Siddhis from Many Methods YS IV - 1

Yoga Sutra IV - 1 - JANMAUSADHI MANTRA TAPAH SAMADHI JAH SIDDHAYAH- Siddhis are born of practices performed in previous births, or by herbs, mantra repetition, asceticism, or by samadhi.

Swami Satchidananda begins his commentary with :

"Patanjali begins this chapter by reviewing the methods by which the siddhis can be obtained by the Yoga practitioner. Some people attain the siddhis without even doing any practices in this life. They don't know what they did to have these kinds of powers. That is the proof that they have done something in their past lives to merit such powers in this one." Clues are given about people who have experiences through "their LSD and marijuana." Grass and mushrooms are given as examples of herbs.

We are then informed that "siddhis come by the practice of mantra japa or by asceticism. Asceticism,or tapas, means accepting suffering willingly, thus exercising your will power and gaining control over the mind. And finally Patanjali says that the siddhis can come through samadhi gained through the proper procedure of concentration and meditation."

Swami Satchidananda concludes that normally it is recognized from the various ways of attaining psychic power, the only natural way is through samadhi. An herb is an external stimuli, not an "organic" siddhi, which may come and fade. "So, siddhis should come in the regular process of Yoga, not through external stimuli."

The commentary on this sutra will continue in the next post.

See related posts:

• Staying Positive - YS II - 33

Samyama and Siddhis YS III - 16

Yoga Sutra III- 16 - PARINAMA TRAYA SAMYAMAD ATITANAGATA JNANAM - By practicing samyama on the three stages of evolution comes knowledge of past and future.

Swami Satchidananda - "In this and in the following Sutras, Patanjali describes various samyamas and the siddhis which will result."

The commentary from "How to Know God - The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali" translated and commented on by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood is as follows:

"Patanjali now begins to describe the various occult powers and the methods by which they are acquired. All authorities, including Patanjali himself, regard occult powers as the greatest stumbling blocks in the path to the truth. " The commentary states that Sri Ramakrishna called the occult powers "Heaps of rubbish" and that Buddha told his disciples never to put faith in miracles "but to see the truth in the eternal principles. Christ spoke sharply against those who 'seek for a sign,' and it is unfortunate that his strictures were not taken more seriously to heart by his followers."

"Occult powers do, however, exist, and Patanjali, in his comprehensive treatise on yoga psychology, obviously cannot ignore them." Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood state that they translate the following Yoga Sutras ( aphorisms) " for the sake of completeness," but doing so with a minimum of technical explanation. "The sincere spiritual aspirant can have very little concern with such matters."

In the last part of the commentary, it is pointed out how "In the West these powers are hardly exhibited and that there is a good deal of skepticism as well. We are told these power are all within each of us, however, western man has made the choice to concentrate on production of the mechanical as opposed to the psychological powers. So instead of :

• telepathy - telephone
• levitation - helicopter
• clairvoyance - television

Finally, we are told that even though we may regret materialism by such a choice, it might be the better of two evils. "A community of degenerated yogis, using psychic powers for business and political ends, would be even more unpleasant to live in than our own atom-wielding world." Ultimately, instead of hankering over psychic powers we should turn our attention back to the true path of spiritual growth. Patanjali's warning: "They are the powers of the worldly state, but they are obstacles to samadhi."

See related posts:

• Tapasah - Austerities YS II - 43
• Still Posture - Still Mind YS II - 47

Beyond Change YS III - 13

Yoga Sutra III - 13 - ETENA BHUTENDRIYESU DHARMA LAKSANAVASTHA PARINAMA VYAKHYATAH - By this [what has been said in the preceding three Sutras], the transformations of the visible characteristics, time factors and conditions of elements and senses are also described.

Please note that the following sentence is from the translation of this sutra in "How to Know God - The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali" translated and commented on by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood - In this state, it passes beyond the three kinds of changes which take place in subtle or gross matter, and in the organs: change of form, change of time and change of condition.

Here again Swami Satchidananda does not comment on this sutra. He just translates it.

The commentary from "How to Know God - The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali" translated and commented on by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood is as follows:

A lump of gold is given as an example as we are told "Change of form occurs when the gold is made first into a bracelet and then into an earring. Change of time occurs as it gets older. Change of condition occurs when the bright gold becomes dull, or wears thin. Similar changes occur in subtle matter and in the thought-waves of the mind. The thought-waves may be of different kinds, may refer to different periods of time, and may vary in intensity. But the mind, in the state of samadhi, is beyond all three kinds of changes."

Samyama - Internal Limbs of Yoga YS III - 7

Yoga Sutra III - 7 -TRAYAM ANTARANGAM PURVEBHYAH - These three [dharana, dhyana and samadhi] are more internal that the preceding five limbs.


Swami Satchidananda tell us "In Ashtanga Yoga, dharana, dhyana and samadhi are the more antaranga, or inner practices. Even to practice yama and niyama, you need the outside world. How will you practice non-injury if there is nothing outside to injure? How to deal with the outside world is taught through yama and niyama. Even your body is an outside world for you, so in asana you do something with your body; in pranayama you do something with your prana; in pratyahara you do so mething with your senses. But dharana, dhyana and samadhi are totally inward. They are on the mental level. That is what Patanjali means by saying these three are more inner than the preceding five."

From "How to Know God - The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali" translated and commented on by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood we are told that the first five limbs of yoga are only a training ground for the aspirant in preparation of samyama (concentration, meditation and absorption). "The mind and senses have to be purified by the cultivation of ethical virtues and the whole organism has to be strenghtened in order that it may be able to undergo the tremendous experiences that await it. " We are further informed that this is just the beginning and even in samyama perfection is just the beginning. "For whenever we are inclined to feel proud of some tiny indication of spiritual growth in ourselves, we shall do well to remember Brahmananda's amazing and sobering words : 'Spiritual life begins after samadhi.' "

See related posts:

• The Eight Limbs of Yoga - YS II - 28, 29
• Yama - Abstinence YS II - 30
• Niyama - The Observances - YS II - 32
• Asana - Posture YS II - 46
• Pranayama - Breath Control YS II - 49
• Pratyahara - Withdrawal of the Senses YS II - 54
• Dharana - Concentration YS III - 1
• Dhyana - Meditation YS III - 2
• Samadhi - Contemplation YS III - 3
• Samyama - Last Three Limbs of Yoga YS III - 4

Samyama - Last Three Limbs of Yoga YS III - 4

Yoga Sutra III- 4 - TRAYAM EKATRA SAMYAMAH - The practice of these three [dharana, dhyana and samadhi] upon one object is called samyama.

Swami Satchidananda tells us that siddhis come from practicing the last three limbs of yoga [dharana, dhyana and samadhi]. "You dive deeply into an object or idea, and it releases its secrets. In a way, scientists have done samyama on the atomic paricles. The particles released their energy, and the scientists got the knowledge of them. They accomplished the truth behind the particles. Samyama is usually done on objects or ideas connected with some results. When the results come, you call them siddhis or vibhuti."

Related posts:

• Dharana - Concentration YS III - 1
• Dhyana - Meditation YS III - 2
• Samadhi - Contemplation YS III - 3
• The Eight Limbs of Yoga - YS II - 28, 29

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

Kevela Kumbhaka - Fourth Kind of Pranayama YS II - 51

Yoga Sutra II- 51 - BAHYABHYANTARA VISAYAKSEPI CATURTHAH - There is a fourth kind of pranayama that occurs during the concentration on an internal or external object.

Swami Satchidananda tells that the fourth kind of pranayama referred to in this sutra occurs automatically. In this pranayama practice we do not have to concentrate on retention because it happens automatically just by mind concentration on an object or idea. This process is called kevala kumbhaka, which is an easy unintentional retention that usually happens in deep meditation. "When we are deeply interested in something we are reading, the breath stops. If we at that time we look at the breath, we will hardly be breathing." It is when we are interrupted in our concentration that we sigh, making up for that retention. We are given the example if we hear terrible news, our breath stops suddenly as a result of the mind's thought process is halted. After the news we take a deep breath.

Swami Satchidananda informs us that this is a good thing when kevala kumbhaka happens during our japa or meditation and it won't happen until our system is ready. "If we are deep enough, the breath might even stop for a few minutes. In samadi it stops for several hours. People don't die, because there is no wastage of energy. It is being reserved." We are given examples that under normal conditions when we are expending a lot of energy, more must be put back into our systems. Just like a battery in a car that maintains the different functions, the dynamo within the engine compartment puts in more current, so the battery maintains its life. If there is overload of current from the dynamo, the battery overheats and dies. We don't have a dynamo mechanism to limit our energy, like a car. We only have ourselves to monitor the energy.

So the analogy is given of switching off the engine when the car is parked and no wastage of energy from the battery, in the same way we conserve our human electricity - prana- with our breathing system. "Our breathing system is the dynamo. We inhale in order to take in more prana to maintain the battery at a certain level. " When the body is quiet and we do not talk, we reserve energy. "If we keep the body still, we conserve energy; but still the mind moves and consumes a little energy, so we still have to breathe in. If we do not even think, there is no wastage at all and breathing is unnecessary. Kumbhaka is automatically achieved."

The commentary ends informing us that the mind and prana are inseparable. We are asked which is subtler, the mind or the breath? Which is easier to handle, the subtle or the gross? "Always the gross thing." It's easier to control our prana in a grosser manifestation than in a subtle one. Thus "we learn to control the physical body, then the movement of the breath, then the senses, and finally the mind. It is very scientific, gradual and easy."

See related posts:

• Mantra
• Reflection upon Meaning YS I - 28
• Take a Deep Breath! YS I - 34

Total Surrender Yields Samadhi -YS II - 45

Yoga Sutra II- 45 - SAMADHI SIDDHIR ISVARAPRANIDHANANT - By total surrender to God, samadhi is attained.

Swami Satchidananda says that "Isvara pranidhatnam is a life of dedication, of offering everything to the Lord or to humanity." Swami Satchidananda tells us that he includes humanity in the category of the Lord because the whole world is God. "When we dedicate out lives to the benefit of humanity, we have dedicated ourselves to God. Whatever we do can easily be transformed into worship by our attitude." We are told that even treating items we have roughly will be felt as painful and that we should have "gentle, Yogic touch with everything." "Convert every work into Yoga with the magic wand of right attitude."

If we can renounce our attachments to our possessions, we will have nothing to worry about. The worries we have come from these mental attachments. When we can possess things without the attachments, Swami Satchidananda says that "This is continuous "samadhi." Real samadhi is tranquility of mind, not just sitting in a corner like a rock. This tranquility of mind can come when the mind is free from all attachment. The Gita is quoted as saying "Either give everything to the world, to the community of your fellow people, or give everything to God." A stanza quoted from the Gita "Do everything in My name. Then you will get peace and joy." Swami Satchidananda says at this point in the commentary that if we can understand this, there is no need to read further. However, this might not be want some people want, thus the scriptures give different paths. He said there are numerous paths*, religions and philosophies. It doesn't matter what path and that "By practicing one these virtues, all the rest will follow. If one is perfected, concentration , meditation and even samadhi will come."

*Some of the numerous paths are referred to in - "How to Know God - The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali" translated and commented on by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood are as follows:

• Bhakti yoga - the path of devotion to God through ritual worship, prayer, japa


• Karma yoga - the path through selfless service (God dedicated action). Dedication of the fruits of one's work to God


• Jnana yoga - the path of intellectual discrimination; the way of finding Brahma (God) through analysis of the real nature of phenomena


• Raja yoga - the path of meditation combining all of the paths. Included also is the study of body as a vehicle of spiritual energy.

It is noted that one yoga cannot be practiced to the sole exclusion of the others. It is pointed out that love, discrimination and dedicated action are all included in any religious path. "Just as the devotee may choose a particular aspect of God he feels most inclined to worship, so also he may the particular kind of he wants to establish between God and himself."

This ends the last observance category of Niyama, the second limb of yoga.

See related posts:

• The Eight Limbs of Yoga - YS II - 28, 29
• Yama - Abstinence YS II - 30
  
  

The Eight Limbs of Yoga - YS II - 28, 29

Yoga Sutra II- 28 - YOGANGANUSTHANAD ASUDDHI KSAYE JNANADIPTIR A VIVEKAKHYATEH - By the practice of the limbs of Yoga, the impurities dwindle away and there dawns the light of wisdom, leading to discriminative discernment.

Swami Satchidananda states that from this point on, Patanjali gives different ideas about Yoga practice as it is divided into eight stages or limbs. This is why the sutras are referred to as Ashtanga Yoga or eight limbs. Patanjali is now covering the information already given, but in a more practical way as to remove the impurities of the mind.

Yoga Sutra II- 29 - YAMA NIYAMASANA PRANAYAMA PRATYAHARA DHARANA DHYANA SAMADHAYO STAV ANGANI - Yama = abstinence; niyama = observance; asana - posture; pranayama = breath control; pratyahara = withdrawal of the senses; dharana = meditation; samadhayh = contemplation, absorption or superconscious state; ashta = eight' angani = limbs or part

The eight limbs of Yoga are:
1. yama (abstinence)
2. niyama (observance)
3. asana (posture)
4. pranayama (breath control)
5. pratyahara ( sense withdrawal)
6. dharana ( concentration)
7. dhyana ( meditation)
8. samadhi (contemplation, absorption or superconscious state)

Ego - Meditation YS II- 10, YS II - 11

Yoga Sutra II- 10 - TE PRATIPRASAVA HEYAH SUKSMAH - In subtle form, these obstacles can be destroyed by resolving them back into their primal cause [the ego].

Yoga Sutra II- 11 -DHYANA HEYAS TAD VRTTAYAH - In the active state, they can be destroyed by meditation.

Swami Satchidananda comments on the above sutras above together. In Yoga Sutra II- 10 he speaks about breaking the ego and likens it to a pot. The ego has the "smell "of thoughts and in order to get rid of the impressions of the thoughts, one has to break the pot (ego) . He then uses the analogy of using meditation as a process to understand the thoughts and to clean them up. When uprooting a tree, the branches are cut first and then the roots of the tree are dug up.

From the book "How to Know God - The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali" translated and commented on by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood, for these sutras they start with the latter sutra to the former one. Instead of starting with the subtle, the gross form of the fully developed obstacle is to be overcome first. Then when they (the obstacle or klesas) exist vestigially as tendencies (samskaras), they are only destroyed "when the mind is resolved back to its cause, that is, into Prakriti, from which the mind was projected." This the process that leads to samadhi.

Minimize Obstacles and Attain Samadhi YS II-2

Yoga Sutra II-2 -SAMADHI BHAVANARTHAH KLESA TANUKARANARTHAS CA - They help us minimize obstacles and attain samadhi.


Swami Satchidananda says of this sutra that Patanjali informs us "why Kriya Yoga should be practiced to minimize obstacles and to get into samadhi." Patanjali basically tells us without Kriya yoga, we can never overcome the obstacles and reach samadhi. So basically all the hatha yoga (physical postures), Japa Yoga (silent repetition of the mantra) and living in Yoga residences or ashrams are all part of the process to prepare us for meditation and samadhi.

Nirbija - Seedless Samadhi YS I - 51

Yoga Sutra I-51 - TASYAPI NIRODHE SARVA NIRODHAN NIRBIJAH SAMADHI - When even this impression is wiped out, every impression is totally wiped out and there is nirbija [seedless] samadhi.


Swami Satchidananda states in his commentary for this sutra that it is only now at this point that Patanjali describes the highest samadhi. "Even with the ritambhara prajna the subtle mind is there. There is still a division between the prajna, or wisdom, and the owner of tha wisdom. Even the feeling, 'I have realized God' should go. Then you are completely free. You have attained nirbija samadhi. There is no more birth or death for you; you realize your immortality."

Samskara - Impression YS I - 50

Samskara(s): Sanskrit word meaning impression left by a previous thought or action; latent tendency; are the seed of our past actions. We all have samskaras in our lives that either help or hinder us. So now we come to the following sutra:

Yoga Sutra I- 50 - TAJJAH SAMSKARO'NYA SAMSKARA PRATIBANDHI - The impression produced by this samadhi wipes out all other impressions.

Swami Satchidananda says in his commentary of this sutra that the impression which comes from the samadhi in which you get ritambhara prajna will block all other impressions. Here everything dies away and there is no more returning back as an ordinary person, who is unaware of his own true nature. When one gets to this stage, the stage of no return, one always retain this knowledge (of his true nature). This stage is when one becomes a realized saint or a jivamukta. The word jivan means one who is lives and mukta means liberated. The jivanmukta lives, eats, talks, does business like everyone else but liberated. This liberated person doesn't get excited. This person as a jivanmukta can do anything, like being involved in the world for the sake of humanity without any personal attachment.

Swami Satchidananda concludes the commentary by stating that a liberated person will not be attached to anything, not have impressions or old thoughts to bring them back to ordinary life. The seeds of desire will be completely burnt up and that liberated person will always live in an unattached state.

Samadhis with Seed YS I - 46

Yoga Sutra I-46 -TA EVA SABIJAH SAMADHIH - All these samadhis are sabija (with seed), which could bring one back into bondage or mental disturbance.

The seeds being spoken about here are desires and attachments. Swami Satchidananda states that in all the samadhis previously mentioned, the goal has not been reached. "Even after acquiring all these states," (of samadhi) "you can come back as an ordinary person because of the impressions are still there." In other words, you can experience these states, but if the desires are not completely burned up because the mind is not completely purified, you can once again become plagued with the vrittis of the mind . Therefore, Swami Satchidananda says that is why one should make the mind purified before one practices deep meditation. He goes on to illustrate that even an "impure" mind can see GOD but from a wrong angle.

In his commentary scientists are illustrated as "Yogis" in the sense of how deep they concentrate and meditate producing discoveries and inventions. They are able to get to plumb the secrets of the atoms. He ends his comments stating if we are" to go into the secrets of life and the universe and gain control over them, we should have pure minds to make the proper use of them." If not we will bring destruction on the whole of humanity. Purification of the mind is very necessary.

Reflective - Super 0r Non- Reflective Samadhis YS I - 44, 45

Yoga Sutra I-44 ETAYAIVA SAVICARA NIRVICARA CA SUKSMA VISAYA VYAKHYATA - In the same way, savichara (reflective) and nirvichara (super or non-reflective) samadhis, which are practiced upon subtle objects, are explained.

Yoga Sutra I-45 SUKSMA VISAYATVAM CALINGA PARYAVASANAM - The subtley of possible objects of concentration ends only at the undefinable.

On the two above sutras Swami Satchidananda comments on two other kinds of samadhis which are practiced similarly having finer elements for their objects. Satchiananda says basically "In other words, the finer objects [tanmatras, chittam and ego] ultimately end in the primal force called the Prakriti, or the primordial basic substance in its unmanifested condition." So basically in this condition there is no name, form or thought and just a fully balanced, tranquil unmanifested state of nature. And it is here that the mind has at he power to go to the very root of this unmanifested nature.

Nirvitarka Samadhi YS I - 43

Yoga Sutra I-43 - SMRTI PARISUDDHAU SVARUPA SUNYEVARTHA MATRA NIRBHASA NIRVITARAKA - When the memory is well purified, the knowledge of the object of concentration shines alone, devoid of the distinction of name and quality. This is nirvitarka samadhi, or samdhi without deliberation.


What this type of samadhi is (without deliberation) is unmixed with the sound or name, the object or meaning and knowledge. Here in nirvitarka samadhi there is only knowledge (jnana) of the object meditated on. This is when the memory is purified or devoid or qualities, according to Swami Satchidananda. So this is to know nothing but the object itself as it truly is without our reactions and or preconceived thoughts.

Savitarka Samadhi YS - I - 42

Pantanjali's Yoga Sutra I-42 - TATRA SABDARTHA JNANA VIKALPAIH SAMKIRNA SAVITARKA- The samadhi in which name, form and knowledge of them is mixed is called savitarka samadhi, or samadhi with deliberation.

A definition of Savitarka Samadhi is that the second state of samadhi where there is alternating association of the consciousness between word, knowledge and sensory perception ...

Swami Satchidananda says " that in savitarka samadhi you can actually understand the sound, the meaning, and the resulting knowledge of an object." In an earlier sutra I- 17 VITARKA VICARANANDASMITANUGAMAT SAMPRAJNATAH Swami Satchidananda said "When the mind is focused on a concrete object, that is called savitarka samadhi."

Some of you reading this might think what is this all about. Basically Swami Satchidananda gives an example of this sutra by giving an example of the fact that every time we hear a sound (like the word dog), we simultaneously do all these three things:

• Hear the word
• try to understand the object by the sound
• gain the knowledge of the object

The sound of the word "dog" goes into the brain and tries to find a similar grove. If it does, then we understand the word "dog" that we heard before. So the sound or name (sabda), the object (artha) and the knowledge (jnana) all happen spontaneously. In this samadhi Swami Satchidananda says we can separate them one after the other and that it is a process that we can stop whenever we want.

The Mind as A Crystal YS I - 41

Pantanjali's Yoga Sutra I-41 KSINA VRTTER ABHIJATASYEVA MANER GRAHITR GRAHANA GRAHYESU TATSTHA TADANJANATA SAMAPATTIH - Just as the naturally pure crystal assumes shapes and colors of objects placed near it, so the Yogi's mind, with its totally weakened modifications, becomes clear and balanced and attains the state devoid of differentiation between the knower, knowable and knowledge. This culmination of meditation is samadhi. (transliteration by Swami Satchidananda)

Swami Satchidananda says if you develop one idea or use one particular method through constant meditation, "all other thoughts and desires will gradually die away." It's like once you pay attention to something constantly, your awareness of all else withers away. Our habits that we don't want will wither and die if we don't give them the opportunity to manifest. So we don't have to fight the habit, just cultivate a proper one. So in regard to the crystal taking on the color of what is near it, if you place purple color near a crystal (like a clear quartz crystal) it will take will appear purple. In the same way once the mind accepts the your idea of meditation, it takes that form. The end result of meditation is samadhi which is a higher level of concentrated meditation. The Wikipedia defines samadhi "as a non-dualistic state of consciousness in which the consciousness of the experiencing subject becomes one with the experienced object,[2] and in which the mind becomes still (one-pointed or concentrated)[3] though the person remains conscious. "

Another way to say this sutra is "Just as the pure crystal takes color from the object that is nearest to it, so the mind, when it is cleared of thought-waves, achieves sameness or identity with the object of its concentration. This may be either a gross object, or the organ of perception, or the sense of ego. This achievement of sameness of identity with the object of concentration is known as samadhi." - transliteration by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood of "How To Know God - The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali". You can click here to hear a little from Swami Prabhavananda addressing the Yoga Sutras.

Regardless of which transliteration you like, the bottom line is do the process. For this New Year 2009, this is a perfect way to start it off and continue. I wish you a Happy New Year and I warmly invite you to join me in Salutations New Year 2009! Come and tune up your body so you can help the process of meditation. You can also go to http://www.bometernally.com/