Arvindus

• Title: Contemplations, Samādhi and Contemplation.
• Author: Arvindus.
• Publisher: Arvindus.
• Copyright: Arvindus, 2023, all rights reserved.
• Index: 202308071.
• Edition: html, first edition.

Content

• §
• Notes
• Bibliography

§

Samādhi is generally understood as a highest state of consciousness or being wherein the ordinary consciousness or state of being is transcended.^{1, 2} The concept originates in Hinduism and Buddhism and its technical meaning may vary depending upon the branch of teaching. Within the ageless wisdom teachings of Helena Blavatsky and Alice Bailey samādhi seems to be primarily considered a transcendence of the personality into soul consciousness.^{3, 4, 5} Now where according to the aforementioned teachings the soul transcends the personality (consisting of body, emotion and concrete mind) there does according to the same teachings the monad or spirit transcend the soul.⁶ The state of union with this monad or spirit is by Blavatsky referred to with the term 'high samādhi'.^{7, 8} This term may perhaps be considered as a translation of the Sanskrit term 'mahāsamādhi', which literally translates as 'great samādhi'.⁹

This difference between samādhi and mahāsamādhi corresponds to the difference between the so called 'antahkarana proper' and 'antahkarana'. The first regards the rainbow bridge connecting the personality to the soul (through connecting the lower, concrete mind and higher, abstract mind) and the latter regards the rainbow bridge connecting the personality to the monad.¹⁰

Now the word 'samādhi' itself is made up of the parts 'sam', meaning 'together', and 'ādhi'.¹¹ 'Ādhi' is etymologically considered to be derived from 'ā', being a prefix, and 'dhā', meaning 'to place', and 'samādhi' then is considered to mean etymologically 'placing together'.¹² Ādhi can however also be considered as being derived from 'adhi', which in Sanskrit is used as a prefix to indicate a placement over or above,¹³ and along this line 'samādhi' comes to refer to a togetherness above. 'Ādhi' can further be considered as derived from 'ādi', which refers to a beginning or a first,¹⁴ and then 'samādhi' comes to refer to a togetherness with the first beginning. Interesting is also the consideration of 'ādhi' being derived from 'a-dvi', whereby 'a' regards a negation and 'dvi' means 'two'.^{15, 16} 'Samādhi' then comes to refer to a togetherness with the non-duality. This 'a-dvi' as 'non-duality' is etymologically also contained in 'Advaita', the name of a famous non-dualistic, Vedantic school of thought within Hinduism.^{17, 18}

Now in translations the Sanskrit word 'samādhi' is often translated with 'contemplation'.^{19, 20} Compositionally this is defendable. The English 'contemplation' can be traced back to the Latin 'contemplatio', which was in earlier publications mentioned to be composed of 'com' and 'templum' (or alternatively 'tempus'),^{21, 22} and 'com' of 'contemplatio' denotes exactly the same as 'sam' of 'samādhi', namely a togetherness.^{23, 24} The word 'templum' in 'contemplation' was further thought to refer more mystically to the temple of the heart,²⁵ and indeed may this temple mystically be considered as the holder of the non-dual first beginning, for it is there where the life principle of the monad, the spiritual unit, has anchored itself,²⁶ and it is also the place where the soul principle of buddhi or intuition or love-wisdom resides²⁷. The monad anchoring itself in the heart builds there a temple of Solomon for the soul to reside in, and when entering it man goes into samādhi, into contemplation.²⁸

Interesting here is that the tomb wherein a Hindu saint is buried is called a 'samādhi' too.²⁹ This perhaps has evolved from the belief that the leaving of the body by a saint accompanies his reaching of the state of (mahā)samādhi.³⁰ Whatever may be the case, we see the saint in (mahā)samādhi in his tomb symbolizing the man in contemplation in the temple of his heart.

Above 'samādhi' and 'contemplation' were compared in their compositionality. But also taken in their wholes have their meanings similarities. Translators have reasons to translate the first with the latter when it is taken in account that samādhi is academically considered as the "highest state of meditation" and contemplation as "devout meditation".^{31, 32}

How then does samādhi compare to contemplation as it is thematized and mentioned in earlier publications? To explain this firstly the distinction must be emphasized between samādhi and mahāsamādhi. The first regards the union with the soul and the second regards the union with the monad. Contemplation then must also be understood as of two kinds, one regarding unification of the personality with the soul and the other regarding unification of it with the monad. Latinizing 'samādhi' and 'mahāsamādhi' we shall call them here 'contemplatio' and 'contemplatio grandis' (or 'contemplatio magnus'), or in English 'contemplation' and 'grand contemplation' (or 'magnific contemplation').^{33, 34, 35, 36} This of course corresponds to the earlier mentioned antahkarana proper and the antahkarana as such, that are connecting the personality to the soul and to the monad.

When thematizing contemplation in the previous publications basically reference is made to contemplation as such. Contemplation as con-templum regards the gathering of man and his god(s) in the temple of his heart, regards the union of the personality with the soul.³⁷ Contemplation as con-tempus regards the synchronicity of the two.³⁸ And contemplation as the movement towards the metacentricity regards the movement of the peripheral personality towards the central soul.³⁹ However although these thematizations were thus meant to reflect contemplations as such they can also easily be interpreted as reflections of grand contemplations. The archetypes are very similar, but the grand contemplation is of a much greater magnitude.

Further contemplation is not only thematized in previous publications, but the word 'contemplation' is sometimes also used to refer to certain publications. The current publication may for instance easily be called a 'contemplation'. As such the word 'contemplation' is rather used in the more concrete meaning of "a meditation expressed in writing"⁴⁰ or of 'a written reflection'. Indeed: such a publication is often the result of the union of study and meditation, leading to the rather spontaneous effect of concretizing the perceived towards the world periphery,⁴¹ and for sure it is intended to reflect a true contemplation as understood like above, however this is in such a use of the word definitely not presumed. Such an activity may as a distinction perhaps be called a 'contemplatio formis' or a 'formal contemplation'.

We thus get an overview as below.

May then the formal contemplations come to reflect true contemplations and, eventually, grand and magnific contemplations.

Notes

1. Encyclopædia Britannica, Ultimate Reference Suite, Version 2015, (software), Encyclopædia Britannica, 2015, samadhi.
2. Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0), Oxford University Press, 2009, samadhi.
3. Mahatma Koot Hoomi, in: The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett, A. T. Barker (editor), in: Theosophical Classics, (CD-ROM), Theosophical Publishing House, Manilla, 2002, ML-59. "It is, when correctly interpreted, in one sense "the divine Self perceived or seen by Self," the Atman or seventh principle ridded of its mayavic distinction from its Universal Source — which becomes the object of perception for, and by the individuality centred in Buddhi, the sixth principle, something that happens only in the highest state of Samadhi."
4. Alice A. Bailey, The Light of the Soul, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 211-212. "The goal of meditation is ability to contact the divine inner self, and through the contact, to come to a realization of the unity of that self with all selves and the All-Self, and this, not just theoretically, but as a fact in nature. This comes about when a state called "samadhi" is achieved wherein the consciousness of the thinker is transferred out of the lower brain consciousness into that of the spiritual man or soul on its own plane."
5. Ibidem, p. 39. "They know how to achieve the real samadhi or state of occult abstraction through their ability to withdraw the energies into the thousand petalled lotus of the head, and from thence to abstract them through the other two subtler bodies until all is centred and focussed in the causal vehicle, the karana sarira, the egoic lotus."
6. 'Ageless Wisdom, Triplicities in Man', Index: 201308292.
7. Helena P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Volume I, in: Theosophical Classics, (CD-ROM), Theosophical Publishing House, Manilla, 2002, p. 570. "In Pralaya, or the intermediate period between two manvantaras, it loses its name, as it loses it when the real ONE self of man merges into Brahm in cases of high Samadhi (the Turiya state) or final Nirvana; "when the disciple" in the words of Sankara, "having attained that primeval consciousness, absolute bliss, of which the nature is truth, which is without form and action, abandons this illusive body that has been assumed by the atma just as an actor (abandons) the dress (put on)." For Buddhi (the Anandamaya sheath) is but a mirror which reflects absolute bliss; and, moreover, that reflection itself is yet not free from ignorance, and is not the Supreme Spirit, being subject to conditions, being a spiritual modification of Prakriti, and an effect; Atma alone is the one real and eternal substratum of all—the essence and absolute knowledge—the Kshetragna."
8. Atma can be considered as the highest soul principle but can as such also be considered as the representative of the monad or spirit. In note 7 Blavatsky seems to identify atma with the spirit and not with the soul. See: 'Contemplations, Language Layers', Index: 202111181.
9. Monier Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Etymologically and Philologically Arranged, With Special Reference to Greek, Latin, Gothic, German, Anglo-Saxon, and Other Cognate Indo-European Languages, The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1862, p. 753, 754.
10. 'Ageless Wisdom, The Threads', Index: 201504191, The Antahkarana & Figure 1: The Vertical Threads.
11. Note 2.
12. Ibidem.
13. A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, p. 20.
14. Ibidem, p. 119.
15. Ibidem, p. 1.
16. Ibidem, p. 443.
17. Encyclopædia Britannica, Ultimate Reference Suite, Advaita.
18. Pointers from Nisardadatta Maharaj, Ramesh S. Balsekar (editor), The Acorn Press, Durham, 1998, p. 214.
19. The Light of the Soul, p. 180. "29. The eight means of yoga are: the Commandments or Yama, the Rules or Nijama, posture or Asana, right control of life-force or Pranayama, abstraction or Pratyahara, attention or Dharana, meditation or Dhyana, and contemplation or Samadhi."
20. Ibidem, p. 248. "3. When the chitta becomes absorbed in that which is the reality (or idea embodied in the form), and is unaware of separateness or the personal self, this is contemplation or samadhi."
21. 'Contemplations, An Elucidated Etymology of 'Contemplation'', Index: 201107281.
22. 'Contemplations, An Additional Etymosophy of 'Contemplation'', Index: 202009221.
23. Oxford Latin Dictionary, Oxford University Press, London, 1968, p. 383.
24. Note 2.
25. Note 21.
26. 'The Threads', The Life Thread.
27. Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Healing, A Treatise on the Seven Rays, Volume IV, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 165. "The heart, the love-wisdom of the soul, the buddhi or Christ principle."
28. Alice A. Bailey, The Rays and the Initiations, A Treatise on the Seven Rays, Volume V, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001, p. 314. "b. He was in the Temple of Solomon, ever a symbol of the causal body of the soul, and He was therefore speaking on soul levels and not as the spiritual man on Earth."
29. Pointers from Nisardadatta Maharaj, p. 221.
30. Sushila Blackman (editor), Graceful Exits, How Great Beings Die, Weatherhill, New York / Tokyo, 1997, p. 24. "But in the Hindu or Yogic traditions, samadhi also came to mean a realized master's departure from this life (the word mahasamadhi, or "great samadhi" is also used in this sense), and by extension, it even became the term for the tomb or mausoleum of a great teacher. The context should make clear to the reader which sense is meant."
31. Oxford English Dictionary, samadhi, 2.
32. Ibidem, contemplation, 3.
33. Oxford Latin Dictionary, p. 771.
34. Oxford English Dictionary, grand, a. and n.
35. Oxford Latin Dictionary, p. 1064.
36. Oxford English Dictionary, magnific, a.
37. Note 21.
38. Note 22.
39. 'Contemplations, A Setup for a Metaphysicratic Manifest', Index: 201204032, Boundary Crossing Centripetality.
40. Ibidem, contemplation, 2, c.
41. 'Contemplations, Meditation, Study, Service and Contemplation', Index: 202307301.

Bibliography

• 'Ageless Wisdom, The Threads', Index: 201504191.
• 'Ageless Wisdom, Triplicities in Man', Index: 201308292.
• 'Contemplations, An Additional Etymosophy of 'Contemplation'', Index: 202009221.
• 'Contemplations, An Elucidated Etymology of 'Contemplation'', Index: 201107281.
• 'Contemplations, A Setup for a Metaphysicratic Manifest', Index: 201204032.
• 'Contemplations, Language Layers', Index: 202111181.
• 'Contemplations, Meditation, Study, Service and Contemplation', Index: 202307301.
• Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Healing, A Treatise on the Seven Rays, Volume IV, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
• Alice A. Bailey, The Light of the Soul, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
• Alice A. Bailey, The Rays and the Initiations, A Treatise on the Seven Rays, Volume V, in: Twenty-Four Books of Esoteric Philosophy, (CD-ROM, Release 3), Lucis Trust, London / New York, 2001.
• Sushila Blackman (editor), Graceful Exits, How Great Beings Die, Weatherhill, New York / Tokyo, 1997.
• Helena P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Volume I, in: Theosophical Classics, (CD-ROM), Theosophical Publishing House, Manilla, 2002.
• Monier Williams, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Etymologically and Philologically Arranged, With Special Reference to Greek, Latin, Gothic, German, Anglo-Saxon, and Other Cognate Indo-European Languages, The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1862.
• Pointers from Nisardadatta Maharaj, Ramesh S. Balsekar (editor), The Acorn Press, Durham, 1998.
• The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett, A. T. Barker (editor), in: Theosophical Classics, (CD-ROM), Theosophical Publishing House, Manilla, 2002.
• Encyclopædia Britannica, Ultimate Reference Suite, Version 2015, (software), Encyclopædia Britannica, 2015.
• Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0), Oxford University Press, 2009.
• Oxford Latin Dictionary, Oxford University Press, London, 1968.