“Just as the naturally pure crystal assumes shapes and colors of objects placed near it, so the yogi’s mind, with its totally weakened modifications, becomes clear and balanced and attains the state devoid of differentiation between knower, knowable and knowledge. This culmination of meditation is samadhi.”
–The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Ksina Vrtter Abhijatasyeva Maner Grahitr Grahana Grahyesu Tatstha Tadanjanata Samapattih
Ksina: totally weakened, waned or dwindled | Vrtteh (vrtter): modifications | Abhijatasya: of natural pureness, of flawless | Iva: like, as if | Maneh (maner): Crystal | Grahitr: knower | Grahana: knowledge | Grahyesu: in knowledge (and) | Tad: by that | Stha: similar, being on or in | Tad: on that | Anjanata: assuming the color of any near object | Samapattih: samadhi, balaced state, coincidence
As we discussed last week, when you are in a heightened state of concentration, everything else falls away. Practicing this skill of going deeper into a state of consciousness that focuses all of your attention and energy onto one point so that everything else falls away is a practice that eventually transitions you into the higher state of mind called meditation.
Meditation is a clearing of the mind that is distinguished by “totally weakened modifications.” It is when the mind “becomes clear and balanced and attains…[a] state devoid of differentiation between knower, knowable and knowledge.” And the “culmination of meditation is samadhi” (The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali).