Understand
Samadhi: The Heights of Meditation
The eight-limbed path leads, at its summit, to samadhi — a state of absorption so complete that the sense of a separate self dissolves.
Samadhi is the eighth and final limb of yoga — meditative absorption so deep that the meditator, the act of meditation and the object become one. The Yoga Sutras describe stages, from samadhi 'with seed' (samprajnata, still resting on an object) to 'seedless' (asamprajnata), culminating in kaivalya — liberation, resting as pure awareness itself.
Dharana (concentration) ripens into dhyana (meditation), and dhyana, deepened, flowers into samadhi — the eighth limb and the summit of Patanjali's path. It is less a technique than what remains when the mind grows utterly quiet.
What samadhi is
In samadhi, the usual separation between the one meditating, the act of meditating and the object of meditation dissolves; there is only absorption. Patanjali describes a spectrum. Samprajnata samadhi ('with seed') still rests on a subtle object and carries traces of thought. Asamprajnata ('seedless') is deeper still, beyond even that support — a profound stillness in which the mind's fluctuations have ceased.
The goal beyond the goal
These states are not the final aim in themselves but the doorway to kaivalya — liberation, in which pure consciousness (purusha) rests in and as itself, no longer confused with the changing mind. This is the freedom the whole eight-limbed path has been quietly moving toward.
Samadhi cannot be forced, only prepared for — by ethics, posture, breath, sense-withdrawal, concentration and meditation. It is what yoga has meant all along by 'the stilling of the mind'.
Frequently asked questions
- What is samadhi in yoga?
- Samadhi is the eighth and final limb of yoga — meditative absorption so deep that the meditator, the act of meditation and its object become one. It is the culmination of the eight-limbed path and the fullest expression of 'stilling the mind'.
- What are the types of samadhi?
- The Yoga Sutras distinguish samprajnata samadhi ('with seed' — still resting on a subtle object, with traces of thought) and asamprajnata ('seedless' — deeper still, beyond any support), leading ultimately to kaivalya, liberation.
- What is kaivalya?
- Kaivalya is liberation — the ultimate aim of Patanjali's yoga, in which pure consciousness (purusha) rests in and as itself, no longer confused with the changing mind and world (prakriti).
References
- Patanjali, Yoga Sutras 3.3 & Chapter 1 (samadhi); Chapter 4 (kaivalya) · Classical text — Samadhi, its stages, and liberation.
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