<blockquote>
  <p>the act of consciously and intentionally leaving one's body.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I haven't ran across any Buddhist suttas that mention the above as a practice of the Buddhism's samadhi. In Buddhism, they don't concern much with "maha" samadhi. Instead they focus more on Samma-Samadhi/Right-Concentration, which is a link in the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Noble Eightfold Path</a>. Refer to this <a href="http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/s_t/samaadhi.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">dictionary's definition</a> for further details from Buddhism's perspective.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-21T08:09:38.567Z
I've clarified the answer and added that it means death (more or less).
mike
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-21T02:53:50.743Z
2018-11-21T02:53:50.743Z
santa100
<p>Yes. The concept of relinquishing the will to live can be found in Buddhism.</p>

<p>From <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.1-6.vaji.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">DN 16</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>And the Blessed One said: "Whosoever, Ananda, has developed,
  practiced, employed, strengthened, maintained, scrutinized, and
  brought to perfection the four constituents of psychic power could, if
  he so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of
  it. The Tathagata, Ananda, has done so. Therefore the Tathagata could,
  if he so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of
  it."</p>
  
  <p>(And later)</p>
  
  <p>When this was said, the Blessed One spoke to Mara, the Evil One,
  saying: "Do not trouble yourself, Evil One. Before long the
  Parinibbana of the Tathagata will come about. Three months hence the
  Tathagata will utterly pass away."</p>
  
  <p>And at the Capala shrine the Blessed One thus mindfully and clearly
  comprehending renounced his will to live on. And upon the Lord's
  renouncing his will to live on, there came a tremendous earthquake,
  dreadful and astonishing, and thunder rolled across the heavens.</p>
  
  <p><strong>Commentary (Sister Vajira &amp; Francis Story):</strong></p>
  
  <p><em>Kappam va tittheyya kappavasesam</em> va. Comy. takes <em>kappa</em> not as
  "world-period" or "aeon," but as <em>ayu-kappa</em>, "life span," and explains
  <em>avasesa</em> (usually "remainder") by "in excess." Comy.: "He may stay
  alive completing the life span pertaining to men at the given time.
  (Sub. Comy.: the maximum life span.) <em>Kappavasesa</em>: 'in excess'
  (<em>atireka</em>), i.e., more or less above the hundred years said to be the
  normally highest life expectation."</p>
  
  <p>Among the numerous meanings of the word kappa, there is, in fact, that
  of time in general (<em>kala</em>) and not only the duration of an aeon; but
  the meaning "life span" seems to have been ascribed to it only in this
  passage. Also, the meaning "in excess" for <em>avasesa</em> (usually
  "remainder") is unusual.</p>
  
  <p>The four constituents of psychic power (<em>iddhipada</em>) are concentration
  due to zeal, energy, purity of mind, and investigation.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The <a href="https://suttacentral.net/dn16/en/anandajoti" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Anandajoti translation</a> states:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Whoever has developed, Ānanda, made much of, carried on, established,
  maintained, augmented, and properly instigated the Four Paths to
  Power, could, if he wanted, Ānanda, remain for the lifespan or for
  what is left of the lifespan. The Realised One has developed, Ānanda,
  made much of, carried on, established, maintained, augmented, and
  properly instigated the Four Paths to Power. If he wanted, Ānanda, the
  Realised One could remain for the lifespan or for what is left of the
  lifespan.”</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-21T14:35:30.620Z
2018-11-21T15:30:36.033Z
2018-11-21T15:30:36.033Z
ruben2020
<p>miccha-samadhi (wrong/defiled concentration). And to think the mind is in the body is also miccha-samadhi if so perceived.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-21T06:22:58.803Z
Dhammapada 37. Dwelling in the cave, the mind, without form, wanders far and alone. Dūraṅgamaṃ ekacaraṃ , asarīraṃ guhāsayaṃ. New Concise Pali English Dictionary
guhāsaya
mfn.
being in the body. https://suttacentral.net/define/guh%C4%81saya
Dhamma Dhatu
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-21T02:47:33.893Z
2018-11-21T04:06:17.497Z
2018-11-21T04:06:17.497Z
Samana Johann
<p>In Tibetan Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism it's called &quot;Rainbow Body&quot; one of the Six Tantric yogas. No physical remains are left behind. Is this what you mean?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-26T11:55:26.413Z
Thanks, I wasn't thinking of also not leaving a physical body behind, but the concept of rainbow body does include "dying" at will.
mike
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-26T11:57:25.520Z
Since you seem to be new to the StackExchange network: I think answers shouldn't contain questions, questions should be posted as comments only.
mike
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-25T18:06:47.260Z
2024-09-25T18:06:47.260Z
The Ancient One
<p>Wikipedia defines <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahasam%C4%81dhi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mahāsamādhi</a> as follows:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Mahāsamādhi (the great and final samādhi) is the act of consciously
  and intentionally leaving one's body. A realized yogi (male) or
  yogini (female) who has attained the state of nirvikalpa samādhi,
  will, at an appropriate time, consciously exit from their body. [...] This is not the same as the physical death that occurs for an unenlightened person. <sup><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahasam%C4%81dhi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">1</a></sup></p>
</blockquote>

<p>A non-practitioner of Yoga would call this 'dying at will'. </p>

<p>Is there a similar concept in Buddhism?</p>

<karma><samadhi>
Mahāsamādhi in Buddhism?
# Mahāsamādhi in Buddhism?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-11-21)

Wikipedia defines [Mahāsamādhi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahasam%C4%81dhi) as follows:

> Mahāsamādhi (the great and final samādhi) is the act of consciously
> and intentionally leaving one's body. A realized yogi (male) or
> yogini (female) who has attained the state of nirvikalpa samādhi,
> will, at an appropriate time, consciously exit from their body. [...] This is not the same as the physical death that occurs for an unenlightened person. [1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahasam%C4%81dhi)

A non-practitioner of Yoga would call this 'dying at will'.

Is there a similar concept in Buddhism?

**Tags:** karma, samadhi


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2024-09-25. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

In Tibetan Vajrayana (Tantric) Buddhism it's called "Rainbow Body" one of the Six Tantric yogas. No physical remains are left behind. Is this what you mean?

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks, I wasn't thinking of also not leaving a physical body behind, but the concept of rainbow body does include "dying" at will.  
> **username_0**: Since you seem to be new to the StackExchange network: I think answers shouldn't contain questions, questions should be posted as comments only.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-11-21. Score: 1

> the act of consciously and intentionally leaving one's body.

I haven't ran across any Buddhist suttas that mention the above as a practice of the Buddhism's samadhi. In Buddhism, they don't concern much with "maha" samadhi. Instead they focus more on Samma-Samadhi/Right-Concentration, which is a link in the [Noble Eightfold Path](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html). Refer to this [dictionary's definition](http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/s_t/samaadhi.htm) for further details from Buddhism's perspective.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I've clarified the answer and added that it means death (more or less).  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-11-21. Score: 0

Yes. The concept of relinquishing the will to live can be found in Buddhism.

From [DN 16](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.1-6.vaji.html):

> And the Blessed One said: "Whosoever, Ananda, has developed,
> practiced, employed, strengthened, maintained, scrutinized, and
> brought to perfection the four constituents of psychic power could, if
> he so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of
> it. The Tathagata, Ananda, has done so. Therefore the Tathagata could,
> if he so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of
> it."
>
> (And later)
>
> When this was said, the Blessed One spoke to Mara, the Evil One,
> saying: "Do not trouble yourself, Evil One. Before long the
> Parinibbana of the Tathagata will come about. Three months hence the
> Tathagata will utterly pass away."
>
> And at the Capala shrine the Blessed One thus mindfully and clearly
> comprehending renounced his will to live on. And upon the Lord's
> renouncing his will to live on, there came a tremendous earthquake,
> dreadful and astonishing, and thunder rolled across the heavens.
>
> **Commentary (Sister Vajira & Francis Story):**
>
> *Kappam va tittheyya kappavasesam* va. Comy. takes *kappa* not as
> "world-period" or "aeon," but as *ayu-kappa*, "life span," and explains
> *avasesa* (usually "remainder") by "in excess." Comy.: "He may stay
> alive completing the life span pertaining to men at the given time.
> (Sub. Comy.: the maximum life span.) *Kappavasesa*: 'in excess'
> (*atireka*), i.e., more or less above the hundred years said to be the
> normally highest life expectation."
>
> Among the numerous meanings of the word kappa, there is, in fact, that
> of time in general (*kala*) and not only the duration of an aeon; but
> the meaning "life span" seems to have been ascribed to it only in this
> passage. Also, the meaning "in excess" for *avasesa* (usually
> "remainder") is unusual.
>
> The four constituents of psychic power (*iddhipada*) are concentration
> due to zeal, energy, purity of mind, and investigation.

The [Anandajoti translation](https://suttacentral.net/dn16/en/anandajoti) states:

> Whoever has developed, Ānanda, made much of, carried on, established,
> maintained, augmented, and properly instigated the Four Paths to
> Power, could, if he wanted, Ānanda, remain for the lifespan or for
> what is left of the lifespan. The Realised One has developed, Ānanda,
> made much of, carried on, established, maintained, augmented, and
> properly instigated the Four Paths to Power. If he wanted, Ānanda, the
> Realised One could remain for the lifespan or for what is left of the
> lifespan.”


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-11-21. Score: -1

miccha-samadhi (wrong/defiled concentration). And to think the mind is in the body is also miccha-samadhi if so perceived.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Dhammapada 37. Dwelling in the cave, the mind, without form, wanders far and alone. Dūraṅgamaṃ ekacaraṃ , asarīraṃ guhāsayaṃ. New Concise Pali English Dictionary guhāsaya mfn. being in the body. https://suttacentral.net/define/guh%C4%81saya  

---

