What is Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi

Описание: Hello. Today we are going to talk about Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

Dharana it is concentration of mind to one object.
Dhyana it is maintaining concentration.
Samadhi it is state of enlightenment.

When we practice Dharana, we train our mind to be focused. When your mind is strong, you can take responsibility and make your decisions.

Distracted mind always jumps from one object to another, from one thought to another, from one desire to another, from one pleasure, to another.

“When the body is tempered by asanas, the mind is purified by the fire of pranayama, and the senses are curbed by pratyahara, sadhaka reaches the sixth stage of yoga, called dharana. Here he focuses entirely on one object or task in which he is completely immersed. To achieve this state of total absorption, the mind must be quiet." B. K. S. Iyengar

Dhyana it is maintaining concentration.

Buddha said, "Focused mind sees things as they really are."

When you maintain concentration for longer period of time, your state of being changes.

Swami Vivekananda, in his commentaries of the Patanjali Yoga Sutras, defines this knowledge like that:

"Dharana is holding thought on some particular object
The continuous flow of awareness to this subject is Dhyana."

When we try to concentrate our mind and maintain focus for longer time, then happens state of dhyana (meditation).

"The aim of meditation practices is to induce the spontaneous state of meditation." Swami Satyananda Saraswati

In practice we usually concentrate our mind for some time and then we loose concentration, then again we hold object of concentration for a while, then we loose it again and we repeat this process again and again. Through continuous effort, the ability to maintain this state of concentration gradually arises for longer and longer periods.

Then comes another state Samadhi.

Samadhi it is the highest goal of life for many yogis and only few of highest masters reach it.

State of samadhi is a state of enlightenment, in which the very idea of individual consciousness disappears, and a person passes into a pure state of being, uniting the observer and the observing object in himself or individual jivatma (who we really are) and Paramatma (Absolut, our highest self), they connect with each other. In this state you experience you inner true nature, you experience who you really are.

There are different states of Samadhi that describes different state of enlightenment.

For example Savikalpa Samadhi, Nirvikalpa Samadhi, Sahaj Samadhi.

"Atman or Brahman is your immortal Self. It is the only blazing reality. If you know this Atman only you can attain perfection. Perfection can be yours in this very life. Atman is to be recognized, to be known as your innermost being through Samadhi. If you know this Atman, which is the Ultimate Reality, which is Perfection, then only your life becomes useful and real existence. The knower of the Atman, the inner perfection, crosses all sorrows and becomes free. If you do not know this Atman, then there is great loss for you." Swami Sivananda

Samadhi according to Upanishads

1. Samadhi is that state of pure consciousness, the supreme blissful state, free from the triads (the meditator, meditated and meditation). It is the state where the Jivatma becomes one with the Paramatma.

2. The mind, when it is free from thoughts, desires and motion, merges in the supreme Brahman. (This state is Samadhi).

3. Destruction of all Sankalpas and knowledge of the sameness of Jiva and Brahman without the least difference is called Samadhi.

There are different views regarding samadhi, and the reader is free to decide how he should relate to these philosophical and psychological concepts, and yet we will remember what Sri Ramana Maharshi once said: "Only samadhi can reveal the Truth. Thoughts throw a veil over Reality, and therefore it is not perceived as such in states other than samadhi."

Dear friend, from first time it can be a little bit harder to understand Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. Please don't worry too much. The best way is to practice little by little and understanding comes with time.

To become better in Dharana and Dhyana you can practice meditation techniques that we usually do in yoga: concentrate on breathing, do Trataka, chant mantras (for example mantra Om), concentrate on saint person or deity and other.

Please don't forget to be relaxed.

Dharana is 6 step in Patanjali yoga sutras,
Dhyana is 7 step in Patanjali yoga sutras,
Samadhi is 8 step in Patanjali yoga sutras.

Raja yoga it is all 8 steps of Patanjali yoga sutras:
Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi.

"Man, know thyself and thou shalt know the universe." Ancient Greeks

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