The question is, “What is the difference between self-realization and samadhi?” Not everybody who can attain samadhi is self-realized and not everybody who is self-realized can claim to be in a state of samadhi. There are lot of good people on this planet who are self realized. They took care of other people and did not harm anybody. They may or may not have faith, yet they lead a meaningful life. That is self-realization: realizing that you have a precious life, which is not easy to come by and making a meaning from this life. Meaning, not in terms of intellectual meaning but leading this life in a way that somehow we help others as well.
Someday asked me a question once that what really is enlightenment or what is self-realization. Enlightened or self-realized is like a state of being naked, when all the covers and layers are off and you are who you are for everybody. You stop pretending to be a certain way. The need and the urge to show off to the world to be somebody disappear because you realize that your self is infinite. It does not have to do catching up with anybody. It is not in any race with anybody and that really is self-realization.
Listen to this discourse by Om Swami on questions on self-realization, samadhi, thoughts and karma.
view more