"All these modifications are mere words, nothing but verbal handles."
Vichaar Samaadhi: Savichaar and Nirvichaar Samapatti
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Kunal
Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah. Salutations to all the teachers.
स ह द्वादशवर्ष उपेत्य चतुर्विंशतिवर्षः सर्वान्वेदानधीत्य महामना अनूचानमानी स्तब्ध एयाय तंह पितोवाच ॥श्वेतकेतो यन्नु सोम्येदं महामना अनूचानमानी स्तब्धोऽस्युत तमादेशमप्राक्ष्यः येनाश्रुतं श्रुतं भवत्यमतं मतमविज्ञातं विज्ञातमिति कथं नु भगवः स आदेशो भवतीति ॥यथा सोम्यैकेन मृत्पिण्डेन सर्वं मृन्मयं विज्ञातं स्याद्वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं मृत्तिकेत्येव सत्यम् ॥यथा सोम्यैकेन लोहमणिना सर्वं लोहमयं विज्ञातं स्याद्वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं लोहमित्येव सत्यम् ॥यथा सोम्यिकेन नखनिकृन्तनेन सर्वं कार्ष्णायसं विज्ञातं स्याद्वाचारम्भणं विकारो नामधेयं कृष्णायसमित्येव सत्यमेवंसोम्य स आदेशो भवतीति ॥At the age of twelve, Shvetakatu went to the house of his teacher. At the age of twenty four, he returned home, serious and arrogant, thinking himself to be a great scholar.
Noticing that he had become serious and arrogant, his father said to him, “O Shvetaketu, you have become very serious and arrogant, and you think you are a great scholar. But did you ask your teacher for that teaching1 by which the unheard can be heard, the unthinkable can be thought of, and the unknowable can become known?”
Shvetakatu asked, “Sir, what is this teaching?”
[He replied],
“O Gentle One, it is so: By knowing just one lump of clay, you know all objects made of clay. All these modifications are mere words, nothing but verbal handles. But clay is the reality.”
“O Gentle One, it is so: By knowing a single piece of gold, you know all objects made of gold. All these modifications are mere words, nothing but verbal handles. But gold is the reality."
“O Gentle One, it is so: By knowing a single nail-cutter [made of iron], you know all objects made of iron. All these modifications are mere words, nothing but verbal handles. But iron is the reality.
“O Gentle One, this is the teaching I speak of.”
- Chhandogya Upanishad 6.1.2-6
The regular practice of meditation can be compared to sharpening a knife.
A sharp knife is more useful than a dull knife, but if the knife is not used to cut something, it doesn’t quite matter whether it is sharp or dull.
Similarly, we initially practice meditation - more specifically Dhaaranaa, Dhyaan, and Samaadhi - in order to sharpen the tool called samyam.
Samyam by itself is just a tool, not an end in itself. Once it is sharpened, the tool of samyam can be applied systematically to the various objects of experience, in order of subtlety, so that the Yogi can directly experience the true nature of reality and free themselves from the cycle of suffering.
This is Yoga.
Over the past few weeks, we have been discussing the depth of meditation, wherein the Yogi uses samyam on progressively more subtle objects. It begins with Dhaaranaa, where attention is brought to an object. Then, when it wanders, attention is gently returned to the object, until it eventually sticks, without distraction. This state is called Dhyaan.
After some practice, Dhyaan deepens further, and the distinction between the subject and the object of meditation begins to disintegrate. This state where the object shines by itself, is known as Samaadhi, or absorption, and can be broken down into two broad categories:
Samprajnata (संप्रज्ञातः) Samaadhi: Samaadhi with support
Asamprajnata (असंप्रज्ञातः) Samaadhi: Samaadhi without support
Samprajnaata Samaadhi can be further broken down into four distinct stages, based on the subtlety of the aalambana, or the object of support:
Vitark: Samaadhi on gross objects (e.g. the breath)
Vichaar: Samaadhi on subtle aspects of the object (e.g. on texture or sound)
Aanand: Samaadhi on the sattva aspect of the antahakarana (e.g. on the sense of touch or hearing, the manas - the sattvic ahamkaar used as the instrument of perception)
Asmitaa: Samaadhi on the sattva aspect of the buddhi, and the reflection of the Purusha that perceives the object
These stages are like Russian nesting dolls - Vitark includes Vichaar, Aanand, and Asmitaa; Vichaar includes Aanand and Asmitaa; and Aanand includes Asmitaa.
This is because the gross aspect of an object (e.g. the breath) includes within it its subtle aspects (e.g. texture or sound), the senses used to perceive it, and the perceiver itself.
Additionally, the first two stages - Vitark and Vichaar can be broken down further into their savikalpa (with concept) and nirvikalpa (without concept) samapattis.
Specifically, these are:
Savitark Samapatti: Samaadhi on gross objects, where the word, meaning, and knowledge are intermingled.
Nirvitark Samapatti: Samaadhi on gross objects, where the word and knowledge drop away, and the object shines alone.
Savichaar Samapatti: Samaadhi on subtle objects, where the word, meaning, and knowledge are intermingled.
Nirvichaar Samapatti: Samaadhi on subtle objects, where the word and knowledge drop away, and the object shines alone.
Thus far, we have explored the first two samapattis - Savitark and Nirvitark - and last week we began a discussion on the idea of involution and evolution (pravritti and nivritti).
This idea of involution and evolution is critical to understanding the following levels of Samaadhi. Given this, if you missed the last article, you can find it here:
Briefly, we discussed the example of a lump of Play-doh that can be turned into various different forms. These shapes are specific (vishesha) forms, or modifications, of the generic (saamanya) Play-doh.
The key to understanding this is to see that no matter what form the Play-doh takes, the only thing there is Play-doh.
For example, if you were to create a flower out of the Play-doh, there is no second thing there apart from Play-doh itself. That is, you cannot remove the Play-doh and retain the flower.
The moment you remove the Play-doh, the flower also disappears.
This indicates that the form of the flower - the specific, or vishesha - is dependent entirely upon the Play-doh (the generic, or saamaanya). Additionally, the vishesha is nothing but a name, form, and perhaps function - superimposed by language - upon the saamaanya.
There is no “flower” apart from the name and form. In reality, it is just Play-doh - through and through.
We will now apply this same principle to the 25 Tattvas of reality, and see how we can use meditation to start to see the world in terms of more and more subtle Tattvas, rather than taking the various names and forms seriously.
Jogi: The root cause of our suffering is avidya - the Primal Ignorance - wherein we take the names and forms that we superimpose upon reality as reality itself. This results in kleshas such as attachment and aversion, which lead to suffering. This is true for all names and forms, but becomes most apparent when we apply it to the body-mind. We take this particular modification of Prakriti (the Play-doh of this manifold existence) to be “me”, and when it changes, or when we perceive danger to it, we suffer. We take this further and apply it to thoughts and ideas, which are also just modifications of the same Prakriti. I have an idea of “me”, and when this idea is challenged, I suffer. The whole project of Yoga is for the purpose of relieving and eventually extinguishing suffering. In order to do this, we must address the root cause.
Note: If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I am currently collecting questions to answer in future articles - anonymous or otherwise. You can post your questions by clicking this button:
Vichaar Samaadhi: Samaadhi on subtle objects
एतयैव सविचारा निर्विचारा च सूक्ष्मविषया व्याख्याता॥Etayaiva savichaaraa nirvichaaraa cha sookshmavishayaa vyaakhyaataaSavichaar and Nirvichaar [Samapatti] are explained in the same way [as Savitark and Nirvitark], on subtle objects.
- Yoga Sutra, 1.44
The word vichaar (विचार, pronounced vi-ch-aahr) means “idea”, “thought”, or “consideration.”
In this context, it refers to that state of absorption in an object where attention has transcended the gross aspects of the object, and is now supported by its subtle aspects.
P: What do you mean “gross aspects” and “subtle aspects”? This all sounds a bit woo-woo to me.
Jogi: There is nothing “woo-woo” or supernatural about any of this. It is a matter of direct experience.
P: How so? What is the “subtle aspect” and “gross aspect” of an object?
Let us take the example of the screen in front of you right now.
Normally, we think that the screen is made of some material, and that light reflects off that material, entering the eye, where signals are transmitted to the brain to create an image of the object. This is not wrong, however, it is only one of many ways to look at the world.
Yoga flips this model on its head.
In the Yogic paradigm, rather than the object existing separately from the observing mind, the object is seen as a modification of form. Form is further a modification of sight. Sight is a modification of mind, which is a modification of nature (the three gunas, or Prakriti).
This is true for any object.
If you consider it for a moment, there are only five kinds of objects in the entire manifest Universe (one for each sense), kind of like there are only three prime colours that generate the variety of colours we see around us.
These five types of objects mix together to create the variety of objects that we know and love.
Let us apply this to the breath.
One way to break down the breath is to see it as a movement of air, which is made of molecules, which is made of atoms, and on and on. This is the conventional approach.
On the other hand, breath can be seen as a modification of space and air (corresponding to the senses of hearing and touch). These can then be seen as modifications of raw sound and texture, which are further modifications of the sense of hearing and the sense of touch. The senses of hearing and touch are further modifications of the mind.
In this example, each progressive layer is like a shape made of the Play-doh of the next layer in. The earlier layer is the specific, or vishesha modification of the next layer in, which is its saamanya, or generic form. This is just like the flower made of Play-doh is the vishesha modification, while the Play-doh itself is the generic, or saamaanya substance.
With the Play-doh flower, there is no second entity apart from the Play-doh that we can call “the flower.” What we call “the flower” is just a verbal handle - a name and form superimposed upon the underlying substance.
Similarly, with the breath, “breath” is just a verbal handle - a name and form superimposed upon sound and texture. There is no second entity apart from sound and texture called “the breath”.
Using this framework, the Universe is not something that we are born into. Rather, the Universe is a manifestation of Prakriti, through the various layers of subtle objects, into the variety of names and forms, which are just verbal handles - just like the name “flower” is a verbal handle to describe a particular form taken on by Play-doh at a given slice in space and time. Additionally, what you call “me” is just another modification, or verbal handle.
P: Ok this is all good from a theoretical standpoint. But how do I practically use this information?
Jogi: You are right. Understanding this theoretically is a helpful tool, but is ultimately useless unless put into practice. This information is like a map, but even with a map, it is important to have a set of directions.
P: What are the directions?
It begins with focusing intently on the object. Once the mind is stable enough to stick to the object, the distinction between observer, observation, and observed object will begin to dissolve. This is Samaadhi.
Here, the process begins with a focus on a modification of your choice - this is the aalambanaa. Initially, the word, object, and knowledge are intermingled with each other - this is Savitark Samapaati.
Then, the word and knowledge drop away, and the gross object shines alone. This is Nirvitark Samapatti.
At some point, the object will start to appear less and less as a cohesive whole, and will start to feel more like a combination of the subtle elements it is composed of.
Side note: Subtle Elements, aka Tanmaatraas
In Yoga, there are five subtle elements, known as Tanmaatraas.
These are not literally the sounds, textures, forms, tastes, and smells that we see around us, but rather a way to indicate the five primary types or categories of objects. This can be compared to the primary colours, where the three primary colours interact and mix to create the entire spectrum.
The five tanmaatraas are:
Shabd2: Sound
Sparsh: Texture
Roop: Form
Ras: Taste
Gandh: Smell
P: What are the tanmaatraas, more specifically? I experience various sounds, but what is “sound” itself? I experience various forms, but what is “form” itself?
Consider the sounds of a major scale: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. These specific (vishesha) sounds are modifications of sound itself (the saamaanya). In this example, “sound” is like the Play-doh that modifies or evolves into the variety of sounds in the scale.
P: Wait a second, what is “sound” without its modifications?
Jogi: It is the saamaanya, or generic sound, out of which all sounds emerge, and into which they disappear.
P: But I can only experience the specific or vishesha sound in the form of notes or sounds that I hear with my ears. How can I know that the tanmaatraa of sound exists apart from the variety of sounds?
Jogi: What is Play-doh without its modifications?
P: Huh?
Jogi: Consider this thought experiment - can Play-doh exist without a modification?
P: Yes of course! The lump of Play-doh, no?
Jogi: Isn’t the “lump” itself a naam-roop - a name and form?
P: Yes, I suppose so.
Jogi: Then can you experience Play-doh without a modification?
P: No, I guess no matter what I do, it will be a modification.
Jogi: Then it must mean that Play-doh doesn’t exist apart from the variety of forms, right?
P: Not at all - Play-doh clearly exists.
Jogi: How can you know for sure?
P: Because it exists in and through all the modifications. Common to all of them is the underlying Play-doh. Without the Play-doh, there would be no Play-doh flower, no Play-doh house, no Play-doh lump, and so on. The forms are entirely dependent upon the Play-doh for their existence.
Jogi: Exactly. In the very same way, the tanmaatraa of sound (ie. shabda) is like the Play-doh of all possible sounds. It exists in and through all the modifications of sound, and all the modifications depend upon it for their existence.
Just like shabda is the Play-doh of all possible sounds, sparsha is the Play-doh of all possible textures, roop is the Play-doh of all possible sights, and so on. In this way, the tanmaatraas underpin all the possible objects that we can experience.
P: What about mental sounds, like the voice in my head reading this right now?
Jogi: That is a subtle object of sound. Just like gross sounds, this voice is also a modification of the same tanmaatraa, just with a lower degree of tamas. The same goes for subtle objects of sight, like visualizations - those are modifications of the tanmaatraa of roop, or form.
Savichaar Samapatti: Samapatti with consideration
Vichaar Samaadhi is experienced in two sequential stages - one savikalp (ie. loka-pratyaksha, where word, object, and knowledge are intermingled), and one nirvikalp (ie. para-pratyaksha, where word and knowledge have dropped away).
The first stage is savichaar samapatti, or samapatti with consideration.
Note: Don’t pay too much attention to the English translations - the Sanskrit terms themselves are also just indicators with several meanings that are each misleading in their own way. For example, there is no actual “consideration” or “thought” at this level of Samaadhi - it is just a term used to describe this particular state of absorption on subtle objects.
The state prior to this is nirvitark samapatti, where word and knowledge had dropped away, and the gross level of the object shone alone. Here, word and knowledge make a comeback, but serve as a sort of “bridge” to the subtle layer of the same object.
To make this clear, let us take return to the example of the cow.
In Nirvitark, the specific (aka vishesha) cow shines alone, and there is no word “cow” or classification of the particular cow into the class called “cow.”
In this next stage - Savichaar - the cow is now seen as a combination of sound, texture, form, taste, and smell, and the “cow-ness” of the cow is no longer within the Yogi’s sphere of awareness.
This is just like if one were to see the forms of Play-doh as nothing but Play-doh, rather than paying attention to the names and forms of “flower”, “face”, “lump” and so on.
As another example, it is like when someone says “knock on wood”, and suddenly, for a split second, all the wooden objects around you are no longer “table”, “chair”, or “cabinet”, but rather become primarily wood overlaid with the names and forms of table, chair, and cabinet.
At this stage, word and knowledge are back. However, rather than being used as verbal and conceptual handles, respectively, for the gross object (e.g. cow, breath, etc.), they are used as verbal and conceptual handles for the tanmaatraas.
P: Does this mean that in savichaar samapatti I will actually have the word “breath” as an active cognition?
Jogi: No, it is not an active cognition, but rather a factor of recognition.
Specifically, the Yogi - without any mental verbalization - recognizes the object as nothing but a modification of its underlying tanmaatraas. This fact of recognition implies that word and idea must exist at some pre-conceptual level. It is not that the word and idea actually appear in the mind as an active thought. After all, this is a stage of Samaadhi, where all other thoughts have been set aside.
Something to note, at this level, the tanmaatraas are directly perceived, with pratyaksh - not inferred (ie. anumaan).
P: What does this mean?
Consider the example of wooden objects. You may know in your mind that an object is made of wood. However, this knowledge is different from the experience of the same object that appears in the mind when someone says the phrase “knock on wood.”
In the former, it is an indirect perception, based on prior knowledge. In the latter, it is a direct experience of the object as a modification of wood-ness. In the former, the object comes first and the wood comes second. In the latter, the wood comes first, and the object second.
Similarly, as you read this article, you may conceptually grasp that the objects around you are made of tanmaatraas. However, this is an indirect perception based on existing knowledge. In Savichaar Samapatti, it becomes a direct, visceral experience, where the modification of object-ness disappears in favour of the experience of the tanmaatraa.
Right now, as you look around, the objects are first, and the tanmaatraas come second. In savichaar samapatti, the tanmaatraas come first, and the objects second.
Nirvichaar Samapatti: Samapatti without consideration
At this stage, just like with Nirvitark Samapatti, word and idea drop away, and the tanmaatraas shine alone. Word and idea serve as a sort of bridge to bring attention to the level of subtle objects. In Nirvitark, the gross state of the object is revealed by artha alone. However, we need to go one level deeper into the tanmaatraas.
The tanmaatraas are, at first, understood through reason and teaching, as you are reading and understanding this right now. This is done through the medium of words, pointing to concepts. Words and concepts help the mind to identify and recognise objects of perception - subtle or gross. Only upon recognition can focus arise, and only upon focus can word and idea be dropped away. In this way, the words and ideas from intellectual understanding help the mind to recognize the tanmaatraas when faced with them in the depths of meditation. Then, once attention has been focused on them using the training wheels of word and idea, the training wheels can be dropped, and the artha (ie. the underlying tanmaatraa(s)) shines alone.
This stage is known as Nirvichaar Samapatti, or samapatti without consideration.
The thing about tanmaatraas is that they don’t exist only within the boundary of a single object.
P: What do you mean?
Back to Play-doh.
Play-doh is not limited by the boundary of the flower, the pot, the face, or any other form that is made from it. It is beyond any boundaries at the level of the modifications.
Another example is that of the screen on which you are reading this. The screen is not limited by the boundaries of any of the images that you see on it. The screen, in this sense, pervades all possible images that are currently on it.
What’s more, the screen has pervaded all past images on it, pervades all current images on it, and will pervade all future images that will appear on it.
Further, let’s say you were watching a YouTube video of Tom and Jerry on your phone.
In the episode, Tom is running after Jerry, trips on a banana peel, and slips. There is a chain of causation here. Jerry runs, and therefore Tom chases. Tom chases, and therefore had a lot of momentum. The banana peel was on the ground, and Tom had a lot of momentum, and therefore Tom slipped on the banana peel.
Now this entire chain of events happened on the screen. The screen pervaded the entire causal chain. In fact, the entire causal chain was nothing but modifications of the screen on which you watched it.
Ok, now back to tanmaatraas.
Just like the screen pervades all images on it, so the tanmaatraas pervade everything in space. All possible objects are pervaded by the same tanmaatraas.
Just like the screen pervades all images past, present, and future, so the tanmaatraas pervade all objects regardless of how their characteristics change throughout time.
Just like the screen pervades the entire causal chain of events in the video of Tom and Jerry, so the tanmaatraas pervade all possible causal chains involving gross objects.3
To summarize this, tanmaatraas are not delimited by space, time, or causation.
In Savichaar Samapatti, the tanmaatraas are seen within the bounds of the aalambanaa, with its present characteristics and qualities. As a result, they are still seen as qualified by space, time, and causation.
In Nirvichaar Samapatti, on the other hand, the tanmaatraas are seen as they are, without any categorization by words or concepts, and so are seen as independent of their modifications.
As a result, they are seen to be (as they are), not delimited by time, space, or causation. The tanmaatraas are seen to be no longer limited within the particular aalambanaa. They are seen to be common to past, present, and future modifications of all objects. They are seen to be independent of causation at the level of gross objects.
Summary
These stages of samapatti are varying degrees of absorption in an object of meditation - the goal of meditation in Yoga is to go deeper into a given object so as to uncover the Self (aka Reality).4
Savitark and Nirvitark Samapatti are at the gross level of the aalambanaa (e.g. breath, cow, mantra, etc.).
At the next stage - Savichaar - word and idea come back, but only to serve as a bridge for attention to see into the tanmaatraas, or the subtle elements that compose the object.
These subtle elements are undifferentiated sound, texture, form, taste, and smell - these can be compared to Play-doh which pervades all possible forms of Play-doh, regardless of time, space, or causation.
Eventually - with abhyaas and vairaagya (the twin foundations of Yoga) - word and idea drop away once again, leaving the tanmaatraas as they are.
Here, it is seen directly that the tanmaatraas pervade all objects regardless of space, time, or causation, just as a screen pervades all images regardless of space, time, or causation. This state is known as Nirvichaar Samapatti.
Next time, we will discuss how Nirvichaar Samapatti goes beyond seeing objects as their constituent tanmaatraas, going deeper into the aalambanaa all the way up to the gunas that compose it.
Until next week:
Try to see objects as modifications of the underlying tanmaatraas - raw, undifferentiated sound, texture, form, taste, and smell.
Take notes to see how your vairaagya improves. What works for you and what doesn’t? How does this affect your daily meditation practice?
Next time: How Vichaar Samaadhi extends all the way to Prakriti
The teaching referred to here is about Brahman - the Absolute Reality. However, this verse is applicable in this context as well.
The word “shabda” is used here in a different context from when we previously discussed shabda, artha, jnaana as word, meaning, and idea, respsectively. Here, it refers to the tanmaatraa of sound.
This also applies to material causation, such as where Play-doh is the material cause of the Play-doh flower, or where water is the material cause of waves. The tanmaatraas are not delimited by material cause.
More on how Self = Reality later.