Jhana/absorption

Ordinarily it's said that there were four states of jhāna in early Buddhist meditation. But not always! Apart from considering some later understandings of the term that include eight, nine, or even more jhānas, we'll look at one early…

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…

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.

We'll look at what the second jhana is in early Buddhism by considering its definition and the simile provided to illustrate its character.

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…

What is the practice of self-effacement in early Buddhism? We'll look at one sutta that distinguishes a practice of self-effacement through kindness and non-harming from a separate practice of deep meditative absorption. We'll also…

Do we need to have achieved the jhānas -- four deep states of meditative absorption -- in order to become enlightened? We'll look at some early texts for clues as to what the Buddha might have thought about this complex and controversial…

There has been a recent disagreement over how deep meditative concentration practice should go, and over how deep the early Buddhist texts claim it was. We will look at that disagreement and help illuminate it by looking at some…