Vichara
Sanskrit: विचारTransliteration: Vicāra (IAST)
Translation: “enquiry”
A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy
Translation: "reflection; enquiry; introspection; investigation"
Definition: "According to the Yoga school, it is a state of Samādhi. It is of two kinds: Nirvicārā (when the mind concentrates and is one with the Tanmātra without any notion of their qualities) and Savicārā (when the mind concentrates on the Tanmātra with a remembrance of their qualities)."
The Yoga Darśana (Gangānātha Jhā)
Translation: "The Deliberative"
From the PREFACE: "The Deliberative – whereby he is enabled to apprehend the ordinarily imperceptible aspects of that object; as for instance, Nature, Intelligence, Self-consciousness and the Rudimentary Elements. Madhubhumika – one occupying the honeyed or sweet stage – is one who has come to realize that the characters that he is generally accustomed to attribute to things are not real, but merely imposed upon them by usage; he looks upon the very essence of things, as free from all such imposition; for this reason he is called ‘Ṛtambharaprajña’ (of truth-supporting knowledge); and this stage is called ‘Madhumati’ (Honeyed) because it makes the aspirant feel extremely happy."
The Science of Yoga (I. K. Taimni)
Translation: "deliberation, reflection"
Commentary: "Every common noun is such an abstraction although we are hardly aware of this fact when we use such words. The mental process whereby these qualities are isolated from particular objects and combined in a single abstract concept is called Vicāra. The function of the higher mind is to form such universal concepts and to grasp their inner significance. It should be noted here that while Vitarka isolates a particular object from all the rest, Vicāra isolates a particular concept, archetype, law, or universal principle from all such Sūkṣma Viṣaya referred to in Part 1, Sutra 44. This stage in which consciousness is functioning through the higher mind corresponds to the Vicāra stage of Samprajñāta Samādhi and the Aviśeṣa stage of the Guṇa." (p. 165)
References:
Translation: "reflection; enquiry; introspection; investigation"
Definition: "According to the Yoga school, it is a state of Samādhi. It is of two kinds: Nirvicārā (when the mind concentrates and is one with the Tanmātra without any notion of their qualities) and Savicārā (when the mind concentrates on the Tanmātra with a remembrance of their qualities)."
The Yoga Darśana (Gangānātha Jhā)
Translation: "The Deliberative"
From the PREFACE: "The Deliberative – whereby he is enabled to apprehend the ordinarily imperceptible aspects of that object; as for instance, Nature, Intelligence, Self-consciousness and the Rudimentary Elements. Madhubhumika – one occupying the honeyed or sweet stage – is one who has come to realize that the characters that he is generally accustomed to attribute to things are not real, but merely imposed upon them by usage; he looks upon the very essence of things, as free from all such imposition; for this reason he is called ‘Ṛtambharaprajña’ (of truth-supporting knowledge); and this stage is called ‘Madhumati’ (Honeyed) because it makes the aspirant feel extremely happy."
The Science of Yoga (I. K. Taimni)
Translation: "deliberation, reflection"
Commentary: "Every common noun is such an abstraction although we are hardly aware of this fact when we use such words. The mental process whereby these qualities are isolated from particular objects and combined in a single abstract concept is called Vicāra. The function of the higher mind is to form such universal concepts and to grasp their inner significance. It should be noted here that while Vitarka isolates a particular object from all the rest, Vicāra isolates a particular concept, archetype, law, or universal principle from all such Sūkṣma Viṣaya referred to in Part 1, Sutra 44. This stage in which consciousness is functioning through the higher mind corresponds to the Vicāra stage of Samprajñāta Samādhi and the Aviśeṣa stage of the Guṇa." (p. 165)
References:
- 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. 165.
