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Samadhi (Sanskrit: समाधि) is a Hindu and Buddhist technical term that usually denotes higher levels of concentrated meditation, or dhyana, in Yogic schools, and is considered a precursor for enlightenment, or Nirvana, in Buddhism. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is an umbrella term for a wide variety of related religious traditions native to India. Within Hinduism a large number of personalities or 'forms' are worshiped as Murtis. Hinduism comprises numerous Sects or denominations The main divisions in current Hinduism are Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism Hindu mythology is the large body of Mythology related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and Hindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit ''{{IAST|āstika}}'') schools of thought or darshanas (literally "views" Sankhya The Sanskrit term ( Devanāgarī: धर्म Pali transliteration dhamma) is an Indian spiritual and religious Artha ( Devanagari: अर्थ is a Sanskrit term meaning "purpose cause motive meaning notion" In Indian religions, Moksha ( Sanskrit: sa मोक्ष mokṣa) or Mukti ( Sanskrit: sa मुक्ति literally "release" Karma is a concept in Hinduism which explains Causality through a system where beneficial effects are derived from past beneficial actions Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. Maya ( Sanskrit sa माया māyā) in Indian religions, has multiple meanings This article is about Hinduism. Puja or "pooja" may also refer to certain devotional practices performed by Balmikis Buddhists (see A Hindu temple or Mandir ( Sanskrit: मंदिर is a house of worship for Hindus followers of Hinduism. Literature regarded as central to the Hindu literary tradition was predominantly composed in Sanskrit, Indeed much of the morphology and linguistic "Veda" redirects here For other uses see Veda (disambiguation. The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki For other meanings see Purana (disambiguation. The Puranas ( Sanskrit: sa पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times" The following is a bibliography of Hindu scriptures and texts. The percentage of Hindu population of each country was taken from the US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2006. These are some of the most noteworthy Gurus and Saints of Hinduism (in alphabetical order A Hinduism is going through a phase of regeneration and reform through the vehicle of several contemporary movements collectively termed as Hindu reform movements. Ayurveda ( Devanāgarī: आयुर्वॆद the 'science of life' is a system of Traditional medicine native to India, and practiced in other The Hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization and today there are several regional Indian Calendars, as This article deals with social and cultural criticism of Hinduism The following is a glossary of terms and concepts in Hinduism. Jyotiṣa ( Sanskrit jyotiṣa, from jyótis- "light heavenly body" also spelled Jyotish and Jyotisha in English Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Dhyāna in Hinduism See also Dhyana in Hinduism In Hinduism dhyana is considered to be an instrument to gain self knowledge separating maya from Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण It is the eighth and final limb of the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, and comprises the pinnacle of achievements in Samyama, the three-tiered practice of meditation including also dharana and dhyana. This is an article about the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali For general information on sutras see Sutra. Patañjali ( Devanāgarī पतञ्जलि (fl 150 BCE or 2nd c See also Samyama Beginner's mind Dhyāna in Hinduism See also Dhyana in Hinduism In Hinduism dhyana is considered to be an instrument to gain self knowledge separating maya from It has been described as a non-dualistic state of consciousness in which the consciousness of the experiencing subject becomes one with the experienced object,^[1] and in which the mind becomes still (one-pointed or concentrated)^[2] though the person remains conscious.

Within Hinduism there are other uses of the term. Sahaj samadhi is the effortless and continual state of perfection. ^[3] Samadhi can also refer to the mausoleum of a saint, or spiritual leader. A mausoleum ( plural: mausolea is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Samadhi in Hinduism 2.1 Samadhi in Bhakti 2.2 Samadhi as leaving the body 2.3 Samadhi as mausoleum 3 In Buddhism 4 Analogous concepts 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Etymology

Samadhi (samādhi समाधि, pronounced [sɑmadʰi]) is a Sanskrit term for the state of consciousness induced by complete meditation. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Its etymology comes from sam (together or integrated), a (towards), and dha (to get, to hold). Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time Thus the result might be seen to be to acquire integration or wholeness, or truth (samapatti). Samāpatti is a common term for both Theravada Buddhism and Hindu Yoga, quodammodo also for Jainism, frequently used as

Samadhi in Hinduism

Samadhi is the main subject of the first part of the Yoga Sutras called Samadhi-pada. This is an article about the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali For general information on sutras see Sutra. According to Vyasa, a major figure in Hinduism and one of the traditional authors of the Mahabharata, "yoga is samadhi. Vyāsa ( Devanāgarī: व्यास is a central and revered figure in the majority of Hindu traditions " This is generally interpreted to mean that Samadhi is a state of complete control (samadhana) over the functions and distractions of consciousness.

Samadhi is described in different ways within Hinduism such as the state of being aware of one’s Existence without thinking, in a state of undifferentiated “Beingness" or as an altered state of consciousness that is characterized by bliss (ananda) and joy (sukha). Ānanda was one of many principal disciples and a devout attendant of the Buddha.

Furthermore samadhi has been categorised as:

1. Laya Samadhi
2. Savikalpa Samadhi
3. Nirvikalpa Samadhi
4. Sahaja Samadhi

Laya Samadhi is a latent ("laya"), potential level of samadhi. Savikalpa samādhi is one of the highest forms of minor state of Samadhi meditation. Nirvikalpa is a Sanskrit adjective with the general sense of "not admitting an alternative" formed by applying the contra-existential prepositional prefix Sahaja means spontaneous natural joy of a divine nature It was first used by Saraha and other Buddhists in north India in the 8th century CE It begins in deep meditation or trance—even with movement, such as dancing. This kind of samadhi is a state of joy, deep and general well-being, and peaceful meditation.

Savikalpa Samadhi refers to the initial temporary state of full-valued samadhi. The conscious mind is still active, as is the kalpa, meaning imagination. One should compare this meaning to that of sankalpa, which is "wish. " Kalpa takes on a different, but related, meaning to sankalpa because one must use imagination or consciousness (kalpa) to envision a wish or desire (sankalpa). Conversely, vikalpa means "against imagination. " At this final level of samadhi, the mind has become quiet and given up its desires and attendant. Vikalpa leads to the Truth, releasing one from any binds of mind (which are mostly imaginations). In Savikalpa Samadhi, we get the taste of Bliss and Beingness, but are still attached to our erroneous identification with the body as well as to our numerous worldly attractions.

Nirvikalpa Samadhi is the end result. There are no more kalpas (imaginings, wishes or other products from work of the mind), because the mind is finally under control. Upon entering Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the differences we saw before have faded and we can see everything as one. Nirvikalpa is a Sanskrit adjective with the general sense of "not admitting an alternative" formed by applying the contra-existential prepositional prefix In this condition nothing but pure Awareness remains and nothing is missing to take away from Wholeness and Perfection.

Entering samadhi in the beginning takes effort and holding on to a state of samadhi takes even more effort. The beginning stages of samadhi (Laya and Savikalpa Samadhi) are only temporary. By "effort" it is not meant that the mind has to work more. Instead, it means work to control the mind and release the self. Note that normal levels of meditation (mostly the lower levels) can be held automatically, as in "being in the state of meditation" rather than overtly "meditating. " The ability to obtain positive results from meditation is much more difficult than simply meditating. It is recommended to find a qualified spiritual master (guru or yogi) who can teach a meditator about the workings of the mind. A guru (गुरु গুরু is a person who is regarded as having great knowledge wisdom and authority in a certain area and uses it to guide others A yogi ( Sanskrit, feminine root Yogini) is a term for a male practitioner of various forms of the path of Yoga, maintaining

Samadhi is the only stable unchanging reality; all else is ever-changing and does not bring everlasting peace or happiness.

Staying in Nirvikalpa Samadhi is effortless but even from this condition one must eventually return to ego-consciousness. Otherwise, this highest level of Samadhi leads to Nirvana, which means total Unity and the logical end of individual identity (and also death of the body). However, it is entirely possible to stay in Nirvikalpa Samadhi and yet be fully functional in this world. This condition is known as Sahaja Nirvikalpa Samadhi or Sahaja Samadhi. Only the truly Enlightened can be and remain spontaneously free.

In Nirvikalpa Samadhi, all attachment to the material world and all karma is dissolved. All awareness is withdrawn step by step from the physical, astral and causal bodies until self-realization or oneness with the soul is achieved. During this process, breathing ceases and the heart stops beating. Aware and fully conscious oneness with soul is then achieved in a most loving way, and all cells of the physical body are flooded with the Ocean of Divine Love and Divine Bliss for any period of duration—hours, days, weeks, until the individual shifts his awareness from the soul back to the physical body. Being fully functional in this world, his awareness stays in connection with the Divine. But some "strange" conditions accompany this state—better health (the body is sustained by Divine Grace), better feelings (even for other people who may contact the body which the enlightened soul has reidentified with) and various miraculous happenings may occur in connection with the Enlightened one.

Samadhi in Bhakti

The Vaishnava Bhakti Schools of Yoga define Samadhi as "complete absorption into the object of one's love (Krishna). Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism " Rather than thinking of "nothing," true samadhi is said to be achieved only when one has pure, unmotivated love of God. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Thus samadhi can be entered into through meditation on the personal form of God, even while performing daily activities a practitioner can strive for full samadhi.

"Anyone who is thinking of Krsna always within himself, he is first-class yogi. " If you want perfection in yoga system, don't be satisfied only by practicing a course of asana. You have to go further. Actually, the perfection of yoga system means when you are in samadhi, always thinking of the Visnu form of the Lord within your heart, without being disturbed. . . Controlling all the senses and the mind. You have to control the mind, control the senses, and concentrate everything on the form of Vishnu. For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific That is called perfection of yoga" - A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ^[4]

"Meditation means to absorb your mind in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ( Sanskrit:, abhaya-caraṇāravinda bhakti-vedānta svāmī prabhupāda, Bangla: অভয়চরনাবিন্দ That is meditation, real meditation. In all the standard scriptures and in yoga practice formula, the whole aim is to concentrate one's mind in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called samadhi, samadhi, ecstasy. So that ecstasy is immediately brought by this chanting process. The Hare Krishna Mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Maha Mantra ("Great Mantra" is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra made well You begin chanting and hear for the few seconds or few minutes: you immediately become on the platform of ecstasy. " - A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ^[5]

Samadhi as leaving the body

Advanced yogis have been said to intentionally leave their bodies as a final attainment or soul-liberation. It is at this time that the soul knows a complete and unbroken union with the Heavenly Godhead, and, being free from the limitations of the body, merges effortlessly into the transcendent amrita of Divine Bliss. Amrita or Amrit (अमृत ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ಅಮೃತ అమృతము is a Sanskrit word that literally means "without death" and is often It is said that sometimes the yogi leaves the body and returns.

Mahasamadhi (literally great samadhi) is a term often used for this intentional departure from the physical body at death. Mahasamādhi (not to be confused with Samadhi) in Indian religions is the state of consciously leaving one's body Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific Every infinitesimal piece of attachment or karma is completely surrendered unto God and dissolved into the Divine Ocean of Love. The individual transcends to worlds beyond karma and returns to God, merging into transcendental Bliss.

Samadhi as mausoleum

Samadhi is also the Hindi word for a structure commemorating the dead (similar to a mausoleum), which may or may not contain the body of the deceased. Meher Baba's samadhi is the Samādhi (tomb shrine of Meher Baba located in Meherabad, India and is a place of Pilgrimage Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is A mausoleum ( plural: mausolea is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons Samadhis are often built in this way to honour people regarded as saints or gurus in Hindu religious traditions wherein such souls are said to have passed into (or were already in) samadhi at the time of death. A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity A guru (गुरु গুরু is a person who is regarded as having great knowledge wisdom and authority in a certain area and uses it to guide others Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent.

In Buddhism

Main article: Samadhi (Buddhism)

Samadhi, or concentration of the mind (one-pointedness of mind, cittassa-ekaggata), is the third division of the Eightfold Path of the Buddha's teaching: pañña (wisdom), sila (conduct), samadhi (concentration) - within which it is developed by samatha meditation. In Buddhism, samādhi ( Pali; Skt) is mental concentration In the Pali literature, samadhi is found in the following contexts Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder The Buddha identified the threefold training ( sikkhā) as training in higher virtue ( adhisīla-sikkhā) higher In the Pali Canon In the Pali Canon, paññā is defined in a variety of overlapping ways frequently centering on concentrated insight Attention is the Cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things Samatha ( Pāli) śamatha ( Sanskrit) or orthographically romanized to shamatha and is often translated as 'Calm Abiding' ( Tibetan It was taught by the Buddha using 40 different objects of meditation, according to the Visuddhimagga, an ancient commentarial text. In Buddhism, kammaṭṭhāna is a Pali word (Sanskrit karmasthana) which literally means the place of work, figuratively it Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of Meditation techniques that develop Mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight Summary It is composed of four parts which discuss 1 Sila (discipline 2 Samadhi (meditative concentration 3 The land of wisdom Atthakatha ( Pali for explanation commentary refers to Pali-language Theravadin Buddhist commentaries to the canonical Theravadin Tipitaka. These objects include the breath (anapanasati meditation), loving kindness (metta meditation), various colours, earth, fire, etc. Ānāpānasati ( Pali) meaning ' Mindfulness of Breathing ("sati" means mindfulness "ānāpāna" refers to inhalation and exhalation Mettā meditation the practice of loving-kindness Mettā signifies Friendship and Non-violence as well as "a strong wish for the happiness of others" (kasina meditation). In Buddhism, kasina are a class of basic visual objects of Meditation.

Important components of Buddhist meditation, frequently discussed by the Buddha, are the successively higher meditative states known as the four jhanas which in the language of the eight-fold path, is "right concentration". Dhyāna in Hinduism See also Dhyana in Hinduism In Hinduism dhyana is considered to be an instrument to gain self knowledge separating maya from Right concentration has also been defined as concentration arising due to the previous seven steps of the noble eightfold path in the Maha-cattarisaka Sutta. ^[6]

Four developments of samadhi are mentioned in the Pali Canon:

1. Jhana
2. Increased alertness
3. Insight into the true nature of phenomena (knowledge and vision)
4. Final liberation

Post-canonical Pali literature identifies three different types of samadhi:

1. momentary samadhi (khaṇikasamādhi)^[7]
2. access concentration (upacārasamādhi)
3. fixed concentration (appaṇāsamādhi)

Not all types of samadhi are recommended either. Dhyāna in Hinduism See also Dhyana in Hinduism In Hinduism dhyana is considered to be an instrument to gain self knowledge separating maya from Pali literature is concerned mainly with Theravada Buddhism, of which Pali is the traditional language Those which focus and multiply the Five Hindrances are not suitable for development. In Buddhism, the five hindrances ( Pali: pañca nīvaraṇāni) are negative mental states that impede success with meditation ( ^[8]

The Buddhist suttas also mention that samadhi practitioners may develop supernormal powers (abhijna, also see siddhis), and list several that the Buddha developed, but warn that these should not be allowed to distract the practitioner from the larger goal of complete freedom from suffering. Abhijña ( Skt; Pali, abhiñña) has been translated generally as "knowing" "direct knowing" and "direct Not to be confused with the African-descended Siddi people of India (though sometimes spelled identically

The bliss of Samadhi is not the goal of Buddhism; but it remains an important tool in reaching the goal of enlightenment. It has been said that Samatha/samadhi meditation and vipassana/insight meditation are the two wheels of the chariot of the noble eightfold path and the Buddha strongly recommended developing them both. ^[9]

Analogous concepts

According to the book "God Speaks" by Meher Baba, the Sufi words fana-fillah and baqa-billah are analogous to nirvikalpa samadhi and sahaj samadhi respectively. God Speaks The Theme of Creation and Its Purpose (ISBN 978-0-915828-02-9 is the principal book by Meher Baba and the most significant Religious text Meher Baba ( Devanāgarī: मेहेर बाबा) (February 25 1894 Merwan Sheriar Irani – January 31 1969 was an Indian mystic and spiritual Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف Nirvikalpa is a Sanskrit adjective with the general sense of "not admitting an alternative" formed by applying the contra-existential prepositional prefix ^[10]

States of consciousness with some of the features of Samadhi are experienced by individuals with no religious or spiritual preparation or disposition. Such episodes occur spontaneously and appear to be triggered by physically or emotionally charged peak experiences such as in runner's high or orgasmic ecstasy, however even mundane activities such as reveling in a sunset, dancing or a hard day's work have, in rare instances, induced the entire range of Samadhi from Laja to Nirvikalpa. Peak experience is a term used to describe certain Transpersonal and ecstatic states, particularly ones tinged with themes of Unification, Harmonization Endorphins are Endogenous Opioid Polypeptide compounds They are produced by the Pituitary gland and the Hypothalamus in Vertebrates Religious ecstasy is an Altered state of consciousness characterized by greatly reduced external awareness and expanded interior mental and spiritual awareness which is frequently Nirvikalpa is a Sanskrit adjective with the general sense of "not admitting an alternative" formed by applying the contra-existential prepositional prefix

The only distinction in these spontaneous secular samadhi from Hindu and Buddhist descriptions is that in the state of non-duality equivalent to Nirvikalpa, there is no record of any supernormal physical effects as purported in the literature such as the breath and heart-beat stopping or any degree of conscious control during the event. Secularity ( adjective form secular) is the state of being separate from Religion. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Nondualism implies that things appear distinct while not being separate Also absent are siddhis-like special powers as an aftermath although virtually all experiencers report they became imbued with a holistic and compassionate world view and no longer feared death. Not to be confused with the African-descended Siddi people of India (though sometimes spelled identically

See also

• Bhakti Yoga
• Jnana Yoga
• Raja Yoga
• Baqaa
• Egolessness
• Fanaa
• Meditation
• Turiya

References

External links

• Samadhi (religiousbook. net)
• Samadhi in Puranic texts (vedabase. net)
• Samadhi - a profound & tranquil state in meditation
• The Height of Divine Consciousness

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