You Are Not Book.indb - Stephen H. Wolinsky Ph. D.

206 / You Are Not
It is for this reason that Samadhi, too, must be “gone beyond.”
In this way, although Samadhi is referred to as the eighth
and final step, it is so because beyond the state of Samadhi
with seeds, there is no state. In this way, the void contained
within Samadhi contains seeds, because it contains impressions
and representations of manifestation that, as potential,
will manifest. From a physics perspective, metaphorically, this
could be likened to this void being called potential energy,
and “energy” in motion or manifestation as kinetic energy.
The void of Samadhi with seeds is “energy” or impressions
as potential manifestation and is still manifestation in seed
form. The void, as manifestation or manifested, is impressions
with motion or kinetic. Metaphorically, we can say that
a house made of bricks and mortar is the manifestation; the
mortar, bricks, and space the house will occupy is the void
or potential house, which we must have in order to build a
house.
In this way, Nisargadatta Maharaj, when asked, “Are you
in Samadhi?” replied, “No, Samadhi is a state; I am not in a
state.”
The Yoga Sutras say it this way:
“Why is the Yogi’s consciousness thrown back into the
vehicles which he has transcended and why do these appear,
again and again, in this stage of his progress towards
Self-realization? Because the Samskaras (impressions)
which he has brought over from his past are still present
in his vehicle (body) in a dormant condition and emerge
into his consciousness as soon as there is relaxation of
effort or a temporary interruption. As long as these ‘seeds’
are present merely in a dormant condition and have not
been ‘burnt’ or rendered quiet. . . . they sprout into his
consciousness as soon as a suitable opportunity presents
itself.” (Taimini, The Science of Yoga, p. 430)