Patanjali's eight-limbed path culminates in samadhi (absorption), which Abhidharma identifies as the mental concentration required to perceive the momentary arising and dissolution of reality's fundamental elements.
Samadhi in Patanjali's system represents the ultimate stability of mind—unbroken continuity of awareness focused on a single object. Abhidharma psychology reveals why this state is essential: only through samadhi can practitioners perceive the discrete, instantaneous dharmas that constitute experience. Without sufficient concentration, the rapid succession of mental moments blurs into apparent continuity. Samadhi dissolves this illusion, revealing the true granular nature of consciousness. Patanjali's progressive path—from physical restraint through moral discipline to concentration—builds precisely the mental platform Abhidharma requires. This state transcends mere bliss; it becomes the scientific instrument of Buddhist psychology. Through samadhi, practitioners directly verify Abhidharma's theoretical claims about how consciousness, sensation, perception, mental formations, and form interact. The union of Patanjali's method and Abhidharma's analysis creates systematic phenomenological rigor.
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