by nathan » Wed Sep 28, 2011 12:10 am
kirk5a wrote:Hi Nathan
Thank you for sharing your understanding. Much appreciated.
From my perspective this is all mostly academic, except that if all this jhana experience WAS an essential matter, then it would seem quite important to seek out a teacher along those lines. However, such teachers seem to be exceedingly rare, from what I can gather from what they say and descriptions of their meditation technique.
It would appear so as those who give instructions in the development of insight greatly outnumber those who also give instructions in the development of concentration beyond that sufficient for progress in the development of insight. There are doubtlessly advantages for the development of insight in developing concentration further such as indicated in what I have explained previously when discerning the specifics of the aggregated conditions which compound as the consciousness aggregate and comprehending directly that these are also characteristically anicca, dukkha and annata. This particular area of insight into the consciousness aggregate readily does away with any basis for inclinations to entertain notions such as buddhanature or primordial consciousness or pure consciousness and or any other misconceptions of any sort of eternal characteristic of consciousness. Similarly the realization of the cessation of feeling and perception results in the capacity to advert to the knowledge of the deathless or unconditioned dhamma and this does away with any inclination to view nibbana or unbinding as leading to annihilation. The realization of the cessation of feeling and perception also does away with any inclinations to both to view any and all conditions as substantial things and or to view the unconditioned as a substantial thing. Similarly the realization of the cessation of feeling and perception leads naturally to the right understanding of the voidness or emptiness of all dhammas and to more readily and naturally abiding in that same appreciation.
It is likely the relative rarity of these specific kinds of insights and the knowledge of this realization or at least the rarity of occasions when these insights and the knowledge of this realization are shared which has led to the arising and the persistence of various notions such as pure consciousness or eternal citta and so forth even within various Theravada lay and monastic communities. Unfortunately, apart from these kinds of direct insights and understandings there can only be the acceptance or rejection of the same understanding as presented within the Tipitaka or by others with the understanding among those who have no such insight and understanding. So for many this is the disadvantage of the rarity of these kinds of insights and the knowledge of this realization, that these kinds of understandings become lost and misunderstanding and confusion, delusions and ignorance become more predominant, even at times among those with knowledge of the Buddhadhamma.
There is nothing else hidden and there are no other teachings required beyond those given and the prerequisite conditions detailed in the sutta discourses which are necessary for the development of concentration and for establishing the jhana and little more of merit beyond the already readily available additional comments from those teachers who do give this kind of instruction today regarding the techniques suitable for developing concentration and jhana. The greatest obstacles to success in the development of concentration to the fullest extents in our times are the conditions, internal and external in which human beings today find themselves. Given an adequately quiet environment and a sufficient commitment of time and energy most people will make very good progress by devoting themselves to the development of concentration full time for several months or years. This is also predominantly true of insight practice which progresses much more rapidly when one devotes oneself to the practice full time every day for many months or years. Apart from this kind of commitment it is very much more unlikely that a person will develop insight to the extent that path and fruition knowledge arises. So it is that single minded devotion and commitment to the path of practice is what is essential, regardless of whether it comes to involve limited or extensive development of concentration and regardless of how long it takes to establish gnosis to one extent or another.
But whoever walking, standing, sitting, or lying down overcomes thought, delighting in the stilling of thought: he's capable, a monk like this, of touching superlative self-awakening. § 110. {Iti 4.11; Iti 115}
