171 When all the steps we have previously discussed are practised regularly, and for longer periods of time, and when conditions are right, a state of mind called jhana‚ is attained. The word jhana means `to ponder' or `to meditate', and the Buddha describes four levels of this state, each more pure and refined than the preceding one.
It was these states of mind that the Buddha developed just prior to his Enlightenment and which led to his Enlightenment (see 209,210), and in the Dhammapada, he underlines the importance of the jhanas when he says:
No jhana, no wisdom; no wisdom, no jhana;
But one who both jhana and wisdom,
He truly is close to Nirvana.
The Buddha describes the First Jhana like this:
Detached from sense pleasures and unskilled states of mind, one enters and abides in the First Jhanas, which has logical and wandering thought present, and is filled with a joy and happiness that is born of detachment.
And with that joy and happiness born of detachment, one diffuses, drenches, fills and permeates the whole body so that there is no spot in the entire body that is untouched by that joy and happiness born of detachment. Just as a skilled bath-attendant or his apprentice, kneading bath powder which has been sprinkled with water, forms from it in a metal bowl a ball of foam from which no moisture escapes in the same say, one diffuses, drenches, fills and permeates the whole body so that no spot is untouched.
172 We will have a careful look at the First Jhana so that it can be recognised when it is attained. Logical thought (vitakka, from `takka' meaning logic) refers to conscious and directed thinking, usually used in problem solving. Wandering thoughts (vicara, from `carati' meaning to move or to wander)refers to the scattered and unconnected thoughts that make up so much of the ordinary mind.
Logical thought is like the hand that grips firmly, and wandering thought is like the hand that rubs as when one grips a tarnished metal dish firmly with one hand and with the other hand, rubs it with powder, oil and a fibre pad.
In the First Jhana, the mind is much quieter than usual, and although there is some logical and wandering thought, none of the Five Hindrances are present. Attention is settled on the breath with a minimum amount of effort and there is a general feeling of joy (piti), and happiness (sukha). This positive feeling is born of detachment (vivekaja), that is, it is a result of being detached or free from the Five hindrances, if only temporarily. The joy might come like a sudden flash, in waves, or it might make the whole body feel light, but more usually it will be a subtle pervasive feeling coming suddenly and fading gradually.
173 In the beginning, the First Jhana will only remain for perhaps for a few moments, but even so, it may give rise to a very strong desire to maintain it, and also to re-experience it again during the next meditation sitting. This desire can only create agitation and tension which will make the mind fall back to its ordinary state or cause us to spend the next meditation sitting dissatisfied and frustrated.
When the First Jhana is attained, it should be enjoyed and experienced fully, and when it starts to subside, as it must, it should be allowed to go like a good friend who has paid a visit, whose company has been enjoyed and now has to leave. The meditator's task is now to continue regular practice so that he or she does not enter (upasampajjati) momentarily and from time to time, but come to abide in (viharati) the jhanic state of extended periods.
Even though the First Jhana is the lowest and least refined of the Four Jhanas, its attaintment has an extremely positive effect on the mind, which in turn brings about many important and wholesome changes in the personality.
174 Once the First Jhana has been attained, it is not long before attention becomes one-pointed (ekodibhava) and fixed on the movement of the breadth, thoughts stop completely (avitakka avicara), an inner transquility is experienced (sampasadana) and the mind is fully concentrated. This state is called the Second Jhana and is described by the Buddha like this:
By the stopping of logical and wandering thoughts, by gaining inner tranquility and
onepointedness of mind, one enters and abides in theSecond Jhana, which is without logical and wandering thought, and is filled with a joy and happiness born of concentration. And with that joy and happiness born of concentration, one diffuses, drenches, fills and permeates the whole body so that there is no spot in the entire body that is untouched by that joy and happiness born of concentration.
Just as in a pool fed by a spring, with no inlets in any direction, where the rain god sends down light showers from time to time, the cool water welling up from a spring below would suffuse, fill and permeate that pool with cool water so that no part would remain untouched by it - in the same way, one suffuses, drenches, fills and permeates the whole body so that no spot is untouched.
Joy and happiness are still present in the Second Jhana, but now they are said to be born of concentration (Samadhija), that is, rather than being a reaction to sense stimulation which is what ordinary happiness is, this positive feeling is due to not reacting to sense stimulation. With the attaintment of the Second Jhana, Perfect concentration has been developed, and one is now ready to begin developing Perfect Mindfulness.
175 We have said before that we are made up of Five Aggregates (60-64), all of which are impermanent, unsatisfactory and without self-nature, and that when we see this as it really is, a profound change takes place in us. We are able to live without craving, and in peace and joy. But no amount of theorizing or conceptual understanding will bring about this change. If we wish to see things as they really are, we must look at them carefully.
Normally we react to every experience we have with like or dislike, by comparing and judging, and of course by identifying with each experience, and considering it to be `mine'.
In short, we are involved in our experience and to that extent, we do not see it as it really is. Mindfulness allows us to `step out of' our experience as it were, and observe it with a detached alert awareness.
To do this is to get an entirely different and more accurate insight into things, and our detached, non-involved attitude means we can respond to our experiences in the most appropriate way rather than reacting impulsively and mindlessly as we usually do.
176 The Buddha taught four Foundation of Mindfulness (satipatthana), four things on which we should develop our mindfulness or direct our mindfulness towards, and not surprisingly, they correspond approximately to the Five Aggregates. They are :
mindfulness of body (kayanupassana),
mindfulness of feeling (vedanaupassana),
mindfulness of mind (cittanupassana), and
mindfulness of mental states (dhammanupassana).
Mindfulness of the body means to be aware of the movements, tensions, comings and going of the body, and is described by the Buddha like this:
When one is walking, he comprehends: "I am walking," or when he is standing still, he comprehends:
"I am standing still," or when he is sitting down, he comprehends:
"I am sitting down," or when he is lying down, he comprehends:
"I am lying down." So that however his body is disposed, he comprehends that it is like that.
Again, when he is going or coming, he acts in a clearly conscious way. When he is eating, drinking, chewing and tasting, when he is going to the toilet, when he is talking, standing, sitting, asleep or awake, talking or silent, he is one who acts in a clearly conscious way.
While he is in this way - diligent, ardent, self-resolute - those memories and plans that are worldly are got rid of, and so by itself the mind is inwardly settled, calmed, focused and concentrated. In this way does one develop mindfulness of the body.
Mindfulness of feelings means to be aware of the different sensations that arise on the body, and once again to simply observe them in a detached manner.
How does one practise contemplation of feelings?
When experiencing a pleasant feeling, one knows:
"I am experiencing a pleasant feelings." When experiencing a painful feeling, one knows:
"I am experiencing a painful feeling," and when experiencing a neutral feeling, one knows:
"I am experiencing a neutral feelings that are worldly, one knows they are worldly, and when experiencing pleasant, painful or neutral feelings that are unworldly, one know they are unworldly.
Thus one dwells, contemplating feelings internally and externally. One dwells contemplating the origination factors and the dissolution factors in feelings, or one's mindfulness that "there are feelings" is established to the extent necessary for knowledge and mindfulness.
Independence one dwells, clinging to nothing in the world.
Mindfulness of mind is to be aware of the quality of the mind at any one time, whether it has many thoughts or few, what emotions are present, whether it is agitated or not, and so on.
How does one live practising contemplation of mind ? Concerning this, one knows a mind with greed as a mind with greed, and a mind without greed as a mind without greed.
One knows a mind with hatred as a mind with hatred, and a mind without hatred as a mind without hatred.
One knows a mind with delusion as a mind with delusion, and a mind without delusion as a mind without delusion.
One knows the contracted mind as contracted and the distracted mind as distracted, the developed mind as developed and the undeveloped mind as undeveloped.
One knows the mind with some mental state superior to its as the mind with some mental state superior to it, and the mind with no mental state superior to it as the mind with no mental state superior to it.
One knows the concentrated mind as concentrated and the unconcentrated mind as unconcentrated, the mind that is freed and the mind that is not freed as not freed.
Thus one dwells contemplating mind internally and externally. One dwells contemplating the origination factors and the dissolutions factors in the mind, or one's mindfulness that "there is mind" is established to the extent necessary for knowledge and mindfulness. Independent one dwells, clinging to nothing in the world.
Mindfulness of mental objects is to be aware of the contents of the thoughts in the mind, to actually listen to what they are saying rather than react to them.
177 How is mindfulness meditation practised? As before, one sits in a comfortable posture, with the eyes closed and the hands nestled in the lap, and then practises mindfulness of breathing for a while, perhaps for ten minutes. Then one selects one of the four Foundation of Mindfulness, mindfulness of mental states being the best to start with. Having less thoughts than usual, one merely watches them as they arise, persists for some times and then disappear, without reacting to them in any way.
The Buddha describes the practice like this; "Seen, thoughts arise; seen, they persist; see, they pass away" (vidita vitakka uppajjanti, vidita upatthahanti, vidita abbhattham gacchanti ).
One should become what the Buddha calls a " a detached onlooker of the mind." (ajjhupekkhita). When there are no thoughts to observe, one should simply watch the gentle in-and-out movement of the breath. If extremely passionate thoughts arise, and it is impossible not to get involved in them. The practice should be done for at least an hours per day.
The two main qualities that develop as this practice progresses are mindfulness (sati), and equanimity (upekkha), and together they impart a particular relaxed, still happiness. This state is called the Third Jhana and is described by theBuddha like this:
With the fading away of joy, one remains equanimous, mindful and clearly conscious, and experiences within oneself that happiness of which the Noble One say:
"Happy indeed is he who abides equanimous and mindful." Thus one enters and abides in the Third Jhana. And with that happiness free from joy one suffuses, drenches, fills and permeates the whole body so that there is no spot in the entire body that is untouched by that happiness.
Just as in a pond of blue, red or white lotuses, the flowers are born in the water, grow in the water and are fed by the water, but do not emerge from the water and thus are suffused, drenched, filled and permeated with cool water, in the same way, one suffuses, drenches, fills and permeates the whole body so that there is no spot untouched.
Once mindfulness of mental objects is well established, mindfulness should gradually be extended to the body, to feelings, in fact to all experiences, so that an all-round awareness is achieved.
At this stage, more and more attention should be given to maintaining mindfulness in daily life. This can be done by selecting a particular activity, and resolving to be as mindful as possible while doing it. One could choose putting on one's clothes in the morning, preparing meals, or eating, bathing, walking from one place to another, and so on.
If one selects eating, for example, instead of reading, talking, daydreaming or thinking about what has to be done after the meal is finished, one would give oneself fully to the task at hand. One would move the body and chew and taste the food consciously and knowingly.
It is not necessary to do all this unnaturally slowly, although it might require that one's actions be just a little slower than usual. Nor does it mean that one must have a blank expression on the face.
Some people mistakenly think that a good Buddhist should never smile, and should try to look as serious as possible. But if mindfulness meditation is done properly, as the Buddha says,
"your features will be serene" and "your complexion will be bright and radiant".
And we could expect this from one who is living in the present and free from the internal and external tangles that preoccupy most people. Certainly, the Buddha was like this. One who has developed a strong alert mindfulness is, as the Buddha himself was, like a beautiful lotus flower, in the midst of the mind, but not affected by it.
The Tathagata lives free, detached and released from body, feelings, perception, mental construct, consciousness, rebirth, decay, death and the passions. Just as a blue, red or white lotus born in the water grows up in the water, and on reaching the surface abides there untouched by the water, so too the Tathagata, being free, detached and released from these things abides with a mind whose barriers are broken down.
The attainment of the Fourth Jhana, and subsequent practices that lead to full Enlightment are best understood from the mouth of a teacher who is familiar with the practice. The final steps on the Path are territory where only those who are prepared to give up everything will be interested in venturing.
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