Stages of Samadhi according to Yoga-Darsana

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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!

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