Yoga Philosophy
Non-theistic & Theistic
forms of Meditation
I. Non-theistic form of
meditation:
It is elaborated in the
Yoga Sutra, 1st Chapter 2nd verse to 22nd verse.
“Vritti swarupyam itha
rathra” (1:4)
This means that in other
states the “self” is falsely identified with fluctuations of the mind. The
subject “Drushtuh” is deceived by its transcendental nature and identifies
itself with the contents of the mental organ displaced. So it wrongly deems
itself affected by mental contents. Moreover, the feelings of happiness and
sorrow exclusively affect the mental organ, not the subject “Drushtuh ''. The
goal of yoga according to Sage Patanjali is to cease the wrong identification
of the “Drushtuh '' with mental faculties which paves the way for the release
of suffering and pain. Towards the deliverance of these, he proposes two ways
of Abhyasa (Repeated Practice) and Vairagya (detachment)
in the 1st chapter of Samadhi Pada.
This verse is the heart of
“Yoga Sutra” no. 1:12, which says that,
“Abhyasavairagyabhyan
tannirodhah”
In the next Sutra no. i.e.
1:13, which further says that it is a consistent and sustainable effort and it
is not very easy and achieved in a few days.
“Tatra sthitau yatno
abhyasah”
Sage Veda Vyasa makes
commentary on the yoga sutra and writes that it is absorption or Samadhi. This
absorption is the quality of mental capacity in all its states literally in all
its levels. So in the broadest sense yoga designates awareness characteristic
of mental processes inguinal. However, there are different kinds of awareness.
There are five states of mental capacities also known as “Chittabhumis' ',
which are kshipta, moodha, vikshipta, ekagra and niroodha states.
Sage Veda Vyasa provides an explanation for these.
Kshipta is characterised by a
strong involuntary connection between the mental capacity and its objects. This
is sometimes called obsession, which is the thinking that repeatedly interrupts
a person’s mind. Sometimes we do not want to obsess and but somehow it is
impossible to think about what we do not want to think. Mental capacity is
fixated on undesirable objects and incapable of becoming aware of any different
objects is called Kshipta. This is not the anticipated state of mental capacity
and is not favourable for mental training for yoga practice which is the
initial state.
Moodha is the weary mental state
and it is like the Kshipta state. In this state, it is involuntarily and
loosely connected to a single object and there is no strong connection and
fixation. This state is slightly above Kshipta and after intense practice, it
is possible to attain the yogic state.
Vikshipta is the state where it
is fixated on several objects in a short time. In this state, it is attached to
one object and immediately abandons it and moves to another and it will go on.
The mind is restless and loses interest in the preceding object and shows
impartiality. This impartiality provides enough space to select the desired
object and this will open the way for the spiritual process.
Ekagra is the state
characterised by voluntary relation of adequate strength between the mental
capability and deliberately chosen object. This state is the yogic state where
one can attain absorption through consistent effort.
Niroodha is the shutdown of
all oscillations of the mind and it is the goal of yoga i.e., “Chitta vritti
nirodhah”.
In the state of Kshipta
when the mind is fixated on undesired objects the two “Gunas' ' of “Tamas' '
and “Satva” are restricted. There is Niroodha (which yoga is equated with) of
Tamas and Satva Gunas in this Kshipta state. So Kshipta can be equated with the
Niroodha state because it characterises the definition of yoga. Similarly, in
the state of Moodha, Gunas of Rajas and Satva are restricted and the mind is
oscillating toward Tamas. In the state of Vikshipta, Gunas of tamas is a
restricted oscillation of the mind towards the Gunas of Rajas and Satva. This
places the state of Vikshipta in a more stable position than the states of
Kshipta and Moodha and it is the turning point towards the path of the
spiritual process that leads to absorption. Sage Vachaspati Misra argues that
the states of Kshipta and Moodha are not yogic. On the other hand, Sage Vijnana
Bhikshu disagrees with this and argues that the first three out of five that is
Kshipta, Moodha and Vikshipta are not yogic states. In the Yoga sutras of 1:15
and 1:16 Sage Patanjali explains the course of action towards attaining the
Samadhi or Absorption. The path leading to Samadhi is Repeated Practice(Abhyasa) and Detachment (Vairagya). This detachment is of two
types one is lower and the other is higher.
Lower detachment:
It is the dispassion for
things, enjoyment, worldly pleasures and even heavenly objects and pleasures.
Detached with objects even when in contact with them. Neither wants to avoid
nor possess them and maintain a neutral attitude because they are transient in
nature.
Higher detachment:
Sage Patanjali referred to
it as “Gunavaithrishnya” and it is the detachment from the entire realm of this
phenomenal world. This is attained through the practice of perception of the
difference between the “Individual Self” and the “Non-Self”. Yoga sutra defines
it as achieved through “Purusha Darshana Abhyasa” or “Viveka Darshana Abhyasa”.
The mind is detached from all potential objects of this phenomenal world which
is the highest degree of detachment and accomplished only through the clarity
of wisdom which is known as "Jnanaprasadamatra".
Structure of Non-theistic
yogic concentration:
Yoga Sutra no. 1:17 says
“Vitharka vicharananda
smitaroopanugamat samprajnata samadhi ''.
It is called the cessation
which clearly comprehends its object because it is accompanied by forms of
Vitarka, Vichara, Ananda (bliss) and Asmita (Sense of “I” ness). Samprajnata
Samadhi is the absorption attained with the help of an object which is not
random. It is the “individual self” that differentiates from the other forms of
meditation and the object of concentration is the “Self” itself. These
four factors Vitarka, Vichara, Ananda (bliss) and Asmita (Sense of “I” ness)
boost the progress of the mental capacity towards the Samprajnata Samadhi. Each
of the keywords is a characteristic of the first phase in the development of
concentration.
Vitarka:
It is the first phase with
the aid of thinking. Connection is established between the mental capacity and
the deliberately chosen object. It is through thinking and comprehending the
teachings concerning the "Self". Teachings of yoga philosophy provide
the practice of perception of the “self” and the self-grasp conceptually. Sage
Vyasa defines it as “Sthula Abogaha” which means it is gross, not subtle. So
the first phase is characterised by conceptualization and by thinking and hence
it is gross. Nevertheless, some scholars interpret that the object of
concentration itself is a gross object of the outside world. A yoga
practitioner in the beginning point at the large object and progressively to
the smaller ones. Accordingly, a yoga practitioner initially experiences the
gross nature of objects in meditation and then progresses towards the subtle
nature. In this case, the “Self” is comprehended conceptually for that reason
it is called Vitarka. As a consequence, in this state, the other three forms of
mental activity also live in sequence. Sage Vyasa explains that for each
progressively grosser level of Samadhi the other three forms are included.
Accordingly, Vitarka includes Vichara, Ananda and Asmita, Vichara includes
Ananda and Asmita and Ananda includes Asmita.
Vichara:
It is the second stage in
which the connection between the mental capacity and its objects is fixed to a
degree that mixes thinking dispensable. The Practitioner can drop on his own
insight that he has gained from his occupation from the teaching concerning the
self. He does not need to investigate the subject again. This is the reason why
Vichara is understood to be the more refined investigation of objects in
comparison to thinking which is seen as gross.
Ananda:
It is the
connection between the mental capacity an object loses its conceptual and
linguistic dimensions. The “Self” in the previous state was the object of
conceptualization which now turns into the content of direct joyful experience.
This phase is said to be subtler than the previous two phases.
Asmita:
It refers to “I” ness or
individuality. This I am not only a constituent of consciousness in the last
phase of concentration but it is a constituent of experience in general. An
experience by its very nature of an individual can refer to the subject of
experience with the pronoun "I". But usually, this individuality is
eclipsed by the content of consciousness. The focus is always on the content of
consciousness, the object of the outside world never on "I" itself.
Therefore, in the final phase of conscious concentration, the situation is
reversed. Ananda, the content of consciousness in the previous phase, is given
up and only the I ness remains. This unembellished individuality is called
“Asmitapratyayamatra” in yoga. In the other phases of concentration
consciousness is the consciousness of something. It is being conscious of
belonging to an individual. Self does not experience as itself different some
matter and it still perceives as the subject of perception in association with
the mental capacity. The fourth phase is “Asmita'' and it is called
“Samprajnata Samadhi”. It is the Samadhi (absorption) of the content of
"Consciousness' '.
Transition from Samprajnata
Samadhi to Asamprajnata Samadhi:
In the yoga sutra 1:18 says
“Viramapratyayabhyasapoorvah
sanskarasheshoanyah”
This is the transition of
Samprajnata Samadhi to Asamprajnata Samadhi which is the Samadhi without the
“content of consciousness”. In order to terminate interaction between mental
capacity and the “Self”, the experience of individuality and remaining content
of consciousness has to be surrendered. This is a very critical stage and the
consequence is drastic. The practitioner in order to leave the transcendental
self appears within the mental capacity, clear and eclipsed by any content of
consciousness. He has to detach himself from the coherence of his own existence
as an individual. The practitioner surrenders his empirical personality and
individuality to attain the “true self” and there is an unrestricted
self-perception of the subject. Consciousness becomes conscious exclusively of
itself, unaffected by even the minute content of consciousness. This is called
Asamprajnata Samadhi i.e., the Samadhi without content. The only reason for the
transition from Samprajnata Samadhi to Asamprajnata Samadhi is the self-perception
of the “Self”. This by itself yields the mental capacity away from the realm of
matter. The starting point of Asamprajnata Samadhi is the fourth phase of
Samprajnata Samadhi, which is called “Asmita”. The content of consciousness
gradually declines and the perception of the “Self”. When almost no content is
absent, a very insignificant remainder serving as support for mental capacity
is called “Viramapratyaya” which is the final experience of mental capacity
immediately before the complete loss of content. The commentators of the yoga
sutra equate it with an example of the final flame of a fire which has consumed
its fuel. Even though there is no fuel left, the fire burns for a few moments
before it gets completely extinguished. The mental capacity creates space for
unlimited consciousness of the “Self”.
In the yoga sutra no. 1:4
Sage Patanjali says that,
“Thata drushtuh swarupe
avastanam”.
This means Now that the
“Seer''or `` Drushtuh” or “Pure Consciousness” abides by its own nature. We
have to understand that Asamprajnata Samadhi is the highest state of Yogic
practice that a Yoga practitioner can achieve while living in this world, not
the outside world and it is not “Kaivalya”.
II. Theistic form
of meditation:
This is elaborated in the
sutra nos. from 1:23 to 1:28,
In this Theistic form of
meditation, the chosen object of concentration is “Iswara''. In Sage Patanjali
Yoga Sutra “Iswara '' functions as a prototype of fully elevated ''Drushtuh”.
“Iswara” means “God” but not the sense of the concepts in other religious
beliefs. Sage Veda Vyasa in his Yoga Bhashya says that the easiest way to
achieve Samprajnata Samadhi is the “Ishvara Pranidhana ''. It is a practical
and experiential tool to provide the Yoga practitioner with a direct link to his
true nature. According to some scholars, the primary purpose of this
introduction is to use it as an “object of concentration”. Sage Patanjali
refers to it as “Purusha Vishesha '' and it is a real experience and not a
simple theoretical postulate. Sage Vachaspati Misra designated the role of
eliminating the obstruction of the evolution of “Prakriti” to “Iswara ''. Bhoja
Raja contends that Samyoga (Conjunction) and Viyoga (disjunction) of “Drushtuh”
and “Drishya '' are not possible without the evolution of “Iswara ''.
The structure of the
Theistic form of meditation is interpreted in
yoga sutra 1:27 which says
that,
“Tasya vachakah pranavah”
At the beginning of yogic
concentration, Sage Veda Vyasa reflects the relationship between “Words”
(“Vachaka”) and the “Reference of Words” (“Vakya”). Accordingly, he explains
that if “Iswara” is the “Vakya” (Reference of Words), the “Pranava” the sacred
syllable “Om” is the “Vachaka” (Word). Furthermore, he defines the connection
between “Om” and “Iswara” as not a simple matter of convention and not
symbolic. The relation and connection between “Om” and “Iswara” are fixed and
it is inherent and permanent. As a result, this connection is inherent in the
chanting of “Om”, which inevitably and invariably creates the desired effect of
the direct experience of “Iswara”.
In the Yoga sutra, 1:28
says as
“Tajjapastadarthabhavanam”.
Sage Vijnana Bhikshu
expound fixing the mind on the divine form of “Iswara '' i.e., “Vishnu” or some
other deities of Gods and even on renditions of devotional hymns (mantra). The
mind is fixated on the gross matter (Prakritic form) and is called “Vitarka
Samadhi''. Further, the change to a subtler form of the object of concentration
like on deity is called “Vichara Samadhi”. The yoga practitioner who meticulously
understands that “Iswara'' is the “Vakya'' (reference of words) and “Om” is the
word (“Vachaka”) chants “Om” repeatedly establishes the orientation of the mind
towards “Iswara”. Once this orientation is fixed and settled, the yoga
practitioner practices meditative vision (Dhyana) of “Iswara” i.e. on “Om”.
Gradually when the mind is undistracted and well-grounded he takes up an internalized
form of mantra (hymns). Consequently, this gives rise to the lucidity of vision
and clarity and ultimately “Iswara '' is the only content of consciousness and
one attains “one-pointedness” and it is called “Samprajnata Samadhi”. Moreover,
this type of meditation chanting of “Om '' is the uncomplicated and effortless
way to accomplish “Samprajnata Samadhi ''. There is a similarity between the
non-theistic form of meditation and the theistic form of meditation in that the
states of mental capacity are identical in both cases and have single content.
More precisely in the non-theistic form, the content of consciousness is the
“Individual self “or “I” while the content of consciousness in theistic form is
“Iswara''. Sage Patanjali uses the word “Purusha Vishesha '' for “Iswara” and
the difference is practically reduced to nothing and both are identical. From
repeated chanting of “Om'' and the direct perception of “Iswara,'' he receives
the self-realization of his own “true self”. It is very important to note that
a practitioner's realisation of his own self identical to “Iswara” is not some
knowledge gained by conceptual thinking and it is attained by direct
experience. In the theistic form of meditation, the transition from Samprajnata
Samadhi to Asamprajnata Samadhi is similar to that of the non-theistic form of
meditation. In the beginning, the “Self” experiences “Iswara” as a content of
consciousness. Henceforth in the course of meditation, the content of
consciousness gradually diminishes and the image of “Iswara” becomes weaker and
delicate until finally all the mental processes are shut down and the mental
capacity allows for an unrestricted self-perception of the “True Self”.