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Sutra 3.1 of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,
translated and with commentary by Vasyl Vernyhora
3.1. Collectedness (dhāraṇā, concentration) is the unwavering (bandha) one-pointedness (deśa, "a place") of the "mirror" (like a concave mirror or a telescope lens) of the mind (cittasya).
Patanjali uses the word "deśa", which literally means "any particular place", and this is the most important word for understanding this sutra. This use of the word is motivated by the fact that the object of the mind's unwavering attention can be not only a single dot on a wall, but also, for example, the process of seemingly "objectless" restraint of the mind from both distractions and loss of focus (from the mind's sinking).
The word "dhāraṇā" (धारणा) comes from the Sanskrit root "dhṛ" (धृ), meaning "to hold," "to maintain," or "to retain". The suffix "-ana" (ana) is used to form a noun denoting the action or instrument of the verb, i.e., "retention". The ending "-ā" (ā) in "dhāraṇā" forms a feminine noun, often used in the context of concentration/fixation, literally meaning "holding"/"retentioning" (the process of retention). Thus, the word "dhāraṇā" is a feminine noun, usually translated as "concentration", "fixation", or "steadfastness", denoting the action of "holding" the mind fixed on one specific object. Taking into account a detailed analysis of the meaning of the word "dharana", sutra 3.1 can be translated as follows:
3.1. Holding/maintaining (dhāraṇā) unwaveringly (bandha) one's attention/mental activity (cittasya) in one place (deśa).
In this interpretation, sutra 3.1 appears incomplete. This can be explained in two ways. The first option implies that this sutra should not be perceived as a standalone statement, but rather as part of a paragraph consisting of the first three sutras of the third chapter. But even so, some incompleteness and inconsistency in the presentation of this sutra still remains, and this can only be explained by the fact that it is a summary of only key words, a quick transcript of a more verbose lecture. It should not be forgotten that the original version of Patanjali's text is aphoristic sutras, distinguished by the extreme brevity of their presentation of the issues discussed.
A second explanation for the incompleteness of this sutra suggests that an earlier version of its text (with a description of one-pointed concentration of the mind) was edited by one of its later "co-authors" at a time when the word "dharana" had already acquired a new meaning as the name of a distinct psychopractice and a part/stage of eight-limbed yoga with the addition of this concept of eight-limbed yoga to the text of the Yoga Sutras. Evidence of multiple editing of the Yoga Sutras, including disruptions in the sequence of presentation (this will be discussed later), is evident upon careful examination of its original in Sanskrit.
Notably, the meaning of the word "dharana" in the context of sutra 3.1 actually coincides with the meaning of the Sanskrit word "ekāgratā" (एकाग्रता), which denotes the main method of practicing the Buddha's teaching—maintaining single-pointed concentration of the mind. This concentration means maintaining the mind on a single point or task (usually the task of recognizing more and more subtle distractions of the mind with the goal of eliminating them) without any distractions. This sustained, one-pointed focus of the mind, over time, thanks to the naturally occurring energetic effect (the rise of kundalini), leads to entry into rupa-jhanas and arupa-ayatanas during the development of the supramental structures of superconsciousness.
During yoga practice, if we consider this practice as the stages of dharana, dhyana, and samadhi, it is precisely the steadfastness of a clear mind that is important, as it naturally ensures the strengthening of the flow of kundalini. While the practice of advanced stages of samadhi allows us to trace this clearly existing relationship, it can only be explained by analogies. For example, the wind of agitations (vritti) can resemble dust and sand raised by the wind, generating duststorms and sandstorms that obscure the light of the sun (the self-luminous Atman). Or, to force drops of amrita to flow from the sides of the jug, it is necessary to hold it in a stationary, upside-down position, rather than turning it wildly, causing the drops to constantly flow in different directions. At the beginning of the practice, the "flow" of kundalini is so weak that it can only be compared to the movement of a single drop. Only saints of the caliber of Vasishtha and Buddha were able to "pump" and strengthen this flow so significantly that it became truly "full-flowing".
This sutra, like sutra 1.2, discusses the essence of samadhi/shamatha practice. Unlike the description of the requirements (in sutra 1.2) and results of samadhi/shamatha practice, it describes the main method of such practice—keeping the mind focused on one thing only. Taking into account the peculiarities of the mind's structure, this method allows for the most reliable attainment of samadhi/shamatha and, most importantly, for prolonged abode in it. The mind can be focused either on a specific point (for example, on the wall in front of the meditator) or on objectless categories, including the very state of mind without thoughts, with the goal of achieving an increasingly refined state of absence of thoughts and mental concentration through an introverted-recursive process of discovering and taming increasingly subtler versions of distractions and mental aberrations.
One-pointedness means serenity of mind, including the absence of thoughts (only something “one”; absence of tossing and turning and changing the “focal point” of the mind), when the attention of a clear, collected (“directed”, and not passive or relaxed; and at the same time without rough, tense concentration, that is, simply “directed” at some object) mind is steadily directed only at one point or object.
It's also worth noting here in passing that focusing on the breath helps calm the mind in the initial (or rather, preparatory) stages of samadhi/shamatha practice, but technically it's not literally "unidirectional" due to the heterogeneity and dynamic spatial distribution of the processes associated with breathing. In other words, focusing on the breath will not provide the maximum energetic results of meditation due to its inevitable methodological shortcomings, and therefore can only be used as a preparatory or auxiliary exercise for a more rapid transition to the practice of full-fledged concentration on the empty nature of the mind (described above) after, for example, the meditator's state of mental equilibrium has been disrupted by external events with strong emotional impacts. To ensure the maximum energetic effect, the mind-manas must be as steadfast as possible, and the meditator's physical body must be as still as possible (the most optimal posture for this practice is sitting with a straight back), so as not to cause the inevitable leaks of awareness due to changes in the environment with any movements of the body.
Correspondence of yogic dharana with aspects of Buddhist practice
If we take yogic dharana literally, it corresponds to the ekagrata aspect (ekāgratā, "one-pointedness") in the practice of Buddhist shamatha. Ekagrata is the key aspect of samadhi/shamatha practice and the only one that is present in all four jhanas/dhyanas and the five arūpa-ayatanas.
At the same time, in a broader sense, that is, when applying sutras 2.54 and 3.1-5 to the entire path of consciousness development up to the level of superconsciousness, sutra 3.1 corresponds to the practice of training for a three-hour—"achieved"—samadhi/shamatha in Buddhism. On the shamatha path, it corresponds to the period of practice from the first stage of concentration of mind to the ninth (as well as from the first turning of the path to the sixth), when the meditator is already in solitary retreat, symbolized on the shamatha path by a stay in a cave.
Yes, the brevity of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is simply exceptional. In defense of Patanjali's approach, it can be noted that the entire practice of yoga, that is, the practice of samadhi, truly boils down to the regular practice of taming distractions and immersing the mind, and not, for example, to end-in-itself discussions in various monasteries about various aspects of spiritual and paraspiritual practices, as well as aspects of superconsciousness. Because endless attempts to dissect various "obstacles to the bodhisattva's path" at the level of the mind-manas are pointless without the personal practice of shamatha, as they will never allow one to rise above the level of that very mind-manas, which is the goal of the teachings of Patanjali and the Buddha.
Keeping the mind one-pointed is the best and easiest way to achieve its steadfastness, which is necessary to ensure a natural strengthening of the energy flow when the mind becomes "transparent" (see sutra 1.41, which will be discussed later) and, thus, stops blocking/obscuring/scattering the light/energy of the superconscious/Atman.
The full version of the book "The True Practical Essence of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" with a translation of all 196 sutras of the Yoga Sutras with commentaries on all important and/or complex sutras: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G6GT6M8B.
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