[/quote]tiltbillings wrote:likely from later practioners who pushed jhana to deeper limits: http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 16#p140097daverupa wrote:
So I wonder, where is this repetitive structure of misunderstanding coming from?
Thanks, for this link, Tilt. I always enjoy reading LB's commentaries on jhana.
One thought that I had about the 'development' of jhana practice through the Abhidhamma into the Buddhaghosa period might be reflective of the human tendency for one-upsmanship. The Sutta jhanas are understandable and accessible. The later descriptions (later suttas, Abhi material and Buddhaghosa) might reflect the effort to make the jhanas less accessible, more precious, and a merit badge that only the most senior monks might achieve. Kind of a Maha-jhana sensibility vs a Hina-jhana practice.
The Buddha strikes me as someone who was trying to make these practices accessible to his serious bhkkhus and bhikkhunis, and not a high bar that only few could leap over. "Go, do jhana" suggests to me that this practice was highly accessible, and one needed only find that tree root and, as Nike says, just do it.