My first jhana

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
auto
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Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:02 pm

Re: My first jhana

Post by auto »

OP letter could be about decent of an embryo.

He should have also written what is going on after the experience, what is he going through now besides,
This is something of a double-edged sword, because while it will be the most earth-shaking pleasure you’ve ever experienced, it inevitably will be accompanied by the wanting and craving for a repeat experience. It is exactly this wanting that prevents one from regaining this, which is why I only experienced this once, and never experienced it again: the desire for it is too much.
not able to repeat it might be a clue that what he did was caused dependent origination link to happen.

Besides that it seem just sizzletalk after dust have settled..
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Akashad
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Re: My first jhana

Post by Akashad »

ImageHi Hermitwin,

I'm very happy to hear about your experience.This sounds very much like an authentic jhana experience.The thing that I have to add is the time one spends on the cushion is important.We live at an age where most buddhist are thought to let go let go let go and that's simply not how things work.You can't let go of things unless your enlightened what you can do is substitute.
When we're meditating we are letting go but at the same time holding on to the meditation object.So it's not "really letting go".We are just switching one thing for another.Only when we've reached arahanthood will true letting go occur which is not something we do but things just fall away on their own.

People have different past paramis so it will take people different amounts of time on the cushion but in general jhana requires a "momentum" to build up to.And to do that you need a "continuity".Which means even if one is not on the cushion one must never leave the meditation object so you can see how difficult it would be to sustain it without a "protected environment" such as retreat,caves,solitary meditation.Yo yo Jhanas can happen but to sustain it and master you will need extended sitting periods.Generally if you can sit 3 hours in jhana and exit in 3 hours and can repeat this for a few days according to the Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw that's considered mastery and you may proceed to the next jhana.But bear in mind once returning to everyday life and busyness your ability to do this will decline or waine and the self which was thinned out during jhana practice will slowly start forming itself again. Remember that jhana arises based on conditions and the hindrances are only kept at bay.Think of Jhana as a bridge that forms and disappears so when it forms you need to cross immediately (stabilise the Jhana,progress to higher jhanas,practice vippasanna) and not just practice to have it form and disappear again.Form and disappear again.Form and disappear again.Its aimless.

Please consider going for an extended solitary retreat if your circumstances allow.I'm saying this because according to Sayalay Dipankara in her many years of experience of teaching described in her book ,A Beautiful Mind that once a student can perceive a nimitta then the road to sotapanna is open to them in this lifetime but only if they practice.So don't lose this opportunity.Many meditators have accidentally stumbled into jhana or have had yo yo jhana (even from different religions,traditions,christians mystics/sufis)but then didn't make much of it either through wrong view and never invested the time and energy to practive or maybe just lived off of this "accomplisment" for the rest of their lives which in reality is utterly useless.Having Jhana arise Cannot even save you from a bad rebirth unless it coincides with your death.So when they die they forget this knowledge and it's stays lost for awhile.in the mean time our births are filled with hindrances piling up.So now that you Know for yourself These states are real.You don't need a monk or nun to tell you that.You know it's possible to sit and have jhana arise.You know a nimitta is a visual sign.You have no doubt once you see it.Then now is the time to practice further.You are like a person who has already found a mountain,you have no doubt this mountain exist so don't be content with the sight of it you now have to climb it and view the world from the top.See how different you view things once you are above the clouds.The vastness.The clarity.

Here is a clear and concise guide book on a meditator experience who decided to go on a one year retreat to develop not just all eight jhanas but vippasanna as well.Thousands of yogis have practiced this way and thousands are practicing this way Today.Yet so few retain the interest to teach or write books so I hope this will clarify the path if you wish to deepen it.So don't let doubt or complacency stop you its is more than possible.

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