question about attaining jhana

[Cessation]

Is it possible to attain jhana while meditating while living at home with family around? Because in the suttas it says you need to be secluded from sensual pleasures.
Say like I wanted to just go to work then come home and meditate and not use any entertainment.

[tiltbillings]

Is it possible to attain jhana while meditating while living at home with family around? Because in the suttas it says you need to be secluded from sensual pleasures.
Say like I wanted to just go to work then come home and meditate and not use any entertainment.

Sure; however, you illustrate one of the major problems with with this jhana focus.

[bodom]

I highly recommend checking out Bhante Gunaratana's book Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English.

It can be read online in part here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=UGzTsK ... ks_s&cad=1

And purchased here:
http://www.wisdompubs.org/Pages/display ... n=&image=1

In this book Bhante G says that yes it is possible for meditators to reach jhana while living the household life provided certain conditions are met first; maintaining the precepts, practicing contentment, sense restraint and meditating AT LEAST two hours daily. Hope this helps get you started.

[Cessation]

Thanks for the replies! That is very encouraging. Looks like I have a bit of prep-work to do but at least it's a start.

[chownah]

At one point in my life I became the caretaker of the community facility for a shared housing cooperative and when I moved in I started my daily meditation routine....Sat AM I started my meditation when the community kids filled the room next to mine and started watching saturday morning cartoons...loud volume of course....there were no other TV's in the community so this was their only place to watch. I persevered and after a few weeks I found that I could meditate even with the kids' activities.....but I was fairly experienced in meditation and don't know how a beginner would have faired.
chownah

[daverupa]

A simple yet ardent anapanasati practice leads to jhana, and is a better thing to focus on.