Samadhi Layers; their qualities, essence and navigation
1st Layer of Samadhi
Samadhi With Reasoning Quality - Savitarka
42. तत्र शब्दाथऻय ानणवकल्प्ै सकं ीिाय सणवतकाय सभाऩणत्त् ॥ ४२॥
tatra shabdarthajnanavikalpaih sankeerna savitarka samapattih
Sound, meaning, and resulting knowledge, being mixed up, is (called Samadhi) with reasoning.
Sound here means vibration; meaning, the nerve currents which conduct it; and knowledge, reaction. All the various meditations we have had so far, Patanjali calls Savitarka (meditations with reasoning). Later on he will give us higher and higher Dhyanas. In these that are called “with reasoning,” we keep the duality of subject and object, which results from the mixture of word, meaning, and knowledge. There is first the external vibration, the word (attached to a subject/object); this, carried inward by the sense currents, is the meaning. After that there comes a reactionary wave in the Chitta, which is knowledge, but the mixture of these three makeup what we call knowledge. In all the meditations up to this we get this mixture as object of meditation. The next Samadhi is higher.
Samadhi Without Reasoning Quality - Nirvitarka
43. स्मणृ तऩणयशद्धु ौ स्वरूऩशन्यू वे ाथभय ात्रणनबासय ा णनणवतय का य ॥ ४३॥
smritiparishuddhau svaroopashoonyevarthamatranirbhasa nirvitarka
The Samadhi called without reasoning (comes) when the memory is purified, or devoid of qualities, expressing only the meaning (of the meditated object).
It is by practice of meditation of these three that we come to the state where these three do not mix. We can get rid of them. We will first try to understand what these three are. Here is the Chitta; you will always remember the simile of the lake, the mind-stuff, and the vibration, the word, the sound, like a pulsation coming over it. You have that calm lake in you, and I pronounce a word, “cow.” As soon as it enters through your ears there is a wave produced in your Chitta along with it. So that wave represents the idea of the cow, the form or the meaning as we call it. That apparent cow that you know is really that wave in the mind-stuff, and that comes as a reaction to the internal and external sound-vibrations, and with the sound, the wave dies away; that wave can never exist without a word. You may ask how it is when we only think of the cow, and do not hear a sound. You make that sound yourself. You are saying “cow” faintly in your mind, and with that comes a wave. There cannot be any wave without this impulse of sound, and when it is not from outside it is from inside, and when the sound dies, the wave dies. What remains? The result of the reaction, and that is knowledge. These three are so closely combined in our mind that we cannot separate them. When the sound comes, the senses vibrate, and the wave rises in reaction; they follow so closely upon one another that there is no discerning one from the other; when this meditation has been practiced for a long time, memory, the receptacle of all impressions, becomes purified, and we are able clearly to distinguish them from one another. This is called “Nirvitarka,” concentration without reasoning.
2nd Layer of Samadhi
Divided into two also: Savicara and Nirvicara
44. एतमवै सणवचाया णनणवचय ाया च सक्ष्मू णवषमा व्याख्याता ॥ ४४॥
etayaiva savichara nirvichara cha sookshmavishaya vyakhyata
By this process (the concentrations or lower Samadhi’s) with discrimination and without discrimination, whose objects are finer, are (also) explained.
A process similar to the preceding is applied again, only, the objects to be taken up in the former meditations are gross, physical objects; in this stage of Vicara they are fine, subtle (the cause of something that evolves from gross). Prakriti’s subtle elements cannot be perceived by the gross senses. For example, earth, air, water, fire and ether, are perceived by the subtle elements of sound, touch, taste, sight and smell - these are the sources from which the gross elements evolve.
45. सक्ष्मू णवषमत्वं चाणरङ्गऩमवय सानभ ॥् ४५॥
sookshmavishayatvan chalinggaparyavasanam
The subtle mature of things extends all the way up to Prakriti.
The subtle Prakriti has to be perceived by the more subtle. The gross objects are only the elements, and everything manufactured out of them. The fine objects begin with the Tanmatras or fine particles. The organs, the mind, egoism, the mind-stuff (the cause of all manifestion) the equilibrium state of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas materials—called Pradhana (chief), Prakrti (nature), or Avyakta (unmanifest), are all included within the category of fine objects. The Purusa (the Soul) alone is excepted from this definition.
Seeded: Sa-bijah Samadhi
46. ता एव सफीज् सभाणध् ॥ ४६॥
ta eva sabijah samadhih
These (previous) Samadhi are with seed.
These do not destroy the seeds of past actions, thus cannot give liberation, but what they bring to the Yogi is stated in the following aphorisms. They are not liberating.
47. णनणवचय ायवशै ायद्यऽे ध्यात्मप्रसाद् ॥ ४७॥
nirvicharavaisharadye adhyatmaprasadah
Upon attaining the clarity of Nirvicara, there is lucidity of the inner self.
The concentration “without reasoning” being purified, the Chitta becomes firmly fixed.
48.ऋतबंयातत्रप्रऻा॥४८॥
rtam-bhara tatra prajna
The knowledge in that is called “filled with Truth.” In that state there is Truth bearing wisdom. (referring to next sutra)
The Citta settle in Nirvircara - the yogi can move to the next stage of Samadhi
Rta is the old Vedic term denoting the order underlying and controlling the harmony of the cosmos. Theoretical knowledge alone will not be enough to elevate any suffering. Direct experience is the only way. The direct experience in this sutras is the ultimate experience of reality from which all knowledge comes.
49. श्रतु ानभु ानप्रऻाभ्याभ अ् न्यणवषमा णवशषे ाथत्वय ात ॥् ४९॥
shrutanumanaprajnabhyam anyavishayaa vishesharthatvat
It,{seedless Samadhi} has a different focus from that of inference and sacred scripture, because it has the particularity of things as it’s object.
Here we see the 3 pillars of knowledge from the science of the Rishis; Shruti, Yukti and Anubhava. Shruti (Truth from those who know, Yukti, inference reason and logical and most importantly from direct experience, Anubhava.
As aspirants of yoga we are to receive knowledge by direct perception, and by inference, and from testimony of people who are competent. By “people who are competent,” the Yogis always mean the Rishis, or the Seers of the thoughts recorded in the Scriptures—the Vedas. According to them, the only proof of the Scriptures is that they were the testimony of competent persons, yet they say the Scriptures cannot take us to realisation alone. We can read all the Vedas, and yet will not realise anything, but when we practise their teachings, then we attain to that state which realises what the Scriptures say, which penetrates where reason and learning cannot go, and where the testimony of others cannot penetrate. This is what is meant by this aphorism, that realisation is real, and all the rest is only preparation—hearing lectures, or reading books, or reasoning, is merely preparing the ground; it is not it. The Yogis say that man can go beyond his direct sense perception, and beyond his reason also to truth.
Man has in him the faculty, the power, of transcending his intellect, and that power is in every being, every creature. By the practice of Yoga that power is revealed, and then man transcends the ordinary limits of reason, and directly perceives things which are beyond all reason. The signs beyond earthly logic, are given to us along the way, in meditation and in life’s response to us. Miraculous happenings in our small world of perception opening us up to the greater wisdom.
50. तज्ज् सस्कं ायो न्यसस्कं ायप्रणतफिी ॥ ५०॥
tajjah sanskaro nyasanskarapratibandhi
The resulting impressions {Samskaras} from this Samadhi obstructs all other impressions from emerging.
Samskaras born out of truth obstruct the old Samskaras and you are reborn
We have seen in the foregoing aphorism that the only way of attaining to that super-consciousness is by concentration, and we have also seen that what hinder the mind from concentration are the past Samskaras, impressions. When you are trying to concentrate your mind, your thoughts wander. When you are trying to think of God, that is the very time which all these Samskaras appear. At other times they are not so active, but when you want them not to be they are sure to be there, trying their best to crowd inside your mind. They are more potent at the time of concentration because you are repressing them and they react with all their force. At other times they do not react - when it just ‘accidentally happens’.
They are all lodged somewhere in the Chitta, ready, waiting like tigers to jump up. They are all struggling to come up at the same time. These are the various powers of the Samskaras in hindering concentration of the mind.
Samkhya and Vedanta say the wisdom bearing samskara destroy only the dormant and unmanifest store of karma which has not begun to take effect, not the prarabdha-karma, the karma that is in effect. Only the next Samadhi can do that, Nirbija Samadhi.
Seedless: Nirbijah Samadhi, Asamprajnata
51. तस्याणऩ णनयोध े सवणय नयोधाणिफीज् सभाणध् ॥ ५१॥
tasyapi nirodhe sarvanirodhannirbijah samadhih
By the restraint of even this (impression, which obstructs all other impressions), all being restrained, comes the “seedless” Samadhi. Surrender.
The aspirants goal is to reside in the Soul itself.
These various ideas we have about who we are come from these impressions, these Samskaras covering the Soul. The real nature of the Soul is not perceived until all the waves have subsided; so, first, Patanjali teaches us the meaning of these waves; secondly, the best way to take our attention away from them; and thirdly, how to make one singular wave so strong that it suppress all other waves. This Samadhi is called seedless; its root in nothing, and the Soul is manifested just as It is, in Its own glory.
Then alone we know that the Soul is not a compound, It is the only eternal in the universe, and, as such, It cannot be born, It cannot die, It is immortal, indestructible, the Ever-living Essence of intelligence. Purusa absorbed in its own conscious eternal essential nature.
As it has been all along.
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