Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S
Samadhi is described as a state of meditative consciousness. We are able to discover Samadhi defined in treatises of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Yoga. Samadhi will be cultivated and achieved by means of numerous strategies of meditation. It’s a vital instrument for attaining moksha or nirvana, which has been defined as ‘attainment of spiritual liberation or oneness in the divine / God’.
Samadhi is a state during which the particular person is in a state of unwavering focus. It’s stated to be the final word stage of Yoga observe. Grasp Charaka has counted Samadhi as one among the many 5 therapies included in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa i.e. Ayurveda Psychotherapy.
So, together with Jnana – non secular information, Vijnana – scriptural or scientific information, Dhairya – braveness and Smriti – reminiscence, Samadhi will be included in efficient therapy of psychological / psychological issues and in addition in prevention of the identical. Samadhi can be introduced into observe as a person remedy.
Mentions
Samadhi is included and defined –
– among the many eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga (Patanjali Yoga Sutras)
– among the many Eightfold Path enumerated in Buddhism
– in Jain Meditation observe – one of many final phases of observe previous to attainment of liberation
Samadhi will be promoted for these affected by persistent illnesses or in any state of illness. This is able to assist in decreasing the wavering of thoughts and reduce the fluctuations and fickleness of the thoughts. This may in the end result in the thoughts getting centered and experiencing tranquility.
This is essential as a result of most illnesses are psychosomatic in nature and the particular person’s thought course of is continually and constantly invested within the illness and illness signs. This is able to waver the thoughts which can attain numerous ranges of hysteria, despair, fear or stress. This can be a supply for agitation and worsening of any illness on the bodily or psychological aircraft or any psychosomatic illness for that matter. You will need to preserve the thoughts on the x-axis, at a state of steadiness. This may be achieved by means of the appliance of assorted strategies of Yoga. Samadhi can be thought-about as Yogic leisure, which can also be a component and parcel of psychotherapy.
‘Yoga’ has been outlined by Grasp Patanjali as ‘Chitta Vritti Nirodha’. Chitta means thoughts, vritti means actions of the thoughts. Nirodha means to manage or to dam. Chitta Vritti Nirodha means to manage the fluctuant and uncontrolled actions of the thoughts and channelize it in correct stream. This itself is Yoga. Management over the thoughts and thoughts actions are additionally equated with ‘self-control’. Chitta Vritti Nirodha additionally means ‘control over the sense organs and their subjects’ that are once more underneath the management and supervision of the thoughts.
Briefly – Chitta Vrittis are the thoughts cluttering ideas. Vritti is a wave which fluctuates and wavers a secure chitta (consciousness, thoughts, reminiscence). This defines a ‘mind chatter’ or ‘monkey mind’. Yoga is the observe which places brakes on the chitta vrittis and calms the thoughts and retains it indifferent from cluttering ideas. Chitta Vritti Nirodha can also be the aim of Yoga. It not solely reduces stress but additionally will increase self-awareness. Chitta Vrittis are the limiting, habituated thought patterns or misconceptions that may forestall an individual from seeing and realizing the reality in regards to the Self and the world during which he’s.
Taking a look at this from Ayurveda perspective,
Sattva, Raja and Tama are the three fundamental attributes / gunas of the manas. An individual is labelled as Sattvika, Rajasika or Tamasika relying on the predominance of those gunas of thoughts. They’re additionally referred to as Trigunas and in addition take part within the creation of the Srishti – creation. These gunas are liable for every psychological occasion taking place in a person and are because of the fluctuations in these attributes – individually or comparatively.
Sattva represents and is liable for non secular bliss, true, exact and complete information and lightweight / brightness (evolution, consciousness). Rajo Guna represents and is liable for all of the capabilities of a person and is thus a practical entity. It’s the driving drive behind the actions we do. Tamo guna alternatively represents and is liable for inertia and darkness.
So, indulgence in objects and fluctuations occurring within the thoughts are additionally as a consequence of imbalances occurring in these attributes. Sattva is a state of steadiness and Ayurveda doesn’t think about it as a dosha. The opposite two gunas i.e. rajas and tamas bear fluctuations and should trigger chitta vrittis of various sorts. Due to this fact, raja and tama are thought-about as mano doshas i.e. the contaminants of the thoughts. Imbalances of raja and tamo gunas will afflict the steadiness of sattva guna. The intention of psychotherapy in Ayurveda will likely be to steadiness the raja and tama gunas and to reinforce or steadiness the sattva guna and Samadhi is without doubt one of the instruments to realize this.
Understanding the function of Samadhi in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa by means of definitions and etymology of Samadhi
Samadhi is outlined in some ways and it has many contextual meanings and definitions and in addition refers to totally different ranges of states.
Abstract of various definitions clarify Samadhi as a –
– Meditative absorption or Meditative contemplation.
– Non-dualistic state of consciousness
– Full absorption of the thoughts in a single object of meditation
– A state of intensified consciousness
– A state during which the thoughts is just not scattered
– A frame of mind whereby the particular person is conscious of the traits of creation and destruction of assorted phenomena within the creation
– A state of not being distracted and be focussed, primarily on a single object
– A state of consciousness during which the thoughts understands and is conscious of big range of phenomena across the object of meditation despite being regular and focussed
– A state during which the particular person understands the issues match to know and see as they’re (of their actual and unadulterated state) i.e. yatartha jnana, after the thoughts has been skilled, tuned to focus, cleansed and calmed
– A state during which one identifies self with absolutely the
– A state whereby one perceives the id of jivatma i.e. particular person or private soul inside and paramatma i.e. cosmic spirit or larger / absolute soul
Etymology of Samadhi
Samadhi is made up of two phrases, Sam or Sama and Adhi.
Sam means to deliver collectively. If Sama is taken into account, it means – similar, equal or convergence of two distinct issues.
Samadhi, by its root phrases, may imply ‘meditative concentration on an object of meditation’. This may allow the obscure and hidden issues to develop into clear objects of information or cognition i.e. the supply or core from the place the perception of the particular person takes its origin / beginning.
If sama is taken into account – it could imply, ‘the convergence of two distinct things on the basis of some common features’. Adhi means larger or higher. Samadhi would imply ‘skillful unification of the mind and the object’.
So, summing up numerous variations of etymologies of the phrase Samadhi, it could imply ‘to bring together’ or ‘concentration or unification of mind’. Briefly, Samadhi would imply ‘concentration’ or ‘focus’.
Then again;
Sam additionally means full or good and Dhi means consciousness. Samadhi, in accordance with Stephen Sturgess, is a state during which the meditator, meditation and object of meditation merge into oneness. He additionally opines that Sam which suggests union and Adhi means almighty (God). Samadhi is a state of union with the Lord.
Sama means equal and Dhi means Buddhi. So, Samadhi additionally might imply ‘an equanimous intellect or an intellect which is non discriminating’ (Sadguru).
Summing up,
From the definitions and etymology, we derive that samadhi is a state which brings and bestows in its practitioner or Yogi a serene steadiness, consciousness and tranquility of thoughts.
Being a type of meditation, it bestows all advantages of meditation together with good focus and focus. This may heal the ailing thoughts and can preserve her or him indifferent from the objects of temptation. The particular person would acquire victory over imbalanced rajas and tamas attributes and can improve sattva high quality. The particular person would look inwards and uncover self and within the course of the consciousness and divine or common soul. He will likely be enriched with philosophical, non secular and scientific information and will likely be able to discriminate and choose in order to what’s proper and what’s flawed. This may assist him to stay away from flawed issues and deeds.
It allows one to know issues as they are surely i.e. yathartha jnana and helps in growth in a single level focus.
Samadhi is a state whereby the practitioner sustains concentrate on the item of focus i.e. pratyaya, for an prolonged time period whereas minimizing their self-consciousness throughout observe. That is when dhyana (sustained consciousness of solely pratyaya) transforms into samadhi. Due to this fact, practising of dharana and dhyana kind necessary and obligatory perquisites for practising Samadhi. That is additionally when the practitioner fuses and experiences oneness with the item of focus. The consciousness fuses with the item of thought.
To maintain it easy, Samadhi is oneness with the item of meditation. The result’s that there will likely be no distinction between the act of meditation and the item of meditation. Samadhi can be achieved with out the item of meditation – asamprajnata or nirvikalpa samadhi. When an object is used to realize samadhi it’s referred to as as Samprajnata Samadhi or Savikalpa Samadhi.
Nirvikalpa Samadhi helps in achieving the information of consciousness or purusha – the subtlest factor. It is usually the merger of the chittavrittis i.e. psychological actions within the Self in such a method that the excellence of knower, realizing and object recognized turns into vanished or dissolved – chitta vritti nirodha, which can also be referred to as as Yoga which is a media for attaining sattvavajaya.
Samadhi allows one to let go of his or her ego and get consciousness of the spirit past creation.
Different meanings during which Samadhi is mentioned vs Sattvavajaya
Samadhi can also be understood within the which means of bliss, liberation or enlightenment. It’s the eighth stage of Ashtanga Yoga.
Samadhi is a state whereby a person practising it or Yogi has fully withdrawn self from the skin world and concurrently has linked self along with his or her internal world by reaching a stage of full bliss. One can expertise the joyful world inside and luxuriate in it to the fullest. One would see the whole lot equally with out his or her thoughts being disturbed by exterior components, with out perceiving likes or dislikes, with out judgements and getting connected to any specific state of affairs or particular person or object.
The state of Samadhi can’t be attained with ease. One ought to have purity of thoughts and ought to be fully able to enter into the state of Samadhi and obtain it, with none impressions, judgments, needs or attachments.
When the particular person experiences bliss, liberation, enlightenment or oneness with the larger soul, he’s on the peaks of consciousness. This displays a peaceful and balanced thoughts and that the particular person has conquered the enemies of thoughts.
What is required to realize Samadhi?
To attain Samadhi, three points want to return collectively in a linear equation –
– The thoughts
– The item of meditation and
– The method of meditation (Dhyana)
In Samadhi, all these three collectively would get absorbed into pure consciousness. This itself is chitta vritti nirodha. The thoughts, within the state of Samadhi, is free from any fluctuations or disturbances. There’s additionally a state of transcendence of thoughts and ego and full consciousness. In the end there’s a merger of particular person consciousness with common consciousness. One obtains true realization of the character of actuality. That is really the aim of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa.
Experiences whereas in Samadhi
Whereas in a state of Samadhi, the Yogi or practitioner would expertise the beneath talked about –
– One wouldn’t have or have little consciousness of his or her bodily physique
– Expertise ample inside bliss or pleasure
– One would sense that she or he is being drawn in direction of or pulled right into a state of deeper meditation
– One would expertise a journey in a pathway main from a gross expertise to a delicate expertise to a stage the place one would lastly lose all his sense of self, time and house
– One would visualize mild when she or he has stored their eyes closed
– Pure and fixed consciousness of oneness with spirit, divine or God which results in final bliss
– With self-awareness obtained from Samadhi, one would discover the pure consciousness in self and in the whole lot round her or him, in individuals, animals and nature
– The thoughts would develop into freed from attachments, judgmental tendencies and needs and would attain pure bliss and contentment
We have to keep in mind that one must grasp the opposite seven limbs of Ashtanga Yoga to enter into and expertise Samadhi. Samadhi can’t be practiced. It occurs spontaneously throughout meditation and is an expertise. One might expertise a sudden escalation into Samadhi when she or he dedicates their time in direction of practising Dharana – focus and Dhyana – meditation.
Every thing that an individual experiences throughout Samadhi is a component and parcel of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa.
Lastly,
Samadhi is an integral half and department of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa. Individually as a remedy it helps in balancing the thoughts, conquering the doshas of the thoughts, therapy and prevention of psychological / psychological issues. Together with different interventions talked about by Grasp Charaka amongst Sattvavajaya Chikitsa, the advantages will likely be immense and unparalleled.
