Desha Bhandha Chittasya Dharana [ 3.1 YS – Yoga Sutram of Patanjali Maharishi ]
[lit.] Region Bound Consciousness is Dharana
Dharana is a Conscious act of (or sometimes even unintentional) focusing Consciousness on an object (a region). In Yoga, the object of Dharana is usually pulsations of Prana on a given Chakra, but it can also be a vacuous space, any internal space in the body or an outside object.
Though in Yogic practice Dharana happens though Conscious Will, the key is for the Consciousness to light up the object (the region) and the manner this happens is irrelevant.
Dharana and Consciousness
When mind falls silent, the unblemished, unmoving sky of Consciousness when brought to focus on a region to fill the entire sky of Consciousness. The Witness as Consciousness Willing to examine the region, sees himself as the one observing the region. So duality is still intact. All pleasures and pains that Consciousnesses lights up is felt with the Witness as Consciousness.
Now the question still remains who brings the focus of the Consciousness to a region? Is it brought about by a whim or wilful act of Ego? Or is it an Occurrence observed by the Witness as Consciousness? In other words does the focus have a Doer or is it a happening?
The answer to that question can be resolved with the test of duality. As long as the region and Consciousness are perceived to be separate, there is an actor (I as Consciousness) and an object (the region) that is acted upon. When an act of focus is willed, Dharana ensues. This does not mean that Dharana cannot happen without Conscious Will. More on this later in the post.
Dharana: Region of Focus
Region is the object of Focus which can be:
- one’s breath
- a point such as a Chakra where movement of Prana is observed
- any part of the physical body
- a vritthi (pulsations caused by a thought or feeling)
For binding to occur, two of a kind with some relatability to each other must exist. For instance, to hear a sound one needs the organ that relates to sound (ear) and the sound. Eyes however healthy are incapable of perceiving (relating, binding) to sound. In addition to good ears, one’s brain and the mind must be in consonance for hearing to successfully occur.
For Pure Consciousness to bind with an object (a region), no such relatability is needed as Consciousness binds with anything. But once it does, it becomes Consciousness with the character of the Willer, whose Will creates the binding.
Object of Consciousness
If Consciousness can bind to anything, does it mean that it relates to everything? Or does it mean that in the sea of Consciousness what I call as I and the object are both present. In other words, is something in the “object” also Conscious? This can be quite easily observed in one’s body.
Take for instance breathing. As you begin to actively watch your breath, you can see that the breath which until then was going on unnoticed, suddenly comes to voluntary order as though it became Conscious that someone is watching. Similar behavior can be observed with one’s thoughts when thought crowds are clamoring when unnoticed with a sudden act of awareness the crowd of thoughts become dispersed and mind falls into silent order as though their Doer did not want to be found or did not exist in the first place. The Doer needs the shadow of ignorance to exist. With the light of awareness one knows that the Doer never is.
Prerequisites for Dharana
Before you begin: Right Living through understanding
One needs a body that is not only free from ailments but actually healthy. The true test of health is that the presence of the body is not felt. It is not so much as a healthy body as it is about understanding one’s true nature. Our Human brain, through millennia has created a condition that one is unable to perceive oneself in the absence of one’s physical body. Similarly enormous importance has been given to the human’s mental framework that even a minor slight can turn one’s world upside down. An unfelt mind is the best working mind.
How can you bring this about if this is not integrated with what you do day in and day out? Some of these might sound hard. If one wants to succeed in the path of Yoga, one needs to commit to right living through proper understanding and not brute force. If you have to make enormous effort or you think that with brute force you can start living right, understand that by creating vrittis (thought currents) of right conduct alone it is difficult though not improbable for one to alter the course of human conditioning. The human mind and its manifestation the human brain in their current state are far too cunning for any such efforts to succeed.
Moreover, unless one is careful, one must bear in mind that creating thought currents to reverse millions of years of human conditioning is conflict prone. Understanding at the outset why one has to follow these conducts of Right Living before beginning is the least resistant, conflict free approach.
Preparation Steps for Dharana
Yoga points out the following to keep one’s body and mind in good working order so Consciousness can be freed up:
- Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Astheya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (chastity), Aparigraha (non-possession). These yamas (restraints) must be followed irrespective of one’s religion, country, time or state of one’s existence
- Shoucha (cleanliness), Santhosha (happiness), Tapa (purification practices), Swadyaya (self-study), Ishwara PraNidhanam (surrender to the Almighty). These niyamas (practices) must be followed by all those willing to uncover the veils that shroud Reality by following the Yogic path
- Steady and comfortable asanas (postures, seats) for an unfelt body
- Holding and releasing of prana (breath) through trained restraint is pranayama. The left nostril is the Moon and the right nostril is the Sun. A regulated flow of prana (breath) leads to an unfelt mind. A mind fallen into its right place is ready to withdraw and turn inward.
- Withdrawing the mental components of organs from the external objects by giving up desire for them is called prathyahara. This important step ensures that the outbound energy transmission is reversed and the energy gained in steps 1-4 are ready to be directed inward in the subsequent steps.
Questions on Dharana
What are the benefits of Dharana?
By practicing Dharana regularly, you will be able to focus on any goal uninterruptedly. You will also feel more at peace due to a reduction in random thoughts. This will result in better mental health and improve your decision-making abilities.
What are the different types (objects) of Dharana?
There are 5 types of Dharana namely:
- Vitarka – Question/Reasoning
When the object of focus is a reasoning or a question.
- Vichara – Discrimination
When the object of focus is a comparison of different things.
- Ananda – Bliss
When the object of focus is simply Bliss.
- Asmita – Unqualified Egoism
When the object of focus is a light ego (the I knowingness) without any external qualification or identification. As an elaborate discussion on the topis would be too voluminous here, this will be covered in a future post.
- Arupa – without object
This is when the object of Dharana is formless, practiced by simply turning the consciousness inward.
You talk of millions of years of thought-conditioning, but I am only about 30, 40, 50 or 60 years old.
The human mind and its manifestation the human brain have evolved through millions (or billions) of years. What you call as your mind, brain or body is the current state of the human brain or body after eons of modifications. Yoga provides a step by step approach to for you to unravel this Human Condition through a psychosomatic change. With a healthy body and a fresh mind freeing up Consciousness, you can start inquiring into the nature of Reality. When transformation occurs it is a transformation of the Human Mind, Human Brain and Consciousness. It is very important to bear in mind that Right Conduct (yama) and Right Living (niyama) – given above – are the foundations of success in this endeavor.
What is Uninvited Dharana?
Under certain circumstances, Dharana can happen without Conscious Will where mind falls naturally silent and the body is unfelt. Music, dance or interesting work can quieten the mind down as it temporarily forgets its usual worries, gets out of its routine and falls silent. Uninvited Dharana can be quite powerful and pleasant but goes away the same way it came. A Yogi seeks to minimize such uncontrolled changes to the state of Consciousness and seeks to bring about any Conscious state into existence solely by His Will.
How is Dharana different from Dhyana?
In Dharana, though the mind is attempting to focus on an object, there are still some random thoughts or light distractions to the inward focus. But when all the disturbances and distractions of the mind are completely absent, that state is known as Dhyana.
Is there a Sanskrit meaning for Dharana?
Dharana is a Sanskrit term which literally means Concentration.
How can I practice Dharana regularly?
Practice Dharana in the same place and at the same time everyday preferably at sunrise or sunset. The object of focus (such as your breath or a bodily chakra) of your choosing should preferably be also the same every day. Generally, focusing on a specific chakra in the body such as Agni chakra (between the eyebrows) or Mooladhaara (roughly at the bottom tip of the spine on the back of the body) is quite powerful for Dharana.
You can consult your Deeksha Guru (for transfer of energy) or Mantra Guru (for Mantra Deeksha) and for specific objects that can be effective for your regular practice of Dharana.
Are there Yoga poses specific to Dharana?
Bodily posture should be steady and comfortable for the entire duration of the concentration.
Please consult your Yoga Guru for specific sitting postures that can comfortably stay steady in for longer duration without any bodily movement.