Transcending the Mind, Abiding in Pure Awareness - The Psychology of Samadhi: 4

Patanjali's extraordinary eight-step (ashtanga) method of meditation can lead you to the state of samadhi. His ancient teachings become much more accessible with the help of modern psychology and personal insights gained through decades of practice.''
Psychology of Meditation playlist: • Psychology of Samadhi ...
0:00 Effortless Meditation through Dharana & Dhyana
6:41 Ego: Karta (doer) and Bhokta (experiencer)
14:23 Bhokta, Experiencer of Silence
21:11 Conclusion & Advice for Practice
Samadhi, which is ultimate goal of yogic meditation, is utterly unlike the preceding seven angas or limbs of yoga taught by rishi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. Those angas, especially dharana, concentration, and dhyana, meditation, have to be practiced with tremendous effort to completely prepare your mind to reach samadhi. But you can't actually practice samadhi. It's the state you arrive at through your diligent practice of all seven preceding angas.
Patanjali defines dhyana as an unbroken flow of identical thoughts or vrittis towards your alambana, your chosen object of meditation. When that flow becomes deeply established in your mind, it will continue spontaneously, without any effort at all. For example, instead of deliberately reciting om, om, om you'll be able to effortlessly observe that repetition in your mind as it continues spontaneously. This transition, from deliberate repetition to spontaneous, effortless, repetition, is the result of the momentum gained through intense practice of dharana and dhyana.
According to psychologists, certain kinds of intense activity can produce a similar state of spontaneous, effortless action. They call it entrainment of the mind or the state of flow. Athletes call it, "being in the zone." Musicians aptly call it, "getting into the groove."
An alambana is a tool you use to quiet and concentrate your mind. When your mind is fully concentrated, you have let go of your alambana. Then, when the flow of identical vrittis comes to an end, the practice of dhyana can effortlessly and seamlessly lead to the state of samadhi.
For meditators, it's important to distinguish two different aspects of the ego, the ahankara. When you feel like the doer or agent of some kind of activity, that is the karta, the doer. On the other hand, when you feel like you're merely an observer or experiencer of something, that is the bhokta, the experiencer. Your ego can produce the feeling of being a doer, an experiencer, or both. Both eventually fade away in the state of samadhi.
In samadhi, as Patanjali himself says, tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam, you then abide in your true nature as pure consciousness. That is the state of kaivalya, onlyness, when your true nature alone remains.
Swami Tadatmananda is a traditionally-trained teacher of Advaita Vedanta, meditation, and Sanskrit. For more information, please see: www.arshabodha.org/

[@RaviSIyerSai]

I am deeply thankful to Swamiji for this great contribution of sharing his knowledge and experience of samadhi state.

[@ringingthebells307]

Excellent eye opening and very simplistic approach to make us understand such a vast and complicated subject by param puja swamiji. We r very grateful to u Swamiji for such guidance.

[@honestal2684]

Yes we are ! Hare Krishna 🕉️ Om Nama Shivaya 📿 !!!

[@aarjukr]

This has to be the best guide on dhyaan and samadhi and elaborate steps on how to practice them …. 1000s of dhanywaad to swami ji for making such effort for all of us! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@SS-hp9tg]

Thank you Swamiji, for giving us such a rewarding series. Hearing about your own experiences makes this so much more valuable for students like me. These concepts that seem so lofty and unreachable suddenly appear more real, listening to your experiences. Thank you for your wonderful service to humanity.

[@prathamdhakal9120]

Wow Just WOW THANK YOU Swamiji😍

[@patelranna27]

Pranam Swamiji 🙏 You have an amazing way to explain. Any ordinary person can understand the concept of Vedanta and the goal of knowing who / what we are! You explain such a simple way step by steps! I’m so fortunate to knowing you thru KZbin!

[@vyderka]

Wonderful series, I'll revisit it for sure again and again. Real gem. Many many thanks!

[@sita4827]

Yes,me too!

[@gopal6586]

Pujya Swami ji pranam.

[@rajivramanjani8706]

In my practice of prathyahara - I reach a state where the Karta becomes sharp initially and recedes leaving the bhoktha. Eventually when that also vanishes I go into a conscious dream like state where dreams rapidly come and go. After listening to your video I realise that since the practice is only prathyahara and not Dhyana - there is no leading to Samadhi

[@Supy-jz2qx]

Pujya swami ji pranam.

[@kanishkajoshi563]

🙏🙏Thank You swami ji....

[@vinodsood954]

Pranam Swamiji. You are an ideal teacher . We are blessed to listen to you .

[@AnkurWat]

Thank you Swamiji! 🙏🏽

[@ravishankarchengalath8971]

Thank you Swamiji 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@muhsindogru7976]

big respect and endless love from Türkiye. thanks for all explainings.

[@holyvoid]

Wonderful 😇 Thanx🙏

[@jjohnson6169]

Jai Guru Dev

[@shortslife8600]

Awesome description... It will help a lot... Joy guru....

[@kalanithyravindran4374]

Thank you from my heart ❤️

[@vidaamericana_br]

Thanks you só much, that charts show me I already reach some advanced aspects of meditation, when there is no thougts, no sensations (almost)...

[@lapisvitae]

Dear swami: Spectacular your 4 videos explaining the psychology of samadhi.........it is clear for me that these videos are not only theoretical but also experiential based on your many years of practice..........these videos of psychology of samadhi are high quality and perhaps some of the best on this topic in youtube. I did all the 8 angas and in the year 2006 I experienced for the first time samadhi........I have experienced the ocean of mercy and love and the vast luminous space. Swami, thanks again for these wonderful videos on the psychology of samadhy many people around the world can benefit from these videos. Thanks for your love, wisdom and generosity on sharing these videos. There are two books that are commentaries on the sutras of Patanjali that I highly recommend. The first book is the light of the soul written by Alice Bailey acting as a amanuensis of the tibetan master Djwhal Khul... The second book is the kriya yoga sutras written by Marshall Govindan........ Dear swami....blessings to you and thank you for sharing these videos on the psychology of samadhi.

[@jerry-mind-sky]

Hello. Can you say something more about your words : ,, vast luminous space ,, experience ? Thx.

[@lapisvitae]

@@jerry-mind-sky Hello Jerry, before saying something more about the vast luminous space I want to give thanks once again to swami Tadatmananda for these great videos on the psychology of samadhi, swami is a great teacher, and I look forward to watch more of his videos. According to the system of chakras the first chakra , the muladhara is in the perineus between the anus and the genitals, this is the earth chakra, above this is the second chakra that is the water element and above this in the solar plexus this the third chakra that is the fire element, every disciple should heal, integrate and develop these 3 chakras.......the earth element deals with instincts, the water element deals with emotions and the fire element deals with thoughts......this is the battlefield of every disciple.........the 4th chakra is the heart chakra and deals with the air element............. theosophy explains that there are 4 ethers or spaces the 4th chakra is the 4th ether or space, the 5th chakra in the throat is the 3rd ether or space, the point in the middle of the eyebrows is the 6th chakra and is the 2nd ether or space, and finally the crown chakra is the 1st ether or space.............each of these 7 chackras has 7 levels and the task of every disciple is to heal, integrate and develop each one of the layers or levels of each chakra................the majority of disciples do all this process unconsciously and is normal because it is part of the path that unfolds step by step. Many people around the world use the heart chakra, the throat chakra, the ajna chakra and the crown chakra but they function only in the lower levels of these chakras. Thus answering to your request the initiate starts perceiving the vast luminous space when he reaches the 4th chakra, the air element that is the 4th ether or space..........the arhats and saints who have done all the process mentioned above reach the 4th chakra and receive moksha or liberation and many of them die and go to other higher realms of the universe in order to continue with their evolution............some initiates while still with a body on planet earth reach the 3rd ether or space and become adepts or sages, their experience of the vast luminous space in the 3rd ether is greater than the previous one................if the inititiate-master decides to remain on earth then he reaches the 2nd ether or space and become a siddha or chohan perceiving a greater vast luminous space and if he keeps evolving he reaches the 1st ether or space and become a mahasiddha experiencing the greatest vast luminous space. The concept of vast luminous space comes from the tradition of the 18 siddhas called the immortals ones such as Mahavatar Babaji, Boganathar, Agastyar, and Ramalinga...................they are called immortals because they reach and gain moksha, liberation but instead of dying and going to other realms of the universe they remained on earth and they started descending their spiritual realization............first they descended their spiritual realization to the intellect and became adepts-sages then they descended the spiritual realization to the mind and became siddhas-chohans and then they descended their spiritual realization to the vital body and became mahasiddhas and finally in a spectacular apoteosis they descended their spiritual realization to the root chakra to the earth element and they became Naths-Lords. The vast luminous space referred in the tradition of the 18 siddhas is related to the concept of the realization of emptiness and clarity in Buddhism......here emptiness is refered to the ether or space element and claritiy refers to the luminous aspect.......there is a nice interview to Marshall Govind on the topic of siddhanta, advaita and yoga where he elaborates and explains what I say in this comment about the 18 siddhas. My name is Alejandro Gomez Ramirez, my name as a master is lapis Vitae and I am from Bogota Colombia in South America.........I have experienced the vast luminous space and at the same time I recognize the spiritual value and great understanding of people such as Swami Tadatmananda and Marshall Govindan and some others who are in different parts of the world............. The Spiritual Hierarchy of the Planet is real and is formed by the true male and female saints of all religions, by male and female adepts, by male and female siddhas and by male and female mahasiddhas........................may every disciple through a constant and joyful effort receive the guide of one or some of the members of the Spiritual Hierarchy of the planet. Swami Tadatmananda thanks againg for sharing these videos of the psychology of samadhi.............these videos are a real help for many people around the world. I am not going to comment anything else in this video...........This is the place and site of Swami Tadatmananda and I respect him and his site.... Many Blessings to swami Tadatmananda and his spiritual work. The disciples of swami Tadatmananda have a great teacher in him.

[@BlackHermit]

Abiding in pure awareness is very good.

[@alukuhito]

You never aren't.

[@BlackHermit]

@@alukuhito I am, forever and ever. ❤

[@alukuhito]

@LifesInsightNo. It's not a thing. It's who you are. If there is an empty vessel without a heart, that is known to awareness.

[@alukuhito]

@LifesInsightAwareness IS existence. "Existence" as you have used it depends on awareness, but awareness doesn't depend on that definition (life energy) of "existence". In Vedanta, we don't call existence "life energy". Energy is an object to you, Awareness, Existence. The whole universe depends upon awareness, so to say that awareness is empty is misleading. That sounds like Buddhism, not Vedanta.

[@alukuhito]

@LifesInsightYeah, it is.

[@andreyershov5845]

Pure gold. Namaskaram

[@simeondawkins6358]

I found a more direct way into samadhi and have been in total flow for many years now its lovely in bike riding is lovely

[@cvf3197]

Namaste Swamiji, With every teaching published on You Tube, I appreciate more and more what a good teacher we have. I am really touched by the love you show for all your students, even online. In return, we should support Arsha Bodha Center, and above all, we must put your teachings into practice. I will follow your instructions as faithfully as I could because I know you are a true guru. Pranam.🙏

[@rajukunjukrishnan472]

Pranam Guruji 🙏

[@Eva-iy6vy]

Excellent thank you.

[@Pallasathena-hv4kp]

Excellent graphics! I’m a more “visual” person, so this helped very much. 🙏

[@MarcLeonard108]

Om Namah Sivaya, Om Swamiji! Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge! I recently graduated as a Yoga Acharya in our Sivananda Yoga tradition. We had Vedanta and Raja Yoga lectures, and I got inspired to deepen my knowledge and meditation! Again, thank you for all your wisdom 🧡

[@007witharvind]

पूज्य स्वामी जी प्रणाम।

[@lynneslightom2003]

Exactly! Thank you so much for your pointing. There was never anyone here to have to let go. 😅🎉 What freedom there is in being nothing.

[@sita4827]

Thank you dear SwamiJi🙏

[@girishnanoti954]

Pranam Swami ji

[@rsr9200]

Thank you for your priceless wisdom on meditation, Swamiji! These videos along with your advice on how to leverage such meditation during Vedantic contemplation, as presented in your videos on Advaita Makaranda and Upadesha Sahasri, are veritable gems on KZbin for Advaitins!

[@rsr9200]

@@JagadguruSvamiVegananda Dictionary meanings of the terms “meditation” and “contemplation” notwithstanding, I prefer to draw a distinction between yogic meditation (as presented in these videos) and Vedantic contemplation. For me, the latter is a Vedanta-guided ex post facto reflection on ordinary experiences, such as dream and dreamless deep sleep, as well as on extraordinary experiences such as nirvikalpa samadhi. Subsequently, for qualified individuals or adhikaris, what takes place is the removal of any uncertainty they may harbor about the truth of the Upanishadic mahavakyas revealing their true nature as Brahman.

[@rsr9200]

@@JagadguruSvamiVegananda The answer to that question should be apparent to those who believe they have a FALSE nature! 😜

[@madhavraje2275]

Namaskar Swamiji. Your explanations are indeed very simplistic and encouraging. Detailing, graphical diagrams, accents.. both sanskrit and english not only emit compassion but inspire the listeners. You are simply a great teacher, Guru; a student in me aspires to meet you and place my head unto your feet. Thank you for being there for many like me.

[@user-vi7sg5bl9p]

Gracias por darnos toda esta enseñanza es maravillosa.

[@rachaelclarke9268]

Thank you for your time and teaching s 🙏 I am in momentum this full fullment just is ❤.

[@tvyas6331]

Thank You🙏

[@pecosruby1]

Thank you for making this mateial more accessible/understandable to my western mind. Well said, thank you

[@bzzzvzzze]

Thank you

[@Aram888.]

Thank you so much sir it was very helpful 🙏

[@zartu42]

Obrigado ❤🙏🇧🇷

[@stiomac]

Excellent, what is that music in the intro, just great, love it

[@subramanianjothi5798]

Swamiji, I request you to consider to teach us the later portion of the Patanjali sudras. It will helpful to understand about the different types of samadhis and siddies. Your long spiritual life must be revealed and recorded for the future generations.

[@anjaligangoli7939]

Thank you for this wonderful series Swamiji 🙏. Thanks to your excellent explanation a doubt was cleared in this lesson. Pranam & best wishes & to you, always.

[@vikrampatel1166]

I thank you Swamiji for very clear and simple deduction of a very complex subject.

[@grhegde2839]

Thank you Swamiji. I have a request which is totally unrelated to yoga sutras so I apologise in advance.I am a very beginner advaita student and I listened to your lectures from introduction to vedanta to all the Upanishads. In Goudapadakarika lectures you mentioned Swami Sachchidanendra Saraswati who wrote numerous vedanta books in kannada and English including translation of Brahmasutara bhashya of Sri Adi Shankara in kannada which I am currently reading because Kannada is my native language. I humbly request you to kindly assure my learning efforts are on the right path or pujya Sri Sachchidanendra Swamiji's book may differ from Sri Adi Shankara vedanta? I understand that every enlightened Guru's teaching methods differ from each other eventhough they are saying the same thing. I am a very beginner in vedanta and your teaching methods are very suitable for me which helped me a lot. Once again I can't thank you enough for making such high standard teachings available for every one. Pranam Swamiji

[@arcticfox409]

Getting back 'into the groove'... You're almost there... Call it getting 'back into the womb'

[@hariharan4922]

🙏🙇‍♂️🙇‍♀️🙏

[@XiTos178]

Muito obrigado pela serie ! 🙏🙏🙏

[@NguyenTatNamA]

thanks!

[@thoang101]

Thank you for a wonderful series.

[@adiravikumar1209]

Thank you so much for sharing your personal Experience , which is the path of enlightenment .🙏🙏🙏

[@virgo1946able]

What a beautiful explanation with the most appropriate words to go beyond word! Loved the whole series, swamiji!

[@gridcoregilry666]

thank you for this excellent video series!!!

[@user-oi3cv9ko8u]

Eye opening program, life changing, wonderful teaching

[@McIntoshYoga]

Thank you for your outstanding presentations. Namaste'

[@YongnianTaiChiUSA]

great series. excellent as always. 🙏🙏🙏🕉☸☯🔱🔱🔱

[@swamivedantanandapuri1322]

Sastanga pranaam🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏. Swami Vedantananda Puri

[@jean-claudecharbonnier5637]

Sorry but this 4 th number is not translated in french like the 3 before ! Thank you to much for this clear explanation ! Merci !

[@nevillestimpson475]

Very good, this really helps explain many vedantic concepts and confirms my experience with transcendental Meditation. Excellent keep them coming !

[@marcusjclark]

Thank you so much for this beautiful and clear teaching. The diagrams are brilliant! I am so grateful to have been led to this wisdom. Swami Tadatmananda is one of the great teachers of this Age. Will there ever be a full course on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras like this?

[@NondualityChannel]

🙏

[@Yoshimitsu988]

Muchas gracias por la explicación swami, para mi aclara mucho mi entender. Cuando me relajo y empiezo a introjectar mis sentidos, aveces siento un zumbido muy fuerte en mis oidos y dejo de respirar, como apnea, eso es normal?? Mis cordiales saludos desde Argentina🇦🇷

[@jimmysingla3566]

🙏🙏🙏

[@anantanantharam4383]

Hello Swamiji does this mean that Once Realisation happens it is not for ever? Advaita talks of Jeevan Mukta! Would be grateful for your revert! Namaskarams!

[@ssapthar]

Thank you for this gem of an insight based on your personal experience, Swamiji 🙏🙏 Could you please help understand how this state is different from deep sleep? Are vrittis in unmanifested state even during samadhi?

[@yoeyyoey8937]

Great question. It kinda depends what you mean by “deep sleep” because you could be referring to turya which is indeed like samadhi (although NB: patanjali describes different types of samadhi so perhaps your answer is therein)

[@AtlantisWisdom]

Swamiji do you think that Raja Yoga can give the realization of Brahman?

[@ind3215]

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@pravashsarkar3561]

What is the difference of deep sleep and Samadhi

[@chasetuttle2780]

Where are you based? I would love to come visit wherever your ashram is

[@nagodio]

TM uses the same technique

[@AlanPhan128]

TLDR: Intense and dedicated practice of the first seven angas of yoga can lead to the ultimate goal of yogic meditation, samadhi, where the mind is free from thoughts and the experiencer can temporarily disappear, leading to a profound experience of silence in the present moment. 1. 00:00 🧘 Samadhi, the ultimate goal of yogic meditation, cannot be practiced with effort and requires the complete restraint of all mental activities, which can be achieved through intense and dedicated practice of the first seven angas of yoga. 1.1 Samadhi, the ultimate goal of yogic meditation, is unlike the preceding limbs of yoga and cannot be practiced with effort as it requires the complete restraint of all mental activities. 1.2 Intense and dedicated practice of the first seven angas of yoga can build up enough mental momentum to reach the effortless state of samadhi. 2. 03:14 🧘‍♂ Concentration and meditation on om leads to spontaneous repetition, similar to flow state, but deliberate practice is needed to maintain it. 2.1 Through concentration and meditation, the repetition of the sacred syllable om becomes deeply established in the mind, eventually arising spontaneously without effort. 2.2 Intense practice of dharana and dhyana leads to spontaneous, effortless repetition, similar to the state of flow experienced by athletes and musicians, but eventually the momentum will weaken and deliberate practice is needed to resume it. 3. 07:03 🧠 Experiencing ego disappearance in reflective awareness and distinguishing between ego aspects as doer and experiencer leads to effortless meditation and feeling of contentment. 3.1 Experiencing the disappearance of the ego in reflective awareness and distinguishing between the aspects of the ego as the doer and the experiencer. 3.2 When meditation becomes effortless, the sense of "I am doing something" disappears, leading to a feeling of contentment and fulfillment. 4. 10:34 🧘‍♂ Let go of the doer and object of meditation to achieve perfect satisfaction, and allow the repetition of "om" to gradually cease. 4.1 In the state of krita krityata, the doer disappears, leading to perfect satisfaction, but to completely restrain all mental activities, one must also let go of the object of meditation. 4.2 Allow the interval between repetitions of "om" to grow longer and longer until it finally ceases to arise. 5. 13:33 🧘‍♂ Dhyana practice can lead to samadhi, where the mind is free from thoughts and the experiencer can temporarily disappear, leading to a profound experience of silence in the present moment. 5.1 The practice of dhyana can lead to the state of samadhi, where the mind is free from thoughts and the experiencer can eventually disappear. 5.2 When meditating in a state of samadhi, the experiencer can temporarily disappear, leading to a profound experience of silence in the present moment. 6. 17:57 🧠 Experiencing samadhi leads to a state of infinite, boundaryless awareness free from the limitations of time and space. 7. 19:56 🧘‍♂ Practicing dhyana leads to the fading of the ego, allowing one to abide in pure consciousness, and the state of samadhi can be resumed through deliberate practice. 8. 22:42 🧘 Meditation experiences are personal and unique, so it's best to experiment with different techniques to find what works for you.

[@simeondawkins6358]

No watching the only thng that exist is he dream that appears to watch itself hanging in a great noting

[@marides1479]

I respect you Guru, but I think that trying to achieve Samadhi holds you bound to Samara

[@fousaralich4948]

🫂❤

[@simeondawkins6358]

No mind mushin even now the 2 hands write this no effort just silance

[@jokerjokerrr1264]

❤ master vedanta Sizinle bir gün tanışmak istiyorum Türkiye’den selamlar lütfen bana vatsap numaranızı verin lütfen lütfen bekliyorum ❤

[@srikargandhi9938]

🙏