Samadhi is a Sanskrit word referring to a higher state of consciousness.
Ordinarily, we are acquainted with three states of consciousness.
- Sleep
- Dreams
- Awake
Mystics from various traditions have spoken of a fourth state called Turya means ‘the forth’. Samadhi is the fourth state of consciousness.
What is Samadhi and how can one attain it?
Before we understand what is and how to attain Samadhi, lets look at why we are not in state of Samadhi right now.
Most of us are entangled in a horrible web of overthinking. We have a pile-up of information and experiences of past, giving rise to a certain perception of what this world/life is. This information is a huge burden on our consciousness and body (cellular memory) and barres us from observing/seeing life beyond its confinement. We acknowledge our limited knowledge as truth and objective reality. That’s where we miss!
A seeker acknowledges that this is limited and fear-based perception because it has not quenched his thirst. Rather, more unease. Knowledge is insufficient to fulfill him. Instead, he realizes that knowledge and pretentious wisdom is the barrier in itself. Nothing is withholding you from knowing your highest truth Samadhi or enlightenment other than your own mind.
Pogo character says “I have found the enemy and they is us”.
Therefore, a seeker begins to hunt for a third alternative..
As we grow in meditation, we begin to see the nature of reality beyond divisions of mind.
Samadhi or enlightenment is a timeless, unfocused, omni-extended still state of consciousness with no experiencer and experienced.
Samadhi gives an impression of total fulfillment and completion of what is in the present moment. Nothing to do, no where to go. All is here, silent, overflowing with yes to life.
The gap between you and the outside world dissolves. There exists oneness. Everyone is me, every where it is home.
How to come out of grip of mind and move into Samadhi?
The first step is to realize, as stated above, that my knowledge and wisdom about life has failed to provide me the emotional and mental state I have been looking for. Around the world, a common belief is that un-fulfillment of desires cause pain and worry. It is a myth.
“Suffering is absolutely unrelated to unfulfilled desires”
Pain is always internal and is unrelated to outer situation. But rationale or logical mind tends to link inner pain with an outside reason. And makes us firmly believe in one or the other reason/situation as a cause of pain.
The cause of pain is exclusively inside you buried in your cellular memories originating from three sources:
- Suppressed traumatic emotions of your personal life
- Genetics
- Collective unconsciousness (theory by world renowned psychoanalyst Carl G. Jung)
As a conscious being, you have a built-in capacity to heal every cellular memory.
Also read our blog on Mindfulness: An awareness to wear off anxiety and depression
Self-inquiry questions
Take a closer look in your life. Some of your desires are fulfilled and others are not. A self-inquiry which can turn a blind into mystic is “Have I really sought joy and satisfaction from some of the past desires which have come true?”. If you have even slightest of intra-personal intelligence (Howard Gardener’s Multiple Intelligence theory), your summed up answer will be “No”.
Perhaps, you got excitement when your goal was about to be manifested and even more joyful when you actually had in hand what you wanted. Now ask yourself “Where I am on happiness scale today, looking at my achieved goals in last 10 years? Am I the person I wanted to be? Do I have an emotional state I long for in each moment?”
Your eureka is like a soap bubble. Your security and power come from scarcity mindset. You are in shrunk mode. You want to use your desires as a means to hide your weaknesses and fears.
Your happiness as a result of some achievement withers away over time and you are thrown back into the old darkness of your mind.
Of course, you might have a better luxurious life style than you had 10 years ago yet it has failed to give you taste of life you were longing for post achievement(s).
Second step: After you become aware inability of mind to deliver you the contentment and peace, second step is to cut irrelevant activities, gatherings, and people from your life, starting with small ones. And serve more time with yourself in solitude.
Inactivity from irrelevancy and sitting in silence with oneself helps to draw a lot of life force energy inside for cleansing and opening of blockages from chakras, aura and heart.
Step 3. Do heart meditation more often. or simply bring your focus on your heart area or rather try to feel the heartbeat for a minute or so several times a day.
Rest will unfold on its own provided you are persistent and have burning thirst from within for freedom.
You will encounter new glimpses of silence, joy, freedom and oneness intermittently. A new trust and confidence will arise.
Samadhi is a limitless joy, un-caused by any outside circumstances.
Old mind comes back from backdoor again and again
At a certain stage, one switches between this and that world. In one moment, you are still, fearless and one with the whole and in next moment, your heart is pounding with fear. However, the trust is so much so by now that nothing withholds you from merging into Samadhi.
Mind is dying but Samadhi has not flown in completely yet. You keep working on yourself. Be more mindful. It might take months or years, doesnt matter. In right time, Samadhi gets integrated in your system. In other words, right to say, Samadhi manifests itself. You disappear, Samadhi is.
The subject and object meet and merge into organic unity of life. The seer and seen are one. Life becomes an orchestra as Osho says.
Samadhi is the eighth limb of Yoga – Deepak Chopra