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Showing posts with label right concentration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label right concentration. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Sunday, August 23, 2026
Mindfulness: Why being present is hard
What does it mean to be "present"? That is hard to say for sure, but some Buddhist teachers like American Sharon Salzberg say it means continuously coming back to the present moment. "Begin again." The mind settles, is here, but then it wanders. We realize at some point that it has wandered away from the here and now. What to do? "Begin again." That is a good description of mindfulness meditation. How could we stay in THIS moment? There is something happening that only happens now. If we place our unswerving attention on that, we too will stay in the right now. What is it? The in-and-out breath. Breathing is happening right here, right now, and only now. Stay with the breath, not as something to contemplate or ponder but only watch, notice, keep in mind. See Anapanasati Sutta
Monday, July 6, 2026
The Buddha on meditative absorption
Ego (buddhism podcast) The Buddha attained [temporary mental purification and permanent] enlightenment (bodhi) from developing the meditative absorptions (jhana), not in them
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Can Buddhist monks talk about politics?
(Walk for Peace 2026) After the peace walk, someone in Washington DC asked Venerable Pannakara about politics: The room fell silent
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Friday, October 17, 2025
Dodger Ohtani greatest baseball player
DODGERS SWEEP 🧹 Shohei Ohtani’s historic performance sends Los Angeles back to World Series | ESPN MLB
Sunday, August 10, 2025
Jhanas: Leigh Brasington (10% Happier)
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| The true purpose of yoga is meditation: Meditation Sutra: Sthira Sukham Asanam |
Can regular people do jhana meditation? | Leigh Brasington | Ten Percent Happier Podcast-Dan Harris
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| Teacher Leigh Brasington |
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| Right Concentration: Practical Guide to the Jhanas |
Entering jhana is done through meditating with intense "concentration" (stillness, focus, sustained attention, singlemindedness), and it's considered a controversial topic by some [misguided thinkers] in the Buddhist world.
Can regular people access the jhanas? Are they even real?
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| I was really happy then the mind paid attention. |
- Sthira-Sukha: The Fundamental Paradox of Practice
- Walking Stick Yoga: Danda Pada Yoga or "The Path of the Staff": Dr. Lori Marsh, Yogi Seven (chapter on sthira-sukha)
- Thesis | Own Your Mind (we're on too much dopamine)
- The ultimate purpose of jhana is successful vipassana
Subscribe to watch more Ten Percent Happier videos: tenpercenthappier. Listen to the Full Podcast: link.chtbl.com/Y_729H6p.
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| Yoga with a staff for better balance and stillness |
#tenpercenthappier #10percent #danharris #meditation #mentalhealth #mindfulness #dhamma #dharma #podcast #mindfulnessteacher #adults #anxiety #buddha #buddhism #fitness #health #interview #meditate #men #mental #help #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthtips #mindfulnessmeditation #science #selfawareness #selfhelp #selfhealing #tph #tenpercenthappier #tenpercent #panicattack #panicattackrelief #anxietyrelief #anxietytips
- Alan Watts (bend); Leigh Brasington (leighb.com), Dan Harris (YouTube, Aug. 12, 2023); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Sayalay Aloka and Mom (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Thursday, August 7, 2025
How to enter first jhana (Michael Taft)
How to Jhana — with Michael Taft
(Michael Taft Nondual Meditation) June 12, 2020: Jhanas (lit. "meditations") are special states of deep absorption that make a wonderful setup for doing awakening practices.
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| There is no way to happiness because happiness is the way |
Jhanas are meant to be enjoyable, and it's very important not to approach jhana in a mood of grasping, tightness, or struggle. Don't try too hard!
How to
Instead, approach jhana in a mood of pleasure, joy, gratitude, kindness, and openness.
Learning to do jhana is an excellent way to supercharge your vipassana (insight) practice, or to stabilize the mind for nondual (advaita) awareness practices.
- 00:03 - Introduction
- 1:24 - The Setup for Jhana (getting focused, and allowing piti to arise)
- 9:16 - Entering the First Jhana (moving attention to the piti, then resting until unification occurs)
- 12:39 - Three Things that Can Happen Next (including going into the second jhana)
- 16:28 - How Jhana Can Change Your Life
- 20:49 - Books and other resources
Support the creation of more videos like this contributing on Patreon: michaeltaft.
- Michael Taft: deconstructingyourself.com
What is jhana?
It is unbroken attention (sustained attention) on something detached from the five senses, something like a nimitta ("sign" in meditation).
- For more information on working with nimittas, take a look here: Working with a nimitta in meditation
- For more on the jhana factors [of absorption], take a look here: Learning to discern the jhana factors
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Practical Guide to Deep Meditative States
How to strengthen concentration through jhāna with Shaila Catherine
"Concentration"? What does samadhi really mean? The Pali texts describe this quality of mind as "internally steadied, composed and settled, unified." It is a coherent mind, a unification of the mind with the object, a stillness of mind free of distraction, undistractedness, collectedness, and focused attention that produces a profound stability of mind. It is the factor that lands on the meditation object, penetrates it, and stays there. We stay attentive with the object, not dispersed, dissipated, scattered, or agitated. We experience it with cohesion and coherence, internal strength, often very pleasant (states linked to bliss, happiness, equanimity, a joy born of seclusion or withdrawal of the senses) associated with tranquility, calm, ease, peacefulness, stillness, rapture, bliss, deep and profound equanimity. Fixed focus (appana samadhi) is a single focus on any one of a variety of different objects. There is another called momentary concentration (kannica samadhi).
The Buddha in samadhi at Gal Vihara, Sri Lanka
The Jhanas: A Practical Guide to Deep Meditative States
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| The Jhanas: A Practical Guide |
Experience new levels of joy, calm, and clarity with this revised and enhanced edition of the bestselling Focused and Fearless.
The Pali word jhana (Sanskrit dhyana) literally means “to meditate.” It also refers to a traditional series of states of meditative absorption, each deeper than the last, in which the mind is undistracted by sensation, thoughts, or moods.
Shaila Catherine’s friendly, wise approach, blended with contemporary examples and pragmatic "how to" instructions that anyone can try, shows meditators (and non-meditators) how to attain these extraordinary states with relative ease.
But jhana practice is about much more than just meditation or concentration [the misleading word most often used to translate samadhi]; it offers a complete path toward bliss, fearlessness, and true awakening.
From the introduction:
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| It's so natural, laypeople can reach it with ease. |
Jhanas are states of deep rest, healing rejuvenation, and profound comfort that create a stable platform for transformative insight.
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| Beyond Distraction: Five Ways |
This new edition of the meditation classic clarifies crucial points and offers twenty-one additional exercises, making this a great book for both those new to jhana practice and those looking to deepen their practice. The Jhanas: A Practical Guide to Deep Meditative States
- Buddhist Meditation Teacher Shaila Catherine
- Shaila Catherine (Amazon.com)
- AllYouCanBooks.com
- Shaila Catherine, Bhante, Dhamma Centre, March 6, 2021 (Dharma talk); Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Friday, May 16, 2025
Science of focus: Mindfulness rewires brain
Unlocking the Power of the Present Moment
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| Meditation is natural progress |
In a world that never seems to slow down, mindfulness offers a rare and precious gift: the ability to be completely present.
It’s not a fleeting fad or a mystical ritual.
Instead, it is a simple yet profound [formerly Buddhist] practice that science now shows can literally reshape our brains and boost our chances for success.
The idea that focusing on our breath or paying attention to our surroundings in the moment could change our brain may sound unbelievable, but the evidence is mounting:
Mindfulness is not just about feeling better; it’s about training our mind for resilience and greatness. More
- The Science of Focus: How Mindfulness Enhances Concentration (Mindmonia)
- Mindmonia via MSN.com; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Breath key to change: prana, meditation
Once you breathe like this, reality shifts
(Solace Owl) What if I were to say that the key to shifting "reality" [timeline, position in the universe, psychophysical health] lies in something as simple as breathing?
As crazy as it may sound, we’re inhaling the essence of the universe with our every inhalation (prana). It’s the most fundamental act of life, something we do unconsciously every moment of every day, yet 99% of people don’t know the truth about breathing.
This simple action has the power to transform our entire existence, but only if we know the secret behind it.
Let’s discover the long-kept secret of ancient breath masters, something so powerful that it had to be kept hidden for centuries.
Issues about video? Feel free to contact: bizemailyt@gmail.com. Thanks for joining in on this journey. Subscribe to the channel: @SolaceOwl. Buy a coffee (and support the channel): https://ko-fi.com/solaceowl. Music by: @ironcthulhuapocalypse.
- Solace Owl, 9/13/24; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Friday, August 11, 2023
The Perfections: Ajahn Nando (Clear Mountain)
Clear Mountain Monastery, Aug. 5, 2023; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Building pāramī | Western Buddhist monk Ajahn Nando
ABOUT: Ajahn Nando was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. At the age of 21 he travelled to Thailand to stay at the International Meditation Center, Wat Pah Nanachat. He took full monastic ordination at the age of 22. During his monastic life he has had the opportunity to live with several renowned Thai Forest Tradition monks, including Ajahn Anan, Luang Por Piak, and Luang Por Bun-Deet.
To join via Zoom on Saturdays, visit Clear Mountain Monastery's website and click on the link for the Saturday Morning Meditation, Teaching, and Coffee Social (clearmountainmonastery.org). Welcome!
- To participate in Saturday chanting, use this PDF: cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content...
- Tune in with fellow practitioners every Wednesday evening from 6:00-6:45 pm or Saturday mornings from 9:30 am-11:00 am for a Dhamma talk and Q&A with Ajahn Kovilo or Ajahn Nisabho.
- Saturday mornings begin with a 30-minute meditation.
- Wednesday evening Q&A sessions are followed by a discussion on Zoom from 6:45-7:30 pm.
- See clearmountainmonastery.org or visit linktr.ee/clear_mountain_monastery... for details.
Friday, June 30, 2023
Wandering thoughts in meditation (Beth Upton)
Beth Upton (bethupton.com, Feb. 14, 2022); Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly
Working with wandering thought in meditation: Five tips given by the Buddha
The Five Hindrances (to meditation) that obstruct calm and insight.
These videos are made possible by generous donations. Please consider supporting Beth Upton's work:
bethupton.com/support-my-work and patreon.com/bethupton.
Find out more about this work at bethupton.com. Shot by Alexis P.N. @GuavaFunk: laffcotchtv. Contact: alexispn777@gmail.com.
Sunday, May 28, 2023
How to overcome wandering "monkey mind"
Talk 3: Overcoming Thinking with British Theravada monk Ajahn Brahm
Friday, May 26, 2023
Ajahn Brahm on the necessity of jhanas
Daniel Aitken (dharmachats.com); Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Ajahn Brahm and the necessity of the jhānas
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
SUTRA: The Factors of Absorption
Dhr. Seven (ed.) based on Ajahn Thanissaro (trans.), Samadhanga Sutta: "The Factors of Absorption" (AN 5.28 PTS: A iii 25), Wisdom Quarterly
Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One (the Buddha) was staying at Savatthi, Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery.
There he addressed the practicing wandering ascetics: "Meditators, I will teach the five factors of noble (enlightened) right absorption. Listen, pay close attention, and I will speak."
"As you say, venerable sir," they replied.
"Now what, meditators, are the five factors of noble right absorption? A meditator — withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful things — enters and abides in the first absorption with rapture and bliss (supersensual pleasure) born of withdrawal, accompanied by applied and sustained attention.
"One suffuses and saturates, soaks and fills the body with rapture and bliss born of withdrawal. There is no part of the body that remains unpervaded by rapture and bliss born of withdrawal.
"It is just as if a skilled bath attendant or apprentice were to pour bath powder into a basin and knead it, sprinkling it with water so that a ball — moistened and saturated through and through — would not drip but be soaked. Even so, a meditator suffuses, saturates, and fills the body with rapture and bliss born of withdrawal. No part of the body remains unpervaded by rapture and bliss born of withdrawal.
"This is the first development of the five factors of noble right absorption.
"Furthermore, with the stilling of applied and sustained attention, one enters and abides in the second absorption born of rapture and bliss born of stillness (coherence, composure, consolidation of mind and mental factors), unification of consciousness free of applied and sustained attention with internal assurance.
"One suffuses and saturates, soaks and fills the body with rapture and bliss born of coherence. There is no part of the body that remains unpervaded by rapture and bliss born of coherence.
"It is just as if a lake were filled with spring water welling up from inside, without inflow from the east, west, north, or south, with skies periodically supplying abundant rain so that a cool fount of water would well up from inside the lake, suffuse and saturate, soak and fill it with cool water, there being no part of the lake that would remain unpervaded by cool water. Even so, a meditator suffuses and saturates, soaks and fills the body with rapture and bliss born of coherence. There is no part of the body that remains unpervaded by rapture and bliss born of coherence.
"This is the second development of the five factors of noble right absorption.
"Furthermore, with the fading of rapture, one remains equanimous, mindful, and alert, experiencing supersensual pleasure in the body. One enters and abides in the third absorption of which the noble ones (ariya) declare:
"'Equanimous and mindful, one enjoys a pleasant abiding.' One suffuses and saturates, soaks and fills the body with pleasure free of rapture so that no part of the body remains unpervaded by pleasure free of rapture.
"It is just as if in a blue lotus pond, or a white or red one, there might be some blue, white, or red lotuses that, born and growing in water, remain immersed in water and flourish without rising above the water so that they are suffused and saturated, soaked and filled with cool water from the roots to the petals, and no part of those blue, white, or red lotuses remain unpervaded by cool water. Even so, a meditator suffuses and saturates, soaks and fills the body with pleasure free of rapture. There is no part of this body that remains unpervaded by pleasure free of rapture.
"This is the third development of the five factors of noble right absorption.
"Furthermore, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain — as with the earlier disappearance of elation and distress — one enters and abides in the fourth absorption born of purity of equanimity and mindfulness, no more experiencing pleasure or pain. One sits, pervading the body with pure, bright light (of consciousness) so that there is no part of the body that remains unpervaded by pure, bright light.
"It is just as if a person were sitting wrapped from head to toe with a white cloth so that there were no part of the body to which the white cloth did not extend. Even so, a meditator sits, pervading the body with pure, bright light. There is no part of the body that remains unpervaded by pure, bright light.
"This is the fourth development of the five factors of noble right absorption.
"Furthermore, a meditator reflects on the subject of [one-pointed] attention, well-attended to, well-considered, well-penetrated by means of wisdom.
"It is just as if a person were to reflect on another person, or a standing person were to reflect on a sitting one, or a sitting person were to reflect on one lying down. Even so, meditators, a meditator reflects well, attends well, ponders well, penetrates well by means of wisdom.
"This is the fifth development of the five factors of noble right absorption.
"When a meditator has developed and pursued these five factors of noble right absorption in this way, then whichever of the six higher knowledges one turns one's mind to penetrate and realize, one can witness them whenever there is an opening.
"Suppose there were a water jar set on a stand, brimming with water so that even a crow could easily drink from it. If a strong person were to tip it [in any way at all], would water spill from it?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"In the same way, when a meditator has developed and pursued the five factors of noble right absorption in this way, then whichever of the six higher knowledges one turns one's mind to penetrate and realize, one can witness them whenever there is an opening.
"Suppose there were a rectangular water tank — enclosed and set on level ground — brimming with water so that even a crow could easily drink from it. If a strong person were to loosen the enclosure anywhere at all, would water spill from it?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"In the same way, when a meditator has developed and pursued the five factors of noble right absorption in this way, then whichever of the six higher knowledges one turns one's mind to penetrate and realize, one can witness them whenever there is an opening.
"Suppose there were a chariot on level ground at four crossroads, harnessed to thoroughbred steeds, waiting with whips lying at the ready so that a skilled driver, a trainer of horses able to be tamed, might mount and — taking the reins in one hand and the whip in the other — drive out and back, to whatever place and by whichever road. In the same way, when a meditator has developed and pursued the five factors of noble right absorption in this way, then whichever of the six higher knowledges one turns one's mind to penetrate and realize, one can witness them whenever there is an opening.
"If one wants, one wields manifold supernormal powers.
- Having been one, one becomes many.
- Having been many, one becomes one again.
- One appears.
- One disappears.
- One goes unimpeded through walls, ramparts, and mountains as if through space.
- One dives in and out of the earth as if it were water.
- One walks on water without sinking as if it were dry land.
- Sitting crosslegged one flies through the air like a winged bird.
- With one's own hand one touches and strokes even the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful.
- One wields influence with this body even as far as the brahma worlds.
- One can witness this whenever there is an opening.
"If one wants, one knows the mind (heart) of other beings, other individuals, having encompassed mind with mind. One knows a mind with passion as a mind with passion, a mind free of passion as a mind free of passion. One knows a mind with aversion as a mind with aversion, a mind free of aversion as a mind free of aversion. One knows a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, a mind free of delusion as a mind free of delusion. One knows a contracted mind as a contracted mind, a scattered mind as a scattered mind. One knows an expanded mind as an expanded mind, an unexpanded mind as an unexpanded mind. One knows an excelled mind [one not yet at the most excellent level] as an excelled mind, an unexcelled mind as an unexcelled mind. One knows a still (concentrated) mind as a still mind, a distracted mind as a distracted mind. One knows a released mind as a released mind, an unreleased mind as an unreleased mind. One can witness this whenever there is an opening.
"If one wants, one recollects manifold past lives [existences, previous abodes], that is, one birth, two births, three births, four, five, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100, 1,000, 100,000, many aeons of galactic/cosmic contraction, many aeons of galactic/cosmic expansion, many aeons of contraction and expansion, [recollecting]:
"'There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I rearose there. There, too, I had such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasure and pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I rearose here.' Thus, one remembers manifold past lives in general and in detail. One can witness this whenever there is an opening.
"If one wants, one sees — by means of the divine eye that is purified and surpasses the human — other beings passing away and reappearing and knows how they are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their deeds (karma):
"'These beings of unskillful conduct of body, speech, and mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views, and undertook actions under the influence of wrong views — with the breakup of the body, after death — have reappeared in an unfortunate plane of deprivation, the downfall, in lower realms, even in a hell.
"These other beings of skillful conduct of body, speech, and mind, who abstained from reviling the noble ones, who held right views and undertook actions under the influence of right views — with the breakup of the body, after death, have reappeared in fortunate destinations, even in a heavenly world.'
"Thus, by means of the divine eye that is purified and surpasses the human, one sees beings passing away and reappearing [dying and being reborn] and knows how they are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their deeds. One can witness this whenever there is an opening.
"If one wants, by putting an end to the mental defilements (taints, corruptions, cankers, effluents), one remains in that defilement-free knowing-and-seeing, having known and made them manifest here and now. One can witness this whenever there is an opening."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the wandering ascetics delighted in the Blessed One's words.
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