In Yoga Sutra 1.35,Patanjali talked about shutting down mental processes to do away with confusion,indecision and worry.
In Yoga Sutras 30 to 34,Patanjali explained about the effects of a wandering Mind.
Lord Krishna speaks of this state of confusion and indecision in the Bhagavad Gita, in Chapter 2.
When the mind is confused,with constant,relentless bombarding of Stimulii,the Mind is bewildered at the mountain of information received.
Buddhi,Intellect,which is a higher Plane than Mind,when confronted with making a Value decisions like Correct or Incorrect,Right or Wrong,also dithers.
This has to be corrected as the sensations that lead to emotions distort facts and misguide the ability of the Intellect to judge and decide.
This is what Krishna says in the sloka,Chapter 2,
‘Krodhaath Bhavathi Sam mohaha
Sammohaath Smriti vipramaha,
Smriti Dhwamsaath Buddhi Naaso,
Buddhi Naasaath Pranasyathi’
Out of Attachment arises Anger,
Anger breeds and fuels Intellect dithers,
When Intellect is destroyed,incapable of making right decisions,one is destroyed.
In Yoga Sutra 1.36,Patanjali offers a way out of this.
When we perceive,we have the objects we Perceive and our Impressions of them in the Mind.
The Objects do not change from time to time.
It is our interpretation of them atca particular point of time changes.
So what needs to be changed is our perception of Objects.
This is effected by the Mind and passed on to the Buddhi,Intellect,which thereafter can make the Right Decision.
So to shut down the external Objects,Patanjali adises one to Concentrate on a source of Light.
This is first step in Concentration,called Dhyana.
Here you are aware that you are concentrating and that there is an Object being Concentrated upon.
You are aware of both.
Next step is Dharana,when you forget that there is an Object you are concentrating upon, so immersed are you in your concentration.
The next and final step is Samadhi,where you and the object mergevand there is no Duality.
Patanjali, in the earlier Yoga Sutra, 1.34,informed how Concentration on the Reality help one to remove negative thoughts and confusion.
Now in Yoga Sutra talks about how concentration on One Reality brings extraordinary benefits.
Our mind is bombarded constantly with a lot of information at the same time through our sense organs.
However we pay attention only some of them.
This depends on our interest,disposition and the need of the hour.
One can observe this at any time.
However the information,Stimulii,which we have chosen to ignore,do not really go away.
They run in the background in our minds,much like the Andriod Applications that run in the background even when the screen is off.
In Android, you can force them to stop by going to your settings.
Similarly,you can shut down unwanted information from clogging your Mind by going to your Mind Settings and Activate ‘Concentrate’
Any Communication needs three factors.
The Subject,who observes,
The Object,that which is Observed, and
A Relationship between the two,the Observer and the Observed.
In jargon, it is called Subject,Object Relationship, SOR.
If there is an Object around you and you choose not to notice it, it does not enter ino your Mind.
As human mind has numerous thoughts,one has to stop them step by step.
You can not shut down every thought at a stretch.
Concentrate on One,it might be anything.
At the initial stages,you will be aware that you are observing ‘X” and the objects surrounding it.
Next as you advance,you shall be aware of the Object ‘X’ and will not be aware of the other Objects surrounding it.
The First one is Dhyana.
The second one is Dharana.
The third step is when you are not aware that you are Observing and that there is something you have been Observing(X).
This stage is Samadhi,as explained in Yoga.
The benefits that accrue because of Concentration are numerous.
It removes Confusion,Indecisiveness,makes you alert,enables to think with Clarity,view and evaluate things objectively,and tones up your mental system.
Yoga Sutra in Devanagari 1.35
(vishayavati va pravritti utpanna manasah sthiti nibandhani
Those forms of concentration that bring extraordinary .
The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali lists eight steps to realize the Self.
These steps are followed in the order they are prescribed.
This is called Ashtanga Yoga, the eight limbs of Yoga.
Vigyana Bhairava Tantra.
Skipping one step and jumping to another, which is what most of the modern Gurus(?) prescribe will not yield results, on the contrary shall produce ill effects, both to body and mind.
The Eights steps by Patanjali are.
1.Yama
2.Niyama,
3.Asana,
4.Pranayama,
5.Prathyahaara,
6.Dhyana,
7.Dharana and
8.Samadhi.
While Yama and Niyama indicate things one should abstain from and ones to follow, Asana speaks about postures Prathyahaara, Dhyana, Dharana explains the developments int the art of concentration.
These three terms, Prathyaahara, Dhyana and Dharana are different stages and many are not aware of the subtle, essential differences between them.
Prathyaahara is the withdrawal of senses and the focusing of the mind on the object.
Here one is aware that, apart from the object to be focussed upon, of the objects other than the object being concentrated upon.
Dhayana is that stage where the object and the one who is concentrating the object are present in the mind of the one who is concentrating.
In Dharana this duality of the Perceiver and the Perceived disappears.
This is the culminating step of Yoga.
To explain it,
Lets us assume one is concentrating on an Object, it may be Mantra, Image or Idol.
In Prathyaahaara, you are aware of yourself, the object and things and people around you.
In Dhayana, you are aware of yourself and the object.
In Dharana,the object and you disappear.
Buddhism also follow this principle.
In Hindu texts, Vigyana Bhairava Tantra deals with this subject in detail.
Lord Shiva explains to Parvati,Uma.
The Vigyan Bhairav Tantra (Sanskrit: विज्ञान भैरव तन्त्र, Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra) is a key text of the Trika school of Kashmir Shaivism. Cast as a discourse between the god Shivaand his consort Devi or Shakti, it briefly presents 112 meditation methods or centering techniques (dharanas).[1] These include several variants of breath awareness, concentration on various centers in the body, non-dual awareness, chanting, imagination and visualization and contemplation through each of the senses. A prerequisite to success in any of the 112 practices is a clear understanding of which method is most suitable to the practitioner.
Reference Books for study.
Sri Vijnana Bhairava Tantra: The Ascent, by Swami Saraswati Satyasangananda (Swami Satsangi), softcover, Yoga Publications Trust/Bihar School of Yoga, 2003, 499 pgs., includes for each verse: Devanagari script, English with Sanskrit pronunciation, word-by-word meaning, overall meaning, relevance of words used, and commentary; plus appendices, glossary, and index.
The Book of Secrets: The Science of Meditation, Volumes 1-5, by Osho (Rajneesh), softcover, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2010, (1st edition 1972), ISBN 978-0-312-65060-5, 1328 pgs., a commentary based on Paul Reps’ translation below
The Book of Secrets: 112 Meditations to Discover the Mystery Within, by Osho (Rajneesh), hardcover, St. Martin’s Griffin, 1998, (1st edition 1972), ISBN 978-0-312-18058-4, a commentary based on Paul Reps’ translation below
The Radiance Sutras: 112 Gateways to the Yoga of Wonder and Delight, by Lorin Roche, Ph.D., softcover, Sounds True, 2014 (1st edition 1994), ISBN 978-1-60407-659-2, 352 pgs., purposely personal, poetic, non-scholarly; admits that he omits or changes more ‘difficult’ verses.
Vigyan Bhairava Tantra – 112 Meditations for Self-Realization, by Ranjit Chaudhri, softcover, Prakash Books, New Delhi, India, 2008, ISBN 978-81-7234-292-0, republished as: 112 Meditations for Self-Realization, 2011, ISBN 978-81-7234-371-2
Vijnana Bhairava: The Manual for Self-Realization, by Swami Lakshmanjoo, edited by John Hughes, Swami Lakshmanjoo was a Kashmiri Shaivite Master, and teacher of Paul Reps, Jaideva Singh, and Lilian Silburn, hardcover + 7 CDs, 315 pgs., the book is a transcript of Swami Laksmanjoo’s talks on the 7 CDs, A. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers in association with Ishwar Ashram Trust, 1st Indian edition (3rd revised edition), 2011, ISBN 978-81-215-1238-1, B. Universal Shaiva Fellowship, Los Angeles, CA, 2007, 4th edition (1st edition 2001), ISBN 978-0-9816228-0-4,
Vijnana Bhairava: The Practice of Centring Awareness, by Bettina Baumer & Sarla Kumar, commentary by Swami Lakshmanjoo, softcover, Indica Books, Veranasi, India, 2002 (republished 2007), ISBN 978-81-86569-35-1 or 9788186569359, highly edited version of Swami Lakshmanjoo’s book with CDs above.
In the following Link you will find useful information.
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