2.2 This discipline is practised for the purpose of acquiring fixity of mind on the Lord, free from all impurities and agitations, or on One's Own Reality, and for attenuating the afflictions.

Through the process of Yoga, thin mind will become pure. I don't mean pure in a Snow White G-rated no more Rambo Movie type way, but free from attachment to all the reactions built up in the mind over time.

I find it interesting that this Sutra translation has decided to capitalize the phrase "Ones Own Reality". Generally, when translating the Yoga Sutras, capitalization is meant to represent the larger whole, or the esoteric meaning of the souls journey to that larger whole.

What is your reality? Yoga states that your reality is not the same as other's reality. Of course there are some things that we all can relate to, but on a subtler level, these perceptions are stored in our subconscious mind as impressions that we may not understand ourselves until we dig them out. I think I may have used this example in my commentary in book one, but it's worth repeating. Yoga is like a shovel that we use to dig beneath the surface of the consciousness. You might hit a power line and get zapped, or maybe a gas line blows up in your face. The Sutras are the diggers hotline you should have called. It's the fire department that runs to the rescue when you blow up the neighborhood. It is the pair of rubber gloves that protect you from the electric shock.

The Lord is generic in Yoga. It's not what you would consider the typical embodiment of the Judeo-Christian God. Yogic teachers in the Indian traditions will tell a practitioner to use a particular deity from the pantheon of Hindu gods. Buddhists are going for absolute annihilation of the soul. Sounds like a good time huh? The Absolute is as abstract is it can get. Once it is put into words, it loses it's meaning because at that point, the Absolute abstractions has been boxed in. It's boxed in by religion, narrow-mindedness, prejudice and even your own up brining.

Book tow will give us specifics on how we can clear away the muck and understand.