SAMADHI PADA CONCENTRATION
AND ITS USES
ATHA YOGANUSHANAM
NOW CONCENTRATION IS EXPLAINED.
YOGASHCHITTAVRITTINIRODHAH
YOGA IS RESTRAINING THE MIND-STUFF (CHITTA) FROM TAKING VARIOUS FORMS (VRITTIS)
A GOOD DEAL OF EXPLANATION IS NECESSARY HERE. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CHITTA IS, AND WHAT ARE THESE VRITTIS.I HAVE THIS EYE. EYES DO NOT SEE. TAKE AWAY THE BRAIN CENTRE WHICH IS IN THE HEAD, THE EYES WILL STILL BE THERE, THE RETINAE COMPLETE, AND ALSO THE PICTURE, AND YET THE EYES WILL NOT SEE. SO THE EYES ARE ONLY A SECONDARY INSTRUMENT, NOT THE ORGAN OF VISION. THE ORGAN OF VISION IS IN THE NERVE CENTRE OF THE BRAIN. THE TWO EYES WILL NOT BE SUFFICIENT ALONE. SOMETIMES A MAN IS ASLEEP WITH HIS OPEN EYES. THE LIGHT IS THERE AND THE PICTURE IS THERE, BUT A THIRD THING IS NECESSARY, MIND MUST BE JOINED TO THE ORGAN. THE EYE IS THE EXTERNAL INSTRUMENT, WE NEED ALSO THE BRAIN CENTRE AND THE AGENCY OF THE MIND. CARRIAGES ROLL DOWN A STREE AND YOU DO NOT HEAR THEM. WHY? BECAUSE YOUR MIND HAS NOT ATTACHED ITSELF TO THE ORGAN OF HEARING.
FIRST THERE IS THE INSTRUMENT, THEN THERE IS THE ORGAN, AND THIRD, THE MIND ATTACHMENT TO THESE TWO. THE MIND TAKES THE IMPRESSION FARTHER IN, AND PRESENT IT TO THE DETERMINATIVE FACULTY - BUDDHI - WHICH REACTS. ALONG WITH THIS REACTION FLASHES THE IDEA OF EGOISM. THEN THIS MIXTURE OF ACTION AND REACTION IS PRESENTED TO THE PURUSA, THE REAL SOUL, WHO PERCEIVES AN OBJECT IN THIS MIXTURE. THE ORGAN (INDRIYAS), TOGETHER WITH THE MIND (MANAS), THE DETERMINATIVE FACULTY (BUDDHI) AND EGOISM (AHAMKARA), FORM THE GROUP CALLED THE ANTAHKARANA (THE INTERNAL INSTRUMENT), CALLED CHITTA.
THE WAVES OF THOUGHT IN THE CHITTA ARE CALLED VRITTI "THE WHIRLPOOL" IS THE LITERAL TRANSLATION) WHAT IS THOUGHT? THOUGHT IS FORCE, AS IS GRAVITATION OR REPULSION. IT IS ABSORBED FROM THE INFINITE CALLED CHITTA TAKES HOLD OF THAT FORCES, AND, WHEN IT PASSES OUT AT THE OTHER END IT IS CALLED THOUGHT. THIS FORCE IS SUPPLIED TO US THROUGH FOOD, AND OUT OF THAT FOOD THE BODY OBTAINS THE POWER OF MOTION, ETC. OTHERS, THE FINER FORCES, IT THROWS OUT IN WHAT WE CALL THOUGHT.
NATURALLY WE SEE THAT THE MIND IS NOT INTELLIGENT, YET IT APPEARS TO BE INTELLIGENT. WHY? BECAUSE THE INTELLIGENT SOUL IS BEHIND IT. YOU ARE THE ONLY SENTIENT BEING, MIND IS ONLY THE INSTRUMENT THROUGH WHICH YOU CATCH THE EXTERNAL WORLD. IT IS THE SUGGESTION THAT GIVES A BLOW TO THE MIND, AND THE MIND GIVES OUT THE REACTION. IF A STONE IS THROWN INTO THE WATER THE WATER IS THROWN AGAINST IT IN THE FORM OF WAVES. THE REAL UNIVERSE IS THE OCCASION OF THE REACTION OF THE MIND. A BOOK FORM, OR AN ELEPHANT FORM, OR A MAN FORM, IS NOT OUTSIDE, ALL THAT WE KNOW IS OUR MENTAL REACTION FROM THE OUTER SUGGESTION. MATTER IS THE "PERMANENT POSSIBILITY OF SENSATION" , SAID JOHN STUART MILL. IT IS ONLY THE SUGGESTION THAT IS OUTSIDE . TAKE OYSTER FOR EXAMPLE. YOU KNOW HOW PEARLS ARE MADE. A GRAIN OF SAND OR SOMETHING GETS INSIDE AND BEGINS TO IRRITATE IT, AND THE OYSTER THROWS A SORT OF ENAMELING AROUND THE SAND, AND THIS MAKES THE PEARL.
THIS WHOLE UNIVERSE IS OUR OWN ENAMEL, SO TO SAY, AND THE REAL UNIVERSE IS THE GRAIN OF SAND.THE ORDINARY MAN WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND IT, BECAUSE, WHEN HE TRIES TO, HE THROWS OUT AN ENAMEL, AND SEES ONLY HIS OWN ENAMEL. NOW WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS MEANT BY THESE VRITTIS. THE REAL MAN IS BEHIND THE MIND, AND THE MIND IS THE INSTRUMENT IN HIS HANDS, AND IT IS HIS INTELLIGENCE THAT IS PERCOLATING THROUGH IT. IT IS ONLY WHEN YOU STAND BEHIND IT THAT IT BECOMES INTELLIGENT. WHEN MAN GIVES IT UP IT FALLS TO PEACES, AND IS NOTHING. SO YOU UNDERTAND WHAT IS MEANT BY CHITTA. IT IS MIND-STUFF, AND VRTTIS ARE THE WAVES AND RIPPLES RISING IN IT WHEN EXTERNAL CAUSES IMPINGE ON IT. THESE VRTTIS ARE OUR WHOLE UNIVERSE.
