Mental functions are saḿkalpa (action in seed form) oriented and vikalpa (actional expression) oriented. The sense organs (indriyas) are activated by the saḿkalpátmaka portion of the mind, and then actions are performed in the practical world. If someone considers that as actions are performed by the saḿkalpátmaka portion of mind, they are true, and that as actions are not performed by the vikalpátmaka or negative portion of mind, they are untrue, such a statement of theirs is not philosophically justifiable. How far does this sort of positive or negative mental movement of mind influence the life of a spiritual aspirant? How far is it related to samád́hi? If sádhakas actively render social service and accept it as the supreme goal of life, will they become established in samádhi?

In fact samádhi is neither a positive nor a negative state of mind. Samádhi is a sate of equilibrium. When the surface of water remains smooth and unruffled by the wind, we may call it a state of equilibrium. If the outer surface of turbulent, water is saḿkalpátmaka or positive aspect of mind, then the currents below the surface should be called the negative aspect. When a state of equilibrium is attained the upper surface and the lower currents of the mind attain parallelism. In the course of their agitated movement, the saḿkalpátmaka and vikalpátmaka portions of the mind meet at certain common points. Thus in every thought wave, in every entity, at all times, and in all countries there is some kind of temporary equilibrium.

While one is engaged in extroversial actions (pravrttimúlaka karma) it appears that both nivrtti (introversial actions) and a state of equilibrium are possible to attain. Similarly, to a person who is engaged in nivrttimúlaka karma, both pravrtti and a state of equilibrium seem to be impossible to attain. Generally, people accept those objects or actions as natural with which they easily adjust themselves, and those objects or actions as unnatural with which they are unfamiliar. Aquatic creatures think that the only place to live in is water and cannot comprehend how any living object could live on land. Conversely, those creatures who live on land think that land is the only and natural habitat. They gasp for breath after remaining only a little while in water. This is nature’s arrangement – no question of free choice arises here.

People who try to bring their minds to a state of equilibrium, find that a tranquil mental flow is something quite natural. For them pravrtti and nivrtti, that is, extroversial and introversial states of mind, are something unnatural. The paths of pravrtti and nivrtti depend upon the mundane propensities neither of them leads to psychic balance, thus neither can ensure absolute bliss.

For success in the extroversial (pravrtti) sphere of life one must develop an attachment for an external object or extroversial idea, and then make efforts to attain it, For success in the introversial sphere (nivrtti) one must develop dveśa or the feeling of repulsion for an external object or extroversial idea, and then make the requisite effort to succeed in that endeavour. The greater one’s attachment for an object, the greater the possibility of attaining success in the pursuit of pravrtti. But if there is only attraction for an object, with no endeavour made to attain it, one cannot be successful. If someone wants to become rich, but does not try to acquire wealth, he or she will never become rich. Similarly, the greater one’s psychic repulsion for an object, the more easily one will be able to withdraw from that object. But if one does not try to increase one’s repulsion one will not be successful in nivrtti sádhaná. Those who are the advocates of the nivrtti cult strive to convince people that wealth, opulence, and near and dear relations create snares of bondages and are thus impediments to spiritual progress. And their exhortations do not end here. They incite people to abandon their homes and embrace the life of renunciation. In other words they advise people to practise the cult of repulsion.

A spiritual aspirant who wants to attain samádhi needs to develop vaerágya (spirit of renunciation) and abhyása (continued practice). Remember, samádhi is neither pavrtti múlaka nor nivrtti múlaka. Vaerágya is the absence of attachment, not repulsion. In order to deal with objects properly one should never become subservient to them, but should ascribe Brahmahood to them by cultivating the repeated practice of cosmic ideation or Brahma Bhávana.

What is abhyása? Tatra sthitao yatno’bhyásah. Abhyása is the creation of a particular continuous psychic vibration. It is the most essential factor in the spiritual sphere. The continuous endeavour to maintain the state of equilibrium of citta leads to the attainment of samádhi. When one is attracted by an object one runs after it, and when one feels repulsion for an object, one runs away from it. A person who is fond of wine often thinks of wine, whereas a person who detests wine prevents his or her mind from thinking about wine. Unless attraction and repulsion are both transcended, the mind can never attain a state of equilibrium or samádhi. Mental equilibrium only becomes possible when one makes a constant endeavour to attain psychic balance.

Samádhi becomes a natural phenomenon as a result of continuous spiritual practice. Procrastination is something undesirable on the spiritual path. If ever spiritual practice is discontinued endless desirable and undesirable waves of thoughts occupy the mind. Spiritual practice should be continued uninterruptedly and with proper sincerity and veneration, otherwise samádhi will forever remain a theoretical subject of philosophy, never entering the periphery of practical realization. One must not adopt the psychology, “I’m practising spirituality because my ácárya (spiritual teacher) told me to.” Rather one should think, “I want to attain spiritual realization. My ácárya is merely guiding me along the path.” Only when one takes full responsibility for one’s own spiritual life can one attain the peak of spiritual progress and become fully established on the solid ground of spirituality.

When one accepts something as absolute after due logical deliberation one develops shraddhá (veneration) in the mind. One who has no respect for the goal can never attain success. Shrat satyam tasmin dhiiyate iti shraddhá. “Shraddhá is the pursuit of Supreme Truth.” The expansion of citta is also called shraddhá. One should have immense, respect for that object which causes the citta to expand. Samádhi is the state of maximum expansion of citta, and thus shraddhá is the first stage in the attainment of samádhi. Pravriti and nivrtti are both psychic tendencies. The more one practises either of these the more one’s mind becomes adjusted with them. Samádhi is beyond the scope of pravrtti and nivrtti. Even shraddhá, is not necessary in the pursuit of pravrtti and nivrtti, but it is indispensable for attaining samádhi. Sometimes an undesirable thought blocks the smooth uni-directional flow of the mind along the spiritual path. When this occurs viirya or spiritual vigour, a special type of psychic power, is required to dispel the negative thought. Spiritual vigour arises as a result of shraddhá.

Anubhútavisayásampramosah smritih. “The re-creation of an object already perceived is termed smriti (memory).” Memory is strengthened by spiritual vigour. When one successfully eliminates all impediments to spiritual progress by developing spiritual vigour born out of shraddhá and moves towards the spiritual goal without interruption it is called dhruvásmrti or fixed memory. The waves of extroversial propensities create obstacles in the way of dhruvásmrti and the waves of introversial propensities keep the mind oblivious of everything. But when dhruvásmrti is perfect, that is when one’s only object of ideation is the Supreme Entity, and none other, one attains samádlii. At this stage the mind becomes fully identified with its goal. In subtle analysis this is also a type of a positive stage of mind.

The mind takes the form of the physical object or psychic idea it encounters. This assuming of a form in the mind is called psychic pabulum or ábhoga. Unless the mind is liberated from its pabulum permanent peace is not possible. How can one attain liberation from one’s pabulum? Liberation cannot be attained through repulsion. Repulsion for an object is a negative tendency – this too is a kind of pabulum. Although the mind detaches itself from its object it is nevertheless attached to the non-existent form of that object. When the mind withdraws from its object citta becomes suspended in unmanifested Prakrti due to the attainment of vashiikára siddhi. This is not a supreme attainment. This state of samádhi is neither static samádhi nor nirviija (seedless) samádhi, nor samprajiṋáta samádhi. Within citta there remains the possibility of future rebirth, even after a million years, and thus the attainment of permanent samádhi (kaevalya samádhi) is not possible. The samádhi attained in this state can be called nirbiija prakrtiliina samádhi. Unless this nirviija samádhi is permanent we may at best call it asamprajiṋata or nirvikalpa samádhi, and not salvation of a permanent nature,

In the states of prakrtiliina and videhaliina (two of the seven devayonis) the samskáras lie latent in the seed form waiting for a congenial environment to acquire a proper physical base. Videha means bodiless state, liina means merged or dissolved. Videha liina are caused by ones bhavapratyaya (bundle of samskáras). The bhavapratyaya contains the reactive momenta which cause one’s rebirth. The states of prakrtiliina and videhaliina are niviija and not asampraliináta because although the seeds of the reactive momenta are burnt, one does not attain full omniscience.

A spiritual aspirant attains the state of videhaliina as a result of shunya dhyána or ideation on nothingness. Through such ideation a sádhaka develops a psychic pabulum of nothingness. Yet even in this state there remains the possibility of rebirth. Those who embrace nothingness as their absolute goal develop a void in their citta in the absence of Cognitive Faculty. As a result they are unable to establish themselves in the Supreme Cognitive Stance and attain salvation. The spiritual cult which encourages this practice is certainly defective.

Both the prakrtiliina and videhaliina states are established in negation, thus there is certainly a possibility of rebirth. The true path of sádhakas is not the path of bhavapratyaya, but the path of upáyapratyaya. (path of positive ideation and exhanstion of saḿskáras). Sádhakas will have to devise methods to established themselves in samádhi beyond the periphery of the mind. They should neither become attached to nor detached from the objects created by Prakrti, for this is not the path of enjoyment or sacrifice, but the path of psychic equilibrium. Prakrti is not the entity to be worshipped or denied; the goal is Parama Puruśa. He is the only object of ideation and adoration. By ideating on Him one’s whole being gradually becomes identiilied with the Cognitive Faculty. Hence one should worship Puruśa, not Prakrti.

The perpetual state of nirbiija samádhi acquired in the sádhaná of Puruśa is called mokśa or salvation. Samprajiṋáta samádhi, in which only the I-feeling persists is experienced when the citta is in a state of total concentration.

One who has attained this samádhi gradually acquires the state of omniscience. After citta attains samadhi due to its unwavering ideation on one particular pabulum, it can easily attain samádhi on other pabula too. Once the mind gains control over one object it can simultaneously gain control over other objects as well.

What is omniscience? The knowledge regarding the past, present and future is called omniscience. The seed of omniscience lies in every human being, but the degree of its expression varies from person to person. In some the seed is ripe, in others it is unripe. Samprajiṋáta samádhi causes the seed to ripen. In permanent savikalpa the seed assumes vast proportions. In that state one’s object no longer remains within the limited periphery of the unit mind, but becomes as vast as the Macrocosm. One’s potentiality becomes immeasurable. By virtue of sádhaná the ungerminated seed ripens and assumes unlimited proportions. Thus elevated sádhakas do not need to acquire knowledge from external sources. The bliss of knowledge spontaneously manifests itself in them due to Macrocosmic grace. Tatra nirátishayaḿ sarvajiṋátva biijaḿ. “The seed of omniscience is manifested in them.”

This expansion of citta is only possible in savikalpa samádhi. A restless citta can never attain samprajnáta samádhi. Jara samádhi (samádhi on crude material objects) should never be called samprajiṋáta samádhi. What is jaŕa samádhi? Jaŕa samádhi occurs when the mind becomes so infatuated with a crude material object of ideation, be it money, opulence, landed property, etc., that it takes the form of that object, to the exclusion of all other objects of the world.

The goal of samprajiṋáta samádhi may be positive or negative, crude or subtle psychic pabulum. The goal of asamprajiṋáta samádhi, like prakrtiliina, nirbiija, or videhaliina, etc., is neither nirbiija asamprajiṋáta (without seed), nor sabiija asamprajiṋáta (with seed), but is an intermediary stage.

Samprajiṋáta samádhi has four stages. The first stage is called savitarka. One attains this samádhi when the mind is concentrated on worldly objects such as one’s children, relations or wealth. In fact savitarka samádhi is synonymous with jaŕa samádhi. Negative savitarka samádhi occurs when one keeps one’s mind aloof from the thought of family or material wealth. The desire or nondesire for crude pabulum amounts to the same thing as far as the citta is concerned.

The second stage is called savicára samádhi. This samádhi occurs not when the citta is engaged in crude psychic pabulum, but when it becomes fully concentrated in the mad pursuit of more subtle pabula such as name and fame, etc. If the citta wants to free itself from these things, one attains negative savicára samádhi.

The third stage is called sánanda samádhi. In this samádhi citta only has one psychic pabulum – the feeling of bliss. This samádhi also has a negative counterpart which occurs when the only psychic pabulum is “I am not enjoying bliss.”

The fourth stage of samprajińata samádhi is called sásmita samádhi. In this samádhi the unit cognitive faculty has only one object – the “I” feeling or asmitá. When this I feeling disappears leaving a subtler, singular flow of consciousness, it is called asamprajiṋáta samádhi. In asamprajiṋáta samádhi there only remains the Cognitive Faculty (Puruśa). When all other objects or factors disappear and only Cognitive Faculty exists, it is called puruśakhyáti. The way to attain puruśakhyati is to maintain the ideation that puruśa is my subject and I am His object, and thus to return to one’s original source with complete self-surrender. Puruśakhyáti is only attainable through the practice of iishvaraprańidhána.

Prańidhána is devotion attained through japakriyá or repetition of one’s iśt́a mantra. Thus Iishvara prańidhána is the incantation of the name of the Supreme Being with cosmic ideation. Iishvara prańidhána does not mean to escape from the world, nor to avoid one’s responsibilities like a coward. On the contrary, iishvara prańidhána is a dynamic spiritual practice performed with the courage of a lion. The more one masters the technique, the more the mental wave becomes straightened, and the easier it becomes. Through iishvara prańidhána one can reach the state of asamprajiṋáta samádhi, yet for this attainment dhyána is actually more effective.

Iishvara prańidhána is a more effective practice for the attainment of savikalpa samádhi, because during iishvara prańidhána the mind is temporarily concentrated in the state of ekagrabhumi (the fourth stage of mental development – the state of one-pointedness of mind). Whatever little amount of I feeling still persists can be finally discarded through the practice of dhyána. Asamprajiṋáta samádhi is attained following the complete elimination of the I-feeling.

To ideate on Nirguńa Brahma (Non-attributional Brahma) is impossible. Unit beings can only ideate on Saguńa Brahma (the Puruśa liberated from bondage) and Táraka Brahma (the Tangential Point between Saguńa and Nirguńa). Ideation can only occur when both the subject and object continue to exist. ideation for one who has remained free from klesha (afflictions ), karma (actions), vipaka (requital of saḿskáras) and áshaya (bundle of unserved saḿskáras) since eternity is meaningless. Microcosms undergo unserved afflictions due to their original actions. Afflictions cause the requital of accumulated saḿskáras and that leads to the formation of a bundle of unserved saḿskáras.

The one who meditates on that Entity who has no mind or feelings will never be showered with grace. How can the ever-free Nirguńa Puruśa shower his grace on human beings? Only Saguńa Brahma and Táraka Brahma can shower grace. Those unit beings who have liberated themselves from bondage will remain liberated. They become one with Saguńa Brahma and are thus called Great Personalities or Mahápuruśa. Only they have the right to shower grace upon microcosms. Infused with divine grace microcosms make rapid progress along the path of iishvara prańidhána. They attain Supreme bliss by surrendering their individualities to the Supreme Entity. In so doing they liberate themselves permanently from the bondages of Prakrti. This sádhaná of salvation which ultimately results in samádhi is not a mental distortion. The mental state it creates can neither be called positive nor negative. The practice of sádhaná for the attainment of samádhi is the way to progress along the path of spiritual vigour. There is no room for escapism on this spiritual march.