- The same (contemplation) when there is consciousness only of the object
of meditation and not of itself (the mind) is Samadhi.
Now we come to the last stage of the concentration of the mind. This marks the
culmination of the previous preparation to make it fit to dive into the realm of realities
which lie hidden behind the phenomenal world. The subject of Samadhi has been dealt
with thoroughly in Section I. But in that Section its more general and deeper aspects
were considered. In the present context it is therefore necessary to deal only with its
introductory aspects especially with its relation to Dharana and Dhyana. On account
of the unusual manner in which the subject of Samadhi has been dealt with by Patan-
jali it will be necessary for the student to study carefully its various aspects several
times before he can grasp its essential nature and technique. But the time and mental
energy which he spends will be worth while for he will acquire in this manner an un-
derstanding of the essential technique of Yoga, the only technique which can unlock
the gates of the world of Reality.
When the state of Dhyana has been well established and the mind can hold the
object of meditation without any distractions it is possible to know the object much
more intimately than in ordinary thinking, but even then a direct knowledge of its very
essence is not obtained and the reality hidden within the object seems to elude the
Yogi. He is like a general who has reached the very gates of the fort which he has to
conquer but the gates are closed and he is unable to enter the fort. What is standing
between him and the reality of the object which he wants to know? III-3 gives an an-
swer to this question. The mind itself is preventing the realization of the very essence
of the object of meditation. All the distractions have been completely eliminated and
the consciousness is fully focussed on the object of meditation. How does the mind
interfere with the realization of the very essence of the object? By interposing con-
sciousness of itself between the reality hidden behind the object and the consciousness
of the Yogi. It is this self-consciousness or subjectivity, pure and simple, which serves
as a veil to keep it separated from the object and to hide the reality he is seeking.
To understand how consciousness of the mind of itself can become a bar to fur-
ther progress, let us recall how this self-consciousness interferes with intellectual work