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.
