1) It is said that doing the technique that Mahasi Sayadaw talks about we can attain awakening. If you know anything about this technique how is it to be done and can it take us to Nibbana.
2) Question number 2: could you describe the sathipathanas and Jhanas and how I should train them. Especially when I hear about Jhanas on youtube it seems something mystical that we normal people cannot attain. Thank you Dhamma brothers.
if you really want to know about Mahasi, or more generally about Mahasi Sayadaw, Pa Auk Sayadaw and SN Goenka, then skip all the middlemen who copy him, especially all the people who love to claim to be part of the pragmatic dhamma, like the westerners, and read directly his book
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/mahasi/index.html
and of course, since Mahasi copies the abidhamma of the theravadan and the Visuddhimagga, while claiming it is the dhamma taught by the buddha, you can go directly to reading those https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanamoli/PathofPurification2011.pdf
and for the abidhamma, bikku bodhi talks about it each year
https://www.youtube.com/user/DharmaRealmLive/search?query=Bodhi
In fact the 16 knowledges that those puthujjanas have created are expended from from the 9 knowledges of the commentary, officially it is in the Sutta Pitaka, called Paṭisambhidāmagga
The major problem of the people who invented insight mediation is that they claim that knowing anicca, anatta and all that brings what they invented and called ''bhaya-nana'', whereas the buddha claims that knowing anicca and all that brings viraga, ie nibanna.
Their mistake is that they fail to understand dukkha and so fail to understand anatta. According to those people,
Those puthujjanas derive anatta and dukkha from anicca, but they never connect anatta with dukkha. Whereas, according to the buddha, what is anicca is dukkha, what is dukkha is anatta.
The way to develop Satipattana and Jhana is described below:
When, bhikshu, this samadhi has been cultivated, well cultivated by you, then you should train yourself thus:
“I will dwell exertive, clearly aware, mindful,
observing [contemplating] < body | feeling | mind | dhamma > the in the < body | feeling | mind | dhamma >,
removing covetousness and displeasure [discontent] in regard to the world.”
Thus, bhikshu, you should train yourself.
When, bhikshu, this samadhi has been cultivated, well cultivated by you, then, you, bhikshu,
THE 1ST DHYANA:
should cultivate this samadhi with initial application, with sustained application;
should cultivate this samadhi without initial application, with only sustained application;
THE 2ND DHYANA:
should cultivate this samadhi without initial application, without sustained application;
should cultivate this samadhi with zest;
THE 3RD DHYANA:
should cultivate this samadhi zest-free;
should cultivate this samadhi attended by comfort;
THE 4TH DHYANA:
should cultivate this samadhi attended by equanimity.
Saṅkhitta (Desita) Dhamma Sutta
Jhana is not that difficult if you have the proper guidance.
For Mahaisi method see this answer.
See this answer for the latest edited version.
Answer to the following question Jhana Explaination. I have answered it here as this is marked as a duplicate of the above question:
Question:
Can someone please SIMPLY explain the EIGHT Jhanas, specifically:
1) What are Jhanas meant to do & why would one want to achieve them?
2) How does one specifically achieve them (instructions please)?
3) What happens in each individual Jhana, from the first to the eighth?
4) How can I explain the Jhanas to a newcomer of the Dhamma?
Answer:
OP: 1) What are Jhanas meant to do & why would one want to achieve them?
Jhana factors contract each of the 5 Hindrances:
- Coarse examination (vitakka) counteracts sloth-torpor (lethargy and drowsiness)
- Precise investigation (vicāra) counteracts doubt (uncertainty)
- Well-being (pīti) counteracts ill-will (malice)
- Bliss (sukha) counteracts restlessness-worry (excitation and anxiety)
- Single-pointed attention (ekaggatā) counteracts sensory desire
Jhana suppresses mental fermentation (Āsava)
With the ending of mental fermentations — he remains in the fermentation-free awareness-release & discernment-release, having directly known & realized them for himself right in the here-&-now.
Also, Jhana gives mastery over the mind so that one does not think about thoughts one does not want, essentially what are unskilful.
He thinks any thought he wants to think, and doesn't think any thought he doesn't want to think. He wills any resolve he wants to will, and doesn't will any resolve he doesn't want to will. He has attained mastery of the mind with regard to the pathways of thought.
Jhana is also meant as a pleasant abiding.
He attains — whenever he wants, without strain, without difficulty — the four jhanas that are heightened mental states, pleasant abidings in the here-&-now.
One would want to achieve them to suppress Hindrances, Mental Fermentation, achieve mastery over the mind and create a pleasant state of mind and body free from pain. Another side benefit might be special power like iddhi and abhiññā. But this rarely manifests.
OP: 2) How does one specifically achieve them (instructions please)?
See this answer.
OP: 3) What happens in each individual Jhana, from the first to the eighth?
What happen beyond the 1st few Jhana is fuzzy as fewer people has reached them and there are less descriptions of them.
1st Jhana
5 Hindrances are suppressed.
Well-being (pīti) and Bliss (sukha) creates a pleasant abiding
2nd Jhana
Dropping initial application and sustained application (Vitarka-vicara) reduces the effort to stay in the Jhana. Well-being (pīti) and Bliss (sukha) becomes prominent.
3rd Jhana
As Well-being (pīti) is dropped strong vibration and swaying of the body stops. Bliss (sukha) becomes prominent which is a much more subtle vibration.
4rd Jhana
Hardly any vibrations as Bliss (sukha) has been dropped. Pleasure and pain does not arise. What remains is the focused on the object.
From the 5th Jhana onwards
5th Jhana
One transcends the perceptions of form and bodily sensations, with the disappearance the perceptions of sense-reaction, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that “Space is infinite,”
6th Jhana
One transcends the sphere of infinite space, aware that “Consciousness is infinite,”
7th Jhana
One enters and dwells in the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception
8th Jhana
One transcends the sphere of nothingness, one enters and dwells in the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception
OP: 4) How can I explain the Jhanas to a newcomer of the Dhamma?
This is found in this answer.
