Sri Aurobindo
Early Cultural Writings
(1890 — 1910)
Part Six. The Chandernagore Manuscript
Things Seen in Symbols [2]
What is dhyana? Ordinarily, when a man is absorbed in thought and dead to all that is going on around him, he is supposed to be in dhyana. Or concentration of the whole thought on a single object to the exclusion of every other, is called dhyana. But neither of these ideas corresponds exactly with the whole truth; they represent only particular stages of the process of meditation. Dhyana is a wide term covering a number of processes which rise from ordinary attention to nirvikalpa samadhi.
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The distinguishing feature of dhyana is that it puts out a steady force of knowledge on the object of knowledge. When this process is successful, when there is a steady demand on the object to give up its secret, it is called by Patanjali sanyama. Even when it is only partially successful, it is still1 dhyana.
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Ordinary thought is not dhyana. Ordinary thought is simply the restlessness of the mind playing with associations, speculations, trains of reasoning. In order to have dhyana the restlessness of the mind must be utterly stilled2, the intellect must become like a calm and waveless sea, not a movement, not a ripple3 on its surface.
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The principle is that all knowledge is in oneself, in the knower.
The knower is in myself; he is also in the object of knowledge, say4, a stone or a tree.
By dhyana the veil of ignorance, the chaos of misunderstandings which interfere between the knower in me and the knower in the tree or the stone is removed; we enter into relation with each other; we are in Yoga.
All knowledge about the stone is in the stone itself; in dhyana it comes into my mind.
When it comes into my mind, the knower in me says, “It is true, the knowledge is in me also and I see it there”.
Or if there is a mistake, he says, “There is a mistake, the mind is interfering; the knowledge is in me and I see it otherwise”.
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The whole world is one. The knower in the stone and the knower in myself are one; I am He. It is God in me, God in the stone. The knowledge in me and the knowledge in the stone are one; I am That. It is God in me, God in the stone. The stone is an object of knowledge; I am also an object of knowledge. These two also are one, God as myself, God as the stone. God is the only object of knowledge, there is no other. God is the only knower, there is no other. God is the knowledge also. Jnata, jnanam, jneyam, they are one.
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The mind creates difference. When there is disturbance on the waters, there are many waves, and each wave cries, “I am I, I am I; you are you; we are different.” When the sea sinks to rest, the waves as they go inward, no longer cry, “I am I”, but “I am He.” The still and waveless sea, that is a delightful and beautiful condition. The stormy, myriad crested Ocean, that also is a very beautiful and delightful condition. Only let the waves have the knowledge, let them say, “I am I for the sake of delight; you are you for the sake of delight. But also you are I, I am you. And both you and I are He.” That is jnanam, that is Yoga.
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The still sea is a condition, and the thousand waves are a condition. He who is the sea, is more than disturbance, more than stillness. He contains All. He is All. Even the infinite sea is only one of His manifestations.
Earlier edition of this work: Sri Aurobindo Birth Century Library: Set in 30 volumes.- Volume 3.- The Harmony of Virtue: Early Cultural Writings — 1890-1910.- Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Asram, 1972.- 489 p.
1 1972 ed.: called
2 1972 ed.: settled
3 1972 ed.: sea, not a ripple
4 1972 ed.: e.g.