/yoga/ - Yoga

Legacy

There are two important aspects of the Yogācāra schemata that are of special interest to modern-day practitioners. One is that virtually all schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism came to rely on these Yogācāra explanations as they created their own doctrinal systems, including the Zen schools. For example, the early Zen tradition in China was sometimes referred to simply as the "Laṅkāvatāra school" (Ch. 楞伽宗, Léngqié Zōng), due to their strong association with the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra.[78] This sūtra draws heavily upon Yogācāra theories of the eight consciousnesses, especially the ālayavijñāna. Accounts recording the history of this early period are preserved in Records of the Laṅkāvatāra Masters (Ch. 楞伽師資記, Léngqié Shīzī Jì).

That the scriptural tradition of Yogācāra is not yet well-known among the community of western practitioners is perhaps attributable to the fact that most of the initial transmission of Buddhism to the west has been directly concerned with meditation and basic doctrines. However, within Tibetan Buddhism more and more western students are becoming acquainted with this school.[citation needed] Very little research in English has been carried out on the Chinese Yogācāra traditions.

http://www.swamij.com/pdf/path.pdf

Meditation and modern goal setting

Modern goal setting methods for planning and implementing desired outcomes has a particular style and language. To view the process of the inner journey from that perspective can provide useful insights to the modern aspirant.

MISSION: attaining the direct experience of the Center of Consciousness within, which is commented on in numerous places by Swami Rama.

GOALS: achieving three factors, as described in Freedom from the Bondage of Karma:

1) Calming the conscious mind

2) Remaining undisturbed by the flood of images from the unconscious mind

3) Going beyond both the conscious and unconscious mind

OBJECTIVES: acquiring basic skills, as outlined in Meditation and Its Practice:

1) How to relax the body

2) How to sit in a comfortable, steady position for meditation

3) How to make your breathing process serene

4) How to witness the objects traveling in the train of the mind

5) How to inspect the quality of thoughts and learn to promote or strengthen those which are positive and helpful

6) How not to allow yourself to become disturbed in any situation, whether you judge it to be either bad or good

PROCEDURES: putting the specific methods into practice by:

1) Systematically following the five step sequence of preparation, stretches, relaxation, breathing, and meditation on a regular, daily basis, as described in Meditation and Its Practice

2) Integrating and implementing the Program for Progress in Meditation, as described in Chapter 6 ofPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

Kriya-yoga (Action-Union/true Karma-yoga, "soul action") has five items - Talavya, Pranayama, Nabhikriya, Yonimudra and Mahamudra. These five item total the first chapter of Kriya-yoga.

When a devotee can complete the first chapter he is eligible to obtain the second chapter. In total, Kriya-yoga has six chapters. Omkara-kriya features from the second till the sixth chapter.

The mystery of Kriya-yoga sadhana can be derived exclusively from the guru.

Through Talavya, the obstruction of the toungue is released; through Pranayama, Prana and Apana airs are stilled; through Nabhikriya, Samana air achieves a state of evenness; through Yonimudra, soul-realization occurs and through Mahamudra, Vyana and Udana airs achieve a state of settlement.

By conquering the five Pranas in this manner, settling in the void essence at Kutastha and by arriving at the state beyond action the Kriyaban is capable of wandering in the realm of his self.

- Shama Churn

Oh, and here's my website (where the intro is from): traditionalkriyayoga.com

>>567

Thank you for the welcome!

>>564

I feel the emptiness in my chest, not in the mind.

>>565

Interesting!

How is following the breath going? Are you able to stay with it for longer periods now? Do you feel like you're "getting it" or does meditation still feel hard? Are you still swept up in thoughts?

What is your mental state like after meditation? Buzzy and full of thoughts? Or quiet and serene?

>>536

What do the percentages mean?

>>538

I track my life activity data in excel. I think of it like journaling for nerds. I tend to lose focus and let me interests wander (I'm an INTP) so this helps me stay on track, stay focused.

Anyway, I track all eight limbs of yoga daily. So if I reasonably follow yama and niyama, I mark a 1 for that day. If not, I leave it a zero. I do the same for asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dyana, and samadhi. If i do them, 1. If not, 0.

Then I total it up for the month and track the percentage rates of success. What % of the days in January did I do dharana meditation? Over half, actually, 61%! How does that compare to the month before, December? An improvement! I only did dharana 48% of the days in December. What about the month after, are we seeing an upward trend from Dec to Jan to Feb? Yes! 79% of the time in Feb I did dharana meditation practices. That motivates me to beat 79% for this month, March! :)

Namaste!

>>540

Interesting method. Is the chart supposed to be showing the data in the table? It doesn't match up.

bump

>>140

Well here is the great thing: if you can and do switch it up through the day you should avoid both. Avoid long term sitting issues by standing. Avoid long term standing issues by sitting.

I love my sit/stand desk. :)

>>505

Ditto on sitting and standing: doing both for 1 hour alternatively makes me feel so much better, it's like night and day compared to sitting or standing all day.

>>532

Thanks for reminding me, I'm going standing mode right now because of your comment, anon. :)

Namaste!

Later in his life Naropa stayed in Phullahari, where he died aged 85. Phullahari or Pullahari was located most likely in eastern Bihar or Bengal.[8]

One of the few reliable historical accounts of him comes from a Tibetan translator named Ngatso Lotsawa, who made an effort to visit Naropa at the monastery of Phullahari while waiting to visit with Atiśa at Vikramashila.

Because I went alone as an insignificant monk to see the Lord Atisha —— and because he tarried for a year in Magadha – I thought I would go see the Lord Naropa, since his reputation was so great. I went east from Magadha for a month, as I had heard that the Lord was staying in the monastery known as Phullahari. Very great merit arose from being able to go see him. On the day I arrived, they said some feudal prince had come to pay homage. So I went to the spot, and a great throne had been erected. I sat right in front of it. The whole crowd started buzzing, "The Lord is coming!" I looked and the Lord was physically quite corpulent, with his white hair [stained with henna] bright red, and a vermilion turban on. He was being carried [on a palanquin] by four men, and was chewing betel-leaf. I grabbed his feet and thought, "I should listen to his pronoucements!" Stronger and stronger people, though, pushed me further and further from his feet and finally I was tossed out of the crowd. So, there I saw the Lord's face, but did not actually hear his voice.

Legacy

Naropa is remembered for his trust and devotion to his teacher, which, according to his namtar, enabled him to attain enlightenment in one lifetime.

He is also remembered as part of the "Golden Garland", meaning he is a lineage holder of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and was considered an accomplished scholar. A great practitioner, Naropa is best known for having collated the Six Yogas of Naropa. These practices help achieve Buddhahood more rapidly. Many subsequent Karmapas have been particularly adept at one or more of these six yogic practices, which in Vajrayana tradition are held to have been given by the Buddha and were passed on through an unbroken lineage via Tilopa to Naropa, Marpa and Milarepa and on to the present day.

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Five_Pure_Lights

The Five Pure Lights (Wylie: 'od lnga) is an essential teaching in the Dzogchen tradition of Bon and Tibetan Buddhism. For the deluded, matter seems to appear. This is due to non-recognition of the five lights. Matter includes the mahābhūta or classical elements, namely: space, air, water, fire, earth. Knowledge (rigpa) is the absence of delusion regarding the display of the five lights. This level of realization is called rainbow body.

Basis (gzhi)

In the basis (Tibetan: གཞི, Wylie: gzhi) there were neutral awarenesses (sh shes pa lung ma bstan) that did not recognize themselves. (Dzogchen texts actually do not distinguish whether this neutral awareness is one or multiple.) This non-recognition was the innate ignorance. Due to traces of action and affliction from a previous universe, the basis became stirred and the Five Pure Lights shone out. When a neutral awareness recognized the lights as its own display, that was Samantabhadra (immediate liberation without the performance of virtue). Other neutral awarenesses did not recognize the lights as their own display, and thus imputed “other” onto the lights. This imputation of “self” and “other” was the imputing ignorance. This ignorance started sentient beings and samsara (even without non-virtue having been committed). Yet everything is illusory, since the basis never displays as anything other than the five lights.

For the deluded, matter seems to appear. This is due to non-recognition of the five lights. Matter includes the mahābhūta or classical elements, namely: space, air, water, fire, earth. The illusion of matter includes even the formless realms and the minds of sentient beings. For example, the beings of the formless realms are made of subtle matter. And the mind of a human is merely matter, specifically vayu (wind, air).

The Five Pure Lights are essentially the Five Wisdoms (Sanskrit: pañca-jñāna).[1] Tenzin Wangyal holds that the Five Pure Lights become the Five Poisons if we remain deluded, or the Five Wisdoms and the Five Buddha Families if we recognize their purity.[Post too long. Click here to view the full text.

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/%C5%9A%C5%ABnyat%C4%81

Śūnyatā (Sanskrit, also shunyata; Pali: suññatā), translated into English as emptiness, voidness,[1] openness,[2] spaciousness, or vacuity, is a Buddhist concept which has multiple meanings depending on its doctrinal context. In Theravada Buddhism, suññatā often refers to the not-self (Pāli: anatta, Sanskrit: anātman)[note 1] nature of the five aggregates of experience and the six sense spheres. Suññatā is also often used to refer to a meditative state or experience.

Sunyata is a key term in Mahayana Buddhism, and also influenced some schools of Hindu philosophy.

Sānanda samādhi

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/S%C4%81nanda_sam%C4%81dhi

Sānanda samādhi, also known as "supreme bliss", or "with ecstasy", is the third level of the four samādhi described in the Yoga Sutras 1:17 by Patanjali. Sānanda: sa- means “with”, ananda means joy, bliss.

Historical descriptions

In Sutra 1:17 Patanjali tells us that samprajnata samadhi comprises four stages: "Complete high consciousness (samprajnata samadhi) is that which is accompanied by vitarka (reasoning), vicara (reflection), sananda (ecstasy), and sasmita (a sense of 'I'-ness)." Sānanda is free from vitarka and vicara.

This is joyous samādhi and it gives intense joy. In sānanda the gross and the five elements are given up. There arises in the Yogi a peculiar perception in the form of intense joy. In this state the mind continues to function, but knowledge of any particular object slowly fades away and the yogi becomes aware of the inner consciousness only. He experiences supreme bliss. In sānanda samādhi the yogi experiences a state of rapture or ecstasy, and the only thought in the mind is the wordless awareness of the feeling of "I am in pleasure, I am happy."

Return to Stillness

http://www.yogajournal.com/article/yoga-101/return-stillness/

Bump.

Dhyana in Hinduism

Dhyāna (Sanskrit; Devanagari: ध्यान) or Jhāna (झान) (Pāli) in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism [note 1] means meditation which is "a deeper awareness of oneness which is inclusive of perception of body, mind, senses and surroundings, yet remaining unidentified with it".[web 1] Dhyana is taken up after preceding exercises,[1] and leads to samadhi and self-knowledge, separating māyā from reality to help attain the ultimate goal of mokṣa.

History

The term 'dhyana' is used in Jainism, Dhyāna in Buddhism and Hinduism, with somewhat different meanings.

The origins of the practice of dhyana, which culminates into samadhi, are a matter of dispute. According to Bronkhorst, dhyana was a Buddhist invention, whereas Alexander Wynne argues that dhyana was incorporated from Brahmanical practices, in the Nikayas ascribed to Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta. These practices were paired to mindfulness and insight, and given a new interpretation. Kalupahana argues that the Buddha "reverted to the meditational practices" he had learned from Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta.

In the Hindu tradition, the term is considered to have first appeared in the Upanishads. In most of the later Hindu traditions, which derive form Patanjali's Raja Yoga, dhyana is "a refined meditative practice", a "deeper concentration of the mind", which is taken up after preceding exercises. In Hinduism, dhyāna is considered to be an instrument to gain self-knowledge, separating Maya illusion from reality to help attain the ultimate goal of moksha.

Bhagavad Gita

In the form of a dialogue between Pandava prince Arjuna and his guide Lord Krishna[note 2] it presents a synthesis[3][4] of the Brahmanical concept of Dharma[3][4][5] with bhakti,[6][5] the yogic ideals[4] of liberation[4] through jnana,[6] and Samkhya philosophy.[web 2][note 3] It is the "locus classicus"[7] of the "Hindu synthesis"[7] which emerged around the beginning of the Common Era,[7] integrating Brahmanic and shramanic ideas with theistic devotion.[7][4][5][web 2]

Dhyāna in Buddhism

Dhyāna (Sanskrit) or Jhāna (Pali) means meditation in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Buddhism, it is a series of cultivated states of mind, which lead to "state of perfect equanimity and awareness (upekkhii-sati-piirisuddhl)."[1]

Dhyana may have been the core practice of pre-sectarian Buddhism, but became appended with other forms of meditation throughout its development.[2][3]

Origins

The time of the Buddha saw the rise of the śramaṇa movement, ascetic practitioners with a body of shared teachings and practices.[4][full citation needed] The strict delineation of this movement into Jainism, Buddhism and brahmanical/Upanishadic traditions is a later development.[4][full citation needed]

Buddhist origins

Invention or incorporation

According to Bronkhorst, dhyana may have been an original contribution by Gautama Buddha to the religious practices of ancient India in response to the ascetic practices of the Jains.[3][page needed] According to Wynne, the attainment of the formless meditative absorption was incorporated from Brahmanical practices,[5][page needed] These practices were paired to mindfulness and insight, and given a new interpretation.[5][page needed] The stratification of particular samādhi experiences into the four jhānas seems to be a Buddhist innovation.[5][page needed] It was then borrowed and presented in an incomplete form in the Mokṣadharma, a part of the Mahābhārata.[6] Kalupahana argues that the Buddha "reverted to the meditational practices" he had learned from Ārāḍa Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta.[7]

Thomas William Rhys Davids and Maurice Walshe agreed that the term samadhi is not found in any pre-buddhist text. Samadhi was first found in the Tipiṭaka and not in any pre-Buddhist text. It was later incorporated into later texts such as the Maitrayaniya Upanishad.[8] But according to Matsumoto, "the terms dhyana and samahita (entering samadhi) appear already in Upanishadic texts that predate the origins of Buddhism".[9][note 1]

DiscoPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

>>215

The four formless jhanas are:

Dimension of Infinite Space - In this dimension the following qualities are "ferreted out":[37] "the perception of the dimension of the infinitude of space, singleness of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, & attention".[37]

Dimension of Infinite Consciousness - In this dimension the following quailities are "ferreted out":[37] "the perception of the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, unification of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, & attention".[37]

Dimension of Nothingness - In this dimension the following qualities are "ferreted out":[37] "the perception of the dimension of nothingness, singleness of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, & attention"

Dimension of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception No qualities to be "ferreted out" are being mentioned for this dimension.[37]

Although the "Dimension of Nothingness" and the "Dimension of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception" are included in the list of nine Jhanas taught by the Buddha, they are not included in the Noble Eightfold Path. Noble Path number eight is "Samma Samadhi" (Right Concentration), and only the first four Jhanas are considered "Right Concentration". If he takes a disciple through all the Jhanas, the emphasis is on the "Cessation of Feelings and Perceptions" rather than stopping short at the "Dimension of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception".

Nirodha-Samapatti

The Buddha also rediscovered an attainment beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, Nirodha-Samapatti, the "cessation of feelings and perceptions".[37] This is sometimes called the "ninth jhāna" in commentarial and scholarly literature.[38][39]

Mastering the jhanas

Gradual development

Bump.

No dream yoga to report.

No dream yoga last night, but I was actually dreaming again. Colder nights and big fuzzy blankets seem to let me sleep better?

No dream yoga to report, although I did dream again last night.

No dream yoga to report.

No dream yoga to report. Not really remembering my dreams lately. Still doing dream checks and reminders.

Day 8

This day for me cleared my worries about my sore body. My breath is the common theme for me in the past two days, and I feel content despite knowing where my torn muscle fibers are and letting that hinder me. Day 8 is a success

Day 9

I now have concise motivation and reason to continue my practice after the challenge is over. I'm reluctant to pay for classes and mats, so I want to strengthen my home practice as much as my resources let me do so. My outlook on the life that presents itself infront of me is significantly more fuild, meaning I don't see as much obstacles as before. I have the ability to move myself forward while letting things unfold infront of me, physically and mentally.

>>364

You are making great progress!

What makes you think you need to spend any money? Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years without commercial yoga mats or commercial classes.

Once you have an understanding of what each limb entails and start really trying to work them, then the only thing you need is someone to check in with to correct things. Until that point, where you feel you really need a guru, I wouldn't bother spending a dime!

Keep up the hard work, I think you've already convinced yourself of the value in what you are doing, and started a positive upward spiral. I look forward to your updates. :^)

Namaste!

Days 10-14

My muscles are healed up and I can now fully enjoy the stretching aspect of my practice. It's taking time for my self without being selfish, and I can love my practice independently, without guilt. I have been searching for a consistent source of self improvement, and actually receiving what I have been asking, in detail of what I wanted for myself. My practice is beginning to become a possession that flowers over time. It feels as if I'm tending to a plant when I have been doing this without fail everyday. I fear lack of consistency when life gets more busy; I don't have tools to stay grounded when a wind storm picks up if that makes any sort of sense. Despite this I have had the dicipline to continue adding to a foundation that has just begun to settle. Days 10-14 was and is a success.

A lot of people pay for learning asanas and other limbs of yoga, and it comes accoss as the right thing to do, and paying for the service and knowledge gained from someone else willing to teach it. I'm not following the "right thing to do" which shouldn't matter, but I've realized this is a small mental blockage from achieving clarity.

>>385

I think what you and I are doing here, going "rogue" so to speak without a proper guru, can be dangerous, but doesn't have to be. Who taught the first yogis? Who taught Siddhartha Gautama Buddhism? Nobody, they figured this stuff out on their own.

Yoga is a method for knowing yourself. Who can do this for you? Only you can know the inner you, the true self. A guru helps, of course, but for now I think we are making good progress.

Your progress is encouraging!

Namaste!

Yamas, and its complement, niyamas, represent a series of "right living" or ethical rules within Hinduism and Yoga. They are a form of moral imperatives, commandments, rules or goals. The five Yamas of Patañjali's classical yoga system are commitments that affect the yogi's relations with others. The five Niyamas of Patañjali's classical yoga system are personal obligations to live well.

Ten yamas are codified as "the restraints" in numerous scriptures including the Śāṇḍilya and Vārāha Upanishads, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Svātmārāma,[1] and the Tirumantiram of Tirumular. Patañjali lists only five yamas in his Yoga Sūtras.[2][3]

Five Yamas

See also: Jainism § Five main vows

The five yamas listed by Patañjali in Yogasūtra 2.30 are:[4]

Ahiṃsā (अहिंसा): Nonviolence, non-harming other living beings[5]

Satya (सत्य): truthfulness, non-falsehood[5][6]

Asteya (अस्तेय): non-stealing[5]

Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य): celibacy, non-cheating on one's partner[6]

Aparigraha (अपरिग्रहः): non-avarice,[5] non-possessiveness[6]

Ten Yamas

The ten yamas listed by Śāṇḍilya Upanishad,[7] as well as by Svātmārāma are:[1][8][9]

Ahiṃsā (अहिंसा): Nonviolence

Satya (सत्य): truthfulness

Asteya (अस्तेय): not stealing

Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य): continence

Kṣamā (क्षमा): forgiveness[10]

Dhṛti (धृति): fortitude

Dayā (दया): compassion[10]

Ārjava (आर्जव): non-hypocrisy, sincerity[11]

Mitāhāra (मितहार): measured diet

Śauca (शौच): purity, cleanliness

Other numbers of Yamas

At least sixty (60) ancient and medieval era Indian texts are known so far that discuss Yamas.[12] Most are in Sanskrit, but some are in regional Indian languages. Of the sixty, the lists in eleven of these texts are siPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

Jainism encourages spiritual development through cultivation of personal wisdom and through reliance on self-control through vows.

Jains accept different levels of compliance for strict followers and laymen.

Followers of this religion undertake five major vows:

Ahimsa: Ahiṃsā means nonviolence or noninjury.

The first major vow taken by Jains is to cause no harm to living beings.

It involves minimizing intentional and unintentional harm to other living creatures by actions, speech or thoughts.

The vow of ahiṃsā is considered the foremost among the 'five vows of Jainism'.

Satya: Satya means truth.

This vow is to always speak the truth.

Given that non-violence has priority, other principles yield to it whenever they conflict: in a situation where speaking truth could lead to violence, silence may be observed.

Asteya: Asteya means not stealing.

Jains should not take anything that is not willingly offered.

Attempting to extort material wealth from others or to exploit the weak is considered theft.

Fair value should be given for all goods and services purchased.

Brahmacharya: Brahmacharya means chastity for laymen and celibacy for Jain monks and nuns.

This requires the exercise of control over the senses to control indulgence in sexual activity.

Aparigraha: Aparigraha means non-possessiveness.

This includes non-materialism and non-attachment to objects, places and people.

Jain monks and nuns completely renounce property and social relations.

Monks and nuns are obligated to practice the five cardinal principles of non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possessiveness very strictly, while laymen Post too long. Click here to view the full text.

>>218

Description

[show]Table: Jhāna-related factors.

Majjhima Nikaya 26:34-42, Ariyapariyesana Sutta, "The Noble Search", gives the following description of the four rupa jhanas ("form jhanas"), the four arupha jhanas ("formless jhanas"), and nirodha-samapatti, the cessation of perception and feeling:[web 5][note 3]

First jhana

"Suppose that a wild deer is living in a wilderness glen. Carefree it walks, carefree it stands, carefree it sits, carefree it lies down. Why is that? Because it has gone beyond the hunter's range.[note 4] In the same way, a monk — quite withdrawn from sensual pleasures, withdrawn from unskillful qualities — enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. This monk is said to have blinded Mara. Trackless, he has destroyed Mara's vision and has become invisible to the Evil One.

Second jhana

"Then again the monk, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, enters & remains in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance. This monk is said to have blinded Mara. Trackless, he has destroyed Mara's vision and has become invisible to the Evil One.

Third jhana

"Then again the monk, with the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.' This monk is said to have blinded Mara. Trackless, he has destroyed Mara's vision and has become invisible to the Evil One.

Fourth jhana

"Then again the monk, with the abandoning of pleasure & stress — as with the earlier disappearance of elation & distress — enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulnPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

>>219

Mental factors

The rupa-jhānas are described according to the nature of the mental factors which are present in these states:

Movement of the mind onto the object (vitakka; Sanskrit: vitarka)

Retention of the mind on the object (vicāra)

Joy, rapture (pīti; Sanskrit: prīti)

Happiness (sukha)

Equanimity (upekkhā; Sanskrit: upekṣā)

One-pointedness (ekaggatā; Sanskrit: ekāgratā)[note 5]

Dhyana and insight

Two traditions

A core problem in the study of early Buddhism is the relation between dhyana and insight.[12][8][13] The Buddhist tradition has incorporated two traditions regarding the use of jhana.[8] There is a tradition that stresses attaining insight (bodhi, prajna, kensho) as the means to awakening and liberation. But it has also incorporated the yogic tradition, as reflected in the use of jhana, which is rejected in other sutras as not resulting in the final result of liberation.[12][6][13] The problem was famously voiced in 1936 by Louis de La Vallee Poussin, in his text Musila et Narada: Le Chemin de Nirvana.[14][note 6]

Schmithausen discerns three possible roads to liberation as described in the suttas,[15] to which Vetter adds the sole practice of dhyana itself, which he sees as the original "liberating practice":[16]

The four Rupa Jhanas themselves constituted the core liberating practice of early buddhism, c.q. the Buddha;[17]

Mastering the four Rupa Jhanas, where-after "liberating insight" is attained;

Mastering the four Rupa Jhanas and the four Arupa Jhanas, where-after "liberating insight" is attained;

Liberating insight itself suffices.

This problem has been elaborated by several well-known scholars, including Tilman Vetter,[12] Johannes Bronkhorst,[8] and Richard Gombrich.[13] Schmithausen[note 7] notes that the mention Post too long. Click here to view the full text.

>>220

In Buddhist tradition

Theravada

According to Buddhaghosa, in his influential standard-work Visuddhimagga, samādhi is the "proximate cause" to the obtainment of wisdom.[24] The Visuddhimagga describes 40 different objects for meditation, which are mentioned throughout the Pali canon, but explicitly enumerated in the Visuddhimagga, such as mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati) and loving kindness (metta).[citation needed]

Mahāyāna

Indian Mahāyāna

The earliest extant Indian Mahāyāna texts emphasize ascetic practices and forest dwelling, and absorption in states of meditative concentration. These practices seem to have occupied a central place in early Mahāyāna, also because they "may have given access to fresh revelations and inspiration."[25]

In the Indian Mahāyāna traditions the term is also to refer to forms of "samādhi" other than dhyana. Section 21 of the Mahāvyutpatti records even 118 samādhi.[26] The Samādhirāja Sūtra for example has as its main theme a samādhi called 'the samādhi that is manifested as the sameness of the essential nature of all dharmas' (sarva-dharma-svabhavā-samatā-vipañcita-samādhi).[27][note 10]

Zen

Main articles: Zen, Chinese Chán, Japanese Zen and Zen in the United States

Indian dhyana was translated as chán in Chinese, and zen in Japanese. Ideologically the Zen-tradition stresses prajna and sudden insight, but in the actual practice prajna and samādhi, or sudden insight and gradual cultivation, are paired to each other.[28][full citation needed]

Hinduism

Patañjali's Yoga sutras

Samādhi is the main subject of the eight limb of the Yoga Sūtras called Samādhi-pada. They resemble the Buddhist jhanas.[29][note 11] Vyasa's Yogabhashya, the commentary to the Yogasutras, and Vacaspati Misra's subcommentary state directly that the samPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

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According to Karel Werner,

Patanjali's system is unthinkable without Buddhism. As far as its terminology goes there is much in the Yoga Sutras that reminds us of Buddhist formulations from the Pāli Canon and even more so from the Sarvāstivāda Abhidharma and from Sautrāntika."[32]

Robert Thurman writes that Patañjali was influenced by the success of the Buddhist monastic system to formulate his own matrix for the version of thought he considered orthodox.[33] However, it is also to be noted that the Yoga Sutra, especially the fourth segment of Kaivalya Pada, contains several polemical verses critical of Buddhism, particularly the Vijñānavāda school of Vasubandhu.[34]

Samādhi

Samādhi is oneness with the object of meditation. There is no distinction between act of meditation and the object of meditation. Samādhi is of two kinds,[35][web 7] with and without support of an object of meditation:[web 8]

Samprajnata Samādhi, also called savikalpa samādhi and Sabija Samādhi,[web 9][note 12] meditation with support of an object.[web 8][note 13]

Samprajata samādhi is associated with deliberation, reflection, bliss, and I-am-ness.[39][note 14] The first two, deliberation and reflection, form the basis of the various types of samapatti:[39][41]

Savitarka, "deliberative":[39][note 15] The citta is concentrated upon a gross object of meditation,[web 8] an object with a manifest appearance that is perceptible to our senses,[42] such as a flame of a lamp, the tip of the nose, or the image of a deity.[citation needed] Conceptualization (vikalpa) still takes place, in the form of perception, the word and the knowledge of the object of meditation.[39] When the deliberation is ended this is called nirvitaka samādhi.[43][note 16]

Savichara, "reflective":[42] the citta is concentrated upon a subtle object of meditation,[web 8][42] which is not percpetible to the senses, but arrived at through interference,[42] such as the senses, the process of cognition, the mind, the I-am-ness,[note Post too long. Click here to view the full text.

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Samyama

According to Taimni, dharana, dhyana and samādhi form a graded series:[47]

Dharana. In dharana, the mind learns to focus on a single object of thought. The object of focus is called a pratyaya. In dharana, the yogi learns to prevent other thoughts from intruding on focusing awareness on the pratyaya.

Dhyana. Over time and with practice, the yogin learns to sustain awareness of only the pratyaya, thereby dharana transforms into dhyana. In dhyana, the yogin comes to realize the triplicity of perceiver (the yogin), perceived (the pratyaya) and the act of perceiving. The new element added to the practice of dhyana, that distinguish it from dharana is the yogin learns to minimize the perceiver element of this triplicity. In this fashion, dhyana is the gradual minimization of the perceiver, or the fusion of the observer with the observed (the pratyaya).

Samādhi. When the yogin can: (1) sustain focus on the pratyaya for an extended period of time, and (2) minimize his or her self-consciousness during the practice, then dhyana transforms into samādhi. In this fashion then, the yogin becomes fused with the pratyaya. Patanjali compares this to placing a transparent jewel on a colored surface: the jewel takes on the color of the surface. Similarly, in samādhi, the consciousness of the yogin fuses with the object of thought, the pratyaya. The pratyaya is like the colored surface, and the yogin's consciousness is like the transparent jewel.

Sahaja samādhi

Ramana Maharshi distinguished between kevala nirvikalpa samādhi and sahaja nirvikalpa samādhi:[48][web 10][web 11]

Sahaja samādhi is a state in which a silent level within the subject is maintained along with (simultaneously with) the full use of the human faculties.[48]

Kevala nirvikalpa samādhi is temporary, [web 10][web 11] whereas sahaja nirvikalpa samādhi is a continues state throughout daily activity.[48] This state seems inherently more complex than sāmadhi, since it involves several aspects of life, namely external activity, internal quietPost too long. Click here to view the full text.