samadhi

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History & Society

samadhi

Indian philosophy

Also known as: samādhi

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 19, 2024 • Article History

samadhi

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Category: History & Society

Sanskrit:: “total self-collectedness”

Key People:: Ramakrishna; Ramana Maharshi

Related Topics:: Indian philosophy; Yoga; Buddhist meditation; triśikṣā

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samadhi, in Indian philosophy and religion, and particularly in Hinduism and Buddhism, the highest state of mental concentration that people can achieve while still bound to the body and which unites them with the highest reality. Samadhi is a state of profound and utterly absorptive contemplation of the Absolute that is undisturbed by desire, anger, or any other ego-generated thought or emotion. It is a state of joyful calm, or even of rapture and beatitude, in which one maintains one’s full mental alertness and acuity. In Buddhism, samadhi is the last of the eight steps leading to enlightenment (the Eightfold ...(100 of 101 words)

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