Lord Buddha's Training in Samadhi Marga

Chapter II : Training in Samadhi Marga

• At the time when Gautama was examining the various ways of finding a solution to his problem he thought of getting himself acquainted with the Dhyana Marga (Concentration of the Mind).
• There were three schools of the Dhyana Marga.
• All of them had one thing in common, namely, that control of breathing was the means of achieving Dhyana.
• One school followed a way of controlling breathing which is called Anapanasati.
• Another school followed the way of control of breathing known as Pranayama.
• It divided the breathing process into three parts : 

1. Breathing in(Puraka) ; 
2. holding the breath (Kumbhaka) ; and 
3. breathing out (Rechak). The third school was known as Samadhi School.

• Arada Kalam was well known as the master of Dhyana Marga. Gautama felt that it might be well for him if he could get some training in the Dhyana Marga under Arada Kalam.
• So he spoke to Arada Kalam and asked him if he would be so good as to give training in the Dhyana Marga.
• Arada Kalam replied, "With great pleasure."
• Arada Kalam taught him his technique of the Dhyana Marga. It consisted
• of seven stages.
• Gautama practised the technique every day.
• After acquiring complete mastery over it Gautama asked Arada Kalam if there was anything further to be learned.
• Arada Kalam replied : " No friend, that is all that I have to teach." With
• this Gautama took leave of Arada Kalam.
• Gautama had heard of another yogi, by name Uddaka Ramaputta, who was reputed to have devised a technique which enabled a Dhyani to go one stage higher than that devised by Arada Kalam.
• Gautama thought of learning his technique and experiencing the highest stage of Samadhi. Accordingly he went to the Ashram of Uddaka Ramaputta and placed himself under his training.
• Within a short time did Gautama master the technique of Uddaka's eighth stage. After having perfected himself in the technique of Uddaka Ramaputta, Gautama asked him the same question which he had asked Arada Kalam : "Is there anything further to be learned ? "
• And Uddaka Ramaputta gave the same reply. "No friend, there is nothing
• more that I can teach you."
• Arada Kalam and Uddaka Ramaputta were famous for their mastery of Dhyana Marga in the country of the Kosalas. But Gautama had heard that there were similar masters of Dhyana Marga in the country of the Magadhas. He thought he should have a training in their system also.
• Gautama accordingly went to Magadha.
• He found that their technique of Dhyana Marga, though based on control of breathing, was different from what was in vogue in the Kosala country.
• Thetechnique was not to breathe but to reach concentration by stopping
• breathing.
• Gautama learned this technique. When he tried concentration by stopping breathing he found that piercing sounds used to come out of his ears, and his head appeared to him to be pierced as though by a sharp pointed knife.
• It was a painful process. But Gautama did not fail to master it.
• Such was his training in the Samadhi Marga.