Difference between revisions of "Samadhi"
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The term ''samadhi'' derives from the root ''sam-a-dha'', which means 'to collect' or 'bring together', and thus it is often translated as 'concentration'. | The term ''samadhi'' derives from the root ''sam-a-dha'', which means 'to collect' or 'bring together', and thus it is often translated as 'concentration'. | ||
− | + | ==Samma samādhi (right concentration)== | |
− | {{Main|Noble Eightfold Path#Right | + | {{Main|Noble Eightfold Path#Right Concentration (Samma Samadhi)}} |
− | The Buddha identified | + | The Buddha identified ''right concentration'' (''samma samādhi'') as the eight element in the [[Noble Eightfold Path]]. |
In this context, ''samādhi'' refers here to the [[Dhyana|jhanas]], levels of gradual deepening of meditation. | In this context, ''samādhi'' refers here to the [[Dhyana|jhanas]], levels of gradual deepening of meditation. | ||
− | === | + | ==Within Buddhist traditions== |
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− | + | ===Theravada=== | |
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In the early Buddhist texts, samadhi is also associated with the term [[samatha]] (calm abiding). In the suttas, samadhi is defined as one-pointedness of mind (''Cittass'ekaggatā'').<ref>Henepola Gunaratana, The Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation © 1995</ref> | In the early Buddhist texts, samadhi is also associated with the term [[samatha]] (calm abiding). In the suttas, samadhi is defined as one-pointedness of mind (''Cittass'ekaggatā'').<ref>Henepola Gunaratana, The Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation © 1995</ref> | ||
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*Absorption concentration (''appanasamadhi''): The total immersion of the mind on its meditation of object and stabilization of all four jhanas. | *Absorption concentration (''appanasamadhi''): The total immersion of the mind on its meditation of object and stabilization of all four jhanas. | ||
− | + | === Mahayana === | |
[[File:Gandhara, bodhisattva assiso, II sec..JPG|thumb|150px|[[Bodhisattva]] seated in [[jhana|meditation]]. [[Afghanistan]], 2nd century CE]] | [[File:Gandhara, bodhisattva assiso, II sec..JPG|thumb|150px|[[Bodhisattva]] seated in [[jhana|meditation]]. [[Afghanistan]], 2nd century CE]] | ||
− | + | ====Indian Mahayana==== | |
The earliest extant Indian Mahayana texts emphasize ascetic practices and forest dwelling, and absorption in states of meditative oneness. These practices seem to have occupied a central place in early Mahayana, also because they "may have given access to fresh revelations and inspiration."{{sfn|Williams|2008|p=30}} | The earliest extant Indian Mahayana texts emphasize ascetic practices and forest dwelling, and absorption in states of meditative oneness. These practices seem to have occupied a central place in early Mahayana, also because they "may have given access to fresh revelations and inspiration."{{sfn|Williams|2008|p=30}} | ||
In the Indian Mahayana traditions the term is also to refer to forms of "samadhi" other than ''dhyana''. Section 21 of the ''Mahavyutpatti'' records even 118 samadhi.{{sfn|Skilton|2002|p=56}} The [[Samadhiraja Sutra]] for example has as its main theme a samādhi called 'the samadhi that is manifested as the sameness of the essential nature of all dharmas' (''sarva-dharma-svabhavā-samatā-vipañcita-samādhi'').{{sfn|Gomez|Silk|1989|p=15-16}}{{refn|group=note|Gomez & Silk: "This samadhi is at the same time the cognitive experience of emptiness, the attainment of the attributes of buddhahood, and the performance of a variety of practices or daily activities of a bodhisattva—including service and adoration at the feet of all buddhas. The word samadhi is also used to mean the sūtra itself. Consequently, we can speak of an equation, sūtra <nowiki>=</nowiki> samādhi <nowiki>=</nowiki> śūnyatā, underlying the text. In this sense the title ''Samadhiraja'' expresses accurately the content of the sūtra."{{sfn|Gomez|Silk|1989|p=15-16}}}} | In the Indian Mahayana traditions the term is also to refer to forms of "samadhi" other than ''dhyana''. Section 21 of the ''Mahavyutpatti'' records even 118 samadhi.{{sfn|Skilton|2002|p=56}} The [[Samadhiraja Sutra]] for example has as its main theme a samādhi called 'the samadhi that is manifested as the sameness of the essential nature of all dharmas' (''sarva-dharma-svabhavā-samatā-vipañcita-samādhi'').{{sfn|Gomez|Silk|1989|p=15-16}}{{refn|group=note|Gomez & Silk: "This samadhi is at the same time the cognitive experience of emptiness, the attainment of the attributes of buddhahood, and the performance of a variety of practices or daily activities of a bodhisattva—including service and adoration at the feet of all buddhas. The word samadhi is also used to mean the sūtra itself. Consequently, we can speak of an equation, sūtra <nowiki>=</nowiki> samādhi <nowiki>=</nowiki> śūnyatā, underlying the text. In this sense the title ''Samadhiraja'' expresses accurately the content of the sūtra."{{sfn|Gomez|Silk|1989|p=15-16}}}} | ||
− | + | ====Zen==== | |
[[File:Grandmaster.png|thumb|right|150px|A traditional Chinese Chán Buddhist master in [[Taiwan]], sitting in meditation]] | [[File:Grandmaster.png|thumb|right|150px|A traditional Chinese Chán Buddhist master in [[Taiwan]], sitting in meditation]] | ||
{{Main article|Zen|Chinese Chán|Japanese Zen|Zen in the United States}} | {{Main article|Zen|Chinese Chán|Japanese Zen|Zen in the United States}} | ||
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===Printed sources=== | ===Printed sources=== | ||
− | {{refbegin | + | {{refbegin}} |
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* {{Citation | last1 =Buddhaghosa | last2 =Bhikkhu Nanamoli | year =1999 | title =The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga | publisher =Buddhist Publication Society | isbn =1-928706-00-2}} | * {{Citation | last1 =Buddhaghosa | last2 =Bhikkhu Nanamoli | year =1999 | title =The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga | publisher =Buddhist Publication Society | isbn =1-928706-00-2}} | ||
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* {{Citation | last =Cousins | first =L. S. | year =1996 | chapter =The origins of insight meditation | editor-last =Skorupski | editor-first =T. | title =The Buddhist Forum IV, seminar papers 1994–1996 (pp. 35–58) | place =London, UK | publisher = School of Oriental and African Studies | url =http://www.shin-ibs.edu/documents/bForum/v4/03Cousins.pdf}} | * {{Citation | last =Cousins | first =L. S. | year =1996 | chapter =The origins of insight meditation | editor-last =Skorupski | editor-first =T. | title =The Buddhist Forum IV, seminar papers 1994–1996 (pp. 35–58) | place =London, UK | publisher = School of Oriental and African Studies | url =http://www.shin-ibs.edu/documents/bForum/v4/03Cousins.pdf}} | ||
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* {{Citation | last =Gombrich | first =Richard F. | year =1997 | title =How Buddhism Began | publisher =Munshiram Manoharlal}} | * {{Citation | last =Gombrich | first =Richard F. | year =1997 | title =How Buddhism Began | publisher =Munshiram Manoharlal}} | ||
* {{Citation | last1 =Gomez | first1 =Luis O. | last2 =Silk | first2 =Jonathan A. | year =1989 | title =Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts | publisher = Ann Arbor}} | * {{Citation | last1 =Gomez | first1 =Luis O. | last2 =Silk | first2 =Jonathan A. | year =1989 | title =Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts | publisher = Ann Arbor}} | ||
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* {{Citation | last =Hui-Neng | others =T.Cleary | date=n.d. | title =The Sutra of Hui-Neng | url =http://terebess.hu/zen/HuinengCleary.pdf}} | * {{Citation | last =Hui-Neng | others =T.Cleary | date=n.d. | title =The Sutra of Hui-Neng | url =http://terebess.hu/zen/HuinengCleary.pdf}} | ||
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* {{Citation | last =McRae | first =John | author-link = | year =2003 | title =Seeing Through Zen. Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism | place = | publisher =The University Press Group Ltd | ISBN =9780520237988}} | * {{Citation | last =McRae | first =John | author-link = | year =2003 | title =Seeing Through Zen. Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism | place = | publisher =The University Press Group Ltd | ISBN =9780520237988}} | ||
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* {{Citation | last =Skilton | first =Andrew | title =State or Statement?: Samādhi in Some Early Mahāyāna Sūtras | journal =The Eastern Buddhist |volume=34 |issue=2 |year=2002 | url =http://web.otani.ac.jp/EBS/index_new2.html}} | * {{Citation | last =Skilton | first =Andrew | title =State or Statement?: Samādhi in Some Early Mahāyāna Sūtras | journal =The Eastern Buddhist |volume=34 |issue=2 |year=2002 | url =http://web.otani.ac.jp/EBS/index_new2.html}} | ||
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* {{Citation | last =Thurman | first =Robert | year =1984 | title =The Central Philosophy of Tibet | publisher =Princeton University Press}} | * {{Citation | last =Thurman | first =Robert | year =1984 | title =The Central Philosophy of Tibet | publisher =Princeton University Press}} | ||
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* {{Citation | last =Williams | first =Paul | year =2000 | title =Buddhist Thought. A complete introduction to the Indian tradition | publisher =Routledge}} | * {{Citation | last =Williams | first =Paul | year =2000 | title =Buddhist Thought. A complete introduction to the Indian tradition | publisher =Routledge}} | ||
* {{Citation | last =Williams | first =Paul | year =2008 | title =Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations | publisher =Routledge}} | * {{Citation | last =Williams | first =Paul | year =2008 | title =Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations | publisher =Routledge}} | ||
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{{refend}} | {{refend}} | ||
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==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
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* {{Citation | last =Vetter | first =Tilmann | year =1988 | title =The Ideas and Meditative Practices of Early Buddhism | publisher =BRILL}} | * {{Citation | last =Vetter | first =Tilmann | year =1988 | title =The Ideas and Meditative Practices of Early Buddhism | publisher =BRILL}} | ||
* {{Citation | last =Bronkhorst | first =Johannes | year =1993 | title =The Two Traditions Of Meditation In Ancient India | publisher =Motilal Banarsidass Publ.}} | * {{Citation | last =Bronkhorst | first =Johannes | year =1993 | title =The Two Traditions Of Meditation In Ancient India | publisher =Motilal Banarsidass Publ.}} | ||
* {{Citation | last =Shankman | first =Richard | year =2008 | title =The Experience of Samadhi. An In-depth Exploration of Buddhist Meditation | publisher =Shambhala}} | * {{Citation | last =Shankman | first =Richard | year =2008 | title =The Experience of Samadhi. An In-depth Exploration of Buddhist Meditation | publisher =Shambhala}} | ||
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== External links == | == External links == | ||
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{{wiktionary}} | {{wiktionary}} | ||
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; Theravada Buddhism | ; Theravada Buddhism | ||
* [https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/a-history-of-indian-philosophy-volume-1/d/doc209748.html {{IAST|Sīla}} and {{IAST|Samādhi}}], Surendranath Dasgupta, 1940 | * [https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/a-history-of-indian-philosophy-volume-1/d/doc209748.html {{IAST|Sīla}} and {{IAST|Samādhi}}], Surendranath Dasgupta, 1940 | ||
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*[http://www.dhammatalks.net/Books3/Lama_Gelek_Rinpoche_Developing_Samadhi.htm Developing Samadhi - by Lama Gelek Rinpoche] | *[http://www.dhammatalks.net/Books3/Lama_Gelek_Rinpoche_Developing_Samadhi.htm Developing Samadhi - by Lama Gelek Rinpoche] | ||
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Latest revision as of 22:24, 4 August 2019
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Samadhi (Skt. samādhi) is often translated as meditative absorption or concentration.
The term samadhi derives from the root sam-a-dha, which means 'to collect' or 'bring together', and thus it is often translated as 'concentration'.
Contents
Samma samādhi (right concentration)
The Buddha identified right concentration (samma samādhi) as the eight element in the Noble Eightfold Path.
In this context, samādhi refers here to the jhanas, levels of gradual deepening of meditation.
Within Buddhist traditions
Theravada
In the early Buddhist texts, samadhi is also associated with the term samatha (calm abiding). In the suttas, samadhi is defined as one-pointedness of mind (Cittass'ekaggatā).[1]
Buddhagosa defines samadhi as "the centering of consciousness and consciousness concomitants evenly and rightly on a single object...the state in virtue of which consciousness and its concomitants remain evenly and rightly on a single object, undistracted and unscattered" (Vism.84-85; PP.85).
The Theravada Pali texts mention four kinds of samadhi:
- Momentary concentration (khanikasamadhi): A mental stabilization which arises during vipassana.
- Preliminary concentration (parikammasamadhi): Arises out of the meditator's initial attempts to focus on a meditation object.
- Access concentration (upacarasamadhi): Arises when the five hindrances are dispelled, when jhana is present, and with the appearance the 'counterpart sign' (patibhaganimitta).
- Absorption concentration (appanasamadhi): The total immersion of the mind on its meditation of object and stabilization of all four jhanas.
Mahayana
Indian Mahayana
The earliest extant Indian Mahayana texts emphasize ascetic practices and forest dwelling, and absorption in states of meditative oneness. These practices seem to have occupied a central place in early Mahayana, also because they "may have given access to fresh revelations and inspiration."[2]
In the Indian Mahayana traditions the term is also to refer to forms of "samadhi" other than dhyana. Section 21 of the Mahavyutpatti records even 118 samadhi.[3] The Samadhiraja Sutra for example has as its main theme a samādhi called 'the samadhi that is manifested as the sameness of the essential nature of all dharmas' (sarva-dharma-svabhavā-samatā-vipañcita-samādhi).[4][note 1]
Zen

Indian dhyana was translated as chán in Chinese, and zen in Japanese. Ideologically the Zen-tradition emphasizes prajna and sudden insight, but in the actual practice prajna and samādhi, or sudden insight and gradual cultivation, are paired to each other.[5][6] Especially some lineages in the Rinzai school of Zen stress sudden insight, while the Sōtō school of Zen lays more emphasis on shikantaza, training awareness of the stream of thoughts, allowing them to arise and pass away without interference.
See also
Notes
- ↑ Gomez & Silk: "This samadhi is at the same time the cognitive experience of emptiness, the attainment of the attributes of buddhahood, and the performance of a variety of practices or daily activities of a bodhisattva—including service and adoration at the feet of all buddhas. The word samadhi is also used to mean the sūtra itself. Consequently, we can speak of an equation, sūtra = samādhi = śūnyatā, underlying the text. In this sense the title Samadhiraja expresses accurately the content of the sūtra."[4]
References
- ↑ Henepola Gunaratana, The Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation © 1995
- ↑ Williams 2008, p. 30.
- ↑ Skilton 2002, p. 56.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Gomez & Silk 1989, p. 15-16.
- ↑ McRae 2003.
- ↑ Hui-Neng & Cleary 1998.
Sources
Printed sources
- Buddhaghosa; Bhikkhu Nanamoli (1999), The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga, Buddhist Publication Society, ISBN 1-928706-00-2
- Cousins, L. S. (1996), "The origins of insight meditation", in Skorupski, T., The Buddhist Forum IV, seminar papers 1994–1996 (pp. 35–58) (PDF), London, UK: School of Oriental and African Studies
- Gombrich, Richard F. (1997), How Buddhism Began, Munshiram Manoharlal
- Gomez, Luis O.; Silk, Jonathan A. (1989), Studies in the Literature of the Great Vehicle: Three Mahayana Buddhist Texts, Ann Arbor
- Hui-Neng (n.d.), The Sutra of Hui-Neng (PDF), T.Cleary
- McRae, John (2003), Seeing Through Zen. Encounter, Transformation, and Genealogy in Chinese Chan Buddhism, The University Press Group Ltd, ISBN 9780520237988
- Skilton, Andrew (2002), "State or Statement?: Samādhi in Some Early Mahāyāna Sūtras", The Eastern Buddhist, 34 (2)
- Thurman, Robert (1984), The Central Philosophy of Tibet, Princeton University Press
- Williams, Paul (2000), Buddhist Thought. A complete introduction to the Indian tradition, Routledge
- Williams, Paul (2008), Mahāyāna Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations, Routledge
Web sources
Further reading
- Vetter, Tilmann (1988), The Ideas and Meditative Practices of Early Buddhism, BRILL
- Bronkhorst, Johannes (1993), The Two Traditions Of Meditation In Ancient India, Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
- Shankman, Richard (2008), The Experience of Samadhi. An In-depth Exploration of Buddhist Meditation, Shambhala
External links
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Look up samadhi in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- Theravada Buddhism
- Sīla and Samādhi, Surendranath Dasgupta, 1940
- Samma Samadhi - by Ajahn Chah
- Samadhi for Liberation - by Ajahn Anand Akincano
- Wisdom Develops Samadhi - by Maha Boowa
- Lessons in Samadhi by Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo
- Tibetan Buddhism
This article includes content from Samadhi on Wikipedia (view authors). License under CC BY-SA 3.0. | ![]() |