Is There Awareness of the External World During Samadhi?

Concentration can be divided into many levels. The superficial level is desire realm concentration, where the mind becomes slightly more peaceful and serene, with fewer distracting thoughts, and the physical body becomes lighter and more agile. Within this concentration, the six consciousnesses still perceive the six sense objects, with perception and thought regarding the six sense objects, and bodily, verbal, and mental actions are still possible, enabling interaction with others. In the preliminary concentration before the form realm within the desire realm, the mind can engage in focused thought, achieving a state free from distracting thoughts, becoming even more serene, with the physical body becoming lighter and more agile. The six consciousnesses still perceive the six sense objects, with perception and thought regarding them, and bodily, verbal, and mental actions are possible, enabling interaction with others. In the first dhyana of the form realm, mental activity becomes even more serene and focused. Among the six consciousnesses, the olfactory consciousness and gustatory consciousness cease, but the remaining four consciousnesses—visual, auditory, bodily, and mental—still perceive the four corresponding sense objects, and perception and thought regarding these four sense objects remain. While dwelling in these types of concentration, one can still interact with others, with minimal afflictions and agile thinking. In concentrations from the second dhyana upwards, interaction with others becomes impossible because the five sense consciousnesses cease, the body becomes immobile, unable to perceive form, sound, smell, taste, or touch, and bodily and verbal actions cease.

When concentration arises during cultivation, the functions of the mind are developed and expanded, and the obstruction of the aggregate of form diminishes. Originally, with eyes closed, the visual field was dark; now, even with eyes closed, one can perceive brightness before them. In reality, whether the eyes are open or closed, awake or asleep, the Tathagatagarbha transmits form objects through the eye faculty. It depends on the discerning capacity of the conscious mind and whether it is obscured by the aggregate of form. During sleep, external form objects still continuously transmit into the subtle sense faculty. For example, sometimes in the morning we are awakened by intense sunlight. This happens because form objects and mental objects first arise in the subtle sense faculty, followed by the birth of eye consciousness and mental consciousness, causing us to awaken. When seated in meditation with concentration present, the visual field is not dark but possesses a certain degree of brightness. The nature and intensity of this brightness depend on the depth of the concentration.