I believe we can all agree that yoga benefits us in many ways. Some of us might discover physical strength and flexibility; others find calm and peace of mind through practice. The yogis that came before us actually wrote about these gifts of yoga and called them siddhis. Matter of fact, the third chapter of the yoga sutras is dedicated to the discussion of these siddhis and the ways in which we can attain them.
As you may know, the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali is a collection of 196 sutras (aphorisms), written in Sanskrit, on the theory and practice of yoga—compiled some 2,500 years ago by the sage Patanjali in India, who synthesized and organized knowledge about yoga from much older traditions. These aphorisms cover all aspects of life, beginning with a prescribed code of conduct and ending with a vision of our true Self.
Looking at one of these in particular, sutra 3.24 tells us that through friendliness we gain strength. The actual sutra is maitry-ādiṣu balāni. Literally translated this means friendliness etc. strength. Remember, the sutras are very terse and oftentimes require help to understand them. We might add some depth here by saying “through a deep focus on friendliness, compassion, and joy, one gains tremendous strength.”
Now let us remember that we are not talking about simply being more friendly, although there is nothing wrong with that. What we are talking about is looking at friendliness with a meditative mind and allowing that to transform us. Perhaps another way to say this is that this tremendous strength does not come from being friendlier—it comes from being friendliness. In other words, you become the embodiment of friendliness, compassion, and joy.
Perhaps some specifics would be helpful here. Have you ever known someone who warmed the room simply with his or her presence, or perhaps calmed a tense situation just by being there? What kind of effect would you have on the world around you if you were the embodiment of friendliness? How would the world be different if we were all the embodiment of compassion? What would it be like, if through our practice, we were the inspiration for joy?
The word “strength” in this context means far more than physical power. However, if you are attracted to yoga because you would like to be stronger in that way, then sutra 3.25 has you covered. It says that through transformative meditation on strength, you will get the strength of an elephant!
Thank you for being a part of our community. If these topics interest you, please consider joining us for philosophy discussion on Sunday mornings at 9:30am Eastern Time. Zoom, of course! Maybe we will see you there!
Randy
