Samyak samadhi - right meditation
Recap: vision (perfect vision - initial insight into ultimate reality) / transformation (transformation of aspects of one's being in accordance with the insight - the other 7 stages)
The more advanced the stage of spiritual life, the less there is to say about it. E.g. v little in the pali cannon about nirvana. Same in the 8fold path - not much to say about perfect samadhi - a mark of its importance.
What is perfect samadhi?
Samadhi = same in sanskrit & pali = state of being firmly fixed or established - can mean
- fixation of the mind on an object, or concentration.
- fixation or establishment of the whole being in a certain mode of awareness or consciousness, i.e. enlightenment or ultimate reality.
In the pali cannon, usually the first sense is meant. In mahayana texts, usually the second sense, with concentration usually known as samata.
Usually this stage of the 8fold path is rendered as right concentration - which then appears to be taken as the culmination of the spiritual life. He doesn't like that! - too limited, unattractive.
Actually this stage = culmination, fruition of the whole path of transformation = state of one's being totally transformed in all its aspects from an unenlightened state to an enlightened state - it is the triumph of perfect vision. Makes the whole 8fold path more meaningful, it makes more sense.
Two meanings of samadhi are not mutually exclusive - could be described as Lower and Higher Consciousness, with a third state in the middle called samapatti in mahayana texts. So one has:
samata (concentration) - samapatti (attainments) - samadhi (enlightenment) - single progressive series of spiritual experiences
[quote from Wikipedia, marked citation needed: The Buddha in MN 26 The Noble Search sutta (Ariyapariyesana sutta) after having learned and mastered the samapattis with his two teachers decided to abandon them as he realised that "this teaching does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to nibbana." By contrast, the Surangama Sutra mentions samapatti 26 times, with a positive instruction in their practice.]
Samata (concentration) - meaning is tranquillity, or pacification, calming down, calm, peace
= a state of profound peace of mind and of the whole being. Mental activity / discursive thought is either minimal or entirely absent. Is an experience of perfect concentration, one-pointedness of mind, and integration of all the psycho-physical energies of being. Corresponds to the 4 jhanas. Often divided into 3 levels:
- concentration on a material (gross) object - take it in fully, and aware of nothing else
- concentration on the subtle counterpart of a gross object - close eyes & see the image just as clearly as if the eyes were open - takes practice - no sensory perception - completely concentrated on this image within.
- absorption in the subtle counterpart - with more and more concentration, distinction between subject and object disappears, you merge with the object of your concentration / become identified with it.
2) Samapatti (attainments) - experiences gained as a result of practicing concentration
Everyone who comes to his meditation classes will get experiences of some of tthese - depending on temperament.
- most common: experience of light - most often whitish or yellowish, sometimes other colours
- sounds - perhaps a deep note, or even words pronounced within themselves
- scents.
After more practice, depending on temperament:
- seeing a panorama of landscape
- brilliant blue sky / flashing patterns like jewels
- figures / faces / eyes
- change in one's weight - v heavy or v light
- intense heat or cold
After a lot of practice:
- develop subtle senses - understand what others are thinking, clairvoyance, clairaudience
- sensations of immense joy, bliss, peace
- flashes of insight - the veil is torn for an instant
Immense variety of these - no-one experiences them all, all will experience something.
3) Samadhi - the state of being fixed in reality / enlightened / being a Buddha
Often discussed in -ve terms e.g. as destruction of the ashravas (poisonous fluxes or biases):
- for thirst for contact with material things
- thirst for contact to conditioned existence
- thirst for ignorance
Also +ve descriptions - only hints of something that can't be expressed in words. Some texts mention a group of 3 samadhis - different aspects / dimensions of the one samadhi:
- the image-less - perfect freedom from all thoughts / conceptualisation (but fully conscious / aware - mind like a clear blue sky with no cloud)
- the directionless, unbiased - no preference, no directing in which one wants to go, poised, like a sphere on a horizontal plan - no inclination in any direction as no egoistic desire. Could consider it as perfect sponteneity - somewhat near it
- voidness / sunyata - which means reality - state of full and complete realisation of the ultimate nature of existence that cannot be put into words - full and total realisation. Connected in some suttas with the samadhi of 'one characteristic' or even-mindedness. All real, all the same in its ultimate depths, so no reason to treat different things differently - state of peace, stability, rest.
For those interested in zen / the platform sutra: the samadhi of one characteristic / even-mindedness is mentioned in it. Hui Neng says samadhi and prajna are not different - samadhi is the lamp, prajna is the shining of the lamp. Samadhi is the quintessence of prajna, and prajna is the activity, the functioning of samadhi. Difficult for westerners to understand if they take samadhi to mean concentration. However if you take samadhi to be in the highest sense (the state of being established in enlightened awareness), then it makes sense.
In zen monasteries all three samata samapati and samadhi are practiced. Zen's specific contribution is more in its teaching about samadhi especially in its teaching of samadhi being non-different to prajna.
By practicing these we are trying to transform our whole being in every level in all its aspects in the light of the original perfect vision
Image of the path
The 8fold path is a path, and the Buddhist life consists in following this path. But beware of interpreting it too literally - it is a figure of speech. We never leave any of the stages behind - it is a cumulative process like rolling a snowball. We are following all the stages all at the same time.
Suppose for a moment we experience perfect vision - something opens up within us and we see things as they are. This influences our emotions - bit of perfect emotion - it influences our speech and actions at least to some extent - it changes all these aspects. Another moment of perfect vision some time later and the process repeats.
It is the 8-limbed path, or 8 shoots or members or aspects - not sequential stages. So spiritual life is a process of growth - more like the unfolding of a living thing - like the growth of a tree. Rain nourishes the roots and the sap rises, the tree grows. And later more rain etc. & causes leaves and then flowers. Unfolding of the 8-fold path is like that - the vision is the sap that transforms us. Repeated over and over until nothing is left untransformed. This is the state of perfect samadhi. This is the state of enlightnement or buddhahood: the path has been completely traversed and one has accomplished the goal. End of the journey.
End of the journey in imagination of these talks. Hopefully gave practical understanding to beginners and deeper understanding to regulars.
[Note the Survey of Buddhism was published 1957, these lectures were 1968]
[Note the scheme of samata, samapatti, samadhi came from Yogi Chen - can compare with the system of meditation]
1. How easy do you find it to experience the ‘peace and calm of mind’ of śamatha? Is your life
when you are not meditating conducive to śamatha? What gets in the way, and what helps?
What could you do make it easier to experience a state of śamatha?
Look after myself - more enjoyment and less worry - that helps. I.e. cultivate integration + positive emotion.
2. Sangharakshita tells us that the type and degree of samāpatti – attainments – that one
experiences in meditation is not necessarily related to one’s degree of spiritual development?
Does this surprise you?
No. Also in my experience they are transitory - they don't stay.
3. Sangharakshita describes a wide range of samāpatti experiences that might occur in
meditation. Have you ever experienced any of these? Have you had any other experiences that
are not mentioned?
Sometimes have an experience of goldenness - but only when deep into a retreat. Also flashes of light - when it is not any more possible to generate an image in the mind.
4. “You may attain flashes of insight … You might suddenly comprehend the truth of a teaching you
had known for a long time, but had never realized or had any insight into – something you had
read about in books, and thought you knew very well … you realize that you did not know it at all.”
Have you ever had such a flash of insight in meditation? Can you describe it?
Don't know and no I can't describe it.
5. The Three Samadhis are now normally referred to within the Triratna Community as the
vimoksa-mukhas, the ‘Gateways to Liberation’. Have you come across these? If so, what are
they? How are these Three Samadhis related the Three Lakshanas? (You may need to look into
other sources to answer this question.)
You meditate or reflect or dwell on each laksana and the corresponding doorway is through that way of seeing.
dukkha - unbiased
impermanence - imageless
no-self - sunyata / one taste
6. What is the relationship between Perfect Vision and the other aspects of the path, including
Perfect Samadhi?
He has banged on about this enough - instead we could ask: have you had experience of some vision or inspiration working on you outside any conscious intention?
7. Sangharakshita tells us that the image of the path may be a misleading metaphor for the
spiritual life, and offers an alternative, the growth of a tree. What might be the advantages and
disadvantages of these metaphors? Can you think of any others?
Each metaphor is limited and emphasises some aspects at the expense of others. My favourite metaphor is about loosening, untethering, unbinding. And of course we need to practice - to put conscious care in - but on it's own that's not enough - the metaphors that emphasise what happens outside our conscious volition can be helpful.
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