Patanjali's yoga sutras

पुरुषार्थशून्यानां गुणानां प्रतिप्रसवः कैवल्यं स्वरूपप्रतिष्ठा वा चितिशक्तिर् इति
puruṣārthaśūnyānāṃ guṇānāṃ pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyaṃ svarūpapratiṣṭhā vā citiśaktir iti

puruṣārtha पुरुषार्थ – the purpose of human existence
śūnyānāṃ शून्यानां – empty
guṇānāṃ गुणानां – the three characteristics of material existence
prati प्रति – toward
prasavaḥ प्रसवः – source; origin
kaivalyaṃ कैवल्यं – everlasting disappearance of the ego; absolute freedom
svarūpapratiṣṭhā स्वरूपप्रतिष्ठा – who you really are
vā वा – as
citiśaktir चितिशक्तिर् – the primordial cosmic energy of consciousness; divine consciousness; the source of all that is
iti इति – thus

The purpose of human existence is to move toward the absolute freedom that comes when you empty yourself of the qualities of your ego (your unique mix of the three gunas, rajas, tamas, and sattva). Then, you can return to the source, the truth of who you really are, what you have always been, the divine power of all that is, what we know as Cosmic Consciousness.

I thought my head might explode trying to understand this section of Patanjali’s Sutras. It’s full of big, seemingly contradictory ideas. It didn’t help to watch I Heart Huckabees, but I do love that movie.

I only knew I understood when I sat there crying unable to form words in my mind, but feeling a deep knowing. It was a moment of acceptance of all that is, in all its pain and beauty. 

Transformation comes through the grace. It cannot be willed. It only comes when you let go of what you think you know about yourself, releasing the ego and the bundle of experiences that formed it. That happens when you lose the ignorance that allows you to see yourself as separate from the whole.

Your true form is perfection and it is always there to be experienced. You can be in that state at any time whenever you perceive the world in awe, wonder, and gratitude, and let compassion, loving kindness, equanimity, and joy guide your actions.

Whether you believe you are successful in this or not, the reality is that, at your core, you are always the same, in perfect unity with supreme consciousness.

Consciousness and its objects are the same, separated only in the way this Oneness manifests itself in every form of separation.

Even in your flaws, you are perfection. Everything that comes in and out of existence, does so according to the need of Consciousness to know itself in every possible mode.

The Universe exists to know itself and we are how it does that.