Samadhi (समाधि samādhi, Hindi pronunciation: [səˈmaːdʱɪ]) is a Sanskrit term for the state of consciousness induced by complete meditation.
- This can happen spontaneously. – khaṇika samādhi – Being experienced as those rare moments of Cosmic Consciousness, enlightenment that swiftly drains away. It may be triggered by physically or emotionally charged peak experiences such as in runner’s high or orgasmic ecstasy. Additionally, more mundane activities such as reveling in a sunset, dancing or a hard day’s work have, in rare instances, induced Samhadi.
- It can occur through effort of will and practice by a dedicated student – upacāra samādhi –
- It can occur effortlessly for the truly enlightened ones. – appaṇā samādhi –
The etymology of “Samhadi” means moving towards an understanding of the interconnectedness of all things on an intellectual or scientific level. i.e. sam meaning; together, integrated, even, towards, and dha meaning; intellect, to get it, to hold a concept or something you love.
Shambhallah Samadhi is a course of study that leads to a state of complete control (samadhana) over the functions and distractions of consciousness. It is an altered state of consciousness that is characterized by bliss (ananda) and joy (sukha). This state of consciousness is what we like to call The Clear Calm pool of Reflection. You cannot access your inner abilities accurately unless you can access this state of consciousness at will. We embrace analogous techniques from many cultures. An example is the Sufi words fana-fillah and baqa-billah are analogous to nirvikalpa samadhi and sahaj samadhi respectively.
The ZiGi meditation that we teach is central to this and all acquisition of the siddhis. It opens the 3rd eye properly, via a techniques that has been taught in our tradition for 20,000 years. Handed from teacher to student in unbroken lines, these techniques are the beginning of all other things. It is the doorway to the spiritual realms.
Samadhi Has 4 Stages:
- Laya. The Potential. You feel the possibility of attaining the state of joy, universaly intergrated well-being.
- Savikalpa. Intellectualizing. The conscious mind.
- Kalpa, first you use imagination or visualizations.
- Sankalpa, to attain that which you “wish.”
- Vikalpa comes naturally out of the first 2, where you “leave imagination” and desire. This is the state of reality and Truth. Seeing all intellectualism and philosophizing as imaginations andlies you enter a state of Bliss and Beingness.
- Nirvikalpa is a transcendent state of consciousness where you loose yourself and sense of self. In this state there is no longer mind, duality, or subject-object relationship or experience. You understand that everything is one. This is pure Awareness. Nothing is missing from Wholeness and Perfection.
- Sahaja. Enlightened to the point where we can remain in this world and can be and remain spontaneously free. Staying in Nirvikalpa can become Sahaja which is effortless but even from this condition one must eventually return to ego-consciousness. Otherwise, this highest level of Samadhi leads to the logical end of individual identity and also death on al levels of reality. Nirvana the total reintergration into the whole. However, we dont have to go that far. It is possible to stay in Nirvikalpa Samadhi and yet be fully functional in this world. This is Sahaja.
In advanced Samadhi, the side effects are observable. All attachment to the material world and all karma is dissolved. All awareness is withdrawn step by step from the physical, astral and causal bodies until self-realization or oneness with the soul is achieved. During this process, breathing ceases and the heart stops beating. (Some Gurus demonstrate this by being able to remain buried for weeks.) The practitioner spontaneously achieves better health as the body become sustained by Divine Grace. Deep empathy and connectedness with other people manifest as psychic awareness of them. Aware and fully conscious oneness is achieved in a most loving way, and all cells of the physical body are flooded with the Ocean of Divine Love and Divine Bliss. This may last for a moment of for hours, day or, weeks. It ceaces when the individual shifts their awareness from the cosmic back to the physical body. Miraculous happenings spontaneously occur in connection with the Samadhi Enlightenment for the practitioners and and those around them. Samadhi practitioners may develop supernormal abilities called siddhis (abhijna), which is one of our goals here at Shambhallah Awareness Centre.
Note: The ZiGi Meditation and Samhadi Techniques are not just the normal lower levels of meditation. The ability to obtain positive results from meditation is much more difficult than simply just relaxing and meditating. This is where a qualified spiritual teacher is useful. Not just one who declares themselves so, but one who has demonstrated their mastery of their abilities over the years. This should be someone who you can be trusted to teach a meditator about the deeper workings of the mind.
Other Samadhi
Bhakti – Samhadi through Love
The Vaishnava Bhakti Schools of Yoga define Samadhi as “complete absorption into the object of one’s love.” Rather than thinking of “nothing,” samadhi is said to be achieved only when one has pure, unmotivated love of something seeing it as part of the divine body of God.
“Meditation means to absorb your mind in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is meditation, real meditation. In all the standard scriptures and in yoga practice formula, the whole aim is to concentrate one’s mind in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called samadhi, samadhi, ecstasy. So that ecstasy is immediately brought by this chanting process. You begin chanting and hear for the few seconds or few minutes: you immediately become on the platform of ecstasy.”
– A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Leaving the Body for Samhadi at Death
Advanced yogis can intentionally leave their bodies as a final attainment or soul-liberation. Mahasamadhi is a term often used for this intentional departure from the physical body at death. Karma is completely surrendered unto the Divine and dissolved into The Clear Calm Pool of Reflection. They can experience this as The Divine Ocean of Love washing over them. The individual returns to The Divine, merging into Oneness or Nivana.
of any supernormal physical effects as purported in the literature such as the breath and heart-beat stopping or any degree of conscious control during the event. Also absent are siddhis-like special powers as an aftermath although virtually all experiencers report they became imbued with a holistic and compassionate world view and no longer feared death.
Shambhallah 