Nirvikalpa is a Sanskrit adjective with the general sense of "not wavering," "admitting no doubt," "free from change or differences." In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali it refers to meditation without an object.
Etymology
Nirvikalpa is a Sanskrit adjective with the general sense of "not admitting an alternative", "not wavering," "admitting no doubt," "free from change or differences." It is formed by applying the contra-existential prepositional prefix nis to the term vikalpa.
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, nirvikalpa samadhi is a synonym for Asamprajnata Samadhi, the highest stage of samadhi. Samadhi is of two kinds, with and without support of an object of meditation:
Samprajnata Samadhi, also called savikalpa samadhi and Sabija Samadhi, meditation with support of an object. Samprajata samadhi is associated with deliberation, reflection, bliss, and I-am-ness.
Asamprajnata Samadhi, also called Nirvikalpa Samadhi and Nirbija Samadhi,: meditation without an object, which leads to knowledge of purusha or consciousness, the subtlest element. Heinrich Zimmer in his book distinguishes Nirvikalpa Samadhi from other states as follows:
Swami Sivananda Nirbija Samadhi, "without seeds," as follows:
Nirvikalpaka yoga is a technical term in the philosophical system of Shaivism, in which there is a complete identification of the "I" and Shiva, in which the very concepts of name and form disappear and Shiva alone is experienced as the real Self. In that system, this experience occurs when there is complete cessation of all thought-constructs.
Buddhism
While Patanjali was influenced by Buddhism, and incorporated Buddhist thought and terminology, the term "nirvikalpa samadhi" is unusual in a Buddhist context, though some authors have equated nirvikalpa samadhi with the formless jhanas and/or nirodha samapatti. Yet, according to Jianxin Li, it is asamprajnata samadhi, c.q. savikalpa samadhi and sabija samadhi, Patanjali's first stage of meditation with a object, that may be compared to the arupa jhanas of Buddhism, and to Nirodha-Samapatti. Crangle also notes that sabija-asamprajnata samadhi resembles the four formless jhanas. According to Crangle, the fourth arupa jhana is the stage of transition to Patanjali's "consciousness without seed," c.q. nirvikalpa samadhi. Crangle further notes that the first jhana also resembles sabija-asamprajnata samadhi. According to Gombrich and Wynne the first and second jhana represent concentration, whereas the third and fourth jhana combine concentration with mindfulness. In the Buddhist canonical texts, the word "jhāna" is never explicitly used to denote the four formless jhānas; they are instead referred to as āyatana. However, they are sometimes mentioned in sequence after the first four jhānas and thus came to be treated by later exegetes as jhānas. The immaterial attainments have more to do with expanding, while the Jhanas focus on concentration. The relation between dhyāna and insight is a core problem in the study of early Buddhism. According to tradition, the Buddha had mastered several forms of formless meditation states, without attaining liberation, or the cessation of suffering and rebirth. This was attained when he recalled his past lives, gained insight into the cycle of rebirth, and gained direct insight into the four noble truths. Yet, according to Schmithausen, the four noble truths as "liberating insight" may be a later addition to texts such as Majjhima Nikaya 36, and liberating insight and samadhi are alternately accentuated as the highest means to salvation throughout the Buddhist traditions. The technical Yogacara term ' is translated by Edward Conze as "undifferentiated cognition". Conze notes that, in Yogacara, only the actual experience of ' can prove the reports given of it in scriptures. He describes the term as used in the Yogacara context as follows: A different sense in Buddhist usage occurs in the Sanskrit expression that means "makes free from uncertainty " =distinguishes, considers carefully.
