8
votes
Accepted
How to complete the first Jhana?
In my understanding of the instructions I received, for the first Jhana, you should switch your focus on the bliss and "say" to yourself: "wow, this is awesome, this is sublime, this is so peaceful, I ...
- 57.6k
7
votes
Accepted
What exacly is the so-called "formless" jhana?
Here is my understanding as of 2018.
When they say "form" (rupa) or "seed" (bija) in context of meditation, it's what we call an object of meditation these days. For example, your breath, an image of ...
- 57.6k
7
votes
How to 'Let Go' in Meditation?
Great question, you hit the nail on the head with this question.
The goal of Buddhist path is liberation of mind. Liberation of mind is cessation of grasping and attachment. Cessation of grasping and ...
- 57.6k
7
votes
Accepted
Is attaining to Jhana possible for me?
I think you are misunderstanding the nature of jhanas. In your defense, this is a mistake made by almost everyone on a certain stage.
You think jhanas are some concrete states that are specific and ...
- 57.6k
7
votes
Among 9 jhanas which is deep sleep?
I've got a simple answer for you: Sleep is not a jhāna. The Buddha never says, not in Pāli not in Chinese not in Sanskrit, that sleep is a jhāna. Sleep is also not nibbāna. Sleep is also not nirodha. ...
- 1,114
6
votes
Accepted
Jhāna, seeing the welfare of self and other
Sangaravo Sutta: Sangarava -- The Hindrances (SN 46.55) says that.
It says that ...
he cannot know or see, as it really is, what is to his own profit, nor can he know and see what is to the ...
- 45.7k
6
votes
Accepted
Did I get into a Jhana state?
I wouldn't worry about what it is or isn't and dont listen to what other people have to say about it either as everyone will have varying opinions and really they cannot know what you experience. You ...
- 2,730
6
votes
What is fruition in Buddhism?
Fruition is more related to the 4 stages of sainthood. This is realising of the fruit (Pala) of practice. What his means is you realized the path.
6
votes
Is there anything akin to 'Jhana' in Zen Buddhism?
Zen and Jhana are the same word. Jhana is a word in the original spoken language. In Sanskrit it is written as Dhyana. Channa or Chan is how it came to Chinese language, and Zen is how it subsequently ...
- 57.6k
5
votes
In the Anapanasati Sutta what is meant by 'sensitive to rapture/bliss'?
I assume that by rapture and bliss you mean the Pali words Piti and Sukha.
Piti and Sukha are supposed to be comfortable and pleasant states of mind that arise whenever the mind is sufficiently calm, ...
- 7,433
5
votes
Why the Buddha abandoned asceticism
Maybe MN 26 is more relevant: towards the end of it, the Five ask questions like,
When this was said, the group of five monks replied to me, 'By that practice, that conduct, that performance of ...
- 45.7k
5
votes
What is initial thought and discursive thought
Ordinarily, when unrelated to jhana, the words 'vitakka' & 'vicara' simply mean 'thought', 'thinking' & 'thinking about'. For example, MN 19 is about 'two kinds of thinking'; MN 20 is about ...
- 39.4k
5
votes
Did I get into a Jhana state?
Now i have anxiety attacks and at first was i was having an anxiety attack during the meditation.
This does not look like Jhana. Jhana is blissful. Sometimes you might experience Piti and Sukkha. ...
5
votes
Is there a reason not to practice jhana?
Absolutely not! Go for it! (Assuming when you say first Jhana, you actually mean first Jhana and not something else).
"There is the case where a monk — quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn ...
- 57.6k
5
votes
Accepted
In which sutta does a lay disciple of the Buddha tell a non-buddhist mendicant that he has experienced jhana?
your best first try is this essay
perhaps this
When Do the Jhānas Become Necessary?
While there seem to be no suttas that impose an inflexible rule to the
effect that a lay noble disciple must ...
- 1,624
5
votes
Accepted
Should I judge the efficacy of Samadhi based on the ethical qualities of the meditator?
As far as I understand, one of the main purposes of the eight factor of the Path (samma samadhi) is to clean the mind from impurities.
All factors of the N8P have the same purpose, they just operate ...
- 57.6k
5
votes
looking for citation, pīti and sukha of 4 jhānas compared to dying of thirst, seeing water in distance, and drinking it
what is the citation of that piti sukha simile for the 4 jhanas from?
It's from the Visuddhimagga-Ch IV.100 (pg. 139):
And wherever the two are associated, happiness is the contentedness at ...
- 9,707
5
votes
Is there anything akin to 'Jhana' in Zen Buddhism?
When a person doesn't eat, he gets hungry. When you drop a ball from the top of a parking deck, it falls. Likewise, when you watch your breath, a sign, or sit facing emptiness, the mind will ...
- 91
5
votes
anapanasati: nimitta or ambient light?
We don't care about nimitta or ambient light. We care only the breaths.
The nimitta or ambient light is naturally appearing at focusing the breath. Thinking of light or nimitta is not thinking of ...
- 6,136
5
votes
what is difference between na-nimittaggāhī and animitta?
Not grasping the signs is the continuation of the beginner's practice of guarding the doors of the senses by skilfully directing attention away from the harmful experiences. So, for example, when a ...
- 57.6k
4
votes
In the Anapanasati Sutta what is meant by 'sensitive to rapture/bliss'?
Below are what I hope is some relevant material from several prominent teachers of jhāna.
Ajahn Brahm
Here are what I take to be some helpful comments from Ajahn Brahm's book, The Jhanas regarding ...
- 2,592
4
votes
Accepted
jhānas, Zen, and how to practice concentration meditation
Ajahn Brahm wrote a book about jhana called 'Mindfulness, Bliss & Beyond'. It is 291 pages long. The first 65 pages are at this link.
The method in this book emphasizes 'letting go' & is thus ...
- 39.4k
4
votes
Accepted
During jhana do you eliminate all hindrance at once?
Jhanas are attained by suppressing the five hindrances via concentrating on objects like the breath, or a kasina object, etc. But if one contemplates on anicca, dukkha, anatta, one automatically ...
- 9,695
4
votes
How can mindfulness be about immovable attention?
When one gets absorbed, focused, or mindful in anything, no matter what the object is, the mental factor called “ekagghatha” takes over and make the mind latched on to it. Being mindful depends on the ...
- 9,695
4
votes
What is Unwise Consideration?
In short:
having Vipallasa (see: Vipallasa Sutta),
I.e., not seeing the three marks of existence
having the unwholesome roots
having craving and clinging due to the unwholesome roots arising
...
4
votes
Accepted
The fourth path to attaining arahantship
How does the fourth path work? Please elaborate on the fourth path.
By attaining “anariya jhanas”, one can attain only ceto vimutti. Thus to achieve all of the four paths, one has to practice “ariya ...
- 9,695
4
votes
Does Samadhi realm of desire require single-pointed focus?
There are no 3 realms of Samadhi(Jhana). The jhanas have nothing to do with sensual desire. First four jhanas lead to birth in fine material realms. The last four lead to immaterial realms. One-...
- 25.7k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible