Samadhi, the State of becoming or returning to our original State of Being,that is of Being, Knowledge and Bliss is explained in Patanjali‘s Yoga Sutra 1.17.
There is a difference between the ‘Nirvana‘, spoken of in Buddhism and The Samadhi of Yoga.
Buddhism advocates Nirvana, a State of Nothingness, Sunyavada.
Both Samadhi and Nirvana are Higher or elevated sense of Consciousness.
Yoga Samadhi is positive in the sense that one reverts to his original state of Being which consists of Being, Knowledge and Bliss.
Nirvana , on the other hand is the negation of all transient attributes and attaining a State of being Nothing, without attributes.
The difference,please do not read philosophical interpretations in this statement,is akin to being fully satisfied after eating and the feeling of Fullness one has without having eaten.
The Types of Samadhi.
Some people refer this as Super Consciousness or Supra Consciousness, which is incorrect as Consciousness is One and our lack of realizing it does not make it Super.
Yoga never calls anything as Super or Supra.
In Samadhi we return to our original State of Being.
Savitarka Samadhi,
Savicara Samadhi,
Ananda Samadhi,
Saasmita Samadhi
Savitarka Samadhi.
‘Tarka’ means ‘questioning, logic’
Samadhi attained by the path of questioning is Savitarka Samadhi.
This is the first step or type of Samadhi.
Our minds wander after many objects at the same time and we pay attention to one of them for a brief span of time, at the same time, being aware of the other things as well, both physical and mental.
To rein in the Mind it is essential to reduce the number of objects we pay attention to , to attain better efficiency.
This becomes easy when we fix our mind on a single object at a given time.
When one thinks of some thing to the exclusion of the others, his concentration and his control over the reactions the object produces increases.
At this stage one can exercise control over the object.
The object will be focus of attention to the total exclusion of everything else,(this will be explained in detail when we discuss Pratyahara, Dhyana and Dharana).
One increase efficiency by performing to his full potential. thus enabling a better result.
As the number of objects being attended to are less here, so are the impressions in the Mind and later reflected in Chithi.
So we are reducing the Chitha Vrutthi being spoken of in the second Sutra of Patanjali.
Yet there is a pitfall here in this state of Savitarka Samadhi.
Being able to concentrate on a single object provides one with not so normal powers of being able to dominate the object and literally bend it to one’s Will.
This is the core of the so-called paranormal abilities like Clairvoyance, Clairaudience , Kinetasis , which form a part of Asthta Siddis or Ashtama Siddhis.
Ashtama or Astha Siddhis.
- Aṇimā: reducing one’s body even to the size of an atom
- Mahima: expanding one’s body to an infinitely large size
- Garima: becoming infinitely heavy
- Laghima: becoming almost weightless
- Prāpti: having unrestricted access to all places
- Prākāmya: realizing whatever one desires
- Iṣṭva: possessing absolute lordship
- Vaśtva: the power to subjugate all[3]
The practitioner gets lost in these Yoga Sadhana by being enamored of these powers and loses the goal of Self Realization.
So this Samadhi, though the first step,is not of Higher order.
Patanjali warns that this Samadhi would increase attachment to Objects and increase one’s attachment to objects and consequently multiply the Chitha Vrutti, instead of reducing it.
Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi
http://ramanisblog.in/2013/05/01/yoga-sutra-1-17-samadhi-contemplation/
Related articles
- Yoga Sutra 1.17 Samadhi Contemplation (ramanan50.wordpress.com)