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Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 4:23 pm
by Modus.Ponens
Hello

I'm creating this thread with the purpose of us all sharing dhamma talks about jhana, be they sutta jhanas or hard jhanas. Please, I ask you: no discussions about what jhana itself is and no debates in general. It's just a place for people to put dhamma talks they found helpful here.

It would be useful if people summarised the dhamma talk. :)

Can this be made sticky, even if just temporarily? That is, if there is little or no interest, it would be made "unsticky" afterwards. :)

Metta

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 4:27 pm
by tiltbillings

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 4:28 pm
by Modus.Ponens
This dhamma talk is by Ayya Khema. She describes the jhanas 1 to 8, how to get there (except that this part on the 4th is not possible to hear), what you do after each jhana and what insights you get from each jhana. In the end there's a bit of Q&A. It's a very good concise explanation of the subject, in my opinion.


Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:31 am
by Samma
Basic intro from Henepola Gunaratana

http://archive.thebuddhadharma.com/issu ... ration.php

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:43 am
by SarathW

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:43 pm
by SDC

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 11:13 pm
by BlindJoeDeath

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 12:34 am
by Anagarika
Samma wrote:Basic intro from Henepola Gunaratana

http://archive.thebuddhadharma.com/issu ... ration.php

I had the good fortune to be at a Dhamma talk and Q&A with Ven. Gunaratana just last night. His focus was on mindfulness, and he spent some time on jhanas toward the end of his talk. https://www.facebook.com/events/137012616508120/

He was in good form, and per Bhante Sujatha, his health is good for an 85 year old man. He had some health problems a few years ago, but is now traveling and teaching, this week in the Chicago area. I spoke with him briefly, and he's sharp, friendly, and maintained good vigor for the 3 hours he was talking and answering questions, and signing his newest book, which has its focus on the jhanas.

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 12:16 pm
by Modus.Ponens
At point 5 in this page there are four dhamma talks on jhana, including instructions.

http://www.leighb.com/talks.htm#jhanas

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 11:51 pm
by Pondera
I found this short written work very helpful.

http://www.dhammatalks.net/Books/Ajahn_ ... Jhanas.pdf

Then I read this by Ven. Sona and I was less confident. It's an interesting analysis of how a simile becomes literal, on the topic of nimittas, in the three works :

Patisambhidamagga
Vimuttimagga
Visuddhimagga

- follow each other chronologically. Ven. Sona shows how the idea of a "light" nimitta is possibly a misinterpretation (by the time Buddhagosa is writing). Here's the link.

http://www.arrowriver.ca/dhamma/nimitta.html

Ajhan Brahm's work was very encouraging. And then the above analysis seemed to do the opposite for me. But it's a good analysis!

However, I found this (with the help of Google Saffron - thank-you tiltbillings). And it seems consistent with kasina's and the interpretation of light nimitta
[4] "There are these ten totality-dimensions. Which ten? One perceives the earth-totality above, below, all-around: non-dual,[3] unlimited. One perceives the water-totality... the fire-totality... the wind-totality... the blue-totality... the yellow-totality... the red-totality... the white-totality... the space-totality... the consciousness-totality above, below, all-around: non-dual, unlimited. These are the ten totalities.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

All good reading, IMO. Cheers!

- P.

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 1:05 am
by mikenz66
Well, as the second link says:
All of this does not mean that there is only one way to attain serenity using the breath. If someone has developed a technique that issues in jhana and which does not follow the explicit instructions that is fine too. Whatever works.
The strange thing about the second link is that it seems to be based on the assumption that the instructions in the Visuddhimagga are simply a copying and mis-copying of particular older texts.

:anjali:
Mike

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 1:19 am
by mikenz66
Please try to stick to aim of the topic, which is to post useful talks about jhana. Debates about jhana should go elsewhere, e.g. The Great Jhana Debate.

:anjali:
Mike

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:48 am
by philosopher
Modus.Ponens wrote:This dhamma talk is by Ayya Khema.

I wish I had talks to contribute, but I just wanted to express appreciation for this thread (such a great idea!) and for this talk in particular. It was wonderful and JUST what I've been looking for!

I hope others will post more talks; I've been listening to all of them and very much enjoying them. I think this will make a wonderful resource for anyone interested in learning more about the jhanas, especially via talk format which I find is sometimes more inspiring than reading. That said, the written resources are also wonderful and much appreciated, too.

:anjali:

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 2:27 am
by philosopher
Modus.Ponens wrote:This dhamma talk is by Ayya Khema. She describes the jhanas 1 to 8, how to get there (except that this part on the 4th is not possible to hear), what you do after each jhana and what insights you get from each jhana. In the end there's a bit of Q&A. It's a very good concise explanation of the subject, in my opinion.

I went to look for that talk again and couldn't find it! I did find this, however: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eymbBabFM2E

It's another talk by Ayya Khema on the jhanas.

Re: Jhana Dhamma Talks

Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2014 7:00 am
by Modus.Ponens
Oh my god... that was the best dhamma talk I ever heard. And now it's gone! :cry:

This is just a speculation of mine: I remember the talk seemed to be edited in some parts to conceal things that Ayya Khema might have said that were more delicate to talk about when you are a nun. Maybe that's why it was removed. But, again, it's just speculation.

Anyway, thank you. I will try to find that dhamma talk again. It is too good to be lost like that. Despite the emphasis on jhanas, Ayya Khema described the whole path, from access concentration to enlightenment, in that talk.

EDIT: to mantain my original intention for this thread to have little, to no debate/conversation, if I find the dhamma talk, I will edit this post and put the talk here.

Metta