Today I will explain about trance and inner sight – samadhi. Trance, which the Sufis term “hal” and the Vedantists “bhav,” is just a momentary ecstasy which, in the true spiritual sense, has no great value. During this state of hal, one feels unconscious of his surroundings and of his own body, but conscious of an overpowering force of bliss pouring in on his soul. As soon as this bhav ends, he is just his ordinary self.
There are four different types of samadhi (trance): yoga samadhi, tantric samadhi, nirvikalpa samadhi and sahaj samadhi.
Yoga samadhi and tantric samadhi have no importance spiritually. In them one feels at peace with everything and everyone, and finally finds his mind still. But as soon as this samadhi is over, he is again his own ordinary self. Most yogis, after this samadhi, feel the strain of illusion even more. It is like intoxication; one feels in harmony with everything for a while, but when the intoxication is over, one gets a headache. So, yoga samadhi and tantric samadhi are like getting drunk. One feels as if oneself is an emperor, as if one could do anything; but as soon as it is over, the stress and strain of life resume.
In nirvikalpa samadhi, which the Sufis call fana, and which means passing away from selfhood to Union with God, the soul identifies itself with God. This samadhi is the real samadhi. Here, one becomes God. God’s Knowledge is his Knowledge; God’s Bliss is his Bliss; God’s Power is his Power; God’s Beauty is his Beauty! During this samadhi, he has no consciousness of body, energy, mind, universe, but is only conscious of the Self as God. Very, very few get this nirvikalpa samadhi.
It is said, after cycles and cycles, one gets fana. This is called fana-fillah, meaning one who has been made One with God. Very few such persons regain normal consciousness. But One who does regain normal consciousness has sahaj samadhi. Sahaj samadhi is nirvikalpa samadhi in action, when one is fully conscious of the universe. Such a One, when he eats, speaks, moves about, plays or does anything, is enjoying nirvikalpa samadhi all the time. He is called a Qutub, which in Persian means the center of everything – the Pivot – what we name a Perfect Master. He is now on every plane of consciousness, one with God, even on the level of an ant; and simultaneously he is functioning in the gross, subtle and mental worlds. He is above everything.
Sahaj samadhi means effortless oneness. It is as simple as moving the hands or winking the eyelids.
Tomorrow, if you remind me – I do not promise – I will tell you how, when thinking of me, you can still do everything you need to do in the world. This is not sahaj samadhi, but sahaj dnyan. Even while eating, drinking, working, while looking at motion pictures, or attending to your business, you will still feel that Baba is with you. This is sahaj dnyan.
Lord Meher,Bhau Kalchuri, Original Publication, Vol. 13, pp. 4461 – 4462.