Dhyana vs Nididhyasana

 

 

 

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Meditation is of two types: Objective and Subjective. Objective meditation is concentration of the mind on an object or thought in an attempt to suppress all other objects and thoughts that arise. The object may be the form of a deity, light, sky or some qualities like love, compassion, strength, etc. One is focused on the single object by an effort of will. Objective meditation is also referred to as Saguna Upasana or dhyana with form.

 

Subjective meditation is called nididhyasana or formless dhyana. It is an attempt to seek the source of the ego, to trace one’s “I” back to its roots. It is a process in which the ego, instead of rushing towards objects as it constantly does, withdraws from it into its own original source, the Atman. This is also referred to as Nirguna Upasana or being fixed on the formless Brahman.

 

While the two may seem to be very similar, there is actually quite a big difference. With the objective meditation method, Brahman is objectified. This means you go into meditation as a jiva with the underlying belief that you are separate from Brahman.  You try to achieve or attain Brahman as if Brahman is separate from you.  In other words, having the mentality: “I am not this, I am that”.   You thus go into meditation as a single one-off action (whether in the morning or night) with the aim of concentrating on an object in hopes of suppressing all other thoughts from rushing in. This is done while being focused on a single object until you become so self-absorbed in the object, that duality vanishes. 

 

With subjective meditation, the inquiry is an act of self-surrender, no matter what action is taking place. You are not focusing on a single object or thought. Rather, you let go of all thoughts, objects, emotions, sensations, feelings and even the notion that you are Brahman as they arise in front of you. This essentially means withdrawing all thoughts from objects until you cultivate a stillness as the self.  Since the self is ever-present and all that exists, it’s the withdrawal of all content until one becomes established in content-free awareness. 

 

The aspirant performing objective meditation begins with the belief that he is separate from the supreme being and he will be united with it at the end of the yoga-practice. On the contrary, the aspirant following subjective meditation searches for the very reason of the separation.

 

Objective meditation is with the use of symbols and should be distinguished from nididhyasana. In nididhyasana, no symbols are used, nor is the self objectified. It is a negative process of neti, neti (“not this, not this”) by which the self cuts asunder all identifications and withdraws into its own locus. It’s an extremely subtle inquiry into the depths of the mind by pulling attention inward until all layers of the mind are fully negated.

 

With nididhysasana, the goal is to constantly abide in the self while the mind is completely awake (i.e. without being forced into in-activity). In this case, you rest as turiya while witnessing the appearance of duality as non-separate from you. Since the appearance is exposed to knowledge of Brahman (as you rest in the presence of Turiya), it allows the appearance to dissolve (i.e. vasanas begin to deplete). It is only in the waking state where vasanas can be destroyed. Vasanas cannot be destroyed if they remain hidden in nirvikalpa samadhi as a form of laya or in any state of dormancy (such as deep sleep). Therefore, the work is done with constant nididhyasana until the one remains firmly established in the self, without the potential of re-emerging again with the mind. This method of practice aims to fructify liberation while still retaining the body's appearance. 

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However, with objective meditation, you can still attain liberation if you have the reward to do so through the higher realms.  This is the highest siddhi, which is the power to go into mahasamadhi, by willfully discarding the body and all other subtle and causal bodies as you venture into the higher realms.  This method of practice therefore aims to fructify liberation without the body's appearance. If objective meditation is done without discarding the bodies, it will only drive a form of laya or inactivity of the mind.  This means one will still revert back to the body or mind after the samadhi is lost.

 

These are some of the important differences between objective meditation and subjective meditation. 

 

The majority of spiritual aspirants find nididhyasana difficult to practice. They succeed in tracing their “I” back only up to a certain point. To penetrate further backward is possible only for a mind which is properly sharpened through training and strengthened by the observance of continence. Saguna upasana or objective meditation gives the mind the necessary training. After practicing saguna upasana for some time, it becomes easier to practice nididhyasana. You also build up the power of viveka or the ability to withdraw attention deeply without breaking the motion. The entire point of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga is to sharpen viveka to separate the self from the non-self. Without viveka, subjective meditation will not be fruitful. 

 

According to earlier schools of Advaitins, nirguna upasana can give rise to direct realization of Nirguna Brahman (the absolute without attributes). But Sri Sankara and his followers hold the view that saguna upasana will lead only to the realization of Saguna Brahman (reality with attributes). Sankara states that the benefit derived from saguna upasana is “gradual liberation” (i.e. krama-mukti) where one can move the prana to the brahmarhandra (after death of the physical body) and attain Brahmaloka to achieve liberation there. After the vasanas get destroyed from the causal bliss of this realm, one will be able to merge in turiya and fully dissolve the potential of re-identifying again as a separate self. But to get direct liberation from physical reality without the dependency of physical death, nididhyasana is absolutely required/necessary.

 

Saguna upasana increases one’s power of concentration but does not necessarily increase one’s power of self-control to an equal degree. As a result the seeker may find it difficult to remain unaffected by the contact of other people and the cares and distractions of daily work after coming out of meditation. Nididhyasana however, enables the seeker to abide in the real abode within and remain calm and unaffected by the environment since it’s always done as a constant abidance. 

 

The outcome of nididhyasana is steady unitary awareness in the sahaja-samādhi and does not get disturbed even when objects are perceived, whereas kevala nirvikalpa-samādhi from dhyana is sustained only in the absence of the objects.

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Brihadaranyaka Upanishad where the 'Aham Brahma asmi' occurs (1.4.10), the Upanishad criticizes he who worships

a deity as something different from himself. 

 

"He who contemplates on a deity as 'the deity is different and I am different', he does not know (he is in ignorance).”

 

Thus, by way of deprecating a worship with a notion of difference between the worshipper and the worshipped, the Upanishad is exhorting us to obliterate the difference. This 'end' is possible only when one practices the worship without difference, even while being conscious of the (unreal) difference. This is why subjective meditation is the cure to ignorance and the means to moksha while still retaining form. 

 

It is, however, important to note that self-enquiry is not an intellectual process. It is an intuitive and meditative process. Unless intuition is developed through the practice of complete continence, it is not possible to carry self-enquiry beyond a certain inner limit. Withdrawing all thoughts from sense objects through effort, one should remain fixed in steady non-objective enquiry. 

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