A mental state of shamatha, but not necessarily joined with a state of vipashyana, with explicit apprehension of space-like voidness (emptiness). The attainment of a total absorption with a joined pair of shamatha and vipashyana occurs with the attainment of an applying pathway mind (path of preparation). On the mental continuum of an ordinary being, the total absorption is conceptual and known as tainted total absorption (mnyam-bzhag zag-bcas). On the mental continuum of an arya it is non-conceptual and known as the deep awareness of untainted total absorption (mnyam-bzhag zag-med-kyi ye-shes). The non-conceptual total absorption of an arya with a seeing pathway mind or an accustoming pathway mind (path of meditation) has two phases: a uninterrupted pathway mind and a liberated pathway mind.
Tibetan: མཉམ་བཞག mnyam-bzhag
Sanskrit: samāhita
J. Hopkins: Meditative equipoise
Synonyms: Meditative equipoise
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