The inner workings of Samaadhi
Nirbeeja Samaadhi, and getting out of Samaadhi
Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah. Salutations to all the teachers.
Through the practices of Yoga, the mind generates Nirodha Samskaaras, or “inward tendencies.”
These Nirodha Samskaaras are directly opposed to Vyutthaana Samskaaras, or “outward tendencies”, in that inward tendencies pull the Yogi towards Apavarga, or liberation, while outward tendencies pull the Yogi towards Bhoga, or experience of the world of sense objects.
Nirodha Samskaaras counteract and thus weaken Vyutthaana Samskaaras, and so, through repetition (ie. practice), over time, samskaaras in the Yogi’s mind become increasingly Nirodha.
Eventually, even these Nirodha Samskaaras are counteracted with the most nirodha of nirodha samskaaras, known as Para-Vairaagya - the highest “letting go” - where the Yogi lets go of the gunas themselves. More on this topic here:
In Nirbeeja Samaadhi, while it appears as though the mind is completely empty of all vrittis (or more specifically, of pratyayas), in reality, there is just an equilibrium of nirodha and vyutthaana samskaaras appearing consecutively.
That is, for every vyutthaana samskaara, there is an equal and opposite nirodha samskaara that sort of cancels it out.
However, since the mind is essentially an ever-moving flow of samskaaras, each of these samskaaras only lasts for a moment (known as a kshana, क्षण). Therefore, in order to keep Nirbeeja Samaadhi going, there needs to be a continuous flow of nirodha samskaaras cancelling out the continuous flow of vyutthaana samskaaras.
When this happens, the mind appears to be devoid of any movement or activity, although there is a constant tussle of samskaaras counteracting each other beneath the surface of awareness.
Remember - these are samskaaras, and not pratyayas.
As a brief recap, a samskaara is a tendency, like a seed that lives beneath the surface. These seeds sprout into conscious thoughts, known as pratyayas, and these pratyayas come together to form vrittis, or thought patterns. These thought patterns are of five types - knowledge, error, imagination, deep sleep, and memory. More here:
In Yoga, we are not counteracting pratyayas with opposing pratyayas - that would be suppression, and can lead to unforeseen negative consequences.
For example, if you have a thought that appears during meditation and you try to push it away, it will pop up again, most likely stronger than before due to the energy with which you suppressed it. Even in daily life, if you feel angry with someone and you try to hold that anger in or “push it down”, it will crop up again when you least expect it.
Rather, the game is to be played at the level of samskaaras - tendencies.
A traditional example compares this to a person trying to get rid of a piece of cloth by asking the weaver to leave the room.
Just because the weaver has left the room, doesn’t mean that the cloth will be destroyed. Rather, in order to destroy the cloth, one must remove the threads. Said another way, one must remove the material cause in order to remove the effect - removing the efficient cause will not have the same effect.
Similarly here, in order to counteract pratyayas, rather than using a different pratyaya, we must counteract the samskaara from which it sprouted.
तस्य प्रशान्तवाहिता संस्कारात्।Tasya prashaantaVaahitaa samskaaraatThen, [there is] a peaceful flow of samskaaras.
- Yoga Sutra, 3.10
Through practice, the Yogi improves their ability to generate nirodha samskaaras, and is able to deploy them with increasingly greater precision. This results in the ability to stabilize Samaadhi by generating a constant flow of consecutive nirodha samskaaras to counteract the constant flow of outgoing vyutthaana samskaaras.
Normally, our vyutthaana samskaaras generate pratyayas, which then leave traces on the mind (ie. more samskaaras). These samskaaras once again sprout into pratyayas, which leave further traces, resulting in a beginningless, and apparently endless cycle, known as the vritti-samskaara-chakram (वृत्तिसंस्कारचक्रम्, the wheel of vrittis and samskaaras).
This cycle is also known, colloquially, as karma.
However, when these vyutthaana samskaaras are counteracted by an equal and opposite nirodha samskaara, they do not sprout, and so do not leave a trace on the mind. Given that no traces are left in the mind, this state, when the vyutthaana samskaaras are exactly counteracted by nirodha samskaaras, is known as Nirbeeja Samaadhi, or Samaadhi without seed.
As a result, since no new seeds are created, the karma which would have otherwise activated as thoughts, words, or actions, does not activate.
Said another way, Nirbeeja Samaadhi is a method to break this cycle of karma. Seeds which would have otherwise transformed into thoughts, words, or actions, are counteracted before they can even sprout.
Getting out of Samaadhi
When sitting in meditation, we eventually also have the experience of getting out of meditation. Perhaps this happens when the bell rings and you gently take a breath and open your eyes, or perhaps you just feel that the time is up and you gently start to come back to the world.
How does this happen? What is the mechanism of the return from meditation?
We are able to sit in meditation for any period of time due to a constant flow of nirodha samskaaras which counteract the outward vyutthaana samskaaras. When this flow breaks, and a sufficiently strong vyutthaana samskaara is allowed to pass through without a corresponding nirodha samskaara to cancel it out, we have the experience of allowing the eyes to open or the body to move.
This happens in grades, depending on the level of depth of meditation.
For example, consider a novice meditator who is barely able to sit still.
Perhaps this person is not able to keep their body in an upright position, and cannot help but move their head, or adjust their seat. Perhaps they wiggle their toes or fingers or shake their leg slightly. Or perhaps even imperceptible to someone looking from the outside, they may move their eyes around from side to side or flex or release muscles where they feel uncomfortable.
Why is this happening?
The reason for this is that this person is unable to generate a flow of nirodha samskaaras that are sufficiently strong to counteract the vyutthaana samskaaras. That is, they are nirodha enough for the person to sit down and practice. Said another way, they are sufficiently strong to counteract the vyutthaana samskaaras that may have otherwise led them to watch a TV show, listen to music, or go out to experience some other sense pleasures.
However, they are not yet strong enough to counteract the vyutthaana samskaaras that lead to an activation of the karmendriyas (the five organs of action).
However, through practice, they will be able to generate stronger nirodha samskaaras, and counteract even these, more subtle, vyutthaana samskaaras over time.
P: I am starting to understand the theory, but what do these vyutthaana and nirodha samskaaras feel like in practice? How can I recognize them?
Jogi: Nirodha samskaaras can be recognized as the tendency to watch, witness, or notice, the urge to move or get up, and let the urge go with vairaagya. On the other hand, vyutthaanaa samskaaras can be recognized as the tendency to give in to the urge.
Once this person is able to generate nirodha samskaaras sufficient to counteract the vyutthaana samskaaras which lead them to physically fidget and move, they will then face the fidgeting and moving mind.
Here, again, it is the same situation.
Their nirodha samskaaras are strong enough to counteract the activation of the karmendriyas, but not yet strong enough to counteract the vyutthaana samskaaras which activate the buddhendriyas which generate mental objects. Over time, with practice, however, they will become more skilled at deploying stronger and more subtle nirodha samskaaras, and the mind will become more still more easily.
Now let us take another example of a somewhat experienced meditator.
This person is easily able to sit still, and uses a bell to mark the end of their session. They set a timer for 20, 30, 40, or 50 minutes, and are able to sit for the entire time without any physical movement. Perhaps they are experienced enough that they are able to get into Samaadhi, and the mind is also still. After the session, the bell rings, they take a deep breath, and start to come back.
How did this happen?
Here, the sound of the bell hit the eardrum of the Yogi. This generated a signal that reached their mind, activating the sense of sound. This activated sense of sound generated a pramaan-vritti in the mind of the Yogi. This pramaan-vritti includes the sound of the bell, the identification that it is the sound of a bell (and not say, the sound of a bird or a car), and the meaning of the sound (ie. that it is time to get up).
The vritti did not come out of nowhere. Rather, the external sound activated a latent vyutthaana samskaara in the Yogi’s mind, which was not counteracted by a nirodha samskaara. Said another way, this vyutthaana samskaara was allowed to pass through unchecked.
As a result, it sprouted into a set of pratyayas which came together to form the shabda-artha-jnana (word-meaning-idea) combination. This then led to the activation of the karmendriyas, and so the Yogi arose from meditation.
Finally, let us consider the example of the highly experienced meditator who is able to get into Nirbeeja Samaadhi, and does not use a bell.1
This person is able to let go of everything - perceptions, thoughts, and all mental movements, and arises automatically at a given time.
How does this happen?
Just like the previous examples, the Yogi sits in meditation due to an activation of nirodha samskaaras which counteract the vyutthaana samskaaras of doing other activities, physical movement, as well as thought. Every time a vyutthaana samskaara arises, their mind is able to skilfully generate and deploy a nirodha samskaara to exactly counteract it. As a result, no matter what happens, the sound of a bell, or any other external event, they are able to continuously sustain their Samaadhi. Not only this, but the nirodha samskaaras are strong enough to keep any and all other samskaaras at bay - even the ones about the aalambanaa, or object of focus.
However, eventually, and seemingly at random, they awaken.
Just like the previous examples, this happens due to an unchecked vyutthaana samskaara that is allowed to pass through. The difference here is that the vyutthaana samskaara is allowed to pass through consciously - it is not an accident.
In all these examples, the common thread is that a steady flow of nirodha samskaaras is required to counteract the steady flow of vyutthaana samskaaras. Any movement - whether “intentional” or not, whether mental or physical - is the result of a vyutthaana samskaara passing through.
Through the practice of Yoga, all we are really doing is learning how to more skillfully generate and deploy nirodha samskaaras, with increasing precision.
Then, we can use these to keep the apparently whirling mind and world at bay, and train our attention upon increasingly subtle aspects of Reality, until we arrive at the Self.
Until next time:
Notice the moment you begin to return from meditation carefully. Try to zoom in and see the vyutthaana samskaaras breaking free of the nirodha samskaaras.
Ask any questions here:
Next time: Ekaagrataa Parinaam: The illusion of “focus”, and the illusion of “thought”
This is only an example. Plenty of highly experienced meditators use a bell as a practical tool.