Sutra 1.43: Integration

Sutra 1.43: smriti-pari-shuddhau svarupa-shoonyeh-vaartha-maatra-nirbhaasaa nirvi-tarkaa

The second stage of meditation in which there is integration and the minds memories and dialogue have ceased.

Sutra 1.43 links us back to sutra 1.42 and dives deeper into Samapatti and its’ different stages. Samapatti is when the observer becomes completely absorbed in the object of observation. This sutra tells us the second stage of meditation or Nirvitarka Samapatti, is when the mind has ceased to mingle with separation of sound, object, and thought, there will be integration. This is like when the chalkboard has been erased, and what was once busy with the sound of chalk tapping, filling the space with copious amounts of words strung together into memories, interpretations, and opinions, is now empty. No words, no tapping chalk, just space for the object of observation to become illuminated. When the object is illuminated from this place of purity, an understanding outside of perception is available. Perhaps something like the view from the backseat of a car window expanded out to the view from a space station.

What Patanjali is describing is beyond my direct experience yet, I believe there is relevant wisdom here. This may ruffle some feathers, hell it ruffles a few of my own, but maybe the message here is to say, free yourself of your feelings, so you get to feel life. Some days I get so lost in how everything “feels,” which is the reaction I have to the distorted interpretation I have, that the actual experience of life is lost. I am not really paddling the paddle board, feeling the different feeling that is relevant, like the sunshine on my face, the water lapping my toes, the connection between paddle and water and how that generates a certain movement. I am feeling the remnants of yesterdays disappointments or of todays anxiety or of my desires for tomorrow. Let us be clear about the differentiation of feelings and feeling, and yes we must feel our feelings, but we have the power to feel those feelings in a time and space truly conducive to process them versus allowing them to sour our present actions and interactions. Let us not forget that this life could end tomorrow, so we must make the experience of today, to die for.

Thank you so much dear reader,

May this interpretation help you gain clarity and inspire you to be more present for all the miracles held in each and every moment. I am grateful for your consideration.

Much love,

Andrea Dawn