In philosophical parlance, samádhi means unification of the unit mind with the Cosmic Mind, or merger of the unit mind into the Cosmic Mind. Ordinarily, the conscious mind performs physical actions through sense organs and nerve-cells and nerve-fibres, while the subconscious performs thinking, recollection, etc., and the unconscious is all-knowing. In samádhi, the three chambers of the mind are fused into one. During samádhi, the mind remains full of knowledge (prajiṋá). This is a positive state; though the mind remains inactive, still it is full of knowledge.

Mrtyu, death, on the other hand, is a negative state. Because of lack of psycho-physical parallelism, the sense organs, the nerve-cells, nerve-fibres, etc., will stop functioning, as a result of which the entire body will be as inert as a block of wood, that is, hardly distinguishable from matter. All the expressions of mental faculties become suspended. It is a state of complete lifelessness devoid of any prajiṋá.

Samádhi is not possible merely through one’s own efforts. It is absolutely dependent on the grace of Paramátmá. Death is a providential arrangement. Man must make efforts to attain samádhi. So far as death is concerned, it will come as a matter of course. Through this arrangement of death, Parama Puruśa is continuing the flow of creation; otherwise this creation would have stopped. It is natural that when people lose their dear and near ones, they feel the pangs of bereavement. When operated upon, patients certainly feel pain, but all these things are unavoidable. One who is born must die. Anything, once created, must undergo change and, ultimately, meet destruction.

Suppose somebody does something which may cause some physical harm, should we call it the sádhaná of death or of prajiṋá? Those who subject themselves to all sorts of tortures, who stand in deep water on chilly nights for hours together, are certainly not making spiritual progress. Even those who are taking holy baths on Mághii Purńimá [the full moon of mid-February to mid-March] are not enhancing their spiritual progress. If merely a dip in the Ganges made one holy, then the fish that are always in the river would be the most virtuous and holy. Pilgrims do not gain morally or spiritually from their holy baths, but, on the contrary, have to suffer bitter experiences – physical troubles, loss of money, mental anxiety, and humiliation at the hands of robbers and thieves. Spiritual elevation is possible by introverting all the mental propensities and directing them towards the Supreme Desideratum (one’s dhyeya [object of ideation]) and thus becoming one with Him.

Demonstration

[Bábá called one sádhaka and told him to concentrate his mind on his toes and do the prescribed dhyánam⁽¹⁾ there, and then at his heels. Next he was told to practise dhyánam on múládhára, svádhiśt́hána, mańipura and anáhata,⁽²⁾ and establish a devotional relationship with Paramátmá. Next he was told to do dhyánam on vishuddha cakra.⁽³⁾]

The more the mind gets concentrated, the more the mind goes deep, the more bliss a person will experience. Ultimately, they will become one with the Supreme Mind. On their part there will be no physical or psychic effort. They will have living bodies which, without any movement, will look like dead bodies. This is sárúpya samádhi – the individual and Paramátmá become one. In this state, the sádhaka’s mind remains full of knowledge. During samádhi, the body does not become as stiff as it becomes in the case of death.

At the time of sádhaná, all the energy becomes concentrated and we can see the expression of that energy. Consider the Indian military, which may be stationed in Patna, Calcutta, Lucknow, Delhi, etc. Now if the entire military force of the whole of India is concentrated in Delhi alone, the whole of India except Delhi will become devoid of military power.

[In order to demonstrate this point, Bábá snatched away from the sádhaka the vital energies from the múládhára, svádhiśt́hána, mańipura, anáhata; and then went up to the highest regions. For some time the lower regions moved a little and then became motionless. In this case, the power was not taken out of the body, it was only shifted from lower parts to higher parts. Consequently, the lower regions became inactive and devoid of vital energy.]

Footnotes

(1) Meditation in which the psyche is directed towards Consciousness. –Eds.

(2) The first four (lowermost) psycho-spiritual centres, or plexi. –Eds.

(3) The fifth psycho-spiritual centre, or plexus, located at the throat. –Eds.