Patanjali c. 200 AD – c. 250 AD
Patanjali was the Indian sage to whom the Yoga Sutras, the foundational text of the Yoga school of Indian philosophy, are attributed. The Sutras present a concise and systematic account of the practice and goal of yoga, defined at the outset as the stilling of the fluctuations of consciousness. Drawing on the Samkhya metaphysics of two ultimate principles, purusha and prakriti, the work outlines an eightfold path of ethical discipline, posture, breath control, withdrawal of the senses, and progressive states of meditative absorption. The text remains the touchstone of classical Yoga to this day.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Indian
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Indian Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Patanjali:
“Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.”
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Attributed to Patanjali:
“Then the seer abides in his own true nature.”
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Attributed to Patanjali:
“Practice and detachment are the means to still the movements of consciousness.”
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Attributed to Patanjali:
“Non-violence, truth, non-stealing, continence, and non-greed: these are the great vows of yoga, valid in every condition.”
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Attributed to Patanjali:
“By cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, joy toward the virtuous, and equanimity toward the non-virtuous, the mind retains its undisturbed calmness.”