Samadhi

Samadhi - Absorption in the Self

Samadhi is a state of complete mental absorption where the distinction between the meditator, the act of meditation, and the object of meditation dissolves. It is the eighth and final limb of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga and the culmination of all meditative practice.

In Advaita Vedanta, samadhi is understood somewhat differently than in the Yoga tradition. While Yoga sees samadhi as the highest accomplishment to be attained through practice, Vedanta sees it as the natural state of the Self - not something to be achieved but something to be recognized.

Samadhi in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras

Patanjali describes several levels of samadhi:

1. Savikalpa Samadhi (with distinction) - The mind is absorbed in an object, but the sense of subject and object remains subtly present. This includes:

   • Savitarka - absorption with gross objects
   • Savichara - absorption with subtle objects
   • Sananda - absorption with bliss
   • Sasmita - absorption with the sense of “I”

2. Nirvikalpa Samadhi (without distinction) - All mental modifications cease. The mind becomes like a transparent crystal, reflecting only the pure consciousness of the Self.

Samadhi in Advaita Vedanta

In Advaita, the emphasis is not on attaining special states but on recognizing the Self that is present in all states - waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. Samadhi is valuable not as an experience but as a means of removing the obstacles that prevent this recognition.

The Vedantic teaching is:

• Samadhi is a state of mind, not the Self
• The Self is present in all states, including the most ordinary
• Nirvikalpa samadhi is a powerful confirmation of the truth, but it is not the truth itself
• The goal is not to be in samadhi permanently but to know the Self that is always present

The Witness of Samadhi

The Jivanmukta - one who is liberated while living - may or may not experience deep samadhi states. What distinguishes the jivanmukta is not the experience of extraordinary states but the constant, effortless knowledge of the Self.

The sage Ramana Maharshi was asked whether he experienced nirvikalpa samadhi. He replied: “There is no difference between samadhi and the natural state. When the mind subsides, the Self shines forth. But the Self does not shine in samadhi alone. It shines always. The difference is only in our recognition of it.”