SAMADHI PADA
LET'S TAKE UP THE CLASSIC SUTRA OF PATANJALI, WHICH IS THE SECOND ONE AFTER , "NOW, THE INSTRUCTION IN YOGA". YOGAS CHITTA VRITTI NIRODHA, WHICH LITERALLY TRANSLATED WOULD MEAN, "YOGA IS THE RESTRAINT OF THE MODIFICATIONS OF THE CHITTA". DIFFERENT TRANSLATORS HAVE USED "FLUCTUATIONS", "DISTORTIONS", AND SO ON, TO EXPLAIN IT. BUT IT IS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND THE WORD CHITTA BEFORE COMPREHENDING THE WORD NIRODHA, MOSTLY TRANSLATED AS RESTRAIN.
MANY TRANSLATIONS HAVE USED THE WORD "MIND-STUFF". BUT MY SUBMISSION IS THAT IF PATANJALI MEANT MIND-STUFF, THE APPROPRIATE EQUIVALENT WORD SHOULD HAVE BEEN MANO VRITTI. I WOULD PREFER TO USE THE MORE FACTUAL WORD, BRAIN, FOR CHITTA. VRITTI MEANS ACTIVITY, MODIFICATIONS, FLUCTUATIONS, AMONG OTHER WORDS.
THE BRAIN IS NOT STATIC. IT IS INTENSELY DYNAMIC AT ITS CORE. BUT REGULAR BRAIN ACTIVITY, MARKED BY ATTRACTIONS AND REPULSIONS LINKED TO THE OBJECTIVE SENSORY WORLD, KEEPS THE BRAIN SO DISTRACTED THAT IT HAS NO TIME TO REACH IN TO ITS CORE, BECAUSE OF THE FLUCTUATIONS THAT IT FEELS.
WHEN THESE DISTRACTIONS AND FLUCTUATIONS DISAPPEAR, THE COMPONENTS OF THE INCESSANT MOVEMENT OF THOUGHT ARE SILENCED AND ERADICATED. THE BRAIN NO LONGER DISSIPATES ENERGY AND SETTLES INTO A SILENT, DEEP AND TRANQUIL STATE, WHICH IS ITS REAL CORE, SAYS PATANJALI. IN THIS STATE, THE YOGI IS FILLED WITH TREMENDOUS ENERGY, EXPERIENCING BLISS AND FULLNESS.
THE QUIET AND TRANQUIL BRAIN IS EMPOWERED WITH THE HIGHEST INTELLIGENCE AND BECOMES CAPABLE OF RISING TO THE FULLNESS OF SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS.
AS SOON AS THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ACTIVITIES OF THE BRAIN ARE CURBED, COLLECTIVE WISDOM IS REALIZED. FREE OF THE BURDEN OF USELESS INFORMATION, THE BRAIN TURNS INWARDS AND REALISES ITS FULL POTENTIAL. AS THE BRAIN IS NOW CLEAR OF ALL THE PAST DEBRIS, IT BECOMES CREATIVE AND SUBTLE.
ACCORDING TO YOGA, THE CORE OF OUR CONSCIOUSNESS HAS ALL THE KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM "A PRIORI" WITHIN ITSELF. WISDOM IS NOT ACQUIRED FROM OUTSIDE BUT IS REVEALED FROM WITHIN WHEN VARIOUS CONDITIONINGS ARE REMOVED. THE KEY TO UNLOCKING THIS VAST, ALMOST OMNISCIENT POTENTIAL IS YOGA.
THE THIRD SHLOKA APTLY DESCRIBES A YOGI'S STATE AS: TADA DRASTAH SVA RUPE VASTHANAM. "THEN THERE IS THE ABIDING IN THE SEER'S OWN ORIGINAL FORM". TO PUT IT SIMPLY , WHEN FLUCTUATIONS AND DISTRACTIONS CEASE WITH YOGA PRACTICE, ONE REALISES THAT ONE IS THE SEER, PURE AND BLISSFUL - NOT THE "SEEN" WHICH IS ONLY PART OF LIFE'S DRAMA.
THE YOGI REALISES THAT HE DOESN'T POSSESS CONSCIOUSNESS BUT IS CONSCIOUSNESS ITSELF. SHE/HE IS NO LONGER CONFINED TO THE BRAIN'S LIMITED THOUGHT PROCESSESS, WHICH HAVE, INDEED, BEEN SUCCESSFULLY TRANSCENDED. THE YOGI IS NOW DIVINE AND NEEDS NO DIVINITY OR DEITY AS A CRUTCH.
THE FALSE BELIEF IN A SEPARATE EGO, DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS, IS PUT TO REST, AND ONE ABIDES AS THE ONE UNIVERSAL PURUSHA, SEVERED FROM PAIN - AS THE GITA STATES. THE ROOT OF ALL CONFLICT THAT STEMS FROM THE NARROW INDIVIDUAL EGO-SENSE IS BANISHED FOREVER. THE YOGI IS NOW FREE.
