Hour 3 Meditation – The Journey from Concentration to Meditation to Samadhi

The Journey from Concentration to Meditation to Samadhi

Namaste, dear traveler on the inner path.

As we continue further into our investigation of meditation, let us now direct our attention to a rich and frequently misinterpreted chart of inner development—a journey that starts with concentration, ripens into meditation, and finally ends in samadhi, the highest state of yogic union.

But it is not merely a theory. It is a living process, one that is revealed step by step in your consciousness, just as a seed develops into a tree and blossoms into fragrant flowers.

Let us proceed now along this sacred way—slowly, patiently, in attention.

Three Stations of the Inner Journey

In yogic psychology, especially as outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, there are three subtle yet distinct stages that describe the evolution of consciousness:

Dharana – Concentration

Dhyana – Meditation

Samadhi – Absorption or Enlightenment

These three are the final limbs of the Ashtanga Yoga system (the Eightfold Path), and together they are known as Samyama—the integrated process of inner realization.

1. Dharana – Concentration (One-Pointed Focus)

We start with dharana, which means literally to hold or to fix the mind on a point. This is the first discipline—where we train the scattered, restless mind to become still and concentrated.

Picture a wild horse galloping in all directions. Dharana is the gentle training by which the horse learns to walk in one direction. It is the concentration of attention into one stream.

Features of Dharana:

Conscious effort is involved.

The mind may still wander, but we bring it back again and again.

The object of focus can be a mantra, breath, flame, chakra, sound, or picture.

This is the building block—without dharana, there is no access to the genuine meditation.

Osho once stated:

“First, you must learn to concentrate, because the mind has been a vagabond for so long. Only after the mind becomes capable of stillness can it fall into silence.”

It is like sharpening a lens—until the mind gets concentrated, we are not able to see into the deeper layers of being.

2. Dhyana – Meditation (Unbroken Flow of Awareness)

When focus intensifies and becomes unbroken—when the process of holding attention becomes automatic—we arrive at dhyana, the genuine meditative state.

It is a very subtle shift. The effort of dharana falls away, and a flowing, natural awareness is all that is left. There is no longer “trying” about this. There is just being—alert, watchful, present.

It is like a river running continuously. You are not concentrating now; you have become the center of concentration. The observer, the observing, and the observed start to blend into a stream of consciousness.

Dhyana Characteristics:

The ego starts to dissolve.

There is a sense of stillness and widening.

Time slows down or vanishes.

You become aware of a deeper presence, but still you have a fine awareness of self and object.

Osho describes it thus:

“Meditation is when the observer becomes the observed. You are simply watching… and the watcher becomes so total that nothing else remains.”

This is yogic meditation in a nutshell. The waves of thought recede. You start savoring the silence which always existed underneath the din.

3. Samadhi – Absorption (Union with the Infinite)

And then, something miraculous occurs—not through effort, but through grace. When meditation is complete, when even the awareness of meditating has dropped away, you are in samadhi.

This is the fruit of meditation—not a goal to be reached, but a flowering that occurs when the inner soil is ripe.

In samadhi, the distinction between you and the object of meditation disappears. There is no “I” remaining to witness. There is only presence. Only being. Only oneness.

Features of Samadhi:

The feeling of separateness melts away entirely.

No effort, no thinking, no distinction.

A deep peace, joy, and unity is felt.

You become aware of your true Self—pure consciousness, Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss).

Patanjali outlines numerous levels of samadhi—from Savikalpa Samadhi (with some awareness) to Nirvikalpa Samadhi(beyond all thought). But all are states in which the ego-mind is not present, and the infinite is known.

The Bhagavad Gita refers to this:

“Brahmi sthiti”—the state of being established in the Brahman, the unchanging truth.

Osho says so eloquently:

“Samadhi is not something you do. It is something that happens when there is nothing left to do.”

It is the melting of the drop into the ocean—and yet wonder is, the ocean also melts into the drop.

Why is this Journey so Important to Learn?

In today’s culture, the term meditation is thrown about loosely to refer to anything that is soothing. But actual meditation is not relaxation—it is change.

Learning about this journey:

Clarifies where you are along the way.

Avoids frustration when focus is hard.

Requests deeper sincerity and patience.

Leads the way for grace to fall.

Most people attempt to leap into meditation without building the mind up by means of dharana. Others edge towards meditative states but shrink back when ego perimeters start to break down.

This map in one’s possession imbues clarity and courage.

Contemporary Barriers to This Path

In ancient times, seers would give their whole lives to this quest. Nowadays, our greatest barriers are:

Impatience for speedy success

Overstimulation and distraction

Absence of inner discipline

Confusing changed states or imaginations with actual meditation

Emotional blocks and unfinished traumas

This is why preparation is essential—through ethical living (yamas/niyamas), pranayama, asana, inner cleansing, and devotional practices. These prepare the fertile soil for meditation to bloom naturally.

And this is also where Osho’s work is groundbreaking—he provided active meditation methods for modern seekers to release inner turbulence prior to immersing themselves in silence. Dynamic, Kundalini, and Nadabrahma meditations, to cite a few, assist in purifying the body-mind so the progression from dharana to dhyana to samadhi is easier and more somatically embedded.

A Real-Life Analogy: The Candle Flame

In order to comprehend these three stages, imagine a candle flame in a dimly lit room.

Dharana is when you attempt to keep your eyes fixed on the flame without distraction.

Dhyana is when you are so engrossed in the flame that everything else seems to melt away.

Samadhi is when even the flame dissolves—and only pure light exists, infinite, shapeless.

Contemplative Questions for Reflection

What are you doing now in your life that builds your focus?

Have you ever approached a meditative state where time and self appeared to melt away?

What is samadhi to you—not as a theory, but as a living potential?

Journal on these. Allow the question to open the door to inner exploration.

Practice for the Day: Candle Flame Dharana (Trataka)

Place a small candle in a dark, quiet room.

Sit comfortably and look softly at the flame without blinking, for 1–3 minutes.

Then close your eyes and imagine the flame between your eyebrows.

Allow your mind to rest there.

Notice what comes up.

This is a simple yet potent method to train attention, quiet the mind, and open the inner eye.

Final Word

The path from concentration to meditation to samadhi is the very path of human evolution—from fragmentation to wholeness, from doing to being, from self to Self.

Each step has its place. Each leads you to the next. You cannot push samadhi, but you can invite it by developing awareness, sincerity, and surrender.

And one day, as the sun rises without your doing anything, samadhi will come upon you.

You will not be there to feel it…

Because you will have become That.