Changes

Jump to navigation Jump to search
Adding content with reference - to be edited
Line 36: Line 36:     
== संयमः ॥ Samyama ==
 
== संयमः ॥ Samyama ==
The culmination of yoga practice is in the triple effort of dharana, dhyana and samadhi. This is collectively referred as samyama. Saṁyama is taken broadly as meditation.<ref name=":0" />
+
The culmination of yoga practice is in the triple effort of dharana, dhyana and samadhi. This is collectively referred as samyama. Saṁyama is taken broadly as meditation.
    
Concentration or dhāraṇā produces in us a state in which the natural wandering of our thoughts, the fluctuations of the psyche, are brought under control. In a state of concentration, the psyche attends to one thing so that there is intensification of activity of the mind in one particular direction. In a state of concentration the focus of attention is narrowed. This focus is expanded when one goes from concentration to contemplation or dhyāna. Contemplation helps to concentrate longer and to fix one’s attention on any object for a length of time with ease and in an effortless manner. When this is achieved, the psyche progresses to a standstill state in which the mind is steady and becomes one with the object of concentration. This is the state of samādhi. The triple effort of dhāraṇā dhyāna samādhi is called saṁyama. Saṁyama is meditation in its totality.
 
Concentration or dhāraṇā produces in us a state in which the natural wandering of our thoughts, the fluctuations of the psyche, are brought under control. In a state of concentration, the psyche attends to one thing so that there is intensification of activity of the mind in one particular direction. In a state of concentration the focus of attention is narrowed. This focus is expanded when one goes from concentration to contemplation or dhyāna. Contemplation helps to concentrate longer and to fix one’s attention on any object for a length of time with ease and in an effortless manner. When this is achieved, the psyche progresses to a standstill state in which the mind is steady and becomes one with the object of concentration. This is the state of samādhi. The triple effort of dhāraṇā dhyāna samādhi is called saṁyama. Saṁyama is meditation in its totality.
 +
 +
Developing on the neurophysiological as well as psychological studies that appear to support the assumption implied in classical literature that meditation is, in an important sense, an exercise of attention, Rao suggests that meditation is a process of moving from full attention through passive attention to “inattention.” Full attention is focal and driven by volition. Passive attention is diffused and not directed. Inattention involves, in addition to the absence of attention to sensory images and other kinds of cognitive content, movement of attention in a reverse direction, away from content to consciousness as-such. Normal attention guides us to the content of awareness, whereas meditative inattention enables the person to move in the direction of accessing consciousness as-such.
 +
 +
In Patañjali, focused attention (dhāraṇā) is only the first step. The second step, dhyāna, is less focused and more passive and diffused. Finally, samādhi is a cognitively standstill state of inattention.<ref name=":0" />
    
== Dharana ==
 
== Dharana ==

Navigation menu