Jhana question

music

Most of the instructions on jhana seem to focus on 'watch the breath' technique. But is there another way to jhana, one that doesn't entail watching the breath? Is there something else we can focus on?

Kangaroo

If you have to breathe anyway why wouldn't you focus on the breath?

upekka

walking meditation

continueing the mindfulness of the each step we keep forward will lead us to concentrate absoption - jhana

xabir

Interesting upekka, do you have experience with jhanas in walking meditation? Always thought (perhaps due to my lack of practice in this area) that full jhana is only possible in sitting. How far can jhanas be reached in walking meditation, i.e. is fourth jhana in walking position possible?

upekka

@xabir

first of all i must thank U for helping me on my spiritual journey
i asked so many questions from U in another forum and your ansewers always helped me to take one step further

THANK U

for the jhana question
the most interesting and the Most Valuable Dhamma Understanding i got when i was doing walking meditation
i think how far can jhana go is not a valid question in my situation

definetly it is more concrete than sitting meditation (for me)

fivebells

You can use other objects of attention to achieve access concentration. The shift to jhana is at least to some extent a shift in the object of attention, anyway, at least a shift in emphasis. The immaterial jhanas definitely require different objects of attention.

Why do you want to use a different object? Are you having trouble resting attention on the breath?

pegembara

One of the aim of meditation is to remove the 5 hindrances (sense desire, ill will, drowsiness, restlessness and doubts) from the mind, at least temporarily. The monkey mind needs some form of anchoring.

Any object can be used so long as it doesn't cause the hindrances to arise. The breath, chants, mantras, mala beads, kasinas, visualisations can all be used.

On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Nadika in the Brick Hall. Then Ven. Sandha went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there the Blessed One said to him, "Sandha, practice the absorption[1] of a thoroughbred horse, not the absorption of an unbroken colt. And how is an unbroken colt absorbed?

"An unbroken colt, tied to the feeding trough, is absorbed with the thought, 'Barley grain! Barley grain!' Why is that? Because as he is tied to the feeding trough, the thought does not occur to him, 'I wonder what task the trainer will have me do today? What should I do in response?' Tied to the feeding trough, he is simply absorbed with the thought, 'Barley grain! Barley grain!'

"In the same way, there are cases where an unbroken colt of a man, having gone to the wilderness, to the foot of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, dwells with his awareness overcome by sensual passion, obsessed with sensual passion. He does not discern the escape, as it actually is present, from sensual passion once it has arisen. Making that sensual passion the focal point, he absorbs himself with it, besorbs, resorbs, & supersorbs himself with it.

"He dwells with his awareness overcome by ill will... sloth & drowsiness... restlessness & anxiety... uncertainty, obsessed with uncertainty. He does not discern the escape, as it actually is present, from uncertainty once it has arisen. Making that uncertainty the focal point, he absorbs himself with it, besorbs, resorbs, & supersorbs himself with it.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an11/an11.010.than.html