Bhava samadhi
Thus, "bhava samadhi" denotes an advanced spiritual state in which the emotions of the mind are channelled into one-pointed concentration and the practitioner experiences devotional ecstasy.
[4] Bhava samadhi has been experienced by notable figures in Indian spiritual history, including Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and some of his disciples, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his chief associate Nityananda, Mirabai, Kundalini Guru Shri Anandi Ma,[5] and numerous saints in the bhakti tradition.
[7] The various translations that have been proposed all refer to an ecstatic state of consciousness, which is attained by channelling the emotions into one-pointed concentration.
This refers to the aspirant's emotional life, which in the practice of jnana or raja yoga is controlled in order to transcend the spheres of the mind and intellect.
"[11] Swami Sivananda states it is an "internal feeling" that needs to be developed through proper practice just like any other faculty of the mind e.g. memory or will power.
[12] According to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa real bhava can only be said to occur when the relationship with the Divine is so established that it remains fixed in our consciousness at all times, "whether eating, drinking, sitting or sleeping.
"[20] The qualities required for a genuine bhava samadhi have been emphasized by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa when he said that a spiritual experience of a lower plane may be had by "the momentary exuberance of emotions" but the scriptures say bhava samadhi is impossible to retain unless worldly desires have been removed and proper qualities have been established like renunciation and detachment.
"Witnessing the religious ecstasy (bhava) of several devotees, Narendra (Swami Vivekananda) one day said to the Master that he too wanted to experience it.
'My child,' he was told, 'when a huge elephant enters a small pond, a great commotion is set up, but when it plunges into the Ganga, the river shows very little agitation.
"[22]Several other times Ramakrishna Paramahamsa made the same point like when he told one of his close devotees Gopalchandra Ghosh (later known as Swami Advaitananda, his most senior monastic disciple) that it was not so important to experience such a temporary ecstasy (bhava) and that on the spiritual path "true faith and renunciation are far greater.
"[29] Thirdly, genuine bhava samadhi, which is an internal state of consciousness, has been identified with outer movements of the body, such as dancing and singing.
"[30] However, it has been made clear by Ramakrishna that emotional displays do not constitute spiritual experience: One evening Subodh (later to become Swami Subodhananda) observed the devotees dancing and singing Kirtan in the Masters room at Dakshineshwar.
[33] The problem of devotees attempting to make claims about their inner state of consciousness by imitating external indicators of genuine bhava samadhi was addressed by Swami Vivekananda in the Ramakrishna Mission:
Naren reasoned with these devotees and persuaded them to stop starving themselves and eat wholesome food, and to try control their emotions instead of cultivating hysteria.
