On Sahaja Samadhi (AOL: Seamless blend...)

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Namaste Hari,

 

Samaadhi is sam+aa+dhi. It is a state of intense mental concentration on

something.

 

Kalpa means create or perceive (the word kalpana is from the same root). Vikalpa

means existence of variety. Savikalpa means " with vikalpa " . Savikalpa samadhi is

a state of intense concentration of the mind, while creational variety or

objectification still exists in the mind. One perceives that there is an " I " and

there are " other " objects (e.g. deities, demons, people etc). But one is able to

focus the mind intensely on one object (e.g. a deity) and able to achieve

oneness with that object. Even reaching savikalpa samadhi is a tremendous thing

and many great yogis also cannot go beyond savikalpa samadhi.

 

In nirvikalpa samadhi, the creational variety and objectification ceases

(nirvikalpa=nir+vikalpa, nir=devoid of). Mind reaches a state where there is no

perception of I and " other " objects. One's consciousness is absorbed in supreme

consciousness (Brahman or Aatman), without any perception of a variety of

objects. This state is reached by very very few yogis.

 

Sahaja samadhi is a state where the mind is *simultaneously* perceiving a

variety of objects *and* absorbed in the supreme consciousness!

 

* * *

 

When one is normally perceiving a variety objects, one's mind is absorbed in an

*individualized* consciousness that is colored with the conditioning of that

individual's experiences over various lives. When one sees a beautiful person,

one's mind may get certain thoughts (depending on the experiences, values and

desires accumulated from many lives). When somebody is praising one, one's mind

may get certain thoughts. When somebody is criticizing one, one's mind may get

certain thoughts. And so on. One's mind has likes, dislikes, attractions,

repulsions etc, based on the accumulated experiences, values and desires of that

individualized consciousness.

 

In sahaja samadhi, one has no individualized consciousness and one's mind is

absorbed in the infinite supreme consciousness that is not colored by the

experiences and conditioning of a single individual. One is actively living in

the material world; one's mind is perceiving various objects of various

attributes through jnanendriyas; and, one's mind is engaging in various actions

in the material world though karmendriyas. Yet, one has no individualized

conditioning or I-ness.

 

Very very very few beings, mostly re-incarnations of rishis and gods, can reach

that state. For most others, that state is not really a possibility.

 

* * *

 

I gave an analogy earlier to explain various aspects of consciousness, using

parts of a computer.

 

ahamkaara (I-ness) - CPU

chitta (conditioning) - DRAM

buddhi - ALU or logic coprocessor

manas - I/O controller

jnanendriyas - input channels

karmendriyas - output channels

praanas - on-board power supply

deha (body) - mechanical parts, chassis etc

 

Normally, CPU is running a complex program where a lot of input channels and

output channels are active. DRAM has a lot of stored data and CPU is refreshing

it frequently. ALU is running several algorithms based on stored data and a lot

of I/O data gets stored/retrieved from DRAM all the time. This is analogous to a

person's normal state.

 

Nirvikalpa samadhi is like a state where the computer is in a power standby.

On-board power supply is hardly supplying any power, all input and output

channels are turned off, I/O controller is turned off and ALU is not running any

algorithms. If a computer goes into power standy and exits it quickly, it will

resume what it was doing before. Similarly, a person reaching nirvikalpa samadhi

and leaving it quickly will resume previous activities. If a computer stays in

the power standby for too long, it will be turned off and its state may be lost,

i.e. it cannot resume. If one stays in nirvikalpa samadhi for too long, one will

simply merge in Brahman and cannot resume previous activities.

 

Sahaja samadhi is akin to a computer running a bare minimum program that

accesses a program running on a central super computer on a network. CPU, ALU,

memory etc are running on a central super computer and our individual computer's

CPU simply has a small routine that accesses the results of the algorithm

running on the super computer and controls the local I/O controller accordingly.

There isn't much data stored locally and there is no algorithm running locally.

One's praanas are supplying power, one's jnanendriyas are getting inputs and

one's karmendriyas are engaging in actions, one's manas is controlling this

Input/Ouput activity and ahamkara (CPU) is controlling all this by running a

small program that accesses a super computer that is monitoring all the

computers of the world and deciding what this computer should do.

 

* * *

 

As I said, very very very few beings can reach sahaja samadhi and it is beyond

the reach of even the greatest yogis. As I said, most yogis cannot even reach

nirvikalpa samadhi. Some reach nirvikalpa samadhi, come back to regular

consciousness after a while and start to accumulate conditioning again (chitta,

i.e. DRAM). The CPU is running some program or the other, however small, and

accumulating more data in DRAM and building up an algorithm in ALU. Minimization

of I-ness is possible, but elimination of I-ness while embodied is very

difficult! If any limited I-ness is left and any conditioning (I am this, I need

this, I like this etc) is left, then it is NOT sahaja samadhi. Sahaja samadhi is

a lack of limited individual I-ness and connecting the supreme universal I-ness

directly to one's mind and body.

 

I cannot make judgments on individual claims, as it is none of my business. I

will take on individuals only when they interfere with my dharma and my sense of

dharma dictates that I should take them on.

 

But the bottomline is that sahaja samadhi state is no joke and only yogis of an

absolutely tremendous caliber reach it. Those who reach this state are like the

god - supreme cosmic being - himself.

 

* * *

 

Let me give another analogy. This life is like a long dream. Saviklapa samadhi

is like wakig up *within* the dream. Nirvikalpa samadhi is like waking up from

the dream. Sahaja samadhi is like being in the dream and yet being awake.

 

This may confuse people, but this analogy shows how complex and difficult sahaja

samadhi is. The previous computer analogy highlights how things work in a sahaja

samadhi, but does not show why and how difficult it is.

 

Best regards,

Narasimha

 

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> Dear Narasimha, namaste and pranaams

>

> What is sahaja samadhi and how is it different from nirvikalpa samadhi?

>

> best regards

> Hari

>

> > Sri Sri Ravishankar is a fully Enlightened Master living in

> > Sahaj Samadhi all times.