Samadhi: Inducing Samadhi like state, a kind of Yogic Psychotherapy as a part of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa

Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S

Samadhi is described as a state of meditative consciousness. We can find Samadhi explained in treatises of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and Yoga. Samadhi can be cultivated and achieved through various methods of meditation. It is an essential tool for attaining moksha or nirvana, which has been explained as ‘attainment of spiritual liberation or oneness in the divine / God’.

Samadhi is a state in which the person is in a state of unwavering concentration. It is said to be the ultimate stage of Yoga practice. Master Charaka has counted Samadhi as one among the five therapies included in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa i.e. Ayurveda Psychotherapy.

So, along with Jnana – spiritual knowledge, Vijnana – scriptural or scientific knowledge, Dhairya – courage and Smriti – memory, Samadhi can be included in effective treatment of psychological / mental disorders and also in prevention of the same. Samadhi can also be brought into practice as an individual therapy.

Mentions

Samadhi is included and explained –

–        among the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga (Patanjali Yoga Sutras)

–        among the Eightfold Path enumerated in Buddhism

–        in Jain Meditation practice – one of the last stages of practice prior to attainment of liberation

Samadhi: As a tool in fixing the wavering mind and as remedy for mental disorders

Samadhi can be promoted for those suffering from chronic diseases or in any state of disease. This would help in reducing the wavering of mind and minimize the fluctuations and fickleness of the mind. This will ultimately lead to the mind getting focused and experiencing tranquility.

This is very important because most diseases are psychosomatic in nature and the person’s thought process is constantly and continuously invested in the disease and disease symptoms. This would waver the mind which will reach various levels of anxiety, depression, worry or stress. This is a source for agitation and worsening of any disease at the physical or mental plane or any psychosomatic disease for that matter. It is important to keep the mind on the x-axis, at a state of balance. This can be achieved through the application of various techniques of Yoga. Samadhi can also be considered as Yogic relaxation, which is also a part and parcel of psychotherapy.

‘Yoga’ has been defined by Master Patanjali as ‘Chitta Vritti Nirodha’. Chitta means mind, vritti means activities of the mind. Nirodha means to control or to block. Chitta Vritti Nirodha means to control the fluctuant and uncontrolled activities of the mind and channelize it in proper stream. This itself is Yoga. Control over the mind and mind activities are also equated with ‘self-control’. Chitta Vritti Nirodha also means ‘control over the sense organs and their subjects’ which are again under the control and supervision of the mind.

In short – Chitta Vrittis are the mind cluttering thoughts. Vritti is a wave which fluctuates and wavers a stable chitta (consciousness, mind, memory). This defines a ‘mind chatter’ or ‘monkey mind’. Yoga is the practice which puts brakes on the chitta vrittis and calms the mind and keeps it detached from cluttering thoughts. Chitta Vritti Nirodha is also the goal of Yoga. It not only reduces stress but also increases self-awareness. Chitta Vrittis are the limiting, habituated thought patterns or misconceptions that would prevent a person from seeing and realizing the truth about the Self and the world in which he is.

Looking at this from Ayurveda perspective,

Sattva, Raja and Tama are the three basic attributes / gunas of the manas. A person is labelled as Sattvika, Rajasika or Tamasika depending on the predominance of these gunas of mind. They are also called Trigunas and also participate in the creation of the Srishti – creation. These gunas are responsible for each and every psychological event happening in an individual and are due to the fluctuations in these attributes – individually or relatively.

Sattva represents and is responsible for spiritual bliss, true, precise and comprehensive knowledge and light / brightness (evolution, awareness). Rajo Guna represents and is responsible for all the functions of an individual and is thus a functional entity. It is the driving force behind the activities we do. Tamo guna on the other hand represents and is responsible for inertia and darkness.

So, indulgence in objects and fluctuations occurring in the mind are also due to imbalances occurring in these attributes. Sattva is a state of balance and Ayurveda does not consider it as a dosha. The other two gunas i.e. rajas and tamas undergo fluctuations and may cause chitta vrittis of different kinds. Therefore, raja and tama are considered as mano doshas i.e. the contaminants of the mind. Imbalances of raja and tamo gunas will afflict the balance of sattva guna. The aim of psychotherapy in Ayurveda will be to balance the raja and tama gunas and to enhance or balance the sattva guna and Samadhi is one of the tools to achieve this.

Understanding the role of Samadhi in Sattvavajaya Chikitsa through definitions and etymology of Samadhi

Samadhi is defined in many ways and it has many contextual meanings and definitions and also refers to different ranges of states.

Summary of different definitions explain Samadhi as a –

–        Meditative absorption or Meditative contemplation.
–        Non-dualistic state of consciousness
–        Complete absorption of the mind in one object of meditation
–        A state of intensified awareness
–        A state in which the mind is not scattered
–        A state of mind wherein the person is aware of the characteristics of creation and destruction of various phenomena in the creation
–        A state of not being distracted and be focussed, mainly on a single object
–        A state of awareness in which the mind understands and is aware of wide array of phenomena around the object of meditation in spite of being steady and focussed  
–        A state in which the person understands the things fit to know and see as they are (in their real and unadulterated state) i.e. yatartha jnana, after the mind has been trained, tuned to focus, cleansed and calmed
–        A state in which one identifies self with the absolute
–        A state wherein one perceives the identity of jivatma i.e. individual or personal soul within and paramatma i.e. cosmic spirit or higher / absolute soul

Etymology of Samadhi

Samadhi is made up of two terms, Sam or Sama and Adhi.

Sam means to bring together. If Sama is considered, it means – same, equal or convergence of two distinct things.

Samadhi, by its root words, might mean ‘meditative concentration on an object of meditation’. This will enable the obscure and hidden things to become clear objects of knowledge or cognition i.e. the source or core from where the insight of the person takes its origin / birth.

If sama is considered – it would mean, ‘the convergence of two distinct things on the basis of some common features’. Adhi means higher or better. Samadhi would mean ‘skillful unification of the mind and the object’.

So, summing up various versions of etymologies of the word Samadhi, it would mean ‘to bring together’ or ‘concentration or unification of mind’. In short, Samadhi would mean ‘concentration’ or ‘focus’.

On the other hand;

Sam also means complete or perfect and Dhi means consciousness. Samadhi, according to Stephen Sturgess, is a state in which the meditator, meditation and object of meditation merge into oneness. He also opines that Sam which means union and Adhi means almighty (God). Samadhi is a state of union with the Lord.

Sama means equal and Dhi means Buddhi. So, Samadhi also may mean ‘an equanimous intellect or an intellect which is non discriminating’ (Sadguru).

Summing up,

From the definitions and etymology, we derive that samadhi is a state which brings and bestows in its practitioner or Yogi a serene balance, awareness and calmness of mind.

Being a form of meditation, it bestows all benefits of meditation including good focus and concentration. This will heal the ailing mind and will keep him or her detached from the objects of temptation. The person would gain victory over imbalanced rajas and tamas attributes and will enhance sattva quality. The person would look inwards and discover self and in the process the consciousness and divine or universal soul. He will be enriched with philosophical, spiritual and scientific knowledge and will be in a position to discriminate and judge so as to what is right and what is wrong. This will help him to keep away from wrong things and deeds.

It enables one to understand things as they really are i.e. yathartha jnana and helps in development in one point concentration.

Samadhi: As a tool for Chitta Vritti Nirodha

Samadhi is a state wherein the practitioner sustains focus on the object of focus i.e. pratyaya, for an extended period of time while minimizing their self-consciousness during practice. This is when dhyana (sustained awareness of only pratyaya) transforms into samadhi. Therefore, practicing of dharana and dhyana form important and mandatory perquisites for practicing Samadhi. This is also when the practitioner fuses and experiences oneness with the object of focus. The consciousness fuses with the object of thought.

To keep it simple, Samadhi is oneness with the object of meditation. The result is that there will be no distinction between the act of meditation and the object of meditation. Samadhi can also be achieved without the object of meditation – asamprajnata or nirvikalpa samadhi. When an object is used to achieve samadhi it is called as Samprajnata Samadhi or Savikalpa Samadhi.

Nirvikalpa Samadhi helps in attaining the knowledge of consciousness or purusha – the subtlest element. It is also the merger of the chittavrittis i.e. mental activities in the Self in such a way that the distinction of knower, knowing and object known becomes vanished or dissolved – chitta vritti nirodha, which is also called as Yoga which is a media for achieving sattvavajaya.

Samadhi enables one to let go of his or her ego and get awareness of the spirit beyond creation.

Other meanings in which Samadhi is discussed vs Sattvavajaya

Samadhi is also understood in the meaning of bliss, liberation or enlightenment. It is the eighth stage of Ashtanga Yoga.

Samadhi is a state wherein an individual practicing it or Yogi has completely withdrawn self from the outside world and simultaneously has connected self with his or her inner world by reaching a stage of complete bliss. One can experience the joyful world within and enjoy it to the fullest. One would see everything equally without his or her mind being disturbed by external factors, without perceiving likes or dislikes, without judgements and getting attached to any particular situation or person or object.

The state of Samadhi cannot be attained with ease. One should have purity of mind and should be completely ready to enter into the state of Samadhi and achieve it, without any impressions, judgments, desires or attachments.

When the person experiences bliss, liberation, enlightenment or oneness with the greater soul, he is at the peaks of awareness. This reflects a calm and balanced mind and that the person has conquered the enemies of mind.

What is needed to achieve Samadhi?

To achieve Samadhi, three aspects need to come together in a linear equation –

–        The mind
–        The object of meditation and
–        The process of meditation (Dhyana)

In Samadhi, all these three together would get absorbed into pure consciousness. This itself is chitta vritti nirodha. The mind, in the state of Samadhi, is free from any fluctuations or disturbances. There is also a state of transcendence of mind and ego and complete awareness. Ultimately there is a merger of individual consciousness with universal consciousness. One obtains true realization of the nature of reality. This is actually the goal of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa.

Experiences while in Samadhi

While in a state of Samadhi, the Yogi or practitioner would experience the below mentioned –

–        One would not have or have little awareness of his or her physical body
–        Experience abundant interior bliss or joy
–        One would sense that he or she is being drawn towards or pulled into a state of deeper meditation
–        One would experience a journey in a pathway leading from a gross experience to a subtle experience to a stage where one would finally lose all his sense of self, time and space
–        One would visualize light when he or she has kept their eyes closed
–        Pure and constant awareness of oneness with spirit, divine or God which leads to ultimate bliss
–        With self-awareness obtained from Samadhi, one would notice the pure consciousness in self and in everything around him or her, in people, animals and nature
–        The mind would become free of attachments, judgmental tendencies and desires and would attain pure bliss and contentment

We need to remember that one needs to master the other seven limbs of Ashtanga Yoga to enter into and experience Samadhi. Samadhi cannot be practiced. It happens spontaneously during meditation and is an experience. One may experience a sudden escalation into Samadhi when he or she dedicates their time towards practicing Dharana – concentration and Dhyana – meditation.

Everything that a person experiences during Samadhi is a part and parcel of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa.

Finally,

Samadhi is an integral part and branch of Sattvavajaya Chikitsa. Individually as a therapy it helps in balancing the mind, conquering the doshas of the mind, treatment and prevention of mental / psychological disorders. Along with other interventions mentioned by Master Charaka amongst Sattvavajaya Chikitsa, the benefits will be immense and unparalleled.