Categories: Dhyana: Practical Training
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
Today, through our spiritual teachings, I hope to clarify a question that is vital for every practitioner: what is the difference between concentration and deep absorption in meditation? Many of you have been diligently following the practical meditation instructions we’ve shared, and I felt it was essential to properly distinguish between these two states.
Understanding this difference is not just for intellectual knowledge; it is a crucial step that will deepen your practical application and bring greater clarity to your spiritual path. Let’s explore this topic in a simple and open way, using practical experience as our guide.
What is Samadhi? The First Stage of Mental Stillness
For some time now, we have been exploring various meditation techniques, such as practices focusing on cosmic energy, Kundalini, the path to the Brahma worlds, and the practical third eye meditation. Let’s use the third eye practice as an example to understand the first stage.
As I’ve explained in our practical sessions, you are guided to fix your attention on the point between your eyebrows, or the middle of your forehead. As you do this, many of you begin to notice distinct physical sensations. You might feel a pressure, a tightness, a tingling, a pulling sensation as if by a thread, or even a feeling of warmth. I won’t list all the possibilities, as we have discussed them at length before.
When these sensations arise, something remarkable happens in the mind: your thoughts begin to decrease. They don’t vanish entirely, but their frantic pace slows down to just one or two at a time. It feels as if you can almost count them as they pass. This state of focused calm, where the mind becomes stable and powerful, is what we can begin to call a state of concentration. This is an essential support, a powerful tool that helps you gather your mental energy to take the next steps in your practice.
This state is what we call Samādhi, which can be translated as concentration or mental unification. It’s a foundational state that provides the stability needed to progress further. However, this experience of Samādhi is a stepping stone. Any form of meditation that brings the mind to this level of calm, even without the forehead pressure, falls into this category. The key feature of Samādhi is this: thoughts are still present, but they are few and far between.
The Landscape of the Mind in Samadhi: Working with Thoughts
Let’s look more closely at the mind within Samādhi. Before, when you tried to meditate, perhaps doing loving-kindness meditation at school or a temple you may remember an endless stream of thoughts. Your mind would wander everywhere, even while you were reciting the words. The difference now is that due to this concentrated state, you can actually see your thoughts. This clarity arises from the convergence of your mindfulness and the reduced flow of thoughts.
However, it is crucial to understand that thoughts do not disappear in Samādhi. They are merely reduced to a trickle, perhaps one or two at a time, maybe five at most, but certainly a countable number. And these thoughts can be of any kind. They can be thoughts of sensual desire (kāma), anger, jealousy, or ill will. They can also be skillful thoughts (kusala) or unskillful thoughts (akusala), related to merit or demerit. Both good and bad can appear.
The nature of Samādhi is that these thoughts arise. If you are not mindful, you can get caught. Imagine a thought of lust arises while you are in this calm state. Because the mind is not yet in a higher stage of development, you could easily get swept away by it if you are not careful.
This is why I so often emphasize the practice of mindfulness, or Sihī, as taught by the Buddha. With mindfulness, you can recognize, ‘A thought of lust has arisen,’ or ‘A thought of anger has arisen,’ or ‘A memory of someone who shamed me has arisen.’ You can see it clearly without getting entangled. If you remain mindful, you will not be caught. This is the nature of this stage: thoughts come, but you have the power to observe them.
How to Strengthen Your Concentration
Many of you who are practically applying these teachings, whether the third eye meditation or the path to the Brahma worlds, are likely experiencing this state of Samādhi right now. This is a foundational, yet significant, stage. If you wish to deepen your Samādhi, the key is to stay with it. You must spend time with this state of concentration, patiently keeping your mind on your meditation object. But you cannot do this by force. Forcing the mind doesn’t work. You must use understanding and mindfulness.
The meditation words or phrases we use such as focusing on ‘emptiness‘ or repeating ‘may my mind become unified serve as a powerful support. These tools, which are types of meditation subjects or kammaṭṭhāna, help strengthen your Samādhi. Think back to when you first started; you likely felt nothing between your eyebrows. But through patiently practicing with your meditation word, the sensation became stronger, and your concentration deepened. This progress is a helping hand, guiding you to the next stage.
As your Samādhi strengthens, you will notice pleasant experiences. The body may feel light, as if it’s floating. A deep sense of ease and freedom arises, and the heavy feeling of the physical body diminishes. You may see lights or experience other physical phenomena, like the body feeling as solid as a rock. While these physical signs are varied, the most important change is in the mind. I repeat this point because it is essential for people of all ages and levels of experience to grasp: what is Samadhi is fundamentally a state of mind where thoughts become few enough to be counted.
It’s important to note that this guidance comes from direct, practical experience. While profound texts like the Abhidhamma or the books of venerable masters like “Rerukane Chandavimala Mahā Nāyaka Thēra” offer deep, scholarly wisdom and I encourage you to read them. My purpose here is not to repeat what is in books. I am sharing insights from my own spiritual journey and the experiences of fellow practitioners to provide practical help without making this teaching unnecessarily long. The experience aligns with the texts, but our focus here is on your direct practice.
The Crucial Difference: Samadhi vs. Dhyana (Jhana)
Understanding this state of Samādhi is a great help, whether you are practicing with our guidance, with another teacher, or on your own. It allows you to recognize where you are on your path. Now, we must clarify the next stage, which I will only touch upon briefly today and explain in more detail in a future teaching. This is the state of Dhyāna, a Pali word often translated as meditative absorption or Jhana.
Here is the simple, crucial difference: In Dhyāna, discursive thoughts are absent. They are not just few; they are gone. The mind has temporarily suppressed them completely, a process known as tadaṅga pahāna. In past teachings, I’ve used the analogy of a lake. Dhyāna is like a lake where all the mud and sediment have completely settled, leaving the water perfectly clear and still.
Those who have listened to those talks may recall this. The only ‘thought‘ remaining in Dhyāna is the single, unified awareness that is experiencing the state itself. It is a profound state of bliss, both physical and mental, that can be sustained for hours, or even days. This deep, unshakable calm becomes the foundation for developing higher spiritual abilities and psychic powers, known as abhiññā. This, in essence, is Dhyāna.
Conclusion: Knowing Your Place on the Path
I trust that this explanation is enough for you to understand the distinction between Samādhi and Dhyāna. I believe this knowledge is sufficient and will be very helpful for you to continue your spiritual journey. You should now have a clear idea of what these states are and be able to identify where you are in your own practice. I have faith that you have understood this simple distinction well.
With that, I will conclude today’s teaching. May the power of the Triple Gem bless you. May you clearly distinguish between Samādhi and Dhyāna, understand your own spiritual state, and continue to progress on your path. May wisdom arise, may you have the strength to maintain mindfulness, and may you receive all blessings. With this blessing, I conclude this teaching for today.
We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.
Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.
May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
