What is Samadhi?
Samadhi is a Sanskrit term for a state of deep meditative absorption in which the usual separation between the one who attends and the object of attention falls away. In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras it is the eighth and final limb of yoga. Patanjali defines it (3.3) as the state in which the object alone shines forth, as if the mind were empty of its own form. Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, and Vedanta traditions also use the word, with differing emphases. A good answer to the question “what is samadhi” therefore always has to name the tradition being discussed. Samadhi is usually described as a state of concentration or unification of mind. Some traditions treat it as a stage on the way to liberation, and others treat it as the liberation itself.
Origins & lineage
The word appears in the middle Upanishads, including the Maitri Upanishad. It is systematized in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a text compiled in roughly the early centuries CE. Scholars disagree on the date and place it anywhere from about the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE. Chapter 1 is titled the Samadhi Pada. It separates samprajnata samadhi (“with cognition”), in which an object is still held in awareness, from asamprajnata samadhi (“without cognition”), in which even that object ceases. In Buddhism, samadhi is the second of the three trainings, after sila (ethics) and before prajna (wisdom). The Pali Canon links it with the four jhanas, and Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhimagga (5th century CE) catalogues the methods in detail. In Advaita Vedanta, writers distinguish savikalpa samadhi (with distinctions) from nirvikalpa samadhi (without them). Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950) in turn distinguished temporary nirvikalpa samadhi from sahaja samadhi, the natural state that continues through ordinary activity. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika of Svatmarama (15th century) devotes its fourth chapter to samadhi.
How it’s practiced
Samadhi is not usually practiced directly. In Patanjali’s scheme it follows dharana (sustained concentration) and dhyana (unbroken meditation), and it is said to arise when meditation becomes effortless. Classical accounts do not describe a dramatic event. They describe stillness, narrowed attention, and the loss of the sense of an observer who is separate from the observed. Patanjali’s four stages of samprajnata samadhi (1.17) move from gross to subtle objects and end in a sense of pure being. Buddhist accounts describe a progression of jhanas, in which factors such as applied thought, joy, and pleasure drop away in sequence until only equanimity remains.
Samadhi today
Most people meet the word in yoga classes, where it appears in the eight-limb framework. They also meet it at silent retreats in Theravada, Zen, and Tibetan Buddhist settings, in Vedanta and Advaita satsangs, and in Sikh and Hindu devotional contexts. Recorded lectures on the Yoga Sutras and translated commentaries are widely available. In India, mahasamadhi is the term for a realized teacher’s conscious exit from the body at death, and it often marks a shrine. Modern meditation research has studied advanced meditators, but samadhi as a classical category does not map cleanly onto any single measurable brain state.
Common misconceptions
- Samadhi is not a trance or loss of consciousness. The classical texts describe heightened clarity, not blankness.
- It is not the same as relaxation or a pleasant meditation session. Absorption of the kind described in the texts is considered rare and is usually reached after long, disciplined practice.
- It does not mean the same thing in every tradition. Patanjali’s yoga aims at the separation of awareness from nature. Advaita aims at non-dual recognition. Buddhism treats samadhi as a support for insight, and many Buddhist teachers say that concentration alone does not liberate.
- It is not proof of enlightenment. Teachers in several lineages warn that absorption states can be mistaken for final realization.
- Mahasamadhi is a different sense of the word. It refers to death, not to meditation.
How to begin
Samadhi for beginners starts with the foundations, not with trying to reach the state. A first step is to study a reliable translation of the Yoga Sutras, such as those by Edwin Bryant (2009) or Swami Satchidananda. Alongside this, build a daily practice of simple concentration on the breath or on a single object, which is the basis of dharana. Those drawn to Buddhist approaches can look for a retreat in a Theravada samatha tradition. Beginners should seek a qualified teacher in a recognized lineage, because the texts assume personal guidance.