शब्दार्थप्रत्ययानामितरेतराध्यासात् संकरस्तत्प्रविभागसंयमात् सर्वभूतरुतज्ञानम् I

śabda-artha-pratyayānām-itaretara-adhyāsāt saṅkaraḥ-tat-pravibhāga-saṁyamāt-sarva-bhūta-ruta-jñānam

When a word (śabda), its meaning (artha) and the emotions behind the word (pratyayānām) are mixed up, confusion arises (saṅkaraḥ). A deep understanding (saṁyamāt) of the distinction (pravibhāga) between those leads to knowledge (jñānam) of language (ruta) expressed by all (sarva) living beings (bhūta).

PRACTICAL LIVING     Language is how we communicate with each other, express our inner selves to the external world, and make sense of what we experience. Often though, language Is not as effective as we would hope. A specific word may mean different things to different people. A word may not translate well from one language to the next (frequently seen when translating Sanskrit to English). Also, our personal history and memories ‘color’ certain objects and words, which adds all sorts of unique perspectives to one specific word.

Being in a cross-cultural relationship, I personally encountered many language conflicts. Coming from Brazil, my ways of asking for things seemed “too direct” or even “aggressive” from my Germanic-Americans husband’s perspective. His ways felt “too nice” or even “obscure” to me. It has taken us years to learn each other’s “codes” of the same words. Apart from differing cultures, we have different personalities and ways of engaging with the world. So how we experience the same moment can be profoundly different. Therefore, the way we describe that moment can be vastly different.

Language connects to ideas based on subconscious imprints (saṁskāras), see sutras I.18 and II.15, that form as we experience life and become memory. Since our life experiences are unique, we each have a specific relationship and association to words. This may be one of the main reasons we experience so much misunderstanding and miscommunication as humans.

This all matters because understanding that people learn, digest and express language in different ways leads to less reactivity. If someone says something that provokes an emotional reaction, instead of assuming that the way we interpreted the words are correct, we may create some space and ask questions to clarify what the person is saying. This all takes practice, taking us back to sutra I.12, where we discussed the importance of consistent practice. In this case, we need to pause, some spatial mindfulness between what we receive and how we respond.

IN THE YOGA WORLD     With profound connection and understanding (saṁyamāt), one can communicate with all creatures (bhūta) and their sounds or songs (ruta). A yogi in saṁyamāt is not basing their understanding of an object, word or sound on past saṁskāras but experiencing a direct reflection of that moment. Saint Francis of Assissi was said to be one of the those people. With his timeless hours spent with animals, he was able to understand and communicate with them. There are many beautiful contemporary examples of humans who spend a lot of time with animals or the plant world and get to experience communication with non-humans that most of us are not able to enjoy.

INSPIRATIONAL PERSON     Saint Francis of Assisi, an Italian mystic and poet who lived in the 12-13th centuries, was said to have dedicated much of his life to underprivileged people and cared deeply for non-humans. I grew up with a beautiful wooden statue of St Francis at my doorstep. Having dedicated myself mostly to humans, I am feeling more drawn towards the plant and animal world right now. My connection to non-humans has deepened, seeing them with more reverence and as thriving living components of this planet. What I love about the prayer that is attributed to him (seen below) is the idea of being there for others, for saving energy not only for our self-reflection and growth, but also for others.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may
not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.