According to Osho, the first taste of samadhi is an incommunicable, sudden awakening—like a lamp flaring in darkness, a dying man revived, autumn turning to spring. It feels like immortal nectar and inner music; love and fearlessness arise, thoughts cease, and all beliefs wash away. One 'dies' sweetly: the separate self dissolves like a drop into the ocean, discovering vast wholeness and wonder.
It’s like suddenly waking up into a huge, loving light where fear and thinking stop, and the little ‘me’ melts into something endless and joyful.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Osho, what is the first experience of samadhi like?
You will know only when it happens. It cannot be said; at most a few hints can be given. It is as if, in the dark, a lamp is suddenly lit. Or as if a dying patient, right at the edge of death, suddenly finds a medicine that works; life’s wave, life’s thrill spreads again—so it is. As if a corpse becomes alive—such is the first experience of samadhi. It is the taste of nectar. The experience of the ultimate music. But it will be only when it happens; and only then will you understand. You will not understand by my saying it. It is as with love. How can anyone explain it? To someone who has never loved, never known love, no matter how many explanations you offer—he will hear it all and still ask, “I haven’t understood; please explain a little more.” It is like explaining light to…
What is the first experience of samadhi like?
You will know only if it happens. It is not that it can be said. A few indications can be given. A lamp is suddenly alight in the dark - it is like this. Or like a sick man dying and suddenly the medicine works... nearing death the medicine works and suddenly ripples of life, the thrill of life spreads again -- it is just like this. Like a corpse has come to life -- the first experience of samadhi is like this. It is an experience of immortal nectar. It is an experience of the ultimate music. But it happens only when it happens. And only if it happens will you be able to understand. You will not be able to understand from my saying it. It is like being in love. Who can explain it to anyone? One who has not loved, one who does not know love,…
During samadhi, the objects of the experiences are not separate from the soul, hence they are not experienced. But these glorified experiences of the seeker who has come out of samadhi are inferred through recollections of the mind.
IN THIS BEGINNINGLESS WORLD, MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF KARMA, ACTION-IMPRESSIONS, ARE ACCUMULATED. THEY ARE ALL DESTROYED BY THIS SAMADHI AND PURE DHARMA, THE SELF-NATURE, GROWS. THE KNOWERS OF YOGA CALL IT DHARMAMEGHA -- THE RAINCLOUD OF DHARMA -- SAMADHI, BECAUSE IT SHOWERS A THOUSAND NECTAR-STREAMS OF DHARMA, THE SELF-NATURE, LIKE A RAINCLOUD. IN THIS SAMADHI, THE NETWORK OF DESIRES DISSOLVES COMPLETELY AND THE THICKETS OF ACCUMULATED KARMA CALLED VIRTUE AND SIN ARE ALL UPROOTED AT THEIR VERY SOURCE. AT FIRST, THIS BOUNDLESS STATEMENT -- TATTVAMASI, THAT ART THOU -- BEING TRUE, IS ONLY REALIZED INDIRECTLY; THEN THE DIRECT KNOWLEDGE, LIKE A MYROBALAN FRUIT KEPT ON ONE'S OWN PALM, IS BORN. Dharmamegha is a lovely word. Clouds we have seen. When Ashadh, the first month of monsoon comes, clouds gather in the sky. But we are not aware of the whole phenomenon. Those clouds gather in the sky in Ashadh, and…
Osho, please say something about this news item: the indian express of 18th august reports that the rajneesh film won't reflect the real image of india. The union information minister, l.k. Advani said in the parliament, 'foreign television and film units have been refused permission to document the activities of the rajneesh ashram, as it is felt that a film on the activities of the ashram would not reflect favourably on india's image abroad.'
If this country is going to be destroyed one day, the reason will be these people who are in power today. India cannot have one language. And if it can have one language, that language has to be neutral; either it will be English or Esperanto, but not Hindi, not Gujarati, not Marathi, not Bengali, not Tamil. It will have to be a neutral language. English is neutral; it is nobody's mother tongue in India. And English is international too, so it is perfectly good. I support a two-language formula: English as the national language, because it is also international and as the second language, the mother tongue. Each child should be taught two languages. Forget all about Hindi, and forget all about creating one monolith in this country of variety, of multiplicity. And they are trying to do the same thing with religion too, in the same way. They…
Osho, in meditation I experience light; I also experience peace and bliss. Is this the state of samadhi?
Not so fast. Call it the first glimpse of samadhi. The first waft of fragrance has arrived. Say, the first flower of spring has bloomed. But the blooming of spring’s first flower is not spring’s arrival. Spring is on the way; it will come. The first guest has arrived. Don’t take this to be the whole, otherwise you will get stuck, you will stop. Much is yet to happen. And the final understanding dawns only when no experience remains—not the experience of light, not the experience of peace, not the experience of bliss. You will be a little startled. Up to now you have known suffering; opposite to it comes the experience of happiness. As the meditative state in the mind deepens a little, happiness takes the place of sorrow. Then both happiness and sorrow depart. The duality is gone. Then a tremor of bliss arises. But that tremor feels…