The Stages Of Samadhi & How To Get There To Achieve Bliss

The idea of samadhi, or reaching a state of pure consciousness, can be seen throughout Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist traditions. It was outlined in Buddhism's eightfold path, as well as in Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga.

Though the idea of samadhi is present in many different texts, it is most notably associated with ashtanga yoga, or the eight limbs of yoga outlined in the yoga sutras, which were written by the ancient Indian sage Patanjali around 400 C.E. The eight limbs are thought of as the steps to enlightenment, with Samadhi being the final step, where one reaches a state of bliss or oneness.

As assistant professor of Hindu studies at the University of Denver Dheepa Sundaram, Ph.D., explains to mbg, "Patanjali's system was really also about bringing together a synchronized vision of yoga that would be nonsectarian and not necessarily linked to one particular religious tradition."

Samadhi is attaining bliss and oneness, and the stage in which one "stops the turning wheel of thoughts." The first line in the yoga sutras is "Chitta vritti nirodha," which means "the stopping, or aggregation of, the turning wheel of thoughts," according to Sundaram. This is the goal of the yogic path.

It's also about eliminating separation, or what Sundaram describes as "the distinction between subject and object." Patanjali's vision of samadhi, she notes, "is an awareness of the subject-object distinction being eliminated. There's only consciousness."

If there were a simple answer to this, everyone would be walking around as enlightened beings.

But the truth is, attaining samadhi—or at least getting closer to it—will look different for everyone. With the eight limbs in mind, all of those associated practices and disciplines can help you train your body, mind, and spirit to be in a state of calm oneness, but it takes dedication.

Many believe samadhi can only be attained through the mental discipline of yoga, Sundaram notes (as in, the eight limbs, not just the physical poses or asanas), but that's not to say it isn't accessible to anyone. In theory, the potential is within all of us, and the eight limbs are the most straightforward "steps" to reaching it.

Sundaram notes mantras like "Om" are very helpful as well because they train the mind to be focusing on just one thing. "You get to the point where you can control what kind of intake of sensory information you're taking in," she adds.

Sabija concentration can be translated as "with seeds," and it represents the idea that, at first, we must recognize our concentration is "seeded" with links to our own ego and our understanding of our place in this world and even in previous lives.

Once you are able to detach from those miseries and memories, "you get to that elimination of the subject-object distinction," she notes. Nir means "without," and so Nirbija means "without seed." "You get to that point of what they call 'onliness'—not loneliness," she adds. "It's a state of eternal bliss and being one with permanence."

Keeping Chitta vritti nirodha in mind, the telltale sign of samadhi is the ability to stop the turning wheel of thoughts. For anyone who's tried their hand at meditating, you likely know this doesn't exactly come easily.