For cultivators that have access to jhāna, a method for working through the jhānas into emptiness is below.
Simple
- Begin the session in a stable, alert, comfortable and safe posture. A slight smile can help.
- Place the attention on a meditation object that will work for accessing jhāna.
- Once first jhāna is present and stable, begin to simply notice and release any perceived disturbance that is present. This can eventually lead into second jhāna.
- Continue releasing disturbance to go through third, fourth, and up through the arupas (formless experiences).
- Releasing the remaining disturbances present in the higher formless experiences leads directly to emptiness.
Detailed
- Begin the session in a stable, alert, comfortable and safe posture. A slight smile can help.
- Place the attention on a meditation object that will work for accessing jhāna. Some examples are:
- Metta (goodwill) or brahmavihāra (divine abiding)
- Directly experiencing breathing
- Observing the sensations of the body
- Satipatthana (4 holdings of mindfulness)
- Experiencing hearing
- Mantra
- Recollection of the Buddha
- Looking at a white circle or disc
- An internal or external experience of bright light
- 32 parts of the body
- etc.
- Keep the mind on the meditation object. When the mind drifts, simply place the mind back on the meditation object without further thought.
- Over time the mind will begin to get quieter and more still.
- Keep with the meditation object, and let the stillness get more stable. Be aware if any pleasurable sensations arise in the experience. (This can show up as an itch, happiness, relief, the body feeling flushed, buzzing, etc.) Generally in this method, this is perceived in the body.
- Once the experience is still, stable, and a pleasant sensation is found, place the mind on the pleasant sensation as the new meditation object. Keep on it and if the mind drifts, bring the mind back to it. (If the mind loses it, simply return to the original meditation object and continue as you were until another pleasant sensation is experienced.)
- Attending to the pleasant sensation will bring up another, often more intense pleasant experience (piti). Make piti the new object and allow it to stabilize. Keep attending to it.
- After attending to piti for long enough for it to stabilize, begin to simply notice and release any perceived disturbance that is present within the felt experience. Let the feeling of the jhāna course through, and let go of anything that is not in harmony with it. This can eventually lead into second jhāna.
- From second jhāna, continue releasing perceived disturbance to go through the third, fourth (and perhaps up through the arupas or formless-experiences).
- Releasing the remaining disturbances present in the higher jhānas or formless experiences eventually leads directly to emptiness.