ASHTANGA YOGA, THE EIGHT LIMBS

3.1   YAMA (Restraint or Social Discipline)

“Yama” is a word with many different meanings. It may mean rein or bridle, curb, discipline, or restraint. We’re using it to mean self control, forbearance, or behaving under any great duty or imperilment. One may also consider it to mean either “attitude” or “behaviour.”

This infers that a particular yama may be expressed as a discipline, which influences people’s behaviour patterns. Five different yamas are cited in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra; these are considered to be behaviour patterns or relationships between an individual - and his or her own outside world.

The five major rules of yama, each of which has its own personality or temper aspect, are to be found immediately below:

3.1.1   AHIMSA (Harmlessness)

“Ahimsa,” or harmlessness, means that you should never injure or show cruelty to a sentinent being, in any way, shape, or form. But ahimsa is more than just non-violence.

It also preaches kindness, the practice of friendliness, and the thoughtful, worthwhile consideration of others and their personal property, relating also to the duties and responsibilities of our daily routines.

Lastly, it can even mean that we should fight, when our lives or the lives of those we love are endangered. Anyway, ahimsa always implies that in any given situation, we should maintain due and fond consideration for others.

3.1.2   SATYA (Truthfulness)

“Satya” is a word that means “to speak the truth;” this isn’t always desirable, especially if it harms someone - when there’s no need for the truth. You have to carefully ponder upon what sort of “truth” you have to say, and how it might affect someone.

If speaking the truth brings on negativity, then it might be best to say nothing. “Say something nice - or don’t say anything at all,” is how the old saying goes. However, satya shouldn’t conflict with efforts to behave properly by using ahimsa.

In the Mahabharata, the vast Indian epic, it is written: “Speak the truth which is pleasant, do not speak unpleasant truths, and do not lie, even if the lies are pleasing to the ear.” That is the dharma of an eternal law; so note that there is no use to telling any lies - though you may keep quiet, instead of maligning someone with a “harmful” truth.

3.1.3   ASTEYA   (Never Stealing)

“Asteya” means “to not steal,” while “steya” means “to steal.” Asteya is the reverse of taking things we don’t own; it also means that when people entrust us with what they value, we don’t take advantage. A good person is supposed to never steal or take something that is not his or hers; this is true under the laws of karma. Never consciously take something away from someone - especially when they need it.

3.1.4   BRAHMACHARYA (Control of the Senses)

“Brahmacharya” moves to the essential truth, and is used mostly in the sense of abstinence rather than the presense of sexuality. It suggests that we should form the types of relationships that aid us in understanding the higher forms of truth; when sexual relations are part of that, we must be careful not to “lose ourselves” in them.

We must end all relationships that make us turn away from truth, and remain in the position of being consistent searchers. To do this, there are methods of controlling our perceptions, our senses, and subsequently, our sexual desires. But bramhacharya doesn’t have to cause celibacy - referring instead to responsible behaviour - and deeply respecting the intimate goals of truth-seeking.

3.1.5   APARIGRAHA (Ending the Desire for Wealth)

“Aparigraha” is the last yama, and is a word meaning “hands off,” or the lack of seizing irrespective opportunities. “Parigraha,” meanwhile, means “to take,” or “to seize,” but actually refers to taking only what is necessary in any given situation - and to never take advantage, or act greedy. You’re supposed to quit all such desire, no longer wishing to acquire or “hoard” weath in any way.

Aparigraha means also to let “well enough alone,” and to not take things in any case. We should only accept what we have already earned, without exploitation. Unearned rewards can hold obligations which cause problems in our later lives, affecting our karmic destinies. Good karma is duly earned; bad karma resusts from theft.

The five behaviours listed above should be part of any student’s daily life, according to the Yoga Sutra; for example, there’s the discipline of ahimsa - or consideration. This produces pleasant feelings and friendship in our interactions with others. Also, by being true to the ideals of satya, we’ll always tell the truth and be kind in doing so, becoming trustworthy when handling others’ feelings.

In the country of India, one’s word is considered to be the same as one’s gold - connoting personal “wealth.” In the Yoga Sutra, it’s stated that people firmly attached to the concept of asteya will receive all the wealth this world has to offer. You’ll have access to the finer things in life should you follow these truths - with all your heart and soul.

The more we search for the meaning of things, the less often things that are “false” will distract us, even though it does require strength and honor to do the right thing. But the Yoga Sutra shows that the more faith we maintain - the more energy it generates in our lives. So we should continue to seek the truth, in the essence of bramhacharya, which will add to our daily vitality.

Parigraha, as mentioned above, increases our orientation toward the material world and its commensurate “things.” To reduce parigraha, you should develop aparigraha, and orient yourself inwardly toward spirituality - dwelling only upon matters of the spirit.

The less time spent on material possessions, the more time there is to devote to spiritual pursuits - such as the practice of yoga - and its deeper, more complex higher forms of aspiration. We should learn to enjoy what we have in the limited time we have, and not seek for things we cannot have, remaining thus perpetually unsatisfied.

The more money and material possessions we maintain, the more stressed-out we tend to become, as many case studies show. And so the yamas remain the best things in our lives, as true moral virtues which purify our human nature to the best of our abilities, contributing to our ongoing health - and the health of society.

3.2   NIYAMA (Observation or Personal Discipline)

Definition of Niyama

“Niyama” is Sanskrit for “rules” or “laws.” Such rules are prescribed for your own personal observance on a daily basis. As in the case of the five yamas, the niyamas are not in existence simply to be studied; and they represent much more than just an “attitude.”

Comparably with the yamas, you may find the niyamas to be more intimate and personal, having mainly to do with the attitudes we create and manifest about ourselves - and our conduct in society and with other people, such as our colleagues and friends.

Below, please find five of the major niyamas, while bearing in mind the vast importance of these niyamas as “rules for living”:

3.2.1   SAUCHA (Purity or Cleanliness)

“Saucha” is the first niyama, meaning cleanliness, and it contains both an inner and an outer purpose. Outer cleanliness refers to keeping one’s exterior clean, such as by bathing, and brushing our teeth.

But inner cleanliness has to do with the healthy functioning of our bodies, especially those of the vital organs - as well as the continuing clarity of our minds. To practice asanas or pranayama is essential when it comes to attaining the best of inner saucha.

3.2.2   SANTOSHA (Contentment)

“Santosha” is a niyama which means “modesty.” It refers to a feeling of contentment with what we already have - to be at peace from within - and to be content with the manner of one’s life. The word, in fact, literally means “happiness;” appropriately so.

We often work hard to get something we want, and are disappointed when we do not receive it - sometimes going into depression when this happens - even contemplating suicide in the worst cases. This results from not having the discipline to be content with what we already have, without getting greedy about what we really want.

Accepting that there’s already a purpose for everything - that is what yoga refers to as “karma.” In the book “Celestine Prophecy,” James Redfield calls it synchronicity.

But the real meaning of santosha involves accepting whatever happens, with a clear mind and a clean heart. God has a plan for you; that is the message. Be happy with what you have, rather than being unhappy about what you don’t have.

In the Yoga Sutra, there is this commentary: “Contentment counts for more than all sixteen heavens together.” Don’t complain about things that go wrong; accept what happened, learning from it instead.

Our intellectual activities, such as study, physical effort, and even how we earn our livelihoods - such is the territory covered by santosha. It entails how we feel about what God has in store - and our outlook on life as well. Is the cup half empty, half full, or simply waiting for you to fill it up with your thoughts, ideas, dreams, and desires?

3.2.3   TAPAS (Health and Physical Fitness)

“Tapas” are a reference to keeping physically fit, and how to confront and handle the inner urges of the body - without outwardly showing your needs and desires. It means “to heat up the body,” in order to cleanse it of impurities. Tapas invoke the belief that we’re able to get rid of unneeded “rubbish” every day, in our physical selves.

Also, asanas and pranayama happen to be tools we may use - to keep ourselves healthy - and free of impurities. Tapas might involve paying closer attention to what we eat; eating when we aren’t hungry is the wrong thing to do, under the rules of tapas.

You should also pay attention to your posture, your eating habits, and your breathing patterns, which are all tapas that prevent the buildup of “garbage.” You must keep fit and functioning properly. Tapas deeply involve the discipline of healthy eating habits, to stop us from heading toward diseases - and ultimately, death.

3.2.4   SVADHYAYA (Reflecton on the Self)

“Svadhyaya” means “Self,” or “belonging to me.” Adhyaya, the word on which it is based, means “inquiry” or “examination.” But svadhyaya actually breaks down to the meaning, “to get close to something,” referring to drawing closer to your true self, or to study yourself.

It may also refer to meditation or contemplation, teaching one to be well-centred and non-reactive to dualities and polarities. You use svadhyaya to weed out unwanted, destructive types of behaviour.

Svadhyaya encompasses all learning, reflection, and contact that helps you learn more about yourself - it is all encased in svadhyaya, which under niyama is translated as meaning “the study of ancient texts.”

Yoga itself preaches that one should often read these, in order to avoid sitting around and contemplating worthless things. The texts give us reference points from which to learn - as the world changes quickly around us - so reading such texts on spiritual matters may greatly help “ground” us in a righteous ongoing reality structure.

The Yoga Sutra states that as we examine ourselves, we find links between us and the divine laws, not to mention the prophets who have revealed them to us. Sometimes, as mantras are recited, we find svadhyaya translated as “the repetition of mantras.”

3.2.5   ISHVARAPRANIDHANA (Laying Actions at God’s Feet)

“Ishvarapranidhana” is terminology for “laying all your actions at the feet of God.” It emphasises the contemplation of God, in order to become closer with the Higher Power. Part of this, once again, is the acceptance of not always getting what we want out of life. This is why santosha - or modesty - is important, as things go wrong.

We do the best we can, under all circumstances, and sometimes we have to leave our loads to a higher being. As in the context of the niyamas, we define ishvarapranidhana as the attitude of offering the fruits of actions to God in prayer, as often as possible.

3.3   ASANA (Postures of Yoga)

The literal meaning of the word “asana” is “staying,” or “abiding.” Referring in yoga to the taking, holding, and maintenance of a single body position, asana is how one may experience the unity of body with mind - in a way that’s comfortable and easy-going.

Asana is often referred to as “postures” in the West - although a posture isn’t the same thing as an asana - and yoga asanas are utilised for the purposes of firmness, comfort, and flexibility during both the practices of pranayama and meditation.

However, it’s not always considered ideal for meditation to hold an upright, seated, and unmoving posture. Asanas imply both posture and movement - with the “flow” being directed toward the next asana. Thus, asana is a position where you are perfectly poised between activity and non-activity, with a corresponding psychological balance and harmony between movement and stillness.

Patanjali taught that each new asana projects a mental image, which might be one of surrender - as in a forward-bending pose - or through strengthening the will - through a backward-bending pose - or the melding of a physical “prayer” with your body - which is used in the practice of Padmasana. This latter is the “lotus” sitting asana, which is probably the most famous asana in all of yoga.

When one has mastered several asanas, one is able to handle polar opposites with a much improved approach, according to the Yoga Sutra. This doesn’t mean doing things in an oppositional way, such as wearing heavy clothes in warm weather; it only means we’re deeply sensitizing ourselves - by knowing our bodies well.

And through this adaptation to frequent changes, we learn how our bodies will react under different sets of stimuli - and in different lifestyle situations. This helps our emotional health, as we become well-adjusted and more able to deal with the major “stressors” of life.

Physically, one needs a certain level of fitness for the study of yoga and the practice of asana. You must be able to stand easily for a few minutes at a time, and to sit for a few minutes in a comfortable position. Asana practice, however, will help you become “used” to different situations, helping you cope with the varying demands on your body.

Also, to practice pranayama you have to be able to sit relatively erect and somewhat motion-free for fairly lengthy time periods. Meanwhile, asanas are also used, in coordination with pranayama, to help you focus on your breath. This concentration is highly important when it comes to the maintenance of asanas; but it’s mainly just premliminary practice, to artfully “pave the way” for meditation.

This focus on the breathing is also being performed instead of focusing on your body during pranayama practice. Sitting comfortably erect helps manifest a situation where nothing disturbs your practice of yoga while you’re concentrating on the breath - drawing you away from any attention you were previously paying to the body.

When a proper mental attitude is present, you may freely express it as an asana, which makes asana work in two parallel ways. You’re taking on the external form of an internal idea, which moves through your body and into your mind, by molding and shaping your character.

It recreates your spirit, and whichever way it works, mind to body or body to mind, the results are alike. Asana is thus good preparation for meditation - even including the meditation itself - which will occur in the latter stages of pranayama and its subsequent techniques.

Asana is direct. It may temporarily bring peace and contentment to the human mind, which encourages an individual’s mental functions and inner harmonic balance. It’s used, for example, to re-establish the body’s main priciples of homeostasis - after exertive exercises are performed - in the cool-down period after exercise.

Asana lets the intuitive parts of your mind experience reality in new ways. This may be found to be a very comforting, soothing, and healing process, involving the playful, “fun” involvement of your heart, mind, and soul - which is discussed in later sections of this text.

Electrocardiogram (EEG) readings of the human brain have established and proven this soothing effect on our minds during asana, pranayama, and meditation practice. This means asana has healing properties. As even Patanjali has insisted, this must hasten the desired state of your body-mind complex’s general health and welfare.

Fertility, which springs forth from the evolution of the spirit, is motivated via the control of your breath, the assumption of asanas, and your bodily postures, which all harmonise with the “flow” of vital energies throughout your body. This in its turn affects the circulation, the respiration, and all of the major “forces” of the body - all of which assist one greatly in meditation practice.

3.4   PRANAYAMA (Control of Breathing)

The fourth limb of ashtanga yoga is pranayama, which is the measuring, controlling, and directing of the breath. It focuses and maintains the energy within one’s body, restoring, maintaining, and promoting the health and evolution of any organism. It also teaches you control of your breathing and all your vital forces of life, body, and spirit.

By neutralizing - or joining - your incoming with your outgoing breath, you may achieve nearly perfect relaxation, balance, and harmony of your bodily functions and motions. Yoga primarily teaches balancing the “flow” of your vital forces; this is through directing them inward via the system of “Chakras,” upward to the crown Chakras - “the thousand petals lotus” - or Sahastrara.

The breathing methodologies of pranayama are integral to the study of yoga and its daily practice, going hand-in-hand with asana. It and pranayama are among the highest forms of purification, self-discipline, and relaxation for the mind-body - as outlined in the Yoga Sutra.

Practicing asana and pranayma produces tapas, the actual physical process of heat production, which purifies the nadis, or the body’s subtle nerve channels.  The forces of tapas, being natural, cause a more healthful state in the body and calm the mind - while it assists with purifying the nadis.

3.5   PRATYAHARA (Retracting the Senses)

The fifth limb of ashtanga yoga is pratyahara, meaning “to draw back,” or “to retreat.” Its root word “ahara” means “nourishment,” and pratyahara also translates freely as “withdrawing oneself from that which nourshes the senses.”

The term refers to the withholding of the senses from their major attachments to external objects, as practiced in yoga during asana and pranayama. One’s senses are supposed to stop “living off of” - or being stimulated by - outer objects and motions.

To examine this practice in greater detail: when you view a sunset, first you will notice your eyes are sending a message to your brain, which assimilates the information being “drawn in” by your eyes. This is what “forms the picture” of the sunset, and illustrates how our eyesight or senses normally function with a straightforward image.

But there is another possibility. Even the most gorgeous sunset on the face of the planet doesn’t have to “attach” to our attention, when you’re deeply absorbed by something else. You may concentrate on something without the awareness of another thing going on, as the senses usually select one such item over another, registering an object and drawing the mind over to it - whenever it generates our attention.

To properly use pratyahara, we withdraw the senses from these forms of attention to external objects, sights, and motions. Each of our sensual perceptions has a “quality” to which it relates - as when the eyes relate to visual forms, the ears to sounds, and the nose to odours.

It’s like all things are “spread out,” with their attractions being beyond our senses and thus ignored - when we use pratyahara. The brain pays no attention to what’s being received by the senses. This puts us in control of our senses, rather than being controlled by our sight, hearing, taste, touch, and sense of smell.

Pratyahara is far easier than it sounds. During pranayama, when you control your breath, you’re so absorbed in this process that pratyahara may occur spontaneously. The links between the mind, senses, and external objects are weakened to the point of being “cut off,” which makes you relaxed, inwardly content, and almost sleepy.

However, this is not a true “state of sleep,” as some people think, as the senses are still capable of responding. Instead, they have been detached from paying outward attention to things. This detachment to external objects is the essence of pratyahara.

Interiorization is another term for when the senses have come “untied” from external sources. Under restraint, the vital forces are focused to flowing backwards - inward to their original source - from deep within. One may now concentrate without being distracted. This state of being is often experienced just before the small space of time when one falls asleep, or comes to awaken - when any temptation to actually perceive reality has already faded away.

While deeply aware of what’s happening outside ourselves, we aren’t overly influenced by outer events and actions during pratyahara We may achieve a similar condition to this any time of the day by practicing pratyahara, which involves how to “be in the world, but not of it,” or the utmost and internalised detachment of the senses.

This doesn’t always need to be practiced during meditation. By using a sense of self restraint, you will find your usual negative tendencies and bad habits are “neutralised.” This is because “needs” are abandoned when this discipline allows us to practice it, which may take place nearly anytime or anywhere - whenever you may grab a few minutes and peform “sitting practice.”

During deep mediation, the mind is heavily focused, and pratyahara occurs almost automatically through absorption in the object of our meditation, such as a mantra - or the icon of a god. Your senses follow the concentration and focus of your mind, rather than external stimuli, and due to their being put “the other way around,” your senses may become unusually sharpened. It may seem amazing, how pronounced the senses may become - right in the middle of one’s being in an “unconscious” state.

In most cases, our senses are our masters; with pratyahara, it’s the other way round, with all our five senses becoming our servants, accommodating to our whims. Ordinarily, your senses entice you, making you develop cravings for food, certain sights and smells, sex, or other objects of your desires. But pratyahara teaches how to control such cravings - by completely reining in your senses.

Such emotional and physical imbalances are often our own accidental creation and continuous design, controlling our minds, hearts, and lives. Being overly influenced by outside events and sensations, however, doesn’t help anyone to achive inner peace, harmony, enlightenment, satisfaction, or tranquillity.

This is because while you’re influenced, you don’t spend enough time attempting to suppress your unwanted sensations or cravings, or trying to heighten the internal sensations you truly want or need to feel. This imbalance ordinarily results in physical and mental problems, which Patanjali has said is “the root of human unhappiness.”

But when people learn to practice and perform the techniques of yoga on a regular basis, they find that the evasive inner peace they seek was theirs all along, merely being ripe for the taking.

Yoga itself is only a process which enables us to stop attachment, by feeling for and reaching the attainment of the functioning and control of our mental processes. Only through regular daily practice of yoga may the sadhaka - or student - learn about happiness versus unhappiness, finally even understanding how to transcend both.

3.6   DHARANA (Concentrating the Mind)

Asanas temper and style the human body, thoroughly perfecting its form. When this has transpired, and when the heat generated by both pranayama and the five senses is finally brought under control by pratyahara, being used to refine the mind, the sadhaka has reached the sixth stage: dharana, or concentration.

You still your mind in order to achieve a state of complete absorption or attention, by concentrating on a single point or task - in which you must become completely engrossed. Your mind is like an instrument; it classifies, judges, and coordinates your intaken impressions from outside yourself - with the ones arising within yourself.

Also, your mind is the product and projection of your thoughts, which may be so subtle they can be quite difficult to control or restrain. To temper your thoughts and make them guarded and proper will bring true happiness, mental health, and well-being.

You must first consider how your mind functions. Our mental states are classifiable into five major groups. First, your mental forces may be in disarray, or scattered. This is where the mind quests for objects, looking for something real upon which to focus its concentration.

Secondly, your mind may be agitated and distracted by disturbing thoughts and ideas, where you’re attempting to enjoy the fruits of your efforts; your desires are not controlled. Thirdly, your mind may become foolish, inattentive, dull, stupid, and languorous.

Fourthly, where things seemingly “get better,” your mind is attentive and concentrated on a single object, focused carefully on solely one point. This fourth state gives you superior intellectual properties, and you know precisely what you want in this state.

But it may also cause you to use all your abilities to achieve your purposes - in a single-minded way. So this may cause the ruthless pursuit of any overly desired quantity or quality, no matter the cost. It may foster misery and unhappiness, and even if the desired object is attained, it may lead only to evil - and wrong-doing.

What is meant specifically by dharana, however, is suppled by Arjuna, the powerful and strong archer from the epic tale, “Mahabharata.” In the story below, Dronacharya, the preceptor of the royal princes, at one time held a contest of the kingdom’s greatest bowmen.

One at a time, they were asked to describe the target, which was said to be a nesting bird. Each archer gave a detailed and individual description of this potentially difficult target. One such bowman would describe in considerable detail the trees among which the bird was chirping, while another would describe a particular tree’s bough on which the nest was balanced, seated in its careful perch.

But when Arjuna was ready, he concentrated first on the bird; then he only saw its head; and lastly, he saw nothing but its eye, which was the centre of the target chosen by Dronacharya. Thus, Arjuna was found to be the best archer. This is an example of concentration on a single object, the fourth state of dharana - or strictly paying attention.

It’s possible that at this fourth stage a person could gain an overblown ego, as the senses search around, unchecked. The mind may follow suit, clouding one’s ego capabilities. At this stage, a person requires “bhakti,” or adoration of the Lord - utmost concentration on divinity, so as to maintain his or her concentrative mental acuity.

The correct mental direction must be continued, so the person is headed the right way. One cannot know true happiness until the sense of “I” and “mind” leave, so that one is unattached and free. We’ll cover the “I” construct somewhat - in a later section of this text.

Finally, the fifth and final mental state is where the “manas,” or mind, the “buddhi,” or intellect, and the “ahamkara,” or ego, are all offered to the Lord Krishna, in order to meet the strictest tasks of his service. This eliminates the feelings of “I” and “mine,” as mentioned previously, which cloud the senses.

Like a lens becoming luminous when light is brought into play, when a sadhaka (yoga student) has given up his or her mind, intellect, and ego to Krishna, the sadhaka becomes one with the Lord, thinking only of the Creator of Thought.

No one may master anything without the fine art of ekagrata, or concentration; and without fixing one’s attentions on divinity, the shaper and controller of our universe and the physical world, one may never unlock the divinity abiding deep within oneself.

Study of the single element “eka-tattva-abhyasa” is desired to attain the level of concentration required to bring this to pass. Eka-tattva-abhyasa is the essence that pervades everything and is the inmost Self of all beings - which converts this one form into several forms.

One such eka-tattva-abhyasa used by the sadhaka for concentration purposes is the mantra syllable “om,” which is a good method for ekagraha. Concentration on this “mother word” is a vital component of the meditation process - though it’s not absolutely required.

3.7   DHYANA (Meditating on the Infinite)

Upon serious contemplation of any object, the mind takes the shape of that object, just like when water forms the shape of its container. When it pervasively thinks of an ultimate divinity in worship, through its continuous devotion, it’s slowly transformed into that divinity.

This also occurs when oil is poured from one vessel to another, as one may see and capture the steady and consistent flow of the oil. When this is a flow of mental concentration, the state arising from it’s called dhyana, or meditation.

The yogi’s mind is illuminated by dhyana, in much the same manner as the filament in an electrical bulb glows, with its uninterrupted electrical current; his or her mind, body, breath, senses, and ego integrate themselves into the object of the yogi’s concentration, which is often the Universal Whole, or full consciousness of the spirit.

This causes the yogi to experience a state of true grace, with no real qualifications or “rooting” in material things, producing a state of supreme bliss. Becoming a light that glows, the yogi is now able to spark like lightning, and shine completely unto others.

There are many “good signs” of yogic progress on the path: a sense of lightness of the body, clarity of purpose and mind, facial cleanliness (a kind of “shining” of the visage), beauty of the mien, a noble and passionate voice, and a “sweetening” of the odor of the body, plus some “extra” freedom - from worldly habits and cravings.

By simple way of explanation: a practiced yogi keeps a balanced, serene, capable, brilliant, and tranquil mind, although he or she is also the symbol and heart of humility. All of his or her actions are fully dedicated to the Lord Krishna, as the yogi takes refuge in the Lord, freeing the Self from problems created by karma. One thus becomes a Jivana Muktra, or liberated soul - who basks in the glow of Enlightenment.

“What becomes of him who strives and fails to reach the end of yoga, who has faith, but whose mind wanders away?” asked Arjuna of the Lord Sri Krishna, who replied:

“No evil can befall a righteous man. He dwells long years in the heaven of those who did good, and then he is reborn into the house of the pure and great. He may even be born in a family of illumined yogis; but to be born in such a family is most difficult in this world.

“He will regain the wisdom attained in his former life, and strive ever for perfection. Because of his former study, practice, and struggle, which drive him ever onward, the yogi strives with a soul cleansed of sin, attains perfection through many lives, and reaches the supreme goal.

“The yogi goes beyond those who only follow the path of austerity, knowledge, or service. Therefore, Arjuna, be thou a yogi. The greatest of all yogis is he who adores me with faith - and whose heart abides in me.” (Bhagavad Gita, chapter VI, verses 38 to 47)

3.8   SAMADHI (Super-Consciousness)

The ultimate goal of the sadhaka’s path is actual Samadhi, which is the greatest level of consciousness. When the practiced yogi is at the peak of meditation, he or she passes into the state of ultimate grace.

It’s as if the body and senses are asleep, as the yogi is now at rest; but his or her faculties are as alert as if he or she was wide awake. But the practiced yogi has gone beyond normal human consciousness, and while being in such a state of grace, the yogi is fully conscious and alert. This means the yogi is resting, illumined, and conscious.

Brahman = All of Creation. And so the yogi worships Brahman, as that which is tranquil, as the yogi is; it’s the source from which he or she came. The yogi breathes into the cosmos, into which he or she must also dissolve, as the soul within the heart is smaller than a seed.

Yet, it is greater and more all-encompassing than the sky. It contains all works, all desires and all creation, and into this enters the yogi, with there remaining no sense of “I” or “mine.” The yogi may still be a sadhaka, but at this point, he or she has attained full status in yoga as an “adept” - or true seeker of yoga.

The body, mind, and intellect seemingly cease to function, but are still performing capably; everything seems to have stopped, as in a deep sleep. The yogi’s firm breathing is steady, solid, and even, neutralised so that the inbreath “combines” with the outbreath.

This is how a yogi or sadhaka attains “true yoga,” with the prolonged experience of consciousness, truth, and utmost unutterable joy - otherwise known as “peace that passeth all understanding.”

Having departed the material world, the yogi meshes perfectly with the Eternal Universe, and his or her mind can’t find a way to express this state of perfect grace; his or her tongue fails to form the words. Possibly there are tears streaming down the yogi’s shining face.

Profound silence is the reasonable expression of Brahman. The knower and the known contain no duality or opposition; it’s all merged, like the camphor oil of a bright lamp - when it “feeds” the flame.

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