From concentration to meditation
Dhyaan: The seventh limb of Yoga
Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah. Salutations to all the teachers.
The eight limbs of Yoga can be split into two sections: internal and external limbs.
With the external limbs, the sphere of operation of the actions is different from the locus of the objective. With the internal limbs, the sphere of operation is the same as the locus of the objective.
P: Wait a second, say that again?
Let’s take an example to make this clear. Consider the first Yama - ahimsa, or non-violence. The sphere of operation is the external world, and the body acts in particular ways to follow this Yama. The locus of the objective, however, is the mind. The body acted in a non-violent way, but the kleshas in the mind are weakened. Therefore, the sphere of operation (here, the body), can be different from the locus of the objective (the mind).
This is true for all of the external limbs.
However, when it comes to the three internal limbs - Dhaaranaa, Dhyaan, and Samaadhi - the sphere of operation is the same as the locus of the objective. The practice is done within the mind, and the effect is also in the mind.
Over the last two weeks, we discussed Dhaaranaa, or concentration - the first of the three internal limbs. In Yoga, this limb is the first step of what is colloquially known as “meditation.” Normally, the mind is scattered. This can be compared to waves or ripples in a lake. Due to the turbulence, it is difficult to see your reflection. Similarly with the mind - due to the constant movement, the nature of Self is obscured, and we identify with the movements of mind. On the other hand, when the mind is calm and settled, the Self is revealed. This is known as Moksha.
To be very clear, there is nothing mystical or magical here. Yoga is based on direct experience. Moksha is not some otherworldly phenomenon to be put on a pedestal, but can be directly felt with sufficient practice. What’s more, even a little bit of practice goes a long way to reduce suffering and calm the mind. Don’t take my word for it - try these techniques for yourself
Recap: Dhaaranaa
The five external limbs are all independent practices. That is, they can each be practised by themselves.
For example, you can practice Aasana even if you have a habit of speaking untruths (ie. you are not practising the Yamas). You can also speak the truth without ever having practised Aasana. You can practice Praanaayaam without practising contentment (the second Niyama), and you can practice Kriya Yoga (the last three Niyamas) without ever having practised Pratyaahaar.
However, the three internal limbs - Dhaaranaa, Dhyaan, and Samaadhi - can only be practised consecutively, and in this order. Dhyaan is a continuation and deepening of Dhaaranaa, and Samaadhi is a continuation and deepening of Dhyaan. In a sense, they are a single practice, and together they are called Samyam.
Dhaaranaa is the practice of returning the mind to a given object. The definition is as follows:
देशबन्धश्र्चित्तस्य धारणा॥DeshaBandhasChittasya dhaaranaaDhaaranaa is the fixing of the mind in a space.
- Yoga Sutra, 3.1
There are three simple steps, to be repeated in a cycle:
Focus on an object (aka the aalambanaa). This could be anything - the breath, a mantra, a sensation, or any object at all.
When attention wanders, acknowledge that it has wandered.
Gently return attention to the object, without judgement.
Repeat.
The goal of Dhaaranaa is not to focus, but to increase the length and frequency of the flashes of sattva (ie. when you notice that the mind has wandered). This practice is difficult and takes tremendous alertness.
As your practice becomes stronger, you may start to notice these flashes of sattva in your day-to-day life.
For example, you may notice when you are about to speak in a way that you don’t wish to speak and be able to stop yourself before any words leave your mouth. You may notice when you are about to act in a way you don’t want to act, and stop yourself before you make a single move. Through the practice of Dhaaranaa, and the subsequent increase of sattva in the mind, all of life becomes more mindful, and you will start to feel more awake than you did before. Don’t take my word for it - try it for yourself!
Eventually, the length and frequency of these flashes of sattva become so frequent that concentration becomes effortless. This brings us to the next limb - Dhyaan - or meditation.
What is Dhyaan?
The word Dhyaan (ध्यान, pronounced dh-yaah-nuh) means to meditate, reflect, or contemplate. Across different traditions, this word is used in many different contexts. For example, the word for Dhyaan in Pali is Jhana. In Buddhist teachings, the word is used to describe states of deep absorption, similar to the levels of Samaadhi in Yoga.1
This use of the word Dhyaan to represent Samaadhi is not limited to Buddhism, but also appears in some Upanishads (e.g. Svetasvatara Upanishad), some verses in the Bhagavad Gita, and even the Mahabharat.
The word has also travelled around other regions, finding its way into other languages. For example, the word for Dhyaan in Chinese is chan, and represents essentially the same thing as the Pali Jhana, layered with teachings of Daoism.
Further, the word for chan in Japanese is Zen - which represents the school of Buddhism, founded (in a sense) by a semi-mythical wandering monk from India by the name of Bodhidharma.
In the context of the Yoga Sutras, however, and in classic Yogic fashion, the word Dhyaan has a very clear definition:
तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम्॥Tatra pratyayaEkataanataa dhyaanamThere [ie. in Dhaaranaa], Dhyaan is when [attention is continuously] fixed on the same pratyaya.
- Yoga Sutra, 3.2
In Yogic psychology, there are 5 categories of mental modifications or movements, called vrittis (literally “whirlpools” or “turnings”) - evidence-based knowledge, error-based knowledge, imagination, deep sleep, and memory. A vritti is made up of smaller component parts, just like the image of these words on your screen is made up of tiny pixels. These pixels are known as pratyayas.
Note, both vrittis and pratyayas do not exist in the external world outside our skin, but rather within the mind. Everything we know and experience happens within the mind.2 In Dhyaana, therefore, the attention is expressly on the mental image within the mind, even if it began feeling like you were concentrating on an external object during Dhaaranaa.
Dhyaan cannot be practised by itself, but is rather a deepening of Dhaaranaa. After practising Dhaaranaa for some time, once there is sufficient sattva, you will find that the attention simply stops wandering, and just sticks to the object.
Dhaaranaa is like the trickling of water, made up of individual, interrupted, droplets. Dhyaan, then, is like the smooth, thick, uninterrupted flow of honey. With practice, it takes less time for Dhaaranaa to deepen into Dhyaan. The more kleshas there are in the mind, and the stronger they are, the harder it will be for it to deepen. In this way, Dhyaan is an excellent way to measure your progress with the earlier limbs.
P: Isn’t the mind made of gunas, like everything else in nature?
Jogi: Yes.
P: And the gunas are always in motion, right?
Jogi: Yes.
P: So then how can the mind ever be fixed on a single object?
This objection from our friend P is central to an understanding of how Dhyaan works. While it may feel as though your attention is concentrated on a single object, what is actually happening is that several, nearly identical, pratyayas are appearing in quick succession to give the illusion of a constant flow. This is like a steady flow of oil or honey that may look static until you look more closely to notice the movement.
In this way, the mind, made of gunas is in fact constantly in motion. However, the motion is limited to a particular class, giving the illusion of continuity or focus.
How do I know if I’m in Dhyaan or Dhaaranaa?
When you sit down for a class or for a movie, you likely feel a sense of confidence that you will be able to sit through the whole thing without getting up. You know, for example, that you will not feel a sudden and uncontrollable urge to start shouting, running, jumping, or excreting.
This example might seem ridiculous, but it is important to note that as a child, you may not have felt this same sense of confidence. But now, after years of socialisation, you have learned how to control your karmendriyas (organs of action) using your buddhi (intellect).3
Now consider what it feels like to be in full control of whether and where you are going to walk. From an experiential standpoint, you do not doubt, even for a second, that the legs will just start taking you wherever they feel like. You know, deeply and clearly, that the legs will follow what the buddhi tells them to do, without deviation. What’s more, it’s not like you have to suppress the urge to walk in a random direction. Rather, the legs simply follow what the buddhi tells them to do.
Similarly, with dhyaan, you will not doubt, even for a second, that the attention (aka manas) will just start wandering wherever it wants to go. You will know, deeply and clearly, that the manas will follow what the buddhi tells it to do, without deviation. This is how you know that you have progressed from Dhaaranaa to Dhyaan.
There is no need for suppression of other thoughts or any need for mental force or strain.
From a Yogic perspective, the ability to voluntarily control a function - mental or physical - is itself a function of the buddhi, also known as sattva. The more subtle (ie. sookshma) the function, the more difficult it is to control. The more gross (ie. sthoola) a function, the easier it is to control.
For example, the most sthoola karmendriya is the power of excretion. We usually learn to control this with the buddhi at a young age. The most subtle, or sookshma karmendriya is the power of speech. This is difficult to control even for adults! The first three limbs - Yama, Niyama, and Aasana - upskill the buddhi to be able to control the karmendriyas.
More subtle than the karmendriyas is the Praana. The fourth limb - Praanaayaam - trains the buddhi to be in control of the Praana.
More subtle than the Praana are the senses, or buddhendriyas. The fifth limb, Pratyaahaar, teaches the buddhi how to be in control of whether or not a given sense is pulling the mind outwards.
The attention, or manas, is even more subtle than the senses. However, it is just another function of the bodymind, just like walking or talking, and just like walking and talking, the buddhi can learn to control it.
It just takes some practice.
Until next time:
Continue your practice of Dhaaranaa, keeping the same aalambanaa (aka support like the breath, sensations, mantra, etc.) as before. Switching aalambanaas will make it more difficult to progress.
Take notes on how the practice progresses. A common pitfall is to read about deeper states and then believe that you have accomplished them. Remember to be honest with yourself, following the four keys to practice. You are your own teacher.
Next week: More on Dhyaan, the seventh limb of Yoga: Meditation as non-effort
More on this in a few weeks.
This is not to say that there is no external world, as in subjective idealism. Just that we only ever directly experience the movements of the mind, and that to make a claim that the outside world looks and feels just like what we sense is a leap of faith.
This lack of control over the karmendriyas is not limited to children, but also extends to adults in the kshipta bhumi.