How to Disengage from the Mind?

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de?a-bandha? cittasya dhāra?ā ?1?

Concentration focuses the attention of mind onto one location ||1||

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tatra pratyaya-ikatānatā dhyānam ?2?

The uninterrupted stream of that one point of focus is called absorption in contemplative meditation||2||

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tadeva-artha-mātra-nirbhāsa? svarūpa-?ūnyam-iva-samādhi? ?3?

When the essence without the form of the object of meditation shines it is disengaged witnessing awareness. ||3||

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trayam-ekatra sa?yama? ?4?

The three processes of dharana, dhyana, and samadhi, when taken together, are the components of samyama. ||4||

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tajjayāt praj?āloka? ?5?

Mastery of Samyama gives rise to awareness of all that can be perceived. ||5||

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tasya bhūmi?u viniyoga? ?6?

Samyama is the integration of the 3 previous steps. ||6||

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Vibhuti Pada, the chapter on the benefits and powers of Yoga begins here. Vibhuti in Sanskrit means powers. In this chapter on the benefits of Yoga, Patanjali outlines various powers that can be attained through the practice of Yoga, as an adjunct to the primary objective of Self-realisation. In my limited understanding, some of these ‘supernatural’ powers are similar to what is described in the Atharva Veda mantra and Tantric techniques. One would advise great care in seeking such powers, which can be double-razor-edged.

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Patanjali starts with Samyama, which is the integration of three of the four inner Yoga limbs. The first one, the fifth in Ashtanga Yoga, is Pratyahara is about disengaging from the senses and stopping sensory feed to gain mastery over the senses. When I used to teach meditation, I would deliberately go around making some noises and putting lights on and off to verify that learners were competent in this first step. It takes time.

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The sixth limb of Yoga and the first in Samyama is Dharana, focusing on one sense. One of the most powerful scriptures of Dharana is the Vignyana Bhairava Tantra, an ancient text from Rudrayamala Tantra, followed by Kashmiri Shaivism. Devi, the active left half of Shiva asks him ‘Lord, where do I find you?’ In response, Shiva provided 112 dharana techniques. Each of these addresses a particular sense out of the 5 Gnyanendriya and starts with breathing. Did Shiva expound the concept of Yoga that was expanded by Patanjali, considered to be an avatar of Vishnu and Adisesha?

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Each of us uses our senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste in unique ways. Each uses one of the senses more efficiently and effectively. Breathing is a common platform for all as described in Pranayama. Vignyana Bhairava Tantra starts with breathing techniques, Shiva saying that one can find him in the space between the in and out breaths. Shiva then provides concentration techniques for each sense. I have tried each one. They work. Some of the Tibetan Buddhist meditation techniques of Trataka, focusing on light, others focusing on sound etc are based on Shiva’s techniques. In a separate work, I have commented on each of the 112 VBT Dharana. Meditations start with focused dharana.

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The seventh Yoga limb Dhyana is meditation on one thought. Meditation is defocusing. As Patanjali says it is a stream. At this point focused attention on matter as a particle shifts to the unfocused stream of energy consciousness. Object, form and matter disappear. Energy rules.

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Meditation is not about a God of any religion. It is about our true energy Self, which is a holographic fragment of the Cosmic energy consciousness. Meditation is an extension of the Dharana focus on the breath or one of the senses. It can also be on a thought as in the Self-inquiry, atma vichara, process of Ramana Maharishi. It can be the sound AUM. It can be a mantra from any religion, or a repetition of words like Jesus, Buddha, Shiva, Rama etc.

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Herbert Benson’s books on meditation, Relaxation Response and Beyond, explain the process of meditation well. Benson says any word can be meditative, One or Om; even a brand name of an addictive drink. However, beware, he says, the quality of that word subconsciously embedded in you will manifest. Meditation is creative manifested visualisation.

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The ultimate eighth state is Samadhi is disengagement into a witnessing state that helps us realise our true Self. With Yama and Niyama, the practitioner learns to act following the ethics of Yoga. In Asana and Pranayama, one learns to align the body and breath with the energy Self. In Pratyahara one moves to controlling the mind through the senses. In Dharana and Dhyana, the mind is brought to a one-pointed concentration. and awareness of the mind's movements as senses, emotions and thoughts. In Samadhi one lets these mind movements go. We shift to a witnessing mode, disengaged from the objects of the mind, watching disinterestedly at them as one watches the clouds in the sky or waves in the ocean. In Dhyana, you are in the stream of consciousness. In Samadhi you let go of the stream and become the stream yourself.

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In the Samadhi state of one’s true original state of energy Self, the mind is silent. We do have senses, emotions and thoughts. We don’t become deaf and dumb, but we don’t get attached to them. This is the state Buddha calls Sunya. Zen Buddhism calls the No Mind, Mandukya Upanishad calls Turiya, and Patanjali calls kaivalya in the end. To make it simple, we at Coacharya call it mindfreeness or mindlessness when we transcend the mind. The Samadhi state has multiple layers which we shall see later. Here, we address the first gateway state.

Reflection

?A simple and powerful primer in meditation

·????? Sit cross-legged or in a hardback chair with your spine erect and eyes closed

·????? Breath in a box, deep inhale, hold, slow exhale twice as long, hold

·????? Scan body from top of head to toes and back, experience sensations

·????? Settle in the heart centre and expand with exhaled breath, disengaged

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Meditation tracks from Coacharya are available for donation to the Coacharya Foundation.

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Ram is a co-founder and mentor at Coacharya?https://coacharya.com. Ram's focus is the integration of Eastern wisdom with modern science, spiritually, systemically and sustainably. Visit Coacharya.

If you are a coach and aspire to greatness, consider joining Cindy and me on an advanced individual and team credential program for ICF PCC ACTC, EMCC SP Team and BCC starting April 30 at 6 PM IST for 3 hours over 14 weeks. Details Here and Here.

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