December 2023 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami--A Dharana
Srivatsa Ramaswami
December 2023 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami–A Dharana
In January 2024 I am scheduled to teach a 8 day (16hrs) online program on Hatayogapradipika, hosted by my friend Ryan Leier from Canada. Here is the link to register
A Dharana
Ashtanga Yoga was an important integral part of yoga in yesteryears. Patanjali succinctly wrote about the eight angas of this unique system. He defined each and every anga , spelling the parameters and the individual and collective benefits of the branches of the system. Other great yogis with a different formats wrote a separate chapter for each of the angas in their yoga works like Yagnyavalkya, Thirumular and others.
The first anga in antaranga sadhana is called dharana or training the mind to remain holding on to an object for a time duration. In this process when the mind gets distracted, the abhyasi brings the mind back to the same object chosen for contemplation. This procedure is called Dharana according to Patanjali. Of course Patanjali and others like Yajnyavalkya stress the importance of bringing the rajas and tamas under check so that satva would blossom in the citta. A satvic mind or citta is a prerequisite for anataraga sadhana.
Patanjali while giving the essential parameters of dharana and other steps of antaranga sadhana merely indicates that the surfing mind should be used to repeatedly remain focused on the object or spot of contemplation (desa). But later on he describes samyama (dharana, dhyana and samasdhi) on different aspects of prakriti in one's own body and transcend all of them one by one as non-self. While samkhyas enunciate the 24 pracritic tatwas ( mula prakriti, mahat/buddhi, ahamkara, the 11 indriyas, 5 tanmatras and the 5 bhutas, Patanjali groups them as visesha (gross) avisesha, (subtle) lingamatra (buddhi)and alinga (mulaprakriti) and in practice they are also samyama on these 24 tatwas all starting from dharana. He also groups them differently as vitarka (gross) vicara (subtle) ananda (ego/eotion) and asmita ( wrong I feeling)
So Patanjali while asking the yogis to keep kaivalya as the goal gives the objects to be contemplated upon (samyama) also gives clearly as to how one should meditate and its prerequisites. It now becomes clear that what one contemplates or does antaranga sadhana on will depend upon the goal one has in mind. While samkhyas and rajayogis talk about kaivalya as the goal and antaranga sadhana as the means, there are other schools with different goals. But the technique that should be used to bring the mind under a meditative mode is the same as enunciated by Patanjali
Many bhakti yogis meditate- some to have the vision of the Lord as could be seen in many puranic stories. Going by Patanjali's advice if one does not have the natural ability to go into dharana, one should follow the yamaniyamas, practice asanas and pranayama so that the abhyasi would be in a predominantly satvic mode to start Bhagvat dhyana. Other contemplative yogis like kundalini yogis are also said to benefit from the step by step approach of ashtanga yoga.
Whatever be the yogic or philosophical goal, the practitioner, if less satvic would follow the bahiranga sadhana enunciated in Ashtanga yoga and follow the procedure in antaranga sadhana. The object of contemplation will depend on the goal the yogi or seeker has in mind.
Here are two verses from Yoga-yagnyavalkya on vedantic meditation
यमादिगुणसम्युक्तस्य मनसः स्थितिरात्मनि
धारणेत्युच्यते सद्भिःशाश्रत्रतात्पर्यवेदिभिः
अस्मिन् ब्रह्मपुरे गार्गि यदिदं हृदयाम्बुजम्
तस्मिन्नेवान्तराकशे येद्बाह्याश कारनम्।
yamādiguṇasamyuktasya manasaḥ sthitirātmani
dhāraṇetyucyate sadbhiḥśāśratratātparyavedibhiḥ
asmin brahmapure gārgi yadidaṃ hṛdayāmbujam
tasminnevāntarākaśe yedbāhyāśa kāranam|
Yajnyavalkya’s name is associated with Shukla yajurveda. His contribution to vedanta philosophy in Brahadarnyaka upanishd is very well known. In this text Yogayagnyavalkya he defines yoga as the union of paramatma and jivatma, a vedantic goal. This dharana he is talking about is valid for vedantins. In the first of these two slokas he states that one who has purified oneself with the strict observance of yama and niyamas would focus on the atman within. This is very much a rajayoga approach and should lead to kaivalya.
However in the second sloka he brings in the vedanta thought. It says in this atman space ,which is the brahmapura or the space of Brahman. So here we see that atman and brahman are one which is the essential teaching of vedanta philosophy, the philosophy of the upanishads. Many upanishads not only aver but thoroughly and authoritatively explain the oneness of atman and brahman. Brahman is associated with the creation of the universe and atman is the individual non varying consciousness variously described by yogis and samkhyas as purusha drashta and jna. There are many references in the upanishads like the one Mndukya where the identity of Brahman and Atman is clearly enunciated (ayam atma brahma–This atman is brahman).
While yogis and samkhyas state that the goal of yoga is kaivalya or freedom for the unchanging self, the vedantins assert that the individual purusha is none other than the Brahman, the source (kaarana) of the universe. So the vedantins go one more step, the final step from the yogi's goal. It is to realize the oneness of atman and brahman. So in the second sloka the atman space is said to be the space of brahman, the source of the outside world one experiences.It amounts to saying that the universe one experiences is the projection of brahman which is one’s own self.
In fact the idea that what we see is a projection and not a direct experience is shared by yogis even as they would say it is the projection of the citta and the outside world is reaal. The outside objects produce sensations and the sensations are, by a complicated process, are projected by the citta as a cittavritti, which is one’s own world. Even as we share the common world, each one, each purusha to be precise sees the individual world. So here the meditator would after having realized the true nature of purusha would also consider that the source (kaarana) of what one experiences as the outside world emanates from the individual purusha which is none other than brahman the source of the universe
So it could be seen that the meditation process is well defined in ashtanga yoga but what one would do dharana on will depend upon one’s own understanding, conviction and goal.