SAVICHĀRA-SAMĀDHI (Savicāra-Samādhi), Skt.; a term used in the yoga philosophy of Patañjali. It refers to a state in which the mind identifies with the object of meditation but is still partially involved with the perception of names, qualities, and cognition.
NIRVICHĀRA-SAMĀDHI (Nirvicāra-Samādhi), Skt.; a term in the yoga philosophy of Patañjali, who refers thereby to a state of absorption in which the mind becomes one with the object of concentration. The perception of names and qualities or other forms of cognition no longer disturb the mind, since it intuitively sees through everything in a flash.
SAMPRAJÑĀTA-SAMĀDHI (Saṃprajñāta-Samādhi), Skt., from samprajñāta: “conscious”; the yoga philosophy of Patañjali distinguishes between two stages of samādhi: samprajñāta-samādhi and asamprajñāta-samādhi, corresponding roughly to savikalpa-samādhi and nirvikalpa-samādhi in Vedānta. In samprajñāta-samādhi, mental activity as well as kleshas are still present, so that this form of samādhi is characterized by germination (sabīja-samādhi); that is, the individual’s diminished and hidden desires (vāsanās) still exist in seed form and may reemerge. This form is contrasted to asamprajñāta (“supraconscious”), the highest level of samādhi, which is without seeds (nirbīja-samādhi), since all kleshas have been overcome, all vāsanās extinguished, and all bonds of karma broken.
NIRBĪJA-SAMĀDHI Skt., lit. “seedless samādhi”; a term used in the philosophy of yoga to refer to the highest, supraconscious state, in which all thought waves have subsided and all duality is extinguished. It is called “seedless” because it destroys the seeds of future karma (āgāmi-karma and sanchita-karma), which would otherwise lead to rebirth. In sabīja (“samādhi with seed”), by contrast, this seed is not destroyed. (See also samprajñāta-samādhi.)
SAVIKALPA-SAMĀDHI Skt.; a state of consciousness in which one knows God or brahman but remains in a subject-object relationship with him. In contrast to nirvikalpa-samādhi, this state still contains a trace of duality, which prevents total absorption in God. Savikalpa-samādhi may be compared to the visio Dei of Christian mysticiam.
NIRVIKALPA-SAMADHI Skt., Iit. “changeless samādhi”; a term used in Vedānta to refer to the highest, transcendent state of consciousness, the realization of the concept “I am brahman,” which until realization exists in the mind only as a thought. In this state there is no longer mind, duality, nor subject-object relationship. It is the highest, samādhi-state of nondual union with brahman.
LAYA-SAMĀDHI Skt., from laya: “merging,” i.e., with the supreme consciousness; also called turīya (“the fourth”).
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
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