Samadhi, also called samapatti, in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and yogic schools refers to a state of meditative consciousness. In yogic traditions, and in the tradition of Buddhist commentaries on which the Burmese Vipassana movement and the Thai forest tradition are based, it is a meditative absorption or trance, attained by the practice of dhyana.
In the oldest Buddhist sutras, on which several contemporary teachers of Western Ravada are based, it refers to the development of a luminous mind that is equanimous and attentive.
In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
1. Origins
The first attested use of the term samadhi in Sanskrit literature was in the Maitri Upanishad.
The origins of the practice of dhyana, which culminates in samadhi, are a matter of dispute.
According to a Buddhist invention, these practices were combined with mindfulness and understanding and given a new interpretation. Kalupahana also argues that the Buddha “returned to the meditation practices” he had learned from AlaraKalama and UddakaRamaputta.
2. Meaning of Samadhi
The term ‘Samadhi’ derives from the root sam-a-dha, which means“to collect” or“to gather”and is therefore often translated as“concentration”or “unification of the mind.” In early Buddhist texts, samadhi is also associated with the term samatha (quiet abiding).
In the commentary tradition, samadhi is defined as ekaggata, a single sense of mind.
It also defines samadhi as “the center of consciousness and its concomitants uniformly and correctly focused on a single object […] the state by virtue of which consciousness and its concomitants remain uniformly and correctly focused on a single object, without distraction and without dispersion.” According to Buddhaghosa, the Ravada Pali texts mention four types of samadhi:
- Momentary concentration (khanikasamadhi): a mental stabilization that arises during vipassana.
- Preliminary concentration (parikammasamadhi): arises from the meditator’s initial attempts to focus on a meditation object.
- Access concentration (upacarasamadhi): arises when the five hindrances are dispelled, when jhana is present, and with the appearance ofthe “counterpart sign”(patibhaganimitta).
- Absorption concentration (appanasamadhi): The total immersion of the mind in its meditation on the object and the stabilization of the four jhanas.
3. Samadhi and dhyana
Samadhi is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. It is often interpreted as a reference to dhyana, but in suttassamadhi and dhyana they are not the same.
While samadhi is a one-pointed concentration, in dhyana this samadhi is used in the initial stages to give way to a state of equanimity and mindfulness. The practice of dhyana allows one to maintain conscious access to the senses, avoiding primary responses to sensory impressions.
4. In the Buddhist tradition
Here are two types of samadhi in the Buddhist tradition:
Ravada
According to Ravada, samadhi is the “immediate cause” for obtaining wisdom. The Visuddhimagga describes 40 different objects for meditation, which are mentioned throughout the Pali canon but are explicitly listed in the Visuddhimagga, such as mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati) and loving kindness (metta).
Several Western teachers make a distinction between“sutta-oriented”jhana and Visuddhimagga-oriented jhana. It has been repeatedly argued that the Pali Canon and the Visuddhimagga give different descriptions of the jhanas, with the Visuddhimagga description being incorrect.
Extensive research has been conducted on the jhanas and contemporary critiques of the interpretation of commentaries. Based on this research and experience as a senior meditation teacher, a reconstructed description of the original meaning of the dhyanas is given.
It is argued that jhana is an integrated practice, describing the fourth jhana as “lucid awareness,” not as a state of deep concentration.
Sikhism
The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh is located next to the iconic Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan.
In Sikhism, the word is used to refer to an action used to remember and fix the mind and soul on Waheguru. Here are some examples of meditations used in Sikhism:
- “Remember the Almighty Lord in meditation, every moment and every instant; meditate on God in the heavenly peace of Samadhi.”
- “I am attached to God in the heavenly Samadhi.”
- “The most worthy Samadhi is to keep the consciousness stable and focused on Him.”
- The term Samadhi refers to a state of mind rather than a physical position of the body. The Scriptures explain:
- “I am absorbed, lovingly united with the Lord forever. I live singing the glorious praises of the Lord.”
- “Night and day, they dazzle and enjoy the Lord within their hearts; they are intuitively absorbed in Samadhi.”
Sikh gurus instruct their followers:
- “Some remain absorbed in Samadhi, their minds lovingly fixed on the One Lord; they are reflected only in the Word of the Shabad.”
