The 10 Biggest Jhana Myths and Why They Are Wrong

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I have been to two lengthy Jhana retreats. At both I experienced extraordinary states of conscious, which the presiding Teacher confirmed as Jhana. Well, in both cases they faded fast. Thus I find this video to be illuminating, I will continue on the path as best I can.

for the last point: if you think Jhana is something you do or that happens to you, there is still a self in that view, at least in the wording. to me, it's always a bit tricky to be aware of a wholesome state without it triggering thoughts relating to a self. usually my response is to disidentify with the mind as much as possible without that turning into something active itself.

Excellent 🙌

Buddha said he remembered that meditation was pleasant/pleasurable vs the starving self denial that almost killed him, and that was the breakthrough he needed. I think he and first generation followers discussed the duka of janna as an eventual problem! but starvation meditation was probably good on about the 5th day with a clear and purifying body and a lot worse later on. Under the boddi tree he probably transcended pleasant jhana and was living on air and sunlight (ie not starving)

At 13:55, I heard you say "first there is stream entry, then whatever you practice like, culminates in samadhi. The suttas could not be clearer on that." So to rephrase to check my understanding, are you saying that one cannot enter jhana until they have attained stream entry? I'm not the most studious in the suttas, nor am I the least; however, I don't recall reading any suttas that explicitly stated that one cannot enter jhana prior to stream entry, nor do I recall reading anything in which one would obviously infer that. Could you please provide some information on how you determined that from the suttas? Edited to add: I hear your point in the video about Right Samadhi being the 8th step of the Noble Eightfold Path, but I don't think the Buddha has ever said that the Noble Eightfold Path is completely linear like step 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and then done. The Buddha also does differentiate between "mundane" Right View and "transcendent" Right View, which many say only the latter applies to stream enterers. My point there is it seems that one could hold "mundane" Right View and not be a stream enterer but still being practicing the Noble Eightfold Path, which of course includes Right Samadhi. I'm sure you've heard people talk about the N8P cycling and nourishing itself, meaning you develop Right View, which informs Right Intention, and so on up to Right Samadhi, which informs Right View, and so on. Does this disagree with your understanding? Sorry for the word salad, but I hope my question & points of misunderstanding are apparent.

You seem to equivalate jhana with attaining the non-returner or even arahant stage, a permanent result. SN specifies entering, remaining and emerging from samadhi, oposite to what you mention around 7:00.

What do you think of the meditation method of Thanissaro Bhikkhu which stems form Ajhan Lee teaching?

i got warm, fairly paralyzed, I was both sleeping and dreaming and I knew I was dreaming. I knew I was really on my real life bed while it was all happening. Irritating relatives in my dream were mocking me for not being able to easily move or speak, and I was thinking sure I can get up and shake/will my limbs to move and mouth to speak, but then I will wake up! Then I woke up. I think my ego was screwing with my jhana and ruining it for me what u guys think

Can u suggest which english translation of the suttas is good to read

Great exposition ! What I don't get is the nature of wrong jhana. If jhana can only be entered by a path of renunciation, what is the nature of wrong jhana? Is it a renunciation-based jhana tainted by silabata-paramasa? You follow the right instruction but you haven't understood for yourself the reason why you should go in that direction? So you really are temporarily free from sensuality but you haven't uprooted the view that it must be abandoned? Wouldn't that be a faith-based approach, which is a legitimate vehicle to nibbana, isn't it? Or is it a concentration born jhana (like in the visudimagga)? I guess not, but looking forward to your opinion.

when you say you adhere to the suttas, is this just because you generally think they are the most reliable set of info within reasonable limits of fallible human authors, or do you assign some sort of religious primacy to them? Because it would be interesting if the only correct system of awakening just happened to be compiled by a specific group of people in ancient India (but it’s much easier to just respect it as one of the best). for example, the idea that insight meditation isn’t a “thing” because it’s not framed that way in the suttas, while perhaps fundamentally true in the sense that there isn’t a separate thing called insight, in terms of relative techniques there’s a ton of independent systems both within and outside of Buddhism that have reported success with insight meditation practice. Is “that’s not differentiated in the pali canon!” a valid rebuttal?

In AN10.72 it is said that "sound is a thorn to the first Jhana.", this makes sense if a Jhana is an absorption-like state. How would you read this passage? I don't mean to put you on the spot or something, this is just a passage I came across which I find hard to reconcile. Thanks for the videos. :)

Don't the 5 jhana factors suggest a doing? I feel like I can practice applied and sustained thought, such as bringing up wholesome thoughts continuously which will lead to piti and sukkha and so on. Is it a waste of time do engage with the jhana factors before sotapanna?

What do you make of MN64 Mahāmālukyasutta ? The Buddha says that jhana is used to clear the five lower fetters. So, how can be jhana be difficult before sotapanna? He seems to say that jhana, at least the first jhana, is attained right before sotapanna. You're still correct that jhana is the culmination of the Noble 8-fold path. But, the Buddha suggests that Right View can be seen before sotapanna, which allows whomever to fulfill samma samadhi that leads to sotapanna.