What is Samadhi?
Samadhi, the Pali term for concentration or meditative absorption, represents one of the three essential trainings (tisikkha) in Theravada Buddhism. Along with ethical conduct (sila) and wisdom (pañña), samadhi forms a cornerstone of the path to liberation as taught by the Buddha. This article explores the nature, development, and significance of samadhi in the Theravada tradition.
Understanding Samadhi
In the Pali Canon, samadhi is defined as “the unification of mind” (cittass’ekaggata). The Buddha described it as the state where consciousness becomes steady, clear, and undistracted, focused single-pointedly on its chosen object. Far from being a mere relaxation technique, samadhi represents a profound training of attention that enables profound insight.
The Visuddhimagga (Path of Purification), the influential 5th-century CE commentary by Buddhaghosa, describes samadhi as “the centering of consciousness and consciousness-concomitants evenly and rightly on a single object.” This one-pointedness gives the mind power, clarity, and stability.
The Stages of Samadhi
Theravada Buddhism outlines a systematic progression of concentration states:
1. Preliminary Concentration (Parikamma Samadhi)
Before formal absorption states arise, practitioners develop initial concentration through techniques like mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati), visualisation of colored disks (kasina), or contemplation of the Buddha’s qualities (buddhanussati). This preliminary level quiets the five hindrances (nivarana) of sensual desire, ill-will, sloth-torpor, restlessness-worry, and doubt.
2. Access Concentration (Upacara Samadhi)
As practice deepens, the mind approaches absorption. In access concentration, the hindrances are temporarily suppressed, and mental factors called jhana factors begin to strengthen:
- Applied thought (vitakka)
- Sustained thought (vicara)
- Joy (piti)
- Happiness (sukha)
- One-pointedness (ekaggata)
At this stage, practitioners may experience a subtle mental image called the “counterpart sign” (patibhaga-nimitta).
3. Absorption Concentration (Appana Samadhi)
Full absorption represents the pinnacle of concentration practice, manifesting as four progressive states of meditative absorption (jhana):
First Jhana: The mind becomes absorbed with all five jhana factors present. Though withdrawn from sensual pleasures, the meditator still applies and sustains thought on the meditation object.
Second Jhana: Applied and sustained thinking subside, leaving a state of confidence, joy, and happiness born of concentration.
Third Jhana: Joy fades, leaving a profound equanimous happiness.
Fourth Jhana: All feelings of pleasure and pain dissolve, leaving pure equanimity and mindfulness.
Beyond these material jhanas (rupa jhana), advanced practitioners may develop immaterial attainments (arupa jhana), such as the base of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, and neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
Methods for Developing Samadhi
The Buddha taught numerous methods for cultivating concentration. Some of the most prominent in the Theravada tradition include:
Mindfulness of Breathing (Anapanasati)
The Buddha praised mindfulness of breathing as “peaceful and sublime.” By placing attention on the natural breath sensations, practitioners cultivate increasing levels of concentration. The Anapanasati Sutta outlines sixteen aspects of this practice, which can lead to all four jhanas.
Kasina Meditations
These involve concentration on visual objects such as colored disks, elements (earth, water, fire, air), or light. The Visuddhimagga provides detailed instructions for preparing and using these meditation supports.
Divine Abodes (Brahmaviharas)
The development of loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), appreciative joy (mudita), and equanimity (upekkha) can lead to profound states of absorption while purifying the mind of negative emotions.
Recollections (Anussati)
Contemplation of the qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, one’s own virtue, generosity, or deities can generate strong concentration, though traditionally these are said to lead only to access concentration rather than full jhana.
The Purpose of Samadhi
While concentration states bring blissful experiences, Theravada Buddhism emphasises that samadhi is not an end in itself but serves specific purposes on the path:
Foundation for Insight (Vipassana)
The Buddha consistently taught that concentration provides the necessary foundation for insight meditation. With a concentrated mind, practitioners can observe phenomena with sufficient clarity to penetrate their true nature. As the Anguttara Nikaya states: “Develop concentration, monks. One who is concentrated understands things as they really are.”
Purification of Mind
Samadhi temporarily suppresses mental defilements, creating a window where the mind experiences extraordinary clarity, peace, and purity. This temporary purification provides a crucial reference point, showing practitioners what’s possible when the mind is free from hindrances.
Spiritual Powers (Iddhi)
Advanced concentration can lead to the development of psychic powers, though the Buddha cautioned against pursuing them for their own sake. These include divine eye, divine ear, recollection of past lives, mind-reading, and various supernormal abilities.
Happiness in This Life
The Buddha acknowledged that samadhi brings “pleasant abiding here and now.” These states represent the highest forms of mundane happiness available to humans, far surpassing sensual pleasures in their depth and purity.
Common Misunderstandings
Several misunderstandings about samadhi persist among modern practitioners:
- Confusing Relaxation with Samadhi: While samadhi includes tranquillity, it differs from mere relaxation through its extraordinary focus and energy.
- Neglecting Samadhi: Some contemporary approaches minimise concentration in favour of bare insight practice. However, the Buddha consistently taught concentration as essential to the path.
- Clinging to Jhana: Conversely, some practitioners become attached to absorption states, missing their purpose as tools for insight and liberation.
- Bypassing Ethics: True samadhi cannot be developed without a foundation of ethical conduct (sila), as the Buddha emphasised throughout the suttas.
The Place of Samadhi in Contemporary Practice
For modern practitioners, several considerations may help in developing samadhi:
- Progressive Training: Concentration develops gradually through regular practice. The Buddha compared it to the gradual training of a wild elephant or the careful filling of a water pot drop by drop.
- Qualified Guidance: Given the subtleties involved, traditional teachings emphasise finding a qualified teacher who has personal experience with these states.
- Balanced Approach: The Middle Way applies to meditation practice—neither forcing concentration through excessive effort nor allowing the mind to wander through insufficient energy.
- Integrating Samadhi with Daily Life: Formal practice should be complemented by mindfulness in daily activities, creating a continuity of awareness that supports deeper concentration.
Samadhi represents a profound training of the mind that transforms the quality of awareness itself. As the Buddha taught in the Samaññaphala Sutta (Fruits of the Contemplative Life), the concentrated mind becomes “bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability.”
Samadhi stands as both a powerful tool for liberation and a taste of the profound peace available when the mind is properly trained. While modern life presents challenges to its development, the systematic methods taught by the Buddha remain accessible to sincere practitioners who approach them with patience and proper guidance.
By developing this essential aspect of the path, practitioners honour the Buddha’s teaching that “there is no wisdom without concentration, and no concentration without wisdom.” Together, these qualities lead to the ultimate goal of Theravada practice: the complete liberation of the heart and mind.
“Just as, monks, the river Ganges flows, slopes, and tends toward the east, so too a monk who develops and cultivates the Noble Eightfold Path flows, slopes, and tends toward Nibbana.” — Samudda Sutta, SN 45.97