…what is Samadhi..? ..Really...

(Introduction)

As always, our primary issue in divulging knowledge through written words or even through spoken words is that words provoke only concepts, and if personal experiences can’t be related directly to that which is being spoken of or described, then that description fails to achieve its purpose of imparting knowledge. This means that despite how clear or concise a description is, its chances of being successful in imparting truth are always dependent on the experiences of the reader or listener. In other words, what we say about a thing can’t fully give the idea of that thing to the receiver. We must always be vigilant (mindful) that we are not making assumptions along the way. Knowledge can’t be shared with words. The flavor description of fresh saffron cannot evoke the actual flavor of it, no matter how poetically it is described to someone who hasn’t yet tasted it. But if someone has tasted something similar, which also matches our description, then they can relate their experiences to that of the thing we are describing and hopefully come closer to ascertaining that which we are trying to convey to them. For this reason, it’s of vital importance to always be vigilant in trying to glean the root of the concepts of which we are discussing or studying.

This nature inherent in language poses massive problems with concepts based on experiences like Nibbana, (enlightenment) Samadhi, (concentration) Samatha, (inner calm) and Vipassana (meditative insight) among others, that we encounter on the path of meditation. For this very reason the Buddha usually implemented the use of similes and analogy to try to impart the deep and very subtle experiences he sought to teach. To give his listeners an imaginative framework that they could use to relate to the abstract experiences he endeavored to lead them to. We will attempt to use analogy in the same way here.

Beyond this first issue with words, there are also complexities that arise regarding terms that are translated from other languages, languages from not only a lost culture, but also one designed around the concepts of meditation that we are broaching. For this reason, the best scholars usually do their best with basic translations, but then digress in order to specify crucial terms, and often do so by providing full sentences to describe these individual terms. Among these terms is Samadhi. With the summation of this introductory statement we will begin our investigation of this enigmatic term. (Please remember that we are always available for more direct inquiries through zoom and email)

Part. I               

                      Description

The Vissudhimagga, (or, Path of Purification) written by Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa in Circa 412, and translated by Bhikkhu Nanamoli in 1952, first states, in the section dedicated to Samadhi, that there are many forms of Samadhi, and that to describe them all, runs the risk of only confusing the reader, but then describes Essential Samadhi (translated into English as simply concentration) as “Profitable Unification of Mind” … (The section on Samadhi in the Vissudhimagga continues from this introduction for an astounding 323 pages of the 838 page volume. A fact that affirms the complexity, as well as importance, of offering a clear and functional description of this famed state of consciousness.)

 Other descriptive words that are commonly used to describe Samadhi include Trance, meditative trance, absorption, (Bhikkhu Bodhi’s preferred term in his translations of the Nikayas (teachings of the Buddha)) immersion and embodiment. some other terms that may serve to convey a felt sense of this state include a flow-state and being in the zone. Each of these terms, however, tend to convey a level of exclusion, “focusing on just this”, where Samadhi manifests through a determined inclusion of all that moves through our perception... “focusing on the all”. (This is not a blind inclusion but a methodical one. More on this later.)

Regarding the description given, if the mind is Unified it must be a good thing.. And if it is Profitably Unified then this must surely be a positive experience.

Samadhi is often best approached through recollecting the states that give rise to its manifestation or its proximate causes, (a term often utilized in traditional instruction for the reasons stated in the introduction). This profitable unification is really born of a deep inner harmony. Not just a pleasant feeling when things are finally not terrible, but a real unassailable inner Harmony. There is a good reason why this state is the focus of the entire practice of traditional meditation and Buddhist practice. This harmony, this inner unification is so strong, so impervious, that from this state an individual has the potential to actualize a revelation that completely shifts their fundamental view of reality. We call that shift enlightenment…

To enact such a shift from a conceptual perspective sounds exhilarating, exciting and even deeply gratifying! If we’ve felt this at first hearing these words, then we’re in grave danger of soon falling into the very trap of words we’ve discussed in the introduction to this post. The true   nature of enacting a fundamental paradigm shift in a human beings view of their reality is a complex matter. To the autonomic nervous system, to the integrated wiring of the brain, between the neo-cortex, prefrontal lobe and limbic systems, this magnitude of shift is simply: Intolerable… This kind of shift feels dangerous to the subconscious and automatic parts of our psyche and physiology, whose duty it is to keep us functioning in a consistent way, which it deems safe. The term paradigm-shift necessarily means that all our fixed views need to be altered to accommodate the new paradigm. And the nervous system isn’t capable of immediately rewiring itself to allow that, and certainly not without any preparation or groundwork being done. For this reason, tending the soil of the heart or emotional complex is indispensable for the subversion of these subconscious reactive tendencies and the achievement of a state of Samadhi.. Our normal mental state requires a truly massive augmentation to allow such shifts to take place. Augmentations of our attention and manner of conceptualizing data and intake that render such data impersonal and thus harmless to our automatic and involuntary defensive systems. (We will attempt to clarify this in later sections). We are rife with inner safety measures and a basic instinctual self-centeredness. A self-centeredness that becomes activated when, let’s say, taking a stroll through the jungle. Or even in remote proximity to a jungle. much less a jungle, perhaps when entering a grocery store; a place where we really could be in mortal danger... Look out for me, is the name of the game in the depths of our unattended subconscious. And not necessarily for no good reason. But also, not explicitly for any good reason either. (To be aware of this in each passing state is a function of Mindfulness)

If we are going to have any luck in achieving higher states of consciousness, states of imperturbability, states of inner stability, of inner unity, much less those capable of making “the breakthrough” as Enlightenment is often termed, then we must first direct our efforts to understanding and taming the systems that influence the arousal or diminishment of these higher states. Primarily, the Autonomic Nervous System. This is why in guided meditations and traditional instructions, the focus, especially in the beginning of practice, is on practices that often have us looking forward   wanting to get past the ‘basics’. They seem mundane, meaningless and rudimentary… (This perception is based on an innocent but detrimental oversite that the teachings harshly term as ‘Delusion’ Dosa or ‘Ignorance’ Ajjiva) 

  I’ll quote a few instructions you may recognize to help clarify. “breathe in deeply through the nose, holding for a few seconds, and relax the whole body on the out breath” … Let your shoulders drop, and the muscles of your face soften”. “loosen your jaw and let go of thinking”…

Let’s get very scrupulous with these instructions: tension and stress almost immediately manifest in our bodies through our facial expressions, held in our jaw, and in the way we hold our shoulders. This instruction offers us a direct link to our reactive ANS (the Autonomic Nervous System). When we react, the ANS is “Sympathizing” with input from our senses, surroundings or even our own inner thoughts including memories, and is thus referred to as the Sympathetic Nervous System; SNS. When this reactivity settles and goes dormant, allowing for higher cognitive functions, it is “Para-Sympathetic” to its environment. This state of the ANS is referred to as the Para-Sympathetic Nervous System; PSNS. Breathing in deeply activates our conscious mind, while holding our breath distracts rumination of that same mind, long enough for the out-breath to commence, which is wired directly into our subconscious brain. The reason for this is that breathing out is done by relaxing the muscles in the diaphragm and areas surrounding the lungs. Muscle release is conducted by the subconscious, or primal brain. The contraction of these muscles stretches the lungs, naturally drawing air down into them via the vacuum created by this muscle contraction. This action, while still subconscious, can be volitionally controlled by the conscious or active parts of our brain as well. This is not the case with exhaling. Exhaling takes place on its own. It is not an active event. (Just try it!) Exhaling then, which is the relaxing of these same muscles, is essentially seen by the conscious mind as a non-doing in the body, being done by the subconscious mind. When this activity is focused on by the conscious mind, it’s interpreted by it as a moment Void of agitation. (A moment void of threats, where in, the ANS can shift to its Para-sympathetic state. i.e. inwardly focused, and in a calm manner). We’re literally putting the brain on timeout by focusing it on the breath in this way… These simple instructions are really quite profound in their aim, in that they have a direct and immediate effect on our nervous system and in turn on the very nature of how we are relating to our lives in that moment. By habituating these practices, we can learn to tame and sooth the reaction of our nervous system and unconscious patterns at will. This is in fact, the very purpose and focus of these types of instructions. That is; the taming of our nervous system. This is the most important point in all of meditation practice. To gain true self-possession through mastering the art of self-tranquilization. An art with a purpose and higher aim.

Mindfulness of the body, known in Pali (the language of the historical Buddha) as Kayagatasati (sati, being mindfulness, and kaya, being body. Gata, is essentially to arrive at or come to a condition, and together meaning literally: bodily-arrival-mindfulness) enables the practitioner to become immediately aware when stress responses are taking place within their “inner world” (i.e. their nervous system, their personality and ego structures and their world view). For this reason, modern day mindfulness studies regularly find that mindfulness practice has profound effects on all areas of our lives, which make sense, since our ANS governs our mental/physical integration systems… The Mind and Body…

These practices were developed long ago to neutralize and tranquilize our mental strata so that precise and calculated investigations into the very nature of our own consciousness could be conducted without setting off the alarm systems rooted into the autonomic (or automatic) nervous system. The reason being that when these systems are triggered an immediate shutdown of our higher cognitive functions follows… Ancient and modern practitioners alike, have found that once certain systems of awareness have been recalibrated, i.e. back doors to these alarm systems have been plotted and utilized, the effects are lasting, and the practitioner is empowered by a perpetual shift. They’re Re-wired. Their mind is literally more integrated…

 So, suppose there was a central back door into the primary operating system of our psyche. Perhaps this is a fitting analogy for the shift that allows enlightenment to take root. Certainly, such a system would be “heavily guarded” sort of speak. There really is such a system and it is called the Limbic system. It houses the pineal and pituitary glands and routes thought patterns related to emotion directly to and from memory retrieval via the pathways of the amygdala, hippocampus and thalamus. This center really is well guarded, buried deep in the very center of our brain. It is also where our spinal cord attaches to the brain, and where the signals from every nerve in our body are received by our consciousness… Memories of fear, pain, safety and even fetched memories of pleasure, which distract us from our goal of becoming unworldly stable (a makeshift term for Samadhi), spontaneously route through these channels. How could we be stable if we’re hurting, or wanting something we see as being able to make our current experience better? (This is the concept of Tanha, translated as simply; Thirsting). We must remember that we are dealing with energies that affect us on an emotional level, not an intellectual level. Instinct doesn’t play by the rules of logic. This is about our Heart... About how we relate to others and to our world as well as to ourselves and to our own vulnerability and to our experience of intimacy. It is about our innate delicacy and our human tenderness. Our nervous system deals in feeling, not analytics. It deals with desire and emotion, which leap up with the specific purpose of overriding (or challenging) intellect…

If you’re starting to wonder what could be possible for us if this system was, not so much subverted, but integrated, re-balanced and optimized so as to allow access to higher cognitive function, rather than acting as a safety shut-off to higher function, then you’re well on your way to understanding the true power of Samadhi. What it really is. And also just how balanced we need to be internally to accomplish this task, and the quality of effort it requires. But do not by any means let this overwhelm you. There really is a very sophisticated methodology for developing this state, with very clear systems of step-by-step implementation. And they are oddly thousands of years old…

For our first real analogy of Samadhi, we will step slightly away from the traditional teachings of the Buddha to an ancient verse in the Bhagavad Gita. The Gita is a core text of yogic practices, which predate Buddhism considerably. The Buddhas accomplishment, while unfathomably great, was a rediscovery of more ancient practices; a fact he attests to himself, though with extreme emphasis on just how monumental this achievement and rediscovery is. The Buddha, Born Siddartha Gotama, left his home to devote himself to such practices. His primary teachers names he shares openly in the Ariyapariyesana Sutta, in the Majhima Nikaya, Sutta 26. Alara Kalama and Udaka Ramaputta, the Buddhas two great teachers, had achieved states so profound, that the Buddha later states that they were literally only steps away from ‘full awakening’. (Both died before the Buddhas awakening). From their ancient tradition we read a wonderful simile that describes the mind in the state of Samadhi;

“Like a candles flame in a windless place.. That is the image to describe the stability of mind of a true yogi”… Bhagavad Gita 6.19

… Even in a room with no wind, the subtle movement of a curtain across the room can influence the flame of a candle, causing it to wobble and flicker. Once still however, there is a literal feedback loop of heat currents that creates a vortex that stabilizes a candles flame, making it harder to break its flow. The ancients, with their highly developed methods of close observation obviously noticed this. This image by itself probably does more than all that’s been written so far, to impart the felt sense of how still and focused Samadhi can be... And also how delicate it can be and in turn, how diligent we must be in cultivating it. In truth, once established, Samadhi is extremely stable, but the journey to establishing it is certainly this delicate. If we can connect our view of our emotional world, the limbic system, and all the knowledge discussed so far, and recognize that the slightest movements of preference will shift the mind into some sort of bias (the movement from PSNS(settled) to SNS(unsettled)), no matter how small, then we may be prepared to be as careful or Mindful as is needed to access this famed state of consciousness.

 Part. II

                   Proximate Cause

      Now that a proper framework for Samadhi has been established, we will return to the statement made in Part. I of our investigation; “Samadhi is often best approached through recollecting the states that give rise to its manifestation or its proximate causes.”.

One of the most beneficial insights we can gain in regard to meditation practice, is that there are very specific conditions for the establishment of, or “manifestation” of; the birth of, the mind states and experiences in question, and that we are seeking to access. Our discussion of the ANS and activities of our emotional complex make it clear that some means of stabilizing the inner realm are necessary. In fact, this stabilization is exactly the proximate cause or condition for Samadhi to manifest in our consciousness. The question is the method of stabilization. (Or the conditions for the condition that gives rise to Samadhi.)

Similar to the hiccup response mentioned in regard to the mundane meditation instructions from Part. I, we tend to scoff at or just get bored with the next set of instructions, and for much the same reasons. (Ignorance on our part sadly) (We’ll state these instructions in clear terms soon, but for now, let’s clarify what our necessary approach should be).

If the mind is wound tight, and coiled in preparation to react to its world, its surroundings and its environment, which means for the most part, it’s very self! then some means of limiting input (or augmenting input) must be of key importance until the mind has calmed to a point of diminished reactivity. The nature of the mind, however, is to act as a feedback loop to itself. It’s very thoughts, when allowed to run rampant and without direction or oversight, cause memory and Tanha, or craving induced reactivity, before it can settle to the required level of stability. This oversight is the exact definition of Sati: Mindfulness. Mindfulness is pure oversight. It is not an end. It is a means. A means to a much greater sense of satisfaction and satiety. One that is earned through Diligence. (Apamada, in Pali).

There are two primary pastures of mental attention that this diligence should be directed towards at first. One is a list of five mental qualities. The other is something far too easy to become disenchanted with and thus, ignore: the present moment… We have arrived at our hiccup, and also, means of limiting and augmenting input; Focus directed toward the present moment, which restrains mental proliferation.

Presence, embodiment, awareness, mindfulness. These terms all point us to giving attention to what is taking place in the present. But if our mind is what’s taking place in the present moment, with endless thinking and rumination (papanca) and distracting us from the “quiet, meaningless nothing of the dull room we are sitting in and wish to ignore anyways,” then what’s to be done?

 Firstly, if we relate to this statement, our faculty of mindfulness Must become mindful and aware of our relationship to the present moment. To being silent and clear and quiet. If we have an opinion already formulated, and lurking under the surface, in a subconscious belief, about what being still in the present moment will or will not be like, (not at all interesting is usually the assumption!) Then there is already a fairly major impediment to progress.

We have arrived at our first solid example of the indescribability of experience which words truly have no power in conveying; of describing an experience You Must have For Yourself: The experience is that it is in fact, deeply satisfying to be intimately cognitive of the present moment. That in truth, it is far from being the dull and uneventful realm of “waiting for something better to happen” that we assume it to be, but rather, that it is absolutely drenched in the sophisticated pleasure of ultra subtle experiential knowledge.. It is rife with life and beauty. (We can verify this by relating a time we were doing something exhilarating, and deeply gratifying; our minds adhere themselves fully to the moment in these experiences. By relating this kind of experience to our investigation we can view Samadhi as the learned ability to manifest this level of vitality and presence, without relying on external circumstances and conditions, but rather, on internal conditions, which we have absolute influence over.) But beyond simple pleasures which can act as further distraction through craving; it is the realm of Truth. and to be in touch with this Truth, is of so much more value than the only pithy words we have to describe it: Profoundly Healing…

Until we’ve had this experience, which is usually earned through a lot of striving at a long meditation retreat or possibly arises by chance and then soon becomes illusive, because we are unaware of its exact conditions and functions, we will have a hard time believing in it.. For this reason, the Buddha gave very simple instructions that start to quickly open the door to this ever so subtle yet ever present realm of the real. In the Anapanasati Sutta, the teaching of mindfulness of breathing (pana meaning breath in Pali (prana in its sister Sanskrit) and Sati, mindfulness. ana-pana-sati) The Buddha gives the instructions; “When breathing, know it clearly… Follow the breath carefully; as it comes in, stay with it and know it is coming in... As it goes out, know it’s going out… Be fully with this... As it comes in, tranquilize the body with the in breath… And as it goes out, tranquilize the body and mind... Enjoy the in breath… Invite the mind to enjoy the out breath… Learn to take subtle pleasure in this…” The Buddha knows that if we do this in earnest, we will be manipulating ourselves into entering the field of subtle pleasure that is available here and now, which will cause a subtle leaning in from our automated mental mechanisms. It will also have the exact effect that focusing on the out breath has on the conscious/subconscious mind in experiencing a relieving “Void” space (That is, the activation and stabilization of the PSNS). The subtlety of this instruction cannot be overstated. This voidness can be accessed or initiated thousands of times in a day, and used to restart our nervous system to a base line and steady ourselves consistently into a state of imperturbability... This gives us access to higher brain function and deep serenity, but the nervous system must know the conscious mind is mindfully aware and fully present. That it’s in charge and looking out for us. Otherwise it will re-initiate a reactive modality out of self-defense. These experiences are highly emotional. If a constant presence in the conscious mind isn’t active, the system falls apart and we revert. The balancing act of this dance is the candle flame dance of Samadhi. By slowing the Rhythm to Stillness, we can settle to a state that is truly other worldly. (These kinds of natural inborn experiences leave no confusion as to where the concepts of Heaven, Divinity and the Sacred come from in our ancient past.)

As we discuss this path of practice, we can’t help but mention other aspects of it when discussing another. A very prominent topic is weaving itself under the surface of our discussion with the use of the term Voidness. This term is tied to the very elusive description of the thing that is the subsequent goal of Samadhi. (Which, like Mindfulness, is another means, rather than an end.) This goal of Samadhi, whose description is the epidemy of elusiveness is Nibanna. Enlightenment. Nibanna’s literal translation is “extinguished”. But it is often referred to or eluded to by the Buddha as Voidness. This Voidness is known as Sunnata in Pali. (pronounced soonyata) (for a full investigation of this topic we recommend a study of the Mahasunnata Sutta MN 122. And studying this book by one of our favorite meditation teachers, Guy Armstrong, entitled “Emptiness”. Developing this practice until sunnata becomes the default modus operandi of our mindscape, is quite nearly a description of Enlightenment. When the heart realizes its struggle for stability is based on assumptions nestled into the limbic brain, and that the amount of trouble this causes far exceeds its worth, the monumental shift of paradigm we’ve discussed can take place. But only once this obsoleteness is known in our very cells. Known in the mind, heart and body. A more scientific description would be; Known through the interpretive perspective of both hemispheres of the brain, in the analytical mind and also the limbic brain and nervous system. (The nervous system is a web of nerves that branch into brain neurons that live in all our organs. The heart, stomach, liver, etc. so when we speak of knowing something in the body we mean this quite literally.) The felt experience of this is always emotional, which is the language of the body, and not the analytical mind. Our consciousness must act as the ambassador to these two hemispheres of our existence. At least, if we ever want to achieve any measure of peace.