Patanjali Yoga Sutra Knowledge Sheet 46

Contd. from knowledge sheet 45

(I Sūtra 51)

“Tasyapi nirodhe sarvanirodhannirbejaha samadhihi’’

tasya = that; api = too; nirodhe = by suppression; sarva = all; nirodhat = due to suppression of ; nirbëjaha = seedless; samadhihi = samadhi. 

"Nirbeja samadhi or the samadhi of no seeds in which even the feeling of some impressions are also removed along with the removal of the impressions themselves."

This is another kind of Samadhi, where even that feeling of some impressions are also not there. There is no end to this. There are many different types and states of awareness in Samadhi being described. The path is long. Every step is complete in itself. It is not that you are aiming at a goal after sometime. The goal is in every moment. Yet the path is long. Do you get it? The path is very long, but the goal is in every moment. The goal is at where you are in patience. It is not that you are in a hurry, "Ok, I want Samadhi today". Yes there should be all enthusiasm, but, at the same time, with that enthusiasm, patience. Do you see this?This is an interesting point. Those who are very enthusiastic have no patience.

People who have patience are very lethargic"Okay, we will do, we have a life time".Others are restless, "We want it right now". Do you see this? Everywhere you can see this. They are either of this extreme or that extreme. See, it is like you can have a sleep, but you cannot have a quick sleep. Hurried sleep is not possible. You cannot say, "I am in a hurry. I should sleep quickly and go". Okay, try to sleep quickly. Ten minutes of short rest. Quick, hurry – not possible.

Similarly, in the same way, you cannot remember in a hurry, "Okay, let me remember, quick, quick, quick!!!" The hurry in remembering delays the remembering. When you want to remember something, the more you hurry, the more restless you are to remember it, the longer it takes for you to remember. Isn't it? Same with sleep, same with meditation.

You cannot say, “I am going to have a quick meditation! I have no time!” Not possible. So this path, the middle path, the golden path, wherein you are enthusiastic, you are in a hurry, at the same time, you are patient. You are patient, at the same time you are not lethargic. You are not postponing things. You know, often when people have to do something good, for their personal development, they say, “If God is willing, I will do it. If God is willing, it will come to me”. They leave it to God, when it comes to one’s practices and development. When we have to do something in the world, they do not say, “God willing I will build a house or if God is willing, I will make a relationship”. You do not do that! You look for a relationship, you look for a house, look for a job, look for money. For all this you put your hundred percent, but, if you have to do something for others, you say, if God is willing it will happen. Many people do that, at least in India. I think it is the same everywhere. If God wills, then it will happen. It should be the other way round. So, patience and dynamism. That is the golden rule. There goes the first chapter!

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(This is part of a series of knowledge sheets based on Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's commentaries on Patanjali Yoga Sutras.)