Lifting the Sternum - Samadhi and the Yoga Sutra-s of Patanjali - Part 3

The third part of the essay by Lynn Holt in Yoga Rahasya vol. 25, no. 4, 2018, Lifting the Sternum - Samadhi and the Yoga Sutra-s of Patanjali is titled - Patanjali and the Yoga Sutra-s.

Lynn writes: 

In the Yoga Sutra-s, Patanjali chose to make the workings of mind and consciousness, both in success and in failure the central theme of yoga philosophy and practice.  In the second sutra he tells us that Yoga is the process of stilling the movements and fluctuations of mind that disturb our consciousness.

Patanjali was a great scientist in addition to a philosopher and he knew about the hypothalamus, the seat that imprints happiness or pleasure or pain for all of us.  He divided the brain into four sections, the analytical (savitarka) at the front, the discriminative (savicara) at the back, blissful elated (ananda) at the base, the hypothalamus, and the auspicious “I” (sattvic ahamkara or asmita) at the pineal gland or head of the brain the brain stem.

Guruji has carefully explained in his Light on the Yoga Sutra-s of Patanjali that the hypothalamus is the area which always gets tense for everyone.  This is also the exact area of the brain that experiences quietness and happiness, and is the state which gives us contentment.  The brain stem is the location of asmita which is our individuality.  Directly above this is the hypothalamus, which is the neurological nexus of the whole body.

There is physical as well as a neurological basis for this blissful elated state asmita when we finally reach this state.  It comes from the reflective process arising from the back of the brain that leads us to the ananda state of pure joy.

The Yoga Sutra-s 1.17, 1.33 and 111.35 opened up Guruji’s thoughts regarding the necessity for balance, harmony and concord between the intellect of the head and the intelligence of the heart.  His understanding and through his practice and teaching, he has given us access to the joy in our hearts through our sadhana.  The experience of joy ( or bliss) is not easy to describe as it is an inner conscious belief, which fills our very being and warms our heart.

To understand more this quiet state of joy in our yoga, Geetaji gave an expanded explanation of sutra 1.17, vitarka vicara ananda, asmita rupa anugamat samprajnata where Guruji  discusses samadhi in depth.  This particular Supta tells us that by practice and detachment, four types of awareness develop.  These are absorption of the consciousness, achieved through complete attention in learning as in our analytical study, synthesis, consideration, discrimination and the experience of pure being.  These constitute samprajnata samadhi.

These four awareness states  of samprajnata samadhi - vitarka, vicara , ananda and asmita correspond to the four lobes of the brain which correspond to the four lobes or sections of the heart.  Although Patanjali used the word samprajnata samadhi, Guruji instructs that there are various types of awareness.  What we have to learn while doing the asana is that vitarka is the biological frontal brain and vicara is the back portion of the brain where we have our storehouse of impressions.  There is now a gradual process of deliberate thinking and study, in addition to investigation, reflection and consideration.  Then the frontal brain of analysis and the back brain of latent imprints of our past experiences have to unite with each other.

It is when both of these brains are made to function unitedly there is a joy that grows from within and we smile.  This smile is from the heart the ananda.  When we are encouraged to further search where it comes from our journey towards samadhi begins to find the core of our being the asmita.

The asmita is not ahamkara Geetaji emphasized in our class.  This is a pure state of ahamkara and is not associated with the ego.  In essence ego is not part of the citta and this is the English translation Geetaji reminded us.  Asmita is a pure state of ahamkara.  Asmita is the feeling that I am.  It is not connected to what I have achieved or what I own.  It is that feeling asmi means am .  It si not even “I”.  In my existence I will say I am here.  My existence is here that is what it means.  The “I” is gone and here is gone in this meaning and it is just ‘am’.  This feeling is connected to the front brain and back brain, and the bottom of the brain.

This unity brings us joy from within but at this stage we are unable to differentiate if the action is physical, mental or spiritual.  After this auspicious state of “I” is experienced there is a state of emptiness or a void - (viramapratyaya).  This is a spiritual plateau where there is a fear of completion. This is a state of existing and not existing and we will be devoid of our ego and feel lost as if we’re are at a crossroad.  The nearest we come to this state in our normal life is that space in time just before we fall asleep, when our mind, intellect and body are silent.  We do not have the feeling of “I” at this time.  Patanjali calls this a different state of Samadhi it is not deliberate but a natural process.

To move on from this spiritual complacency, the sadhaka has no other means than to pursue his practice with trust, confidence , intense vigor, keen memory and power of absorption.  (YS 1.20).

Geetaji emphasized in her class, that we must not get caught up with th glamour and powers that come during the initial stages of our sadhana or we will come crashing down. Ego, consciousness and intelligence are sensitive and subtle. They accumulate experiences of objects perceived through our senses of perception, organs of action and our mind, linking our past, present and future.

In the third chapter of the Yoga Sutras’s Patanjali explains that when we come to the state of samyama a time will come where we are in a dual mind.  This is because that citta is able to go to a diseased state where the citta can decide to go to religious samadhi or to the siddhis.  The choice is ours. At this time, after the hypothalamus and asmita are reached, a realization of that stage will come and we will be in the medulla.  This is the medulla (or brain stem) which is connecting the brain and the brawn/body.

In that state we can get lifted up with the go and go to smriti or we go down ward towards the throat area ansd that is the medulla, the area that connects the bridge between the torso and the brain.  The externality of the brain has to be removed, as the brain can easily go to the external world.  This externality has to be removed, as after asmita we have come to th heart.  We have to be very clear in that sense that there is no desire or afflictions existing. In this state there is no anger, desire or mental diseases existing,.  It is a completely clear and pure state.  That is how Guruji explains the yoga sutra-s , Geetaji emphasized and this is why he never allowed anybody to drop the chest or stand with a dropped sternum.  

Guruji would instruct us to raise the chest to raise the.sternum and extend the cervical neck, and make the head straight to see what freedom comes to our mental state. Laziness and doubt will always be there for everyone. If we raise ourselves up alertness will come in a short time. With his process of teaching the people began to understand that this type of meditation is different, it is not dull.  For Guruji meditation is not dull.  Meditation is dynamic.

 

 

 

 The last part of the essay is coming soon.  Over the next few days continue to explore how lifting the sternum and gently extending the neck to bring the head more centered helps to lift you up and what it does for your mental state.

In peace,

Pam