4.2 Being is nature flowing

4.2 Coming into being is a transformation that follows the flow of nature (prakriti).

The flow of life evolves according to the intrinsic tendencies in nature: movement (rajas), balance (sattva) and inertia (tamas) (2.18). These three tendencies manifest in nature (prakriti) in countless ways. In sutra 3.13 Patañjali talked about everything in nature changing along three dimensions: properties (dharma), characteristics (lakshana) and states (avasthana). At different times some of those features can be active, dormant, or latent (3.14). Changes in those features (properties, characteristics, or states) are not a fundamental change. For instance, water changing from liquid to vapor, or ice does not go through a fundamental transformation because its essence does not change. The changes caused through the five practices listed in sutra 4.1 do not represent a fundamental transformation because they do not change the fundamental essence of the object. In the case of birth, it was suggested that the cause of the supernatural faculties manifests at birth as a result of the accumulation of previous experiences of that being.

Remember that in the first half of Chapter Three of the Yoga Sutra Patañjali mentioned three significant changes accomplished through meditative integration (samyama): a change to increased inner stillness (nirodha parinama – 3.9), releasing all externalities (samadhi parinama – 3.11), and single-pointedness that removes all illusion of separation (ekagrata parinama – 3.12). Although these are not fundamental changes to your essence, they do have a powerful effect in transforming your body and mind. Samadhi seems to be preferable to the other options listed in 4.1 because it is more sustainable and within the control of the practitioner. In any case, being born is the unstoppable flow of life manifesting in nature.
To what extent are you conscious of the flow of life in you?
Are you aware of the constant changes as life unfolds all around you?
How do your movements influence the flow of life through you?
What are the effects of various ways of breathing into the aliveness in you?
Do your thoughts affect how alive you feel?
Is there a relationship between your emotions and the sense of aliveness in you?
What are the effects of your choices and actions on the flow of life in nature, including in your own being?

As usual, one more way of exploring the meaning of this sutra is by chanting it.
You can choose to chant it in its traditional form with some of the words coming together:

4.2 jātyantarapariṇāmaḥ prakṛtyāpūrāt
जात्यन्तरपरिणामः प्रकृत्यापूरात् ॥२॥

Another option is to chant each word in the sutra individually:

• jāti
• antara
• pariṇāmaḥ
• prakṛti
• āpūrāt

If you prefer, you may listen to the podcast:

This is an excerpt from the book Unravel the thread: Applying the ancient wisdom of yoga to live a happy life

If you find Simple-Yoga.org and Unravel the thread useful, consider supporting my labor with a donation, you may also donate using PayPal or Venmo. Thank you!