Stages of Samadhi according to Yoga-Darsana

03-24-2002, 06:52 AM

Namaste!

Real samadhi starts upon the destruction of all modifications of
consciousness (ksina-vrtter, etc., see Yoga-sutra I.41), which
implies at least that all cognitive sense organs (jnanendria) have
been turned off, while the karmendria and the reproductive organ stay
inactive.

In its innermost functional definition, the cognitive meditation
(samprajnata-samadhi) is a kind supernatural perception (alaukika, or
yogaja-pratyaksa) accompanied by analytical (vitarka) and assertoric
(vicara) activity of buddhi.

Cognitive (samprajnata) samadhis are 8, with and without these two
kinds of intellectual activity, and, correspondingly, the uneven
samadhis (1, 3, 5, and 7) are savikalpa (containing vitarka and
vicara as a means to get rid of the doubts, vicikitsa, about the true
essence of the gross and fine objects) and nirvikalpa, or, which is
one and the same, avikalpa (devoid of unreal presentations about the
gross and fine objects).

The 8 samadhis are called also samapatti because they jave the
essential form of yogaja-pratyaksa, that is, extraordinary imeediate
contact with the pure sattvika nature of the contemplative object.

Typologically, the objects of the 8 samapatti are 3:
1. Grahya - the apprehended
2. Grahana - the apprehension
3. Grahitri - the Apprehending principle

Here comes the classification of all samadhis:

1. Savitarka-samapatti
2. Nirvitarka-samapatti
- here ends the meditation (samadhi=yoga) on the gross grahya
objects.

3. Savicara-samapatti
4. Nirvicara-samapatti
- here ends the meditation on the fine grahya objects

5. Sananda-samapatti
- meditation with bliss contaminations due to the pleromatic,
truth abounding state of rtambhara. The absorbed into the elements of
the cognitive power is called videha (fleshless, possessing only a
fine causal body, constituted by the ahamkaras).
6. Nirandana-samapatti
- here (according to Vacaspati Misra) ends the bliss contaminated
grahana-based samadhi. In the beginning of his Yoga-varttika I.18,
Vijnana Bhiksu says that the first form of ananda-samadhi is
subdivided into 5 samapattis, because the ananda-meditation with
grahana is specified by the first four objects of meditation, and the
fifth form of sananda-samadhi is the meditation on the very process
of meditation.

7. Sasmita-samapatti
- meditation on the grahitri with illusory identifications of the
subject of meditation ranging down to the primordial prakriti; the
absorbed into prakriti is called prakritilaya.
8. Nirasmita-samapatti
- here end all wrong subect identifications; the Ccontempator
(drastu) resides in his own form. This state called Dharma-Megha
(Cloud of Dharma) where the viveka-khyati on the ultimate difference
between parkriti and purusa shines forth.

These are the 8 forms of samprajnata-samadhi. They are called also
sabija-samadhi, or sabija-Yoga, because though all modifications of
citta have been erradicated, the very nature of consciosness to be
directed on something, its intentional activity, is still there. Thus
one comes to the practice of virama-pratyaya, the idea of cessation
of all intentional activity, which constitutes the essence of the
asamprajnata-samadhi, or nirbija-yoga. All samskaras are being
contracepted even before they start to rise (no whatsoever vyuthana
plane of citta possible).

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Sarvam mangalam!

12-29-2006, 05:02 AM

I am Recrut.
I hope I welcome here...
I am new to this...

01-16-2007, 09:10 PM

This was when he was a baby...he's all grown up now.