The phenomenon of the state of samadhi - what is it?

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

The state of samadhi (Sanskrit: समाधि, also samapatti or samadhi) - in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools refers to the state of higher meditative consciousness. In yogic and Buddhist traditions, this is a meditative absorption, a trance achieved by the practice of dhyana. In the oldest Buddhist suttas, on which several modern Western Theravada teachers rely, the state of samadhi implies the development of a luminous mind that is equanimous and attentive in nature.

In Buddhism

In Buddhism, this is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, the eighth and last part, indicated in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

According to Rhys Davids, the first attested use of the term "samadhi state" 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 Bronkhorst, dhyana was a Buddhist invention, while Alexander Winn states that it was incorporated into Brahminical practices even beforethe emergence of Buddhism, for example, in the nikayas tradition, the foundation of which is attributed to Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta. These practices were combined with mindfulness and insight and received a new interpretation. Kalupahana also states that the Buddha "returned to the meditation practices" he learned from Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta.

Etymology and meaning

The term "samadhi" comes from the root "sam-dha" which means "gather" or "combine" and is therefore often translated as "concentration" or "unification of the mind". In early Buddhist texts, the state of samadhi is also associated with the term "samatha" - a calm stay. In the commentary tradition, samadhi is defined as ekaggata, one-pointedness of the mind (Cittass'ekaggatā).

Buddhagosa defines samadhi as the centering of consciousness and the elements accompanying consciousness evenly and fairly, on one state, due to which consciousness and its accompanying phenomena are evenly focused on a single object, without scattering. According to Buddhaghosa, the Theravada Pali texts mention four types of samadhi:

1. Instant concentration (hanikasamadhi): mental stabilization that occurs during vipassana.
2. Pre-concentration (parikammasamadhi): arises from the meditator's initial efforts to focus on the object of meditation.
3. Access concentration (upakarasamadhi): Occurs when the five hindrances are dispelled, when jhana is present, and with the appearance of the "double sign" (patibhaganimitta).
4. Concentrationabsorption (appanasamadhi): total immersion of the mind in meditation and stabilization of all four jhanas.

Role

The samadhi phenomenon is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. It is often interpreted as referring to dhyana, but in the traditional suttas, the meanings of the terms "samadhi" and "dhyana" do not coincide. Samadhi itself is a one-pointed concentration, but in dhyana it is used in the initial stages to yield to a state of equanimity and awareness. The practice of dhyana allows you to maintain conscious access to the senses, avoiding primary reactions to sensory impressions.

The Noble Eightfold Path

The Noble Eightfold Path is a great tradition of self-knowledge and self-development that begins with someone wanting to leave their "home" or comfort zone, and after preparatory practices, begins to work with dhyana. The Pali Canon describes eight progressive states of dhyana: four form meditations (rupa jhana) and four formless meditations (arupajanas), although early texts do not use the term dhyana for the four formless meditations, calling them ayatana (dimension, sphere, foundation). The ninth form is Nirodha-Samapatti.

According to Bronkhorst, the four rupa jhanas may be the original contribution of the Buddha to the religion of India. They formed an alternative to the painful ascetic practices of the Jains. Arupa jhana was based on non-Buddhist ascetic traditions. According to Krangl, the development of meditation practices in ancient India was a complex interplay between Vedic and non-Vedic traditions.

Relationship

The main problem in the study of early Buddhism is the relationship between dhyana and samadhi meditation. The Buddhist tradition combined the two traditions of the use of jhana. There is a tradition that emphasizes that the attainment of understanding (bodhi, prajna, kensho) is the means to awaken and liberate (samadhi).

This problem has been addressed by several renowned scientists, including Tilman Vetter, Johannes Bronkhorst and Richard Gombrich. Schmithausen notes that the mention of the four noble truths that constitute the "liberating insight" that is achieved after mastering the Rupa Jhana is a later addition to texts such as the Majjhima Nikaya. Both Schmithausen and Bronkhorst point out that the achievement of insight, which is cognitive activity, cannot be possible in a state where all cognitive activity has ceased. In places like India and Tibet, samadhi is the highest cognitive ability.

Characteristic

According to Buddhaghosa, in his influential work Vishuddhimagga, samadhi is the "proximate cause" for attaining wisdom. The Visuddhimagga describes 40 different objects for concentration in meditation that are mentioned throughout the Pali canon but explicitly listed in the Visuddhimagga, such as mindfulness ofbreath (anapanasati) and loving-kindness (metta).

Several Western teachers (Tanissaro Bhikkhu, Lee Brasington, Richard Shankman) distinguish between "soutana-oriented" jhana and "vishuddhimagg-oriented" jhana. Thanissaro Bhikkhu has repeatedly argued that the Pali Canon and Vishuddhimagga give different descriptions of jhanas, considering the description of Visuddhimagga to be incorrect. Keren Arbel has done extensive research on jhanas and contemporary criticism of commentaries on sacred Hindu and Buddhist texts. Based on this research and her own experience as a senior meditation teacher, she gives a reconstructed account of the original meaning of dhyana. She states that jhana is an integrated practice, describing the fourth jhana as "conscious awareness" rather than a state of deep concentration.

Samadhi people, hermitage and asceticism

The earliest surviving Indian Mahayana texts emphasize ascetic practices and the need to live in the forest, following the path of the hermit and ascetic, as well as training the state of meditative oneness with the whole world. These practices seem to have been central to the early Mahayana because they could give access to new insights and inspiration.

In the Indian Mahayana tradition, the term also refers to forms of "samadhi" other than dhyana. Thus, in Tibet, the state of samadhi is considered one of the highest forms of enlightenment, in contrast to the Indian tradition.