Samadhi - II


As I prepare for this workshop I will be giving on the Yoga Sutras, Nischala Joy Devi's - The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman's Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras has become my constant companion. I have been moved very deeply by her commentary and interpretation of the Sutras from a more feminine perspective. As someone trained as a theologian I am familiar with the frustration women feel with the scriptures, and their translations and commentaries which are the product of a male perspective.

Nischala Joy Devi offers this interpretation of Sutra III.3 and gives us a clearer understanding of what is meant by the samadhi experience:

When individual consciousness
unites with the Divine Consciousness,
the illusion of separateness dissolves;
this is Samadhi...
- Sutra III. 3

And this is her beautiful commentary:

"The world we visit during Samadhi (Union with Divine Consciousness) has no tangible language. It is a state beyond description. It can only be experienced...

When consciousness unites in Samadhi, unlike Dharana (contemplation) or Dhyana (meditation), the distinction between the individual consciousness (chitta) and the eternal consciousness (chit) dissolves.

Trying to comprehend Samadhi (Union with Divine Consciousness) before we have experienced it is like trying to understand being in love before it happens...

In the deeper states of Samadhi, consciousness forever rests in unity with the Divine...all former identities...dissolve into oneness...

[This] is a completely different realm of reality than that of our everyday experiences. We are often inspired...to serve the world from that rich understanding...

With purity of heart and mind, our spiritual vibrations travel through an infinite distance, infusing peace to thousands... Our previous way of understanding life is forever changed....

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