Patanjali Yoga Sutra Chapter 1 – Samadhi pada

Post By: Published on: December 5, 2016 Reading time: 4 minutes

Patanjali Yoga Sutra – Chapter 1 – samaadi-pada

  1. This is a dissertation into the subject of Yoga.
  2. In summary, Yoga is cessation of sensation (activity of the senses) (cittavṛtti-nirodhah).
  3. To reach one’s natural state, a person needs go in that way.
  4. There is a tendency to associate one Self where one’s thought waves go.
  5. There are 5 kinds of mental activities – some hard, some agreeable.
  6. These are, availability of proof, contrariness, vacillation or confusion, sleep, memory.
  7. Pramanas (requirement of proof) are – pratyaksha (personal experience), anumana (inference), upamana (comparison and analogy), arthapatti (postulation and derivation from evidence), anupalabdhi (non-apprehension or negative cognitive proof) and sabda (verbal testimony). 
  8. In fact, perversity is logic based on incorrect understanding of identity or the Self.
  9. Also, contrariness is created by words which convey knowledge of the self in proportion to void created by the difference between objects.
  10. Absence of sentience in the Self, which is the root cause of stimulus is the sleep of mental activity.
  11. Subject which has lost its experience is memory.
  12. Practice non-attachment (vairagyam). For, these stop mental activity.
  13. Ultimately, that steady focus comes after painstaking practice.
  14. You must devout long, uninterrupted, focused effort like the unyielding earth.
  15. Perception can be controlled to make one a free from desire by becoming a disciple of non attachment (vairagyam).
  16. Notably, the human should have as intent, freedom from desire generated by attributes (gunas).
  17. Deliberation, reflection, happiness, feeling of “I” lead to understanding the Self accurately.
  18. Importantly, stopping consciousness by practice of removal of the leftover of samskaras (religious practice) leads to void.
  19. Notably, within consciousness, dead and creation are certainly merged.
  20. Additionally, dedication, valour, mindfulness, absorption, awareness, are qualities required.
  21. Intense effort and controlled breathing increase power of the asana.
  22. Importantly, the quality of effort – mild, middle or intense effort, determine the quality of outcome.
  23. Also, deep contemplation on the divine being is another path.
  24. Suffering comes from action, ripening or maturing which comes from its impact, makes human special to God.
  25. This is the seed of supreme knowledge of the sublime.
  26. He is the earliest of Gurus, not bound by time.
  27. In fact, that which describes the Brahman is the pranava (OM).
  28. Also, continuous incantation (japa) reveals its meaning.,
  29. Thus, reversals to attainment of Self come by stripping the inside of sentiments.
  30. Without doubt, sickness, apathy, doubt, negligence, laziness, despair (lack of determination), prejudgemental, inconsistency of focus on concepts result in scattering of mental activity.
  31. Also, grief, melancholy, trembling of the body and agitated breathing are extensions of this state.
  32. This can be overcome by practice of focus on the concept.
  33. Friendliness, compassionate, joyful, indifference, happiness-sadness, good-bad are aspects which should be inculcated for calming the mind.
  34. Additionally, exhalation and holding of breath enable attainment of the goal.
  35. Stimulus and selective focus arise from the cognitive areas of the brain and determines ones attitude.
  36. Exemption from grief comes from inner light.
  37. In fact, dispassionate management should become the mental activity.
  38. On this, dream- sleep- cognition of the Self becomes the foundation.
  39. Meditation on any desired or pleasing object is OK.
  40. Truly, from an atom to a large entity, any subject can be brought under one’s will.
  41. Finally, reduction of mental activity leads to crystal like clarity in cognition so that the relationship between the subject and object make them equal.
  42. Thus, the different meaning of “knowledge of the Self”, when contracted into acceptance yield samaadi.
  43. Memory is purged when the image of one’s identity is null only. Then, there is a luminous experience of samaadi.
  44. By this, contemplation-non contemplation of the subtle object is explained.
  45. In fact, subtle subject can reach a point of being indefinable.
  46. This is the root/ seed (beeja) of samaadi.
  47. When one reaches the state of null thought, transcendence is the result.
  48. Notably, where there is truth, there is awareness of the Self.
  49. The awareness gained by what’s heard, measured or inferred, is of one kind, but knowledge of the truth is special.
  50. The impressions gained by samskara (practices of agama) prevent greater growth
  51. And so the cessation of everything results in the samaadi of no-seed (nirbeejam)

    Patanjali Yoga Sutra Chapter 1

    Patanjali Yoga Sutra Chapter 1

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