Giving names to a limited number of mental states that result from psycho-somatic practices started in the earliest periods of Buddhist history. However, with the advent of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra/s and other Mahāyāna texts, a different aspect of meditative experience was described. The lists of named Samādhi grew in size until they contained scores of descriptive phrases not found in the earlier accounts. Understanding the nature of the identified mental states remains a challenge. In many cases, the combination of words given to a particular Samādhi name is unique and no occurrences appear elsewhere in the sutra/s. The order and content of the lists differ in each example; no two lists are exactly alike. Further, there does not appear to be a progressive development in the naming. However, the practice of including ever growing listings of these names has characterized Mahāyāna literature. They cannot be dismissed as insignificant aspects of the sutra/s. Our goal, in regard to these subtle and mystical moments of experience, is to place them within the tradition and seek for better insights into the meditative practices being described by their names.
