''Samyama'' (from
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
संयम saṃ-yama—holding together, tying up, binding, integration
) is the combined simultaneous practice of
dhāraṇā (concentration),
dhyāna (meditation) and
samādhi
Statue of a meditating Rishikesh.html" ;"title="Shiva, Rishikesh">Shiva, Rishikesh
''Samādhi'' (Pali and ), in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, is a state of meditative consciousness. In many Indian religious traditions, the cultivati ...
(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. See also
Ashtanga yoga.
Framework
Samyama, as Patanjali's
Yoga Sutras 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) and deep levels of
trance. Any kind of
intuitive thinking at its various stages of expression is strongly related to Samyama-like phenomena as well.
Practice and structure
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'' (IAST: Patañjali yoga-sūtra) is a compilation "from a variety of sources" of Sanskrit sutras (aphorisms) on the practice of yoga – 195 sutras (according to Vyasa, Vyāsa and Krishnamacharya) and 196 sut ...
, it comprises the three most mentally focusing "limbs" of Patanjali's Eight-limbed ("Astanga") in his
Yoga Sutras. 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 Yoga, yogic advancement through sādhanās such as medit ...
) that a yoga meditator may experience through the
conduit of Samyama.
Yoga Sutras
Samyama is defined in the ''
Yoga Sutras'' of
Patanjali verses 3.1 through 3.6 as follows where the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
in
Devanagari
Devanagari ( ; in script: , , ) is an Indic script used in the Indian subcontinent. It is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental Writing systems#Segmental systems: alphabets, writing system), based on the ancient ''Brāhmī script, Brā ...
and
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Brahmic family, Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that ...
were sourced from Little
[Little, Alan (n.d.). ''The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.'' Source]
Alanlittle.org
(accessed: Wednesday March 17, 2010) and the English from
Iyengar (1993: pp. 178–183):
[ Iyengar, B.K.S. (1993). ''Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.'' Hammersmith, London, UK: Thorsons (an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers). , 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.
See also
*
Beginner's mind
*
Insight
Insight is the understanding of a specific causality, cause and effect within a particular context. The term insight can have several related meanings:
*a piece of information
*the act or result of understanding the inner nature of things or of se ...
*
Jnana yoga
*
Dhāraṇā (concentration)
*
Dhyāna (meditation)
*
Samadhi
*
Siddhi
In Indian religions, (Sanskrit: '; fulfillment, accomplishment) are material, paranormal, supernatural, or otherwise magical powers, abilities, and attainments that are the products of Yoga, yogic advancement through sādhanās such as medit ...
References
External links
All about Samyama
{{Meditation
Yoga concepts
Meditation
Philosophical schools and traditions
Hindu philosophical concepts