Jhāna and samādhi: entries and methods

What is jhāna? Put simply, jhāna could be described as mental states that are characterized by stability, calm, clarity, and agility of mind. The 4 jhānas are often described in the suttas as the definition of “wise samādhi”, the 8th portion of the 8 fold path.

This guide hopes to lay out the fundamentals and details of working with the jhānas (and perhaps the arupas/formless experiences as they can be neighbors of the jhānas). These practices could be considered somewhat advanced and may prove difficult to develop without regular instruction and guidance. I am available for any that wish to discuss these practices in more detail or to help guide you.

Jhāna practice for most takes regular, dedicated practice to develop (and maintain). It is certainly possible to do at home, and to work into ones life though it may take lifestyle change to setup enough favorable conditions for them to become part of the experience.

For the purposes of this document the approaches to jhāna practices have been divided into animitta (signless) and nimitta (sign). While this distinction is not wholly accurate, it may be useful to help people practice and explore due to the different definitions of jhāna that we may run across. Jhānas are simply part of the landscape of practicing Buddhadhamma (and perhaps quite a few other spiritual traditions). The formulas often cited for them can be prescriptive (describing step by step how they are done), but keep in mind as well that a lot may be learned if they are also approached as being more descriptive (describing in detail what happens as they are experienced).

For the dedicated practitioner, what is recorded in the Buddhist Suttas and Sutras can be quite practical and instructional. I find it is immensely helpful to study the descriptions and instructions as we are told the Buddha and others of the Sangha gave them. There are pitfalls along the Dhamma path, potentially much more-so for us when we are in unfamiliar territory. Please undertake any training in this guide with this in mind.

If one studies the suttas, jhāna is mentioned quite often, but not all descriptions of them are identical. Instead of encouraging taking a static view saying “this must be real jhāna” and “this isn’t”; I aspire to simply lay out the territory in enough detail for the curious to find out for themselves first hand. There are may “levels” or “depths” of jhāna. Each of them seem quite related to the others, yet what the experience is like and what doors they open can also vary quite a bit.

Important considerations

This seems like a good opportunity to bring up some things that should be considered before undertaking these practices.

• These practices are often time-intensive and lend themselves to longer sits, more intensive periods of practice, and retreat.
• For many, working with these practices can begin to release the “control” the mind has held over suppressed memories, experiences and tendencies. As this happens, these tend to resurface. This can be a powerful opportunity for honest and transformative practice, or it can begin a spiral into the unskillful.
• These practices tend to take things much more towards the mystical and esoteric end of the spectrum. It is not uncommon for visions and other “extrasensory” experiences to arise in some. These are mentioned in the suttas but often go unmentioned within the modern sphere of much of Buddhist practice in the West. If these things happen, my recommendation is to find and consult a kalyāṇamitta/”wise friend” or teacher that trains in practices like these and work with them.
• These practices can be likened to sharpening the blade of an axe, vipassanā/insight practices could be likened to the axe itself, cutting down the tree of delusion. If you combine these practices with insight type approaches during periods of intensive practice, it is not uncommon for the experience to play out on a much different (often faster) timeline than those that are only practicing a method focused more on insight. This may lead to confusion and possibly frustration on the part of the meditator and their guiding teacher if they are not made aware of this.

Prerequisite and supportive conditions

To begin with, jhāna tends to require that some favorable conditions be present. The more of these that exist, the more accessible they seem to become.

• Become skilled at meditating for 45 minutes or longer comfortably and without concern. Much longer sits are often part of the jhāna experience.
• Wise effort, the art of putting the mind on a skillful meditation “object”, keeping it there and bringing it back whenever it drifts should be cultivated. This includes the ability to shift from one object to another as needed.
• Familiarity with sati/direct experiencing, and engaging it throughout the day regularly.
• Minimize the concern about disturbances.
  • Internally by taking, living by and regularly reflecting on the precepts, as this quiets and calms the mind.
  • Externally by setting conditions where we are not likely to be interrupted by sensory stimulus that we consider to be disruptive. (It is possible to practice jhāna in noisy, busy environments, but the mind must not consider them to be disruptive.) Practicing in a quiet room or meditation hall in a comfortable safe posture for example.
• Regular practice of evoking or experiencing generosity, contentment, gratitude, metta (kindness) and/or the 4 brahmaviharas (divine abidings). Metta (kindness) can be a very effective entry into jhāna and related releases.
• Familiarity with a few meditation methods that lead to jhāna, and being willing to shift between them if conditions favor one over another.
• Regular development and experience of samatha/tranquility.
• Work with breath as a meditation object is often quite supportive.
• Proficiency at changing postures gently while practicing can be of great benefit.

Animitta (signless) jhāna (voluntary entry)

For many meditators, “signless” voluntary entry into jhāna is potentially easier to access and faster to learn. A method for experiencing them is below. Craving or wanting to experience jhāna often prevents jhāna from occurring. The right attitude is to simply put the ingredients/conditions together and see what they produce. Replace any wanting or expecting with curiosity.

1. Begin the session in a stable, alert, comfortable and safe posture. A slight smile can help.
2. Place the attention on a meditation object that will work for this purpose. Some examples are:
   • Metta (kindness) 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.
3. Keep the mind on the meditation object. When the mind drifts, simply place the mind back on the meditation object without further thought.
4. Over time the mind will begin to get quieter and more still.
5. 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 experienced in the body.
6. 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.)
7. 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.
8. After attending to piti for long enough, another, somewhat calmer pleasant experience (pitisukha) will be observed. Let the mind move from attending to piti to the more restful experience of attending to pitisukha.
9. After attending to pitisukha for long enough, another, calmer pleasant experience (sukha) will be observed. Let the mind move from attending to pitisukha to the more restful experience of attending to sukha.
10. After attending to sukha for long enough, another, often deeply calm and more neutral experience (upekkha) will be observed. Let the mind rest in and attend to upekkha, leaving any remnants of piti or sukha behind. Rest in, cultivate and become familiar with this state.
11. Begin observation/contemplation practice from here or gently end the meditation session when finished.

This approach to jhāna could be likened to staying on one object that over time causes the next object to materialize, then jumping to and staying on the next object, causing yet another object to materialize and so on.

Each jhāna has a “flavor” or feeling to it. Once the experience has shifted to jhāna, we can deepen and learn from it by surrendering to it. Here are some analogies to illustrate.

Imagine jhāna is a river and the practitioner is a rock that is placed in the current. The current then flows over the rock, wearing down any rough portions and smoothing it out. Eventually the rock is quite smooth, but the stream continues to erode the rock until eventually the rock is no more. The rock vanishing is the sense of a separate self vanishing.

Imagine jhāna is an electrical current and the practitioner a wire that the current passes through. Anywhere that there is resistance to the current, heat and resistance (vexation) build up in response. Aspire to be like a wire that gets better and better at letting the current of jhāna more freely pass through. Eventually the current is so free flowing the need for the wire vanishes. When this happens the sense of a separate self also vanishes.

If one trains skillfully in this way then jhāna practice may naturally move away from voluntary towards involuntary, and the experience of jhāna will simply be a natural unfolding that occurs with skillful practice. This process naturally leads towards realizing emptiness and suchness.

Nimitta jhāna (involuntary)

1. Begin the session in a stable, alert, comfortable and safe posture. A slight smile can help.
2. Place the attention on a meditation object that will work for this purpose. (Please see above for examples.)
3. Keep the mind on the meditation object. When the mind drifts, simply place the mind back on the meditation object without further thought.
4. Over time the mind will begin to get quieter and more still.
5. Keeping the mind with the meditation object and returning to it will eventually give rise to pleasure arising. Simply notice the pleasure and keep with the meditation object.
6. The pleasure will often take place first at the kāya/body level, grow in intensity and eventually fade along with the experience of the body.
7. Pleasure that is experienced more in the vedanā/feeling tone “layer” of experience will then become increasingly present. After some time this pleasure will eventually fade along with the vedanā “layer” of experience.
8. Pleasure that is experienced on the citta/mental “layer” of experience will then become increasingly present. This will often become uplifting and beautiful. Allow this to continue to build in strength, stability and intensity by staying with the meditation object. The mind will often brighten and this brightness (nimitta) will continue to grow, stabilize and sharpen as the meditation object is continually experienced along with the pleasure of the uplifted mind.
9. When the citta/mental layer of experience is sufficiently uplifted, the mind will drop the meditation object and enter the jhānas (often experienced as awareness turning to the brightness of mind and merging with it). There is no need to try to do anything during the jhāna experience, they will simply play out according to the conditions present. (The meditator MAY also attempt to enter jhana by shifting attention off of the meditation object, onto the sufficiently brightened and sharpened “nimitta“. If this is successful, the mind will seem to merge with the brightness and enter the jhānas.)
10. If the body, feeling tone and mind were sufficiently “charged” with pleasure and release prior to entering jhāna, and conditions are favorable, then after 4th jhāna, the mind may “release” into suññatā/emptiness.
11. Begin observation/contemplation practice from here or gently end the meditation session when finished.

This approach to jhāna could be likened to a multi-level fountain. The water is the that first fills the top level. When it then overflows, the water continues its course and flows into another level, which overflows into another and so on.

Related practices

Another approach that is detailed in several suttas (perhaps the most well-known being SN 12.23 Upanisa Sutta) could be seen as an alternate description of jhanas as they play out, or as another (related) method.

It can be another doorway in to wise samādhi, and may be fruitful to explore. The suttas give quite a few different methods to begin this practice.

Each of these lead to the experience of pāmojja/delight which, in turn becomes the proximate cause for the next link in the chain, eventually leading to samādhi, knowing and seeing things as they are, disenchantment, fading and liberation.

1. Begin the session in a stable, alert, comfortable and safe posture. A slight smile can help.
2. Place the attention on a meditation object that will work for this purpose. The previously mentioned meditation methods can work well here but some additional examples from the suttas are:
   • Learning Dhamma
   • Teaching Dhamma
   • Reciting Dhamma
   • Pondering Dhamma
   • Penetrating an object of concentration with wisdom
   • Living diligently
   • Sila and ethical conduct
   • Giving up unskillful qualities and the hindrances
   • Experiential confidence in Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha
   • Experiencing vexation leading to faith/confidence
   • Living with others harmoniously
   • Directing the mind towards an inspiring “sign”
3. Direct the mind to and keep the mind on the meditation object. When the mind drifts, simply place the mind back on the meditation object without further thought.
4. Keep with the meditation object, and be aware if any gentle joy, delight or pleasurable sensations arise in the experience. (This can show up as an itch, happiness, relief, the body feeling flushed, buzzing, etc.)
5. Once pāmojja/delight is found, place the mind on the pāmojja 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 pāmojja is experienced.)
6. Attending to the pāmojja will bring up another, often more intense pleasant experience (piti). Make piti the new object and allow it to stabilize. Keep attending to it.
7. After attending to piti for long enough, it will begin to grow wearisome and an inclination towards relief and passaddhī/calmness and serenity will be observed. Let the mind move from attending to piti to the more peaceful experience of resting in passaddhī.
8. After attending to passaddhī for long enough, another pleasant experience (sukha/happiness) will begin to well up. Let the mind move from attending to passaddhī to the happy and uplifting experience of attending to sukha.
9. After attending to sukha for long enough, the mind will incline towards the increasingly deeper calm of samādhi. Let the mind rest in, cultivate and become familiar with this state.
10. Once samādhi has sufficiently deepened and stabilized, yathabhutañanadassana/knowing and seeing things as they are will increasingly become the predominant perspective on experience…

Perfection of the Brahmaviharas

1. Begin the session in a stable, alert, comfortable and safe posture. A slight smile can help.
2. Evoke and place the attention on metta (kindness)
3. Keep the mind on metta. When the mind drifts, simply place the mind back on metta without further thought.
4. Over time the mind will begin to get quieter and more still.
5. Keep with metta, 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.) As above, this is often experienced in the body.
6. Once the experience is still, stable, and a pleasant sensation is found, place the mind on the pleasant sensation while continuing to evoke metta. Keep on it and if the mind drifts, bring the mind back to it. (If the mind loses it, simply return to metta and continue as you were until another pleasant sensation is experienced.)
7. Attending to the pleasant sensation will bring up another, often more intense pleasant experience (piti). Place the mind on piti while continuing to evoke metta and allow it to stabilize.
8. After attending to piti for long enough, another, somewhat calmer pleasant experience (pitisukha) will be observed. Let the mind move from attending to piti to the more restful experience of attending to pitisukha while continuing to evoke metta.
9. After attending to pitisukha for long enough, another, calmer pleasant experience (sukha) will be observed. Let the mind move from attending to pitisukha to the more restful experience of attending to sukha while continuing to evoke metta.
10. After attending to sukha for long enough, another, often deeply calm and more neutral experience (upekkha) will be observed. Let the mind rest in and attend to upekkha while evoking metta. Leaving any remnants of piti or sukha behind. Rest in, cultivate and become familiar with this state of beautiful awareness-release.
11. Begin to evoke karuṇā (compassion) and release from the beautiful awareness release further into the release of space without end. Rest in, cultivate and become familiar with this state of awareness-release through compassion.
12. Begin to evoke mudita (empathetic joy) and release from the awareness release through compassion further into the release of consciousness without end. Rest in, cultivate and become familiar with this state of awareness-release through empathetic joy
13. Begin to evoke upekkha (equanimity) and release from the awareness release through empathetic joy further into the release of no-thingness. Rest in, cultivate and become familiar with this state of awareness-release through equanimity.

The arupa/formless experiences

The arupa/formless experiences, sometimes referred to as the 5th-8th jhānas are a series of practices that can be practiced on their own (it seems the Buddha-to-be studied with teachers that practiced them), or entered into from the jhānas (generally the 4th). In the lesser discourse on emptiness (MN 121) the arupas are practiced after attending to the earth element, but in other places they are described after descriptions of practicing the 4th jhāna.

The 4 jhānas themselves often have a strong energetic experience as part of them, and the body exlerience tends to become wispy or fall into the background. In the arupas, the body “layer” is more absent, these are perhaps described as primarily if not purely mind “layer” experiences.

They are named the following in the suttas:

• The experience of space without end
• The experience of consciousness without end
• The experience of no-‘thing’-ness
• The experience of neither perception nor non-perception

Currently I feel that attempting to guide one to and through them may be best done in person. For those that are curious, there are some instructions relating to the arupas in the descent into emptiness section. The arupas still have utility, but it is quite a bit more specialized than the benefits of the jhānas themselves. They can occur both volitionally or non-volitionally (though the second case seems somewhat rare).

Ways that jhāna and related practices may prove useful

Jhāna cultivation and related practices can be useful tools in the toolbox of the spiritual aspirant. Through practice and study you may find that these practices may be employed to:

1. Balance and prepare the mind for contemplation of liberating perspectives such as observing change (anicca), what cannot be me/mine (anatta) dependent co-arising (paṭiccasamuppāda) and release of disturbance (daratha).
2. Rest and release the mind.
3. Greatly increase the speed, impact and depth of liberating insights and realizations.
4. Enjoy healthy pleasure and contentment. This pleasure can also be helpful when fasting or not eating at/after certain times.
5. Facilitate and learn about the skills of letting go and release.
6. Serve as an entry into the formless (and other) experiences.
7. Aid in work with discomfort and hardship.
8. Come into direct understanding of iddhi (spiritual accomplishments or powers).