3. The Concept of Mind in the Yoga Darśana

The word ‘Yoga’ literally means ‘union’ i.e., spiritual union of the ‘jīvātma’and the ‘paramātma’ and is used in this sense in the Vedanta philosophy.

According to Chandradhar Sharma,

“It is the spiritual effort to attain perfection through the control of the body, senses, and mind, and through right discrimination between puruṣa and prakṛti”.^[1]

It is also intimately allied to Sāṃkhya. In the Indian thought, yoga is a distinctive contribution of Sage Patajñjali. In this system the fundamental tenets are introduced by Patajñjali in his Yogasūtra. It is divided into four, ie. Samādhipādaṃ (51 sūtras), sādhānapādaṃ (55 sūtra), vibhūtipādaṃ (55 sūtra) and kaivalyapādaṃ (34 sūtras). The Yogabhāṣya of Vyāsa and Tattvavaiśāradhi of Vācaspati are the commentaries of Yogasūtra. The philosophy of yoga is linked to Sāṃkhya by following twenty five principles. Yet, yoga accepts another principle, namely Īśvara or God.

Patañjali accepts Īśvara, because Īśvara-praṇidhāna is one of the means for the attainment of samādhi.

iśvarapraṇidhānāt vā || ^[2]

The yoga system is therefore called Sveśvara Sāṃkya.

The yoga philosophy has essentially a practical tone.

“The yoga treats puruṣa and prakrti as one and speaks of the citta and its modes, while Sāṃkhya designates the mind by the word antaḥkaraṇa. It is more than antaḥkaraṇa in so far it replaces the lingaśarīra. Yoga does not postulate any lingaśarīra apart from citta”.^[3]

The concept of citta in yoga is the mahat of Sāṃkhya, the first product of the interaction between puruṣa and prakṛti. Citta is consciousness, and it becomes conscious only by the reflection of puruṣa.^[4]

It has a number of characteristics. The citta is connected and remains constant with puruṣa and is called kāraṇa-citta; and its modified form expands and contracts and assumes different forms called kārya-citta. In the process of evolution of mental activity, puruṣa acts as the experience. It is connected with prakrti and the product is mahat. From mahat follows kāraṇacitta and kāryacitta. This process is the basis of all types of human behaviour. Cittas have various degrees of perfection. Wandering (kṣipta), forgetful (mūda), occasionally steady (vikṣipta), one-pointed (ekāgra), and restrained (niruddha).

Patañjali speaks of the mind as a stream [cittanāḍi] of mental modes. He states that the activities of mind are five-fold; namely, understanding [pramāṇa], misconception [viparyaya], fancy [vikalpa], sleep [nidrā] and memory [smṛti].^[5]

These activities are a part of the in mind of the ordinary man, but he has no real mastery over them. The philosophy of yoga proclaims that the mental fluctuations can be controlled and inhibited.

For this, Patajñjali prescribes eight limbs of yoga, and they are the following:-

1. Abstention [Yama]
2. Observance [Niyama]
3. Posture [Āsana]
4. Regulation of breath [Prāṇāyāma]
5. Withdrawal of the senses [Pratyāhāra]
6. Contemplation [Dhāraṇa]
7. Fixed attention [Dhyāna] and
8. Deep meditation [Samādhi]

[According to Yogasūtra of Patañjali 2.29]:

yamaniyamāsanaprāṇāyāmapratyahāra dhāraṇādhyānasamādhiḥ aṣṭāpaṅgāni || ^[6]

The first step yama is intended for the purification of mind and heart. It includes five abstentions: -non-violence, truthfulness, honesty, sexual continence and non-acquisitiveness.

It has universal validity and is not related to caste, creed, colour etc.

ahiṃsā satyasteyabrahmacaryāparigrāhāḥ^[7]

It is the step of mental discipline that demands a spirit of freed lines towards all creatures. The yamas are meant to discipline the mind and body to set it in a state of control. The yama is practiced in a general way, but niyamas are disciplinal and constructive. They are five niyamas -purity, contention, austerity, self-study, and resignation to God. The niyamas deal with an organized life preparatory to strenuous yogic discipline.

The purity of mind and development of higher mental faculties are the aims of niyama.

śaucasantoṣatapaḥ svādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāniniyamāḥ || ^[8]

Āsanas are considered as physical aids to concentration. It produces in the mind of a man a state of balance.

It helps in the perfection of body; and a perfect body is that which has beauty, fine complexion or grace and adamantine strength:

sthirasukhamāsanam |^[9]

Yoga believes in the dictum ‘sound mind in a sound body’. Prāṇāyāma is cessation of inspiration and expiration. Control of breath leads to the control of our nervous system. Control of the vital air means control of the functioning of the different systems in the body:

tasmin sati śvāsapraśvāsayorgativicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ || ^[10]

Pratyāhāra is the withdrawal of the senses from the outer objects. The withdrawal of all the senses from all the other objects and the mind is absorbed in one task and its doors are shut from outside stimulus:

svaviṣayāsaṃprayoge cittasvarūpānukāra ivendriyāṇāṃ pratyahāraḥ || ^[11]

Contemplation or Dhāraṇa is the confining of the mind within a limited mental area. It is the controlled movement of mind. It focuses on one point, so that the mental images become sharper and the power of attention increases.

It is the important aspect of yogāngas:

deśabandhaścittasya dhāraṇā || ^[12]

Dhyāna is the uninterrupted flow of citta towards the object of contemplation:

tatra pratyaiyekatānatādhyānam || ^[13]

Samādhi is still a higher stage, when the consciousness is continuous, uninterrupted awareness of the self, as it were emptied of it:

tadevārthamātranirbhāsaṃ svarūpaśūnyamiva samādhiḥ || ^[14]

Dhāraṇa, dhyāna and samādhi are the aspects of mental control.

The bhāṣya on Yogasūtra says:—

“All pointedness is a characteristic of the mind (citta). One-pointedness is also a characteristic of the mind. The destruction of all pointedness is its disappearance. The rise of one-pointedness is its appearance. The mind puts on both these characteristics. This mind then following along both these characteriscs of destruction and manifestation which make its very nature inclines towards contemplation.”^[15]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Chandradhar Sharma, A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy; P-169

[2]:

Yogaśātra of Patajñjali-1.23

[3]:

Tantravāītika of Kumarilabhatta; 4.10

[4]:

Yogasūtra of Patañjali-4.17.19

[5]:

Ibid -1.6.11

[6]:

Ibid-2.29

[7]:

Ibid-2.30

[8]:

Ibid-2.32

[9]:

Ibid -3.46

[10]:

Ibid -2.49

[11]:

Ibid -2.54

[12]:

Ibid -3.1

[13]:

Ibid -3.2

[14]:

Ibid -3.3

[15]:

Yogasūtrabhāṣya-III.2