Spiritual Message for the Day – Samadhi Pada of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Swami Krishnananda
Baba Times Digest© | 10 July 2014 17:54 EST | New York Edition
Summary of The Samadhi Pada of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Divine Life Society Publication: The Study and Practice of Yoga by Swami Krishnananda
At the beginning of the Samadhi Pada, in two succinct sutras, we are given the essence of the whole matter of Yoga practice: yogaḥ cittavṛtti nirodhaḥ (I.2) and tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe avasthānam (I.3). These two sutras are the whole of yoga, really speaking: what is to be done, and what happens if it is done. These two things are mentioned in these two short statements: yoga is the control of the mind, and then there is the establishment of the purusha in his own nature. This is yoga. But though it is such a short statement of a great problem, the methods to be adopted in the achievement of this purpose have to be explained in greater detail.
Therefore, the analysis of the mind has to be made in order that we may know how the mind can be controlled. We say that the control of the mind is yoga; but, what is ‘mind’? How does it function, and what are the modifications which we are trying to control through the process of yoga? The nomenclature of the various vrittis, or the modifications of the mind, is given subsequently so that we may have an idea as to what are those vrittis which we have to tackle or grapple with – the klishta klesas and the aklishta klesas, as Patanjali puts it – that is, the transformation of the mind in respect of an object, which causes pain and sometimes does not cause pain. Both these are vrittis; both these are modifications which have to be stopped in order that there can be a reflection of the purusha-consciousness in the mind. How can this be achieved? How are we going to tackle the mind? How do we subdue the modifications?
We are told that there are two principal methods, vairagya and abhyasa: abhyāsa vairāgyābhyāṁ tannirodhaḥ (I.12). The masterstroke of Patanjali’s method may be said to be what is called the double attack on the mind, namely, vairagya and abhyasa, the detachment of the mind from objects of sense – not only objects of sense, but even conceptual objects – and the habituation of the mind to a steady practice on a given concept of the nature of Reality. Then Patanjali explains what the practice is.
Patanjali proceeds very systematically, giving us a detailed account of the practice which follows – the immediate withdrawal of the mind from the objects by means of the practice of vairagya. We are given the methods of meditation, the samadhis or the samapattis, as they are called – savitarka, nirvitarka, savichara, nirvichara, sananda and sasmita – the processes by which the mind rises gradually, stage by stage, from the grosser to the subtler levels in its communion, in its meditations. But, one should not imagine that this is an easy process. The author immediately mentions to us that there are serious obstacles; nine obstacles are mentioned, which are also accentuated by certain other subsidiary obstacles.
One has to be cautious, therefore, in spite of the fact that there is a great energy put forth towards the direction of yoga, because these obstacles are very strong. Hence, a detailed statement is made of what these obstacles are and how they can be overcome. Methods are prescribed, subsequently, by giving certain techniques of lower forms of meditation on lesser degrees of reality, so that there is not a direct attack upon the mind but a gradual control effected through stages, so that one does not feel the pain of the restrictions that are imposed upon one’s own self – the mind. Then, a conclusion is brought about towards the end of the Samadhi Pada by describing the higher states of the communion of the mind with Reality – the samapattis, or samadhis, rising from what they call the sabija, or the samprajnata samadhi, to the higher state of absolute samadhi – nirbija. This is the content, essentially, of the Samadhi Pada, and we are told that the teachings given in this section are meant for the highest type of aspirant, not for beginners.
Excerpts from:
Summary of The Samadhi Pada of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - The Study and Practice of Yoga by Swami Krishnananda
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