When the mind loses all desire for objects seen or heard about, it acquires a state of utter desirelessness which is called dispassion.
Why do we need this practice of non-attachment? What is the cause of craving that disturbs the mind so much that Patanjali needs to give us this teaching? Since infancy we are conditioned to seek nourishment and satisfaction from outside ourselves. This conditioning (samskara) has persisted through our whole life. But now we are discovering that our own inner Self is the source of peace and happiness, though we have sought satisfaction through possessions, relationships, power, pleasure, love, influence, adventure, etc. All this is reaching out to the world to get something from it. We go through a life of many experiences and find that there is nothing out there that brings us enduring happiness…. Everything changes. When we look inward and discover that pure awareness of just being is filled with joyous tranquility, we have found enduring happiness that is there no matter what else is going on in the world. Merging into this peace and bliss requires daily practice to overcome our innate tendency to reach outward for satisfaction or pleasure.
Dennis Hill
Yoga Sutras: The Means to Liberation
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