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I achieved first jhana today
JaySon
Florida Veteran
in Meditation
Today I achieved first jhana and...
Are you ready for it?
It was...
No big deal.
I realized I've accidentally slipped into it before about ten years ago.
It is kind of intense, energetically.
The main benefit is that my mind doesn't seem plagued by the five hindrances for several hours after coming out of jhana.
But the bliss of the first jhana that everyone talks about was similar to the energetic bliss you might feel in Metta meditation.
9
Comments
What tradition is it that teaches about jhanas? I've never heard this term before participating on internet forums.
Theravada Thai Forrest Tradition. Ajahn Chah. Ajahn Brahm. There are a few books on jhana on Amazon.
I believe it is similar to or the same as meditative absorption and calm abiding in New Kadampa.
Now what?
It's on to the second jhana.
What's a jhana to you, @JaySon? I could google, I just want to hear how you'd explain one.
The first rule of the jhana club is....
It's a state of deep meditation that arises naturally when the mind is concentrated and temporarily free from the five hindrances.
There are eight jhanas.
The first jhana is composed of ecstasy (piti) and joy (sukha).
Don't talk about jhana club?
Since there will be no more talk of jhana club, I'll point you all to the person whose book Right Concentration helped me get to first jhana.
I have about 10 books on the subject but this one gave me the breakthrough to first jhana.
http://www.leighb.com/jhanas.htm
PM discussion is fine.
In my experience here (and elsewhere), it seems to be that openly discussing jhanas can get a bit 'egoic' and defeat the object.
I've followed a serious and intense discussion on another forum where three members were actually almost having a pissing contest over which jhana they'd achieved. it would have been hilarious if not so ironic....
I definitely don't want to go there.
I've shared this because I've been trying to achieve it for almost two years and you are the only Buddhists I know.
@JaySon , here is an old thread that might be of interest.
On reflection, we're probably safer on this forum to discuss such incidents than on others.
I mean, when we can discuss being single, politics, sexual preferences and ordination all on the same day, I think we're onto a good thing generally..
I may disagree with certain things on this forum, and I also may be wrong some or most of the time, but the last thing I want is to contribute to self righteous conversations.
I feel like this forum is more like a supportive Sangha than a forum.
If sharing my experiences helps anyone on here, then I am glad.
But my purpose of being on this forum is to support others and receive support from others as happens in a traditional Sangha.
In other words... I can't take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha without y'all.
jhana sounds lovely, @JaySon
Vast is the robe of liberation, indeed!
Welcome to Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club!
Tyler Durden - Fight Club
Jhana is open for discussion as a series of deepening attentions/focus, @federica was making a humorous reference.
Egoism can be a problem. We attain a practice goal, we increase our commitment, whatever ... can we share with humility? Mostly people here can or are very quickly offered alternative impacts to moderate innate ego tendencies. I for example am extremely humble [I hardly ever mention how humble I am ... but it is a lot ...] Anyway I am off to the naughty corner for unashamedly mentioning my humility ...
Lovely image @wojciech - am using it as my screen background, many thanks
No, I am the humblest of them all!!!
How dare you presume to know what I was doing! (You happen to be right, but I mean to say, really!!)
Be it evah sew 'umble, dere's no plaice like a naughty corner....
Snap!
And thank you for it @JaySon, I truly appreciate you. I notice some people don't have the time or don't bother commenting on anything I write and perhaps that's because I'm like a kid at the adult table....who has time for that nonesense (LOL). It can be very daunting to be so new in a forum of people so wise and knowledgeable and you have helped, so again, thank you
As have others but I was responding to your specific post above
We are all equals, my friend! Literally.
To me, your happiness is as important as my happiness. Your suffering is as important as my suffering.
I want to reassure you that it is not because your posts are nonsense that you might not have had replies; very often, new members bring and add new insight, experience and perception to the forum. It's not because of any indifference that some do not reply. It's because often, new insight leads to thinking.
And we respect posts that encourage that.
Believe me, your posts are far from 'nonsense'.
thanks @Federica, I understand
After contemplating my post last night I see how it comes off as a little jerky so please allow me to start again.
What I really wanted to say was thanks to @JaySon for helping me along my way by answering questions that I had, as have others. Not sure why I felt the need to add anything else. My intent was to let JaySon to know that his comment of wanting to help others on this forum is greatly appreciated by me.
love and kindness
@JaySon Congrats.
Aṅguttara Nikāya
2. Book of the Twos
31. A Share in Clear Knowing
_
“These two qualities have a share in clear knowing. Which two? Tranquillity (samatha) & insight (vipassana).
“When tranquillity is developed, what purpose does it serve? The mind is developed. And when the mind is developed, what purpose does it serve? Passion is abandoned.
“When insight is developed, what purpose does it serve? Discernment is developed. And when discernment is developed, what purpose does it serve? Ignorance is abandoned.
“Defiled by passion, the mind is not released. Defiled by ignorance, discernment does not develop. Thus from the fading of passion is there awareness-release. From the fading of ignorance is there discernment-release.”_
@JaySon it seems you achieved the first part (at least you know now what meant by first part - tranquility)
I've gone into first jhana a couple times since this post, but I can't always access it. Sometimes a hindrance is just too strong and I can't always get to that level of concentration.
Further... I like to sit in access concentration. I don't necessarily care about going into the first jhana. If I could walk around free from the hindrances and in access concentration all day then that would be good enough for me.
I look at it sort of like I'm polishing my mind of the hindrances.
according to my experience, the greatest hindrance at this stage is to 'expecting' to get that level of concentration
if we just sit and let it come, it will come naturally
I've had the same experience. I think it is the restlessness hindrance that comes from excitement.
Always.
In a sense very few of us flow with the dharma as unimpeded wisdom. As more jerky than most, I am allowed infinite pardons and restarts - even if only from me ...
Outstanding. Attitude is everything.
Once here to share, we all gain. Sprouts and wisdom spouters are two a penny ... Students of dharma who wish to learn rather than reaffirm their suppositions - rare!
Love and kindness (iz masterplan!)
two hindrances are there :restlessness (whether i can achieve this or not) and greed ( i want to achieve this)
Having spent most of my life believing I was a pile of hindrances, I have many, many attachments to hindrances.
we all have
beauty is you know them and you acknowledge it but many don't even know that they (hindrances) do even exist
we have the chance to get rid of them for ever and in tranquility meditation we suppress them for a certain period of time
It should been the first thing my parents and school teachers taught me, but how could they when they didn't know and still don't know?
they are with worldly right view like many of us
what we have to get is Noble Right View
that is why we need to do Insight meditation
Just asking here, because I just don't know - but are jhanas best achieved with the guidance of a Theravadan teacher or can any old seeker use an Ajahn's diy manual to become an achiever? Is this real life? Is this just fantasy?
I just have a lot of books on the subject. I'm sure it would be easier with a teacher, though, because it took one particular book and method to break through to first jhana. It was probably a good thing for me, however, because I spent a lot of time building up access concentration.
@upekka ?
Side note... I'm finding it easier to go into jhana through metta meditations. It seems easier to cut through the hindrances when other people are more important than "I".
i read Dhamma books, listened to Dhamma talks given by monks in person and in internet, and participated few meditation retreats and practiced at home
thought over what i have read and listened and asked questions from forums members (now a days here only but before some other forums too)
apart from that i have no particular teacher to guide me but i continue meditation
i practiced first the tranquility meditation like loving-kindness, repulsiveness of the body, in-out breath etc
whatever the object ( loving-kindness, or repulsiveness, in-out breath) is directive thought
coming back to it again and again is discursive thought
when we do this for a while we will be able to stay with that object without going astray
for hindrances like object of sensual pleasure etc. are suppressed
achieving jhana is not a big deal if we continue meditation like this
(remember this type of meditation was there even before Buddha's time)
Buddhist meditation is vipassana, insight meditaion
Insight in a complete vacuum seems like nonsense to me. Nothing is quite so cut and dry, seems to me. One simply cannot get rid of all one's thoughts, and one's core thoughts tend to bound up with one's desires.
It does seem to me that the primary desire would be unity with the beloved (i.e., love) or perhaps being unchained from the bonds that would keep us from pursuing our loves (i.e., freedom).
Therefore, I'd say that Metta meditation would be the broad and simple road. Perhaps then, Metta is the more practicable Buddhist meditation. That seems to be the way "Buddhism" has developed. Pure Land Buddhism, it seems to me, is a natural development.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitābha
To be sure, vipassana has its place, being rooted in antiquity, but one might wish to keep an open mind and heart:
http://www.alanpeto.com/buddhism/understanding-mahayana-theravada/
Metta meditation takes me closer to realizing emptiness than Vipassana does.
But maybe that's just me.
once we know what is Insight meditation, we do not need to sit or walk to meditate
instead, we can meditate whole day apart from the sleeping time
it is a pleasure to be like that
we can do whatever we do with loving kindness because we do not have to be closed eyes and sit and just be with loving kindness thought
it is not dry though people who have no experience would say so
>
true
insight meditation shows this as soon as the thought occur and avoid hanging on to it knowing the uselessness of such thought
agree with you
i too started with tranquility meditation
my point is tranquility meditation and getting into jhana is not the end point in Buddha's Teachin
"Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies and see..."
Nothing really matters to me,...
Mamma.....
No, ok, we'll stop there.....
Ok I'm done
Awesome I'm happy for you
The introduction I received to jhanas got taught in a Vipassana/ Theravada meditation class led by Bhikku Dhammarado who became a friend. There were elaborations taught in private dharma sessions led by Bante Somsak /
Though I switched to Tibetan Buddhism I remember these sessions as if they were only a year ago.
Indeed. You seem suitably grounded now. Good news.
God Bless Us, Everyone
Tiny Tim