Light of the Vedas

Bi-monthly newsletter published by

American Institute of Vedic Studies
www.vedanet.com

as
YOGA

SAMADHI
DR DAVID FRAWLEY

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Message
Namaste Dear Friends and Students!

It has been an amazing year for us and for our work, particularly in the international context.
We wish to announce our upcoming India and related retreats for the next six months, for
those who wish to join us for special programs and personal interaction.
Vamadeva received the important Padma Bhushan award earlier this year from the President
of India, Sri Pranab Mukherjee, one of India's highest national awards for distinguished
service of a high order to the nation. Vamadeva and Shambhavi both spoke at the main
international conference in Delhi to mark International Yoga Day on June 21 and later had a
special meeting with the Prime Minister of India, Sri Narendra Modi, which also featured the
PM honoring Vamadeva's new book, Shiva: The Lord of Yoga. Since then we have been busy
with new programs and courses.
We are happy to oer you an important new article of Dr. Frawley, Yoga as Samadhi, in this
newsletter, which provides extensive new insight on spiritual experiences and altered states of
consciousness.
For our upcoming programs we have a special year end retreat in Hawaii, on the beautiful
garden island of Kauai, in a beautiful South Indian style retreat center near the north shore of
the island, where we will focus on Shiva and Shakti teachings and empowerments. We will
include a visit to the famous Hinduism Today temple and the world's largest crystal Shiva
linga.
2016 we have two important events in India from late February to mid-March 2016, Shiva
Ganga Yoga Shakti retreat, at the Glass House on the Ganga above Rishikesh. We also oer a
Yoga Tandava tour organized by Kapha Collective for those who want to experience of the
sacred places of Varanasi and Rishikesh and spend time in Delhi, India. Note below for more
information immediately below.
Jai Maa Guru!
Hara Mahadeva!
Vedacharya Vamadeva Shastri and Yogini Shambhavi Devi

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UPCOMING
EVENTS
Namaste! Aloha!

We look forward to bringing in 2016 with a deeper

understanding of our Yoga Shakti celebrations in
the mystic environs of Kauai, one of the most
beautiful places on Earth.
You will be guided to understand the deeper
teachings of Soma (Divine nectar), Ananda (Divine
Bliss) and Transcendence through Shiva Jnana and
Ananda Shakti in the celestial environs of the
Garden Island of Kauai.
Experience the blissful
beauty of Mother
Nature in Kauai, tuning
into the mystical secrets
of tropical plants,
owers, mountains and
waters, both around and
within you. Learn the
Tantric and Soma
nature of the Goddess as delightful Sundari,
celebrating her auspicious and colorful resonance
through special rituals, mantra and meditation
and the transformative Sri Vidya.
The facilities consist of a beautiful India style
retreat center, not far from the ocean. The last two
days will be yours to explore this great island. Only
a small group of dedicated students is allowed as
the accommodations are limited.

Yoga Tandava Experience February

26 March 5, 2016 (7 Mystical
Nights) Delhi Varanasi
Rishikesh
Immerse and participate in this Sacred sojourn to

experience the deeper self, understanding one's

Karma and the Lila or divine play of our individual
spiritual journey through Delhi, Varanasi and
Rishikesh.

We will begin the tour with Akshardham, the

Swaminarayan temple that epitomizes serenity,
amazing sacred art and the experience of a boat
ride down the Saraswati River. The evening
fountain display is a spectacular show of ancient
lore of international renown.
A visit to Shanidham, the Saturn temple on the
outskirts of Delhi. Saturn represents the power of
our own actions through discipline and
conscientiousness. The discipline reinforced
becomes our karmic
imprint for several
lifetimes. Saturn's
initiation ensures we
master our conscious
nature to expand the
powers of truth and
harmony in lifetimes to
come.
Varanasi is Shiva's citadel and is unquestionably
one of the oldest sacred inhabited settlements in
the world and a contender for the oldest in Asia.
Every moment in this ancient city unfolds as a
sacred ritual.
Rishikesh is the sacred pilgrimage site by the
sacred Ganga River experiencing the humdrum in
today's spiritual world.

Our Main India Event at the Famous

Glass House on the Ganga | Shiva
Ganga Yoga Shakti Retreat, India,
March 5-12, 2016
Celebrate the auspicious night of Mahashivaratri,
the great night of Lord Shiva, on the sacred banks
of Ma Ganga above Rishikesh in the pristine quiet

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foothills of the Himalayas!

Welcome to our divine celebrations, opening up to
the deeper forces of Shiva as pure Light, and Shakti
as the transformative Lightning force, by the ever
owing grace of Ma Ganga.
The Light of Shiva is the Supreme Universal Light
of pure consciousness and bliss, from which all
other forms of light, life and awareness arise.
Experience the presence of Shiva as the Great Lord
of Yoga, in the Himalayan foothills by the sacred
Ganga River. Participate in an all-night celebration
of Shivaratri with colorful traditional rituals and
yogic empowerments.
Discover how honoring Shiva within our hearts
provides the key to Shakti Sadhana, Yoga Asana,
Pranayama, Mantra, Meditation and Ayurvedic
healing.
Create an amazing 10x10 foot Shiva-Shakti Yantra
with just owers, energizing it with Mother
Nature's ower power.
Our prayer is for you to experience the sweet bliss
and abundance of the ow of divine grace on the
auspicious Mahashivratri puja and celebrations.

Venue: Immerse in daily rituals, Ganga Arati, and

Yoga practices at the Neemrana Glass House
property above Rishikesh in the pristine, mystical
silence of serene surroundings in the Himalayan
foothills.
http://glasshouse-on-theganges.neemranahotels.com

We are blessed with three very

auspicious dates during our Shiva
Ganga celebrations - March 5
(Saturday) Vijaya Ekadashi |
March 7 (Monday) Maha Shivaratri
| March 9 (Wednesday) Surya
Grahan or Solar Eclipse
The solar eclipse is a most powerful time to inspire
and energize your Shakti sadhana. Those only
attending the Shiva Ganga program will need to
arrive at Delhi airport on the night of March 4.
Those attending the Yoga Tandava Program will
be driven from Rishikesh to the Glass House at 1:00
PM.
For any further information please email :
yoginishambhavi@aol.com

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as
YOGA

SAMADHI

Classical Yoga is all

about enabling us to
access higher states
of awareness, which
is the true goal of
Yoga practice. Yoga
denes such higher
states as samadhi,
meaning a state of
equilibrium,
absorption and
b a l a n c e a
realization of bliss
o r
u n i t y
consciousness.
Samadhi occurs by
silencing of the mind,
in which the mind
comes to function like a
mirror, only reecting
rather than interpreting
reality. However,
e x a c t l y w h a t
constitutes this higher
yogic awareness is not
something easy for us
to understand or
experience. And it is
denition of samadhi, as the prime commentator
something we can easily confuse with other Vyaasa notes (YS.I.2).
altered states of mind.
Samadhi is the eighth limb of classical Yoga but
also a term for Yoga as a whole. The Yoga Sutras
denes Yoga as Samadhi and regards all other
aspects of Yoga as preparatory for it. The
denition of Yoga as citta vritti nirodha or the
mastery of the movements of the mind is a

Samadhi is dened as nirodha, which is a very

difcult term to translate and there is no
satisfactory English equivalent. Terms like
control, silencing, balancing, concreting,
dissolving or surrendering have been used, but
none are exact. Nirodha implies a deeper
composure and focus for the mind than these

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terms indicate. Samadhis involve changes in our We should be free to experience the entire
mental, pranic (breath) and sensory functioning universe but not lose ourselves in the process.
and an internalized state of awareness.
Even religious experiences, in which one can have
The Yoga Sutras describes various types and communion with the Divine, God or Goddess, are
degrees of Samadhi, leading to the highest usually regarded as preliminary to higher
Samadhi of pure Self-awareness, the Purusha or formless yogic states. Higher yogic states involve
pure consciousness beyond the gunas or qualities a deeper Self-awareness or Atmic consciousness
of nature, known as Kaivalya, a state of primarily.
transcendence.
Other people equate Samadhi, bliss or Ananda
But all such terminology is provisional. We could with emotional highs, states of ecstasy and
also use such terms for Samadhi as a higher, possible dramatic bodily movements or
deeper, clearer or pure awareness. It is a state expressions. We must remember that the Ananda
beyond all quantitative judgments, names and or bliss born of Samadhi is rooted in peace and in a
angles of approach, in which we transcend the calm inner focus, and does not necessarily create
mind, its concepts and coordinates. So whatever any outer display.
we say about it can only be indirect.
There are certain individuals, often imaginative or
Altered States
emotional in nature, who can easily have what
they think are spiritual and yogic experiences,
There are many altered states of mind and including colorful and emotional visions and
consciousness, including those apart from higher inspirations, possibility involving deities, gurus
yogic states. Most evident are altered states o r s u b t l e w o r l d s . S o m e n e w o r y o u n g
induced by drugs and herbs, such as we have easy practitioners can quickly move into various
access to today. There are groups that use experiences they think are samadhis but these
botanicals from cannabis to ayahuasca for this may instead reect lack of emotional control and
purpose, including some Yoga practitioners. instability in their prana. Samadhi implies an
Some Yogis in India commonly use cannabis as is inner stillness, detachment, composure and
well known. Something of yogic states may be continuity.
revealed in the process, but much illusion can also
be there, particularly when the student is not Yoga does not always regard these altered states
properly prepared. The Yoga Sutras does refer to or unusual experiences as important or as
drug and herb based samadhis, but lists them necessarily positive. Yoga denes samadhi
among the lower and non-yogic samadhis (YS primarily as a deeper level of concentration and
IV.1.).
focus and aims at promoting a one pointed and
discriminating state of awareness, in which one
There are many other ways that we can access gradually moves beyond all outer experiences to
altered states, such as through music, drumming, an inner state of seeing beyond all name, form and
chanting, deep breathing practices, heightened action. Such a yogic focus can provide special
sensation, sensory deprivation, fasting, or various experiences and powers (vibhutis and siddhis)
austerities. Such practices may be part of Yoga if but along with the maturity not to get taken in by
performed along with the right guidance, them.
intention and duration, but they can also be
performed outside of a yogic understanding and Different Types of Samadhi
may not be entirely wholesome in their effects.
Yoga discusses different states of samadhi though
In the realm of occultism there are additional ultimately samadhi is of one taste or rasa only and
practices that involve visions, dreams, astral is a development of unity consciousness. The
travel, channeling, and accessing the spirit world main distinction is between Nirvikalpa Samadhi
or departed souls, which may have elements of in which all the distortions, imaginations and
Yoga but may not. Yoga is open to experiencing interpretations of the mind come to an end, and
the whole of existence but through developing Savikalpa Samadhi in which the mind continues
our own deeper awareness, not through giving to cast illusions and interpretations.
over our awareness to an outside force or entity.

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Another important way to understand Samadhi is

relative to the four states of waking, dream, deep
sleep, and the ever wakeful fourth or Turiya state
that endures behind deep sleep and the other two
states as well. Samadhi is like remaining in a
conscious deep sleep state, rather than our normal
unconscious deep sleep state. This is also the
highest form of Yoga Nidra.
There are states of astral awareness that bring in
subtle and heightened artistic experiences,
including visions of deities and subtle worlds.
These are form-based samadhis, though the form
is subtle. They are extensions of the dream state.

a pure unmodied state of Self-awareness.

The highest Nirvikalpa Samadhi occurs when it is
sustained throughout waking, dream and deep
sleep as ones natural state. This is also called
Sahaja Samadhi or the natural state of Samadhi.
Higher States of Awareness Who is There?
Sometimes people ask me to describe samadhi,
differences in samadhi or what is involved in
higher yogic states. There are simple things like a
deepening awareness, a slowing down and
deepening of the breath, a release from body
consciousness, and a falling away of thought that
one can point to initially. Such states usually begin
with a state of profound stillness of body and
mind, but can continue during our daily activities.
It is like a deep silence at the core of ones being.

Beyond these are states in which one experiences

energies of eternity and innity through form
based perceptions. This is like the mystic Blake's
experience of innity in a grain of sand and
eternity in an hour. There are entire lokas of this
type. These experiences cross over into the causal
realm.
But in the highest truth, there is no one who goes
into higher states of consciousness, which does
Beyond these are purely formless states of not happen according to a formula. Rather these
a w a r e n e s s i n w h i c h o n e e x p e r i e n c e s higher states arise when the veils created by the
consciousness, light, energy, vibration beyond lower states of consciousness are removed,
any semblance of objects, forms or limitations, surrendered or let go of, or simply fall away as a
including a direct experience of cosmic law, truth result of long term practice. Such higher states
and the ideal powers behind all manifestation. usually occur unexpectedly or like a ow of grace
These are an extension of the deep sleep state.
but have enduring impacts on the state of
awareness.
One can experience even deeper samadhis in the
waking state and in the physical body, but in this In higher states of awareness, you are not there.
case the physical world and body are seen as There is no question of any person having an
manifestations of light, energy and thought, not as experience. There is no other or separate person
real in their own right.
apart from you either. There is no audience and no
one to talk to or share the experience with. There is
Samadhi rst of all requires surrendering our a unitary Self-awareness like space and light but
sense of physical and form based reality. This with no boundaries and a condition not limited to
means experiencing the world as light, energy, a particular body or mind.
prana and consciousness, not as name, shape,
number or structure. It requires an inner seeing One may experience what could be called God or
and knowing that has no corresponding external guru or Nature but as part of the same unitary
object, thought, emotion or memory.
Self-awareness. In some states one can experience
separate deities or teachers but these are usually
The highest spiritual states or samadhis have no not the highest.
sensory or conceptual content. They do not
involve seeing unusual lights, hearing unusual You must leave your body consciousness at the
sounds, going to other worlds and so on. They door to enter these higher realms of consciousness
simply involve being fully what one is, which is and understand yourself as pure spirit and light.
everything and nothing. Body, mind and ego as You must leave your mind behind and move into
we know them are put into the background or thought free awareness. Samadhi is a journey in
forgotten altogether.
which the one taking the journey disappears early
along the way.
Samadhi is like entering into the great unknown,
yet it has its own self-knowing. Samadhi is a state There are higher yogic experiences that relate to
of unknowing in which we go beyond the mind to certain parts of the body, like the top of the head,
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the heart or the third eye, but one is not conscious

of these as parts of my body. One may
experience that universal forces are present in
what we call the body, which gradually merges
into all of nature.

To access the yogic samadhis, we must give up our

attachment to our ordinary samadhis or
emotional highs born of outer enjoyments and
inner imaginations. Samadhi implies stillness,
steadiness, composure and immutability. It is
beyond the ups and downs of emotions and
thoughts.
You need not pursue samadhi; you
In the highest Atmic states there is a knowledge by
simply
need
to let go of all your other pursuits!
identity, pure awareness, or direct seeing for
which names and concepts are peripheral. There
is nothing to know and no one who could know it, Samadhi is the owering of inner peace, which is
as far as any informational knowledge goes. There an extension of the peace of nature that we all have
is as it were a self-evident mystery that is full and a sense of. Yoga helps us develop that seed into a
overowing and of which the entire universe is great banyan tree. May all beings reach the highest
but a reection.
happiness and by the most direct path, which is to
not deviate from who we really are! Let us not
How Should We Pursue Spiritual Experiences? forget the bliss that is one's inmost Self and the
deeper unitary Self-awareness behind the entire
Actually there is no need to overtly pursue universe!
spiritual experiences, or to try to imagine what
these might be like. What is necessary is to move
into a deeper peace, perception and Selfawareness as ones natural state. This means
giving up regarding
external experiences
as real or denitive.
Yoga Sadhana and
practice is certainly is
necessary and must
be done daily, but
one should let any
experiences come
and go like clouds in
the sky, and not run
after them. This will
naturally allow the
experiences to
deepen as well.
The prime experience
of samadhi is as the
state of pure being
that is always there, if
we let go of our
xation on the world
of becoming, action
and change. The bliss
of Samadhi is behind
and beyond all of our
experiences with the
mind, senses and
body as a continuous
presence.

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