The Three-Step Process toward Enlightenment

Photo by Buddha Elemental on Unsplash

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"Once you have seen, you cannot fool yourself. "
- Sadguru

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This blog post is part of our Yoga Sutras series.  
​Want to start at the beginning?
Yoga Sutra 3.4
त्रयमेकत्र संयमः
trayam ekatra saṃyamaḥ
​
When working together, these three are called samyama.

Patanjali explains that when dharana, dhyana and samadhi flow into one another while using one object of focus, it is called samyama.  This is actually quite a simple sutra.  Patanjali is simply saying that “samyama is just another name for the three practices of concentration, meditation and absorption applied together.” (Bhakt, 133)  In samyama, “the three are a single thread” (Iyengar, 182) and therefore, integrated.

The experience of samyama, leading to total understanding of the Universal Self - which integrates “the full spectrum of the mind’s potential” (Stiles, 32) -  is the subject of the third Pada of The Yoga Sutras and will be explained in much more depth within this chapter.  As we will see, “we attain a variety of insights and abilities by applying samyama to various activities and experiences.” (Bhakt, 133)

In Yoga Sutra 3.5, Patanjali tells us that in mastering samyama, the light of wisdom (prajnalokah) comes.  Swami Satchidananda’s commentary explains this as “the truth behind the object” becoming apparent.  “That is what we call discovery.  The truth was ‘covered’ before; now we ‘dis-cover’ it.” (220)

BKS Iyengar explains this a little differently.  He says that the process of samyama reconciles “the known with the knowable and [reveals] the soul.” (183)  Either way, by concentrating upon an object, our mind gradually learns to maintain one-pointed awareness of this object.  “When it becomes all-pointed, which is to also no-pointed (that is to say equally diffused)” (Iyengar, 182) but still attentive, our attention becomes absorbed within the object of awareness and we experience samadhi.

Progress in samyama occurs in stages, Patanjali explains in Yoga Sutra 3.6.  This can also be translated as samyama’s progression or “application can be learned in stages.” (Shoshoni, 32)  This calls to mind the very first Yoga Sutra: atha yoga anusasanam or the explanation of yoga begins now, which references both the progressive application of yoga’s teachings and the final result of following the teachings of yoga.

Iyengar takes this in a slightly different direction, advising that “samyama [is to] be applied… in the various spheres of one’s life.” (183)  And further, Sutra 3.6 “affirms that no-one can expect success of mastery without regular practice.” (184)  

I believe that what Iyengar is trying to explain is that samayama is not simply a process of vertical integration but a horizontal one as well.  In other words, not only are we disciplining our mind to learn to become absorbed into one object of meditation but that we are gradually disciplining ourselves to experience our entire reality as an object of meditation.  Thus, our entire life becomes yoga practice both on and off the mat.

Indeed, unless we do this (and therefore practice samyama upon yama and niyama within our daily interactions), we risk skipping important intermediary steps.  As we will see later in the third Pada, skipping these steps can lead to unethical or even dangerous behavior that harms the practitioner rather than helps them.

The last two Sutras we’ll cover this month categorize both the eight limbs of Raja Yoga and the subtler levels of achievement in samadhi into a hierarchy.  In Yoga Sutra 3.7, Patanjali contrasts the final three limbs of Raja Yoga (or samyama itself) as internal limbs (antarangam) compared to the first five limbs.  

In fact, the eight limbs of Raja Yoga “are organized in order of subtlety and introversion.” (Bhakt, 134)  Yama teaches us how to interact with the world outside our body (with non-violence, truthfulness, non-covetousness, right use of energy, non-possessiveness) and “purifies the organs of action,” (Iyengar, 185) which are the body parts that permit us to take action in the world (mouth, hands, feet, anus and sex organs).  Niyama teaches us how to conduct ourselves within that outer world (with purity, contentedness, self-discipline, self-study and surrender to the Universal Self or place within the universe) and purifies the senses of perception (in other words, the five senses) and their respective organs (ears, eyes, nose, tongue and skin).  

“Even your body is an outside world for you” (Satchidananda, 222) when compared to your consciousness.  So “asana cleanses the physical and organic aspects of the body; pranayama stops wastage of energy and increases stamina; pratyahara cleanses the mind” (Iyengar, 185) by drawing the attention deeper than the level of the senses.

Although the final three limbs of Raja Yoga and their integration into samyama are part of the internal quest of yoga (sabija samadhi, or samadhi with seed), sharpening our intelligence, purifying our consciousness and leading us “towards the soul,” (Iyengar, 185) they are still external to the final stage of yoga, which is nirbija samadhi (absorption without seed).  Therefore, “dharana is external to dhyana, dhyana to samadhi, samadhi to samyama and samyama to nirbija (seedless) samadhi,” just as “the mind is external to intelligence, intelligence to consciousness and consciousness to the seer.” (Iyengar, 182)

In Samadhi Pada, which is the first Pada of The Yoga Sutras, Patanjali has actually already defined this process in depth.  Initially, we learn to practice samyama upon things that are manifested in nature - first, gross objects, next, subtler elements, then, the blissful or joyful feeling that develops through consistent practice and finally, upon the experience of being itself - this is called samprajnata samadhi.  

Asamprajnata comes next, which is upon things that are unmanifested in nature.  Ram Bahkt explains that in asamprajnata “instead of picking an object and gaining knowledge about that thing, you allow what remains in the psyche to come up and use it to transcend the mind.” (137)  These are sabija samadhi, as we can easily be led back into the impressions that lay dormant in our mind (called samskaras).

Between sabija and nirbija samadhi is a state called ritambhara prajna, which can be translated to “truth upholding insight.”  This is an insight that leads us to intimate connection with our higher or Universal Self.  Once we develop this connection, all samskaras except this one are cleared from our mind and we enter nirbija samadhi permanently because our sense of “I-ness” has been dissolved into oneness.  In other words, “the sense of a separate ego is completely gone” (Bhakt, 137) and “the soul surfaces of its own accord.” (Iyengar, 186)

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​When practicing asana or pranayama, do you ever feel totally absorbed in your practice?  When you practice deep relaxation or meditation, have you ever felt yourself as existing separate from the body?  How did that process develop - was it something that happened right away or did it take time?  Was it a sudden insight or a gradual shift in your consciousness?