Yoga Sutras of Patanjali translated by Yogi Kalinath - Chapter 1, Verse 46

Pada 1, Sutra 46

Sanskrit Verse

Ta eva sabijah samadhih

Translation

These are Cognitive Absorptions (Samadhi) with seed

Interpretation

The human condition within our individual and samsaric collectivity holds a very persistent veil over our Inner Splendor. When that veil becomes very thin, that Inner Splendor will reflect that veil and we become absorbed in it (the veil, the objective consciousness—Samadhi with seed, in Sanskrit Sabija Samadhi). The danger here is that we think we have ‘arrived’, that we are the objective consciousness and no further work is necessary. At worst, we may develop spiritual pride and egomania. The remedy is intense practice, detachment and eternal vigilance. Intense practice is to develop skillful means so we can (ever) go deeper into our own consciousness. This requires discipline and dedication with full effort, nothing is ever gained by half-baked attention, commitment and energy. Detachment is really the lack of attention we agree to pay to our excuses, judgements, justifications, laziness, negativity and most importantly to any idea of self-importance. And eternal vigilance is not about developing a paranoiac personality but discrimination as the building block for True Wisdom which requires self-awareness (and not self-flagellation).

It will then be a matter of time (not determined by our expectations but by the degree by which we can genuinely surrender to the process) before that veil is lifted to fully expose our Inner Splendor and for our consciousness to become absorbed in/by/as it. This is called Nirbija Samadhi or Samadhi without seed. With further immersion, when one Becomes That Vision, one is Self-Realized.