translation suffers from the following infirmities:

· A highly technical term SANSKAR used and explained by Patanjali has been made a loose spiritual jargon as a proof to invent another pedantic spiritual jargon of REBIRTH (PUNARJANM). SANSKAR (संस्कार) is technically a gene falling under a well defined group (JATI जाति) of VRITTIS (वृत्ति) called SMRITI (स्मृति) capable of mutation and with properties and symptoms of existence but translated in English loosely as good and bad behavior patterns, cultural finesse, social and economic status etc. Such a classification amounts to ignorance in Patanjali’s parlance and it can be easily equated with outright bluff.
· On one hand a technical term SANSKAR meant more on the lines of a kind of a genetic signature has been reduced to a loose term meaning all sorts of free for all interpretations and on the other a normal routine word JATI जाति meaning a group / class / species has been interpreted to mean spiritual jargons like rebirth PUNARJANM पुनर्जन्म and caste system, a heinous curse of Indian society at large; that has not been meant anywhere either in Vedas or by Patanjali. (For detailed explanation of VARN वर्ण and ASHRAM आश्रम as meant in Vedas please refer to SECOND BLUFF- RELIGION). The tragedy is that Indian mind set through centuries of tyranny of superstitions has come to accept these mischievous interpretations as correct.
· The spiritualistic translation being word to word and only made grammatically complete sentence, gives the impression of a boon alright that is never realizable being impractical and illogical.
· The word SANYAM संयम has three contexts. All three contexts of SANYAM संयम have been ignored
· The first context TRAYAMEKTRA त्रयमेकत्र of the word SANYAM संयम as given by Patanjali in sutra III-4 is completely ignored and it has been substituted by a spurious translation MEDITATION / CONCENTRATION
· MEDITATION / CONCENTRATION remains an idle, effortless technique as advised by the system of YOGA योगा one believes in as discussed earlier in THIRD BLUFF YOGA (continued – 2) and nowhere recommended by Patanjali.
· The second context as given in Sutra III-5 that SANYAM संयम leads to that INSIGHT (PRAGYA प्रज्ञा) of getting aware of some sequence (KRAM क्रम); is completely skipped.
· It jumps straight from some imaginary, effortless MEDITATION / CONCENTRATION on first part of the sutra to the achievements mentioned in third part of the sutra. It is conveniently forgotten that it is the INSIGHT (PRAGYA प्रज्ञा) of sequence (KRAM क्रम) only that may further lead to the understanding of the third part of any sutra.
· No effort has been made in any translation to take into consideration the third context as given by Patanjali in sutra III-6 as the spiritualists are allergic to any other knowledge. The third context mentions that this understanding of the third part of any sutra can now be applied for further achievements and results to be discovered and invented in any field of either SABIJ (सबीज) or NIRBIJ (निर्बीज) knowledge respectively (sutra III-7 and sutra III-8).
· Lastly, this translation does not take into consideration the methodology given by Patanjali in sutra III-16 for understanding any boon sutra. The first part of any boon sutra has got to be related to TRYA PARINAM (त्रय परिणाम) i.e. the first part of sutra (III-16). Otherwise a specific objective (DHARNA धारणा) that is the essential part of SANYAM संयम cannot be formed

MIRACLE AS MEANT BY PATANJALI

In Patanjali’s approach there is no room for translation. It has got to be detailed explanation only as the sutras are in pithy form. The explanation must be in the context as Patanjali suggests and not arbitrary as followed by various contradictory versions of spiritualized YOGA. Besides the contextual words SANYAM and PARINAM as mentioned in sutras III-1 to III-15 and are common to all the so called ‘boon sutras’, Patanjali frequently refers to those contextual words that he has either already defined or in the process of explaining; like CHITT, SATTVA, PURUSH, VRITTI, VIVEK and KAIVALYA etc. The same sutra gives the entirely logical and practical approach to the subject if the contexts of SANYAM and PARINAM as explained by Patanjali are duly kept in mind and the infirmities mentioned above are not permitted to creep in. The explanation should be based on the following standards:

STANDARDS SET BY PATANJALI FOR EXPLANATION

The contexts, without which the explanation of the sutra as Patanjali meant cannot be arrived at, are as under:

· THE GENERAL AREA OF VEDIC KNOWLEDGE from which the subject of study has been chosen – STUDY OF SELF i.e. .(ATM GYAN आत्म ज्ञान)
· CHOICE OF A SUBJECT FOR STUDY – THE BEHAVIOUR OF GENES AS A GROUP. As per Patanjali SANSKAR is a kind of VRITTI that has got to be studied under SMRITI group of vrittis. This is absolutely essential for forming an objective which is an important aspect of DHARNA formation.
· SUBJECT OF DHARNA FORMATION – After choosing the subject of study it has got to be related to the three dimensions of the concept of PARINAM as given in sutra III-16 so that the exactness is further defined. One must be sure in the beginning only that the properties (DHARM), symptoms (LAKSHAN) and state of existence (AWASTHA) of each sequence under study have got to be found out. So DHARNA in the present sutra (as per first part of the sutra) is to find out the properties, symptoms and state of existence of genes as groups. DHARNA is a highly technical term involving CHITT and a process that I shall be discussing under UNIQUE CONCEPTS OF YOG after finishing with the bluffs spread by YOGA about the third chapter of Patanjali Yog Shastra. Presently it is suffice to understand that no DHARNA can be based on selfish considerations.
· SUBJECT OF DHYAN – Complete unwavering and never distractible attention to stick to the DHARNA formed as mentioned in sutra III-2
· SUBJECT OF SAMADHI – Various steps taken to achieve the DHARNA formed above (sutra III-3)
· SUBJECT OF SANYAM – The subjects mentioned under DHARNA, DHYAN and SAMADHI above ( as per second part of the sutra and sutra III-4)
· SUBJECT OF PRAGYA ALOK – Emergence of that insight into the principles of sequence of SANSKAR (as per sutra III-5)
· SUBJECT OF VINIYOG – That will lead to the understanding of the previous group to which the SANSKARS under study belonged and thus a probable reason can be found out for a particular behaviour pattern. For example if someone tells a lie, pilfers things or say takes bribe; it cannot happen suddenly. It is bound to be a sequential action and the reason is not hidden in some previous birth but in this birth only and it can be traced in previous state of existence of that group of SANSKAR responsible for such a behaviour pattern. Such awareness will invariably lead to the relationship between matter and energy and to the laws of conservation and not to some weird concept of PUNARJANM as interpreted by the spiritualists. (as per third part of the sutra and sutra III-6) and will be of help in further exploration of related discoveries and inventions (as per sutras III-7 and III-8)
By taking into consideration the above guidelines given by Patanjali in various contextual sutras and by filling appropriately the three parts of the sutra into the blanks of the table given in the THIRD BLUFF YOGA (continued -4), the standard explanation will read something as under:

STANDARD TRANSLATION AS PATANJALI MEANT

“If you have made up your mind (DHARNA धारणा) to choose your subject of study as finding out the properties (DHARM धर्म), the symptoms (LAKSHAN लक्षण) and the states of existence (AWASTHA अवस्था), the three dimensions of PARINAM (परिणाम) about the behavior of genes (SANSKAR संस्कार), a subject of senses (INDRIYAN इन्द्रियां) covered under ATM GYAN (आत्मज्ञान)

And you are determined to pay never distractible attention (DHYAN ध्यान) in order to stick to this decision under any circumstances and you are confident of working wholeheartedly (SAMADHI समाधि) come what may for execution of this decision; you are likely to get that insight (PRAGYA प्रज्ञा) into the underlying principle of sequence (KRAM क्रम) of state of existence of genes which will be of help to you

In understanding the reasons of previous group (JATI जाति) state of existence of those genes you are studying and thus arrive at the laws of conservation, regeneration and inter-relationship of mass and energy substituting one for the other and you should be able to make use or implement (VINIYOG विनियोग) this understanding in any field of further exploration like genetics, psychology, medicine, sociology, botany, zoology etc and inventions like verbal and non verbal testing techniques, lie detector test, aptitude tests, hypnosis, auto- suggestion and narco test etc”.

BRANCH OF KNOWLEDGE INDICATED – STUDY OF GENES AS GROUPS (JATI)

RECIPROCAL STATEMENT OF THIS SUTRA – If previous generic state becomes the SUBJECT of study then behaviour of genes becomes the OBJECTIVE.”

ANALYSIS OF THE COMPARISON AND CONCLUSIONS

In spiritualistic translation again a highly technical word SANSKAR (संस्कार) used in the Sutra has been interpreted very loosely to mean good and bad behaviour and the routine word PURV JATI (पूर्व जाति) has been enmeshed into a supernatural concept of rebirth (PUNARJANM पुनर्जन्म). For this concept many more never verifiable concepts had to be invented simply because a lie has to be supported by a series of lies. It becomes a vicious circle. PUNARJANM (पुनर्जन्म) in which taking birth as a human being out of 8.4 millions of species has been on one hand made a rare achievement by an imaginary concept of soul (ATMA आत्मा) that can never die and on the other hand the same ATMA (आत्मा) suffers or relishes the consequences that are the consequences of the actions of previous births. The same rare achievement of ATMA taking birth as a human being does not remain rare anymore and makes the human beings as the puppets in the hands of another imaginary concept of destiny shaped by the actions of the previous births and consequently being classified into poor and rich, of low birth and high birth (JATI जाति becoming caste here), dull and intelligent, male / female or eunuch, weak or strong, sick and healthy, servant and master, subject and ruler and the list goes on. The rarest of creation has thus been forced to accept its helpless predicament and a very easy to perform procedure of indulging in rituals and effortless poses prescribed by various varieties of YOGA has been suggested to still remain under the impression of putting in Herculean efforts to achieve the most difficult and rarely achievable liberation circulated by another imaginary name MOKSH (मोक्ष). That way an immensely useful branch of knowledge i.e. ‘STUDY OF GENES AS GROUPS’ as suggested by Patanjali has been sacrificed on the altar of useless pursuits. Patanjali reinforces this idea in next two sutras III-19 and III-20
(III-19) PRATYAYASYA PARCHITTGYANAM
(III-19) प्रत्ययस्य परचित्तज्ञानम्
With such an awareness (PRATYAYASYA प्रत्ययस्य) of STUDY OF GENES AS GROUPS it is possible to analyze (GYANAM ज्ञानम्) the behaviour patterns (CHITT चित्त) of others also (PAR पर) with a precaution mentioned in the next sutra.
(III-20) NA CHA TATSALAMBNAM TASYA AVISHAYI BHUTATVAT
(III-20) न च तत्सालम्ब्नम तस्याऽविषयी भूतत्वात
It should not be considered as the only source of gathering such evidence of awareness. The spiritualistic approach has found out another miraculous power of a Yogi in sutra III-19 wherein he becomes the mind reader of any person by just looking at his body features. If this is how the sutra III-19 is interpreted then sutra III-20 has to become total confusion for the spiritualists. That’s why they are divided on the interpretation of these sutras; one group considering both as one sutra and the other unable to find and explain any boon in it.
Further there are three possible scientific interpretations of PURVJATI that could have been easily arrived at by simply understanding it as study of genes. The present concept of PUNARJANM instead of depicting ignorance, then would have meant as follows:-
a) Laws of indestructibility of matter and energy and their inter-relationship.
b) Laws of regeneration and transformation taking place every second in human body
c) Laws of reproduction through mutation of genes.
But this was not to be as spiritualism was determined to shun enlightenment in the name of fake enlightenment.
ONLY REASON OF BACKWARDNESS – The examples of inventions and discoveries given above from the modern awareness, therefore, are not to substantiate the arrogant claims of a spiritualist of either already possessing the knowledge or not pursuing it being inferior knowledge; but to emphasize the fact that the only reason of backwardness anywhere in any society is resistance and refusal to any awareness due to any reason and in Indian context the already discovered path to awareness in Vedas and specifically elucidated by Patanjali in his YOGSUTRAS has been intentionally blocked by advancing spurious translations in the name of so circulated advanced knowledge of spiritualism but in reality a fake par excellence. In fact no spiritualistic dogma has ever, anywhere contributed in any civilization towards any discovery or invention. Rather the history is replete with the incidents where spiritualism has put spokes deliberately in the wheels of science and progress.To propagate now or ever by any spiritualist that there is something like scientific spiritualism, amounts to throwing dust in the eyes to blur the vision. Let me clarify it further. The modern scientific terminology could have been Vedic also, had there been an effort to interpret Vedic knowledge scientifically and not spiritually. Vedas are replete with innumerable technical terms and no effort has ever been made to find out their exact scientific purport. Even if the job is started in right earnestness now only and the meanings of the Vedic terms are standardized, it will not only save the spiritualist of resorting to the mockery of trying to prove a Vedic concept scientific in view of advancing scientific developments; but also help overcoming the helplessness of quoting a modern technical term which is inadequate to explain a Vedic concept. It will further add to the human pool of knowledge that vital information which aims at prosperity and benefit for all. I am of the firm opinion that no spiritualist can ever even dare think on these lines because spiritualism is the only reason of our backwardness and pitiable state in many fields.