''Samyama'' (from

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

संयम saṃ-yama—holding together, tying up, binding, integration) is the combined simultaneous practice of Dhāraṇā (concentration), Dhyāna (meditation) and

Samādhi ''Samadhi'' ( Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yo ...

(union).

Description

Samyama is a tool to receive deeper knowledge of qualities of the object. It is a term summarizing the "catch-all" process of psychological absorption in the object of meditation. Sansonese, J. Nigro (1994). ''The Body of Myth: Mythology, Shamanic Trance, and the Sacred Geography of the Body''. Inner Traditions. . Source
Google Books
p.26. For Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, Pratyahara is the preceding stage to practicing and developing Samyama; the "spiritually unevolved" should spend time understanding Ashtanga yoga.

Framework

Samyama, as Patanjali's

Yoga Sutra The ''Yoga Sutras of Patañjali'' is a collection of Sanskrit sutras (aphorisms) on the theory and practice of yoga – 195 sutras (according to Vyāsa and Krishnamacharya) and 196 sutras (according to others, including BKS Iyengar). The ...

s states, engenders prajñā. Adi Yoga or Mahasandhi discusses the ' mūla prajñā' of "listening/studying, investigation/contemplation, realization/meditation" which are a transposition of the triune of Samyama. These are activated subconsciously in ''non-structured form'' (thus producing fragmented spontaneous Samyama-like effects) by any thinking activity or contemplative absorption (particularly the Catuskoti and

Koan A (; , ; ko, 화두, ; vi, công án) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement which is used in Zen practice to provoke the "great doubt" and to practice or test a student's progress in Zen. Etymology The Japanese term is the Sino-Jap ...

) and deep levels of

trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...

. Any kind of intuitive thinking at its various stages of expression is strongly related to Samyama-like phenomena as well.

Practice and structure

{{Advert, article/section, : Samyama is practiced consistently by yogis of some yoga meditation systems and schools, from simple meditation alone to week-long meditation retreats or more. Described in the

Yoga Sutras of Patanjali The ''Yoga Sutras of Patañjali'' is a collection of Sanskrit sutras ( aphorisms) on the theory and practice of yoga – 195 sutras (according to Vyāsa and Krishnamacharya) and 196 sutras (according to others, including BKS Iyengar). The ...

, it comprises the three most mentally focusing "limbs" of Patanjali's Eight-limbed ("Astanga") in his

s. A meditator who is successful in learning samyama vanquishes all cognitive obstacles/problems/troubles (Sanskrit: klesha). The Sutras then describe various psychic experiences Patanjali calls "powers," "successes," or "perfections" (Sanskrit:

siddhi In Indian religions, (Sanskrit: '; fulfillment, accomplishment) are material, paranormal, supernatural, or otherwise magical powers, abilities, and attainments that are the products of yogic advancement through sādhanās such as meditati ...

) that a yoga meditator may experience through the conduit of Samyama.

Yoga Sutras

{{Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Samyama is defined in the ''

Yoga Sutras The ''Yoga Sutras of Patañjali'' is a collection of Sanskrit sutras ( aphorisms) on the theory and practice of yoga – 195 sutras (according to Vyāsa and Krishnamacharya) and 196 sutras (according to others, including BKS Iyengar). The ...

'' of

Patanjali Patanjali ( sa, पतञ्जलि, Patañjali), also called Gonardiya or Gonikaputra, was a Hindu author, mystic and philosopher. Very little is known about him, and while no one knows exactly when he lived; from analysis of his works it i ...

verses 3.1 through 3.6 as follows where the

Devanagari Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the ...

and

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...

were sourced from LittleLittle, Alan (n.d.). ''The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.'' Source
Alanlittle.org
(accessed: Wednesday March 17, 2010) and the English from

Iyengar Iyengar (also spelt Ayyangar or Aiyengar, pronounced ) refers to the name of an ethnoreligious community of Tamil-speaking Hindu Brahmins, whose members follow Sri Vaishnavism and the Visishtadvaita philosophy propounded by Ramanuja. Found mos ...

(1993: pp. 178–183): Iyengar, B.K.S. (1993). ''Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.'' Hammersmith, London, UK: Thorsons (an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers). {{ISBN, 978-0-00-714516-4, pp.178-183. देशबन्धश्चित्तस्य धारणा ॥ १॥ deśabandhaścittasya dhāraṇā .. 1.. Fixing the consciousness on one point or region is concentration (dhāraṇā). तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम् ॥ २॥ tatra pratyayaikatānatā dhyānam .. 2.. A steady, continuous flow of attention directed towards the same point or region is meditation (dhyāna). तद् एवार्थमात्रनिर्भासं स्वरूपशून्यम् इव समाधिः ॥ ३॥ tad evārthamātranirbhāsaṃ svarūpaśūnyam iva samādhiḥ .. 3.. When the object of meditation engulfs the meditator, appearing as the subject, self-awareness is lost. This is samādhi. त्रयम् एकत्र संयमः ॥ ४॥ trayam ekatra saṃyamaḥ .. 4.. These three together hāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhiconstitute ''integration'' or saṃyama. तज्जयात् प्रज्ञालोकः ॥ ५॥ tajjayāt prajñālokaḥ .. 5.. From mastery of saṃyama comes the light of awareness and insight. तस्य भूमिषु विनियोगः ॥ ६॥ tasya bhūmiṣu viniyogaḥ .. 6.. Saṃyama may be applied in various spheres to derive its usefulness.

References

{{reflist {{yoga {{meditation Yoga concepts Meditation Spirituality Philosophical schools and traditions Hindu philosophical concepts

Description

Framework

Practice and structure

Yoga Sutras

See also

References