by Swami Chidananda
Now, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi (concentration, meditation and trance), constitute the last three Angas (limbs or steps) of Patanjali Maharshi’s Ashtanga Yoga (Yoga of eight limbs: 1. Yama, 2.Niyama, 3. Asana, 4. Pranayama, 5. Pratyahara, 6. Dharana, 7. Meditation, 8. Samadhi).
The last three Angas (three last steps are Dharana-concentration, Dhyana-meditation and Samadhi-trance, ultimately lead to the supreme state of superconsciousness. .
Concentration
Now,
Patanjali is quite matter-of-fact and specific when he gives us an idea of what
these last three practices constitute. If you are able to sit, withdraw the
mind and fix it upon a focal point within—it may be gross, subtle or
anything—and if you are able to keep the mind fixed like that for a period of
twelve Matras—a Matra is approximately a moment, a second—it is counted as one
concentration. The Yogic time-calculation is usually stated in Matras and a
Matra may be taken roughly as a second. If you can keep the mind steady without
moving, without any contrary thoughts coming in, and without moving away from
the object of concentration, for a period of twelve Matras, it is regarded as
one Dharana or one concentration. Thus, Dharana is actually calculated upon the
basis of a steady fixation of the mind or a steady focussing of the mind upon
one point. And it should be your endeavour to keep the mind steady like that
for twelve seconds at least. Then it is one Dharana.
Meditation
Samadhi
And
if you are able to be in that state of one Vritti (Thought-wave, mental modification)
continuously for nearly half an hour, then it is Samadhi. It is one Samadhi.
Now, you can understand whether Yoga is easy or not so easy. You can try to
understand. This is Yoga. Samadhi is 27 minutes of absolutely unbroken,
undisturbed concentration. That is to say, it constitutes a continuous process
of 12 meditations, each meditation being of 144 seconds’ duration. And when the
Yogi has been able to attain to a state of successful practice of Samadhi, then
he has no other Yoga, no other Abhyasa (practice), except to go on practising
Samadhi. That is why the Yogis seclude themselves. They keep alone, they do not
court disturbance, they do not see anyone but go on practising Samadhi. They go
on practising Samadhi so that the Samadhi becomes longer and longer. The
Samadhi becomes more in number. One Samadhi, two Samadhis, three Samadhis—they
go on practising until the Samadhi itself becomes deeper and deeper, and more
and more intense, and the body is not felt. That is Yogabhyasa (continuous
practice).
Samadhi
Samadhi (trance) is not super-consciousness; it is wrong to translate Samadhi as super-consciousness. Samadhi is only trance, and if you go on practising that trance again and again, daily, many times a day, over a long period of time, then this constant diligent practice of Samadhi or practice of trance may ultimately take you into a state completely transcending the individual consciousness, transcending the body, mind and intellectual consciousness, going completely beyond, where you completely cross beyond this circle of the threefold recurring states of Jagrat (waking state), Svapna (dream sate) and Sushupti (deep sleep state). So, you go beyond the three states of wakefulness, dream and deep sleep and hit the substratum (pure consciousness, Atman or Brahman), that which is the basis for all these three states, upon which these three states keep on, just as upon a screen a movie reel unrolls and goes on.
On the movie screen, some scenes come out in black and white, some are coloured, and yet others are technicoloured. A moonlight scene may be only blue, while some other scene may be in technicolour—each flower and each dress having its own colour. But upon what substratum do these changing pictures appear? Upon the substratum of the unchanging permanent screen which is behind. If the permanent screen were not there, neither the ordinary black and white scene could be projected, nor the coloured scene, nor the multicoloured or technicoloured scene. All three would be impossible. Because the screen is there, these things are made possible. Even so, because the pure consciousness or awareness is there, these three ever-changing states of wakefulness, dream and deep sleep find it possible to manifest. So, the support and substratum of the ever-recurring and ever-changeful threefold state or Avastha-Traya(Three states of consciousness, waking, dreaming and deep sleep) is the Turiya Avastha (the fourth state), the permanent, existence-consciousness principle which is the Purusha(The Supreme Being). Existence-consciousness or Sat-Chit which is unchanging, which is permanent, supports all the three states. Existence-consciousness is super-consciousness.
So, Samadhi is trance. Samadhi is still one process or one Anga (step) of Yogabhyasa(Yogic practice). Samadhi is not the ultimate goal. Various types of Samadhi have to be practised until your Samadhi becomes longer and longer in duration, deeper and deeper in intensity, until you become well established in the practice of Samadhi. This is Raja Yoga. So, the meaning in which different terms are used should be clear to your mind.
So, Samadhi is trance. Samadhi is still one process or one Anga (step) of Yogabhyasa(Yogic practice). Samadhi is not the ultimate goal. Various types of Samadhi have to be practised until your Samadhi becomes longer and longer in duration, deeper and deeper in intensity, until you become well established in the practice of Samadhi. This is Raja Yoga. So, the meaning in which different terms are used should be clear to your mind.
Such a state of concentration is possible only for
a mind that has become very refined, a mind that has been rendered subtle,
rendered fine. If there are gross sensual thoughts, then the mind is not
refined; it is still gross. If there are thoughts of love and hate and anger
and jealousy and envy and vengefulness, the mind is gross. If there is always
concentration upon eating and drinking and enjoying and cinema and radio, then
the mind is gross. If the mind always thinks of objects, always thinks about
worldly things—gossip, scandal and newspaper—then the mind is gross; the mind
is not subtle.
A pure and subtle mind, the most important factors for
meditation
Two
things are necessary for successful concentration, and it goes without saying,
for meditation and Samadhi. The mind must be subtle and the mind must be pure.
In Yogic terminology, when we say that the mind must be pure, we mean that the
mind must be Sattvic. Sattva and purity are synonymous. The mind must not beRajasic and Tamasic; it should be Sattvic. Only the Sattvic Bhava should come.
Sattvic thoughts, Sattvic feelings, Sattvic ideas must be there in the mind. It
should not have any Tamasic and Rajasic ideas and feelings. All should be
Sattvic. And therefore, at this stage, it is wise for the Yogi to see that
everything in his life is Sattvic. His company, his food, his environment,
whatever he moves with, should be Sattvic. He should carefully avoid anything
that is Rajasic and Tamasic. Because, it will affect the mind, and such a mind
which is Rajasic or Tamasic, or is influenced by Rajas and Tamas, ceases to be
a fit instrument for meditation. Purity, self-control, Sattvic food, Sattvic
environment, Sattvic thoughts, Sattvic reading, Sattvic company—these are very
important for the practice of inner Yoga, for the practice of Dharana, Dhyana
and Samadhi.
extract of his book:
THE PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY and PRACTICE of YOGA
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