Guest guest Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 Dear all,Pranamsa week ago I asked the below question and got many interesting and valuable sources from several of the learned members.After having studied them all, I have to admit that I still fail to see the difference between samadhana and nidhidyasana. 1 - I had a small mail exchange with revered Shastriji through which I realised that it is possible to see nidhidyasana as meditation in the sense that one sits for a limited time dwelling on the ultimate truth whereas samadhana being an effort of focusing the mind day in day out on moksha.2 - Also there is a possibility that both terms refer to different stages on the path. Samadhana being something that should be done as the last step of preparing the mind for the teaching, whereas nidhidyasana happens when in fact the teaching is complete, just to internalise it and apply to everyday life. As to 1: I have been learning a lot from Swami Paramarthananda, whose view in this coincides with Sadajis (quoting from perspective 27):Nidhidhyaasana is defined as dwelling upon the teaching that has been gained via shravana and manana, by remaining in the teaching, as often as possible, as intensely as possible, as long as possible, as repeatedly as possible. It is essentially living in the teaching itself. ... which to me means it should happen day in day out, not for a limited time (even if this limited time is often). So this cannot be the difference as far as I can see.(I am aware of the fact that traditionally it was "planned" like that. But I doubt that it happened or happens very often that the student comes fully prepared to the teacher, at least not in kali yuga).As to 2: Swami Paramarthananda as well as Sadaji have pointed out that after shravana and manana the shishya basically has come to realise his true nature. Yet most often he does not feel that his journey is complete. As Sadaji wrote in perspective 27: jnana is there , but jnana phalam is not.What is lacking is stability on an emotional level, Swami Paramarthanandaji calls the mind weak, which I take to mean that the buddhi is still too weak. As Sadaji in perspective 27 puts it:We recognise that nidhidhyaasana does not give any new knowledge or new experience. It removes the obstacles in the mind arising from deficiency in the saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti so that jnaanam that is acquired will give rise to jnaana phalam.So also 2 does not apply as nidhidyasana and sadhana chatustaya sampatti can happen simultaneously, in fact if I understand it right: there is no need for nidhidyasana at all if sadhana chatushtaya sampatti is complete.So the question remains: What is the difference between nidhidyasana and samadhana? Does there have to be a difference?I can well imagine jnana being there but not enough shama, jnana being there but not enough dama, jnana being there but not enough uparati, jnana being there but not enough titiksha. Shraddah I think has to be there for jnana. But if jnana is there and not enough samadhana, it still seems to me the same as saying jnana is there but nidhidyasana has still to happen.Where is my misunderstanding?Om ShantiSitara Von: Sitara Mitali <smitali17An: advaitin Gesendet: Freitag, den 19. März 2010, 20:58:07 UhrBetreff: samadhana and nidhidyasana Dear all,NamasteInquiring into the methodology of vedantic teaching I have looked into sadhana chatustaya sampatti. I wonder whether I have the proper understanding of samadhana. It seems to me that it is almost another name for nidhidyasana, both referring to one pointed contemplation of ultimate truth.I would be very thankful for any comment on this.Om ShantiSitara ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __Sie sind Spam leid? Mail verfügt über einen herausragenden Schutz gegen Massenmails. http://mail. Sie sind Spam leid? Mail verfügt über einen herausragenden Schutz gegen Massenmails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 23, 2010 Report Share Posted March 23, 2010 Pranams Sitara-ji Here is my understanding. Samadhana is one-pointedness of the mind. It is hence a mind with a extraordinary capacity to focus, singlepointedly, as opposed to our normal " scatterbrain " prone minds which are running off in a hundred different directions.  Shankara crisply points this out in huis tattvabodha - Samadhanam Kim? What is samadhana? Chitta Ekaagratha It is singlepointedness of the mind.  It is one of the six-fold qualifications which is recommended for a student of Vedanta even before he comes to the teaching. One of the most effective ways of developing this singlepointedness of mind is upasana - where one practices directing the mind singlepointedly at one's Deity of choice or on the pranava Om mantra etc.  Bhagwan Krishna in the Bhagwad Gita uses the term " vyavasayatmika buddhi " (BG 2.41-3) to denote this particular characteristic, and asserts that those who delight in sense-enjoyment and affluence, can never ever come to be equipped with such a mind. So samadhana/chitta ekagratha/vyavasayatmika buddhi all refer to a mind that is made singlepointed, akin to a arrow that has been rendered sharp, so as to pierce the veil of avidyA, by means of being centered on the bow of vedanta vicharA, to use the most vivid analogy provided by the Mundaka Up. Nidhidhyasana is a practice where the knowledge ALREADY obtained through Vedanta shravana is internalized - in the words of Shankara it means to “regulate the train of remembrance of the knowledge of the Self (atmavijnana smrti) by means of renunciation and dispassion " (i have written on this in greater detail in http://www.adishankara.org/2009/04/shravanammananamnidhidhyasanam.html) And of course as is readily evident, a mind that has been rendered singlepointed (i.e. equipped with samadhana) will serve as an ideal instrument in this regard. I hope this is perspective is of help. Hari OM Shri Gurubhyoh namah Shyam --- On Tue, 3/23/10, Sitara Mitali <smitali17 wrote: Sitara Mitali <smitali17 AW: samadhana and nidhidyasana advaitin Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 10:35 AM  Dear all, Pranams a week ago I asked the below question and got many interesting and valuable sources from several of the learned members. After having studied them all, I have to admit that I still fail to see the difference between samadhana and nidhidyasana. 1 - I had a small mail exchange with revered Shastriji through which I realised that it is possible to see nidhidyasana as meditation in the sense that one sits for a limited time dwelling on the ultimate truth whereas samadhana being an effort of focusing the mind day in day out on moksha. 2 - Also there is a possibility that both terms refer to different stages on the path. Samadhana being something that should be done as the last step of preparing the mind for the teaching, whereas nidhidyasana happens when in fact the teaching is complete, just to internalise it and apply to everyday life.  As to 1: I have been learning a lot from Swami Paramarthananda, whose view in this coincides with Sadajis (quoting from perspective 27): Nidhidhyaasana is defined as dwelling upon the teaching that has been gained via shravana and manana, by remaining in the teaching, as often as possible, as intensely as possible, as long as possible, as repeatedly as possible. It is essentially living in the teaching itself. .... which to me means it should happen day in day out, not for a limited time (even if this limited time is often). So this cannot be the difference as far as I can see. (I am aware of the fact that traditionally it was " planned " like that. But I doubt that it happened or happens very often that the student comes fully prepared to the teacher, at least not in kali yuga). As to 2: Swami Paramarthananda as well as Sadaji have pointed out that after shravana and manana the shishya basically has come to realise his true nature. Yet most often he does not feel that his journey is complete. As Sadaji wrote in perspective 27: jnana is there , but jnana phalam is not. What is lacking is stability on an emotional level, Swami Paramarthanandaji calls the mind weak, which I take to mean that the buddhi is still too weak. As Sadaji in perspective 27 puts it: We recognise that nidhidhyaasana does not give any new knowledge or new experience. It removes the obstacles in the mind arising from deficiency in the saadhana chatuShTaya sampatti so that jnaanam that is acquired will give rise to jnaana phalam. So also 2 does not apply as nidhidyasana and sadhana chatustaya sampatti can happen  simultaneously, in fact if I understand it right: there is no need for nidhidyasana at all if sadhana chatushtaya sampatti is complete. So the question remains: What is the difference between nidhidyasana and samadhana? Does there have to be a difference? I can well imagine jnana being there but not enough shama, jnana being there but not enough dama, jnana being there but not enough uparati, jnana being there but not enough titiksha. Shraddah I think has to be there for jnana. But if jnana is there and not enough samadhana, it still seems to me the same as saying jnana is there but nidhidyasana has still to happen. Where is my misunderstanding? Om Shanti Sitara Von: Sitara Mitali <smitali17 (AT) (DOT) de> An: advaitin@ s.com Gesendet: Freitag, den 19. März 2010, 20:58:07 Uhr Betreff: samadhana and nidhidyasana  Dear all, Namaste Inquiring into the methodology of vedantic teaching I have looked into sadhana chatustaya sampatti. I wonder whether I have the proper understanding of samadhana. It seems to me that it is almost another name for nidhidyasana, both referring to one pointed contemplation of ultimate truth. I would be very thankful for any comment on this. Om Shanti Sitara ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ Sie sind Spam leid? Mail verfügt über einen herausragenden Schutz gegen Massenmails. http://mail. ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ Sie sind Spam leid? Mail verfügt über einen herausragenden Schutz gegen Massenmails. http://mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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