In samadhi the conditioned habit of extracting objects from the field of awareness (citixakti) is undermined and finally suspended. It is a state of awareness beyond perception of specific phenomena. It has two aspects, conditional (sabija) and unconditional (nirbija).

In sabijasamadhi (conditional meditativeawareness) awareness persists uncoloured by the personalisation of perceptions. Instead there is a dissolution of specific perceptions into a flow of seeing or perceiving within which no extraction is made into the perceptual gap, and no sense of self asserts itself by claiming any perception. This is delineated by patanjali in four stages (samapatti). The flavour of sabijasamadhi is a delightful one: of ease, effortlessness and delight. This tends to seduce the mind back for more. However, it cannot be attained by any effort, however prodigious, subtle or refined. It is always a function of the momentary release of all effort, however subtle.

In nirbijasamadhi awareness itself dissolves. This is a deeply nourishing absence of all phenomena (including awareness itself). Nirbijasamadhi is the fundamental state: of consciousness at rest without any manifestation or awareness at all. Like sabijasamadhi it cannot be established or attained, but manifests as an expression of total surrender of all effort and intent: total relaxation.

In waking consciousness there is a continuous oscillation within the spectrum of awareness. Normally this oscillation is extremely fast, and occurs between perceptions. At one pole there are perceptions and at the other a vibrant, undifferentiated field (total silence). This means that only one pole leaves a clear reference point to memory. The other pole is then simply overlooked. We seem to be aware within a continuous flow of perceptions. Whereas in fact perceptions are intermittent within an inherent oscillation in and out of samadhi, which is itself a spectrum (vitarkasamapatti, nirvitarkasamapatti, vicarasamapatti, nirvicarasamapatti, dharmameghasamadhi,nirbijasamadhi). Within this oscillation samadhi is the indispensable contextualising silence from and within which perceptions derive their meaning and significance.The oscillation into samadhi sometimes reaches the depths of nirbijasamadhi

This oscillation is natural, inherent and beyond our control. It begins to slow down by itself as a result of enquiry into the nature of perception undertaken by close scrutiny of the activity of the mind. When it slows down enough nirbijasamadhi begins to occur. However it is even less noticable than sabijasamadhi. The deep, invaluable satisfaction that is derived from nirbijasamadhi draws us back to it over and over again. It is this irresistible call to deep and total silence that calls us to sleep, even after a day lazing in a hammock on the beach.

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