Dhamma Wheel

As MN 128 shows, perceptions of diversity are a hindrance to Jhana. Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi wrote in his footnote to these "perceptions of diversity": 1192 MA paraphrases: "While I was attending to a single type of form, longing arose. Thinking 'I will attend to different kinds of forms,' sometimes I di...

Quite withdrawn from sensual pleasures, withdrawn from unskillful mental qualities, the monk enters & remains in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. His earlier perception of sensuality ceases , and on that occasion there is a perc...

As MN 128 shows, perceptions of diversity are a hindrance to Jhana. Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi wrote in his footnote to these "perceptions of diversity": 1192 MA paraphrases: "While I was attending to a single type of form, longing arose. Thinking 'I will attend to different kinds of forms,' sometimes I di...

I dun think it is mentioned by the Buddha. The Buddha used this term a lot, with several meanings: https://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2770 The term "samādhi-nimitta" can be found in the Buddha's words, for example, in the Gavi Sutta (translated here as "theme"): https://www.accesstoin...

Hi Frank,

frank k wrote: ↑Fri Nov 20, 2020 5:00 pm first jhāna is easy. all you need to do is relax (passaddhi/pacification)
http://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/20 ... to-do.html

Thank you for your post. It helped me to understand the experience better.

To be fair to Anālayo he does express that versions other than the Påli of Ānāpānasati have the meditator remove the Five Hindrances prior to beginning the sixteen steps, which would imply an advanced meditator. Is this said in the commentaries? Not just in the Commentaries, - in the Pāli Canon its...

And he did make the point about identification being the cause of suffering in both traditions - in the suttas its assuming the aggregates to be "me" and "mine". Assuming "that individual person is nothing more than an aggregate of five factors: body, sensations, emotions, thoughts and consciousnes...

Ceisiwr wrote: ↑Sat Nov 21, 2020 4:05 pm Your reading of it here then is that the nimitta arises like a sensation of cotton or silk, or can arise like a bright light etc? That is my understanding too, since nimitta is merely a subjective perception and representation of deepening concentration on one experience of contact.

Yes, indeed.

Wasn't his point that Buddhism doesn't propose anything "beneath" the experience of aggregates or mind/body, whereas Advaita does? Whatever his point, he misrepresents the Buddha, repeating a common misconception. The Buddha in his Dhamma proposes the way beyond. Could you spell out the misconcepti...

Indeed but is the passage in question saying that the nimitta is the sensation of silk, breeze etc or that these arise with the nimitta? That is what is confusing me. Nimitta (representation, attunement) is necessarily described through likeness to something, as in your Visuddhimagga quote above: h...

I've recently taken an interest in the Vimuttimagga, especially it's section on mindfulness of breathing where it discusses nimitta. My initial reading of it was that it discusses both tactile and visual nimitta, but upon further reading I find the text difficult to interpret one way or the other i...

Unfortunately, he repeats the common misconception: "Buddha taught that individual person is nothing more than an aggregate of five factors: body, sensations, emotions, thoughts and consciousness" (8:40-8:54 in the video). The Buddha never taught anything like that. Wasn't his point that Buddhism d...

Swami Tadatmananda A vido on Buddhism vs Adita Vedanta. Unfortunately, he repeats the common misconception: "Buddha taught that individual person is nothing more than an aggregate of five factors: body, sensations, emotions, thoughts and consciousness" (8:40-8:54 in the video). The Buddha never tau...

Dear James, In my 4 years at his monastery, I've heard him talk many times about jhana, and he talks about nimitta as being a vital part of the state. I would greatly appreciate if you will describe your experience in this and other monasteries. Since I have evidently missed your posts on this subje...

Moo