Samapatti
Sanskrit: समापत्तिTransliteration: Samāpatti (IAST)
Translation: “fusion / the state of becoming one”
A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy
Translation: "engrossment; attainment; achievement; state of becoming one; coincidence"
Definition: In Yoga, the state of becoming one with the object of cognition, the instrument of cognition, and the subject of cognition in meditation.
The Science of Yoga (I. K. Taimni)
Translation: "consummation; outcome; fusion; coalescence of the mind; rapport"
Commentary: "The Ultimate Reality at the basis of the manifested Universe is the only purely subjective principle while all other partial expressions of that Reality in the realm of manifestation have a double subjective-objective role, being subjective towards those expressions which are more involved and objective towards those less involved. Not only is there at each point the possibility of this meeting of subjective and objective, but wherever and whenever such meeting takes place, a definite relation is established between the two. So the manifested Universe is really not a duality but a triplicity and that is how every manifestation of Reality at any level or in any sphere has three aspects. These three aspects corresponding to the subjective and objective sides of manifestation and the relation which must exist between them are referred to in Part 1, Sutra 41 as Grahītṛ, Grahaṇa and Grāhya and may be translated into English by sets of words such as knower, knowing, known or cognizer, cognition, cognized or perceiver, perception, perceived. This fundamental fact underlying manifestation, that the One has become the Three, is the basis of the mysterious identity which exists between these three apparently different components of the triplicity. It is because the One Reality has become the Three that it is possible to bring about a fusion of the Three into One, and it is this kind of fusion which is the essential technique and secret of Samādhi. This fusion can take place at four different levels of consciousness corresponding to Vitarka, Vicāra, Ānanda and Asmitā stages of Samprajñāta Samādhi but the principle underlying the fusion of the Three into One is the same at all the levels and the result also is the same, namely the attainment by the knower of perfect and complete knowledge of the known.
[...] If we place a small piece of ordinary stone on a sheet of colored paper, the stone is not at all affected by the colored light coming from the paper. It stands out against the paper as it was owing to its imperviousness to this light. If we place a colorless crystal on the same piece of paper, we immediately see a difference in its behavior towards the light coming from the paper. It absorbs some of the light, and thus appears at least partially assimilated with the paper. The degree of absorption will depend upon the transparency of the crystal and the freedom from defects in its substance. The more perfect the crystal the more completely will it transmit the light and become assimilated with the colored paper. A crystal of perfectly transparent glass with no internal defects or color will become so completely assimilated with the paper as almost to disappear in the light coming from it. It will be there but in an invisible form and emitting only the light of the paper upon which it is placed. We should note that it is the freedom of the crystal from any defects, characteristics, marks or qualities of its own which enables it to become completely assimilated with the paper on which it is placed. Even a trace of color in an otherwise perfect crystal will prevent its perfect assimilation.
The behavior of a mind in relation to an object of contemplation is remarkably similar to the behavior of the crystal in relation to the colored paper. Any activity, impression, or bias which the mind has apart from the object of contemplation will stand in the way of its becoming fused with it completely. It is only when the mind has, as it were, annihilated itself completely and destroyed its independent identity that it can become assimilated with the object of contemplation and shine with the pure truth enshrined in that object.
Let us consider for a while the various factors which prevent this process of assimilation. First of all come the various tendencies, some almost instinctive in character, which impart strong biases to the mind and make it flow naturally and powerfully along certain predetermined lines. Such tendencies are, for example, those of accumulating possessions, indulging in all kinds of enjoyments, attractions and repulsions. Such tendencies which are derived from desires of various kinds tend to throw up in the mind mental images and temptations in accordance with their own nature. All such tendencies are sought to be eliminated from the mind of the aspirant by the practice of Yama, Niyama and Vairagya. Then come the sensuous impressions derived from the contact of the sense-organs with the external world. Along the avenues of the sense organs flows a continuous current of impressions into the mind, modifying it continually into a never ending series of images. These impressions are cut off when Samādhi is to be practiced by means of Āsana, Prāṇāyāma and Pratyāhāra. The Yogi has now to deal only with the inherent activity of the mind itself, the activity which it can carry on with the help of the images stored in its memory and its power to arrange and rearrange those images in innumerable patterns. This kind of activity is sought to be controlled and canalized in Dhāraṇā and Dhyāna and the mind made to direct its activity solely in one channel. There is nothing left now in the mind, there is nothing which can arise in the mind except the ‘seed’ of Saṃyama or the object of contemplation. But the mind is still separate from the object and as long as it retains its subjective role it cannot become one with the object. This awareness of the mind of itself which stands in its way of becoming fused with the object of contemplation and ‘shining’ solely with the truth hidden within the object is eliminated in Samādhi." (p. 91-93)
Reference:
Translation: "engrossment; attainment; achievement; state of becoming one; coincidence"
Definition: In Yoga, the state of becoming one with the object of cognition, the instrument of cognition, and the subject of cognition in meditation.
The Science of Yoga (I. K. Taimni)
Translation: "consummation; outcome; fusion; coalescence of the mind; rapport"
Commentary: "The Ultimate Reality at the basis of the manifested Universe is the only purely subjective principle while all other partial expressions of that Reality in the realm of manifestation have a double subjective-objective role, being subjective towards those expressions which are more involved and objective towards those less involved. Not only is there at each point the possibility of this meeting of subjective and objective, but wherever and whenever such meeting takes place, a definite relation is established between the two. So the manifested Universe is really not a duality but a triplicity and that is how every manifestation of Reality at any level or in any sphere has three aspects. These three aspects corresponding to the subjective and objective sides of manifestation and the relation which must exist between them are referred to in Part 1, Sutra 41 as Grahītṛ, Grahaṇa and Grāhya and may be translated into English by sets of words such as knower, knowing, known or cognizer, cognition, cognized or perceiver, perception, perceived. This fundamental fact underlying manifestation, that the One has become the Three, is the basis of the mysterious identity which exists between these three apparently different components of the triplicity. It is because the One Reality has become the Three that it is possible to bring about a fusion of the Three into One, and it is this kind of fusion which is the essential technique and secret of Samādhi. This fusion can take place at four different levels of consciousness corresponding to Vitarka, Vicāra, Ānanda and Asmitā stages of Samprajñāta Samādhi but the principle underlying the fusion of the Three into One is the same at all the levels and the result also is the same, namely the attainment by the knower of perfect and complete knowledge of the known.
[...] If we place a small piece of ordinary stone on a sheet of colored paper, the stone is not at all affected by the colored light coming from the paper. It stands out against the paper as it was owing to its imperviousness to this light. If we place a colorless crystal on the same piece of paper, we immediately see a difference in its behavior towards the light coming from the paper. It absorbs some of the light, and thus appears at least partially assimilated with the paper. The degree of absorption will depend upon the transparency of the crystal and the freedom from defects in its substance. The more perfect the crystal the more completely will it transmit the light and become assimilated with the colored paper. A crystal of perfectly transparent glass with no internal defects or color will become so completely assimilated with the paper as almost to disappear in the light coming from it. It will be there but in an invisible form and emitting only the light of the paper upon which it is placed. We should note that it is the freedom of the crystal from any defects, characteristics, marks or qualities of its own which enables it to become completely assimilated with the paper on which it is placed. Even a trace of color in an otherwise perfect crystal will prevent its perfect assimilation.
The behavior of a mind in relation to an object of contemplation is remarkably similar to the behavior of the crystal in relation to the colored paper. Any activity, impression, or bias which the mind has apart from the object of contemplation will stand in the way of its becoming fused with it completely. It is only when the mind has, as it were, annihilated itself completely and destroyed its independent identity that it can become assimilated with the object of contemplation and shine with the pure truth enshrined in that object.
Let us consider for a while the various factors which prevent this process of assimilation. First of all come the various tendencies, some almost instinctive in character, which impart strong biases to the mind and make it flow naturally and powerfully along certain predetermined lines. Such tendencies are, for example, those of accumulating possessions, indulging in all kinds of enjoyments, attractions and repulsions. Such tendencies which are derived from desires of various kinds tend to throw up in the mind mental images and temptations in accordance with their own nature. All such tendencies are sought to be eliminated from the mind of the aspirant by the practice of Yama, Niyama and Vairagya. Then come the sensuous impressions derived from the contact of the sense-organs with the external world. Along the avenues of the sense organs flows a continuous current of impressions into the mind, modifying it continually into a never ending series of images. These impressions are cut off when Samādhi is to be practiced by means of Āsana, Prāṇāyāma and Pratyāhāra. The Yogi has now to deal only with the inherent activity of the mind itself, the activity which it can carry on with the help of the images stored in its memory and its power to arrange and rearrange those images in innumerable patterns. This kind of activity is sought to be controlled and canalized in Dhāraṇā and Dhyāna and the mind made to direct its activity solely in one channel. There is nothing left now in the mind, there is nothing which can arise in the mind except the ‘seed’ of Saṃyama or the object of contemplation. But the mind is still separate from the object and as long as it retains its subjective role it cannot become one with the object. This awareness of the mind of itself which stands in its way of becoming fused with the object of contemplation and ‘shining’ solely with the truth hidden within the object is eliminated in Samādhi." (p. 91-93)
Reference:
- Grimes, John (1996). A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy: Sanskrit Terms Defined in English. Albany: State University of New York Press
- Taimni, I. K. (1975). The Science of Yoga: The Yoga-Sūtras of Patañjali in Sanskrit with Transliteration in Roman, Translation in English and Commentary: Theosophical Publishing House. p. 91-93.
