Jhana: yes, no, neither, could be? Hmm?

[Sudarsha]

Thanks, Ben

I'll look in there ... but great scholarship is hardly my forte.

[puthujjana]

I've recently read a sutta, which (in my opinion) strongly supports the 'dry insight' approach:

AN 4.41: Fourfold Development of Concentration

There are, O monks, these four kinds of development of concentration. What four?

There is a development of concentration that leads to a pleasant dwelling in this very life; there is a development of concentration that leads to obtaining knowledge and vision; there is a development of concentration that leads to mindfulness and clear comprehension; and there is a development of concentration that leads to the destruction of the taints.

And what, monks, is the development of concentration that leads to a pleasant dwelling in this very life? Here, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a monk enters and dwells in the first jhana, which is accompanied by thought and examination, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion. With the subsiding of thought and examination, he enters and dwells in the second jhana, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without thought and examination, and has rapture and happiness born of concentration. With the fading away as well of rapture, he dwells equanimous and, mindful and clearly comprehending, he experiences happiness with the body; he enters and dwells in the third jhana of which the noble ones declare: 'He is equanimous, mindful, one who dwells happily.' With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and sadness, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhana, which is neither painful nor pleasant and includes the purification of mindfulness by equanimity. This is called the development of concentration that leads to a pleasant dwelling in this very life.

And what is the development of concentration that leads to obtaining knowledge and vision? Here, a monk attends to the perception of light, he resolves upon the perception of daytime: as by day, so at night, as at night, so by day. Thus with an open and unencumbered heart, he develops a luminous mind. This is the development of concentration that leads to obtaining knowledge and vision.

And what is the development of concentration that leads to mindfulness and clear comprehension? Here, for a monk feelings are understood as they arise, as they remain present, as they pass away; perceptions are understood as they arise, as they remain present, as they pass away; thoughts are understood as they arise, as they stand remain present, as they pass away. This is the development of concentration that leads to mindfulness and clear comprehension.

And what is the development of concentration that leads to the destruction of the taints? Here, a monk dwells contemplating rise and fall in the five aggregates subject to clinging: "Such is form, such its arising, such its passing away; such is feeling ... such is perception ... such are volitional formations ... such is consciousness, such its arising, such its passing away." This is the development of concentration that leads to the destruction of the taints.

These, monks, are the four kinds of development of concentration. And with reference to this it was said by me in "The Questions of Punnaka" in "The Way to the Far Shore":

"Having comprehended in the world the high and low,
For him there is no disturbance anywhere in the world.
Peaceful, fumeless, undistressed, desireless:
He has, I say, crossed birth and decay."

____________
"Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: An Anthology of Suttas from the Anguttara Nikaya" by Bhikkhu Bodhi and Nyanaponika Mahathera, p. 88
http://books.google.de/books?id=N7zCNaB ... q=&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta

[Reductor]

Hello,

I am sorry for dropping off the planet shortly after starting this thread. I've read it now, and I thank everyone that has contributed to it. It would have been ideal if I could have participated in it more, but it was about then (near the start of the thread) that I started training to be a primary care paramedic. I don't well. I have been successful in the paramedic training so far, so hopefully that continues.

Gladly, I did maintained my mediation practice.

So again, thank you much for all of your contributions.