Yoga Sutras, Mastery of Concentration

Sutra 1.40:Paramanu paramamahattva anta asya vasikara, Gradually, one's mastery in concentration extends from the smallest particle to the greatest magnitude.

The previous eight sutras were techniques for quieting the mind. The outcome of this practice is described in sutra 1.40. The ability to focus on anything, from the smallest to the largest size (from the subtlest to the grossest). This reminds me of the Mahabarata, an epic from India out of which the Bhagavad Gita comes, where the archery teacher is testing his students. This is a loose summary; the teacher asked the first student to pick up his bow and arrow and aim to shoot a bird in a tree through the heart and then asked what the student saw. The first student saw a limb of an oak tree upon which a brown bird of prey was perched. The second student was instructed to do the same and responded that he saw a large bird with big talons, brown and black and tan feathers, a yellow beak and dark eyes. Finally Arjuna, the archer who had dialogue with Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, aimed and replied that he saw the breast of the bird. Arjuna was the only student that passed. He was able to focus to the point of only seeing the targeted area of the bird. This ability to concentrate is not from crazy effort but from the uncluttering of the fluctuations of the mind. There is no strain involved. If this focus involved strain then there would not be calm.

Sutra 1.41:Kshina vritter abhijatasya iva maner grahitri grahana grahyeshu tatstha tadanjanata samapattih, Just as naturally pure crystal assumes shapes and colors of objects placed near it, so the yogi's mind, with its totally weakened modifications, becomes clear and balanced and attains the state devoid of differentiation between knower, knowable, and knowledge. This culmination of meditation is samadhi.

This begins the last section of this first chapter of the Yoga Sutras (Y.S.) where Patanjali refines his discussion on samadhi (superconsciousness, meditative absorption). This is a beautiful description of the quieted mind. Just as pure crystal when put in front of colored paper takes on the color of the paper without distortion, so the quieted mind reflects the object without distortion. Another significant part of this sutra is, "grahitri grahana grahyeshu". This is translated by Satchidananda as knower, knowable, and knowledge, but could also be cognizer, cognized, cognition or perceiver, perceived, perception. The subject, object and act of knowing are unified. Another key phrase is "kshina vritter" which means weakened fluctuations of the mind. Not completely gone, but weakened. This helps to clarify the first few types of samadhi where there is still a sense of "I am ness". This is a difficult part of the Y.S. because if the student is not having some experience of samadhi then it is totally theoretical. It is indeed an advanced treatise on meditation. Some have said that the first chapter of the Y.S. explains the goal and the rest of the Y.S. fills in the blanks on how to get there.