The word samadhi is almost synonymous with the word samatha (calm), and Samatha Meditation is the method of meditation by which Samadhi is achieved.
Shamatha meditation is a traditional Buddhist practice that aims to train the mind to achieve a state of calmness and clarity. In this practice, the practitioner focuses his or her attention on a single object, such as the breath, and cultivates the ability to maintain this focus for extended periods of time. It involves training the mind to be aware of the present moment and to let go of distractions.
In this section, we explore the nine stages of shamatha meditation.
Stage 1: Placing attention
At this stage, the practitioner can focus his or her attention on the object of meditation or concentration, such as the breath, but not for long. The ability to focus our attention on the meditation object for a few seconds indicates that we have completed this stage.
When we notice that our mind has wandered, rather than tensing up and forcing our attention back to the breathing process, we simply let go of these thoughts and distractions and rejoice in the fact that we have noticed the distraction by gently bringing it back.
Stage 2: Continuous attention
Continuous attention is the second stage of Shamatha meditation.
Here, we can keep our mental focus on the object of concentration for a short period of time. At this stage, the emphasis is on establishing a continuous flow of attention to the object of concentration by overcoming distractions and constantly training the mind to stay anchored. According to B. Alan Wallace, this level is attained by focusing attention on the object of meditation for approximately one minute.
This stage is reached through the power of focus.
Remember that the goal of such attention training is not to prevent thoughts from occurring, but rather to first relax our body and mind, and then to improve our ability to maintain our attention on the chosen object.
Stage 3: Improved attention
During this stage, practitioners cultivate the ability to constantly redirect their attention to their chosen object whenever it wanders.
The main focus is on perfecting the ability to quickly bring the mind back to the object of concentration.
By the time we reach the third stage, the stability of our attention has increased, so that most of the time we remain focused on the object. We still occasionally have lapses where we completely forget the object, but we quickly recognize them and fill in the gaps in continuity of attention.
The third stage is successfully completed when the mind remains focused most of the time, on the chosen object, in all training sessions.
Measuring the quality of attention requires a certain power of introspection, which allows us to quickly notice when the mind is either in turmoil or apathy.
The first antidote to agitation is to relax more deeply; and to counter apathy, to amplify our alertness.
Stage 4: Rigorous attention
Now the practitioner achieves a high level of concentration, maintaining attention for the entire meditation session.
One may have previously intermittently experienced moments characteristic of this level of stability of attention, but now it has become second nature. We are freed from lower agitation.
At this stage we are said to gain the power of awareness.
Although attention is no longer disturbed by some kind of agitation, it is still disturbed by subtle challenges such as boredom, some forms of excitement or lethargy.
Stage 5: Controlled attention
At this stage, the practitioner learns to control the distractions that arise during meditation, and achieves a deep stillness of mind. But one must be alert to subtle forms of boredom, states that can be mistaken for staid calm.
The focus is on developing the ability to recognise distractions and let them go.
6. Tamed attention
At this stage, the practitioner learns to tame the distractions that arise during meditation.
Involuntary thoughts cross our minds at this stage, so the focus is on developing the ability to quiet the distractions and bring the mind back to the object of concentration.
During training, even at this relatively advanced stage, we may encounter countless difficult physical and mental emotions and states.
Fixing the mind in its natural state means that whatever emotions arise during meditation sessions, we should treat them as we would any other mental event: observing how they arise, how they unfold, and how they disappear back into the space of the mind.
To this end, the power of introspection lies in the ability to monitor the quality of attention, and this skill needs to be honed so that we can detect increasingly subtle degrees of agitation and apathy.
Stage 7: Fully pacified
At this stage, the practitioner learns to completely pacify all distractions that arise during meditation.
At this point, the mind has become so refined that meditation has extended to at least two hours, with the briefest interruptions due to apathy or restlessness, there is only a little background impurity, but it is no longer disturbing.
The power with which the seventh stage is successfully completed is enthusiasm: the practice itself fills us with joy and enthusiasm.
The meditator has become an advanced adept at balancing and refining his or her attention, and the rest of the journey to realizing Supreme Consciousness is easier.
Stage 8: Single-point attention
When we reached stage 8, we reached a high degree of unification of attention: wherever we direct it, our awareness is uninterrupted and extremely focused, for at least three hours, without experiencing any imbalance generated even by higher apathy or agitation.
From this point on, we can continue our practice almost effortlessly.
This stage is attained through the power of application.
We simply let attention exist, without directing it to something specific, in its own lightness and knowledge.
We become aware that we exist.
The predominant feature of this samadhi state is: Silence.
Stage 9: Stability of attention
The transition from stage 8 to stage 9 is done with minimal effort. We now gently enter a deep and stable meditative state, finding ourselves freed from even the most subtle traces of apathy and agitation.
At this stage, the practitioner learns to maintain a state of calm and steady attention and now effortlessly reaches absorbed Samadhi concentration, and can maintain it for about four hours without any interruption.
The emphasis is on developing the ability to maintain a calm state of stillness with great clarity and stability.
One moves on to a deeper stage which is the stage of revelation of the Supreme Self, or the revelation of the ultimate nature of consciousness.
Those who have gone through the ninth stage of mindfulness training describe the quality of this experience simply as: Perfection.
The path on the 9 stages of Shamatha is akin to setting forth on a transformative odyssey, a profound inner pilgrimage that unravels the mysteries of the mind and consciousness.
As individuals traverse through each stage, they gradually cultivate mental clarity and heightened awareness. It's a nuanced expedition that requires dedicated practice, patience, and self-discovery.
Through this journey , individuals not only witness the unfolding layers of their consciousness but also foster a deep connection with the present moment.
The transformative power lies not only in reaching the destination but in the journey itself — a journey that enables the unraveling of the mind's intricacies and the discovery of profound serenity within.