Jhana? Confusion. Com

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Sadge
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Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by Sadge »

Background : I've had quite a lot of training in mindfulness, recently decided to get into Buddhism more. After loads of researching I'm thinking that working my way through the jhanas is a good idea having 'cracked' mindfulness, by cracked I mean I can easily sustain attention on the breath for... 10?mins without the mind wandering.

Anyone got a link? To a good way in?


Why is it so hard to find anything on the net about a way into Buddhist meditation? The basics are too basic but anything past that is just so confusing. I know it's a massive subject but I'm surprised a half clear way in is not easily available.
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DNS
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by DNS »

Hi Sadge,

On the bottom of the home page here is a "Theravada Search Engine" where you could type in jhanas and you should get many results.
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marc108
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by marc108 »

i'll start off by saying that i'm going to post a bunch of resources all across the board on what constitutes Jhana. i can also offer some personal tips if youre interested

this book is my favorite as far as practical advice:
http://www.amazon.com/Focused-Fearless- ... +catherine

http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/Books ... Jhanas.htm
http://dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings ... 130123.pdf
http://leighb.com/jhana3.htm


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_0WWRdavR4

the rest of the above series also has a lot of excellent practical advice:
http://www.mettadharma.org/video-teachings/
"It's easy for us to connect with what's wrong with us... and not so easy to feel into, or to allow us, to connect with what's right and what's good in us."
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Virgo
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by Virgo »

Sadge
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by Sadge »

Marvellous! Thank you, finally got a clear bit of direction.

Do you guys think it is a sensible decision to focus practice on jhanas when your concentration is good or could you bang straight into vipasanna? To what goal you may ask? I have none.
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marc108
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by marc108 »

Sadge wrote:Do you guys think it is a sensible decision to focus practice on jhanas when your concentration is good or could you bang straight into vipasanna? To what goal you may ask? I have none.
Jhana is a part of the 8fold path. If you feel you are up to the task you should pursue it.
"It's easy for us to connect with what's wrong with us... and not so easy to feel into, or to allow us, to connect with what's right and what's good in us."
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manas
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by manas »

Hi sadge

I've not found a better guide to jhana that the suttas themselves. Having said that, yes they do need some explaining, but still, I'd recommend you at least familiarise yourself with the various suttas in which jhana is described or alluded to. The 'Samaññaphala Sutta: The Fruits of the Contemplative Life' gives a broad view of how jhana is not just a specific technique, it involves an entire way of life.
"Endowed with this noble aggregate of virtue, this noble restraint over the sense faculties, this noble mindfulness and alertness, and this noble contentment, he seeks out a secluded dwelling: a forest, the shade of a tree, a mountain, a glen, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a jungle grove, the open air, a heap of straw. After his meal, returning from his alms round, he sits down, crosses his legs, holds his body erect, and brings mindfulness to the fore.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

It's good to try different ways of approaching jhana, but I sense that many of us (myself for one) need to work more on aspects of virtue, such as sense restraint, before jhana is something we will really be able to get established in properly. It's not as interesting but really, in my very limited experience with whatever limited samadhi I've been able to muster, jhana requires us to give up stuff. Particularly I have found that sexual stimulation of any kind, and jhana, counter each other. One is walking East, the other West. We can't indulge in all the sense pleasures we like, then think that we will be able to just 'let go of them all' when we sit down to meditate. So I hate to be the bearer of this news, but brahmacariya seems to be the price we will have to pay, if we are really serious about it.

metta :anjali:
To the Buddha-refuge i go; to the Dhamma-refuge i go; to the Sangha-refuge i go.
santa100
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by santa100 »

Ven. Gunaratana's great essay on the jhanas: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el351.html
Sadge
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by Sadge »

Manas, excellent post. Thanks everyone, this is really expanding my practice :-)
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by Buckwheat »

Sadge wrote:Background : I've had quite a lot of training in mindfulness, recently decided to get into Buddhism more. After loads of researching I'm thinking that working my way through the jhanas is a good idea having 'cracked' mindfulness, by cracked I mean I can easily sustain attention on the breath for... 10?mins without the mind wandering.

Anyone got a link? To a good way in?


Why is it so hard to find anything on the net about a way into Buddhist meditation? The basics are too basic but anything past that is just so confusing. I know it's a massive subject but I'm surprised a half clear way in is not easily available.
When you breathe in, think Bud- and when you breathe out think -dho. Repeat ad nauseum. Eventually, one needs more instruction, but from what I understand, these were the initial instructions from Ajahn Sao to Ajahn Mun.
Sotthī hontu nirantaraṃ - May you forever be well.
Sadge
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by Sadge »

Been doing buddho for hours each day for years. There is boredom. I know there is more to it than this. Luckily the links people have put here are helping :-)
hermitwin
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by hermitwin »

from the expert on jhana,

http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/334/
Buckwheat
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by Buckwheat »

Sadge wrote:Been doing buddho for hours each day for years. There is boredom. I know there is more to it than this. Luckily the links people have put here are helping :-)
That's not doing Buddho... that's being bored. Why are you choosing to be bored? (i choose to be bored all the time... I hate it ;) ) But seriously, boredom is simply the mind not being still. When boredom arises, I try to double down my effort to watch the breath, really get into it.

One year or ten? If only one, stick with it. If ten, maybe you need a teacher?
Sotthī hontu nirantaraṃ - May you forever be well.
Sadge
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Re: Jhana? Confusion. Com

Post by Sadge »

Hm you have a point. Think a bit more information about dhamma is what I need. I'm writing out the dhammapada :shock:
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