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Yoga, as said elsewhere, means steadiness of mind, born of chit-vriti-nirodha (nullification of mind or elimination from the mind of al mental vibration), and the term samadhi, comprising the two Sanskrit roots sam and adhi, denotes acceptance, absorption, steadiness in contemplation, or deep inward concentration. Each individual comes into the world
with a background of his own, which fits him for a particular type of yoga. He
should therefore engage in such yogic practices as may be best suited to him.
Samadhi Yoga is the highest form of yoga. Some children are naturally prone to
it, and some persons can take to it directly without even going through the
hard discipline usually enjoined for the general run of people. It's practice
can, in such cases, be prescribed without any scruples to those ripe for it
through past samskaras. The mind gets vigyan or jnana in the plexus of the throat (Kanth Chakra), which is closely associated with the seat of consciousness in a waking state. The vigyan and the anand or consciousness of bliss dawns only in Sahasrar or Sahas-dal-Kanwal, the thousand-petaled lotus behind the two eyebrows, and Samadhi Yoga aims at the realization of this state wherein one may consciously feel the inherent bliss of the soul. Samadhi then is the state of unalloyed bliss, which is the direct source of everything else: Vigyan (jnana), manas (the mind-stuff), pranas ( the vital airs), and anna (the physical world of sense objects). Anand or bliss is the intrinsic and basic substratum of all that exists, and this is why there is an innate craving in all creatures for satiety, happiness and bliss. Not to speak of man, even the animals, the insects, and in fact all created beings, are ever in search of it in varying degrees and aspects, each according to it's own Nature. But it's full significance or consciousness dawns only on man when in a state of samadhi. It is a gradual process of rising from one place to another, until Jnana is united with bliss at the level of samadhi and one consciously and fully realizes the blissful state. This is the sole end and aim of samadhi Yoga. The essential quality of bliss is the characteristic of the soul or atman. It is the veil of vigyan or jnan that covers their blissful condition. The moment this veil is removed and one rises above the higher level of the intellect (self-consciousness), one realizes true happiness and the blissful sea of the atman spreading in and around him to measureless depths and to immeasurable heights. Al the intermediary four koshas: anna, prana, manas, and vigyan, and but wayside halts on the spiritual journey for working out step by step, the yogic sadhna to it's full efflorescence of jnana, and provide nourishment to consciousness as it descends lower. But when it once becomes steady and contacts the spiritual bliss, it becomes aware of the true and higher values of life, ceases to interest itself in the passing and shadowy pleasures of the world, and seeks absorption in Absolute Bliss. This is the culminating point in the spiritual sadhna or practice and when it is achieved, there remains nothing else to be done. But the trouble with most of us is that we often come to regard jnana or gyan as the goal of all human endeavors and therefore do not attempt to pierce through it's veil and go Beyond into the consciousness of the self and taste of the blissful fountainhead of the soul that lies ahead. The result is that without contact with, and a foretaste of, the awareness of bliss, we become Vachak gyanis or gyanis only in name, ever a prey to groundless fears and depressing states in mind, doubts and distress, which may assails us in the work-a-day life in the world. It is therefore rightly said that: “A real jnani is one who communes with the Word.” Vigyan is, after all, a state below that of anand of Real Bliss. As worshipers of the physical body remains entangled in the web of anna-mai kosha, those of the sensuous pleasures in the network of pran – mai koshaand the mind – ridden in the web of anna-mai kosha, so do many so- called jnanis or gyanis remain caught in the quagmire of vigyan – mai kosha, without remain caught in the quagmire of vigyan – mai kosha, without realizing that there is still a stage beyond and above it, and of far greater importance. The four enshrouding sheaths are thick and heavy, folds within folds, and cover up the crest jewel of perfect bliss (anand). The great jeweler, God has kept anand hidden in the innermost and enchanting casket of vigyan which , with it's colorful witchery, keeps even the so – called jnani bound to body – consciousness. The wresters, the body builders and the charvakas or epicureans, who regard physical well – being and pleasure as the goal of life belong to the class of anna- mai jives, who live and die for this cause alone . Next , there are persons who are a little bold, courageous and enterprising . They nourish their ideas, principles and convictions as well as their physical forms and are ever ready to stand by them , even at times at the cost of worldly comforts. Such persons are pran-maijivas, for they are swayed by the pranas, on which all life depends, and they have in them the preponderance of the water . In the Chhandogya Upanishad it is on water that and not food is the source of life and it is on water than to anything else, for in them the element of fire predominates. All poets, writers, inventors, designers and architects come under the category of mano –mai jives. All their energy is channeled in the direction of the mind and they energy is channeled in the direction of the mind and they are martyrs to the path of the mind Next, we have a class of persons who, while caring reasonably for their thoughts and beliefs and mental pursuits, are in the main wedded to intellectual reasoning or ratiocination in finding out the why and wherefore of thing . They are element in them. The highest in the scale of human creation are true happiness above everything else, are ever engaged in search of it, and do not rest until they find it out and live by it. They are ethereal being and live in the all – pervading ether with no limitations. It is the most suble of the enveloping sheath, Beyond which lies the state of Nirvana itself , ineffably serene, a sublime sate of conscious rest in Omniscience. |