Samadhi

The samadhi in the Buddhist tradition

The samadhi as a concentration

As a concentration, the samadhi is associated with the practice of Méditation called Samatha bhavana, the development of peace. The concentration mentioned here is thus a frame of mind particulier : it is not a question of the ordinary Concentration, used to carry out intellectual tasks.

Several levels of concentrations are distingués : ; Coarse concentration: They are the first experiments of one meditating. It is able to only maintain its spirit on a Signe learned during a few seconds, even a few minutes. ; Concentration of approach: Or Concentration of proximity. Meditating does not consider any more the initial object but concentrates on the considered Signe, an image clearing of the initial object. For example in practice of Anapanasati, the breath will be perceived like silky smoothes or delicious. The concentration can be maintained much longer. ; Concentration of insertion: See Dhyana. See also: Arupajhana.

The samadhi as an establishment in the awakening

For this reason, the samadhi is the eighth member of the Noble eightfold path.

It should be noted that this double significance of the word samadhi involved in the first Western interpreters of Buddhism number of incompréhensions : for them, the culmination of the noble eightfold path represented by the samadhi was a " simple" concentration, which lowered the goal of Buddhism so much, the awakening, which the way there driving, the noble eightfold path.

The samadhi in triple practices Dhyana

The traditions Chinese and Japanese of the boudhhism insisted much on the concept of triple practical of the Dhyana which is awakening ( chan in Chinese and Zen in Japanese):

Sila

the traditional direction is respect of the precepts and virtuous action, but the term ultimement indicates the action deprived of any egotistic contamination;

Prajna

vision and comprehension out of any personal projection;

Samadhi

traditionally indicates the various forms of the concentration, but the range of the term will be widened here, in particular in the spirit of the lesson of certain Chinese patriarchs of the chan (Huineng (Japanese Eno, 638 - 713), Shenhui (668 -7 60), Xiyun (Obaku? - 850):

Ultimement, in Buddhism, the samadhi is not remains and absence of any fulcrum. From there, which is not attachment is samadhi. It is thus neither to be deliberately diverted thoughts and images neither to seek to remain there, nor still to seek to concentrate on only one point or object. However, the various forms of concentration aiming at pacifying the spirit gradually can be useful means leading to the ultimate samadhi.

This one is renouncement of any production of the conscience and until the renouncement of the idea to even give up. This nonresidence is to be conceived like nonproduction of given. Without any memory, without any fastener, it is the favorable condition so that the clean conscience (Skandha S) functions in harmony with the unit conscience (Dharmadhatu). As mentions it Huineng in the Sūtra of Estrade: “It is enough that samadhi either there so that prajna or there and vice versa… ”. The three aspects of practical triple of the dhyana function as an organic whole which one cannot isolate an element; it is for teaching reasons that this distinction was introduced.

In the tradition Zen, Zazen is the prototype of the union of the sila, the samadhi and the prajna. Indeed, it combines the egotistic absence of action (sila), the absence of production deliberated on thought and personal opinion (samadhi) and the absence of appropriation from a particular point of view (prajna). Also zazen it is regarded there as equivalent with the dhyana, but without the dhyana being limited to the sphere of the zazen.

Samadhis in the yogic tradition

In India, which one calls samadhi represents of the stages of realization, each one of them being a particular samadhi. Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras first of all distinguishes two great subdivisions from samadhi:

with or without support (Y.S. 1-17 & 1-18)
according to the nature of object (Y.S. 1-42, 1-43 & 1-47)

With or without support

Samprajnâta

samprajñāta (संप्रज्ञात in Devanāgarī) this term Sanskrit means: meditation with activity of the thought. Samprâjnata samâdhi, which one also indicates under the name of sabîja samadhi , is characterized by the mental activity Vritti S still active, the concept of ego is still present. The higher state of the samprajnâta is indicated by the term of Vivekakhyâti or prasamkhyâna samâdhi , discrimination between Self and not-Oneself, leading it to the asamprajnâta samâdhi detailed in the following paragraph.

Asamprajnâta

asaṃprajñāta (असंप्रज्ञात in Devanāgarī) this term Sanskrit means: meditation without activity of the thought, without support, asamprajnâta samadhi which one names also nirbîja samadhi .

According to the nature of the object

Coarse objects (tarka)

Savitarkâ , of (savi = with)

the savitarkâ samadhi is characterized by the fact that the person reaching this level of realization is identified with the coarse objects: Sabda, Artha and Jnâna

Nirvitarkâ , (to nir = without)

the nirvitarkâ samadhi is a contemplation on coarse objects, but the mental one is in direct relationship with the object without (to nir) reasoning, comparison or access to the memory.

Subtle objects (will cara)

Savicara , of (savi = with)

will savichâra It samadhi is accompanied by Vritti (activity of mental) centered on subtle objects: time, space and causality.

Nirvichâra , (to nir = without)

will nirvichâra It samadhi is a contemplation without (to nir) Vritti (activity of mental), time, space, causality reabsorbed, it has only vacuity there.

Ananda

When nirvichâra it leads to the peace of Self, it is called ananda samadhi , (ananda = congratulated).

References

See too

Buddhist Zazen
Meditation

External bonds - Buddhism

the samadhi, eighth member of the noble eightfold path

External bonds - hindouism

Samâdhi in Yoga

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