Ekagrata parinama, you and I are one, we are the same.
I copied the explanation of Swami Krishnananda, he explains the Patanjali sutras.
It gives a feeling on which level samyama has to be to apply the siddhis, only in Samyama they get realized, and it is all different then we think anyhow. Out of that view an attitude like TM is ridiculous, to meditate to make money or to use the siddhis for two hundred percent and to fly, it leads into perverted spirituality. The purpose of the siddhis is nothing else but the realization of the self and unity.
"This is a very advanced stage. Most people cannot reach this stage. Even the so-called advanced ones are only in the first stage, called nirodha parinama, where there is simply a struggle between two tendencies of the mind - namely, the tendency to go out and the tendency to concentrate.
That is all. We cannot think of anything more than that.
But this sutra tells us that we have to rise to a higher state. That particular state which is indicated in this third sutra, in connection with the parinamas, tells us that when we go higher, something strange takes place. We will see something very uncommon - most unexpected, we may say.
We have always been under the impression that there is an intrinsic difference between ourselves and the objects of sense. Or rather, to put it more plainly, there is a difference between you and me. It is this difference that makes you a ‘you’ and me a ‘me’; otherwise, there is no such thing as ‘you’ and ‘me’. There is a peculiar feature which characterises things and persons, due to which they stand apart from one another.
To pinpoint the subject on hand, there is a gulf between the subject and the object. They cannot be identical. The ‘you’ cannot be the ‘I’ - that is the simple essence of the matter. The ‘I’ is the meditator; the ‘you’ is the object. And the ‘you’ is always a ‘you’; the ‘I’ is always the ‘I’. How can the two come together? They cannot come together because of the disparity of character. But, though this is the usual idea that we have about ourselves and of things outside us, this is not the truth about things.
It is not true that there are such distinguishing and separating features in objects as to isolate them completely, forever, from other things.
It is not true that the inherent characters or structural features of an object are so vehement that they cannot unite themselves with the nature of the subject. The reason why there has been so much of struggle in the mind inside, in the form of nirodha parinama, samadhi parinama, etc., is that the mind is unable to get out of this prejudice that the object is the object and the subject is the subject; that they are two different things.
We feel, “I like the object. Where is the point in liking the subject? I am the subject. And inasmuch as the object is completely dissimilar to me - it has characters which I would like to possess, which I do not possess at this moment - it would be my duty to grasp that object, absorb it into myself, and make use of it in the way I like.” This desire arises on account of the notion, the conviction, that the object is different from the subject. Otherwise, the desire for the object will not rise. It is very clear.
The sutra tells us that when we go deeper into the practice of samyama, this prejudice breaks down - the walls fall, the screen is lifted and we will see something strange before us. That strange feeling we will have when the screen is lifted between us and the object is what is called ekagrata parinama. What is this strange feeling, or experience?
Tulya pratyayau is the simple phrase which explains the entire thing. The consciousness of the object, and the consciousness of the subject, create in us two different feelings. You can experiment with your own self, if you like. Close your eyes and think deeply of an object which you love most. What do you feel at that time? Each one will know what it is.
Close your eyes and think of your own self; don’t think of anybody else. What feelings arise at that time? Compare the one with the other. They are poles apart. There is a peculiar sensation which you feel in the entire system of your body and mind when you think of a beloved object, quite different from the sensation that you have when you think of your own self.
Hence, the distinction that is between the two types of experience, subjective and objective, explains life phenomenal.
But here, in this ekagrata parinama, these sensations will not be dissimilar in character. Whether we think of our own self or we think of a beloved object, the sensations will be same. There will be no two different sensations.
This is something very difficult to understand. How is it possible?
When we think of a mango, or when we think of a cobra, how will we have the same type of feelings? They are two different feelings altogether.
But yoga tells us they are same. There is no difference, provided that we have reached a particular state of thinking.
‘How is it possible?’ is a doubt that can arise in the mind. How can a detestable object, when thought of, generate the same sensation and feeling as when we think of a beloved object? It is not understandable.
But the yoga psychology explains the reason.
The detestable character of an object and the beloved character of an object are due to our peculiar reactions in respect of objects. And those reactions are because of the structural peculiarity of our own psychophysical organism. The child of a snake will not be afraid of its mother snake. It is humans who are afraid. The structural feature of the organism of the child snake is not dissimilar to the mother snake. There is some uniformity, so they will not be afraid of one another.
The ‘like’ that the mind evinces in respect of an object is due to that reason only. That is the reason why I may like one thing and you may not like that very thing. What I like, you may not like.
What is the matter with you? How is it that the same object evokes two different feelings? It is because the different reactions that we set up in respect of that object depend upon the structural peculiarity of our own psychic and bodily constitution.
Therefore, it is not the object that gives the pleasure, and it is also not the object that is the cause of pain; it is the inability of the mind to adjust itself, or rather the inability of the total organism to adjust itself with the location, structure, character and relationship of the object.
But in this ekagrata parinama, this difficulty is obviated. We enter into the deeper layers of the object, so that its external features, which stand outside us, are not there any more. The inner essence of the meditating consciousness and the inner essence of the object stand on par. Or rather, to give an old example which we repeat again and again, we begin to see the wood in the table as well as in the chair. We will no longer call this a chair. It is only a piece of wood. We will not call it a table. It is the same wood. There will be no difference in the feelings of the mind in respect of the table and the chair, inasmuch as it does not see the table and it does not see the chair. It sees only the wood. So how can there be a difference in feeling? Whether it sees the table or the chair, it sees the same thing. Whether we see the subject or the object, we are seeing the same thing. How can there be difference of feeling?
Thus, tulya pratyaya means the equanimity of feeling, or equality of perception. Identity, practically, of cognition is the result of the rise of the mind to that state which is called ekagrata parinama."
In one sentence - we are one, you and I, we are the same, and that is HE.
http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/
I copied the explanation of Swami Krishnananda, he explains the Patanjali sutras.
It gives a feeling on which level samyama has to be to apply the siddhis, only in Samyama they get realized, and it is all different then we think anyhow. Out of that view an attitude like TM is ridiculous, to meditate to make money or to use the siddhis for two hundred percent and to fly, it leads into perverted spirituality. The purpose of the siddhis is nothing else but the realization of the self and unity.
"This is a very advanced stage. Most people cannot reach this stage. Even the so-called advanced ones are only in the first stage, called nirodha parinama, where there is simply a struggle between two tendencies of the mind - namely, the tendency to go out and the tendency to concentrate.
That is all. We cannot think of anything more than that.
But this sutra tells us that we have to rise to a higher state. That particular state which is indicated in this third sutra, in connection with the parinamas, tells us that when we go higher, something strange takes place. We will see something very uncommon - most unexpected, we may say.
We have always been under the impression that there is an intrinsic difference between ourselves and the objects of sense. Or rather, to put it more plainly, there is a difference between you and me. It is this difference that makes you a ‘you’ and me a ‘me’; otherwise, there is no such thing as ‘you’ and ‘me’. There is a peculiar feature which characterises things and persons, due to which they stand apart from one another.
To pinpoint the subject on hand, there is a gulf between the subject and the object. They cannot be identical. The ‘you’ cannot be the ‘I’ - that is the simple essence of the matter. The ‘I’ is the meditator; the ‘you’ is the object. And the ‘you’ is always a ‘you’; the ‘I’ is always the ‘I’. How can the two come together? They cannot come together because of the disparity of character. But, though this is the usual idea that we have about ourselves and of things outside us, this is not the truth about things.
It is not true that there are such distinguishing and separating features in objects as to isolate them completely, forever, from other things.
It is not true that the inherent characters or structural features of an object are so vehement that they cannot unite themselves with the nature of the subject. The reason why there has been so much of struggle in the mind inside, in the form of nirodha parinama, samadhi parinama, etc., is that the mind is unable to get out of this prejudice that the object is the object and the subject is the subject; that they are two different things.
We feel, “I like the object. Where is the point in liking the subject? I am the subject. And inasmuch as the object is completely dissimilar to me - it has characters which I would like to possess, which I do not possess at this moment - it would be my duty to grasp that object, absorb it into myself, and make use of it in the way I like.” This desire arises on account of the notion, the conviction, that the object is different from the subject. Otherwise, the desire for the object will not rise. It is very clear.
The sutra tells us that when we go deeper into the practice of samyama, this prejudice breaks down - the walls fall, the screen is lifted and we will see something strange before us. That strange feeling we will have when the screen is lifted between us and the object is what is called ekagrata parinama. What is this strange feeling, or experience?
Tulya pratyayau is the simple phrase which explains the entire thing. The consciousness of the object, and the consciousness of the subject, create in us two different feelings. You can experiment with your own self, if you like. Close your eyes and think deeply of an object which you love most. What do you feel at that time? Each one will know what it is.
Close your eyes and think of your own self; don’t think of anybody else. What feelings arise at that time? Compare the one with the other. They are poles apart. There is a peculiar sensation which you feel in the entire system of your body and mind when you think of a beloved object, quite different from the sensation that you have when you think of your own self.
Hence, the distinction that is between the two types of experience, subjective and objective, explains life phenomenal.
But here, in this ekagrata parinama, these sensations will not be dissimilar in character. Whether we think of our own self or we think of a beloved object, the sensations will be same. There will be no two different sensations.
This is something very difficult to understand. How is it possible?
When we think of a mango, or when we think of a cobra, how will we have the same type of feelings? They are two different feelings altogether.
But yoga tells us they are same. There is no difference, provided that we have reached a particular state of thinking.
‘How is it possible?’ is a doubt that can arise in the mind. How can a detestable object, when thought of, generate the same sensation and feeling as when we think of a beloved object? It is not understandable.
But the yoga psychology explains the reason.
The detestable character of an object and the beloved character of an object are due to our peculiar reactions in respect of objects. And those reactions are because of the structural peculiarity of our own psychophysical organism. The child of a snake will not be afraid of its mother snake. It is humans who are afraid. The structural feature of the organism of the child snake is not dissimilar to the mother snake. There is some uniformity, so they will not be afraid of one another.
The ‘like’ that the mind evinces in respect of an object is due to that reason only. That is the reason why I may like one thing and you may not like that very thing. What I like, you may not like.
What is the matter with you? How is it that the same object evokes two different feelings? It is because the different reactions that we set up in respect of that object depend upon the structural peculiarity of our own psychic and bodily constitution.
Therefore, it is not the object that gives the pleasure, and it is also not the object that is the cause of pain; it is the inability of the mind to adjust itself, or rather the inability of the total organism to adjust itself with the location, structure, character and relationship of the object.
But in this ekagrata parinama, this difficulty is obviated. We enter into the deeper layers of the object, so that its external features, which stand outside us, are not there any more. The inner essence of the meditating consciousness and the inner essence of the object stand on par. Or rather, to give an old example which we repeat again and again, we begin to see the wood in the table as well as in the chair. We will no longer call this a chair. It is only a piece of wood. We will not call it a table. It is the same wood. There will be no difference in the feelings of the mind in respect of the table and the chair, inasmuch as it does not see the table and it does not see the chair. It sees only the wood. So how can there be a difference in feeling? Whether it sees the table or the chair, it sees the same thing. Whether we see the subject or the object, we are seeing the same thing. How can there be difference of feeling?
Thus, tulya pratyaya means the equanimity of feeling, or equality of perception. Identity, practically, of cognition is the result of the rise of the mind to that state which is called ekagrata parinama."
In one sentence - we are one, you and I, we are the same, and that is HE.
http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/
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