Buddhist Fundamentals

Fundamentals of Theravada Buddhist Bhavana Practice    

Sila (Discipline and morality)
   
Eight Precepts 

To refrain from:

1. Harming living beings.
2. Taking things not freely given.
3. Sexual misconduct.
4. False speech.
5. Intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness.
6. Taking untimely meals.
7. Dancing, singing, music, watching grotesque mime, use of garlands, perfumes and      personal adornment.
8. Use of high seats.


Samadhi (Absorption meditation)  
           
Samatha (Concentration meditation)
    Khanika Samadhi
        Momentary—always accompanies citta, is basically ekagata citasika; one             pointedness. 
    Uppacara Samadhi — Access Samadhi, just before Appana Samadhi, where visions etc. occur.    
    Appana Samadhi — Full absorption.

Seven Stages of Concentration:
    1. Observation of thought.
    2. Silent moments appearing between thoughts.
    3. In these silent moments and as the mind becomes calm, the in breaths and the out breaths are noticed.
    4. Minute details of the in breaths and out breaths are noticed.
    5. Awareness of the in breaths and out breaths disappears, replaced by the                 overwhelming beauty of complete stillness.
    6. This overwhelming beauty manifests in the mind as a nimitta, or sign, which many times, but not always, appears as a bright light.
    7. Absorption into this sign then brings up the jhanas, or deep states of     concentration and calmness.

        Jhanas — First Jhana
                1. Vitaka (Initial thought)
                2. vichara (Sustained thought)
                3. Piti (Physical rapture)
                    a. Hair raised
                    b. Shocks like lightening
                    c. Washing over like water waves
                    d. Flooding the body
                    e. Floating, levitating
                4. Sukkha (Joy)
                5. Ekagata (One pointedness of mind)

            Second Jhana  
                3. Piti (Physical rapture)
                    a. Hair raised
                    b. Shocks like lightening
                    c. Washing over like water waves
                    d. Flooding the body
                    e. Floating, levitating
                4. Sukkha (Joy)
                5. Ekagata (one pointedness of mind)

            Third Jhana   
                4. Sukkha (Joy)
                5. Ekagata (One pointedness of mind)
           
            Fourth Jhana
                5. Ekagata (One pointedness of mind)
                6. Upekha (Equanimity)
                                      
            Fifth Jhana: Space
            Sixth Jhana: Infinite consciousness
            Seventh Jhana: Void
            Eighth Jhana: Neither perception nor none-perception


Panna (Wisdom)

Vippasana (Passing and rising meditation)

The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
from the Satipatthana Sutta: D.22

I - Mindfulness of the Body (Rupa) 
1 - Mindfulness of Breathing
There are many variations of this exercise. A very basic one is to focus on the sensation of the breath at the nose-tip and to be keenly aware of the entire breath; both in-breath and out-breath are to be watched from beginning through the middle to the very end. A simple two-syllable mantra like "bud-dho" may be used as an aid. 

2 - Postures of the Body
The four basic postures are walking, standing, sitting and lying. The exercise here is simply to be aware at all times of the disposition of the body. 

3 - Clear Comprehension (sampajañña)
·    Clear Comprehension of Purpose- Why are you undertaking this action ?
·    Clear Comprehension of Suitability- Is this action suitable under the circumstances? (skill-in-means)
·    Clear Comprehension of the Domain (of Meditation)- Can this action be incorporated into the practice? Take the meditation into the life.
·    Clear Comprehension of Reality- See the three characteristics in all activities. (i.e. impermanence, suffering and not-self)   

4 - Reflection on the Reality of this Body
To see the body as a collection of parts; solid and liquid. The traditional list of thirty-two parts;
hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, membranes, spleen, lungs, bowels, intestines, gorge, dung, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, snot, spittle, oil-of-the-joints, urine (and brain is added from the commentary)

5 - Reflection on the Material Elements
To see the body as a physical process. The traditional physics is based on the four elements; earth (extension), water (cohesion), air (motility) and fire (energy). Alternatively, modern concepts may be used. 

6 - the Cemetery Contemplations 
These are used to become keenly aware of the impermanence of the body and to break the illusion of immortality. The list given by the Buddha can be taken as a visualization exercise which goes through repulsiveness to tranquillity.
·    the festering body (a few days old)
·    the corpse being devoured by birds, beasts and worms
·    a skeleton held together by tendons, with some flesh and blood remaining
·    a skeleton held together by tendons, fleshless, smeared with blood
·    a skeleton held together by tendons, fleshless and bloodless
·    loose bones scattered about
·    bones bleached white by the sun
·    bones a year old lying piled in a heap
·    rotted bones crumbling to dust. 

II - Contemplation of the Feelings (Vedana)
The Feelings (Vedana) are not to be confused with the more complex mental functions called "emotions" . Feelings in the technical sense used here are much more basic. They can be classified in several ways;
·    pleasant, neutral, unpleasant
·    bodily, mental
·    worldly, unwordly
As examples of the last; a worldly pleasant feeling is sense pleasure of any kind (food, sex etc.) an unworldly pleasant feeling is rapture arising from jhana. A worldly unpleasant feeling is grief at loss of possessions, an unworldly unpleasant feeling is distress at slow progress in meditation.
An important note: unseen pleasant feelings lead to craving, unseen unpleasant feelings lead to ill-will (negative craving) and unseen neutral feelings lead to ignorance. The feelings -> cravings link is the key point in the cycle of dependent origination where the process can be transcended and liberation achieved

III - Contemplation of the Mind (State of Consciousness) (Vinnana) 
What is the state of mind? Is it with lust or without? With hatred or without? With delusion or without? Is it shrunken? Is it distracted? Is it developed or undeveloped? Is it surpassable or unsurpassable? Is it Is it concentrated or scattered? Is it freed or bound?
This refers to the "background" of mind, the basic level or tone of conscious awareness that is present.

IV - Contemplation of Mind Objects (Dhammas)

1 - the Five Hindrances; mental states that lead one astray
sense-desire, anger, sloth-and-torpor, worry and flurry, skeptical doubt.
These to be countered as follows;
·    sense-desire -> body meditation (e.g.. 32 parts and/or corpse med.)
·    anger -> loving-kindness
·    sloth-and-torpor -> change of posture, perception of light
·    worry -> mindfulness of breathing
·    doubt -> study, asking questions, puja

2 - The Five Aggregates of Clinging
An analysis of all phenomena into five constituents to dispel the idea of a self-entity. The five:

1.   Material form.(body) Rupa 

2.   Feelings. (good, bad, indifferent) Vedana
    3.   Perceptions. (Memory) Sanna
    4.   Mental formations. (Volitional Thoughts) Sankhara
    5.   Consciousness. (arises from contact) Vinnana 3 - the Six External and Six Internal

3. The six Sense Bases
All consciousness arises through one or the other of these doors;
·    eye and form
·    ear and sound
·    nose and odor
·    tongue and flavor
·    body and touch
·    mind and idea.

4 - the seven factors of Enlightenment 
·    Investigation of Dhammas
·    Energy
·    Rapture (Joy)
·    Mindfulness
·    Tranquility
·    Concentration
·    Equanimity.
The first three are to be developed when the mind is dull; the last three when the mind is agitated. Mindfulness is to be developed in all circumstances.

5 - The Four Noble Truths
·    The Noble Truth of Suffering; birth, sickness, old age, death, not getting what you want, in brief, the Five Aggregates of Clinging
·    The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering; craving 
·    The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering; extinction of craving, nibbana
·    The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering; the eightfold path; right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. 

6.    The Ten fetters
        Personality   (Stream entry) 
        Ritual
        Doubt
        Sense desire
        Ill will
        Form
        Formlessness
        Conceit
        Restlessness
        Ignorance

7. The twelve Nidanas paticcasamuppāda  (Interdependent origination)
 
Ignorance (of eye thought), volition (thought action), consciousness, name and form, 6 senses, contact, feeling (unseen pleasant feelings lead to craving, unseen unpleasant feelings lead to ill will, unseen neutral feelings lead to ignorance), craving (craving is the key point to transcend), clinging, becoming, birth, old age and death.
(Past life: ignorance and volition. Future Life: birth disease and death. This life — everything else).

Posture

Acknowledgements to the many teachers for much of this information, including Ajahmn Chah, Ajahn Brahm, Pra Pramote Pamotecho, the Wanderling, Leigh Brasington, Roshi Kennett, and many more.

 
If you can physically sit directly on the floor, this is best. Sit on a pad or carpet, cross your legs Indian style, and place a small, firm pillow under the tip of your tailbone. If the floor is too uncomfortable, you may sit on the edge of a chair in an erect position. If you are disabled and can only meditate lying down, this is fine. If sitting cross-legged on the floor, tuck your left heel between your legs and try to place your right ankle either on top of your left thigh, on top of your left calf, or on the floor next to your left calf while keeping both knees firmly on the floor. This might take some getting used to depending on your physical flexibility.

When using a chair, sit on the edge with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight. Your feet should be able to touch the floor and your thighs should be parallel to the floor so that your knees are neither higher nor lower than your hips. Your hands should be relaxed, lying in your lap palms up, one cupped within the other. Your left hand should be underneath, right hand on top, with your thumb tips touching lightly.
Make certain that your spine does not slump during meditation—this is essential. Retain the natural inward curve of your spine in the small of your back by thrusting your hips foreword. Never allow yourself to slump in this area. Your shoulders and legs should be relaxed, feeling only a slight tension to keep the back curved inwardly. In time, as you learn to thrust your hips forward, this tension will relax as well. It is important that you remain relaxed at all times and not become tense. If you notice any tenseness, relax for a few moments, take a deep breath, and then continue your practice.

The position of your neck is very important. It should not be tilted forward or backward, but upright and stretched toward the sky, while at the same time your arms should be relaxed and falling from your shoulders. Your chin should be tucked in slightly. You may keep your eyes open or closed, as you prefer. If open, keep them only half, or barely open, gazing at the floor three or four feet ahead. Try not to glance around.
If you are sitting on the floor, you can expect some back discomfort or knee ache until your body adjusts to the posture. Do not be too quick to surrender to pain or numbness or you won’t learn about them, which you should. On the other hand, always treat yourself kindly regarding acute pain or discomfort at this stage in your practice. If the pain does not subside after a reasonable amount of time, adjust your position. Later, you will be able to disassociate pain from the body, and then neither pain nor fear will be a problem. In the beginning, notice the cycles of pain or stiffness that might arise in your back or legs, and especially how the pain affects you mentally.

If possible, breathe through your nose during meditation, and relax. Everything should be relaxed, peaceful, and still, with your body as motionless as possible. Scratching, moving around, swallowing, sniffing, clearing your throat and so forth should be restrained. These types of distractions are considered hindrances, and hindrances can be extremely clever. You might think that your valuables (vulnerabilities and weaknesses) are put away in a safe, but the hindrances somehow know every combination to all of your safes, and will steal your things without your noticing.

Hindrances will make you lazy, sleepy, listless, irritable, numb, distracted (preferring to do something more exciting), create a lack of confidence, question your innate ability to meditate; (Is it working? Am I doing it right?) Create doubt, (Is the effort worth it?) Encourage you to put things off until later, until you are in the mood, or when you have more money or time, or, after you write your book, or when you are in a more favorable situation. Hindrances will create worries, for example; that you might alienate your friends and relatives. Hindrances will persuade you to insist upon intellectual answers to spiritual questions; (What is eternity?) This represents only a partial listing of the hindrances’ cleverness and nonsense — the list goes on. So keep a keen eye out for hindrances.

Your whole body should be stress-free with only your back muscles or legs feeling some pressure, along with a slight tension in keeping your neck stretched upward and your chin slightly tucked in. The rest of your body, including your stomach, should be relaxed. If you can swivel your hips far enough forward, even the muscular stress holding your back straight will eventually relax as your entire body settles into a state of perfect ease and balance without effort.

If you can arrange it, a separate room for meditation is supportive. It should be quiet, cool, and subdued, with the curtains drawn. Loose fitting, light clothing is best to keep your legs unrestricted and your body cool, which tends to heat up during meditation. After establishing your posture, just remain relaxed. Remember, silence is best, but if you live in an active household where noise can be a distraction, mask the commotion with noise-eliminating headphones. It’s better to avoid music during meditation; however, recordings of the ocean, the forest, or soothing nature sounds are okay if necessary to screen unwanted noise.

Concentration: 

There are Seven stages of concentration meditation: 1. Observation of thought. 2. Silent moments appearing between thoughts. 3. In these silent moments and as the mind becomes calm, the in breaths and the out breaths are noticed. 4. Minute details of the in breaths and out breaths are noticed. 5. Awareness of the in breaths and out breaths disappears, replaced by the overwhelming beauty of complete stillness. 6. This overwhelming beauty manifests in the mind as a nimitta, or sign, which many times, but not always, appears as a bright light. 7. Absorption into this sign then brings up the jhanas, or deep states of concentration and calmness.
The Buddha recommended jhanas as a first step for his monks. This Deep concentration is the support for investigating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, which is the second phase of meditation recommended by the Buddha, which is Wisdom. Both phases of meditation, concentration and wisdom, must work hand in hand. It is best to work on jhanas and concentration first. This will instill the insight and courage required for later wisdom practice. 

Stage One -- Observation of thought: A typical response to meditation is that “I just cannot meditate! My mind is too busy. I try to concentrate but get nowhere.” And this response is accurate. And as long as one struggles with their meditation, he or she will suffer.
The usual cause of this battle in the mind is the desire for both spiritual and worldly pleasures without having to give up or let go of anything. We want to keep our cake, but we want to eat it, too. This struggle in the mind over worldly and spiritual interests is where the basic misunderstanding of meditation practice develops until a meditator simply gives up and returns to their comfort zone, (which becomes less comfortable as the years go by!) So again, one might dip their toes into the vast waters of spirituality, and again quickly withdraw when they realize that only by drowning to everything that they know and hold dear can they ever become free.
This holding on and knowing manifests as past and future thoughts. Where there is no past and future, when there is only momentary awareness, there can be no holding on, nor can there be any knowing, because knowing always involves the past. Knowledge is no more than dead computer files, and therefore true creativity can only takes place in that immense momentary awareness that is absent of thought processes. 

So in deep concentration meditation, where thought is absent, true creativity takes place, and great shifts in human consciousness occur. These tremendous shifts can never occur within the material world of thought and memory, nor can they occur in consciousness or perceptions; they can only occur in the absence of such things. This is where one’s destiny changes.

  
So how do we get to this wonderful creativity where we see thing s anew, and there is no past depression or future fear? It all begins and ends with thought, which is what we are all way too familiar with. 

A mistake many meditators make is skipping past Stage 1 and Stage 2 where they become familiar with thought. There is no foundation if a meditator doesn‘t understand his or her thoughts. Instead, they go right into some kind of meditation exercise or another hoping that by doing the exercise mechanically, they will somehow get somewhere. 

Stage 1 and Stage 2 build a solid foundation for future stages. If Stage 1 and Stage 2 are ignored, or if not enough time is spent on them which is getting familiar with the thought processes, then the subsequent stages of meditation may lead to frustration when no progress is made, even over long periods of time. The mind simply cannot penetrate deeply into insight, and remains bogged down in subtle thought processes. Thought and will lead the way, instead of insight, and there is no change. Soon the meditator becomes discouraged.

Instead of letting go, they are trying to achieve, and this is a beginner’s misunderstanding brought about by their conditioning in the world. Therefore the mind has to train itself to let go, especially of thought, which keeps the meditator bound up with material existence. This constant letting go is what meditation is all about.
So what do we let go of? We can start by

letting go of all of our past and future thoughts. But before we let go of them, we must recognize them, which means observing them without getting caught up in the drama of their stories. Because if we get caught up, we are no longer observing from a heightened perspective, we are simply caught, down in the gutter of mechanical thought, memory and perceptions. And then nothing changes. 

Instead of some mechanical exercise where we block our thoughts out . . . let them come! But don’t let them take over. It’s as if you are standing on a freeway overpass observing all the traffic flowing below. You might see a big truck coming (past thought), and as it goes under your perch on the overpass, you jump off the overpass and the into the truck, and go for a ride. Then, as the truck, with you in it, motors away from the overpass (now it’s a future thought as you fit the past pieces together to fabricate the future), you go for a long ride. Even when you realize that you are taking a ride, it seems so important that the future be solved that you refuse to exit the truck and go back to your perch on the overpass above your thoughts. 

But the facts are that the past is never quite what we remember it to be, and the future is always uncertain and almost never happens they way we plan. So we must learn, and train the mind in meditation, to observe these thoughts to such an extent that they dissolve all by themselves simply through the power of our observation. This is not the same as blocking out our thoughts, this is the beginning of understanding our thought processes. Once we fully understand thought, then thought loses its power that it has over us, and then thought can be forgotten about. Once thought is forgotten about, then the mind naturally seeks a deeper direction, and the world, slowly and painlessly, falls away in lieu of something immensely more powerful. So picture yourself on that freeway overpass, and if a thought takes you away, as soon as you remember that you are being mindful of thoughts, climb back on that overpass and remain there as long as you can! 

Stage one is present moment awareness. In this moment, there might be thought, and we are simply aware of that. There is no struggle with this. This is simply choiceless awareness - no striving to get somewhere, no agenda, only observation with no judgment. And only observation of thought is required here in the beginning. No trying hard to quiet thought or concentrate the mind, or to end thought. No stress. Just a calm, passive, neutral mind observing itself. 

The power of this awareness, with practice, will automatically drain thought of all its energy, and then the mind will naturally and peacefully let go of thought. And it will do this again and again until beautiful, relaxing gaps appear between thoughts. 

Stage two -- Silent awareness of the present moment between thoughts: As the mind remembers to watch its thoughts instead of becoming caught up in them, silent periods between the thoughts begin to occur. Then, as the mind discovers the peace and stresslessness of these silent moments, silent moments without conflict, the mind will tire of thought, and when the mind tires of thought, these silent moments will become silent minutes, silent hours. 

At this stage, when the mind begins to be disgusted by the stress of thought, you will notice changes in your life as well. You will begin to become aware of and disgusted by the gross immorality and crudeness of a world that you once believed in so much. As the mind refines itself in meditation, it must refine itself in all aspects of experience as well. 

What you find yourself doing in the world (what you actually are doing, not what you plan to do or would like to do), will begin to be a reflection of your meditation practice, and your meditation practice will become a reflection of what you do in the world. The beautiful attributes of greedlessness, hatelessness, mental balance, tranquility, lightness, flexibility, adaptability, proficiency, uprightness -- all of these will develop hand in hand with your concentration meditation. You will suddenly find yourself treading the Eightfold Path without effort or thinking about it.

Stage Three -- In the silence between thoughts, the mind notices the breath: Once these gaps appear between thoughts, the mind will discover the breath (the body breathing) all by itself without any effort on your part, or without mental initiative. Within the silence between thought, nothing else is going on that is discernable for the mind except physical sensations, and this usually means the physical sensation of the body breathing. You, the “doer,” do not have to direct the mind to the breath. If it is done that way, that is if you direct the mind to the breath, you will remain in first jhana and vitaka, vichara,(applied and sustained thought), which is okay, but both applied and sustained thought must eventually be let go of as well in second jhana, but that is for another lesson!

When the mind is not involved with actively seeking the breath as a meditation object in a certain location such as the nose tip or abdomen, the mind will discover the breath where it finds it naturally, which might be anywhere in the body, or maybe even the entire breath body where the breath is felt throughout. This way, the mind will find that the breath is natural, calm, and that it permeates the body with relaxed energy.
Then, once the mind finds itself focused on this breath, observing it without effort, it will naturally notice each in breath and each out breath. When the mind can notice every in breath and every out breath without one interfering thought that will take it away from the breath, and can do so for close to an hour, the mind will naturally go on to stage four.

Stage Four -- Full sustained attention on the breath: As the mind uninterruptedly concentrates on the in breaths and out breaths for some time, it will begin to discern the various subtleties of the breath, such as the beginning of a breath, the middle and end of the breath, as well as the subtle hesitation between the in and out breaths. It will also discern the quality of the various breaths, their duration and strength.
When the mind can observe these refined points of the breath for perhaps an hour or so without interruption, or without missing one subtlety, the mind the mind will see the breath in a new light; a thing of immense beauty and simplicity, and at this point naturally go on to stage five.

Stage Five -- Full sustained attention on the beautiful breath: Now the mind will cease noticing the various subtleties and parts of the breath and instead simply see the beauty of the breath. Then the breath disappears.

Stage six -- The nimitta appears. When the breath disappears, the beauty of the breath remains, and the mind will translate this beauty into a form that appears in the mind. This representation of beauty is called a “nimitta,” or “sign” which can be different for every meditator. Many times it appears in the mind as a bright light, or maybe a brilliant blue pearl. It can show up in many different forms, but the form will remain constant, however it appears, for each meditator. 

The nimitta only appears in this stage, that is; after the breath disappears. Also, it only appears when the five external senses are completely shut down, as well as all thought  and inner dialogue. 

The nimitta is strange, but powerfully attractive to the mind, and appears as a simple, beautiful object. But, if you begin thinking about the nimitta, or you, the “doer“ somehow becomes involved, then the nimitta will quickly dull or maybe exit the scene completely.
At this stage, the nimitta replaces the breath as a focal point of practice. The mind will do this naturally and automatically as long as you do not interfere. Bhavana, or mind development, involves the absence of a knower. Then there is only the knowing without the involvement of thought and memory. 

In the creative discovery of truth, which is an insight, memory and thought only come into play as an afterthought, recollecting what happened. This is why memory and thought cannot discover truth, they are both dead, past history, or based on history. Only in the moment can true insight occur. The light bulb over your head flashes only in the absence of thought. Reading about dhamma after an insight opens the door to deeper understanding, but reading about dhamma before insight will never deepen understanding, and at best only create an incentive the mind to practice. Thinking and memory attempt to control. That is their function; control, security, and conflict solving. Insight, on the other hand, is all about letting go.

Stage Seven -- First Jhana: The mind will naturally absorb itself into its nimitta, and when this full absorption is undisturbed for some time, one will fall into first jhana.  (Note: the mind will not fall into jhanic states until the nimitta appears, and is absorbed into).Also, the mind will only come out of jhana when it is ready. Therefore, it is important to practice jhanas in a quiet, undisturbed place where the mind will have confidence that it will not be disturbed. 

Once the mind absorbs into its nimitta, and jhana is attained, the effect can last for hours, not only a few minutes, and the mind will remain one-pointed for some time. Deep insight now has the potential to arise wherever the mind directs its attention. The Buddha recommended that the mind, now concentrated by the jhanas, direct itself to specific areas, called the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. These are what the Buddha considered to be the best avenue toward enlightenment. He said that enlightenment cannot be attained simply through the effort of concentration and the attainment of jhanas, but also must be accompanied by insight, or wisdom, which arises from the strength of jhanas which are then directed toward insightful investigation of these Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Jhanas sharpen the sword, so that insight can cut through.


 
An introduction to Jhanas

  
“Right Concentration, (Samma Samadhi) is explicitly defined in the Mahasatipatthana Sutta (Digha Nikaya #22) and in other suttas (for example, Saccavibhanga Sutta - Majjhima Nikaya #141) as Jhanic meditation: 

And what is Right Concentration? Here a monk -- secluded from sense desires, secluded from unwholesome states of mind -- enters and remains in the First Jhana which is filled with rapture and joy born of seclusion accompanied by initial and sustained attention. With the stilling of initial and sustained attention, by gaining inner tranquillity and oneness of mind, he enters and remains in the Second Jhana which is without initial and sustained attention; born of concentration, and is filled with rapture and joy. With the fading away of rapture, remaining imperturbable, mindful, and clearly aware, he enters and remains in the Third Jhana, and of him the Noble Ones declare, "Equanimous and mindful, he has a pleasurable abiding." With the the abandoning of pleasure and pain -- as with the earlier disappearance of elation and distress -- he enters and remains in the Fourth Jhana: which is beyond pleasure and pain; and purified by equanimity and mindfulness. This is called Right Concentration.
Thus the Jhanas are at the very heart of the Buddha's teaching as presented in this important sutta. 

Before he became the Buddha, at the beginning of his spiritual quest, Siddhartha Gautama studied with two teachers. The first teacher taught him the first Seven Jhanas; the other teacher taught him the Eighth Jhana. Both teachers told him they had taught him all there was to learn. But Siddhartha still didn't know why there was suffering, so he left each of these teachers and wound up doing six years of austerity practises. These too did not provide the answer to his question and he abandoned these for what has come to be known as the Middle Way. The suttas indicate that on the night of his Enlightenment, he sat down under the Bodhi Tree and began his meditation by practising the Jhanas (for example, see the Mahasaccaka Sutta - Majjhima Nikaya #36). When his mind was "concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady and attained to imperturbability" he direct it to the "true knowledges" that gave rise to his incredible breakthrough in consciousness known in the sutras as Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi. So we see that the Jhanas are not only at the heart of his teaching, but also were at the heart of his own practise. “

Jhana only arises after nimitta is discerned by the mind, then the mind absorbs into its nimitta and attains first jhana.  Because the mind should not come out of jhana until it is ready, practice should be done in a safe, quiet, place free from disturbance.
The residual effects of the jhanic state will last for a long time, not merely for a few minutes - it can last for hours.

WHAT THEY ARE
The Pali word Jhana is best translated as "meditative absorption state." It is the same as the Sanskrit Dhyana, which derives from Dhayati, meaning to think or meditate. You know what an "absorption state" is -- it's when you get so involved in a TV show or video game or mystery novel that you are surprised when the phone rings and brings you back to reality. The Jhanas are eight altered states of consciousness which can arise during periods of strong concentration. The Jhanas are naturally occurring states of mind, but learning how to enter them at will and how to stay in them takes practice.

HOW TO ENTER THE JHANAS
There is very little actual instruction on how to "do" Jhana practice in the sutras. One probable reason for this is that the Jhanas were a well-known practice among serious spiritual seekers 2500 years ago. Just like today, when giving someone directions to your house, you don't include information on how to start the car, shift gears, etc., so it wasn't considered necessary to explain how to do the Jhanas. Another probable reason is that the Jhanas are best learned in a one-on-one setting with a teacher -- they do not lend themselves to what we call today "book learning." Let us examine each Jhana and how one goes about "doing" them.

Access Concentration

You must have a certain amount of concentration for the first Jhana to arise. This is called Access Concentration. Access concentration has Sila (morality) as a prerequisite. The description of the First Jhana starts "Secluded from sense desires, secluded from unwholesome states of mind...". If you are not leading a morally upright life, you cannot expect to sit down on a little pillow and find yourself "secluded from sense desires, secluded from unwholesome states of mind." If there is not sufficient Sila, there is too much to desire, too much to hate or fear, too much to worry about, etc. We can also deduce that access concentration requires that you be in a physical posture that is both comfortable and alert; otherwise, you will be in a painful posture which will lead to aversion or you will be too sleepy to meditate. 

Access Concentration can be induced in a number of different ways. There are forty different methods of meditation mentioned in the sutras and thirty of these are suitable for gaining entry to the First Jhana (as examples see Laya and Khanika Samadhi below). The First Jhana has five factors and the first two are Vittaka and Vichara. These two words often get translated as something like "thinking and pondering." They do have these meanings in some contexts, but not in the context of the Jhanas. Here they are best translated as "initial and sustained attention to the meditation subject." You put your attention on the meditation subject and you leave it there until access concentration is established. For example, if you have chosen Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) as the meditation method, you put your attention on the breath and you keep your attention on the breath until access concentration is established. How do you know access concentration has been established? It varies for each method. For mindfulness of breathing, the breath becomes very fine, almost undetectable when you have established access concentration. 

Just prior to the threshold of Tranquility, and sometimes in an overlap of early stages and sometimes indistinguishable is a preliminary or early stage called Laya. Laya is a mental state of quietude easily slipped into that occurs usually in the course of spiritual practice. The experience is temporary as the arrest of thoughts return the moment the pressure is released. The stillness comes and goes. The experience is pleasant and can be sought about by `deep concentration' and/or breath regulation. It happens, therefore, with one's own volition. It can be repeated by the practitioner and it can also equally be dropped if it is considerd unnecessary or obstructive to further progress. 'Entering into Laya' can be a clear sign of one's progress --- the danger lies in mistaking it for the final goal of spiritual practice and being thus deceived. See also Gedo.
Khanika Samadhi

Another approach, albeit at the other end of the meditation ladder than Laya, thus considered somewhat more difficult for the novitiate, is momentary concentration, or Khanika Samadhi (sequential momentary deep concentration). It occurs only at the moment of noting and, in the case of Vipassana, not on a fixed object as Samatha-Jhana meditation but on changing objects or phenomena that occur in the mind and body. But when the Vipassana Meditator develops strength and skill in noting, his Khanika concentration occurs uninterruptedly in a series without a break. This concentration, when it occurs from moment to moment without a break, becomes so powerful that it can overcome The Five Hindrances, thus bringing about purification of mind (citta visuddhi) which can enable a meditator to attain all the insight knowledges up to the level of Arahat.


JHANA OR DHYANA WITH FORM (rupa jhana -- first four Jhanas):

Absorption in supporting content (similar to Patanjali's samprajnata samadhi):
APAYA ABODES: The Nine Abodes of Living Beings:
The realms of the heavenly beings, the human realm, and the realms of destitution (apaya) are classed as the sensual realm, the abode of living beings who indulge in sensuality. Taken together, they count as one. The Realms of Form, the abodes of living beings who have attained rupa jhana count as four. The Realms of Formlessness, the abodes of living beings who have attained arupa jhana, are also four. So altogether there are nine abodes for living beings. Arahats -- who are wise to the Nine Abodes -- leave them and don't have to live in any of them.
First Jhana

Once Access Concentration has been established with applied and sustained thought toward your meditation object, you now induce the next factor of the First Jhana. This third factor is called Piti and is variously translated as delight, euphoria, rapture and ecstasy. By shifting your attention from the meditation subject to a pleasant sensation, particularly a pleasant physical sensation, and doing nothing more than not becoming distracted from the pleasant sensation, you will "automatically" enter the First Jhana. The experience is that the pleasant sensation grows in intensity until it explodes into an unmistakable state of ecstasy. This is Piti, which is primarily a physical experience. This physical feeling can manifest as the hair rising on the body, a floating sensation, a feeling of being washed over, a feeling of expansion, or a feeling of jolts of electricity hitting the body.  

Physical pleasure this intense is accompanied by emotional pleasure, and this emotional pleasure is Sukha (joy) which is the fourth factor of the First Jhana. The last factor of the first Jhana is Ekaggata (one-pointedness of mind). Like Sukha, this factor arises without you doing anything, and as long as you remain totally focused on the physical and emotional pleasure, you will remain in the first Jhana.
As far as I have been able to determine, based on my own experience, the entry into the first Jhana from a physiological perspective proceeds something like this:
You quiet your mind with the initial and sustained attention to the meditation subject. I suspect that brain wave activity shows a noticeable decrease during Access Concentration. 

By shifting your attention to a pleasant sensation, you set up a positive reinforcement feedback loop within your quiet mind. For example, one of the most useful pleasant sensations to focus on is a smile. The act of smiling generates endorphins, which make you feel good, which makes you smile more, which generates more endorphins, etc. 

The final and most difficult part of entering the First Jhana is to not do anything but observe the pleasure. Any attempt to increase the pleasure, even any thoughts of wanting to increase the pleasure, interrupt the feedback loop and drop you into a less quiet state of mind. But by doing nothing but focusing intently on the pleasure, you are propelled into an unmistakably altered state of consciousness.
See also: Mara

Second Jhana

The second Jhana has three factors which are the same as the last three factors of the First Jhana. The initial and sustained attention to the meditation subject are no longer part of the process. You shift from the first to the Second Jhana by shifting your attention from the physical pleasure to the emotional pleasure -- from the Piti to the Sukha. This has the effect of pushing the physical pleasure into the background and also of greatly calming the mind. The First Jhana is a very intense, agitated state, the Second Jhana is much more soothing. The last factor of the Second Jhana is once again one-pointedness of mind, as it is for all the Jhanas. 

Third Jhana

The Third Jhana has two factors. You shift from the second to the third by letting go of the physical pleasure and changing the emotional pleasure from joy to contentment, almost like turning down the volume control on your emotional pleasure. The Second Jhana has an upwelling quality to it as the joy seems to flow through you; the Third Jhana is much more of a motionless, quiet contentment. The one-pointedness of mind remains as the other factor.

Fourth Jhana

The transition to the Fourth Jhana from the third takes a bit more effort and bit more letting go than any of the previous transitions. The contentment of the Third Jhana is still a positive state of mind. This contentment is refined into a very equanimous, quiet, stillness. There is no positive or negative feeling in either mind or body. There is just an all pervading, deep peacefulness, with of course, one-pointedness.
The first four Jhanas are called the Fine Material Jhanas. Intense pleasure, joy, contentment and stillness are all states we are familiar with in our normal, everyday lives. But the quality and intensity of these factors as experienced in the Jhanas is more sublime than we normally experience, thus they are called the Fine Material Jhanas. The next four Jhanas are called the Immaterial Jhanas because they are not like anything we normally experience. Each of these Jhanas has two factors -- the first factor serves as the name of the Jhana, the second factor is one-pointedness.

JHANA OR DHYANA WITHOUT FORM (arupa jhana):

Absorption without form, leading to increasing rarefaction or incorporeality
(similar to Patanjali's asamprajnata samadhi):

Fifth Jhana

The Fifth Jhana is called "The Base of Infinite Space". Please remember that these are just names for experiences the likes of which we are not familiar with. It just feels like infinite space -- it doesn't necessarily mean we are able to experience all the space in the universe. According to the sutras, you enter the Fifth Jhana by "not giving attention to diversity". This isn't much detail, but then there is very little "how to" detail about any of the Jhanas. Many people enter the Fifth Jhana by shifting their attention from the primary factor of the previous Jhana to the boundaries of their being. They then start to mentally push these boundaries outward. If you can continue to focus on imagining your boundaries growing ever larger so that you fill the room, the building, the neighborhood, the city, etc., you will eventually experience a sudden shift and find your self in a huge expanse of empty space. The first time entry into "The Base of Infinite Space" is often quite dramatic. You seem to be observing an incredibly large, empty expanse of space. It can feel like walking up to the edge of the Grand Canyon and looking over, but there is no other side and no bottom. 

Sixth Jhana

The Sixth Jhana is called "The Base of Infinite Consciousness". It has been mistaken for achieving oneness with all consciousness. It can be entered from the Fifth Jhana by realizing that in order to "gaze" at an infinite spaceousness, you must have an infinite consciousness, and then shifting your attention to that consciousness. This is a fairly subtle shift, but like the transition from each of the Jhanas to the next higher Jhana, there is an increase in concentration. 

Seventh Jhana

The Seventh Jhana is called "The Base of No-thingness". It has been mistaken for Sunyata (Emptiness). It can be entered from the Sixth Jhana by shifting your attention from the infinite consciousness to the content of that consciousness. It is not surprising that the content of infinite consciousness is empty since that infinite consciousness was entered from infinite space which has no perception of diversity. See also Ken-Chu-Shi.

Eighth Jhana

The Eighth Jhana is called "The Base of Neither Perception nor Non-perception". It is quite difficult to discuss because there is very little to discuss. Perception is a translation of the word Sanna which refers to the categorizing, naming function of the mind. Hence in this state there is very little recognition of what's happening, yet one is also not totally unaware of what's happening. It is a very peaceful, restful state and has the ability to recharge a tired mind. It is entered from the Seventh Jhana by letting go of all the outward, infinite expanse and coming to rest in what seems to be a very natural calm quiet place. The mind seems to know a lot more about how to find this space than can be verbalized.

Again, all of these Jhanas are naturally occurring states of mind. It is simply necessary to set up the proper conditions for the Jhana to arise, then do nothing and the mind will find its own way into the heart of the Jhana. Each of these Jhanas requires more concentration to enter than its predecessor. Each of these Jhanas results in a more concentrated mind than its predecessor. This concentration is the main reason for the importance of the Jhanas. With a superbly concentrated mind, you can see much more deeply into the nature of things as they are. Because the ego has to become very quiet to "do" the Jhanas, after "doing" them, you see things from a much less egocentric perspective. This is why Jhana practice is sometimes referred to as "sharpening Manjushri's sword"; once the sword is sharp, once the mind is concentrated, it is much easier to cut through the bonds of ignorance (Manjushri is the Tibetan Bodhisattva of Wisdom. He is usually pictured with a sword in his right hand which is used to cut thru the bonds of ignorance). 

From the above discussion, we can more fully understand the Buddha's teaching of Sila, Samadhi Panna , -- morality, concentration, wisdom. You clean up your act so that when you sit down to meditate, you can fully concentrate. You use the Jhanas to concentrate your mind as strongly as you are able. You then begin wielding Manjushri's sword by doing an insight practice that enables you to gain wisdom by seeing things as they really are rather than by seeing things from your usual egocentric perspective. 

CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING THE PRACTICE OF THE JHANAS

Since the time of the Buddha, attitudes towards the Jhanas have varied greatly. There is strong evidence in the Suttas that quite early on there were at least two schools of thought. One approach emphasized insight practice almost exclusively, feeling that since insight gives rise to the wisdom necessary for enlightenment, this was what was more important. An excellent example of a sutra reflecting this approach is the Sammaditthi Sutra (Majjhima Nikaya #9). Here Sariputta gives a beautiful discourse on Right View. He discussed 16 important topics and ends each topic by saying "When a noble disciple has thus understood [the topic], he uproots the underlying tendency to greed, hatred, the 'I am' conceit and ignorance, and arousing true knowledge he here and now makes an end of suffering." Here enlightenment is achieved solely through insights; the Jhanas are not even mentioned.
 
Another school of thought gave considerable importance to the Jhanas. Those using this approach practiced the Jhanas so deeply that they developed what is called in Sanskrit Siddhi, that is, supernatural powers. These Siddhis, such as the divine ear (telepathy), being in two places at once, (bi-location), remembering past lives, etc., may be seen as phenomena in which the person is tapping into the "collective unconscious." This approach to Enlightenment can be found in the Kevatta Sutra. The Buddha first teaches morality and then the Jhanas. From the concentration resulting from the Jhanas, "one applies and directs the mind" to the attainment of these Siddhis. Enlightenment is attained in exactly the same way as the divine ear; there is no discussion of insights other than "knowing and seeing". This "formula" appears in each of these eleven suttas in almost exactly the same way -- something to be expected in an oral tradition -- but which means that we cannot be sure of what was originally in the sutra before the formula was inserted. Insight is barely mentioned in this method. Here Enlightenment is achieved through developing paranormal powers. We can assume that Enlightenment arises in one who has developed sufficent intimate contact with the collective unconscious that one can no longer concieve of himself as a separate entity.
 
The Culasaropama Sutra (Majjhima Nikaya #30) in addition to being an excellent teaching on the dangers of spiritual materialism, also refers to the Jhanas. However, it shows signs that suggest the text has been altered. Its beautiful mathematical harmony of the sutra suddenly breaks down in section 12 with a discussion of the Jhanas. The Jhanas are a concentration practice and concentration has already been stated in section 10 to be a lesser state than knowledge and vision. But when the Jhanas are introduced in section 12, they are said to be "higher and more sublime than knowledge and vision." The inclusion of the Jhanas here actually makes the sutta self-contradictory. It also contradicts other pro-Jhana sutras. The formulation of the eight Jhanas is the standard "short" one, (similiar to what is found in the Mahasatipatthana Sutta) but with the addition of a last sentence in each of the paragraphs: "This [too] is a state higher and more sublime than knowledge and vision." This sentence directly contradicts the last sentence of section 84 of the Samannaphala Sutta (Digha Nikaya #2). In the previous paragraph of the Samannaphala Sutta, the recluse directs the concentrated, pure, bright mind resulting from the fourth Jhana towards knowledge and vision. The understanding gained "is a visible fruit of recluseship more excellent and sublime than the previous ones". Many other suttas show signs of this type of tampering and we are left today with the task of puzzling out the original teaching.

CONCLUSION

The effects of this multi-millennium old debate still affect us today, not only in not knowing what the original suttas looked like, but also in understanding the role of the Jhanas.

The Jhanas are sometimes considered a dangerous practice because they are not an Insight Practice. The primary factor of the first Jhana is Piti and Piti is mentioned as a corruption of insight in the commentaries (see, for example, the Visuddhimagga). This has been taken to mean that Piti is bad, when all that is meant is that Piti should not be mistaken for a non-mundane state.

Theravadan Buddhism in the West has primarily come down from the Mahasi Sayadaw tradition in Burma and this tradition is a "dry insight" (non-Jhanic) tradition. Thus the Jhanas are seldom mentioned, let alone taught, in Western Theravadan Buddhist teaching.

The Jhanas are also difficult to teach. Not everyone has a temperament suited to concentration practice. Even for those who find concentration easy, the Jhanas require a long silent retreat setting for learning. Far from being "secluded from unwholesome states of mind," people who wish to learn the Jhanas are immediately thrust INTO the state of desiring something. Finally, as mentioned above, the Jhanas do not lend themselves to "book learning"; you really need one-on-one, immediate feedback from a teacher in order to aim your mind in the correct direction. The Jhanas are natural states on mind, but the lives we lead here at the close of the 20th century are so filled that it is difficult to find the quiet, natural mind.

The Jhanas are states of concentration. How to do them was common knowledge at the time of the Buddha. He practiced them, and it is clear from the suttas that they comprise right concentration. We are left with the task of fitting the Jhanas into our present spiritual practises. Perhaps between the extremes of ignoring them completely and practising them to excess, lies the middle way of using them as a tool to sharpen the mind for Insight Practice.” 

At the conclusion of jhanas there is pure citta or mind, but this is not Nibbana. Pure citta belongs to beginnings and endings. But pure citta can “know” Nibbana, which has no beginnings nor endings. Only with further wisdom practice can the pure citta, refined by the jhanas, attain the deathless, and enlightenment.This is the end of “self.”

The Buddha said, “”Whenever there is no “you,” at such moments (when you see, just see, and the so called ’you’ will no longer exist), ’you’ will neither exist in this realm, next realm, nor between realms. That is the end of suffering.” (The Bahiya sutta). 

Walking Meditation

Method one: Mark out a path about 2 paces or steps wide (about five feet) and about twenty-five paces long (about fifty feet), and east to west if possible. Begin at one end of the path with your right foot and walk at a normal pace. Focus your awareness. Don’t allow the mind to wander. Know at all times where you are on the path -- at the middle, at the east end, at the west end. Use the mantra “Buddho,” which means "awake" in conjunction with your walking: Say, “Boooooooo“ with the right foot extending the syllable as long as your step, and “Dooooooe“ with the left foot, again extending the syllable for the entire step. If you are unable to remain focused, and absent of intervening thoughts with this method, and also lose track of where you are on the path, then you might consider using method two, which appears complicated but is quite easy with a few minutes of practice. The second method is a practice of awareness of how the mind takes no discursive action without intention.    

Method two: Begin with your right foot. Slowly lift it and say “toe“ as your right toes push off. Then slowly swing the foot as you walk, and say, “swing.” Then as the foot slowly touches down at the end of the step, say “Heel, as the heel touches the ground, and then “toe,” as the toes touch the ground. Repeat this for the left foot and then all the way down the path, focusing on the sensations of the various parts of the foot moving and touching the ground.

As you near the end of the path, and as soon as the  mind notices that it will have to stop at the end, and makes that determination to do so, slowly say, “I want to stop, I want to stop, I want to stop.”

When you come to the end of the path and actually do stop, stand there and slowly say, “standing, standing, standing.”

Then stand there and let the mind calm down until an impulse arises to turn around. The moment that you notice this determination in the mind to turn, say slowly,  “I want to turn, I want to turn, I want to turn.”

Then slowly turn , keeping your right heel on the ground and pivoting on it as you make three thirty degree turns, saying,” I am turning, I am turning, I am turning.” 

Stand there quietly for as moment facing down the path until the mind determines that it wants to walk again. As soon as you detect the mind creating this desire, say,“ I want to walk, I want to walk, I want to walk.”

Then begin with the right foot and repeat the above steps.

WISDOM

Insight wisdom occurs when the concentrated mind impassively observes matter or mind at the present moment, and then mindfulness will remember that experience. If this attention is without restraint, then it will be firm, and the insight will reveal that the mind or matter is impermanent, subject to suffering, and not self. Mindfulness itself cannot bring about insight; concentration, however, can bring on insight, and mindfulness can then remember it.

Mindfulness of matter: Mindfulness of matter will be firm (able to fully and easily comprehend the Three Characteristics of the matter) only when it is one pointed as a result of concentration. If consciousness is not concentrated and flows into the matter, or gazes and clings to it, it will not be able to discern the three characteristics.

Not only must one refrain from gazing but one must also refrain from applying thoughts to matter and avoid the cognition process. For example; one need not think that this walking matter is matter, and not a self, that this matter when sitting or lying is impure and loathsome or that sooner or later this matter will die, etc. because then we are into thee thought process, and thought conceals realities. When a thought comes to mind, consciousness will escape from mindfulness on matter, which is an ultimate truth, and conceive the thought about matter, which is a conventional truth. Then, consciousness at that moment cannot develop insight at all.

One must be mindful of matter that exists at this present moment and must disregard matter in the past when overcome by perception, and in the future when overcome by mental formation.  

Mindfulness on matter must unintentionally and automatically arise by reason of having strong perception of the condition of that matter. After becoming aware of any matter, if any joy or aversion arises, consciousness should recollect that feeling because because the first matter already disappeared. Joy or aversion then becomes the object of consciousness at the present moment. When the biased feeling vanishes, consciousness may then again pay attention to the matter, or go on to other objects of consciousness.

If mindfulness on the biased feeling toward matter does not arise, consciousness will not remain neutral and may absentmindedly think about the matter or other matters, or may ignorantly intervene  and adjust the matter or the mind that accompanies the matter, which are contrary to the principles of insight development, which is to recollect mind and matter as they truly are.

When consciousness is firm, neutral, and mindfulness on matter that exists at the moment is unintentional, it will instantly see that matter is transient, (moving and changing all the time), is suffering and painful at all times, and is only a composition of elements or part of the world, not an animal, human being or self at all.

Mindfulness on mind: Mindfulness on mind will be successful; that is it will be able to comprehend the Three Characteristics easily and clearly, only when mindfulness unintentionally recollects the Mind that disappeared just a moment before. Therefore, do not attempt to keep alert before recollection of mind arises. Additionally, do not attempt to grasp the present object of consciousness because mindfulness of mind is recollection of the preceding object of consciousness. That is to say, an object of consciousness arises first. Then mindfulness recollects the object of consciousness a moment later. As consciousness has a clear perception of the object of consciousness, mindfulness can recollect the object automatically when the object arises.

When an object of consciousness arises and mindfulness recollects it, do not plunge into it and gaze at it with a will to comprehend it clearly. Simply recollect it with firm consciousness and neutrality. Recollect it as an outsider who has no gain or loss in it. If consciousness plunges into the object of consciousness, the object of consciousness may escape by moving inwards deeply or might hold still, but not disappear. In that situation, consciousness will not be able to discern that mind has the three Characteristics as well. For example, seeing that consciousness never disappears, it will not comprehend that mind is impermanent. In other cases, consciousness may, on seeing that mind disappears, misunderstand that mind is a self because it can cease mind by gazing at mind.

On recollecting any mind, if pleasure of displeasure arises, mindfulness should recollect that feeling because the first mind, which is the first recollected object of consciousness, already disappeared; and pleasure or displeasure, which is new mind, is the object of consciousness at the present moment. If mindfulness fails to recollect pleasure and displeasure, consciousness will not remain neutral, and will ignorantly follow the object of consciousness or may ignorantly interfere with or adjust the mind, which is contrary to the principle of insight development; that consciousness should be mindful on matter snd mind as they truly are.

When consciousness is neutral, and mindfulness unintentionally recollects an object of consciousness that vanished just a moment before, insight will instantly flash through the mind that Mind rises and falls, changes from moment to moment, and is uncontrollable and not self.

When consciousness sees mindfulness reflecting, rather than the object of reflection, that is insight. Mindfulness is thus unstable. Consciousness is thus not self, and subject to the Three Characteristics.

Mindfulness of matter refers to firm and neutral consciousness, while mindfulness of mind refers to only neutral consciousness. But there is one kind of Mind (feeling) that requires a higher level of concentration than other kinds of mind, particularly bodily feeling, that is bodily pleasure or pain, because it is rough  and fixedly attached to the body. If the mind is not concentrated enough, it might be distracted when th physical feeling is intense. Therefore, contemplation of feeling is also suitable for meditation practitioners, like contemplation of the body.

In any event, the term “firm consciousness” for contemplation of the body and contemplation of feeling does not mean that consciousness must be so steadfast that it gets stiff because stiff consciousness is immoral. It only means that one should me mindful on the existence of consciousness, which is separate from feeling and matter.

  The “I” thought is the knower. Concentrating on it freezes it as an object that is known, but the knower slips away and goes deeper. There is no permanent knower, just a series of consciousnesses that arise and pass one after the other rapidly and repeatedly.

Practice with the presence of a knower can be achieved up until non-returner status, and at the stage of development of mindfulness and insight on the path of holiness. The knower is still firm and immanent. At this point consciousness will lose interest in all other objects and direct its attention to the knower because it is so pure and  tranquil. This happens until mindfulness and clear comprehension are really perfected. At that moment, it will penetrate the Three Characteristics of Existence with a deep mental impression and relinquish attachment to consciousness and the knower. This is the end of study in Buddhism. After that a new consciousness will arise that is referred to as functional consciousness. It is not concentrated and eminent as a knower anymore, but permeates through the whole world.

For insight development through mindfulness of mind, particularly consciousness, consciousness need not be firm, only neutral. Consciousness of mind must be concentrated, but only momentarily before it vanishes. It need not be fixed continuously for long periods of time because mental factors such as greed, anger and delusion exist for only a very short period.  Therefore one practicing insight development through mindfulness on mind (except feeling), as an object of consciousness can practice mindfulness on mind directly without having to practice absorption (jhana) for one pointed consciousness or a knower first.      
Disclaimer: On the other hand, I do not mean that one must practice mindfulness on an object of consciousness continuously without tranquilization at all. If possible, one should practice meditation from time to time for a rest. After regaining strength, one should comfortably resume mindfulness on changes of mind-objects. If consciousness is mindful on an object of consciousness and has any reaction to that object, mindfulness should be able to recollect the reaction automatically. Then, it will perceive the Three Characteristics of both Mind and all mind objects.

Self first separates into matter and mind, and then further separates into feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness.- and eye, ear, etc. and earth elements.

ANATTA IS A PRIMARY AND  PRELIMINARY FACT IN TRAINING IN WISDOM. 

After matter and mind are dissipated, mindfulness will note that each matter and mind perform their own functions, including rising, falling and changing at all times. For examples, it will notice inhaling and exhaling, sitting and standing, moving, sitting still, etc. Alternatively, mindfulness will comprehend that deluded consciousness arises and vanishes, then there is a little space between them and another consciousness arises to recollect the absence of mind a moment before. All these lead to insight into the risiing, falling and changing of matter and mind which is the beginning point of disillusionment of the wrong view of matter and mind as an animal, human being, a self, and liberation from clinging to matter and mind will follow. 

Realizing the insubstantiality of body and mind might induce dread. These are insight practitioner‘s feelings. One could stall here for a  long time - the truth of unsubstantial nature. Eventually, however, this will pass as the practitioner sees that the dread itself is unsubstantial and passes. One who practices insight up to this level will feel unshaken when touched by worldly troubles. However, neutrality at this point is still uncertain. Some may be able to sustain neutrality and some not. Some may get bogged down and others advance in leaps and bounds.

STREAM ENTRY

There are four stages of sainthood in Buddhism, or four “Paths and Fruitions.”

Sotapanna A Sotapanna is a seven times returner, and has overcome the following three fetters:

Sakkāya-diṭṭhi: Belief in self: Identity view - The speculative view that a so-called self exists in the five aggregates (physical forms, feelings/sensations, perception, mental formations and consciousness) is eradicated because the Sotapanna gains insight into the selfless nature of the aggregates.

Vicikicchā: Skeptical doubt: Skeptical Doubt - Doubt about the Buddha and his teaching is eradicated because the Sotapanna personally experiences the true nature of reality through insight, and this insight confirms the accuracy of the Buddha’s teaching.
 
Sīlabbata-parāmāsa: Attachment to rites and rituals:  Clinging to rites and rituals - Clinging to the view that one becomes pure simply through performing ritual or rigid moralism, such as praying to God for deliverance, slaughtering animals for sacrifice, ablutions, etc. is eradicated because the Sotapanna realizes that rites and ritual are nothing more than an obstructive tradition, repetitious rites and dead dogmas; Deliverance can be won only through the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path.



Sakadagami A Sakadagami is a once returner, and has conquered the above three fetters, plus has significantly weakened the following two:
Kāma-rāga: Sensuous craving
Byāpāda: Ill will

Anāgāmi An Anagami is a none returner and has completely conquered the above five fetters. But has still to conquer the last five fetters below.

Arahant An Arahant has completely conquered the above five fetters, as well as conquering the five fetters below.
Rūpa-rāga: Craving for fine-material existence (the first 4 jhanas)
Arūpa-rāga: Craving for immaterial existence (the last 4 jhanas)
Māna: Conceit
Uddhacca: Restlessness
Avijjā: Ignorance

The “Eye of Truth.” is when consciousness is neutral to all conditioned states, and mindfulness and wisdom are culminated.  The practitioner will progress in leaps and bounds in Dhamma, that is, he or she will attain the eye of truth. Consciousness will automatically attain full concentration and an insight-examination process will take place that takes seven thought moments. Consciousness will admit and realize the truth that by nature, body and mind are impermanent, painful, and not-self. Consciousness, upon finding ultimate truth of nothingness, takes a sincere refuge in Buddha Dhamma and Sangha. This is stream entry.

As training in wisdom progresses, consciousness will comprehend the truths in the latter part of the Dependent Origination, and more often in the order of: Dependent on mind and matter arises the sense bases, arises contact, feeling, craving, clinging, becoming, birth, suffering. Craving, and then clinging to a sense object oppresses consciousness into a self. Consciousness free from craving and clinging does not suffer.

There is an insight into the truth that this mind and matter exists momentarily. The presence of matter and mind causes existence of eyes, etc., which are sense organs. If there were only matter or only mind, the sense organs cannot function. Both mind and matter must wexist for the sense organs to function. As for consciousness, it is mind that can function even without matter. when the sense organs contact sense objects, pleasure, suffering or indifference arises. Then, sensual craving, craving for existence, and craving for non-existence will arise. When craving arises, consciousness will cling to the sense object and a  mental process will take place thereby oppressing consciousness, which is misperceived as a self, resulting in stress and suffering.

One who has undergone wisdom training to this stage will begin to realize the truth that if consciousness is unwavering and free from craving and clinging, it will not suffer. On the other hand, if it wavers with craving and clinging, it will suffer. Consequently, consciousness will cease in seeking external objects of consciousness. There is no wavering even internally to seek kamadhamma, (Dhamma of the sensual sphere) or thinking of sensual pleasure. Consciousness will automatically be firm and eminent. It will simply act as a knower or an observer, not a seeker of sensuality. Coarse suffering will permanently vanish. Consciousness will be tranquil and blissful in itself such that some may be content with attainment at this level. They may not want to study matter and mind anymore because training is burdensome, to consciousness as well.

After practicing insight development to this stage, consciousness will enjoy a high level of joy within itself and without having to be satisfied by external sensual pleasure.  The existence of this joy is beyond imagination for most human beings. The joyful feeling after renunciation of sensual craving is so overwhelming that the joyful consciousness can permeate through the body to every hair end. It is like a shower with refreshingly cold water during hot weather.

After development to this stage, consciousness will limit its scope of learning to consciousness, or the “knower.” It will comprehend that consciousness, or the knower, is firm and pleasurable, but is not one’s self. Nor does it belong to one. Then, consciousness will subsequently gain intuitive insight into the first part of dependent origination, but will clearly comprehend it in reverse order; or dependent Extinction, realizing that with clear comprehension of the Four Noble Truths, striving to form a conditioned state will not arise. As conditioned state does not arise, consciousness will not hold to mind and matter. And as such, mind and matter will not exist or will not be grasped to burden and oppress the mind anymore. Consciousness loses interest in the knower and knowing. Consciousness itself is the knower, and therefore not self, not permanent. Mind and matter are let go of by consciousness.

This is to explain that in the past, consciousness felt that the “knower” was a good and miraculous thing, and took it as a secure refuge. However, when wisdom through insight development is culminated, keen insight into the Four Noble Truths will flash forth. It will realize the five aggregates, including consciousness or the knower, are impermanent, painful, and not-self. (Insight into the Three Characteristics through comprehension of only one of the characteristics can relinquish attachment to consciousness).

After realizing the truth, striving to condition any natural phenomena to a state that is against the law of nature, i.e. striving to make the aggregates happy, and the ego will cease. Consciousness will no longer hold to mind and matter, nor pick up them up to burden and oppress consciousness any more. Nor will mind and matter be formed in a new process of becoming. After insight development to the point of enlightenment, with intuition of the four Noble Truths and clear comprehension of suffering, consciousness will abandon the aggregates. It will be detached from the aggregates and liberated from cankers (asava) that confine and conceal consciousness like a chick forcing its way out of th eggshell.
  
When consciousness abandons the aggregates, this is the end of the study of Buddhism. Functional consciousness then takes over. Rebirth and existence have ceased. Fulfilled in the holy life. The remaining lifetime is truly miraculous because the aggregates still perform their functions, but consciousness is independent of th aggregates.Ther is no more opppresion of consciousness. Although it continues to perform its various functions, i.e. perception and mental formation, it feels that nothing is done. Every function is purely an action. Consciousness enjoys immense happiness that is far beyond thought and imagination. It is a kind of happiness that is free, transparent, light, clean, and clear, boundless, more spacious than the sky an air and more blissful than the most blissful. This type of consciousness is what the higher doctrine (Adhidhamma) refers to as “functional consciousness.“ Ajahn Mun called it “Thitticitta, meaning abode of consciousness. Luangpu Doon referred to it as “One Mind” Meaning sole consciousness. Luangpu Tes referred to it as “heart.” Ajahn Buddhadasa referred to it as “Original Consciousnessand Luangpu Buddha referred to it as “One consciousness.” The reason is that it will be one forever and never two again. That is to say, it will never again be deluded to the perception of pairs e.g. pleasure/pain, good/evil, etc.

At the moment that consciousness is liberated from the cankers (sensuality, ignorance, craving for form, craving for none form) which have confined it, and gets free, the “One Consciousness” will realize Nibbana, which is the “One Dhamma.”Nibbana is a condition that is pure, clean, flawless, immaculate, void, formless, boundless, sublimely tranquil and immortal. The consciousness that penetrates Nibbana will be overwhelmed with immense happiness. To compare sensual pleasure and tranquility from absorptions (Jhanas) with the happiness from realization of Nibbana, the disguisable characteristics are that the sensual pleasure which human beings are familiar with is a kind that is  confined to consciousness at the chest and tranquility from absorption is pleasant sand permeating through every pore, where the tranquility of Nibbana is overwhelming to the sky and air and boundless. No molecule can escape the permeation of that feeling.

The happiness from the realization of Nibbanais attained through several approaches. Common to all noble individuals is realization of Nibbana at the moment of realizing the path and fruition, but that happens within a very short period of time. Consciousness belonging to the path at each level exists for only one thought moment and consciousness belonging to fruition lasts only a few thought moments. In addition, consciousness will be able to fully penetrate Nibbana only by consciousness belonging to fruition because there is no further task to be accomplished. Consciousness belonging to fruition is super mundane consciousness. During the moment of insight that consciousness belonging to the path flashes forth, consciousness must perform the function of eradicating the subtle defilements. Thus, the super mundane consciousness still has a task to accomplish. It is not idle to fully permeate and appreciate the tranquility of Nibbana as it does during the moments of consciousness belonging to fruition.

There are some other approaches to realization of Nibbana that are general to noble individuals, I.e., attainment of fruition. The attainment of fruition is supermundane, i.e. full concentration applying Nibbana as an object of consciousness and causing consciousness belonging to fruition to recur inumerable times, not only a few at the moments of attainment to fruition at each stage.

Attainment of fruition requires two constants, namely; 1. Consciousness at that moment is fully concentrated, and 2. Nibbana is the object of consciousness.

Hence, worldlings cannot attain fruition despite skills in full concentration because they have never realized it before. For the Noble Ones, although they may not have practiced full concentration before, they will somehow be able to attain it because at the moments of attaining the path and the fruition, consciousness is fully concentrated in one of the absorptions automatically. Thus, it will not be to difficult for  Noble to attain that absorption again later because consciousness has experienced it before.

In any event, this does not mean that all Nobles are equally skillful in the attainment of fruition because to attain fruition the object of consciousness is Nibbana. Nobles at lower levels gave realized it for only a few moments, and thus their attainment of fruition is more difficult than that of Nobles of higher levels. Usually, they will have to begin from mindfulness on Matter and Mind until consciousness abandons matter and mind and penetrates Nibbana, whereas the Nobles of higher levels who are more acquainted with Nibbana can attain Nibbana at once by reelecting on it. However, another important point is that Nobles who review Nibbana so often that they are skilled in reviewing Nibbana, will be able to attain it clearly and immediately upon reflection. These Noble persons can attain fruition more proficiently than those who hardly review  Nibbana.

  The process of attainment of fruition for a Noble unskilled in attainment of Nibbana starts from mindfulness on matter and mind, and for the skilled Noble One, from reflection on it. At one point of time, consciousness will be fully concentrated from the first absorption and above. Then, conforming consciousness will arise to end the super mundane consciousness ie. consciousness of matter and mind. Conforming consciousness will recur for three thought moments for a quickly enlightened one, and four thought moments for a slowly enlightened one. After that, consciousness belonging to fruition will recur innumerable times until it time to retreat from the attainment. Then the life-continuum consciousness will arise to disrupt the process of attainment of fruition. This is a retreat from attainment of fruition.

With regard to Nibbana, after the segregation of the aggregates, it is a matter that is irrelevant to and unimaginable by the wordlings.  Anytime that they think about it, they are quite extreme in their conviction of either externalism i.e. the vision that the aggregates are still in existence after attainment of Nibbana, or annihilationism, i.e. vision that after the moment of Nibbana, everything will vanish. For this reason, I will not mention it now to avoid a debate on theoretical philosophy.

As a matter of fact, consciousness of human beings and animals sneaks out to cling to an object of consciousness at all times, like timber immersed in water. As a result, consciousness is ignorantly shaken and biased by the object of consciousness. Only through the study of the doctrine of Buddhism, mindfulness on natural conditions is developed, it will feel that an object of consciousness is one thing and consciousness another. It likes seeing that the body , feeling, and perception (mental formations), perform their functions with greed, anger and ignorance, while another kind of nature is present, seeing that changing of those natural phenomena. It will realze that sometimes the knowing nature is separate from the known object, sometimes the knowing nature flows into and blends with the known object. After studying to this level, some may doubt whether they should recollect the object of consciousness that exists in the middle of the chest as a small mass or a big mass, sometimes heavy , sometimes slight, sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes good, sometimes evil, or whether they should recollect the nature of awareness that seems to be floating at head level. Concerning this issue, please note that when it is mindful on anything, just observe it. Do not intentionally recollect either of the two because our aim is not to achieve anything at all.

With keener insight through steady practice, consciousness will note that it is grasped and oppressed at all times, thereby causing endless suffering.

Through further practice to the effect that mindfulness automaticall recollects natural phenomena, consciousness will realize that right at the moment of waking up, the first job that it  does is grasping the mind for studying and reflecting and that consciousness is oppressed all the times. It will discover that it readily and easily grasps the mind, but it does not know how to put it down. 



After developing insight to perfection, I.e. intuitive knowledge of the three Characteristics of consciousness, the mind will have clear and thorough comprehension of suffering because consciousness is the last suffering to put down. Then, it will realize that it lays down the mass of suffering in the middle of the chest and simultaneously discards the nature of consciousness that is present above. At this moment, the mind is set free because it does not cling to anything at all. It will penetrate the immense tranquility of Nibbana and complete the study of Buddhism at this point. That is the perfection of insight into the Noble Paths.

After finishing the study of Buddhism with the keenest insight of the Noble Paths, the remaining life in this world will resemble that of a lotus untainted by water. The eyes, etc., will function exactly in the same way as those of human beings and animals in bewaring of the sense objects at the six sense organs, but these sense objects will be only something moving in empty  space. Nothing will ever contact them, which would otherwise cause mental suffering again, because consciousness that holds on to the suffering has already been abandoned.

After having completed the Three Studies, consciousness will be liberated from the whole mass of suffering, I.e. from the aggregates, but  the aggregates are still impermanent, painful, not-self as always. Thus, bodily pain arises, buut mental suffering is gone forever. No matter how joyful consciousness is, the mind will not cling to it. It will live with such joy as a lotus untainted by water, as aforesaid. At this point death is not favorable, but being alive is not pleasurable either. Simply live a life in peace, like a worker who sits leisurely after finishing his  work and waits for his wages, namely; the extinction of the aggregates that constitute a whole mass of suffering.

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