Samādhi and Tranquility

A state of tranquility (praśrabdhi) can arise in preparatory concentration (anāgamya-samādhi), whereas the meditative absorption (samādhi) appears in meditative concentration at the level of the first dhyāna and above. Preparatory concentration does have a state of tranquility, but it differs greatly from the tranquility of first-dhyāna concentration—the first dhyāna feels simply like the state of an immortal. The tranquility of preparatory concentration is somewhat inferior; the body may experience sensations of being tall and large, immense, light, or floating; walking becomes brisk and buoyant, the body seems to lift upward, the whole body feels relaxed, footsteps are soundless, and the mind is settled. Even within the same meditative concentration, each person's state of body and mind is not entirely the same, and the same person at different times will show some small variations. There are also many kinds of states within desire-realm concentration, with varying degrees of depth. Likewise, even within first-dhyāna concentration, each person's bodily and mental feelings and states are not entirely identical; when the same person enters the same concentration at different times, the states and feelings of body and mind are also not exactly the same.

The same word "tranquility" has different boundaries of definition, and the degree of its manifestation also differs; it is impossible to strictly determine where the threshold of tranquility lies, and each person's definition may vary. If someone with an unsettled mind insists on debating, then each side can only cling to its own view. Strictly speaking, meditative absorption (samādhi) should be found in concentration at the level of the first dhyāna and above—this is formal meditative concentration, the beginning of the four dhyānas and eight concentrations.