Sammā Samādhi
Process-
Ekaggatā - automatic/natural
Ekaggatā (one-pointedness)> micchā samādhi (bad/wrong side)
Ekaggatā (one-pointedness)>sammā samādhi (good/right side)
Samādhi- concentration (good/right or bad/wrong). This is not sammā samādhi, because sammā samādhi only arises when you practice with the rest of the path factors (starting from the right view).
Micchā samādhi - wrong concentration (concentration in akusala thoughts, including the mere practice of jhāna without shifting to the Noble Eightfold Path or practicing/cultivating the preceding 7 path factors) Not automatic
Without cultivating the previous 7 path factors, you cannot achieve sammā samādhi, although the immediate factor that can help you to come to sammā samādhi is sammā sati.
When we talk about concentration (samādhi), we use two Pali words: samādhi and ekaggatā. Both appear similar in context but have distinct connotations. Sammā samādhi is the right concentration, and you can only achieve it by concentrating on kusala thoughts. However, ekaggatā means one-pointedness (simple/basic mental unification before it becomes a kusala or akusla). It can be either right or wrong. According to the Abhidhamma, ekaggatā is an involuntary/automatic mental factor that exists in all thoughts. However, sammā samādhi is not automatic and must be cultivated to get into it.
Samādhi should be sammā samādhi. Sammā samādhi is the concentration of our mind in kusala thoughts. So mere samādhi means concentration, which can be either kusala
or aksuala. That is why we have to say whether sammā samādhi or micchā samādhi.
For example- A cat is fully concentrated on a mouse hole to catch a mouse. This is concentration but it is akusala. Also a heron is standing on one foot and fully concentrated on catching a fish, but it is akusala. A soldier is fully concentrated on criminals/terrorists, but it is not kusala. (all these are examples of micchā samādhi)
Where does Samādhi fit in the practice of Buddhism?
The path to nibbāna (the noble eightfold path) has to be practiced by all of us. That path has to be practiced according to three gradual disciplines (basic paññā, sīla, samādhi, paññā).
So, now you understand how important is sammā samādhi to our practice. In the noble eightfold path, we see sammā samādhi . But, when we break it down to samādhi part, we can see that 3 components of the path (sammā vāyāma, sammā sati, and sammā samādhi) relate to sammā samādhi. We can really never disentangle these path factors. They all are intertwined with each other. They circle back on each other. Hey, reinforce each other.
Samatha and Samādhi? What is Samatha? What is the connection of samatha to samādhi? What are the five jhānic components (vitakka, vicāra, pīti , sukha and ekaggatā)? 40 objects of samatha meditation.
According to the Buddha, he does not identify “samatha, vipassanā” meditations as sammā sati or sammā samādhi in the explanation of the Noble Eightfold path (Dhammacakkappvattana,
Saccavibhaṅga, or Mahācattārīsaka suttas. That means we should not confuse “sammā sati and sammā samādhi” with Samatha and Vipassanā.
Although we find the word “samatha” in some suttas in the Aṅguttara Nikāya, the use of Samatha and Vipassanā can be only seen in the Abhidhamma piṭaka and Visuddhi Magga. So that means the famous practice of samatha and Vipassanā are not related to the Eightfold noble path but you can see some contents of samatha and vipassanā under the sammā sati and sammā samādhi. So do not confuse samatha and vipassanā practice with the noble eightfold path practice.
How to get started?
First Jhāna
vivicceva kāmehi vivicca akusalehi dhammehi savitakkaṃ savicāraṃ vivekajaṃ pitisukhaṃ paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.
Vitakka, Vicāra, Pīti and Sukha
quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful (mental) qualities — enters & remains in the first jhāna: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.
In the first jhāna, passions, desires, and unwholesome thoughts are released. A person dwelling in the first dhyana feels rapture and a deep sense of well-being.
Second Jhāna
Vitakkavicāranaṃ vūpasamā ajjhattaṃ sampasādanaṃ cetaso ekodibhāvaṃ avitakkaṃ avicāraṃ samādhijaṃ pitisukhaṃ dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.
Pīti and Sukha and Ekaggatā
With the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters & remains in the second jhāna: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance.
In the second jhāna, intellectual activity fades and is replaced by tranquility and one-pointedness of mind. The rapture and sense of well-being of the first dhyana are still present.
Third Jhāna
Sukha and Upekkhā
Pītiyā ca virāgā upekkhako ca viharati. Sato ca sampajāno sukhaṃ ca kāyena paṭisaṃvesedeti. Yantaṃ ariyā ācikkhanti upekkhako satimā sukhavihārīti tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.
With the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhāna, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.'
In the third dhyana, the rapture fades and is replaced by equanimity (upekkhā) and great clarity.
Fourth Jhāna
Only upekkhā with mindfulness
upekkhāsatipārisuddhi (complete purity of upekkhā and mindfulness) no more Sukha
Meditation's key component, the backbone of the entire effort, is concentration. It is the most basic, fundamental, concrete, practical, and old healing approach in the Buddhist practice. It is a method of temporarily eliminating the mind's repetitious/disturbing/distracting thoughts, as well as a method of exposing the mind to new and unplanned experiences.
To end samsara/become an arahant (the immediate result will be the arising of paññā)
We practice “right concentration” (sammā samādhi) not just to experience blissful states (till 4 th jhāna) but to prepare our mind readily for the overall practice of the Noble Eightfold Path.
Is sammā samādhi practice intertwined with other practices?
Yes,
Samādhi and Upekkhā
Samādhi> (Upekkhā) and Paññā
(Ekaggatā)>Samatha (overcome of five nīvarana>Samādhi>Viapssanā> Paññā
Conclusion
Sammā samādhi is the final cultivation of the noble eightfold path. If you want to come to that stage (sammā samādhi), you must start your cultivation of sammā diṭṭhi to sammā sati. If someone ignores the 1-7 path factors ( sammā diṭṭhi to sammā sati) in the noble eightfold path, and directly goes to “sati” and then samādhi, that will be a micchā samādhi and it will only lead to “samādhi”. It is not sammā samādhi. Hindu people practice samādhi just to be happy. The Buddha says that it is dangerous to practice only sati or samādhi without the rest of the 7 because anytime, you will expire from such samādhi. That is why he mentioned the need of sammā samādhi for all of us.
Therefore, the Buddhist way to practice sammā samādhi must start from sammā diṭṭhi and then cultivate all the preceding path factors and finally come to sammā samādhi . As a result of practicing sammā samādhi with the preceding 7 path factors, wisdom (paññā) will arise.
Paññā (wisdom) arises from the successful cultivation of sammā samādhi. This successful cultivation of sammā samādhi will happen if you do it from the beginning of the noble eightfold path (from sammā diṭṭhi ) till the sammā samādhi.
Q＆A
1) By practicing metta, can we attain sammā samādhi ?
I can give an answer to this in two ways
a) we all want to attain nibbāna because we have metta to ourselves.
Also, we like others also attain nibbāna because we have mettā for them
b) You can become an anāgāmi by practicing brahma vihāras with impermanence (anicca) and be reborn in one of the pure land brahma realms, and then attain nibbāna as a brahma.
Check Aṭṭhakanāgara Sutta, MN 52
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.052.than.html
2) How can I know whether my samādhi is sammā samādhi or a general samādhi?
If you only focus on the happiness of jhāna in your samādhi practice, then that is micchā samādhi. But if you practice jhāna with the purpose of practicing as a part of the Noble Eightfold Path to attain nibbāna, that is sammā samādhi.
I would define micchā samādhi as “jhānas practiced with the wrong view”. Basically, this means states of jhāna or deep meditation attained by those, usually of other paths, who do not have an understanding of the four noble truths. Other path factors are relevant too, but the right view is the crucial one.
So if you practice sammā samādhi with the previous 7 factors in the Noble Eightfold path, it is samādhi samādhi. But if you skip the previous 7, and go to Samma Samadhi directly, you will practice “micchā samādhi”.
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