Sunday 23 December 2012

Types of Samadhi - Drk Drishya Viveka

There are six types of samadhi that a student is asked to practise in Drk-Drshya-Vivekam. The verses corresponding to these are basically taken directly from a upanishad called Saraswati-Rahasya-Upanishad. :)
Drk-Drshya-Vivekam itself is probably only a commentary on Saraswati-Rahasy-upanishad, as there are lot of verses picked verbatim.

Samadhi is Firm abidance as "I AM".

1. There are two kinds of Samadhi: Saviklpa and Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
2. Savikalpa-Samadhi is further divided into two types: internal or external.
3. With eyes open its external and with eyes closed its internal. [explained shortly]
4. Both internal and external samadhis are further divided into : drshyaanuviddha-savikalpa samadhi and shabdaanuviddha savikalpa samadhi.
5. Drshnyanuviddha savikalpa samasdhi is when a "Drshyam", is used as a "means" to remain as "Aham Asmi".
    External Drhsyanuviddha savikalpa samadhi is, for example, I see the Space ... and meditate on myself as
    space like "Presence" . Ultimately one lands at Aham Asmi, but then starts with the idea "Brahman is Like
    this space, in and through all objects".
   
    Internal Drhsyaanuviddha saviklpa samadhi is when The "External Space" is replaced by the "Mental Space"

6. Shabdanuviddha savikalpa samadhi is when a "Shabda" is used as a means to remain as "Aham Asmi". For
    example chanting Ribhu Gita. External, when this is done with eyes open. Internal when its done with eyes
    closed.

7. With eyes open means, the eyes are open, but the attention is totally turned inward and one remains as "I AM". This is also termed Shambhavi mudra [I think its an expression used by Patanjali maharshi somewhere. I am not sure].

8. When these are practised for sufficiently long, it is said that one gets into "Nirvikalpa Samadhi". Nirvikalpa Samadhi also can be with eyes open or eyes closed, but it hardly matters. As Ramana/Ramakrishna describe, this is said to be like a salt doll getting into ocean to measure its depth.

9. In all forms of Samadhi, its important to recognize that "I am neither going into samadhi nor  coming out", "I am that which is changeless", which is beyond all mental modifications. The practise of samadhi is to firmly abide as the one that does not undergo any change... "Aham Asmi" ... and not to say "I got into samadhi and now came out of it".

10. In internal drishyanuviddha savikalpa samadhi, when thought arises, attention is turned towards the one who recognizes its presence... meaning "Aham Asmi". This is Self enquiry as practise in my opinion.

11. Drk-Drshya-Vivekam says that when a person practises these for sufficiently long , this is what happens:
dehabhi mane galite vijnate paramatmani |
yatra yatra mano yaati tatra tatra samaadhayaH || (drk-drshya-viveka: 30)

the identification with body disappears and one remains as the Brahman.
And where ever the mind is, that itself is Samadhi.

I think this is sahaja stithi. This verse is also taken directly from Saraswati Rahasyopanishad [66 verse].


:) Lets also briefly note what Ramana has to say about Samadhi...

POST 17

Here is a conversation between annamalai swami and Ramana , pg 234 of Living by the words of bhagavan.

Quote
"Does Samadhi mean that one is unaware of everything ?" , I asked.
"No," said Bhagavan. "Mediation will go on without our effort. That is Samadhi"
"Then what is Sahaja Samadhi ?", I asked.
Bhagavan answered by saying , " In that state meditation will always be going on. In that State the thought , 'I am meditating' or 'I am not meditating' will not occur".

I then asked Bhagavan about periods in meditation when I was only aware of an all-pervasive blankness.
"Sometimes nothing is seen", I said. "Is this good?"
Bhagavan did not seem to approve of all these states, "In the beginning", he said, "It is good if meditators meditate with Self Awareness".

The state of Sahaja Samadhi contined to intrigue me. A few weeks later I asked him another question about it, "Can one practise sahaja samadhi right from the beginning?"
Bhagavan replied by saying that one could.
"But how to practise it ", I asked. "And how does one practise nirvikalpa samadhi ? How many different kinds of samadhi are there ?"
"There is only one kind of Samadhi", Said Bhagavan , "not many kinds. To remain temporarily subsided in the reality without any thought is nirvikalpa Samadhi. Permanently abiding in the Self without forgetting it is Sahaja Samadhi. Both will give the same happiness"

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