Patanjali Yoga Sutras 2.6 Center of the Universe - by Joseph Le Page

I received this sutra interpretation by Joe LePage and thought I would share.  Great commentary.  I completed advanced yoga teacher certification with Integrative Yoga Therapy and highly recommend it if you are looking for a yoga therapy training with a medical framework.  Joe was a psychotherapist and brings a great background to his training.  www.integrativeyogatherapy.com

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 2.6 Center of the Universe

Interpretive Translation by Joseph Le Page

Asmita, egoism, is a distorted sense of individuality that mistakes the instruments of seeing, the body, mind and senses, to be the inner seer or true Self.

Commentary by Joseph Le Page – Center of the Universe

If you think you’re the center of the universe, take a closer look...

You float on life’s surface in a small boat called “me”,
unaware of the ocean that lies underneath,

And the world around you, the “reality” you see
is only a reflection of your colored beliefs

And your entire life story, written line by line
is not even a comma in the annals of time

And you daydream a fantasy of the life you desire
based on the dream-world of those you admire

And your whole world revolves around profit and loss,
while the price paid in stress is the actual cost,

And your precious planet, fountain of life
is littered with the leftovers of shopping and buying,

And the boat you call hope that carries your dreams
is adrift without the compass of life’s larger meaning,

And the fortress you build to keep life in control
is made of from the same stones that imprison your soul,

And you say you’re self made, that you did it all,
when you don’t even know what will be your next thought.

But when you finally wake and take the colored glasses off,
to see you’re not the center of life in the way you thought,

To discover that the sum of your desires will never equal peace, and your dislikes are only a reflection of your own negativity,

And you open your heart, your true inner being
to discover your life’s purpose and deeper meaning,

To discern that death is just life’s natural next step,
and return home to the Self that you never really left...

You find that you are the center of the universe.