| Samadhi is a very advanced and powerful spiritual | | | | Samadhi. In nirvikalpa Samadhi there is no mind and no |
| state of consciousness. To attain Samadhi is very | | | | form, only an endless, infinite consciousness of bliss |
| rare. A beginner to meditation should not concern | | | | and peace. To enter into nirvikalpa Samadhi involves |
| themselves with techniques trying to attain Samadhi. It | | | | losing all sense of identity; you become merged with |
| is like a young child at Kindergarten expecting to be | | | | the divine, transcendental consciousness. Sri Chinmoy |
| able to write a phD. However to know about the | | | | in trying to describe nirvikalpa Samadhi explains it like |
| summits of meditation can be of tremendous | | | | this. |
| inspiration and encouragement to meditate. It is a | | | | "in nirvikalpa Samadhi there is no mind; there is only |
| reminder of the ultimate goal of meditation, which is | | | | infinite peace and bliss. There nature's dance stops, |
| liberation or nirvana. When one can attain a state of | | | | and the knower and known become one. There you |
| Samadhi one can experience a true consciousness of | | | | enjoy a supremely divine, all pervading self-amorous |
| bliss. The problem with trying to describe Samadhi is | | | | ecstasy." |
| that the consciousness far transcends the domain of | | | | In the hoary past there have been quite a few |
| the mind. To attempt to describe Samadhi is like trying | | | | experiences documented where aspirants who |
| to describe a painting of Van Gogh to a blind man. In | | | | attained nirvikalpa Samadhi did not want to, or were |
| an attempt to explain Samadhi spiritual teachers have | | | | unable to return to the ordinary world. The bliss of |
| often turned to poetry, although even poetry is merely | | | | nirvana was so powerful they did not want to return |
| like a finger pointing at the moon. Sri Chinmoy wrote | | | | to the ordinary world of pain and ignorance. |
| this poem called The Absolute. | | | | In nirvikalpa Samadhi one is unable to operate in the |
| "No Mind no form I only exist | | | | world. However there is a state of Samadhi higher |
| Now ceased all will and thought | | | | than nirvikalpa Samadhi and that is known as Sahaja |
| The final end of nature's dance | | | | Samadhi. In sahaja Samadhi one can maintain the |
| I am it whom I have sought." | | | | consciousness of nirvikalpa Samadhi but also be able |
| (Extract) | | | | to operate in the world. This experience of sahaja |
| In the scriptures such as the Upanishads it is said there | | | | Samadhi is quite rare and only spiritual masters of the |
| are different grades of Samadhi. The first Samadhi is | | | | highest calibre and granted this experience. |
| known as Savikalpa Samadhi. In this state a person | | | | When a seeker can attain Samadhi it is said you |
| has a different state of consciousness in which time | | | | cannot help but look at the world in a different way. In |
| and space appear quite different. In savikalpa Samadhi | | | | Samadhi you see the underlying oneness of humanity |
| it is not possible for thoughts to affect you. The next | | | | and God's creation. |
| level to savikalpa Samadhi is known as nirvikalpa | | | | |