Sutra 1.17: The Four Layers of Concentration
Sutra: 1.17: vitarka-vicāra-ānanda-asmitā-rupa-anugamāt-saṁprajñātaḥ
“A gradual progression towards deep inner integration (samprajñata samadhi) develops through subtle refinement of attention from reasoning (vitarka), to contemplation (vichara), to joy (ananda) and then to the sense of being (asmita).” - Ruben Vasquez
As with all of yoga there are layers upon layers to delve into, just like in a piece of carrot cake. Let’s say that the ultimate samadhi is the frosting, well today we are discussing all that is below the frosting and in sutra 1.17’s case, there are four layers to be observed.
Last week we acknowledged the first layer of cake or vitarka where we learn to focus our attention on a physical object or sense. Slowly we can refine our attention to align with the even finer qualities of the cake, like noticing a subtle hint of cinnamon. Even though you can’t actually see the cinnamon, you know it’s there. This is vichara. Once we have reached this state, a beautiful thing begins to occur, all of our commentary about the carrot cake approaches the yellow light and begins to slow down. Our opinions on who bakes the best carrot cake, wether it’s gluten free and organic, and how many calories are in each bite, all fade into the background.
When inner commentary ceases, it’s as if the shackles around our minds have been cut and we are free from the very heavy weight of all of our opinions, demanding beliefs and pre-programmed ideas about what’s right and what’s wrong with our life and with other peoples lives and with the world at large. We have mistakenly trained our minds to spend all day making conclusions rather than expanding our conclusions, by exploring our minds.
Only when the mind stops trying to lead the experience do we have the ability to truly taste the carrot cake in all of its glory. This is the third layer of concentration, ananda, or bliss. Which melds us into the fourth and final layer of concentration, asmita. Getting to experience the truth of the carrot cake, is the illumination of your aliveness, you finally get to experience yourself having an experience where you are no longer drowning in likes, dislikes, doubts, desires, habits, reactions, judgements, and a jumble of other mind mirrors.
Long story short, ditch the dialogue and taste the aliveness inherent in all that is.
Muchas Gracias dear friends,
It is simply incredible that the yogis understood themselves at such a deep level. And sometimes this makes me feel overwhelmed! So let us not worry about what “level” of concentration we are on (as that would mean we are definitely not there!). Let us instead deepen our commitment to living each day as present as possible with the knowledge that our mind is a tool we can refine to experience more and more of that presence, which in turn equals our freedom. Exploring the sutras is the work of many lifetimes and I am grateful to be journeying this one with you.
Blessings,
Andrea Dawn
