9 – The Higher States of Human Consciousness – The Jhanas

The word jhana (a Pali word that literally has two basic meanings,

“to contemplate”, and “to burn up”, as in

to burn up unskillful states of mind)

refers to a whole mode of attention,

a whole broad package of mental aspects and possibilities

that are vastly more essential than they are typically considered to be.

Traditionally,

there are said to be eight jhanas.

They are called simply the first through the eighth jhanas.

The first four are called “formed jhanas”,

largely to differentiate them from the last four jhanas, called

the “formless jhanas”.

The “formless jhanas” are states that take rarified experiences,

such as Boundless Space, as their object of attention.

It can also be useful to split the eight jhanas into subparts,

as each one develops in a predictable fashion in sub-stages,

and these can be useful to the technical practitioner when

exploring various modes and aspects of attention and

the vast range of experiences that we can access in the jhanas.

The jhanas are more fundamental modes of attention

than the stages of insight or the concentration states.

They are core aspects of our attentional anatomy,

a description of something basic about the nature of a specifically tuned mind.

Typically, the word “jhana” is used to refer to the stages of concentration,

unless you read the old texts very carefully, such as MN 111, and

then you realize that sometimes it is used to refer to

the stages of insight.

Basically,

there is a very natural way that attention progresses

as we develop our abilities to pay attention,

shifting through very predictable ways of experiencing the world.

The jhanas become more concentration-like

the more we pay attention to the

specifics, steadiness, sense of continuity,

and positive mental qualities that strong attention generates.

The jhanas become more insight-like

the more we pay attention to

the three characteristics of whatever arises.

To differentiate these two general flavors of the jhanas, I will here call them

the Shamatha jhanas, or “Concentration states”,

when those states are more seemingly stable, peaceful, pleasant, etc.,

and call them vipassana jhanas or “insight stages”

when discussing those that are more three characteristics–heavy.

Using the jhanas as a basic framework for understanding what is going on and

how to advance is extremely useful, practical, and empowering.

To know them well

is to know something profound about the core mechanics of

how attention works and develops,

as well as the vast range of amazing things we can do with attention.

At least in theory, concentration practices

are meditations on a concept or

a seemingly continuous aggregate of many transient sensations,

whereas insight practice

is meditation on the transient sensations as they are.

When doing concentration practices,

we consciously focus our attention in a specific concentration state.

While reality cannot be frozen in this way,

the illusion of solidity, continuity, and stability

certainly can be cultivated to still attention.

This is concentration practice.

The various progressive states that are then obtained by doing this are called

“absorptions”, “shamatha jhanas”, “samatha” or “dhyanas”.

Early English translations of the Pali canonical literature used the term “trances”.

The term “samadhi” is used by some traditions to express

any of the concentration states,

with some terms added to qualify the degree of samadhi,

while other traditions use the term only to refer to

very high attainments that contain elements of both concentration and insight.

I personally use “samadhi” to mean concentration states.

Insight practices are designed to penetrate the three illusions of

permanence, satisfactoriness, and separate self,

that is,

to realize the truths of

impermanence, dissatisfactoriness, and non-self

to attain the various irreversible perceptual transformations

that are in this tradition referred to as “awakening”.

Insight practices

(various types of vipassana, Dzogchen, zazen, etc.)

lead to the progressive stages of insight,

though various emphases

may color how these present in relative terms.

Insight practices tend to be difficult, disconcerting,

and at times destabilizing,

as they are designed to deconstruct our deluded

and dearly held views of the world and ourselves,

though they can sometimes be outrageously blissful

for frustratingly short periods.

Concentration states are generally some permutation of great fun,

extremely fascinating, seductive, spacious, blissful, peaceful, spectacular, addictive, etc.

There is no limit to how interesting concentration practices can be.

 Insight stages and revelations can also be very interesting, but

are not potentially addictive

the way concentration states and side effects can be.

Insight practices tend to be hard work most of the time

even if that work is just surrendering to and perceiving sensations as they are

(a fact that highlights one of the oddest tensions in the world of insight).

Concentration practices develop concentration

but they don’t on their own yield insight or wisdom

except sometimes by accident.

The problem is that concentration states

can easily fool practitioners into concluding that these states constitute

the end goal of the spiritual path because they can be so

blissful, spacious, and even formless, and thus

can closely resemble some imprecise descriptions of

what awakening might be like.

Being extremely pleasant as the shamatha jhanas are,

the results of concentration practices can, as mentioned,

have a sticky or addictive quality to them.

It is easy to get stuck in the habit of dropping into them

and staying there for very long periods of time,

such that if you wish to shift to insight practices

you find the draw of blissful concentration practices preventing that.

it is worth getting good at

recognizing the gross and subtle core elements of

the quality and depth of attention that characterize the jhanic baskets

across a wide range of objects,

as this helps us to become more mindful of them,

which in turn helps us investigate them

and understand their true nature directly for ourselves.

This article was Inspired by

Buddha’s step by step instructions to obtain Enlightenment

as refined by The Arahant Daneil M. Ingram.