- Title: Right Concentration - Author: Leigh Brassington - Tags: #summary #llmgenerated #toread #book # Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhānas by Leigh Brasington ## Preface - The jhānas are eight altered states of consciousness achieved through concentration - They are part of the Buddha's Eightfold Path, specifically Right Concentration - The jhānas are not awakening themselves, but a skillful means for stilling the mind - [[The author]]'s guide is based on the view transmitted by his teacher, Ven. Ayya Khema - [[This view]] is based on the Pali suttas > The jhānas are eight progressive altered states of consciousness that can be identified with the aspect of the Buddha's Eightfold Path called Right Concentration. Training in concentration leads to these states, each of which yields a deeper and subtler state of awareness than the previous one. The jhānas are not in themselves awakening, but they are a skillful means for stilling the mind in a way that leads in that direction, and they are attainable by anyone who devotes the time and sincerity of practice necessary to realize them. Leigh Brasington's guide to navigating the jhāna path is deeply informed by the view of them transmitted to him by his teacher, Ven. Ayya Khema, a view based on the Pali suttas. - [[The author]] uses Pali words throughout the book for precision - A glossary is provided at the back of the book - Key Pali terms are introduced with their English translations - [[The author]]'s translations are based on works by Bhikkhu Bodhi, Maurice Walshe, and Thanissaro Bhikkhu - Gender-neutral language is used when possible ### Abbreviations Used in Textual References - A list of abbreviations for various Buddhist texts is provided, including: - AN: Anguttara-Nikāya - Dhp: Dhammapada - DN: Dīgha Nikāya - MN: Majjhima Nikāya - SN: Saṃyutta Nikāya - Vsm: Visuddhimagga ## Introduction - [[The author]]'s first experience with pīti (rapture) occurred in June 1988 at Wat Suan Mokkh in Thailand - He learned about jhānas from Venerable Ayya Khema in 1990 - The jhānas are part of the Buddha's teachings on sīla (ethical behavior), samādhi (concentration), and pañña (wisdom) > June 4, 1988: It's forty minutes into the forty-five-minute sitting before lunch—and my back is killing me. I slide forward on the little cushion I'm using as a zafu and my sit bones slip onto the mat, but my tailbone remains on the cushion. [[The result]] is instantaneous. My hips are thrust forward, correctly aligning my vertebrae and thus relaxing all the muscle tension in my back, and a huge flood of joyous energy fills my whole being. Immediately two thoughts arise: "I'm gonna always sit like this!" and "This must be what that Dutch woman was talking about when she asked that question 'What do I do with all this joy I'm getting?'" - The jhānas are often misunderstood and neglected in modern Buddhism - They are an integral part of the Buddha's path to awakening - The word "jhāna" literally means "meditation" - There are four jhānas and four immaterial states, often referred to as eight jhānas - The purpose of the jhānas is to sharpen the mind for insight practice > The jhānas are eight progressive altered states of consciousness, brought on via concentration and each yielding more concentration than the previous. This way, as you pass through the jhānas, you stairstep your way to deeper and deeper levels of concentration—that is, you are becoming less and less likely to become distracted. Upon emerging from the jhānas—preferably the fourth or higher—you begin doing an insight practice with your jhānically concentrated, indistractable mind. This is the heart of the method the Buddha discovered—these states are not an end in and of themselves, unlike what his two teachers had taught him shortly after he'd left home to begin his spiritual quest. They are simply a very useful way of preparing your mind, so you can more effectively examine reality and discover the deeper truths that lead to liberation. - [[The author]] provides thorough responses to complex questions - He encourages concise responses to simpler questions - The book is divided into two parts: Practical Jhānas and Demystified Jhānas ## Part One: Practical Jhānas ### Introduction to Part One - Jhānas don't lend themselves to "book learning" - They are best learned on meditation retreats with a teacher - The book provides general instructions that may need to be adjusted for individuals - [[The author]] acknowledges that learning jhānas from the book alone will be more difficult - Readers are encouraged to practice without expectations ### Chapter 1: The Preliminaries - The gradual training is described in numerous suttas - It provides a step-by-step process for awakening - The first step is hearing the true dhamma and gaining confidence - The next step is building a foundation of ethical behavior (sīla) - The five precepts for lay people are introduced: 1. Refrain from killing living beings 2. Refrain from taking what is not given 3. Refrain from sexual misconduct 4. Refrain from wrong speech 5. Refrain from intoxicants > These training rules are designed to enable you to lead a life that doesn't intentionally cause harm to others or to yourself. This moral discipline includes how you earn your livelihood as well as your relationships with family, friends, and strangers. Without this moral discipline as a foundation, none of the subsequent steps will be truly effective, and progress on the spiritual path ceases. For example, ethical behavior serves as a foundation for generating concentration by creating a life where there are not so many things you might feel remorse or worry about. - Guarding the sense faculties is important - Developing habitual mindfulness is necessary - Being content with little is the last preliminary practice - These four preliminary practices are "off-the-cushion" practices - A daily meditation practice of at least 45 minutes is recommended ### Chapter 2: Access Concentration - Access concentration (upacāra-samādhi) is not mentioned in the suttas but is a useful concept - It is defined as concentration strong enough to provide access to the jhānas - Access concentration is achieved when one is fully with the meditation object and not distracted - The general method for generating access concentration is to focus on a suitable meditation object - When attention wanders, gently bring it back without becoming upset - Relaxed diligence is the aim - Forcing concentration is not helpful - Labeling distractions can be useful - Five hindrances may arise and need to be addressed - Signs of access concentration include: - Being fully present with the meditation object - Wispy, background thoughts that don't cause distraction - Various lights and colors (to be ignored) - A diffused white light (a sign of good concentration) > Please note: the following is not a description of the jhānas as taught by Venerable Pa Auk—for that see the web page "Visuddhimagga Jhānas" at <http://rc.leighb.com/more/Visuddhimagga_Jhanas.htm>. These are just my extracurricular explorations. Mostly I concentrated (pun intended) on Sayadaw's ānāpānasati practice. But sometimes after sitting for three or four hours, if I still had energy and my body was willing, I would let the pīti arise (all I had to do was smile for a minute or so) and go off exploring the jhānas as I had learned them from Venerable Ayya Khema. ### Chapter 3: Entering the Jhānas - To enter the jhānas, one must generate access concentration and then shift attention to a pleasant sensation - The pleasant sensation should be physical if possible - Common locations for pleasant sensations include: - Hands - Heart center - Third eye - Top of the head - Shoulders - Focus entirely on the pleasantness of the sensation - If the mind wanders or the sensation disappears, return to the access method - Let go of the breath or other meditation object when shifting to the pleasant sensation - The pleasant sensation will grow in intensity if attention is maintained - This will lead to an altered state of consciousness characterized by rapture (pīti) and happiness (sukha) - Pīti is primarily physical but has mental and emotional components - Sukha is an emotional sensation of joy and happiness - Focusing on pīti and sukha constitutes the first jhāna > So to summarize the method for entering the first jhāna: You sit in a nice comfortable upright position and generate access concentration by placing and eventually maintaining your attention on a single meditation object. When access concentration is firmly established, then you shift your attention from the breath (or whatever your meditation object is) to a pleasant sensation, preferably a pleasant physical sensation. You put your attention on that sensation, and maintain your attention on that sensation, and do nothing else. #### Possible Problems Associated with Attempting to Enter the Jhānas - Insufficient concentration is the most common problem - "Jumping too soon" from access concentration to the pleasant sensation - Not establishing strong enough access concentration - Impatience leading to mental commentary or trying to force [[the experience]] - Feeling [[the need]] to take a breath when the breath becomes subtle - Unexpected deep gasps - Inability to find a pleasant sensation - Difficulty letting go of attention on the breath - Fear of loss of control - Unresolved psychological issues surfacing - Headaches due to "stuck pīti" ### Chapter 4: First Jhāna - The first jhāna has four qualities mentioned in the suttas: 1. Vitakka (thinking) 2. Vicāra (examining) 3. Pīti (rapture) 4. Sukha (happiness) - Pīti and sukha are said to be "born of seclusion" from the hindrances - [[The experience]] of pīti and sukha should be spread throughout the body - Five "grades" of pīti are described: 1. Momentary pīti 2. Minor pīti 3. Showering pīti 4. Uplifting pīti 5. All-pervasive pīti - The length of time to stay in the first jhāna depends on the intensity of pīti - Pīti can manifest as rocking, swaying, vibrating, heat, or an upward rush of energy > Pīti can manifest as rocking or swaying, or it can be very intense so that you are actually vibrating to the point where it is visible to others. It can manifest as heat and get very, very warm. Hopefully it has a pleasant aspect to it. Most often, it manifests as an upward rush of energy, often centered up the spine. I've talked with people who practice kundalini yoga, and it seems that pīti is the same energy. I've talked with people who practice tummo, which is the Tibetan practice of generating heat, and I was told that this practice also involves generating the same sort of energy. It's a known, widespread phenomenon that is used in different ways. Here it is used to grab your attention and take you into a concentrated state due to it being so strong that it is easy to put your attention on it and absorb into [[the experience]]. #### Possible Problems Associated with Initially Learning the First Jhāna - Rough breathing when entering the first jhāna (normal and not a problem) - Difficulty reentering the jhāna after the first experience (due to increased wanting) - Feeling too wired to sleep if done late in the evening - Pīti that won't go away (usually temporary) - Rarely, pīti that gets "stuck on" for extended periods ### Chapter 5: Second Jhāna - The second jhāna arises when thinking (vitakka and vicāra) subsides - Three things need to happen: 1. Subsiding of vitakka and vicāra 2. Gaining inner tranquility 3. Gaining unification of mind - To move from the first to the second jhāna: 1. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly 2. Calm down the pīti 3. Focus on the sukha - [[The experience]] is calmer than the first jhāna - Sukha predominates, with pīti in the background - The mind becomes more unified around [[the experience]] of sukha - Aim for moderate sukha intensity and strong one-pointed focus - Maintain the second jhāna for 10-15 minutes to develop skill > To be skilled in this state, again you should be able to maintain it for at least 10 to 15 minutes like you did for jhānas two and three. When the fourth jhāna is done well, it is an incredibly restful state. We spend our days thinking and doing and our nights either dreaming or oblivious. Finally now you are in a state where you are fully conscious and almost nothing is happening. Upon emerging from a deep fourth jhāna, you might feel refreshed as though you'd just taken a short nap—but you will be quite certain that you were not asleep. This is a valuable place in and of itself to spend time, given the hectic nature of twenty-first-century civilization. #### More Possible Problems Associated with Attempting to Learn the Jhānas - Difficulty staying with the more subtle object of sukha - Thinking becoming active again - Unintentionally bypassing the first jhāna - Wanting to bypass the first jhāna intentionally due to its intensity - Painful memories arising from intense pīti ### Chapter 6: Third Jhāna - In the third jhāna, pīti fades away completely - [[The state]] is characterized by equanimity, mindfulness, and clear comprehension - Bodily happiness (sukha kāyena) is experienced - The experience is like contentment or satisfaction - To move from the second to the third jhāna: 1. Take a deep breath and let it out 2. Dial down the intensity of happiness 3. Focus on the feeling of contentment - The third jhāna feels lower in the body, more toward the belly - A simile of lotuses immersed in water is used to describe the state - Aim to maintain the third jhāna for 10-15 minutes > Because the pīti has faded out, this state is a much nicer place to spend time. The sukha still has its nuance of happiness, and that happiness is felt throughout your whole being. The equanimity mentioned in the description of the third jhāna is felt as an unruffled quietness. You don't want anything, nothing is disturbing you, and you sit there with a faint Buddha-like smile on your face. To become skilled in this state, you should learn to maintain it for at least 10 to 15 minutes. #### Possible Problems Associated with Learning the Third Jhāna - Pīti not fading away completely - Pīti returning after settling into the third jhāna - Needing to return to the second jhāna to reestablish before attempting the third again ### Chapter 7: Fourth Jhāna - The fourth jhāna is characterized by: 1. Abandoning pleasure and pain 2. Previous passing away of joy and grief 3. Neither pleasant nor painful state 4. Mindfulness purified by equanimity - To enter the fourth jhāna: 1. Let go of the pleasure of the third jhāna 2. Allow a sense of physically dropping down 3. Relax facial muscles to let go of the smile 4. Focus on the sense of quiet stillness - The experience is often described as " ### Chapter 7: Fourth Jhāna (continued) - The experience is often described as "dropping down a well" or "drifting down to the bottom of a swimming pool" - Physical slumping may occur but can be managed with practice - The fourth jhāna is characterized by a "pure bright mind" - A simile of being covered by a white cloth is used to describe the state - The visual field may become filled with bright whiteness in deep concentration - Aim to maintain the fourth jhāna for 10-15 minutes - The state is incredibly restful and refreshing > Once again we have a simile: > > Suppose a man were to be sitting covered from the head down by a white cloth so there would be no part of his entire body not suffused by the white cloth. In the same way, one sits suffusing one's body with the pure, bright mind so that there is no part of one's entire body that is not suffused by a pure, bright mind. (DN 2.84) > > The simile is of a man sitting with a white sheet over his head, completely covering him. He's a little isolated from the world around him. The deeper the level of concentration that you bring to the fourth jhāna, the more the sense of isolation and withdrawal from the world around you. #### Possible Problems Associated with Learning the Fourth Jhāna - In-and-out breathing becoming distracting - Insufficient concentration leading to frequent distractions - Falling asleep due to the restful nature of the state ### Chapter 8: Insight Practice - The purpose of the jhānas is to generate a concentrated mind for insight practice - Insight is defined as an "understood experience" - Insight practices aim to give experiences of the true nature of the world - Deeply transformative insights are impersonal - The jhānas provide a less egocentric perspective for investigating reality - The transition from jhānas to insight practice is simple: 1. Stop focusing on the object of the jhāna 2. Start doing your chosen insight practice - It's helpful to decide on the insight practice before beginning meditation - The Buddha discovered that jhāna practice alone wasn't sufficient for awakening - His genius was in discovering how to use jhānas to sharpen the mind for insight > The jhānas are for turbocharging your insight practice. Deep insights into the inconstant, ultimately unsatisfactory, empty nature of the universe are what will liberate you from dukkha. #### The Two Types of Insight Practice 1. Meditations - Involve wordless examination of sensory input - Easier to stay focused and recognize distractions - Examples: body scanning, mindfulness of breathing 2. Contemplations - Involve thinking about a specific topic - More difficult to recognize distractions - Examples: contemplating dependent origination, the five daily remembrances ### Chapter 9: The Immaterial Jhānas - There are four immaterial jhānas (arūpa jhānas) following the four material jhānas (rūpa jhānas) - The immaterial jhānas are: 1. Sphere of Infinite Space 2. Sphere of Infinite Consciousness 3. Sphere of No-Thingness 4. Sphere of Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception #### Fifth Jhāna: Sphere of Infinite Space - Characterized by passing beyond bodily sensations and perception of diversity - To enter: 1. Find something that can be expanded without limit 2. Focus on the sense of expansion 3. Wait for the experience of vast, empty space to appear - The experience is like suddenly coming upon the Grand Canyon, but with no bottom or other side - Aim to maintain for 10-15 minutes > When the space appears, it's pretty obvious. Your reaction is likely to be something like "Oh wow, that's a big space!" It's as though you're walking along in the Arizona desert and you suddenly come to the Grand Canyon; only this time there is no bottom, and there is no other side. It's a very big space! And it's unmistakable when it appears. #### Sixth Jhāna: Sphere of Infinite Consciousness - Characterized by passing beyond the Sphere of Infinite Space - To enter: 1. Shift attention from the space to your consciousness of the space 2. Become aware of your awareness - The experience is of having an infinite consciousness - May feel like becoming absorbed into the space - Aim to maintain for 10-15 minutes #### Seventh Jhāna: Sphere of No-Thingness - Characterized by passing beyond the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness - To enter: 1. Become aware of the content of the infinite consciousness 2. Realize the consciousness is not conscious of anything 3. Focus on the sense of no-thing - The experience is like peering into a dark room with nothing in it - Aim to maintain for 10-15 minutes #### Eighth Jhāna: Sphere of Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception - Characterized by passing beyond the Sphere of No-Thingness - Very difficult to describe due to its subtle nature - To enter: 1. Let the experience of no-thingness collapse 2. Allow the mind to enter a state with no characteristics - The state is very restful but more fragile than previous jhānas - Aim to maintain for as long as possible > The realm of neither perception nor nonperception is far more subtle than the previous jhānas, and that makes it far more difficult to sustain than previous ones. In each of the jhānas, there is the object of your attention—for example, the contentment in the third jhāna—and your one-pointed attention on that object. The depth of any jhāna is not based on how strong the object is, but rather on how unlikely you are to become distracted from that object. ### Chapter 10: With a Mind Thus Concentrated - The jhānas seem to be naturally occurring states of mind - About 10% of students report having experienced jhānas as children - The jhānas can be seen as "attractors" in chaos theory - The descriptions given in the book are "search images" to help recognize the states - The jhānas were discovered, not invented - The depth of jhānic experiences depends on the depth of concentration - Two ways to increase the depth of jhānas: 1. Stay longer in access concentration 2. Stay longer in preceding jhānas - The jhānas act as a multiplier for concentration - The Buddha taught that one should not identify with jhāna attainments - The jhānas taught in this book are sometimes called "Jhāna Lite" - Three advantages of learning these "lite" jhānas: 1. They can be learned by a significant percentage of people with good daily meditation practice 2. They can be used fruitfully to enhance insight practice 3. They can be strengthened to closely match sutta descriptions > The Buddha was one of the most practical people who ever lived. He wasn't interested in answering metaphysical questions, such as how the world began. He just wanted people to practice as best they could, given their life circumstances, so that they could reduce or even eliminate their dukkha. From a practical standpoint, it is far better to engage in a practice you can actually do than to hold out trying to learn some practice that is beyond your capacity given your current circumstances. ## Part Two: Demystified Jhānas ### Introduction to Part Two - Part Two provides detailed examination of what can be found in the suttas regarding jhānas - The author argues that orthodox views of jhānas conflict with sutta descriptions - The practices described in Part One are in accord with the suttas ### Chapter 11: Vitakka and Vicāra - Vitakka and vicāra are often mistranslated as "initial and sustained thinking" or "initial and sustained application" - In the suttas, vitakka means "thinking" and vicāra means "examining" or "pondering" - The combination "vitakka and vicāra" is a case of synonymous parallelism - The phrase emphasizes that thinking is present in the first jhāna and goes away in the second - Evidence from various suttas supports this interpretation > Looking at the combination vitakka+vicāra in earlier and later works one comes to the conclusion that they were once used to denote one & the same thing: just thought, thinking, only in an emphatic way (as they are also semantically synonymous), and that one has to take them as one expression, . . . without being able to state their difference. With the advance in the Saṅgha of intensive study of terminology they became distinguished mutually. Vitakka became the inception of mind, or attending, and was no longer applied, as in the Suttas, to thinking in general. ### Chapter 12: First Jhāna - The author argues against the traditional view of five factors in the first jhāna - The sutta description does not mention one-pointedness (ekaggata) - The author suggests four qualities of the first jhāna: 1. Seclusion 2. Vitakka and vicāra (thinking) 3. Pīti (rapture) 4. Sukha (happiness) - The author discusses the importance of body awareness in the first jhāna - He argues against the commentarial interpretation of full absorption > In summary, what the sutta description of the first jhāna is saying is the following: Become secluded from the hindrances. Don't worry if there is still some background thinking. Pīti and sukha will be generated via the pāmojja (worldly joy) that arises from being secluded from the hindrances. Focus on the pīti and sukha; sustaining them enables you to remain in the first jhāna. Spread the pīti and sukha throughout your body. ### Chapter 13: Second Jhāna - The second jhāna arises when thinking (vitakka and vicāra) fully subsides - Three things need to happen: 1. Subsiding of vitakka and vicāra 2. Gaining inner tranquility 3. Gaining unification of mind - The author explains the practical approach to teaching the transition to the second jhāna - He argues for four qualities of the second jhāna: 1. Inner tranquility (ajjhattaṃ sampasādana) 2. Unification of mind (ekodi-bhavam) 3. Pīti (rapture) 4. Sukha (happiness) > In summary, what the sutta description of the second jhāna is saying is the following: Hang out in the first jhāna until your mind calms down. Let the thinking subside as your mind becomes unified around the calmer experience of pīti and sukha. At that point you enter and dwell in the second jhāna, with its inner tranquility and unification of mind. There isn't any thinking and your mind is filled with pīti and sukha, now born of concentration. ### Chapter 14: Third Jhāna - In the third jhāna, pīti fades away completely - The state is characterized by equanimity, mindfulness, and clear comprehension - Bodily happiness (sukha kāyena) is experienced - The author argues for seven qualities of the third jhāna: 1. Inner tranquility 2. Unification of mind 3. Equanimity (upekkha) 4. Mindfulness (sati) 5. Clear comprehension (sampajañña) 6. Bodily happiness (sukha kāyena) 7. Sukha (happiness/contentment) > In summary, what the sutta description of the third jhāna is saying is the following: With the fading away of the exhilarating pīti, one dwells in equanimity, mindful and clearly comprehending, and experiences bodily happiness. Thus one enters and remains in the third jhāna, of which the awakened ones declare: "One dwells happily with equanimity and mindfulness"; one is fully contented. ### Chapter 15: Fourth Jhāna - The fourth jhāna is characterized by the abandoning of pleasure and pain - It is an emotionally neutral state - The author argues for seven qualities of the fourth jhāna: 1. Neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling (adukkha and asukha) 2. Equanimity (upekkha) 3. Mindfulness (sati) 4. Pure bright mind (parisuddhena cetasā pariyodātena) 5. Inner tranquility 6. Unification of mind 7. Clear comprehension - The author discusses the meaning of various Pali terms and their translations > In summary, what the sutta description of the fourth jhāna is saying is the following: With the abandoning of the pleasure of the third jhāna, and with the previous passing away of the joyful excitement of the first and second jhānas, one enters and dwells in the fourth jhāna, which is emotionally neutral and contains mindfulness fully purified by equanimity. One sits suffusing one's body with a pure bright mind, so that there is no part of one's entire body not suffused by a pure bright mind. ### Chapter 16: The Jhāna Summary - The author analyzes a pericope (stock passage) that summarizes the jhānic experience - He argues that this summary has been misinterpreted in the commentaries - The author provides a table correlating the summary with the jhānas: 1. Abandoning the hindrances - access concentration 2. Gladness (pāmojja) - focusing on the pleasant sensation 3. Rapture (pīti) - first and second jhānas 4. Bodily tranquility (passaddhakāya) - second and third jhānas 5. Happiness (sukha) - third jhāna 6. Concentration (samādhi) - fourth jhāna > Now, I have to admit, I figured out that I was entering the first jhāna by establishing access concentration and then focusing on a pleasant sensation more than a decade before I realized the paragraph here is a jhāna summary that contains valuable information about entering and moving between the jhānas. The information given in the suttas is so terse that you pretty much have to be skilled in the jhānas before you can puzzle out what the suttas are actually describing. But once you do understand what they are describing, you find the jhānas described in the suttas to be concentration states that are accessible by many people and can furthermore turbocharge their insight practice. ### Chapter 17: Insight Knowledge - The author discusses the sutta description of insight practice following the jhānas - He emphasizes the importance of investigating both body and mind - The author explains the simile of the gem used to illustrate insight knowledge > Clear beryl is very transparent, and it would be very easy to see the thread inside the gem. This seeing into is of course what we mean by insight. The concentrated, post-jhānic mind is well suited to examine the reality of body and mind and see into the deeper truths available when looking from a less egocentric perspective. ### Chapter 18: The Immaterial States - The author discusses the four immaterial states (arūpa jhānas) in detail - He argues against interpreting these states as ontologically existent realms - The author explains the difficulties in describing the Sphere of Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception > Sometimes people want to make the immaterial states into an experience of tapping into an ontologically existent infinite space, infinite consciousness, realm of nothingness, and/or realm of neither perception nor nonperception. It's true that in later Buddhism, there came to be the understanding that these states were a "visit" to 4 of the 31 realms of existence. And in pre-Buddhist Brahmanism, this seems to be the assumption, given the Buddha-to-be's comments in the Ariyapariyesanā Sutta (MN 26.15–16) that the last two of these states led only to reappearance in the corresponding realm. But the early sutta understanding is not that these states corresponded to any ontologically existent realms—the Buddha of the early suttas is portrayed as a phenomenologist, not a metaphysicist. ### Chapter 19: The Cessation of Perception and Feeling - The author discusses the state of cessation (saññāvedayitanirodha) - He explains various contexts where the term "nirodha" is used - The author shares personal experiences and observations related to this state - He discusses the relationship between the cessation state and the jhānas described in the Visuddhimagga > It has been mentioned earlier that there seems to be quite a difference in the understanding of exactly what constitutes the jhānic states between what is described in the suttas and what is describe ### Chapter 19: The Cessation of Perception and Feeling (continued) - The author compares his personal experience of deep concentration states with descriptions in the Visuddhimagga - He suggests that what is described as the first jhāna in the Visuddhimagga may correspond to the cessation state described in the suttas > I personally don't have much experience with the Visuddhimagga jhānas. But I do have a bit. I have attended two long retreats with the Venerable Pa Auk, who teaches exactly what is described in the Visuddhimagga. During the second one, after being on retreat for almost five months, I did enter a state where there was no feeling, no perception, no body sensations, no sounds, and no passage of time. My approach to this state corresponded step by step exactly to what is found in the Visuddhimagga, and it was later confirmed to be the first jhāna. But my experience also exactly matches what is described in the suttas for the cessation of perception and feeling. ### Chapter 20: The Psychic Powers - The author discusses the six psychic powers described in the suttas - He divides them into three groups of two each: 1. Mind-made body and supernormal powers 2. Divine ear and understanding the minds of others (ESP) 3. Recollecting past lives and the divine eye (rebirth-related) - The author suggests alternative interpretations for these powers, such as lucid dreaming for the first group - He discusses the historical context and possible metaphorical meanings of these descriptions - The author emphasizes the importance of insight practice over pursuing psychic powers > So don't waste your life messing around with any supernormal powers. The jhānas are for turbocharging your insight practice. Deep insights into the inconstant, ultimately unsatisfactory, empty nature of the universe are what will liberate you from dukkha. ### Chapter 21: Ending the Āsavas - The author explains the concept of āsavas (intoxicants) in Buddhist practice - He discusses the relationship between the āsavas and the four noble truths - The author examines the sutta descriptions of ending the āsavas as the final step in the gradual training - He explains the simile of the clear lake used to illustrate this process > The key words also point to this pericope being a summary: > > - gladness (pāmojja), > - rapture (pīti), > - bodily tranquility (passaddhakāya), > - happiness (sukha), > - concentration (samādhi). > > The gladness occurs prior to the arising of the first jhāna—it arises due to the abandoning of the hindrances. Or to put it another way, the gladness arises when access concentration has been established. "From gladness, rapture arises." As mentioned in the chapter "Entering the Jhānas," you generate pīti by focusing on a pleasant sensation without becoming distracted and thereby set up a positive feedback loop of pleasure that eventually erupts in pīti-sukha. ### Chapter 22: Other Benefits of Jhāna Practice - The author discusses scientific research on meditation and neural plasticity - He explains how jhāna practice can affect brain structure and function - The author lists several benefits of jhāna practice: 1. Reducing effort necessary to sustain attentional focus 2. Decreasing emotionally reactive behaviors 3. Reducing automatic fear response 4. Moving emotional set point in a positive direction 5. Providing pleasure more desirable than worldly pleasures 6. Providing an antidote to sensual craving 7. Providing a pleasant abiding here and now > Besides the jhānas being a way to prepare your mind for insight practice, they can also have the following benefits as well: > > - reduce effort necessary to sustain attentional focus, > - decrease emotionally reactive behaviors, > - reduce your automatic fear response, > - move your emotional set point in the positive direction, > - provide pleasure more desirable than worldly pleasures, and hence > - provide an antidote to sensual craving, > - provide a pleasant abiding here and now. ## Afterword - The author summarizes the main points of the book - He encourages readers to try learning the jhānas while on longer silent meditation retreats - The author acknowledges that his understanding of the jhānas has changed over time - He expresses gratitude for the Buddhist tradition and the Buddha's teachings > May your journey on the spiritual path be of great fruit and great benefit to you and to all beings! ## Appendices ### Appendix 1: Frequently Asked Questions The author addresses several common questions about jhāna practice, including: 1. Do I need exceptional powers of concentration to learn the jhānas? 2. Can one become addicted to the jhānas? 3. Are there people who should not attempt jhāna practice? 4. Why are jhānas so seldom taught today? 5. Why did the Buddha-to-be reject the jhānas he learned from his two teachers? 6. What was the reason for the redefinition of jhānas away from how the Buddha understood and practiced them? 7. Why are no detailed instructions for the jhānas given anywhere in the suttas? 8. Do the jhānas always arise in 1-2-3-4 order, or can they arise out of order? 9. How to deal with excess saliva during meditation? 10. How did Ayya Khema learn the jhānas? 11. Do the references to pīti and sukha in the 16 steps of mindfulness of breathing refer to the jhānas? 12. Are the last four factors of the seven factors of awakening the same as the jhānas? 13. Are the jhānas necessary for awakening? 14. What are the relationships among the Pali words samatha and samādhi, vipassanā and pañña, and jhāna? 15. How much concentration is required for jhāna? > The jhānas do not always arise in order. It's not all that uncommon for someone to generate only mild pīti and therefore not have a really distinct experience of the first jhāna. Now technically, as outlined in the chapter 13, "Second Jhāna," they are actually in the first jhāna with minimum pīti until the thinking subsides and their mind can become unified around the sukha. ### Appendix 2: Helpful Things to Do at the Beginning and End of Each Meditation Period The author provides suggestions for practices to enhance meditation sessions: At the beginning of meditation: 1. Generate gratitude 2. Get in touch with motivation 3. Practice mettā (loving-kindness) 4. Use a gatha (saying) for mindfulness of breathing 5. Set up mindfulness At the end of meditation: 1. Recapitulation of the session 2. Reflect on impermanence 3. Review any insights gained 4. Dedicate the merit 5. Resolve to be mindful in daily activities > All of these are just suggestions. If you already have nice preliminary and postmeditation routines, feel free to stick with them, or modify them with any of the above suggestions that seem useful. It really does help to have a way to get settled before starting to meditate, and it certainly helps to do whatever you can to consolidate any gains you've made during a meditation period. ### Appendix 3: Access Concentration Methods The author describes several methods for generating access concentration: 1. Mindfulness of Breathing (ānāpānasati) 2. Mettā Meditation 3. Body Scan (Sweeping) 4. Nada Sound (Sound of Silence) 5. Mantra 6. Other Methods (e.g., kasiṇa practice) For each method, the author provides detailed instructions and tips for practice. > Certainly one could argue that the first 4 steps of mindfulness of breathing can be used to generate access concentration, and the next 8 steps deepen that concentration, while the last 4 steps are clearly insight steps. But it also seems like there are valuable insights to be gained in all 16 steps. ### Appendix 4: In or Out: The Relationship between Jhāna Practice and Insight Practice The author discusses the ongoing debate about whether insight practice should be done while in the jhānas or upon emerging from them: - Arguments for practicing insight within jhānas - Arguments for practicing insight after emerging from jhānas - The author's perspective on the debate - The importance of concentration for insight practice > Nothing I can write in this book is going to settle this discussion. Partially that's because neither of these practices is wrong practice. Doing insight practice in a jhānic state—provided you can even do so without losing the jhāna—will indeed give you insight into the impermanent, ultimately unsatisfactoriness, and emptiness of the jhānas. No doubt that will be useful. Insight into the impermanent, ultimately unsatisfactoriness, and emptiness of the things you are craving and clinging to will also be very useful. All I can really say is that there appear to be far more places in the suttas where insight practice is taught to be done after the jhānas than in the jhānas. ## Additional Sections - Notes: Detailed references and additional information for each chapter - Glossary: Definitions of key Pali terms and concepts - Bibliography: List of primary and secondary sources - Acknowledgments: The author's gratitude to teachers, colleagues, and supporters - About the Author: Brief biography of Leigh Brasington ### Appendix 1: Frequently Asked Questions - Answers 1. Do I need exceptional powers of concentration to learn the jhānas? - No, exceptional concentration is not required. - Some skill is needed, but it doesn't have to be exceptional. - The best way to find out is to try on a retreat without expectations. 2. Can one become addicted to the jhānas? - It's possible but not something to worry about. - Students typically move on to insight practice once the novelty wears off. - A skilled teacher will guide students towards insight practice if they become overly enamored with jhānas. 3. Are there people who should not attempt jhāna practice? - Jhāna practice is generally safe for most people. - It may be contraindicated for those with untreated tendency towards mania. - People prone to seizures should be cautious with strong pīti experiences. - Some psychotropic medications may not be compatible with jhāna practice. 4. Why are jhānas so seldom taught today? - Historical redefinition of jhānas made them seem more difficult to attain. - "Dry insight" practices became more popular as they require less concentration. - Teaching jhānas effectively requires significant one-on-one instruction time. 5. Why did the Buddha-to-be reject the jhānas he learned from his two teachers? - He rejected them as the goal, not as part of the path. - He later recognized jhānas as a useful preliminary practice for insight. 6. What was the reason for the redefinition of jhānas away from how the Buddha understood and practiced them? - The exact reason is unknown, but the author speculates it may have been due to monks discovering deeper states of absorption and misinterpreting them as the jhānas described in the suttas. 7. Why are no detailed instructions for the jhānas given anywhere in the suttas? - Jhānas are more effectively learned one-on-one with a teacher. - Suttas were oral discourses, not meant to provide detailed meditation instructions. 8. Do the jhānas always arise in 1-2-3-4 order, or can they arise out of order? - Jhānas do not always arise in order. - Some practitioners may skip jhānas or enter higher jhānas directly. - It's possible to learn "missing" jhānas by moving between higher and lower states. 9. How to deal with excess saliva during meditation? - Either swallow mindfully or allow yourself to drool. - This issue typically resolves itself after 3-6 months of practice. 10. How did Ayya Khema learn the jhānas? - She taught herself using early translations of suttas and the Visuddhimagga. - She developed her skills through dedicated practice and later sought confirmation from a jhāna master. 11. Do the references to pīti and sukha in the 16 steps of mindfulness of breathing refer to the jhānas? - It's a matter of debate, but the author suggests they likely do not directly refer to the jhānas. - The 16 steps may be another method for working with concentration and insight. 12. Are the last four factors of the seven factors of awakening the same as the jhānas? - They are not identical, but there is a strong correlation. - Skill in the jhānas is extremely helpful for perfecting these factors. 13. Are the jhānas necessary for awakening? - They don't seem necessary for stream-entry (first stage of awakening). - For full awakening, evidence in the suttas is mixed. - Jhānas are certainly helpful but may not be absolutely required. 14. What are the relationships among the Pali words samatha and samādhi, vipassanā and pañña, and jhāna? - Samatha (calm) practices lead to samādhi (concentration). - Vipassanā (insight) practices lead to pañña (wisdom). - Jhānas are a form of samatha practice that develops deep samādhi. 15. How much concentration is required for jhāna? - The author suggests a range based on sutta descriptions: - Minimum: Enough to generate the "pure bright mind" of the fourth jhāna. - Maximum: Not so much as to lose touch with bodily sensations. - The author encourages practitioners to work with whatever level of concentration they can achieve given their life circumstances. > Really the question "How much concentration is required for jhāna?" is not the best question to ask. The real question is "How much concentration can I generate as a prelude to my insight practice given the constraints of my life?" It's much better to generate a so-called lite version of the jhānas than to throw up your hands and not enhance your concentration at all because of not being able to experience some deeper idealized version.