Attaining JHANA ("meditative absorption")

Beth Upton (bethupton.com); Dhr. Seven (text); Ashley Wells (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

The Buddha spoke in praise of jhana ("meditative absorption"). He learned and practiced the jhanas in the first years when he first set out on his quest. He exercised them as his last act before reclining into final nirvana.

He became the Buddha, the "Awakened One," because he stopped wasting time with severe austerities and penances punishing the body (extreme asceticism). Remembering that as a baby (and in many previous existences) he had spontaneously entered jhana under a tree, he realized that the bliss and pleasure (piti) born of jhana was not something to avoid the way he was avoiding hedonistic sense pleasures, which he had practiced to the extreme as a Scythian prince before renouncing.

Jhana overview

This turnaround put him on the path of jhana, or serenity, which stabilized and temporarily purified his mind/heart. Then when he practiced insight -- mindfulness and contemplation -- it suddenly paid off and resulted in his great awakening. In fact, we see that in the sutras or discourses (suttas), the very word "meditation" is jhana and its derivative jhayanti or "meditating."

Cultivation (bhavana) usually gets this English language designation today and more rarely our "field of endeavor or intentional work" (kammatthana, kamma = karma = action) or effort with a particular meditation object or theme. Jhana is fundamental to the Buddha's "gradual training."

Let's get started: First Jhana

When one becomes established in right-concentration or samma-samadhi then the application of right-mindfulness becomes fruitful for the practice of insight meditation (vipassana). Insight meditation without at least access- or neighborhood-concentration -- and, of course, "concentration" is a terrible and misleading translation of samadhi but one we're stuck with for the moment -- is fruitless.

It will not produce insight because we are not able to be with our subtle object(s) of attention in a stable way. Therefore, the Buddha's path in brief is virtue (sila) to make the mind/heart settled and pliable, concentration (samadhi) to temporarily strengthen and purify it, and insight (vipassana) to awaken, liberate, and permanently purify it.

What is jhana?

(Beth Upton) Jan. 23, 2023. Here is a brief explanation of what is (and what is not) a jhana. For more information on working with nimittas (meditation learning and counterpart "signs"), take a look here: Working with a nimitta... For more on the jhana factors take a look here: Learning to discern... These videos are only made possible by generous donations. Please consider supporting this work: bethupton.com/support-my-work, patreon.com/bethupton. Find out more about this work: bethupton.com. Shot by Alexis P.N. @GuavaFunk: laffcotchtv.   Contact: alexispn777@gmail.com

Jhana overview

(Beth Upton) Apr 10, 2023. Here is an overview about the jhanas. For information on the benefits of jhana, please take a look here: What is jhana? For information on discerning the jhana factors, please take a look here: Learning to discern...

Practicing the first jhana

(Beth Upton) Feb. 13, 2023. Here Upton speaks about the transition from deep "access concentration" to the first jhana. For information on discerning the jhana factors, take a look here: Learning to discern... For information on practicing mastery, take a look here: Practicing mastery...