Samadhi - Contemplation YS III - 3

Yoga Sutra III- 3 - TAD EVARTHAMATRA NIRBHASAM SVARUPA SUNYAM IVA SAMADHIH - Samadhi is the same meditation when there is the shining of the object alone, as if devoid of form.

Swami Satchidananda tells us that there is not much he can say about this one. "You will easily understand when you have a little experience. Meditation culminates in the state of samadhi. It's not that you practice samadhi. Nobody can consciously practice samadhi. Our effort is there only up to meditation." He tells that we can put all our effort into dharana and it becomes effortless in dhyana, knowing you are in meditation. "But in samadhi, you don't even know that . You are not there to know it because you are that. " Samadhi is when you become what you think. Swami Satchidananda informs us that in meditation there are three things: the meditator, the meditation and the focus of meditation. "In samadhi there is neither the object or the meditator. There is no feeling of 'I am meditating on that.' "

An scientific analogy is given of alkaline solution being poured into an acidic solution until ultimately there is no more acid solution, just alkaline. So think of the Lord as the alkali and you and He becomes one. "That's samadhi." Swami Satchidananda tells us that it's hard to put into words (about samadhi) and that if we keep working at it, we will know what samadhi is. He reminds us of the four samadhis previously mentioned in Yoga Sutra Book I:

• savitaraka samadhi - with form
• savichara samadhi- with idea
• sa-ananda samadhi - with bliss
• sa-asmita samadhi - with pure ego

"All these four still leave some parts of the mind with hidden desires. You are not completely free. The ideas in the mind are not completely roasted. They could still germinate again. That's why all these four are called sabija samadhi. " Bija means seed, so the sprouting tendency is still there. But once those seeds are completely roasted, they won't germinate. Then that is seedless samadhi (nirbija samadhi or nirvikalpla samadhi).

The commentary ends with us being informed that the burnt seeds (mental seeds) makes the difference between ordinary people and jivanmuktas (liberated beings). The jivanmuktas are living liberated people and that liberation is not to experience when you die. "When living, you should be liberated. Jivan-mukta: mukta means liberated, jivan, while living. That is the final state of samadhi."

"Samadhi is, in fact, much more than a perception; it is direct knowledge." - "How to Know God - The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali" translated and commented on by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood.

See related posts:

• The Eight Limbs of Yoga - YS II - 28, 29
• The Mind as A Crystal YS I - 41
• Savitarka Samadhi YS - I - 42
• Nirvitarka Samadhi YS I - 43
• Reflective - Super 0r Non- Reflective Samadhi
• Samadhis with Seed YS I - 46s YS ...
• Nirvichara Samadhi YS I- 47
• Samprajnata (Distinguished) Samadhi-YS I -17
• Asamprajnata or Non-distinguished Samadhi YS- I-18...
• Rebirth - YS I-19

Samprajnata (Distinguished) Samadhi-YS I -17

If you have been following the posts on the Yoga Sutras , the last one was #51. That sutra ended book I of the The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Before I go on to book II on the practice of yoga, I will go back to a samadhi I did not initially post. Yoga Sutras (YS) I-17 - VITARKA VICARANANDASMITANUGAMAT SAMPRAJNATAH - Samprajnata samadhi (distinguished contemplation) is accompanied by reasoning, reflecting, rejoicing and pure I-am-ness.


Swami Satchidananda states in his commentary for this sutra that Patanjali is speaking of the final practice called samadhior contemplation, and its variations. Swami Satchidananda says of Patanjali that he is completely scientific as "He sees yoga as a rigorous science and never hesitates to give all aspects of the practice and their ramifications. It is the duty of a scientist to understand and explain every aspect of his discoveries."

Swami Satchidananda tells the reader that you might think you are ready to practice samadhi right now, however, it should be known that this practice only becomes possible after achieving perfection in concentration and meditation. He stresses that the mind must have one-pointedness and be completely under control because the entire mind must be used in the practice of samadhi.

Satchidananda says that Patanjali talks about 2 kinds of samadhis: samprajnata (distinguished) is in this sutra. In the following sutra(which I will cover in the next post) the second kind of samadhi is asamprajnata ( undistinguished). As a scientist, Patanjali further divides the distinguished samadhi into four forms. But before we can even understand these samadhis, we have to understand what nature or Prakriti which'is a closer definition of 'basic matter;' is made up of. "According to Patanjali, Prakriti is also has four divisions: the very gross material; the subtle elements called the tanmatras, which ultimately express as the concrete forms which you see; the mind-stuff (chittam), and the ego or individuality."

"So, samadhi is practiced first on gross objects(savitarka samadhi), then on the subtle elements (savichara samadhi), then on the mind devoid of any objects except its own joy- in other words on the sattvic mind (sa-ananda samadhi)- and finally on the 'I' feeling alone (sa-asmita samadhi)".

"When the mind is focused on a concrete object, that is called savitarka samadhi." Swami Satchidananda reminds us at this point the mind is already well under control. He speaks of "The moment the purely focused mind contemplates an object, it goes to the very depth of that object and understands every particle of it." He uses the example of scientists probing matter and discovering atomic energy. By them practicing savitarka samadhi, they got knowledge and gained power over the atom. He said the benefit of this contemplation is understanding the inner secrets and powers of the object contemplated. He asks what do you do with that power, seeing how the atomic energy was "used for destructive bombs instead of soothing balms."

Savichara samadhi or reflection has to to with contemplating something abstract (tanmatras or subtle elements) like red or white or love or beauty. Because of the abstractness of the word, help of a concrete object is needed for comprehension. Satchidananda says "But if you are able to contemplate and understand concrete objects well, your mind gets the capacity to understand abstract things even without the concrete objects."

Sa-ananda samadhi, which is going subtler, is only joy with no reasoning or reflecting. Not using the intellect and just contemplating the tranquil mind itself, one experiences joy.

In sa-asmita samadhi, there is just the awareness of individuality. You are just there aware of nothing else, contemplating "I-ness." Swami Satchidananda says that the samskaras (past impressions are still in the mind in seed form. "Even though you are only aware of the "I", the samskaras are still buried in the mind."

"The samprajnata samadhis are a process of going inward-not evolution, but involution." Swami Satchidananda further says that "In Yogic meditation we experience involution."

The commentary gets a little involved as you can see. But basically, Swami Satchidananda is saying that we have to work with what we see, the known, and then work ourselves back out to the unknown. He said we cannot just ignore the known and tackle the unknown. It is easier to deal with something concrete, which we can see, feel and touch. Unless you understand Prakriti (Nature) very well you cannot get out of it. This is why one would have to practice the four samprajnata samadhis first in order, one after the other.

Swami Satchidananda warns that there is a danger in practicing Samprajnata samadhis, however we do have to face them. The primary thing here is to prepare oneself with purity and selflessness. "Otherwise , you will be in danger with your new found powers." "These mysterious powers should not be used for selfish purposes."