Buddhiyoga in Geeta - Chapter 7 - Dhyaana-yoga - Yoga of Meditation

7. Dhyaana Yoga - The Yoga of Meditation
7.1. Introduction
So far we have discussed the two main approaches of yoga practice. In this and the next few chapters we will discuss other yoga practices that are traditionally treated as separate paths, but which are really within the scope of the two main approaches and, in principle, inseparable from one another. The focus of this and the next few chapters will be to describe the individual paths and to see how they really flow together. Again, we will see the traditional meaning of each as far as I understand it and also discuss its meaning per Geetaa.

Dhyaana conjures up an image of a Yogee in deep meditation in an ecstatic union with one’s true Self, an ecstasy that is totally invisible to anyone looking at the meditating yogee. Then how can anyone give credence to the claim of such ecstatic experience? If you remember my argument for the faith in the Yoga goal and on the yoga path, you will remember that it is not the claim that is so alluring. Instead, it is the life’s work of the yogee that supports such belief. It is always extremely difficult, if not downright impossible, to validate the claim. I must then depend on my own buddhi to help me decide what to believe and to what end. Specifically, it is not really useful at all to believe a great saint, if all I want to do is worship him and then go about my business with absolutely no commitment to becoming even a little bit like him. Such belief is of any value at all, only if I want to heed the saint’s words as guides on my yoga path.

I have the advantage of knowing some Indian languages as well as Sanskrit, the mother of all Indian languages. I also had an upbringing in India where I read and learned about innumerable saints and yogees. It was only later that I really went back to read again many of their biographies and their literary/philosophical works, when I realized what a treasure trove they had to offer.

7.2. A Real-Life Example of a Yogee
The most recent and world-renowned yogee was Swami Vivekaananda, disciple of yogee Raamakrishna Paramhamsa. This is not the place to give you the biography of Swami Vivekaananda. You can easily find one at a local university library or a Vedanta Society location. Vivekaananda was best remembered for his address to the World ecumenical conference in Chicago in 1893, which started with the words “Brothers and Sisters”. This may seem too simple, but to carry the notion that everyone is your brother or sister regardless of religious differences was a revolutionary idea this recently. Vivekaananda was an activist sannyaasee and a Yogee. There is much literature to his credit and much written about his life and his work. Most important, Vivekaananda has written on Dhyaanayoga as Raajayoga, the Supreme Yoga for attaining Self-realization through direct experience. The eight steps to the ultimate experience must be painstakingly followed under the guidance of a realized Guru. But avoid any “guru” who offers you a quick and easy way to Self-knowledge. There is none.

Then why don’t I just follow that path if I am so keen on attaining self-knowledge? To tell you the truth, I can only tiptoe around that question, for a simple reason that I am not ready yet for the rigors that the path requires. As Geetaa itself says, that is an extremely difficult path and it’s full of a lot of hardship. Not everyone is able to leave their current station in life and life’s responsibilities to pursue the path. I have adopted a lifestyle that can only be left behind by abandoning the accompanying responsibilities. Then why didn’t I just avoid taking on these responsibilities and instead take the path of Dhyaana yoga? I have no answer. I can chalk it up as one of life’s mysteries that I have yet to unravel. More simply, I can’t turn the clock back, and even if I did, I would not then have the benefit of my currently level of awareness to make a tough decision. The real mystery is how one’s awareness progresses to a point that the rigors and hardships are just an adventure to be undertaken.

7.3. Paatanjal (Dhyaana) Yoga – Eight Steps
Swami Vivekaananda described Dhyaana yoga briefly in his very short book “Raja Yoga – Conquering the Internal Nature”. This discipline was first codified thousands of years ago by the sage Patanjali and is known in his name as Paatanjala YogaSootra. There is an acclaimed commentary in Marathi on Paatanjala Yoga by a modern sage Shri. Kolhatkar (3rd edition completed in 1971 just before he passed away) – and by his own admission not a completely realized Yogee – who has given a line-by-line accounting of the very terse aphorisms of Sage Patanjali. I will give you a synopsis of my own understanding of this eight-step method from reading these two works and my own study of Geetaa.

Here are the eight steps:
1. Yama: Non-violence, truthfulness, non-thievery, celibacy, non-amassing
2. Niyama: Cleanliness/Purity, Contentedness, austerity, study, self-surrender to god
3. Aasana: Posture
4. Praanaayaama: Control of Praana (conventionally breath-control, but really much more)
5. Pratyaahaara: withdrawal of senses from their objects
6. Dhaaranaa: Fixing the mind on a spot
7. Dhyaana: Meditation
8. Samaadhi: Super-consciousness

Of these, the first two appear to be within the scope of all modern religions and fall in the “Be Good” category. However, there is far more demand on the practitioner here than merely “being religious”, because these steps are preparatory to the subsequent rigorous practices. From the discussions in the previous chapters, it must be obvious that the first two steps are the prerequisite to all yoga practices.
Steps 3 to 8 are exclusively from the Indian Yoga discipline and are as scientific as any modern scientific method. This method is well defined, teachable to anyone without prejudice as long as their preparation and determination qualify. The only thing that falls outside the modern scientific methodology is that the outcome is a strictly personal experience that can be replicated but not demonstrated. Replication is a test of science; whether external demonstration ought to be is for much greater minds than mine to mull over.
Further, it seems to me that the modern yoga practices preach steps 3 and 4 and then jump to the sixth. There are arguably beneficial effects on one’s worldly life and that’s good. However, for a true attainment of the meditative stage, let alone the super-consciousness, it must be necessary to progress from the first through the sixth step; there are no short cuts.
I believe that the first two steps demand an exercise of various types of self-restraint and purification of one’s own nature, and the fifth step puts to test one’s determination to rise above worldly pleasures and pains. It’s hardly any surprise that the ten attributes in the first two steps are repeatedly espoused in Geetaa as those of a Yogee. Note that Geetaa 17:14-19 describe the Tapas (austerity) practices that take you through the first two steps.
Yama, the first step, is about elevating one’s nature that is easily witnessed in external behavior.
Niyama, the second step is about elevating one’s nature that is not as obvious to others but still is witnessed in one’s wholesome nature and behavior.
I have already given my two-cents worth about these attributes in a previous chapter. However, I will add another two-cents worth in this context.

The purpose of the first two steps in Paatanjal Yoga is the elimination of all distractions that are in the way of getting the ultimate control over one’s body, mind, buddhi and ego and of transcending these to reach super-consciousness.
Physical distractions are yearnings and efforts for physical pleasures, sex being just one of them (but arguably the strongest and most insidious if uncontrolled). Far worse are emotional, intellectual and egotistical distractions.
As we all know from our own experience, our mind constantly wanders among thoughts that are unrelated to work at hand. When the mind wanders among yearnings for physical pleasures or among thoughts of the general nature of retribution, the work at hand suffers from lack of concentration, unless it is very repetitive type of work that the body does reflexively. The mind gets accustomed to such wanderings that are of the nature of daydreaming when dwelling on physical pleasures or of the nature of depressive thoughts when thinking of getting even with someone or for something.
The intellectual distractions occur when the Buddhi takes its cue from the wandering mind and schemes to realize the pleasures or retributions that the mind desires, all this while busy doing some other work at hand that must suffer from the lack of concentration. Further, this focus of Buddhi is of the Taamas nature that was discussed in an earlier chapter, and necessarily leads to degradation of one’s own nature.
The egotistical distraction at the lowest level occurs when one puts own self-interest above those of all others and directs the Buddhi to follow the mind’s wants. Or at the highest level it occurs when the yogee far along the path of Yoga cannot shake off the yoke of pride and conceit regarding one’s accomplishment.
The methods of Yajnya, Tapas and Daana are prescribed in Geetaa effectively to overcome such obstacles. These methods fall under the categories of Yama and Niyama in the Paatanjala Yoga. Whereas Yajnya, Tapas and Daana can lead to progress in other ways in other Yoga paths, in case of the Paatanjala Yoga, you take the next step of getting down to the business of self-control leading to super-consciousness.
7.3.1 Step 1: Yama Practices
Non-violence, truthfulness, non-thievery, celibacy, non-amassing:

Non-violence, Ahimsaa, is both physical and mental. Not hurting others when you are capable of doing so is external (physical, verbal or emotional) non-violence. Not reacting with violent thoughts within while exercising outward restraint is emotional (Maanas) non-violence. Restraining all of one’s violent thoughts at all times is non-violence of the Buddhi (intellect). Not even thinking (gloating) that all this type of non-violence is extra-ordinary, i.e., overcoming self-consciousness about own non-violence, is spiritual non-violence. Practicing non-violence is an austerity because it is difficult, it requires giving up momentary pleasure or satisfaction of retribution (physical or mental) to rise through the progressively higher levels of non-violence.
Truthfulness, Satyam, is another austerity for a simple reason that just telling of known facts at all times is not truthfulness. Truthfulness is not mindless spilling of facts. Unless Buddhi is in charge, truthfulness is hard to comprehend and unless Buddhi is dedicated to yoga practice, the real truthfulness cannot be practiced. There is so much discussion among the greatest philosophers about what would constitute appropriate violation of the adage “speak the truth” in the name of “most good of most” or some such round-about argument. An oft-quoted example is that of telling a person, who has an intent to kill, the whereabouts of his quarry. Such discussion is very easily reduced to the simple and practical principle of absolute unselfishness and the practice of well-being of all. “Sat” (rhymes with ‘hut’) is “The Truth”. “Satyam” is one’s living consonant with “Sat”, or “Sat” as it ought to be in future. This includes thoughtful unselfish behavior for the well-being of all. It includes the knowledge of and thoughtfulness regarding the consequences of all of one’s actions. Thus your knowing the whereabouts of a killer’s quarry is a fact. That the potential killer asked you the whereabouts is a fact. That you are knowledgeable of consequences of what you say is a fact. That you can discern what is a wholesome outcome that fits with the “well-being of all” principle is a fact. Now it is up to you to use your Buddhi to determine what ought to happen and therefore what you ought to say, and execute that decision. If that decision and execution have no element of selfishness, self-preservation, self-serving attitude, self-aggrandizement, self-consciousness, etc., then it is Truthfulness, regardless of what you told the potential killer. No tortuous arguments are needed to justify your decision. This is a Tapas, an austerity, a very difficult exercise that has bearing on the progress of your own nature, to rise through levels of truthfulness like those of non-violence.
Non-thievery, Asteya, means not snatching someone else’s possession. It is easy to understand in its simplest form of not stealing from others. However, on the non-physical plane, you must rise above thievery at the levels of emotion (Manas), intellect (buddhi) and ego (ahankaar) or as in earlier terminology external, Maanas (emotional), intellectual (Buddhi) and spiritual levels. I won’t elaborate.
Celibacy, Brahmacharya, in the male view of the world is for a man not to consort with a woman in any physical relationship. But celibacy is a genderfree attribute and applies to both men and women. And the historical fact that there have been Yoginees (female Yogees) is evidence enough. Sexual desire and attraction for physical intimacy with the person of the opposite sex is one of the strongest of human emotions. (Freud took off on this and really went way out of line describing that as the primary if not the one and only driving force behind all human activity. I am anything but an authority on Freud, but anyone who espouses such an extreme theory without the knowledge of human powers of self-control and self-direction is at best misled by his own brilliance.) The practice of celibacy, like the ones before, must also be practiced at the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual level in a progression.
Non-amassing, Aparigraha, relates to worldly, material wealth. We collect wealth, more or less, to afford life’s minimal sustenance – food, clothing and shelter – for the day, then for the month, for the year, for a lifetime, and for generations. There is no really logical limit on how much one ought to amass. Further, it is never enough to fulfill one’s basic need; needs grow to meet the means available. Thus we enjoy other pleasures and amenities of life, and before we know, they become our needs. Of course, we must collect the wealth to fulfill such needs for the day, for the month, etc. The flip side of enjoyment is the lack of it and the insecurity we feel over the circumstances. The fear can be one of lacking physical sustenance or of social image or stigma. Again, how much of it is real and how much imagined is a very personal thing.
Non-amassing means to outgrow such fear or insecurity and only take what is barely necessary for the sustenance, spending the rest of one’s time and energy on the pursuit of Yoga, the ultimate Self-Knowledge.

7.3.2 Step 2: Niyama Practices
Cleanliness/Purity, Contentedness, austerity, study, self-surrender to god:

Cleanliness/Purity, Shaucha, applies to physical as well as inner purity of emotions and thoughts. Although, physical cleanliness is very highly desirable, it can be dispensed with in exceptional circumstances. However, inner cleanlinessness of emotions and thought are not dispensable; they are absolutely required. Unclean emotions or thoughts essentially mean either hankering for the fulfillment of desires or, worse, ill-will towards others. Either of these will cause the mind to wander or the Buddhi to focus on something other than self-control. Shaucha is one of the austerities (Geetaa 17:14) that brings about the inner purity after a great deal of effort. Physical purity is matter of a ritual of bath and is hardly a strenuous exercise.
Contentedness, Santosha, means to have no desires that need to be fulfilled by external agencies. Santosha is when the only craving left is one of self-knowledge and nothing else comes remotely close in desirability.
Austerity, Tapas, here is in the more conventional sense. However, learning from Geetaa, the entire exercise of the purification of one’s nature is subsumed in this exercise.
Scriptural study of knowledge related to Self, Swaadhyaaya, reinforces one’s resolve to stay on this course. Super-consciousness is not attained by such study, nor even the description of super-conscious state is learned from the study, since such state is indescribable and can only be experienced by a person.
Surrender of all efforts unto God, EeshwaraPranidhaana, requires faith in the existence of the Self that is apart from the physical structure. Such surrender simply means that the focus is sharp and the efforts undiluted. God is nothing but one’s own identity with the Supreme and super-consciousness is the direct experience of the identity. Beware of the misinterpretation that this translates to “surrender to self” and therefore selfishness is desirable. The Self is that which is the same in all beings. Therefore, such surrender in its true sense leads to efforts for the well-being of all, and for growing from the lowest level individualistic demonic selfishness towards the highest level of divine Selfishness that sees the well-being of all as the well-being of the individual self.

7.3.3 Step 3: Aasana – Posture - Practice
Attaining a posture that one can maintain for a long time without any pain or discomfort. The posture must be firm and steady and it must be without any strain or discomfort. In Geetaa 6:13 describes the necessary posture in which the body, head and neck are erect in a straight line and the eyes gazing at the tip of the nose, without looking in any other direction.
This practice is the beginning of the conventionally known Dhyaana Yoga. However, in reality, it only should come after one has gained control over one’s desires, emotions, Buddhi and ego.
7.3.4 Praanaayaama Practice
This begins with the practice consciously to gain control over one’s breathing. Breathing is taken for granted as an involuntary activity of the body. But the Yoga discipline has amply demonstrated how much voluntary control we can exert over this seemingly involuntary perpetual action that pumps vital oxygen into our bloodstream.
Vivekaananda goes so far as to say that Praanaayaama has little to do with controlling the breath, although that’s what we appear to do. He states that such is the beginning of gaining control over one’s vital forces that modern science doesn’t even know is possible, and that it is the same vital force that powers all activity in the universe.

What I have written so far is based my reading and contemplation. But the fifth step is where my contemplation falls short since it is unsupported by any personal experience or observation on my part. Therefore, the only thing I can do honestly is to quote a sage that I believe knows what he is talking about.
7.3.5 Pratyaahaara Practice
This is the withdrawal of our sense organs from their objects, such that external stimuli cease to have any impact. But this is not a forcible arresting and strait-jacketing of the mind, but rather willful calming of the mind till it yields its own control over to the Buddhi. I will quote the paragraph directly from Vivikaananda’s book.
The first lesson, then, is to sit for some time and let the mind run on. The mind is bubbling up all the time. It is like that monkey jumping about. Let the monkey jump as much as he can; you simply wait and watch. Knowledge is power, says the proverb, and that is true. Until you know what the mind is doing you cannot control it. Give it the rein; many hideous thoughts may come into it; you will be astonished that it was possible for you to think such thoughts. But you will find that each day the mind’s vagaries are becoming less and less violent, that each day it is becoming calmer. In the first few months, you will find that the mind will have a great many thoughts, later you will find that they have somewhat decreased, and in a few months they will be fewer and fewer , until at last the mind will be under perfect control, but we must patiently practice each day. As soon as the steam is turned on, the engine must run; as soon as things are before us we must perceive; so a man to prove that he is not a machine must demonstrate that he is under the control of nothing. This controlling of the mind, and not allowing it to join the centers (of perception) is Pratyaahaara. How is this practiced? It is a tremendous work, not to be done in a day. Only after a patient, continuous struggle for years can we succeed.”
And this was just the fifth of the eight steps. Now you know why there is no quick fix in yoga nor is there any short-cut.
Being out of my depths, I will be even briefer for the remaining three steps.
7.3.6 Dharanaa Practice
Now without much ado, I will just quote from Vivekaananda’s book. “After you have practiced Pratyaahaara for a time, take the next step, the Dhaaranaa, holding the mind to certain points. What is meant by ‘holding the mind to certain points’? Forcing the mind to feel certain parts of the body to the exclusion of others. For instance, try to feel only the hand, to the exclusion of other parts of the body. When Chitta, the mind-stuff, is confined and limited to a certain place, it is Dhaaranaa. ...”
7.3.7 Dhyaana Practice
Whereas you fix you mind on one object (be it a part of your physical body or an external object or icon) in Dhaaranaa, you focus on one thought regarding that object and hold the thought without wavering.
7.3.8 Samaadhi - Super-consciousness
As Vivekaananda explains: We operate on three planes the conscious plane where the ego dominates and the unconscious planes above and below this conscious plane. The unconscious plane is as when we sleep and ego is totally dormant. We wake up knowing no more than when we fall asleep. The unconscious plane above also has no ego play, but that is under self-control. This plane is called super-consciousness and the Yogi, who enters this plane not being a Knower, exits the plane a Knower, i.e., one with Self-Knowledge.

I will say that the sixth step, Dhaaranaa, is a meditative step that takes you to a stage of total control over minds wanderings, in which, Buddhi is in control of the mind and both are still; the seventh step, Dhyaana, is for transcending the meditative state and in which the Buddhi contemplates one and only thought of the one and only one object on which the mind is fixed. The eighth step, Samaadhi, is for attaining the Super-consciousness or experiencing the Self.
7.4. Dhyaana Yoga in Geetaa
Dhyaana yoga (as Paatanjala Yoga) is dealt with in Geetaa (Adhyaaya 6) without much elaboration. The most beloved marathi saint Jnyaaneshwar (13th century AD) in his discourse on Geetaa (well-known as Jnyaaneshwari) wrote an exquisite description of the ecstatic experience when expounding on the import of the verses Geetaa 6:11-14; yet he warned that he was only trying to capture in word what really cannot be so captured. No one else has ever dared to even attempt that feat. I couldn’t avoid the use of heavy-duty words even in mentioning the description. Do I believe in the description? Yes, because I find Jnyaaneshwar trustworthy. I can only know the description to be true when I attain that experience myself. The day will come. I can wait. I can’t demand that it should happen in this life. So be it.

Geetaa casts another light on Dhyaana in verses 6:24-27 that I interpret to be as meditation in everyday life with eyes wide open. In this context, Dhyaana takes on the flavor of Buddhi yoga, because it’s the Buddhi that runs the show, therefore, more on this later.