Conquering the body and mind in Pratyāhāra yoga aṅga: Five experiential signs of progress by Tāranātha
Note
The five experiential signs of meditation (སྒོམ་གྱི་ཉམས་ལྔ་) are the milestones that meditators experience at each stage of their progress. In meditation and Pratyāhāra yoga aṅga (སོར་སྡུད་ཀྱི་ཡན་ལག་), the posture and mental object of observation play the most important roles in their practice. Normally (as the mind rides on the air) there is the movement of the mind towards its objects/image/thought through the movements of the air (especially the five primary and five secondary vayus) in the channels of the body.
During meditation, the practitioner sits in a particular posture. The key postures, such as a straight spine, bent throat, vajra cross-legged, etc., help to restrain and control the channels. By controlling the channels, one is able to restrain the air and the senses. In short, the body postures and position of eyes help to restrain the senses.
The five experiential signs of progress in meditation are 1. Experience of movement/agitation that is like a waterfall. 2. Experience of accomplishment, which is like a river flowing in a gorge. 3. Experience of familiarity, which is like a gently flowing river. 4. Experience of tranquillity, like a pond rippling in a gentle breeze. 5. Experience of perfection, which is like the great ocean without waves. These five experiential signs are also known as: 1. Recognizing the thought. 2. Resting/ease off. 3. tired/worn off. 4. with wave and 5. without wave.
The first experiences of meditation for beginners are all negative, discouraging, disturbing and painful. However, these experiences are called the first stage of progress where one realises one's fleeting mind from one object to another in which the practitioner has conquered the mind a little bit by recognizing the thoughts. It is important to remember that the ten signs of Pratyāhāra are different from these five experiential signs of meditation. I will talk about the ten signs of Pratyāhāra in another article. The following writing is based on Jonang Taranatha’s text Shadanga yoga.
Body postures during Pratyāhāra yoga aṅga and their benefits
Straightening the backbones: This will straighten the channels between the heart and the navel and will subdue the Prāṇa vāyu.
Bending the throat/neck will subdue the Udāna vāyu.
Belly at the same time becomes evenly filled, this will subdue the Samāna vāyu.
Position of the eyes will subdue the air that moves in the eyes.
(Vajra crossed legs subdue the Apāna vāyu).
Fixing tip of the tongue to the palate subdue the air of ears and tongue.
Breathing slowly (through the nose) in these postures subdues the air of nose.
Body should not be too stiff and not too loose. This will subdue the air that moves in the body.
With these combined postures subdue the Vyāna vāyu.
The body posture alone won’t be able to subdue the vāyus. The mental object of observation has to be applied along with the body posture.
Five experiential signs of progress in Pratyāhāra
I. First stage: experience of movement/agitation
The mind becomes scattered and agitated, thoughts arise more than before the meditation, and the mind does not settle even for a moment.
You start to feel that meditation is not going to happen, how nice it would be if I could do something else.
In fact, thoughts have not increased during meditation. When we are not meditating, many thoughts arise in our mind. But because our mind is always directed outwards, we are not aware of these thoughts. But now during meditation, when the mind is directed inwards, we become more aware of these thoughts.
Now, since we are not accustomed with the postures, there arises great pain in the body. The body begins to shake. Breathing becomes difficult. There is irritation and a desire to go somewhere. The mind becomes agitated and the old diseases return.
All of these are the signs of the accomplishment of having conquered the mind a little bit.
These experiences are like a stream of water that falls from a steep mountain.
II. Second stage: experience of attainment
Do not look at these experiences as being bad or good, as being desirable or undesirable.
When you meditate with such a view, although many thoughts will arise as they did before, you will see the abatement of a few thoughts, and feel ease in the body and breathing.
But the thoughts will again come back as before. And there will be discomfort in the body and in the breathing.
These experiences are like a river that cascades down a narrow gorge.
III. Third stage: experience of familiarisation
As you continue to meditate, your head and torso will begin to feel heavy.
Thoughts have now become more subtle and less powerful. They vanish instantly, like a spark of fire scattered across the sky.
Some thoughts will stop the moment they appear, but some unclear faint thoughts will linger. At this time it is very important to meditate with more alertness and energy. In this way, the mind will be able to settle on a clearer object and will reach the beginning of pleasure.
These experiences are like a pond or a jumping frog.
IV. Fourth stage: experience of stability
As you continue to meditate, a single thought or two or three thoughts in succession will suddenly appear, but they will remain completely still and clear.
The body will be almost serenely blissful.
Breathing becomes almost smooth and pleasant.
For some, the sound of nasal breathing becomes so clear and sharp that it becomes very difficult to concentrate and starts to irritate.
Even when they try, some people find it difficult to take their mind off the object of meditation.
This is like a tortoise placed in a smooth cast iron basin.
V. Fifth stage: experience of perfection
As you continue to meditate, the body and breathing remain at such an ease that some even don’t realise they have a body and they are breathing.
Even when they become aware of their body and their breathing, they remain undistracted in equanimity, which is free from pleasure and pain.
The mind abides in tranquillity and gains mastery over the mind to direct it wherever you wish.
Only a loud sound from the outside and one's own will can break the meditation.
It is like a great ocean without a wave.