VITAKKA/VITARKA AND VICĀRA: Stages of samādhi in Buddhism and Yoga

The mutual influence of the Buddhist & Brahmanical traditions on each other is seldom recognized. These influences are important in understanding the terms vitakka/vitarka & vicara as stages of samadhi in both Buddhist & yoga traditions. It is argued that the common reference to the Yoga-sutra for analysis of the stages of samadhi is mistaken. Rather, the crucial source is the Dhammasangani, which provides mnemonic registers for both terms. An analysis of these words, as presented in the Dhammasangani, is offered. Significant information about the meaning of these words is found in several works of the later Pali tradition, which are discussed in chronological order. Parallels in the Yoga-sutra & Buddhist sources are cited & interpreted, indicating the need to relate the stages of samadhi to the levels of Samkhya tradition. 4 Tables. L. Taub