- How Does Buddhism Help Us Accept Mortality?
One aim of Buddhism is to help us accept our mortality and so come to terms with death. We'll look at how his mortality was the Buddha's concern when he began his search, how coming to terms with mortality functions in various forms of…
- The "Formless Attainments" of Early Buddhist Meditation
What are the formless attainments of early Buddhist meditation? We'll look at these deep states of absorption. First we'll look at their history, how the Buddha first encountered them and where they appear to have arisen from, then we'll…
- The Fourth Jhana in Early Buddhism
We'll look at what the fourth jhana is in early Buddhism by considering its definition and the simile the Buddha provides to illustrate its character. We'll also consider some of the paradoxical nature of the early Buddhist approach to…
- The Third Jhana in Early Buddhism
We'll look at what the third jhana is in early Buddhism by considering its definition and the simile the Buddha provides to illustrate its character. We'll also consider some of the controversies over the jhana similes.
- The Second Jhana in Early Buddhism
We'll look at what the second jhana is in early Buddhism by considering its definition and the simile provided to illustrate its character.
- The First Jhana in Early Buddhism
What is the first jhana of early Buddhism? We'll look first at the idea of jhana and its role in the Buddha's search for enlightenment. Then we'll turn to the definition of the first jhana, what its various terms might mean, and finally…