So the yoga described here seems at first glance to be in line with the still mind’ of the Sramanas. This is confirmed by many other verses, which are also about stilling the mind and the effect of this. However one of the elements listed in the definition of yoga does not fit into this understanding. What is alien, seen from the point of view of still-mind-meditation, is the 5 yoga element – thinking’ (tarka): how can the cognitive processes of thinking happen as the mind is brought to stillness and concentration? How come tarka is neither the initial step of mental preparation nor the final step of realisation in this six-limb yoga procedure? What has thinking (tarka) to do with stilling the mind (turya)?
From many other passages we can see that insight’ or knowledge’ has gained significant importance in the Maitri. Liberation is not achieved through mortification-meditation only. Three elements are required and the words used are not those that appear on the list of six yoga technologies:
My friends have all canceled, and my family isn’t too Yoga poses muscles thrilled about flying abroad, either, he said. Now, so close to leaving, Yoga poses muscles my fiance was basically telling me that we were not going to go through with the plans we’d made. He wanted to talk about it, but there was no point. I needed to give people the notice they would need to stop the wheels already in motion. I immediately sent e-mails to everyone invited, letting them know what was decided. I was angry at those who had started this mess, and angry at our government for retaliating, and I was angry at my fiance for giving up so easily. The truth is, it was nobody’s fault, and I needed to get over myself. When it was suggested that we relocate the ceremony, I refused.
