Samadhi (समाधि), in Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In the yogic traditions and the Buddhist commentarial tradition on which the Burmese Vipassana movement and the Thai Forest tradition rely, it is a meditative absorption or trance, attained by the practice of Dhyāna. The oldest Buddhist suttas, on which several contemporary western Theravada teachers rely, refer to the development of a luminous mind which is equanimous and mindful. 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 the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Siddha Spirituality of Swami Hardas Life System also considers Samadhi a healthy and beneficial practice for the well-being of each one of us.

What does Samadhi mean?

Samadhi is the eighth and final step on the path of yoga, as defined by Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The term is derived from several Sanskrit roots; ‘sam’ means “together” or “completely,” a meaning “toward” and ‘dhe’, meaning “put.” Direct translations vary, and interpretations range from “bliss” to “liberation” and even “enlightenment.”

Samadhi Origin

According to Rhys Davids, the first attested usage of the term samādhi in Sanskrit literature was in the Maitri Upanishad probably composed in the late 1st millennium BCE.

Association of Samadhi with Dhyana

The origins of the practice of dhyāna, which culminates in samādhi, are a matter of dispute. According to Bronkhorst, dhyāna was a Buddhist invention, whereas Alexander Wynne argues that dhyāna was incorporated from Brahmanical practices, in the Nikayas ascribed to Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta. These practices were paired with mindfulness and insight and given a new interpretation. Kalupahana also argues that the Buddha “reverted to the meditational practices” he had learned from Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta.

Types of Samadhi

In yoga, the experience of the infinity is the pined for reality. It is called “Brahman” in Hinduism; however here and there Parabrahman, sometimes Parashiva and once in a while Parameshwara are also used. No matter what it is called, it is the experience of everything. That is the reason Patanjali called it “Kaivalya”, “alone”. There is nothing past, close to, or outside of it. It is all that is, was, or ever will be. The ten sorts of samadhi are the successive stages one must go through in moving from the relative presence of our waking awareness to the condition of vastness, or Kaivalya.

After the eight limbs (Yama, Niyama, Asanas, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi) are aced, samadhi is the method used to plunge through awareness. Learning samadhi isn’t the completion of yoga, it is the start. This is essential to understand.

Ten types of Samadhi

The ten types of samadhi frame a sequence whereby awareness plunges from shallow into more profound layers, in a steady progression. “Kaivalya”, which signifies “alone” or “disengaged”, is referred to as joining with the infinity in the Yoga Sutra. The few, out of ten, types of samadhi are:

Sabija Samadhi

As the name suggests, it is the Samadhi ‘with the seed’. It means that there is an object of meditation. The object of meditation is called pratyaya. 

Samprajatna Samadhi

In this Samadhi the seeker is absorbed in Pratyaya at a singular level of consciousness. Saprajatna Samadhi can occur at each of the four levels of consciousness. The four states are:

• Savitarka Samadhi – Vitarka is the consciousness of specifics,
• Savicara Samadhi – Vicara is the consciousness of the paradigm,
• Ananda – The consciousness of patterns amongst paradigms, where one mulls more over the patterns than the paradigm, and
• Asmita – This is defined as the consciousness of oneness. There are no distinctions between the stages of awareness in this consciousness.

Asamprajatna Samadhi

This is the state of moving from one level to another of consciousness. The four stages of transition are as follows:

• Nirvitarka – vitarka to vicara,
• Nirvichara – vicara to Ananda,
• Ananda to Asmita, and
• Asmita to Nirbija Samadhi.

Nirbija Samadhi is the Samadhi ‘without a seed’. It is the highest form of Samadhi and leads directly to Dharma Megha Samadhi.

Dharma Megha Samadhi

It is the most unique kind of Samadhi and is the state of traveling out of the universe of relative happenings and surroundings and transitioning into Kaivalya.

Samadhi in Buddhism

Samādhi is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. It is often interpreted as referring to dhyāna (Pali: jhāna), but in the suttas, samādhi and dhyāna are not the same. While samādhi is a one-pointed concentration, in dhyāna this samādhi is used in the initial stages, to give way to a state of equanimity and mindfulness. 

The practice of dhyāna makes it possible to keep access to the senses in a mindful way, avoiding primary responses to the sense impressions. During the second rūpa-dhyāna, there is pīti (“rapture”) and non-sensual sukha (“pleasure”) as the result of samādhi (samādhi-Ji, “born of samādhi”) which is free from vitarka-vicara (“discursive thought”) and provides inner tranquility.

Samadhi yoga in Hinduism

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras

Samādhi is the eighth limb of the Yoga Sūtras, following the sixth and seventh limbs of dhāraṇā and dhyāna respectively. According to Taimni, dhāraṇā, dhyāna, and samādhi form a graded series:

Dharana 

In dhāraṇā, the mind learns to focus on a single object of thought. The object of focus is called a pratyaya. In dhāraṇā, the yogi learns to prevent other thoughts from intruding on focusing awareness on the pratyaya.

Dhyana

Over time and with practice, the yogin learns to sustain awareness of only the pratyaya, thereby dhāraṇā transforms into dhyāna. In dhyāna, the yogin comes to realize the triplicity of the perceiver (the yogin), perceived (the pratyaya), and the act of perceiving. The new element added to the practice of dhyāna, that distinguish it from dhāraṇā is the yogi learns to minimize the perceiver element of this triplicity. In this fashion, dhyāna is the gradual minimization of the perceiver or the fusion of the observer with the observed (the pratyaya).

Samadhi

When the yogin can: (1) sustain focus on the pratyaya for an extended period of time, and (2) minimize his or her self-consciousness during the practice, then dhyāna transforms into samādhi. In this fashion, then, the yogin becomes fused with the pratyaya.

Patanjali compares this to placing a transparent jewel on a colored surface: the jewel takes on the color of the surface. Similarly, in samādhi, the consciousness of the yogin fuses with the object of thought, the pratyaya. The pratyaya is like the colored surface, and the yogin’s consciousness is like the transparent jewel.

Samadhi in the Yoga Sutras

Samādhi is oneness with the object of meditation. There is no distinction between the act of meditation and the object of meditation. Samādhi is of two kinds, with and without the support of an object of meditation:

Samprajnata samadhi

It (also called samprajnata samādhi and sabija samādhi) refers to samādhi with the support of an object of meditation. In Sutra 1:17 Patanjali tells us that samprajnata samādhi comprises four stages:

• Complete high consciousness (samprajnata samādhi) is that which is accompanied by vitarka (deliberation),
• Vicara (reflection),
• Ananda (ecstasy), and
• Asmitā (a sense of ‘I’-ness).

Asamprajnata samadhi

This (also called nirvikalpa samādhi and nirbija samādhi) refers to samādhi without the support of an object of meditation, which leads to knowledge of purusha or consciousness, the subtlest element.

Samadhi in Saivism

Nirvikalpaka yoga is a term in the philosophical system of Shaivism, in which, through samādhi, there is a complete identification of the “I” and Shiva, in which the very concepts of name and form disappear and Shiva alone is experienced as the real Self. In that system, this experience occurs when there is complete cessation of all thought constructs.

Sahaja Samadhi

Ramana Maharshi distinguished between kevala nirvikalpa samadhi and Sahaja nirvikalpa samādhi:

Sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi is a state in which a silent level within the subject is maintained along with (simultaneously with) the full use of the human faculties.

Kevala nirvikalpa samadhi

Kevala nirvikalpa samādhi is temporary, whereas Sahaja nirvikalpa samādhi is a continuous state throughout daily activity. This state seems inherently more complex than sāmadhi since it involves several aspects of life, namely external activity, internal quietude, and the relation between them. It also seems to be a more advanced state, since it comes after the mastering of samādhi.

Sahaja is one of the four keywords of the Nath sampradaya along with Svecchachara, Sama, and Samarasa. Sahaja meditation and worship were prevalent in Tantric traditions common to Hinduism and Buddhism in Bengal as early as the 8th–9th centuries.

Mahasamadhi

In Hindu or Yogic traditions, mahāsamādhi, the “great” and final samādhi is the act of consciously and intentionally leaving one’s body at the moment of death. According to this belief, a realized and liberated (Jivanmukta) yogi or yogini who has attained the state of nirvikalpa samādhi can consciously exit from their body and attain enlightenment at the moment of death while in a deep, conscious meditative state.

Declaration of death in advance

Some individuals have, according to their followers, declared the day and time of their mahāsamādhi beforehand. These include Lahiri Mahasaya whose death on September 26, 1895, was of this nature.

According to Paramahansa Yogananda. Paramahansa Yogananda’s own death on March 7, 1952, was described by his followers as entering mahāsamādhi. Daya Mata, one of Yogananda’s direct disciples, said that Yogananda on the previous evening had asked her “Do you realize that it is just a matter of hours and I will be gone from this earth?”

Samadhi in Sikhism

In Sikhism, the word is used to refer to an action that one uses to remember and fix one’s mind and soul on Waheguru. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib informs:

• “Remember in meditation the Almighty Lord, every moment and every instant; meditate on God in the celestial peace of Samadhi.” (p. 508)
• “I am attached to God in celestial Samādhi.” (p. 865)
• “The most worthy Samadhi is to keep the consciousness stable and focused on Him.” (p. 932)

The term Samadhi refers to a state of mind rather than a physical position of the body. The Scriptures explain:

• “I am absorbed in celestial Samādhi, lovingly attached to the Lord forever. I live by singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord” (p. 1232)
• “Night and day, they ravish and enjoy the Lord within their hearts; they are intuitively absorbed in Samadhi. ||2||” (p. 1259)

The Sikh Gurus inform their followers:

• “Some remain absorbed in Samādhi, their minds fixed lovingly on the One Lord; they reflect only on the Word of the Shabad.” (p. 503.

Samadhi in Sufism

The idea of Fanaa in Sufi Islam has been compared to Samadhi.

Numerous benefits of Samadhi

There are numerous benefits of Samadhi Yoga. It reduces stress, brings positivity and stability to one’s life, and also keeps you away from illness. You become closer to God and also concentrate better on various things. You will also be free from depression, anxiety, and pain.

How to practice Samadhi?

The most efficient pathway to move towards Samadhi is to follow the steps in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. This is one of the oldest and most informative texts that identify a framework for yoga practice.

Yamas

In Sanskrit, this translates to regulation. This is about setting a guideline for morality in the universe. With discussions ranging from kindness to all beings, discipline of the mind, and self-examination. This serves as a strong first step for yogis to gain insight and become connected to their spiritual selves.

Niyamas

This asks for you to confront the challenges that you’re facing. With this, you focus on the self and take charge of your personal decisions and lifestyle.

Asanas

You may be familiar with the term asana as they refer to yoga poses. Yet, asanas can also refer to exercise for our minds. To truly achieve Samadhi, we must gain control of our emotions and set intentions.

Pranayama

If you’ve practiced yoga for a while, odds are you’ve heard of pranayama. This is about regulating our breath but also being appreciative. This is something we often take for granted yet it serves as fuel for our lives. Pranayama helps remind us of this.

Pratyahara

Pratyahara is about focusing on our senses. In this step, Pratyahara encourages us to become more present. When turning to ourselves, we develop a direct connection to our senses and learn to trust them then always relying on sight.

Dharana

Dharana in Sanskrit translates to “immovable concentration“. At this stage, you are thinking with intention, going deep within yourself, and focusing on a direct connection to the body and mind. Now, Dharana asks for you to calm the busy engine of the mind. Try taking all the steps before you and focus on one thing. It doesn’t matter what the object is but do so with the intent of being fully aware and present.

Dhyana

We achieve Dhyana once we are able to filter out the noise in our heads and are able to maintain concentration. This level of focus helps us to quiet our thoughts and delve deeper into meditation.

Samadhi

Samadhi is the final step where the body and mind are clear and we redefine ourselves.

What are the 3 levels of Samadhi?

There are three levels of Samadhi that elevate depending on one’s experience with meditation and turning inwardly. Each level takes dedication but most importantly, each level requires us to remove ourselves from the material world and look within ourselves. The levels include:

Level One: Savikalpa Samadhi

This is the first level of Samadhi. Within this stage, you start to transcend all mental activity. Patanjali even states that for a short period of time, an individual loses human consciousness. This is because the way we see space and time is now altered. But, as this is not a permanent state, we return to consciousness as usual. Patanjali describes these stages to achieve Savikalpa Samadhi as follows:

Stage 1- Savitarka Samadhi

This is where the mind becomes fixated on a physical object. The individual assesses the object for what it is through a full examination.

Stage 2 – Savichara Samadhi

This stage focuses on the outer layer of an object and focuses more on the qualities that are abstract. This is a time for admiration of its texture, colors, texture, or sound. We recognize the full extent of the object and it begins to provide a breadth of insight into what it is for us to fully understand.

Stage 3 – Sa-anada Samadhi

This stage moves past reasoning and requests our minds to rest. The mind becomes only aware of itself, its own joy and peace. The focus is on what is happening within ourselves.

Stage 4 – Sa-Asmita Samadhi

At last, you are within the purity of your mind by shedding the ego and being present. This awareness of the self is all that remains. There is no fear and no desire within this stage. Within Sa-Asmita Samadhi you are aware of the authentic divinity that resides within yourself.

Level Two: Nirvikalpa Samadhi

Nirvikalpa Samadhi asks us to recognize our ego and know the limitations of our material world. In this level of Samadhi, we begin to realize the possibilities of infinite peace. The heart will feel inviting and warm and with your infinite love, you encapsulate the universe within its embrace.

This share parallels with the Divine Consciousness in the Shankara Tradition. This tradition speaks of compassion for the world and everything that resides in it. Divinity is in everything and because of this we appreciate and express love to everything and everyone. That this love is within this moment. That we transcend what we know about time and space as our futures and past blend into the now.

Level Three: Dharma Megha Samadhi

According to Patanjali, this level is not one we attain with effort. It is when we reveal that we are not seeking anything, it is a divine gift that is received by those who have lost desires of our material world. This is a higher level of consciousness that’s received the name “Cloud of Virtue“.

How to move towards Samadhi?

Step 1: Start simple

Start by making a commitment to yourself about saying one thing every day that you’re grateful for. Sometimes this can be making a note in a journal or saying it out loud to yourself, but however, it feels best for you, make it a habit to say something that you may otherwise take for granted.

Step 2: Be present

Practice ways to be in the moment. This can be as simple as practicing your breathing, or as mentioned above, pranayama. Take a few moments of your day to slow down and calmly breathe through the nose. Sit comfortably and focus on each breath, while remembering to relax the tension in your jaw and the muscles in your face.

Step 3: The answers are within

Samadhi encourages us to look to ourselves for the answers. Most importantly, it requires us to shut out the material world and focus on what’s before us. It asks us to look at an object in our day-to-day life and truly examine its every detail.

Assess it for what it is, acknowledge it for its purposes, and recognize what it could be. Samadhi encourages us to see this in our lives, but also in ourselves. Take this time to evaluate some of the mental blocks or challenges you’ve been facing and gain control of your emotions and solutions that can help you to overcome them.

Step 4: Be patient

Life is dependent on the lens which we use. People experience life depending on their backgrounds, the lessons that they’ve learned, and the life that they have lived. 

Reaching whatever expectation you desire will most likely not be achieved with the pressure that you put on yourself. Release these desires, as they are hindering your growth, and be accepting and open to what is to come.

Step 5: Equality

Equality is a large component of Samadhi. It requires us to become in tune with the world around us. It’s important that in our journey we learn to appreciate our lives and the opportunities we have.

For this step, practice things that nourish your soul. What drives you and makes you passionate? Is there always something that you’ve wanted to try? If you can’t think of anything specific, try aligning yourself with a specific cause and see how you can help volunteer.

Step 6: Universal enlightenment

Accepting the universal enlightenment guidelines will serve as a great foundation for you to get started on your pathway to Samadhi. This will help you to gain insight into the guidelines for morality, understand how to apply them in your life and how to connect with the self. Becoming familiar with these will help on the journey to achieving enlightenment.

Step 7: Practice yoga

By practicing yoga, you are working to develop a stronger bond between the mind and body. This will aid your efforts when trying to concentrate on the self and the senses. You are gaining control of your movements and becoming aware of the energy within.

Step 8: Channel your energy

Channeling your energy and focusing on the now is an important step into Samadhi. It’s very important to learn to be in the moment and present. You can practice this by focusing on an object. This can be any household object that interests you. Just choose one and focus on its dimensions.

Acknowledge its depth and its color. Practice just focusing on one object for a specific length of time. Once complete, try another object for a longer duration of time. This practice will help you channel energy and better your practice of being present and focused.

Step 9:  Practice positive thinking

When we’re focusing on the self, unwanted thoughts or negative emotions generally rise to the surface. This is often because we have suppressed these thoughts over time. They’ve chosen to linger in our subconscious and come out when they see the best opportunity to wreak havoc in our lives.

When tuning into the self, we’re confronting these negative thoughts. This is an opportunity for us to accept these thoughts and see them as lessons in our lives. 

Step 10: Chakra check-In

On this journey, check in with what comes up for you. Are you noticing specific patterns that have been holding you back? Is there a specific concern that keeps coming to mind that you didn’t realize was troubling you?

If this is the case, try taking a moment to meditate on what those thoughts are as they could align with a specific chakra. Identifying a specific chakra that relates to your concern may help you to find poses or techniques that help to move the negative energy out.

Step 11: Focus on healthy practices

Much associate Samadhi with enlightenment. Because of this, it doesn’t come to much surprise that Samadhi completes the final stage of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Samadhi is an experience that is often difficult for one to explain in words as it varies for each individual.

Step 12: Learn about self

It’s difficult to know what is troubling us when we’re preoccupied with living our lives and making ends meet. Sometimes we’re not aware of something enough to pinpoint exactly what is troubling us. In this instance, perhaps there is certain behavior that you’re doing that you are just not aware of.

For instance, some individuals may have a habit of stress eating, but they’re not aware of it. Once you’re able to be an observer of your own life, you can better see these issues. Try removing yourself to see if you recognize any of your conscious choices by journaling your day-to-day or changing up your routine. This can help learn more about yourself and gain back control.

Step 13: Connect spiritually

Some individuals may not have experience connecting themselves to their spiritual side. This is an element that is vital to the progression to Samadhi as you are working closer to enlightenment.

If you wish to see beyond the material world, it will help to connect with the spiritual realm. This introduces you to know there is more beyond the here and now, that the universe is infinite, and that we are all connected.

Step 14: Language matters

In our daily routines, it may be easy to get lost in the negative dialogue. But, this language seeps into us. Into our subconscious, it is telling us that it is okay to think this way.

When we engage our thinking to be positive we are retraining our brain to speak and think positively.

Step 15: Become familiar with the history

Lastly, becoming familiar with the history of Samadhi and Patanjali Yoga Sutras will serve you best in guidance on moving towards Samadhi. You will be able to resonate with stories and statements that best serve you while focusing on instances that resonate and challenge you.

Remember that each day there is an opportunity to confront our challenges and to delve deeper into understanding ourselves and the world around us. Take time and be patient with yourself. Set intentions and be patient in your progress. Reaching enlightenment takes a commitment to the practice of yoga, spirituality, and self-love.

Frequently asked questions

Before posting your query, kindly go through them:

What is the meaning of Samadhi? Samadhi is the eighth and final step on the path of yoga, as defined by Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The term is derived from several Sanskrit roots; ‘sam’ means “together” or “completely,” a meaning “toward” and ‘dhe’, meaning “put.” Direct translations vary, and interpretations range from “bliss” to “liberation” and even “enlightenment.”

Where does Samadhi fit in Ashtanga Yoga? 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 the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Which are the eight limbs in Ashtanga yoga? The eight limbs include Yama, Niyama, Asanas, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. The samadhi is the method used to plunge through awareness. Learning samadhi isn’t the completion of yoga, it is the start. This is essential to understand.