Yoga Sutta
Yokes
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
“Monks, there are these four yokes. Which four? The yoke of sensuality, the yoke of becoming, the yoke of views, and the yoke of ignorance.
“And what is the yoke of sensuality? There is the case where a certain person does not discern, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from sensuality. When he does not discern, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from sensuality, then — with regard to sensual objects — he is obsessed with sensual passion, sensual delight, sensual attraction, sensual infatuation, sensual thirst, sensual fever, sensual fascination, sensual craving. This is the yoke of sensuality.
“And how is there the yoke of becoming? There is the case where a certain person does not discern, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from becoming. When he does not discern, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from becoming, then — with regard to states of becoming — he is obsessed with becoming-passion, becoming-delight, becoming-attraction, becoming-infatuation, becoming-thirst, becoming-fever, becoming-fascination, becoming-craving. This is the yoke of sensuality and the yoke of becoming.
“And how is there the yoke of views? There is the case where a certain person does not discern, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from views. When he does not discern, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from views, then — with regard to views — he is obsessed with view-passion, view-delight, view-attraction, view-infatuation, view-thirst, view-fever, view-fascination, view-craving. This is the yoke of sensuality, the yoke of becoming, and the yoke of views.
“And how is there the yoke of ignorance? There is the case where a certain person does not discern, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from the six sense media. When he does not discern, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from the six sense media, then — with regard to ignorance concerning the six sense media — he is obsessed with not-knowing. This is the yoke of sensuality, the yoke of becoming, the yoke of views, and the yoke of ignorance.
“Conjoined with evil, unskillful mental qualities — defiling, leading to further becoming, unhappy, resulting in suffering and stress, and in future birth, aging, and death — one is said not to be at rest from the yoke.
“These are the four yokes.
“Now, there are these four un-yokings. Which four? Unyoking from sensuality, unyoking from becoming, unyoking from views, and unyoking from ignorance.
“And what is unyoking from sensuality? There is the case where a certain person discerns, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from sensuality. When he discerns, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from sensuality, then — with regard to sensual objects — he is not obsessed with sensual passion, sensual delight, sensual attraction, sensual infatuation, sensual thirst, sensual fever, sensual fascination, sensual craving. This is unyoking from sensuality.
“And how is there unyoking from becoming? There is the case where a certain person discerns, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from becoming. When he discerns, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from becoming, then — with regard to states of becoming — he is not obsessed with becoming-passion, becoming-delight, becoming-attraction, becoming-infatuation, becoming-thirst, becoming-fever, becoming-fascination, becoming-craving. This is unyoking from sensuality and unyoking from becoming.
“And how is there unyoking from views? There is the case where a certain person discerns, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from views. When he discerns, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from views, then — with regard to views — he is not obsessed with view-passion, view-delight, view-attraction, view-infatuation, view-thirst, view-fever, view-fascination, view-craving. This is unyoking from sensuality, unyoking from becoming, and unyoking from views.
“And how is there unyoking from ignorance? There is the case where a certain person discerns, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from the six sense media. When he discerns, as it actually is present, the origination, the passing away, the allure, the drawbacks, and the escape from the six sense media, then — with regard to ignorance concerning the six sense media — he is not obsessed with not-knowing. This is unyoking from sensuality, unyoking from becoming, unyoking from views, and unyoking from ignorance.
“Disjoined from evil, unskillful mental qualities — defiling, leading to further becoming, unhappy, resulting in suffering and stress, and in future birth, aging, and death — one is said to be at rest from the yoke.
“These are the four un-yokings.”
Joined with the yoke of sensuality
and the yoke of becoming,
joined with the yoke of views,
surrounded by ignorance,
beings go to the wandering-on,
heading to birth
and death.
But those who comprehend sensuality
and the yoke of becoming — entirely —
who have thrown off the yoke of views
and are dispassionate
toward ignorance,
disjoined from all yokes:
they — their yokes overcome —
are sages
indeed.