Leigh Brasington on enlightenment and jhanas

Leigh Brasington (leighb.com), Guru Viking Interviews, Ep. 18: The Jhanas, 8/12/19; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Right Concentration (Leigh Brasington)

In this episode Leigh Brasington (/lee bray-zine-ton/) joins the Guru Viking. Brasington is an accomplished American Buddhist meditation master.

Brasington is the top student of the awakened German Jewish Theravada Buddhist nun Ayya Khema and author of Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhanas.

He talks about how he mysteriously transformed from a self-described "pothead" into a serious meditation practitioner during his very first retreat. 

Learning the jhanas -- the meditative absorptions, eight very serene altered states of consciousness, brought on by profound unification of mind -- from Western meditation master Ayya Khema radically changed his life’s direction.

A frank discussion of the stages of enlightenment beginning with stream entry for non-monastics, why most people underestimate their ability to concentrate or unify their mind or their ability to meditate, Brasington’s controversial take on Western Dharma teachers who claim to be fully awakened (arhats), and why the supernormal powers or siddhis are associated with the mastery of the jhanas. Comment below.

00:21 - How Brasington first became interested in meditation

00:57 - Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Ayya Khema, and Brasington’s first meditation retreat

02:20 - Pothead to yogi, dropping pot after a blissful retreat 

03:01 - Buddhist practice vs. Buddhism the cultural religion

04:25 - How Brasington quit abusing cannabis

05:05 - Ayya Khema, Brasington’s first teacher 

06:48 - The importance of following instructions closely 

09:03 - Discovering first jhana in Thailand with Ajahn Buddhadasa

11:16 - Further studies and learning all eight jhanas from Ayya Khema

12:46 - Insight (vipassana) training with Ayya Khema

15:25 - Did Ayya Khema use the Four Path Model?

20:00 - Brasington on stream-entry and gradual vs. sudden awakening

23:46 - Is enlightenment (awakening) achievable by non-monastics?

25:38 - Brasington’s take on fully enlightened Western teachers

27:52 - Sutra criteria for a fully awakened person or arhat 

30:45 - Did Ayya Khema become an arhat before her passing?

32:45 - Learning Tibetan Rigpa practice from Tsoknyi Rinpoche

37:19 - How Brasington uses the Rigpa state in his own practice 

40:51 - Comparisons between tummo and the jhana practices 

44:14 - What are the jhanas and how are they practiced?

51:23 - Are the jhanas necessary for insight (vipassana) practice?     

54:33 - Surprising obstacles to learning the jhanas and the role of innate ability or talent

1:01:16 - Why most people underestimate their potential

1:03:01 - The role of lifestyle and sexuality in meditation success

1:08:10 - Brasington’s take on magical powers (siddhis) achieved through absorption practice 

1:16:16 - Considering anecdotes about the siddhis of teachers like the enlightened Indian housewife Dipa Ma and the 16th Karmapa 

1:18:45 - The current frontiers of Brasington’s personal practice 

1:25:41 - The Buddha’s most important teaching 

1:27:51 - Nagajuna and the sutras

• To find out more about Leigh Brasington, visit: leighb.com
• For Right Concentration, visit: rc.leighb.com/index.html
• For interviews, videos, and more visit: guruviking.com
• Music: "Deva Dasi" by Steve James