1.1: And now the (authoritative) instructions of yoga.
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1.2: When the endless mental fluctuations and modifications (vṛtti), which characterize material consciousness, are suspended or arrested, that is Yoga.
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1.3: Upon achieving the condition of yoga (samādhi), the seer (individual self) abides in his own spiritual form/nature.
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1.4: At other times [when one is not in the state of yoga/samādhi], one is falsely identifying with the material covering of the self – the gross physical body and the mind – and is caught up in the mind’s fluctuations.
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1.5: The activities of the mind are divided into five states and can be considered as harmful/painful or not harmful/painful (i.e. leading to further material entanglement or to spiritual enlightenment).
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1.6: The five mental states are (1) correct understanding of what is, (2) false understanding of what is, (3) conceptualization, (4) deep sleep and (5) memory.
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1.7: The sources of correct understanding are direct perception, inference and the words (written or spoken) of authorities.
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1.8: Incorrect knowledge formed about something, which is not based on its true nature, is called false understanding (misconception).
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1.9: Vikalpa is the conceptualization of something which arises after having heard about it, though it has no perceptible existence beyond the words used.
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