Ancient traditions hold a wealth of knowledge that can have a lot of importance in our fast-paced lives. One such knowledge base comes from the Patanjali Yoga Sutra, a timeless text that describes the philosophy of yoga, offers insights on how the mind works and how to achieve self-realization.
It’s more like a map for your journey inward – a journey that moves you away from the outer distractions of the world and takes you closer to the inner stillness and clarity. The concepts, the philosophies, the text itself may have their origin in the East, but they have a universal resonance, becoming a perfect reference to anyone, anywhere in the world seeking to navigate the modern complexities of life.
Ancient and traditional they might be, but they hold absolute relevance in today’s modern world, acting as a bridge between the Eastern philosophies and the Western intellect and psychological insights. This synthesis is a perfect combination of modern and traditional.
In exploring these states of consciousness, we embark on a journey that harmonizes the wisdom of the past with the realities of the present, offering a path towards greater clarity, peace, and ultimately, self-realization.
Let’s explore these concepts from the Patanjali Yoga Sutras in a way that blends the traditional essence with a more relatable, Western perspective.
Savitarka Samadhi (Cognitive Absorption with Gross Objects)
- Traditional View: The first samadhi level, the Traditional View prescribes the mind being absorbed in contemplating a gross (physical) object, engaging in reasoning, questioning and understanding.
- Western Analogy: Being deeply involved into something while still being aware of the thinking process is the second stage. It is like solving a challenging puzzle or novel writing where the mind gets completely engrossed in thinking critically on the task.
Nirvitarka Samadhi (Non-Cognitive Absorption with Gross Objects)
- Traditional View: A state where the mind shuns questioning or reasoning the object. It rather gets absorbed into it, devoid of logical analysis and verbalization.
- Western Analogy: This state is like being one with the process, much like a painter who instinctively moves his brush while painting, without realizing the process of actually doing it. This happens as there is a deep connection between the mind and the process.
Savichara Samadhi (Cognitive Absorption with Subtle Objects)
- Traditional View: In this state, the focus is more on deeper things such as thoughts or ideas rather than a gross object. The mental analysis continues, but what one contemplates about becomes more refined.
- Western Analogy: It’s the philosophical ideas that take center stage here, like what is the nature of existence or what love means. The concepts one reflects on are more subtle, and the idea is to understand the essence of these finer things while being aware of the thought process.
Nirvichara Samadhi (Non-Cognitive Absorption with Subtle Objects)
- Traditional View: As we move ahead, the states become more subtle and the mind becomes engrossed in absorbing the essence of these subtle objects rather than concentrating on analysis or reasoning. It achieves a state of stillness, experiencing the purest form of the object.
- Western Analogy: Achieving a state of absolute clarity and deep insights and understanding the perfect meaning of everything without feeling the need for words to express is what happens here. It’s a state of pure intuitiveness.
Sabija Samadhi (Samadhi with Seed)
- Traditional View: A samadhi state where mental content or seed do remain. The mind is absorbed, but the object remains.
- Western Analogy: Being in an immersive and meditative state, focusing on mantra, image or concept. The seed still exists, but you remain deeply focused.
Nirbija Samadhi (Samadhi without Seed)
- Traditional View: The highest form of samadhi makes the mind totally free from content or seed. One achieves complete consciousness, devoid of thoughts, objects and seeds.
- Western Analogy: The state is of being in dreamless sleep with the mind at complete rest, yet fully aware and awake. It’s a state of pure being and awareness.
Meeting of East and West:
These are progressive stages where focus and awareness play an important role. The external to internal journey defines the process, characterized by introspection and the stillness of the mind. In the realm of Western philosophy, this journey is that of being in an active state to traveling to a state of limitless flow. The journey continues till one achieves transcendence and spirituality.
The Eastern and Western amalgamation reinforces the fact that the mind travels through a defined path – from worldly engagements to internalization of pure consciousness.
