Week One – Introduction and Jhana Meditation

Preface

The teachings of the Buddha have profoundly changed my life. It has been over 2,600 years since the Buddha first presented the Dhamma yet these teachings continue to be available and  accessible in their original form. These teachings are the true jewel of life in the phenomenal world.

Modern Buddhism has taken on many different forms from the original teachings. As the teachings of the Buddha spread from a small corner of Northern India, the teachings were influenced by the cultures, beliefs and social climate that they developed in. Modern Buddhism is as diverse as the cultures it passed through.

I hold great reverence for all of the various religions and schools that have developed since the passing of the Buddha. Many people have developed great understanding through these culturally influenced adaptations.

I have found through my own direct inquiry that the teachings of the Buddha as preserved in the Pali Canon are most effective in developing the Buddha’s stated purpose.

In the Simsapa Sutta the Buddha describes the purpose of his teachings:

“And what have I taught? ‘I teach the nature of dukkha (stress). I teach the origination of dukkha (craving and clinging originate dukkha). I teach that cessation of dukkha is possible. I teach that The Eightfold Path is the path leading to the cessation of dukkha: This is what I have taught.

“And why have I taught these things? Because they are connected with the goal. They relate to the rudiments of the mindful life. These teachings develop disenchantment and dispassion. These teachings develop cessation of stress and unhappiness. They bring calm, and direct knowledge. These teachings develop self-awakening and unbinding. This is why I have taught them.

“Therefore, your practice is contemplating and understanding: ‘This is stress… This is the origination of stress… This is the cessation of stress.’ Your practice is contemplating and understanding: ‘This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.” [1]

I studied in many of the later traditions most often referred to as the Mahayana schools of Buddhism. I have found the charismatic individuals and cultural influences that have impacted these schools to be confusing and at times misleading.

The more esoteric and mystical the teachings of the Buddha became, the more difficult it became to integrate these teachings. Even the idea that these teachings are difficult to understand and develop seemed contrary to what the Buddha intended.

The Dhamma is often presented today as an impossible goal that will take “limitless eons” to achieve. This notion simply creates more confusion and develops a state of mind that is constantly grasping.

If the Buddha’s sole purpose was to bring an end to stress, unhappiness and confusion, why would his path be nearly impossible to understand and often create additional stress and confusion?

I came to see that much of my confusion was arising from the individual and culturally-influenced adaptations and accommodations to the Buddha’s original teachings. When I put aside the more esoteric, magical and mystical teachings that developed after the Buddha’s death, and began to study the Buddha’s direct teachings, these simple and profound teachings became understandable and useful.

Buddhism adapted to various cultures within a framework of each culture’s beliefs and held views. I believe the difficulty that many Westerners have had in integrating the Dhamma is in attempting to develop an understanding of the Dhamma from the perspective of an unfamiliar culture.

As Buddhism moved to the West, with a much more pragmatic view of the world, many Westerners attempted to integrate the teachings AND the cultural influences already present. With no perspective in which to understand the cultural influences, great confusion has arisen. This has led to the original teachings to be shrouded in mystery, hidden behind dogma and ritual, and lacking the context in which the original teachings were presented.

The Buddha did not intend his teachings to be useful only for those with the right lineage, the right karma, the right teacher, the right empowerment, the right social position, or the right culture. The Buddha taught a simple and direct path of developing lasting peace and happiness. This teaching is accessible and understandable to anyone who takes to the Dhamma whole-heartedly.

In this study there will be no analysis of concepts nor an attempt to prove the validity of the Buddha’s teachings within any tradition that developed after the Buddha’s death. I will explain terms as I understand them and as supported in the Pali Canon.

I will, by necessity, and informed by Right Speech to show where adaptations and accommodations to the Buddha’s original teachings have occurred and become generally accepted as “Buddhist” teachings. I intend no disrespect to any tradition, school or Buddhist religion. I intend only clarity and a useful Dhamma.

The Buddha taught freedom from the delusion of stress and unhappiness. He taught that freedom, or awakening, can be achieved in this present lifetime.

The original teachings of the Buddha are the most practical teachings for developing lasting peace and happiness still present in the world today. These teachings are presented to end all suffering in this lifetime. The purpose of this book and this course is to present the original teachings of the Buddha in a direct and useful manner.

John Haspel, September 1, 2014
[1] Simsapa Sutta 56.31

Introduction

This book is written as individual dhamma study and as a ten-week online correspondence course. As an individual Dhamma study it is a comprehensive introduction to the Buddha’s path of developing lasting peace and happiness. 

If you have not subscribed to the course and you would like to take this course with our insight and assistance, please go to: Contact – Cross River Meditation.

This ten-week course will present Jhana meditation within the context of an ancient and profound teaching known as The Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths are the Buddha’s teachings on unhappiness, the cause of unhappiness, and a path of developing heightened wisdom, virtue and concentration leading to lasting peace and happiness.

The Buddha’s teachings on The Four Noble Truths and the supporting teachings are known as the “Dhamma.”

Dhamma is a Pali word that means truth or truthful teachings of the Buddha and is based entirely on the Pali Canon. The more common word dharma refers to teachings in the Mahayana schools of Buddhism and is based in part on additional texts that developed after the life of the Buddha.

The Buddha taught only one subject: The origination of suffering and the cessation of suffering. He taught this one subject for the most compassionate of reasons. He wanted human beings to find real and lasting happiness in this present human life and in this present environment. The teachings of the Buddha are often misunderstood as pessimistic. The First Noble Truth is a realistic understanding of the nature of a human being’s life experience. The result of realistically facing the problem of delusion and unhappiness is wisdom and  lasting happiness.

The Buddha’s awakening brought understanding of the cause of unhappiness and a path leading to lasting happiness. The Buddha taught that the cause of unhappiness is ignorance or a lack of understanding. Due to a lack of understanding an ego-self that is prone to clinging is formed. This ego-self is referred to as non-self or not-self throughout the Buddhist literature. I will explain not-self in detail in weeks seven and eight. To end the suffering of not-self the Buddha taught Four Noble Truths:

1. The Truth of Dukkha (suffering, stress)

2. The Truth of the Origination of Suffering (clinging, craving)

3. The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

4. The Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of

Suffering

To reiterate: the Buddha’s sole purpose for teaching was to bring lasting peace and happiness to all who would whole-heartedly and with Right Effort engage his Dhamma. The Buddha’s Dhamma did not include anything that did not directly develop his stated purpose or would likely lead to further confusion. He would not teach anything that further distracted an already confused mind. The Buddha understood that teaching any subject that created further confusion would have been cruel. History has shown the Buddha to be the essence of compassion informed by true wisdom.

He consistently refused to answer questions on subjects such as externalism, infinite versus finite existence, transmigration of a “soul,” what the “self” might be, and many more questions that would only cause additional confusion and distract from liberation.

Jhana meditation is the method of meditation that the Buddha taught for the forty-five years of his teaching the Dhamma.

Shamatha is a Pali word meaning tranquility or calm and Vipassana is a Pali word meaning insight or to gain insight to. Jhana meditation is a meditation method of gently bringing a state of tranquility and calm so that you are no longer distracted by your own thoughts. Once calm, you are able to gain insight into your own mind and insight into your own thoughts, words and deeds that lead to stress, confusion and unhappiness.

It should be noted here that the Buddha did not intend to develop a religion or to garner worshipers. He did not create a doctrine to be followed blindly. Put aside any ideas you may have of the Buddha as a religious, supernatural or mystical being. The Buddha was simply a human being who, through his own effort and investigation, “awakened” to these truths. (Buddha means awakened)

The Buddha taught a simple and straightforward method of understanding the truth of lasting peace and happiness. The path leading to lasting peace and happiness is The Eightfold Path. Jhana meditation is one factor of The Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path can be developed by anyone regardless of current religious practice. Some established religions have much fear based on misunderstanding regarding meditation and investigation of the nature of stress and unhappiness. The Eightfold Path can be developed by anyone seeking a more meaningful life, or simply a practical way of understanding themselves on a deep and profound level.

As a practice, what is learned in this course is to be practiced. There is nothing in The Four Noble Truths or The Eightfold Path that has any magical qualities of bringing instant understanding. The meditation method used in this course is most effective when developed within the framework of The Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path provides the perspective, structure and direction necessary for lasting peace and happiness to be experienced.

A basic concept of this course and Jhana meditation is mindfulness. Mindfulness means to recollect and to hold in mind. By developing an understanding of the causes of stress and unhappiness we can then be mindful, or to recollect and hold in mind, the practice leading to lasting happiness. The Four Foundations of Mindfulness are presented in the second week of this course.

The problem of stress and unhappiness is that stress creates a constant distraction in our minds. Distraction is a lack of concentration and mindfulness. As human beings we become preoccupied with grasping after that which brings pleasure and we become preoccupied with avoiding that which is unpleasant or disappointing. With some, preoccupation rises to the level of psychosis and compulsion or addiction.

By developing a tranquil mind allowing for insight to arise our minds become more focused and less distracted. A deep and abiding mindfulness of life as life occurs is developed. We are no longer distracted by grasping and avoidance. With Dhamma practice, lasting peace and happiness is realized.

We will begin in week one with learning the basic practice of Jhana meditation. The following weeks will develop an understanding of meditation within the context and supportive framework of The Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path.

This ten-week course will develop an understanding of the impermanent and uncertain environment that contributes to stress and unhappiness and use this understanding to deepen mindfulness and develop abiding peace and happiness.

Week ten will be focused on recognizing common hindrances to establishing and maintaining a Dhamma practice within the framework of The Eightfold Path and establishing a life-long practice of mindfulness of the Buddha’s Dhamma.

These lessons are simple and straightforward. The understanding developed is up to you to integrate into your life. A certain amount of time is necessary each day to establish a meditation and mindfulness practice, though not an impossible amount. You may even find that once your mind begins to quiet and you make choices that are more mindful, you have more time for what is most important to you.

Integrating into your life what will be learned during this course will change your experience of your own life. Upon completion of this course the foundation for an effective life-long practice of meditation, mindfulness and wisdom will be established.

The distraction of stress and unhappiness will be left behind and a deep and abiding mindfulness of peace and happiness will prevail. Ehipassiko is a word often used by the Buddha. It means “come and see for yourself.” Please, come and see for yourself.

At the end of each chapter is a guideline for Dhamma practice each week. I recommend that you take this course as intended, one lesson a week. Take your time. If you feel you need to review a week or spend more then one week on each chapter lesson, please do so. Do not expect too much of yourself from the start. Be gentle with yourself. Don’t judge yourself, your practice, or the Dhamma harshly.

If taking the correspondence course there is a brief writing assignment at the end of each week. The purpose of the assignment is to review your developing understanding and to ask any questions related to this Dhamma course. After week five and week ten you will have the opportunity for a phone conversation with me. The email address that you used when you signed up for this course will be your initial point of contact.

Whether you are subscribed to the correspondence course, or not, as a student of this course please feel free to email any questions or comments to crossriverdhamma@gmail.com.

If you would like to spend more time on any topic, please do so by emailing crossriverdhamma@gmail.com.

A Sutta is a direct teaching of the Buddha as preserved in the Pali Canon. I will occasionally mention a relevant Sutta for context and cite the sutta at the end of the chapter. All online links to the suttas are from the website https://www.dhammatalks.org and are included here according to their posted copyright and Creative Commons License.

All translations of the Pali Canon are also at least partially interpretive based on the understanding of translator’s of the intent and context of the subject matter. I have also made slight changes in the direct translations for clarity in the context presented.

What is of primary importance for any translation of the Pali Canon is to maintain authenticity with the consistent teachings presented in the canon. The translations of Thanissaro Bikkhu reflect his profound understanding of these texts.

A note about terminology: The word that the Buddha used to describe unhappiness and stress is Dukkha. Dukkha also can be translated to mean disappointment, disillusionment, disenchantment, suffering and confusion. I will use the words unhappiness and stress interchangeably to signify all manifestations of Dukkha.

I will repeat certain concepts within different contexts. This is done for clarity as the entire Dhamma relates to the cessation of stress and unhappiness within the context of The Four Noble Truths. This is similar to how the Buddha presented his teachings. 

For forty-five years he taught only the truth of Dukkha and the truth of the cessation of Dukkha. His teachings are preserved in the second book of the Pali Canon known as the Sutta Pitaka or the collection of the Buddha’s teachings. His first Sutta, The Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta, taught The Four Noble Truths and set the wheel of truth in motion. All of the rest of his teachings support and explain this first teaching.

Throughout this book I will repeat key concepts to present them in different contexts, and for emphasis.

There is a glossary at the back of this book.

Always be gentle with yourself. Enjoy your unbinding. Enjoy your liberation and freedom. 

John Haspel, September, 2014 and September 2015

Week One – Meditation

If you have not read the course introduction, please do so now.

The purpose of this course is to understand unhappiness and its cause. Once the cause of unhappiness is understood it can be mindfully abandoned. Jhana meditation is the technique that you will use to develop concentration. Concentration brings recognition of how you create stress and unhappiness. Finally, concentration develops the mindfulness to abandon all causes of stress and unhappiness.

The meditation technique that you will learn and practice in this course is the same meditation technique used by Siddartha Gautama, a human being, who would become the Buddha. You will learn Jhana meditation. Shamatha is a Pali word translated to mean tranquility, serenity or quiet. Vipassana is a Pali word translated to mean insight or to gain insight. Practicing this mediation quickly brings the mind to a tranquil state.

Once the mind is settled and tranquil, free of the distraction of its own compulsive thoughts, insight into unhappiness and stress, its cause and its cessation, arises. Using this method of meditation along with the other seven factors of The Eightfold Path, Siddartha Gautama achieved the cessation of stress and “awakened” to a fully mindful state.

Pali is the language most closely associated with the Buddha’s language and Pali is the language of the original texts recording the authentic teachings of the Buddha. Dukkha is a Pali word that has a broad meaning including stress, disappointment, disillusionment, disenchantment, suffering and unhappiness. I will use the terms dukkha, stress and unhappiness interchangeably.

Sukkha is a Pali word whose meaning is lasting happiness and human flourishing. It is the intention of this course to show you how to develop lasting happiness and to flourish in your life.

The most debilitating effect of stress is the distraction that stress causes. A mind distracted will constantly seek stimulation, feeding its own distracted state. This constant need for stimulation manifests in many ways. You live in a world that provides unlimited opportunities for distraction and compulsive and addictive behavior. A well-concentrated mind will settle in mindfulness, free of the distraction of stress.

Meditation is typically listed as the eighth factor of The Eightfold Path. It is listed last to point out the importance that the other seven factors have in supporting a practice of meditation. Without the framework of The Eightfold Path, meditation is not likely to achieve the cessation of unhappiness and stress. Without developing mindfulness of all of your thoughts, words and deeds, your mind will remain too distracted for meditation to have any real and lasting effect.

You will learn the Jhana meditation technique this week and use it to develop an understanding of the entire framework of The Eightfold Path.

The focus of this first lesson in meditation is to prepare the foundation for a lifetime of mindful practice. Mindfulness is a subject you will spend two weeks on (week two and again in week six). For now, it is enough to understand that the original teachings, and this course, are only concerned with mindfulness as mindfulness supports cessation of stress and the development of deep concentration.

Mindfulness means to “recollect” or to “hold in mind.” This is a gentle holding in mind, though. Mindfulness is a state of mind that develops gradually as distractions are lessened and concentration develops. Initially you train your mind to put aside thoughts that distract. Ultimately, mindfulness is a non-reactive state of mind resting peacefully as life occurs.

As you progress, be mindful of recognizing thoughts and thought-constructs that create stress, unhappiness and confusion. Be mindful of thoughts or thought constructs that maintain or develop strong attachments to people, objects, events, or views. As you progress be mindful of thoughts or thought constructs that distract your mind to the past or to the future.

Remember, mindfulness is a gentle awareness of what your mind is presenting moment by moment. Let go of the need to analyze or evaluate thoughts or thought constructs including placing blame. This will only cause more distraction and add to stress. Mindfulness is a dispassionate observation of thoughts and events.

A point to be made here: Jhana meditation is not for finding escape from your problems or generating magical or mystical experiences. The purpose of Jhana meditation is to develop deep and abiding concentration and put aside all distractions caused by stress. Anything that would distract your mind will not support the practice of ending dukkha.

As you progress you will be able to verify the effectiveness of this practice yourself. This is a key point. There is nothing in the original teachings of the Buddha, or in this course, that implies anything magical or mystical will take place. It is through your direct efforts that change, profound change, will take place, if you apply yourself whole-heartedly.

You will develop an understanding that what is generated in your mind will profoundly and directly affect your life experience. This is why quieting your mind and gaining insight to your thoughts is so effective in changing your life experience and eliminating dukkha.

Meditation is practiced within the environment of impermanence. You will deepen your understanding of impermanence in a few weeks. (Week seven) For now, be mindful that the entirety of your life is taking place within an impermanent or ever-changing environment. Birth, aging and death are all experiences of impermanence. All of life’s fleeting events along the way are also impermanent.

The distraction of stress occurs within this environment. Cessation of the distraction of stress occurs within this environment, too. This course and the meditation practice developed all occur within this environment. Impermanence, or more precisely, not recognizing impermanence or misunderstanding impermanence, allows for stress and unhappiness to develop and continue.

As you begin your meditation practice you will become mindful of thoughts and thought constructs attached to people, objects, events, views, and ideas that are distracting you. Notice that these thoughts are often focused on past or future events. Notice also that whatever is being held in mind at the moment is impermanent. Your thoughts are subject to the same impermanence as all other phenomena.

It is important to note here the significant difference between a thought that directs to proper and appropriate thoughts and behavior and thought that develops additional stress and distraction. Understanding that it is time to get out of bed, make a phone call, take a pill, and all the other in-the-present-moment decisions you make are all entirely appropriate. Taking prudent action and thoughtful planning for the future is entirely appropriate. Reconsidering past events is entirely appropriate and can also develop insight.

Preoccupation with any thoughts or thought constructs creates additional stress and continues a distracted mind state. Expecting that which is inherently impermanent, including ourselves to somehow become permanent creates additional stress and continues a distracted mind state.

Thoughts which seek to establish and perpetuate an ego-self will continue to create unhappiness and stress.

The breath is used as a focus of concentration. Being mindful of the sensation of breathing while remaining non-distracted by your own thoughts is the essence of meditation. Initially in practice it is enough to put aside thoughts as they arise and return your awareness to your breath as soon as you realize you are attached to your thinking again. Very quickly using awareness of your breath, a quiet mind will develop. Without first quieting your mind you will have no useful awareness of thoughts necessary for insight.

The purpose of Jhana meditation is to quiet your mind allowing for insight to arise. It is not the purpose of Jhana meditation to create a forced mind state where no thoughts are discernible.  With a forced mind state of nothingness what will be achieved is nothingness, and not insight into stress and unhappiness.

If you are continuously following one thought with another thought, there is no spaciousness within your thoughts for awareness of the nature of mind. You are stuck in a compulsive mental state of immediately following one thought with the next.

Once you have the beginnings of a quiet mind, you can now gain insight into your thoughts. Now, with a quiet mind, you can stay with a thought or feeling for a moment or two, realizing the impermanence of all things and gaining insight into the impermanence of your own thoughts.

You can do this with any persistent thought or thought-construct or physical feeling. This is gaining true insight into conditioned thinking and diminishing the reaction caused by conditioned thinking.

Conditioned thoughts are thought constructs or thought patterns that have formed in mind as reactions to events. The ego or ego-self is the result of conditioned thinking.

Jhana meditation will return your mind to a permanent tranquil state not subject to reaction caused by wrong perception. Wrong perception, or wrong view, is caused by conditioned thinking. The word “Shamatha” is often interpreted to mean “calm abiding.”

Present conditioned thinking, or thought constructs, is formed from all reactive thoughts. As will be seen, a reactive mind is a mind that is experiencing life from a perspective that arises from clinging, grasping and aversion.

Briefly, conditioned thinking causes ongoing wrong perception (wrong view) which causes an unskillful reaction which creates further conditioned thinking, and on and on. By using the tranquility and insight gained by Jhana meditation you are letting go of reactive thoughts and interrupting the cycle of discursive conditioned thinking. This will be more clearly understood as your meditation practice develops.

No further analysis of your reactive thoughts or feelings is necessary, or even effective in breaking this pattern. Taking an overly analytical approach during meditation can often strengthen reactive thinking due to the tranquil nature of your mind during meditation, leading to more conditioned thinking. At best, using meditation practice for deep analysis of conditioned thinking becomes simply another way of focusing on what caused conditioned thinking in the first place.

If you have the unskillful view that you are engaging in your meditation practice in order to change yourself, or grasping after pleasant mind states or mystical experiences, you will spend eternity in this pursuit, constantly creating the perception of change and never realizing the pure and unbound nature of your mind. The purpose of Jhana meditation is to put aside all conditioned mind states.

A mind easily distracted will be unable to recognize conditioned mind states. Conditioned mind arises and is reinforced by discriminating thoughts of wanting to hold onto what brings pleasure and wanting to avoid what brings disappointment, pain and suffering. Conditioned mind is the vehicle used by your ego-personality to continue its hold over your life.

The concentration developed by Jhana quickly develops the ability to recognize discursive and delusional thinking. Recognition of discursive and delusional thinking allows for the possibility of putting aside the cause of the stress and confusion that would otherwise continue to generate endless conditioned mind states.

The Buddha likened establishing a meditation practice to taming a wild elephant. In order for a young elephant to be useful, it must be able to focus and be aware of its true nature. To tame a young elephant, a strong rope would be tied around the elephant’s neck and to a strong post or tree. The elephant would immediately begin thrashing around, flapping its ears, stomping the ground, and making loud grunts and bellows, very unhappy to not be able to wander around aimlessly engaging in any distraction that arose.

The more resistant the young elephant became, the stronger the rope held. Eventually the elephant would put aside its desire for continual distraction and sensual fulfillment and it would settle down. At a certain point the elephant let’s go of its need to be anything other than what it is.

In this metaphor, your mind is like the young elephant, the rope is mindfulness of your breath, and the strong post or tree is your breath. As you use mindful awareness of your breath to disengage from your thoughts and settle your awareness on the present moment, putting aside desire, you become liberated and free. By utilizing the simple method of Jhana meditation, you are able to tame your own wild mind.

As you begin to establish your meditation practice, your mind is often thrashing about, resistant to settling down.  Thoughts insist on wandering aimlessly with strong desire to continue distraction by following one thought with another, continually describing their own self-created reality. As you continue and deepen your meditation practice, your thoughts settle down.

Returning to our metaphor, once the elephant has learned to remain mindful of the post, the rope is loosened, and the elephant is finally free. Once you learn mindful awareness of your breath and put aside the need to follow one thought with the next, you are finally free to begin the process of gaining insight into your mind.

As you let go of the need to describe reality based on desirous thoughts driven by attachment and aversion, you begin to develop true mindfulness. You put aside all that distracts you from lasting peace and happiness.

Acceptance and understanding of The Four Noble Truths and practicing the first seven factors of The Eightfold Path begins to clear what are called “fetters” or “hindrances,” agitated mind states which can make Shamatha, quieting the mind, much more difficult, if not impossible.

The Four Noble Truths are explained in week three and The Eightfold Path is explained beginning in week four.

As you develop the foundational practice of Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, and Right Mindfulness, you are better able to benefit from Right Meditation. Having taken conscious effort with your moral and ethical behavior, and a practical application of your initial understanding of the Buddha’s path, your meditation practice becomes easier and more effective. You are more likely to develop and continue a regular Dhamma practice.

The Buddha taught an Eightfold Path. Engaging in one aspect of the path, meditation, will not develop the skillful understanding necessary to awakening.

As you sit in meditation, focusing on the sensation of breathing, dispassionately putting aside thoughts as they arise, you naturally reach a state of tranquility. Conditioned thoughts and concepts will cease to cause a reaction in your thinking. You will gain true insight into conditioned mind and the impermanence of all thoughts.

True insight simply means recognizing impermanent thoughts and concepts as conditioned thinking. With dispassionate mindfulness you gently put thoughts aside, and gently return your awareness to your breath.

This simple but profound practice is now interrupting clinging conditioned mind.

Mindfulness is the ability to dispassionately hold in mind and remain distraction-free and aware of what is occurring.

Off your cushion your mindfulness becomes refined, and you are less reaction to your conditioned thinking. You begin to integrate a deeper understanding of impermanence and your ego-self, and you are more effectively mindfully present in life as life occurs. Mindfulness can now support your meditation practice.

This simple and direct practice, free of the embellishments often placed on the Buddha’s teaching, will gently lead to quieting your mind and developing a stress-free life of lasting peace and happiness. Jhanas the foundation of a self-awareness practice that develops true liberation and freedom from dukkha.

Jhana Meditation

Jhana is the method of meditation the Buddha used for his own awakening and the only meditation method that he taught throughout his 45 years of teaching the Dhamma. Some Buddhist schools and traditions have altered Jhana, and some have even abandoned it for other techniques. The Buddha taught that any true and effective meditation practice must have two qualities: to quiet the mind and to gain insight. Jhana is a simple method with profound and transformative results. It is a method that anyone can integrate into their lives.

The purpose of Jhana meditation is not to enter into a trance, or a mental state where thinking is distracted by an object or visualization. The purpose of Jhana is precisely what these words mean. To quiet the mind so that insight will arise. This meditation will bring a state of deep concentration and full awareness of the phenomenal world without being distracted by thoughts of clinging, craving, desire and aversion.

The Tibetan word for meditation is “gom” which means to become familiar with or to become intimate with. Jhana meditation is the Buddha’s meditation method for becoming familiar and intimate with your own mind.

Posture

There is nothing magical or mystical about a meditation posture. The typical meditation posture of being seated on the floor with legs folded against the torso is simply a way to sit comfortably during meditation. The meditation posture should be stable and relaxing and support a quiet and alert mind. It should provide a reasonable amount of comfort, avoiding physical distraction, for the meditation period. At first, any posture may prove to be uncomfortable, and the posture described below will become more comfortable with consistent practice.

Any pillows or cushions that are comfortable can be used. It is preferable to sit on the floor supported by a zafu (pillow made for meditation) placed over a zabuton (a larger, flatter mat to support the legs). The zafu should be from 6 to 8 inches thick and can be filled with cotton, buckwheat or kapok.

When sitting on the zafu (or pillow) place your sit bones on the front third of the zafu and allow your hips to naturally extend out in front of you. With your legs straight in front of you, bend your right leg at the knee and place your right foot under your left thigh and near your left buttock. Bend your left leg at the knee and place your left foot approximately in the crease formed by your right thigh and calf, resting on your calf. For additional support you can place yoga blocks or a rolled towel under your knees if needed.

This may be uncomfortable at first, but with time and patience this will prove to be a very stable base with which to build a meditation practice on. This is called the half-lotus or Burmese posture.

If you are particularly nimble, you may want to sit in the full-lotus position which is the same as the half-lotus with the exception of placing the right foot on top of the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh. Again, there is nothing advantageous about the full-lotus over the half-lotus unless it affords you more stability and comfort.

From this stable base, keep your back straight but not stiff, not leaning forward or back. Align your ears with your shoulders and your nose with your navel. Place your left hand on top of your right palm with your thumb tips lightly touching, forming an approximate egg-shape with the thumbs and forefingers.

Again, there is nothing magical or mystical about this hand placement, it simply leads to relaxation and lessens physical distraction. If you are more comfortable with your hands palm down on your knees, or some other position, whatever provides the most comfortable and stable position is the meditation posture for you.

Consistency with the overall posture will allow body and mind to recognize that meditation is taking place and body and mind will begin to quiet as soon as the mediation posture is taken. A quiet body supports quieting your mind.

An alternative to sitting on a zafu is to use a low bench called a seiza in a sitting-kneeling position usually over a blanket or zabuton.

If sitting on the floor proves too uncomfortable, it is acceptable to sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, your back straight but not stiff, ears aligned with your shoulders and nose aligned with your navel.

Lying down is the least effective regular meditation posture as it will usually lead to drowsiness. If lying on your back is the only choice due to injury or illness, make the best of it and avoid drowsiness. If drowsiness ensues, stop meditation and begin again when refreshed.

The Jhana Meditation Technique

To begin your meditation, take a few slow, deep breaths, exhaling fully. Gently close your eyes and gently close your mouth leaving a soft smile. Allow your body and mind to settle into your seat. Breathing through the nose, notice your breath entering your body at the tip of your nose. Being mindful of the sensation of breathing in your body you may notice that the air is slightly cooler on the inhale and slightly warmer on the exhale. If you don’t notice this temperature difference, simply notice the flow of your breath at the tip of the nose.

Be mindful of your inhalation and your exhalation. Do not attempt to regulate your breathing in any way. However, your body wants to breathe, keep your awareness as best you can on the pure sensation of breathing.

Remember, you are not seeking a trance-like state or an avoidance of thinking.

Give yourself a few moments to simply become aware of the sensation of breathing through the nose. Without placing any importance on thoughts, remain mindful of your breathing.

After a few moments of becoming familiar with your breath, notice that thoughts are flowing. Remember, do not attempt to force thoughts to cease. That is not the purpose of Shamatha-Vipassana. The purpose of Jhana initially is to minimize the distraction of following one thought with another, of immediately attaching the previous thought with the next and the next and the next. The purpose of Jhana meditation is to develop concentration.

Gently but with strong intention, place your mindfulness on the sensation of breathing. This is the beginning of developing great concentration and minimizing discursive, reactionary and distracting thinking.

As thoughts arise, gently put your thoughts aside, not following one thought with another thought, and place your awareness on your breathing. As thoughts arise, gently put your thoughts aside and remain mindful of your breathing. This is called being mindful of the breath, holding in mind that you are breathing.

If noticing the breath at the tip of your nose is difficult, simply remain mindful of the sensation of breathing. This is the basic and fundamental technique that the Buddha taught for Shamatha, for quieting the mind as a preliminary, but integral, practice to vipassana, or insight.

It should be noted here again that the Buddha did not teach just Shamatha or just vipassana. Both Shamatha and vipassana are a part of a singular method of meditation. The Buddha taught that “meditation should lead to tranquility and insight.”

In your day-to-day practice it is most effective to simply place your awareness on the sensation of breathing through the nose. Do not be concerned with interpreting whether a breath is long or short, shallow or deep, where it is felt most prominently, and do not try to alter the breath in any way. Simply begin meditation by putting aside thoughts as thoughts arise. Become mindful of the pure sensation of breathing. This simple and powerful method will quickly quiet the mind and bring calm abiding.

As your mind quiets and you are able to remain mindful of your breath for a few moments, dispassionately notice that you have feelings, emotional and/or physical. These feelings can be pleasant, unpleasant, painful or ecstatic. All feelings are simply to be acknowledged, recognized as impermanent, and put aside.

Through dispassionate mindfulness of whatever feelings arise in meditation and returning mindfulness to your breath you are interrupting discriminating, discursive and reactive conditioned thinking. Dispassionate mindfulness develops the ability to deepen concentration allowing for insight to arise.

You are beginning to train your mind to not be distracted by your own thoughts!

During meditation also take note of thoughts flowing. You are a conscious being and thoughts flow. Again, the purpose of this meditation is to not be distracted by your own thoughts. With dispassionate mindfulness acknowledge that you are caught up in your thoughts, following one thought immediately with the next, and return your mindfulness to your breath. You are now creating spaciousness in your mind leading to deeper concentration and insight.

As your practice deepens you will become mindful of your perspective changing. You will develop a comprehensive view of your feelings and thoughts. You will be able to notice without reaction your own thought process.

As your concentration deepens notice the impermanent nature of the quality of the state of your mind.

You are able to stay mindfully present with whatever is arising without reaction.

Being mindful of your breath, feelings, thoughts and the quality of your own mind is known as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. The lesson in week two will deepen your understanding of mindfulness in relation to the Dhamma.

At times when it seems to be difficult to quiet your mind, use the (slightly) more elaborate method of dispassionately noticing the length of your breath, noting that the in-breath is a short (or long) in-breath and the out-breath is short (or long). You can further dispassionately notice whether the breath is shallow or deep, tight or flowing, or whatever qualities seem appropriate. After a period of time, return to the bare awareness of your breath as it is.

As your mind returns to a tranquil state, dispassionately become mindful of persistent or recurring thoughts, thought constructs or physical sensations. As these arise, note them for a moment or two. Acknowledge that these persistent thoughts and feelings are impermanent. Return your mindfulness to the pure sensation of breathing. This is the practice of Jhana meditation, the Buddha’s meditation practice.

What is this like? You are able to be mindful of the sensation of breathing in your body without becoming lost in the story playing out in your thoughts. You are not immediately following one thought with the next thought. There is some spaciousness in your mind and between thoughts. There is no reaction to your thoughts. Your mind is quiet and tranquil.

Holding in mind the sensation of breathing for five minutes or so, notice as persistent thoughts or feelings, emotional or physical, arise. As these thought constructs or physical feelings arise, dispassionately remain present with them, being mindful of them, for a few moments. Acknowledge the thoughts or feelings as impermanent and return your mindfulness to your breathing.

You are now engaging in the “vipassana” part of Jhana, gaining insight into your own mind. What is this insight? Simply that all thoughts, all experiences, are impermanent and empty of any lasting effect except for the effect caused by holding on to thoughts and thought constructs, which is stress and unhappiness arising from clinging.

By experiencing your thoughts while remaining tranquil, you are intentionally putting aside conditioned thinking. By remaining tranquil as thoughts arise, you are training your mind to accept the people and events of your life, including yourself, as they are.

This complete acceptance of thoughts as they are releases the grip that discriminating thought has had on thoughts, providing the means for letting go of conditioned thinking.

The realization that it is the reaction caused by conditioned thinking that creates perception of any event now reveals the means for freedom and liberation from unhappiness. Let go of everything that arises. Cease attaching a discriminating (judgmental) thought to a thought and you will interrupt the discursive mental pattern of conditioned thinking.

As your Jhana practice develops, the insight and spaciousness realized in sitting practice will become increasingly apparent in your life off your cushion. You will find that you are more peaceful and less reactive. This is an aspect of deepening concentration. You will find you are more present and mindful of life as life occurs.

This non-analytical insight, or vipassana, is what distinguishes the meditation taught by the Buddha from every other “meditation” technique. Unless insight is developed, no freedom from conditioned thinking is possible. Until all conditioned thinking is recognized and put aside, it will prove impossible to escape the suffering caused by your own mind.

Once all conditioned thinking is recognized and put aside by engaging in Shamatha-Vipassana and integrating the other seven factors of The Eightfold Path, the mind’s spaciousness is realized and awakening arises naturally.

If unpleasant thoughts arise, put them aside and return to the sensation of breathing in your body. If pleasant thoughts arise, put them aside and return to the sensation of breathing in your body. If visions arise, pleasant or unpleasant, grand or mundane, dispassionately put them aside and return to the sensation of breathing in your body.

Whatever arises during meditation practice is simply part of what is to be recognized as impermanent and put aside and return awareness to your breath. Remaining dispassionate with all mind states that arise during meditation begins to develop the ability to remain dispassionate throughout life, whether meditating or involved in mundane activities.

Ultimately, remaining dispassionately mindful leads to the arising of equanimity, a mind free of reaction, completely at peace and fully present moment by moment. Equanimity is the free and natural state of an un-conditioned mind.

Establishing a Meditation Practice

Perhaps the most difficult challenge when beginning a meditation practice, and often as your practice develops, is organizing your life for practice. The busy-ness and nearly constant distractions of life are always creating the illusion that you are just too busy to practice. The irony is that meditators often find that they have more time for the most important activities of their lives when they do make the time for meditation practice. Committing to meditation twice a day and, within reason, keeping to this schedule is itself part of practice.

The most skillful time to practice is when you think you don’t want to or think you don’t have the time to sit. Every time you meditate you are diminishing the effects of conditioned thinking, including the conditioned thinking of aversion to practice.

As stated previously, meditating upon arising in the morning is usually the most effective time to schedule a first meditation session. If possible, meditating approximately 12 hours later in the day will provide a skillful balance to practice. If the only other time for practice is just before bed, be mindful of drowsiness, and if it is at times difficult to maintain alertness, try to adjust your schedule to earlier in the evening.

If it is possible to set aside a room solely for meditation, keep the room clean and clutter free. The room should also be well ventilated and seasonally not too hot or cold. A candle to light during meditation and perhaps a small statue of the Buddha as a mindful reminder of a human being who awakened can be an initial point of focus but are not necessary.

If it is not possible to designate an entire room to your practice, a corner of a room that can be maintained as above will work just as well.

Developing a routine of place, time, posture and technique will greatly enhance your commitment to practice and help subdue your conditioned mind’s desire to avoid the peaceful and enlightening refuge of a true and effective meditation practice.

It is most effective to begin a meditation practice with just a few minutes of meditation at a time. By initially meditating for two or three minutes at a time, you will not become disappointed or conclude that meditation is too difficult. As you become comfortable with two or three minutes of practice, gradually add a minute or two to your meditation time. Stay at this length of meditation practice until you are comfortable and feel it is time to lengthen your meditation practice again. If taking the correspondence course note the length of your meditation sessions in your weekly email.

Meditation practice is not an endurance test and should not create more stress by having too high expectations of yourself and your practice. The strongest impediment to establishing a meditation practice will prove to be your own judgments of yourself and your practice.

As you progress, gradually increase your meditation sessions to twenty or thirty minutes. On occasion you may want to meditate for even longer periods. Take your time and remember that what is most important is a consistent practice that is free of grasping.

It is most skillful not to push yourself too hard and too fast, and also to not avoid increasing your length of meditation practice time when appropriate.

Establishing a meditation practice will be much more effective if done daily for short periods of time rather than long periods of meditation only occasionally.

Joining a regular meditation group that stays focused within the framework of The Eightfold Path is a great support to Dhamma practice.

If you are following the instructions, putting aside thoughts as they arise, not following a thought with a thought as best as you can, and returning your awareness to the sensation of breathing in your body, you are establishing a meditation practice.

Avoid judging yourself or your practice harshly. Always be loving and gentle with yourself and enjoy your practice.

This Week’s Dhamma Study

• Begin to establish your meditation practice with a few minutes of meditation upon arising and again later in the day.
• Keep a journal of any persistent thoughts or feelings and your awareness of the impermanence of all thoughts. Avoid being analytical. This is a dispassionate observance of thoughts and feelings as they arise and pass away. Continue your Dhamma study with week two.
• Always be gentle with yourself and enjoy your practice!

If taking the correspondence course:

• At the end of your first week write a paragraph or two regarding your Dhamma practice and write down any questions or insights you have.
• To submit your writing, please use this form: Contact – Cross River Meditation
• Responses are generally within 24 to 48 hours.