A question on Jhana and prescription drugs

[smokey]

Is it dangerous to achieve jhana while on prescription drugs? I drink xanax(tranquilizer) for relaxation and risset(antipsychotic) because I have psychological problems.

[smokey]

The prescription drugs I am drinking do not cloud my mind, instead xanax only makes my mind deeply tranquil, relaxed and eqanimious and as for risset, I do not even feel the effect of that drug.

[Aerok]

Hi there I have some information for you.

I have many friends have a psychological problem. After they took that drag, they walk like a robot.
My hypothesis for this problem are two things. There are...

1. Clause of Sati is lower than Smathi. Like a;they did meditation deeply but have no container. Someone they don't meditate in form but they have a lot of metta so sometime they can get meditation deeply.
2. Clause of Thinking in the Acinteyya - the four unthinkables: these are very important knowledge for the meditater.


And I always let them stop drug then let him do Sati deportment (always know in standing walking sitting lying). I asked and solved them by let them knew the clarification as below.

Acinteyya - the four unthinkables

To call something unthinkable is to say that it is too unpleasant or too abstruse to think about or that no amount of thinking about it will yield a clear understanding of it. The Buddha uses the term unthinkable (acinteyya) in this last sense. He said: 'There are these four unthinkables, not to be thought about, thinking about which one will become mad and confused. What four?

1.Thinking about the range of a Buddha's understanding,
2. Thinking about the range of some meditative states,
3.Thinking about the results of kamma and
4. Thinking about the origins of the world' (A.II,80). Sometimes the end of the world also.

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And the most important thing of the Buddhist way which many people wrong process. That is a consideration in Jhana or Five Jhana-factors. Because, if we consider in 5 factors of Jhana while we didn't expert in five Vasi. Jhana will decline.

A Jhana consideration is a 5th step of Vasi.

Vasi (skillfulness)

1. Skillfulness in pondering (Avajjanavasi), Many sources have differ to translate ;In my opinion is "Warming" or "prepared" .

2. Skillfulness in entering (Samapajjanavasi),

3. Skillfulness in holding back (Abhitthanavasi),

4. Skillfulness in exit (Vutthanavasi),

5. Skillfulness in reflection (Paccavekkhanavasi). consideration in



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And the other thing that people always misunderstanding. that is 5 Piti.

The Lord Buddha said Piti which mean 5th piti or Pharana-piti only . So, many people when they do Jhana then they get some 1st-4th piti. Follow the Buddha word they don't get a real Jhana.

A) Khuddaka-piti------- Minor rapture

B) Khanika-piti-----------Momentary or instantaneous joy

C) Okkantika-piti--------Showering joy or flow of joy

D) Ubbenga-piti----------Uplifting joy or transporting rapture

E) Pharana-piti-----------Suffusing joy or all-pervading rapture


Pharana-piti—suffusing or all-pervading joy. This form of piti radiates all over the body. One has ecstatic feelings while experiencing this kind of rapture. This is truly the rapture in Jhana. However, some who have yet to reach Jhana may also be able to experience this form of piti.

Goodluck

[jcsuperstar]

i don't think it should be too much of a problem, worrying about jhana is a greater hindrance most likely

why do you take these drugs? because of some mental/physical "maladjustment" right? then the drugs should make you "normal" right? or at least that's the intended actions i would assume, so since the drugs level you out and make you function normally (whatever that means really) then you should be okay. not taking them if you need them would be far worse.

[Ben]

Hi smokey
I wouldn't worry about it either.
I'm of the opinion that jhana is extraordinarily difficult to achieve outside of the supportive environment of a long silent retreat. And as JC said, worrying about achieving a spiritual attainment is a significant barrier to achieving it anyway. In your situation I would focus on maintaining sila, and practice some samatha and balancing the samatha with some vipassana.
Kind regards

Ben

[smokey]

Thanks guys.

Metta -smokey

[PeterB]

Hi smokey
I wouldn't worry about it either.
I'm of the opinion that jhana is extraordinarily difficult to achieve outside of the supportive environment of a long silent retreat. And as JC said, worrying about achieving a spiritual attainment is a significant barrier to achieving it anyway. In your situation I would focus on maintaining sila, and practice some samatha and balancing the samatha with some vipassana.
Kind regards

Ben

I agree wholeheartedly. I would also add Smokey that re any concerns you have about your medication, that you discuss them fully with whoever prescribed them for you.

[altar]

I would add to Peterb that you can discuss them with whomever you feel confident. I am immensely skeptical towards them, even if they relax you. Actually I don't know if you call it all skepticism [when it's based at least in part] on knowledge and experience, having taken antipsychotics... It's just that my knowledge of them obviously isn't near complete so I can't say for sure or in all cases, like yours. I don't know of the nature of the relaxation you mention, but a hot-bath can seem relaxing and I don't think that's the best for meditating.
So, good luck.

[whitewedding]

You'll probably find that satipatthana (with the balance of sammatha) will cure your psychological problems anyway.
It's fast becoming the new psychiatric godsend - just like LSD (very similar to satipatthana) was in the 50/60's.

[jcsuperstar]

just like LSD (very similar to satipatthana) was in the 50/60's.

um lsd is nothing like satipatthana

[PeterB]

You'll probably find that satipatthana (with the balance of sammatha) will cure your psychological problems anyway.
It's fast becoming the new psychiatric godsend - just like LSD (very similar to satipatthana) was in the 50/60's.

Would you like to tell us a little more about this whitewedding. Are you yourself receiving treatment for example ?

[tiltbillings]

just like LSD (very similar to satipatthana) was in the 50/60's.

And this based upon a careful practicing of satipatthana under the guidance of a qualified teacher?