Not hatred for hatred

He who wishes his own happiness by causing pain to others is not released from hatred being himself entangled in the tangles of hatred.
Pakinnaka Vagga - The Dhammapada

The Jhanic experience

(The four material Jhana)

This is the first in a series of articles which will be helpful to especially those who practise vipassana meditation

Ron Wijewantha PhD

JHANA: The word Jhana (Sanskrit: Dhyana) implies essentially, the process of transmuting the lower states of consciousness into higher transcendental states leading to the summit of progress in meditative training.

The majority of followers of the Theravada tradition hold Jhana in awe, for they believe that attaining the Jhana do not lie within the capability of lay persons.

Fortunately, during the last few decades there has been a resurgence of the vipassana practice by lay persons, some of whom are reported to have been quite successful in their endeavors.

However, they are yet diffident in even attempting to extend their meditation practices to the field of the Jhana. This may perhaps be due to the scarcity of monks and lay persons adept at achieving even the four material jhana.

The Jhanic journey

The purpose of this essay is to explain, substantiated by textual information, how one should, by proper application and striving, be able to attain to the four material Jhana. But there is a proviso. It is that the person who wishes to proceed along this path, should be conscientious and dedicated to the task in hand, and not be discouraged by the pace of progress.

For the Jhanic journey could be short or it could be long, depending on the temperament, mentality and dedication of the individual learner. Nevertheless success in the end is within a person's reach. It must also be kept in mind that there can initially be no 'instant Jhana'. One can attain the Jhana only by exercising unlimited patience and proper application, and by having the constant guidance of an experienced and accomplished teacher.

Finally, the meditator should also have previously had some experience in vipassana meditation and should thereby be familiar with the five hindrances that prevent a meditator from concentrating and remaining without straying on the object of his meditation. These hindrances are:

Sensual desires (kamacchanda)
Ill-will (vyapada)
Sloth and torpor (thina-middha)
Restlessness and scruples
(uddhacca-kukkucca),
Perplexity or doubt (vicikiccha).

Therefore it is appropriate to first briefly discuss these hindrances that need to be eliminated, before discussing the psychic factors, which characterize the Jhana.

Meditators would have experienced to various extents the five hindrances in their daily meditation on in-and-out breathing or anapana-sati.

They would then have learnt to temporarily get rid of them. But now, a deeper understanding is required. For, without coming to terms with them, vipassana meditation leading to the Jhana is not possible. Bhikkhu Bodhi discusses these hindrances in the following manner:

Two methods

"The elimination of the hindrances prior to attaining the Jhana is brought about by means of two methods, one specifically directed to each hindrance separately, the other applicable to all at once. The former is to be employed when a particular hindrance obtrudes itself with persistent force, the latter on other occasions when no one hindrance seems especially conspicuous.

The specific method involves the reversing of the causal situation out of which the hindrance develops. Since each defiling factor is a conditioned phenomenon coming into existence through distinct causes, the key to its elimination lies in applying the appropriate antidote to its causal base.

Thus sensual desire arises on account of unskillful attention to the attractive features of things, to alluring objects and physical bodies. It is attenuated by considering the impermanence of the objects of attachment, and by reflecting on the repulsive nature underlying the attractive appearance of the bodies that arouse desire.

Ill-will or anger also springs up from unskillful attention, in this case the unpleasant aspects of persons and things; it is reversed by developing loving kindness towards disagreeable people and patience in the face of unfavourable circumstances.

Sloth and torpor become prominent by submitting to moods of sloth and drowsiness; they are dispelled by the arousal of energy.

Restlessness, worry and regret arise from attending to disturbing thoughts and are eliminated by directing the mind to an object conducive to inner peace.

And doubt, grounded upon un-clarity with regard to fundamental points of doctrine, is dispelled by clear thinking and precise analysis of the issues shrouded in obscurity".

For a further comprehension of the hindrances, there is in the suttas a vivid simile illustrating the manner in which they obstruct clarity of the mind, summarised as follows:

'Imagine a pond of clear water where a rare gem lies at the bottom. We now add a number of bright dyes to the water, which then takes on beautiful psychedelic patterns.

We become entranced with the beauty and intricacy of the colours and do not penetrate to the depths. This can be compared to sensual desires.

Anger, ill will and aversion can be compared to boiling water. Water that is boiling, as in a geyser, is very turbulent and we cannot see through to the bottom. Sloth and torpor are like the pond getting covered by a dense layer of algae. One cannot possibly penetrate to the bottom.

Restlessness, worry and regret are like a wind-swept pond. The surface is agitated and the bottom is impenetrable. Doubt is like the water when muddied; the bottom is obscured'.

The first (material) Jhana

Its five psychic factors. There are in the first Jhana, five psychic factors namely: Vitakka, Vicara, Piti, Suka and Ekaggata. These factors can bring about a complete (though temporary) suspension of the fivefold sense activities.

Entry into the Jhana is then possible. These factors also simultaneously help in consciously expelling from the mind the five hindrances (nivarana) to the Jhana.

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All things are mind made

M. B. Werapitiya

MIND: Seeing the helplessness of an old man struggling to get on his feet to go on his round of begging, his only means of sustenance; hearing the groans and moans of a man suffering from a deadly disease that had made a wreck of his body and mind; seeing a dead body being carried for its disposal, the procession of mourners wailing and weeping, Prince Siddhartha realised these were the realities of life with suffering at the beginning, suffering in the middle and suffering at the end.

That was enough for him to take a decision as to what he should do with his life. Since no person had discovered a method or system whereby to overcome suffering, he embarked upon a voyage of discovery, abandoning his claim to the rulership of his father's domain.

Taking leave from his wife and child, he ventured forth an ascetic, in search of a formula to end suffering.

Wise men

Meeting wise men of his time, some of whom had attained high spiritual states, he followed their disciplines which however, brought him no beneficial results.

Hence, he experimented on himself over a period of six long years going to the extremes of an austere life that nearly took him to death's door.

Finding that such practices led to the impairment of his mind, he changed course and started developing his mind for the attainment of wisdom to see things in their true form.

That worked for him and on the full moon day in May, 528 BC at his thirty fifth year, at Gaya in India, he became fully awakened in mind that made him a Buddha. Thus, he not only saw the cause of suffering but also its ending. His pean of joy ran thus -

"Many a house of life
Hath held me - seeking ever him
who wrought
These prisons of the senses,
sorrow fraught.
Sore was my ceaseless strife.
But now,
Thou builder of this
tabernacle - thou
I know thee! Never shalt
thou build again
These walls of pain,
Nor raise the roof-tree of deceits,
nor lay
Fresh rafters on the clay.
Broken thy house is, and
thy ridge-pole split,
Delusion fashioned it!
Safe pass I then, deliverance to
obtain!"

The legacy the Buddha left behind for mankind in the way of his teaching, the Dhamma, conforms with laws of nature, science and principles of social justice. Hence, it is the truth, valid for all time, sublime and ever new.

The truth we think is elusive, lies within each of us awaiting to be discovered. One has to discover it oneself as evidenced by Prince Siddhartha.

The tools required are faith born out of conviction, energy, mindfulness, concentration of mind and wisdom which are there in one in adequate measure.

The eightfold path

The method to get started is also within oneself - the eightfold path which divided into three categories are - mental discipline, concentration of mind and development of wisdom.

Hence, it is by super effort that one discovers the truth and once discovered becomes a reality. In other words, truth is self-exploratory, self-determined and self-experienced.

A Buddha arises in the world to proclaim to those endowed with understanding, the Four Noble Truths which are the truth of suffering, its cause, its ending and the path leading to its ending. In the midst of our worldly activities to keep life afloat, we pay little attention to the truth of suffering.

Love and compassion of the Buddha

The reality is that birth is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, association with the loathed is suffering, disassociation with the loved ones is suffering, not to get what one wants is suffering and the list unending. Out of love and compassion a Buddha teaches us to set our course in the right direction to extricate ourselves from suffering and attain that peace of enlightenment, everlasting.

The origin of our suffering is our attachment to our sense faculties wanting more and more alluring experiences to heighten our excitement. Hence, one believes in one's delusion, that the purpose of life is the gratification of the senses.

The Buddha teaches a middleway which avoids extremes and has for its components - right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration of mind.

Life is then lived according to accepted norms. This way of life promotes spiritual growth and ends in spiritual liberation. Thus being man one fulfils his purpose as man.

The mind, the Buddha said, "is chief and all things are mind-made." Think evil thoughts and evil results follow.

Think wholesome thoughts and happiness follows. It is the mind that lives, the mind that creates. Call it consciousness and it means the same. Consciousness is kammic energy which flows for one from the beginning, arising out of actions good and bad.

Its flow does not end with death, its nature being to give rise to rebirth. If as we know, a mind tainted by greed, hatred and delusion leads to unhappiness, then it necessarily follows that a mind cleansed of defilements, abides in happiness. A cleansed mind runs its course to a finish and kammic energy ceases to produce rebirth.

Departure from craving

Kammic energy then takes another form for it is said that according to the law of conservation of energy, energy cannot be destroyed but takes some other form. Hence, the concept of nirvana arises. Nirvana means, departure from craving.

A Buddha Jayanthi occurs seldom in our lives. Should you be a Buddhist, rise to the occasion to make it a turning point in your life to be a hundred percent Buddhist. You know best where you stand and the necessary repair work that has to be done. Bear in mind that the power is within you to attain the highest.

Take full control of your life as a captain does assuming authority over his ship and sail the mighty ocean of life ready to meet any contingency. Be innovative, be creative, be willing to face up to challenges and you will see the difference it makes with never a dull moment to grumble about, in your life.

May you be truly well and happy!