Yoga Sutra - IV- 29 - PRASAMKHYANE'PY AKUSIDASYA SARVATHA VIVEKAKHYATER DHARMAMEGHAH SAMADHIH - He who, due to his perfect discrimination, is totally disinterested even in the highest rewards remains in the constant discriminative discernment, which is called dharmamegha (cloud of dharma) samadhi. [Note: The meaning of dharma includes virtue, justice, law, duty, morality, religion, religious merit, and steadfast decree.]Swami Satchidananda informs us of this sutra that Patanjali is talking about a samadhi called dharmamegha samadhi -- the cloud of dharma samadhi. Dharmamegha means that all the beautiful qualities are there. One gets into that state when even the desire to be high is gone. Why? Because who desires to get high?Is it the one who is already high?No. As long as there is a desire to get high is there, you are not high; and when you really get high the desire fades away. You will have attained what it is to be attained, and all the desires drop out of you. It is only then that you are totally liberated.
We are further told by Swami Satchidananda that Saint Thirumooler says, "Even with God, please be without desire." That means that desire itself is a bondage. Ultimately, even the desire to get God should go. Then only will you have God. When will that desire go? When you get God. It's kind of a tricky thing. The fulfillment of this desire and becoming desireless happen simultaneously.
Dharmamegha samadhi cannot be attained by effort. So although effort is put forth, it can only go to a certain point. When you really reach that place even that effort goes away and it becomes effortless. At that point, further effort would keep you down.
Until we reach this stage, there is no harm in having certain good wants to help us stay away from the so-called undesirable wants. Then, when you are able to eliminate the undesirable ones, it is easy to eliminate the good ones also.
See some other posts related to samadhi:
- Minimize Obstacles and Attain Samadhi YS II-2
- Wisdom - Seven Stages - YS II - 27 (Part II)
Wisdom - Seven Stages - YS II - 27 (Part I) - Total Surrender Yields Samadhi -YS II - 45
- Samadhi - Contemplation YS III - 3
- Samyama - Last Three Limbs of Yoga YS III - 4
- Samyama - Internal Limbs of Yoga YS III - 7
- Further on Samyama - YS III - 8
3 comments:
This is a great sutra - in order to reach enlightenment or become liberated, you cannot desire it, because desire is a "worldly" attribute. A very simple, yet profound sutra. Thanks again for posting these - I have been reading your previous ones and they are so insightful!
You are welcome wsfaro! I too feel that the yoga sutras are very insightful.
Thank you for your comments.
"You will have attained what it is to be attained, and all the desires drop out of you. It is only then that you are totally liberated."
This is so interesting, so you desire it until you get it and then the desire is gone. I would think that would be true of everything. Well of course. So much of the time I hear voices telling people to stop wanting. I think that is so unwise. And I hear your wise ones agreeing with me.
Thanks as always for posting this info.
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