Sutra 1.42
तत्र शब्दार्थज्ञानविकल्पैः संकीर्णा सवितर्का समापत्तिः॥४२॥
tatra śabdārthajñānavikalpaiḥ saṅkīrṇā savitarkā samāpattiḥ
Translation:
- In absorption with physical awareness there are notions, knowledge, meaning and word of the object.- CT
- The samādhi in which name, form and knowledge of them is mixed is called savitarkā samādhi, or samādhi with diliberation. -SS
- In this stage, savitarka-smapattih, “samadhi absorption with awareness,” is intermixed with he notions of words, meaning, and ideas. -EFB
Vocabulary:
Key Concepts:
(Sutra 17) 4 kinds of saṁprajñāta samādhi:
- savitarkā
- savicāra
- sa-ānanda
- sa-asmita
Savitarkā samādhi happens in the citta, you have mental awareness in this form of samadhi and it still produces seeds of karma. This kind of samadhi includes our cognitions in an inactive way. We are not engaging them but they are still there, like an app on your phone running in the background. When we think of an object, we know the object, its name, and it’s perceived meaning simultaneously. In savitarkkā samādhi, we experience absorption with physical awareness. Though we may experience absorption with the object of meditation it is tainted by our citta, our own heart mind field of consciousness that is still running in the background. This form of samādhi is considered lower perception. In savitarkā samādhi the mind is not active, it is just aware of the cognitions resting in the citta, there is no reasoning or activity happening. We are at the level of samādhi, where the vṛttis have been stilled but there is still an intuitive level of awareness.
Concept maps help us understand and explore our understanding of a topic. They can be used as a learning tool to see how things are related. I think they can also be used as a deconstruction tool that can show how we construct our experience and help us to expand our understanding of reality. They can also illuminate what is in the back of our minds when we think, hear, or see something. This sutra speaks to a state of absorption with physical awareness. This is as if the concept map for the object of our meditation is floating in the background of our mind. If you do not interact with it, it remains in the background eventually even fading away. If you do engage then the mind becomes active, vṛtti, and samādhi is lost.
Practice
1. Sankalpa
2. Prayer Ritual
3. Asana:
Practice 5X Rounds
4. Mantra:
- Use your mantra.
- Say your mantra to yourself 5 times out loud.
- Say your mantra in a whisper 5 times.
- Say your mantra silently in your mind 5 times.
*When you catch your mind engaged in an activity that you find harmful, use your mantra to reset your mind.
5. Pranayama:
Kapalabhati
Kapalabhati is the skull shining breath or breath of fire. This increases ones energy and internal fire, boosting metabolism and digestive fire. It is considered a purification practice because of its powerful ability to clear the nadīs. It increases oxygen levels in the body and clears the mind as it send prāṇa up from the pelvic floor to the crown (skull shining)
- Start ujjayi, create a nice long breath, balancing the inhalation and exhalation.
- Visualize the space two fingers below your navel. If it is hard to visualize, touch the space between the navel and pupil bone.
- Let this place be where you initiate the breath.
- Take three large inhalations followed by exhalations out of the mouth.
- On the next breath, inhale half way.
- Focus only on the exhale, strongly pull the low belly in to exhale. Let the inhale be spontaneous.
- Do 40 to 50 pulses. Take a full inhale. Take a full exhale and engage mahabandha (see above), retaining the breath as long as is comfortable.
- Lift the chin. Inhale.
- Take a few normal breaths. Repeat for a total of 3 rounds.
- Sit for a few moments, allowing your body to breath naturally.
6. Meditation: Do the Reflection Exercise and Come back to the Mediation.
- Draw your attention into yourself. Removing your awareness of the objects of your senses.
- Focus your minds eye on your object of meditation .
- Practice for 10 to 20 minutes. (commit to a time and set a timer)
- When you feel your mind wander be so gentle in bringing it back. *Remember we are like infants in this journey. Treat yourself as you would your own child.
- End by touching your heart and repeating your name 3 times.
7. Reflection
Concept Map
Try it yourself. Make a concept map for Samādhi (go back to sutra 17) and for the object of your meditation (before you meditate). Feel free to draw your own or print this one out. 
- Have you used concept maps before?
- Did you find it helpful for understanding samadhi?
- Do you feel that concept mapping prior to meditation had any influence on your experience?
