| To clear the mind of past programming requires | | | | from the beginning (one to five). |
| practice. It can't be done by wishing it to happen. | | | | Email me if you are successful in counting, and we will |
| The fastest and most trusted way is meditation, and | | | | discuss your next step. This practice is not religious. It |
| the type of meditation that gets results quickly and | | | | is mind development to the point of mind |
| surely is breath meditation. | | | | transcending itself, which then enters the spiritual |
| As one concentrates on his or her breath for some | | | | realm which is non-denominational. It is the realm of |
| time, the mind becomes calm and absorbs into the | | | | transcendent insight, wisdom, peace and true |
| breath. While concentration is like hitting the outside | | | | happiness. |
| of the breath, absorption is like becoming one with | | | | Here are a few details of how subsequent steps of |
| the breath. | | | | Jhana should be practiced according to the Buddha, |
| Absorption is entering, what is called in Buddhism, the | | | | but without a teacher handy, it is very easy to get |
| Bhavanga, or pure, unrestricted mind. Initially, it might | | | | off track: |
| be only a quick body jerk or movement, or the | | | | Jhana is made up of five Rupa (form) Jhanas and |
| sensation of falling asleep although your head doesn't | | | | four Arupa (formless) Jahnas. These are all mental |
| nod. Or losing time where an hour may go by yet | | | | states in the Bhavanga. |
| the mind registers only a second or two. Or more | | | | Rupa Jhanas consist of Vitacca (focusing), Vichara |
| normally, a sensation of the mind dropping from the | | | | (maintaining focus), *Piti (joy), Vedana (feeling, which |
| head into the heart area. | | | | is broken down into two - Sukkha (pleasant feeling), |
| As the meditator gets used to dwelling in the | | | | and Uppekha (neutral feeling of equanimity), and |
| Bhavanga, things deepen. This is sometimes precluded | | | | Ekaggata (one-pointedness, concentration, Samadhi) |
| by the sensation of a bright light "A thousand suns." | | | | *Piti can be physical feelings of rapture, manifesting |
| And in the more refined stages of the Bhavanga, no | | | | as many different things. From weak rapture which |
| outside environment can be detected, no thought, no | | | | only causes the hairs to raise on the body, to short |
| internal environment until one becomes used to | | | | rapture which causes occasional shaking or jerking of |
| dwelling in the Bhavanga. Within this Bhavanga can be | | | | the body, or "thunder" from time to time, to rapture |
| nimitta and psychic powers. And within this Bhavanga | | | | that explodes inside the body like waves, to rapture |
| is Appana Samadhi, and within Appana Samadhi is | | | | that makes the body jump to the sky or float, to |
| Jhana. | | | | fulfilling rapture that seems to be a huge flood of an |
| Jhana is the meditation that the Buddha insisted for | | | | ocean. |
| all his monks as a preliminary practice leading to | | | | The first Rupa Jhana has all five factors present. As |
| wisdom and insight. This concentration meditation | | | | practice deepens, the mind automatically falls into the |
| leads to absorptions that sharpens the mind like a | | | | second Jhana, which only has four factors, eliminating |
| finely honed knife which when applied to outside | | | | Vitacca (Focusing). The mind falls into this new Jhana |
| circumstances not only sees everything anew, but | | | | when it discovers that the first Jhana is too |
| penetrates into the truth of them. This is called | | | | susceptible to the five hindrances and therefore |
| insight or wisdom. This is the normal circumstances | | | | seeks refuge in a higher Jhana. The mind does this |
| for sages and prophets, and can be attained by | | | | repeatedly through the Jhanas as it discovers the |
| anyone who devots their life to mind development. | | | | previous Jhana's weaknesses or dangers. |
| Many people naturally experience various factors of | | | | The third Jhana eliminates Vichara ((maintaining focus). |
| Jhana, or meditation in life, and it usually changes their | | | | The fourth Jhana eliminates Piti (joy), leaving the fifth |
| lives. Without understanding what happened | | | | Jhana of . The fifth Jhana eliminates Vedana Sukkha |
| however, rarely is the experience deepened to the | | | | (pleasant feeling), which is replaced by Uppekha |
| threshold of sainthood. Actually, many people have | | | | (neutral feeling of equanimity). And the fifth Jhana of |
| been "put away" as a result of a spiritual experience | | | | Uppekha (neutral feeling of equanimity), and Ekaggata |
| because neither medical or mental health care | | | | (one-pointed ness, concentration, Samadhi). |
| professionals have a clue about the inner spiritual life. | | | | The Arupa (formless) Jhanas all have the fifth Rupa |
| It is sad. | | | | Jhana factors (equanimity and concentration) as a |
| If you want to embark upon Jhana practice, the first | | | | base. The Four Arupa Jhanas are: Dimension of |
| steps are easy to understand, but difficult to do | | | | Infinite Space, Dimension of Infinite Consciousness, |
| consistently every day. But if you want to try, here | | | | Dimension of Infinite Nothingness, and Dimension of |
| is the first step. For subsequent steps, you would | | | | Neither Perception nor Non-Perception. |
| need to contact a teacher as your meditation | | | | E. Raymond Rock (anagarika addie) is a |
| deepens so that you would stay on track. Self | | | | meditation teacher at: and author of “A Year to |
| teaching of Jhanas is not recommended. | | | | Enlightenment: |
| Step 1. Sit quietly and clear your mind of thoughts. | | | | His 30 years of meditation experience has taken him |
| Bring your attention to where you can feel the | | | | across four continents including two stopovers in |
| incoming breath touch either the outside of the | | | | Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast |
| nostrils, the inside of the nostrils, or the upper lip. | | | | forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. |
| Notice where the incoming air hits, for example, the | | | | He lived at Wat Pah Nanachat under Ajahn Chah, |
| inside of the nostrils. Concentrate on that spot where | | | | at Wat Pah Baan Taad under Ajahn Maha |
| the breath is felt. Then begin counting with each | | | | Boowa, and at Wat Pah Daan Wi Weg under Ajahn |
| inhale. | | | | Tui. He had been a postulant at Shasta Abbey, a |
| As you feel the sensation of the in breath at the | | | | Zen Buddhist monastery in northern California under |
| nostrils, count "one." At the next in breath count | | | | Roshi Kennett; and a Theravada Buddhist |
| "two." And so on up to "five." Then count again from | | | | anagarika at both Amaravati Monastery in the UK |
| "one" to "six." Then "one" to "seven, etc., all the way | | | | and Bodhinyanarama Monastery in New Zealand, |
| up to "ten. | | | | both under Ajahn Sumedho. The author has |
| After you can do this without losing count and | | | | meditated with the Korean |
| getting lost in thoughts, then do it again, except now | | | | Master Sueng Sahn Sunim; with |
| do it on the out breath. Beginning from one to five, | | | | Bhante Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society in West |
| and then up to ten as before. If you can do an entire | | | | Virginia; and with the Tibetan Master |
| cycle of counting in breaths and out breaths without | | | | Trungpa Rinpoche in Boulder, Colorado. He has also |
| getting lost in thoughts to the point that you lose | | | | practiced at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, |
| count, you are ready for the next step. If you do | | | | Massachusetts, and the Zen Center in San |
| happen to lose count, always begin again counting | | | | Francisco. |