Nirbija - Meditation Without Seed

Meditation Without Seed

Dhyana (Hinduism) or dhyāna, meditation, as a "seedless meditation".

The samādhi without seed is a concept used to indicate a spontaneously arrived at state of meditation or dhyāna, considered by Patañjali to be the ultimate goal of (rāja) yoga. In Patañjali's Yoga Sutras it is used to differentiate a spontaneously arrived at state of meditation or dhyāna. Meditation without seed is considered a likely, though unforeseeable, outcome of regularly and properly conducted meditation with object or seed (bīja).

In contemporary Yoga, the mental state accompanying nirbīja samādhi, one of heightened energy and prescient awareness, is generally referred to as the activation of kuṇḍalinī, and is seen as a kind of spiritual reward for the yogic practice of yamas or niyamas. Actually, in its psychological co-effect, it is similar to, if not the same as the effect of samādhi - union with the object of meditation. Pantanjali seems to indicate that mastery of this state is the supreme end of Yoga. The mundane and observable effect may be the body's reaction to freedom from habitual mentation, amongst other health benefits.

It is considered a likely, though unforeseeable, outcome of regularly and properly conducted meditation with object or seed (bīja).

The effect may be the body's reaction to freedom from habitual mentation. Yogic thinkers consider both attachment to, and avoidance of this state a very real danger to further advancement; although at the same time, it is the first and absolutely necessary step toward nirvāṇa. This condition may be arrived at as well without any kind of yogic training. As such it can be viewed as deriving from a temporary release from habitual thought patterns.

The term "Bīja" carries the meaning of a seed which can be any object of meditation.