In Yoga, Samādhi is a higher level of concentrated meditation,
which transcends the realms of body, mind and intellect, and where the
logical and analytical ability of the being becomes silent. Samadhi symptomatically represents itself as
the transcendental state, wherein even consciousness of the yogi might
get detached from the body. According to Bhargava Dictionary
Samadhi is the exercise of austerity of a Yogi whereby he acquires the
power of suspending the connection between the body and soul as long as
he likes. In terms of Consciousness, it has been described as a non-dualistic state of consciousness in which the consciousness of the experiencing subject becomes one with the experienced object, and in which the mind becomes still, one-pointed or concentrated while the person remains conscious.
In Buddhism Samādhi, or concentration of the mind, can refer to an abiding in which mind becomes very still but does not merge with the object of attention, and is thus able to observe and gain insight into the changing flow of experience. It is the 3rd division of the eightfold path of the Buddha's threefold training: wisdom (pañña), conduct (sīla), Samādhi (Buddhism) (samādhi) - within which it is developed by samatha meditation. Some Buddhist schools teach of 40 different object meditations, according to the Visuddhimagga, a medieval commentarial text. These objects include meditations on the breath (anapanasati), loving kindness (metta) and various colours, earth, fire, etc. (kasiṇa).
Important components of Buddhist meditation, frequently discussed by
the Buddha, are the successively higher meditative states known as the
four jhānas which in the language of the eight-fold path, are "right concentration". Right concentration has also been characterised in the Maha-cattarisaka Sutta as concentration arising due to the previous seven steps of the noble eightfold path.
Four developments of samādhi are mentioned in the Pāli Canon:
- Jhāna
- Increased alertness
- Insight into the true nature of phenomena (knowledge and vision)
- Final liberation
Post-canonical Pali literature identifies three different types of samādhi:
- momentary samādhi (khaṇikasamādhi)
- access concentration (upacārasamādhi)
- fixed concentration (appaṇāsamādhi)
Not all types of samādhi are recommended either. Those which focus and multiply the five hindrances are not suitable for development. The Buddhist suttas also mention that samādhi practitioners may develop supernormal powers (abhijñā, also see siddhis)
and list several that the Buddha developed, but warn that these should
not be allowed to distract the practitioner from the larger goal of
complete freedom from suffering. The bliss of samādhi is not the goal of Buddhism; but it
remains an important tool in reaching the goal of enlightenment. Later
Buddhist schools would eventually teach entirely different meditation
methods for cultivating Samatha - the quality of tranquility - than for developing vipassana
- the quality of insight. However, the earliest Buddhist Canons make it
clear that these two qualities are developed by the same practice,
namely Jhāna via the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.
