Patanjali Yoga Sutra — त्रयमेकत्र संयमः ॥3.4॥
trayamekatra saṃyamaḥ॥
Blend of these three aspects namely, dhāraṇā (concentration), dhyāna (contemplation) and samādhi (dissolution) is ‘saṃyama’.
Dhāraṇā (concentration), dhyāna (contemplation), samādhi (dissolution) are, in fact, continuous, integrated, inseparable, threefold philosophy of internal yoga (antaraṅga yoga). Thus ‘saṃyama’ (assimilation of concentration, contemplation and dissolution) refers to a whole system of a gradual, deeper journey from the exterior to the innermost core and the one-pointedness of sādhaka’s citta in dhāraṇā slowly blooms into all-pervasive, all-pervading, diffused, infinitely expansive awareness. Obviously, this organized journey from one extremity to another extremity cannot be sliced, because the whole journey is unbroken ‘saṃyama’ — having two non-stop, transitory stations namely, ‘dhāraṇā, dhyāna’ and the terminus: ‘samādhi’. That is the making of a ‘yogi’!
Bhagavān describes this whole process in just one verse very vividly:
यथा दीपो निवातस्थो नेङ्गते सोपमा स्मृता।
योगिनो यतचित्तस्य युञ्जतो योगमात्मनः॥गीता ६.१९॥
yathā dīpo nivātastho neṅgate sopamā smṛtā|
yogino yatacittasya yuñjato yogamātmanaḥ॥Gītā 6.19॥
Just as the flame of a lantern, well protected from disturbances of blowing wind, does not waver, yogi’s mind does not vacillate while meditating, fully absorbed in Paramātma. This is said to be the equivalence of an undisturbed flame with that of the mind of a sādhaka yogi.
Such a yogi transcends the three states of mind namely jāgṛta, svapna and suśupti and attains the absolute bliss. Brahmasūtras say the light attained by such a sādhaka is the Supreme Self and not any physical light (4.4.3).
Śaṅkarācārya says, as the gold purified in a furnace loses its impurities and achieves its own true nature, so does the mind get rid of its contamination of delusion and attachment through dhyāna; then the sādhaka finds the supreme Consciousness in the space between thoughts. Thus meditation is not a means to the end, but it is both means and the end. It is a way to nourish and blossom the divine within. It should be understood that Self-observation is the first step of inner unfolding. That is the reason, Swāmi Vivekānanda says, the YOU that goes inside in meditation is not the same you that comes out the other side.
Dalai Lāmā says, if every 8-year-old in the world is taught meditation, we can totally eliminate violence from the world in just one generation. That is the power of meditation.
