Are Buddhist and Yoga Samadhis the Same? A Discussion with Gregor Maehle and Leigh Brasington

Last updated on 13/07/2023

In this episode, we try to find out if the yogis and the Buddhists are describing the same thing when they talk about Samadhi. Are the paths aiming at the same experience but using different language to talk about it? Or are there deeper differences?

To find out, we host a conversation between Gregor Meahle and Leigh Brasington who practice and teach deep Samadhi meditations from the yogic and Buddhist schools, respectively. 

Gregor Maehle 

Gregor Maehle began his practice of Raja Yoga in 1978 and added Hatha Yoga a few years later. In the mid-1980s he commenced annual travels to India, where he studied with various yogic and tantric masters, traditional Indian sadhus and ascetics. After practising with BKS Iyengar he spent fourteen months in Mysuru, and in 1997 was authorised to teach Ashtanga Yoga by K. Pattabhi Jois*. In India Gregor also received eight months of mostly one-on-one instruction in scripture and the higher limbs of Yoga through B.N.S. Iyengar, a student of T. Krishnamacharya. He also studied Sanskrit under Professor Narayanachar and Dr Chandrasekhar. He lived for several years as a recluse, studying Sanskrit and yogic scripture and practising yogic techniques.

Find out more: https://8limbs.com/

Gregor’s books here

Leigh Brasington

Leigh Brasington has been practicing meditation since 1985 and is the senior American student of the late Ven. Ayya Khema. Leigh began assisting Ven. Ayya Khemma in 1994, and began teaching retreats on his on in 1997. He is also authorized to teach by Jack Kornfield.Leigh has taught the jhanas, along with multiple insight practices, at well over one hundred residential retreats throughout the United States and Europe. He is the author of the books Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhanas and Dependent Origination and Emptiness: Streams Of Dependently Arising Processes Interacting. Find more about Leigh’s teaching and schedule at http://leighb.com.