ED, There are many levels of samadhi, but if I was to generalise then I would say it is single-pointedness of mind brought about by intense concentration. It's also been described
as a home for the mind. I find access concentration exremely useful as it makes sitting feel pleasant (for longer sitting) and holds the 5 hindrances at bay (restlessness, worry, doubt etc.). Buddha taught that the mind craves sensory pleasures and samadhi/jhana can provide this, therefore making the seeking of external pleasures redundant. It also gives the practioner a taste of the pure state of the mind, and nirvana, and so acts as motivation for further meditation. It should also be pointed out that that pureness of mind is something to take off the cushion into everyday life. Morality is a big issue with samadhi too, because without following the precepts it's almost impossible to reach the depth of concentration needed to enter samadhi (living life without following the precepts causes the hindrances to be too over-powering when sitting down to meditate). There's so, so much more than this. Mike ________________________________ From: ED <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, 2 August 2012, 16:37 Subject: [Zen] Re: Chan and zen Mike, Samadhi has numerous meanings. What do you mean by 'samadhi'? Joe, what do you mean by 'samadhi' ? Do Zen masters ever use the term 'samadhi'? --ED Dictionary Search Results sa·ma·dhi noun /səˈmädÄ"/ samadhis, plural * A state of intense concentration achieved through meditation. In Hindu yoga this is regarded as the final stage, at which union with the divine is reached (before or at death) * A funerary monument ________________________________ Web definitions * Samadhi (Sanskrit: समाधि) in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyÄ�na. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga SÅ«tras of Patañjali. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samadhi * Samadhi is a 1950 Bollywood film directed by Ramesh Saigal. A box-office success, the film became the highest earning film of 1950, earning an approximate gross of Rs. 1,35,00,000 and a nett gross of Rs. 75,00,000. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samadhi_(1950_film) * "Samadhi" is a 1972 Hindi film directed by Prakash Mehra. The film stars Dharmendra in a dual role as father and son, Asha Parekh and Jaya Bhaduri as the love interests. Music is by R.D. Burman. ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samadhi_(1972_film) * A state of transcendent union supposed to be assumed by a holy man or yogi at his death; The burial of a holy man before his death in anticipation of such a state; The highest state of meditation, at which complete unity is reached en.wiktionary.org/wiki/samadhi * A state in which the aspirant is one with the object of his meditation, the Supreme Spirit pervading the universe, where there is a feeling of unutterable joy and peace. www.poweryoga.com/aboutyoga/article.php * the final stage of ashtanga yoga in which concentration becomes one with the object of concentration; supreme union. www.healthandyoga.com/yogaglossary.html * The eighth stage or limb of yoga as defined by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras and is the enlightened and ecstatic state of supreme consciousness and union. ... www.yogaforbeginners.com/html/glossary01.htm * Concentration; the practice of centering the mind in a single sensation or preoccupation, usually to the point of jhana. www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/glossary.asp * The name in India for spiritual ecstasy. It is a state of complete trance, induced by means of mystic concentration. www.theosociety.org/pasadena/key/key-glo3.htm * total yogic integration; ecstatic consciousness www.iivs.de/~iivs01311/SDLE/Glossary.htm * collectedness of the mind through gradual calming of mental activity. www.zentexts.org/zen-term.html * Samadhi is the eighth step of Patanjali's yoga. One speaks of samadhi with and without support oaks.nvg.org/buddord.html * Meditative absorption. A state of deep meditation. www.thebuddhistsociety.org/resources/Glossary.html * goal of yoga, becoming aware of nothing iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall05/levy/terms.html * a trance; state of suspended sensation; superconsciousness; perfect relaxation. www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rwy/rwy14.htm * abstract meditation. the highest and last stage of Yoga. Perfect absorption of thought into the Supreme Spirit, when one realises. "I and my Father are one." www.vivekananda.net/glossary.html * A transcendental state of awareness in which one experiences the supreme reality and becomes Selfâ€�realised. This state occurs when the topmost chakra, sahasrara is activated. www.kundaliniawakeningsystems1.com/glossary.html * established mindfulness in meditative concentration, when the mind experiences a calm, peaceful, unified, and blissful sustained awareness (technically samÄ�dhi is synonymous with the four jhÄ�na, but is often used in a more general way). www.ajahnchah.org/book/Glossary_Pali_Words.php * This term has a variety of meanings. In Zen it implies not merely equilibrium, tranquility, and one-pointedness, but a state of intense yet effortless concentration, of complete absorption of the mind in itself, of heightened and expanded awareness. ... www.windhorsezen.org/blog/ * union with the ecstatic consciousness of the Soul by the full awakening of the Kundalini Shakti combined with full absorption of the attention upon the Soul. The term samadhi (small 's') is also used to refer to the flowing of energy to any focal point of concentration in Raja Yoga. ... www.mudrashram.com/glossarypage.html * 'concentration'; lit. 'the (mental) state of being firmly fixed' (sam+á+Ö há), is the fixing of the mind on a single object. "One-pointedness of mind (cittass' ekaggatá), Brother Visakha, this is called concentration" (M. 44). ... www.urbandharma.org/udharma2/dictionary/bd21.html * Derived from Yoga, this term refers to the transcendence of personal ego to attain a state of oneness with true reality. A state of bliss. www.hipplanet.com/books/atoz/glossary.htm * Union, true meditation, transcendence. David says, "The only samadhi truly worth dwelling upon is the one that lasts forever." www.davidspero.org/glossary/index.html * The simple structure or place commemorating dead saints or gurus, who often yielded their life by simply ceasing the act of breathing. www.suite101.com/content/glossary-q-to-s-a13066 * 1. Fully matured meditation, the last of the eight steps of the yoga system taught by Patanjali. A perfected devotee of the Supreme Lord also achieves the same samadhi. 2. The tomb of a pure devotee of the Lord. www.krishna.com/glossary-s > --- In [email protected], mike brown uerusuboyo@ wrote: > > > > ED, > > > > As I pointed out in a previous post, Buddha sorted his own problem out and > > now so do we. The only thing I would argue with Bill! is that the Buddha's > > self-realisation came out of being in samadhi and the jhanic mind state. > > This is the path he then taught. If these antecedents are not required, > > then why have they been taught for 2,500 years? > > > > Mike
