I wish to discuss a youtube I watched, where Ajahn Kukrit briefly discusses jhāna, and how it's importance appears to have been downplayed, and misunderstood, in some sections of the Buddhist world:
I feel that the points made by the Ajahn warrant our attention, and despite being no expert on jhana, either in theory or in practice, this issue is too important to be ignored. (On that point I might add that people feel free to post topics about nibbana while not yet having attained it, and so we should certainly feel free to discuss jhāna even if we have not yet attained it). It is important because whenever I read in the suttas the Buddha ask, "what is right concentration?" he gives as the answer, the four jhānas. The one thing we all seem to agree on here is that the Noble Eightfold Path is the way to the cessation of craving. That being the case, we should not either fear or be intimidated by jhāna, because if it were not for our benefit, the Blessed One would not have taught it. Clearly, as the one of the eight limbs of the Path, we cannot simply pass over it, or ignore it.
I particularly liked how the Ajahn describes it as a "sophisticated teaching of factor reduction". From the Samaññaphala Sutta:
We can see here what the Ajahn meant by 'factor reduction'. By the time one is in the fourth jhana, not only rapture but also bliss have faded, with only "purity of equanimity and mindfulness, neither-pleasure nor stress" remaining. And although I have much study to do in this subject, as far as I know, jhana is for giving the mind the strength with which to penetrate to insight - to see directly the impermanence, suffering and self-less-ness of the five clinging-khandhas. Like the archer practising on the 'straw man' in this following sutta excerpt, we first strengthen the mind by practising jhana, so that we will prevail in the real battle, and properly see through our identification with the five khandhas. This is from the Jhana Sutta:DN2 wrote: "Quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities, he enters and remains in the first jhana: rapture and pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought and evaluation. He permeates and pervades, suffuses and fills this very body with the rapture and pleasure born from withdrawal...
"Furthermore, with the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, he enters and remains in the second jhana: rapture and pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought and evaluation — internal assurance. He permeates and pervades, suffuses and fills this very body with the rapture and pleasure born of composure...
"And furthermore, with the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.' He permeates and pervades, suffuses and fills this very body with the pleasure divested of rapture...
"And furthermore, with the abandoning of pleasure and stress — as with the earlier disappearance of elation and distress — he enters and remains in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity and mindfulness, neither-pleasure nor stress. He sits, permeating the body with a pure, bright awareness...
(http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
It is my hope that we can, together, assist each other in searching out the path of practice as it was originally taught by the Buddha.Sometimes this might take a combination of study, a little bit of detective work (as it were), and our own meditative experiences. I think the 'time has come' for us to admit that jhāna has been de-emphasized a bit in much of the Buddhist world, and it's time now to redress the balance.AN 9.36 wrote: "'I tell you, the ending of the mental fermentations depends on the first jhana.' Thus it has been said. In reference to what was it said? There is the case where a monk, secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. He regards whatever phenomena there that are connected with form, feeling, perception, fabrications, & consciousness, as inconstant, stressful, a disease, a cancer, an arrow, painful, an affliction, alien, a disintegration, an emptiness, not-self. He turns his mind away from those phenomena, and having done so, inclines his mind to the property of deathlessness: 'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.'
"Suppose that an archer or archer's apprentice were to practice on a straw man or mound of clay, so that after a while he would become able to shoot long distances, to fire accurate shots in rapid succession, and to pierce great masses. In the same way, there is the case where a monk... enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born of withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. He regards whatever phenomena there that are connected with form, feeling, perception, fabrications, & consciousness, as inconstant, stressful, a disease, a cancer, an arrow, painful, an affliction, alien, a disintegration, an emptiness, not-self. He turns his mind away from those phenomena, and having done so, inclines his mind to the property of deathlessness: 'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.'
"Staying right there, he reaches the ending of the mental fermentations. Or, if not, then — through this very dhamma-passion, this very dhamma-delight, and from the total wasting away of the first five of the fetters[1] — he is due to be reborn [in the Pure Abodes], there to be totally unbound, never again to return from that world.
"'I tell you, the ending of the mental fermentations depends on the first jhana.' Thus was it said, and in reference to this was it said.
(http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
sabbe sattā bhavantu sukhitattā