6. Beyond Jhana: Formless Attainments

If you’ve mastered the fourth jhana and have more retreat time ahead, you can try to go beyond the fourth jhana to the formless attainments. As mentioned in the Theory chapter, the key difference between the four jhanas and the formless attainments is absorption (also described in the Theory chapter). The formless attainments are close to the fourth jhana in that they feel neither painful nor pleasant—neutral. The fourth jhana and the formless attainments are also all called “imperturbable” in the suttas. The additional feature of the formless attainments is absorption with a single fixed perception (neither perception nor non-perception in the case of the fourth formless attainment).

 

The “borders” between the different formless attainments are less robust than those between the four jhanas. The transitions from one formless attainment to another are correspondingly smoother. It’s “only” moving from one perception to another subtler perception, whereas in the case of the jhanas, the various jhana factors come into play. Once you manage to get to the base of infinite space, there is a good chance that going through the four formless attainments will be less time-consuming than going through the four jhanas.

 

The suttas are rather concise on the formless attainments. The passage for the transition from the fourth jhana to the first formless attainment—base of infinite space—is as follows:[1]

 

“ . . . with the complete surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite,’ we enter upon and abide in the base of infinite space.” (The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, sutta 31)

 

 

Explanation of the formless

 

The formless as temporary liberation

 

A bit of theory and explanation is needed to make sense of the “formless.” In the context of the early Buddhist texts, meditative experience can be either within form (rupa) or formless (arupa). It’s also translated as material (rupa) and immaterial (arupa). The four jhanas fall into the sphere of form as one in the jhanas is still experiencing form, matter (rupa), although in a very refined, agreeable way. Since rupa, in general, is considered to be associated with suffering (the suffering arising on account of existing in the physical, material world), transcending it, going beyond it into arupa—the formless—is considered liberation, although temporary. In this context, it’s “only” liberation from rupa, not the final liberation of Nirvana. As the sutta passage suggests, one can do that by surmounting perceptions of form, sensory impact, and diversity, and entering the base of infinite space.

 

By the way, some call the four jhanas “rupa-jhanas” and the formless attainments “arupa-jhanas.” This manual sticks to the suttas, which never call the formless attainments “jhanas.”

 

 

From getting absorbed to the edge of perception

 

There are two formless elements in the sutta context: space and consciousness.[2] After surmounting perceptions of form and getting into the first formless state—infinite space—the next step is surmounting that base of infinite space. When one accomplishes that, what’s left is a perception of infinite consciousness. After surmounting the perception of infinite consciousness, as there is no more formless element to perceive, only a perception of nothingness remains. The meditator still fully perceives at that point, but the “object” is nothing. It’s an experience of nothingness, but it’s still an experience.

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Surmounting that perception of nothingness gets you to the edge of perception—a state called “neither perception nor non-perception.” It’s not enough of a perception to call it “perception,” but it’s not yet cessation of perception. It’s something in between. While for the base of nothingness, you can say you’re perceiving nothingness, for the neither perception nor non-perception, you can’t really say what you’re perceiving. It’s a sort of residual perception of nothing identifiable.

 

Why is it that the brain can produce these states? Don’t ask me—I don’t know. But the amazing thing is that these states of mind really exist, and getting there is doable with the key factors for developing samadhi fulfilled.

 

One thing I want to clarify is that, in the context of meditation, when we speak of the “base” of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, or neither perception nor non-perception, it does not refer to some special existential dimension or anything like that. The infinite space, consciousness, and so on, are real in the sense that it’s really what the meditator vividly experiences and perceives. But it’s not real in the sense that the meditator would be entering some “realm” of infinite space, consciousness, and so on. The formless attainments are nothing more, nothing less than self-induced, deeply absorbed altered states of consciousness with a single fixed perception (as opposed to perceptions of diversity)—of infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, plus the state of neither perception nor non-perception.

 

 

Formless means formless

 

Some things in the suttas are to be taken literally, some are not (and yes, then the million-dollar question is which is which). The formless attainments are to be taken literally. For example, infinite space after surmounting perceptions of form, sensory impact, and diversity really means just infinite space, nothing else. It doesn’t have any other quality than being an empty space that is infinite, boundless (but, of course, we can say the state of mind as such is peaceful, serene, imperturbable, and the like). It’s neither beautiful nor repulsive, neither painful nor pleasant—it’s just space. If the meditator experiences any other qualities, such as colors, sounds, flavors, whatever, then it’s not the formless infinite space or any other formless attainment.

 

 

Infinite space

 

Getting absorbed

 

“Upgrading” from the fourth jhana to the formless infinite space—absorption—is one of the things you need to work on deliberately. It’s not going to come spontaneously.

 

You get into the fourth jhana and imagine empty space all around, everywhere—nothing else than boundless space in all directions. It’s an imagination, a mental projection. With the fourth jhana as a base (which should be very well established by now), you keep developing a perception of infinite space all around.

 

In the beginning, it might not be working very well. The projection won’t seem very real at first. This phase requires some patience. However, as the fourth jhana mind is malleable,[3] gradually, the projection can become more and more “real.”

 

Occasionally, internally labeling what you’re trying to project—“(infinite/boundless) space”—can help. It technically violates the purity of the jhana (there is no verbal mental activity from the second jhana onwards), but if it helps with the mental projection, it’s OK. Infinite space is the priority now.

 

Try to fully immerse in that emerging perception of infinite space. The mind will be less and less percipient of all other things. The meditation may also be getting more and more gratifying; not in the sense that there would be pleasant feelings, but in the sense that the samadhi becomes more peaceful, more detached from the external world.

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The process of getting absorbed is neither purely gradual nor all at once. It’s a combination of both. The process above—the meditator being less and less percipient of anything else than the increasingly real perception of infinite space—is gradual. However, there is a specific moment when the mind finally gets fully immersed as if soaked in or locked into the experience of infinite space. The perception of infinite space thus becomes clear and complete, filtering out all other experiences, including sensory perceptions. That is full absorption, the attainment of the formless infinite space, temporary liberation of the mind from matter.

 

 

Switching to the autopilot

 

Entering absorption is the time to switch to “autopilot” mode. From now on, there is not much to actively do. The only task is to keep going forward experiencing, perceiving infinite space without actively being in charge of what is happening.

 

To some extent, that is already the case in the jhanas. The absorption brings it to another level. In absorption, any move of the attention away from the infinite space (or the other formless bases) gets the meditator out of the absorption. In jhana, the field of attention still compatible with the jhana is broader. The formless states thus require a higher level of detachment. Detachment from everything, including the intuitive tendency to have a sense of control over what is happening with the mind, except the given formless base.

 

 

Don’t try to check for absorption

 

There might be a tendency to check if you’re really absorbed—if there is no sensory perception. Such a check doesn’t work. The senses are not impaired. They are fully functional. The absorption just filters out the sensory experience. If you intentionally try to check if there is hearing, meaning you pay attention to any sounds, there will be hearing. If you try to check whether you’re experiencing the physical body by switching attention to it, you will experience it. The checking itself will always get you out of the absorption. All one can do is, after the meditation session, look back and evaluate whether there was a period of absorption. So, don’t worry about checking for absorption during the meditation session. It doesn’t work, and it only interrupts the absorption.

 

 

Delight in release and detachment

 

As already pointed out, the autopilot mode requires letting go of being in charge. There is a natural tendency to try to be in control of what is happening. This shouldn’t be surprising. That is more or less what we do our whole lives. You can consider the autopilot mode a training of letting go, abandoning, releasing. Try to develop the habit and mindset of delighting in the sense of letting go, abandoning, releasing, detachment. Let the samadhi get in charge. Just enjoy the serenity of infinite space. That will work best and develop the state further. Well-developed absorption then has the nice “locked-in” feature that makes staying in it easier and more natural than getting out of it.

 

 

Infinite consciousness

 

“ . . . by completely surmounting the base of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite,’ we enter upon and abide in the base of infinite consciousness.” (The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, sutta 31)

 

 

From space to consciousness

 

After mastering the base of infinite space, one can transition to the base of infinite consciousness. As noted earlier, the “border” between the two states is relatively subtle. Getting deeper into the infinite space state can lead to spontaneously entering the base of infinite consciousness. The perception of space disappears, and the mind is left with a perception of infinite consciousness.

 

If it doesn’t happen spontaneously, the technique is in principle the same as for moving from the third to the fourth jhana. You can perceive the space as still too rough, not refined enough, intending to move on towards something even more subtle, refined, and peaceful—such as infinite consciousness. And you deliberately relinquish the perception of infinite space.

 

As the perception of infinite consciousness is more refined than that of infinite space, it’s even more gratifying. Generally, for all the attainments, the higher it is, the more rewarding it gets.

 

The term “consciousness” can have slightly different meanings in different contexts. This is also the case in the suttas. In the context of the second formless attainment, the meaning of “consciousness” is close to that of “mind.” The meditator is experiencing nothing but a formless infinite mind. The other features of the absorbed state and the way to develop it deeper remain the same as for the infinite space.

 

 

Interpreting infinite consciousness

 

Once again, I want to make clear that experiencing infinite consciousness/mind does not refer to something overly metaphysical. Being absorbed in infinite consciousness/mind doesn’t mean “being one with universal consciousness” or something like that. Meditative experiences are always subject to interpretation. If you put people who firmly believe in universal consciousness or something similar into the base of infinite consciousness I’m talking about, they might interpret it as “merging with universal consciousness.” I don’t interpret it that way. As I see it, the formless attainments are extremely valuable and fulfilling meditative experiences for the meditator. But their meaning doesn’t go beyond that in the sense that they would have some externally metaphysical element.

 

 

Nothingness

 

“ . . . by completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing,’ we enter upon and abide in the base of nothingness.” (The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, sutta 31)

 

 

From consciousness to nothingness

 

For the base of nothingness and how to work with it, everything is the same as for the infinite consciousness, except the perception changes. Only a perception of nothingness is left after the infinite consciousness vanishes. It’s a perception of absence of a thing, a perception of voidness, emptiness.

 

 

Nothingness as emptiness

 

Attaining the formless nothingness should not be mistaken for the Buddhist practice of perceiving things as empty. From the Buddhist perspective, everything has the inherent quality of being empty of an unchanging, permanent entity or core. That is the “non-self” (anatta)—the cornerstone of the Buddha’s teaching. Seeing, perceiving, or contemplating anatta is a practice of developing insight—vipassana, whereas being in the formless base of nothingness—that is, perceiving that state’s emptiness—develops serenity—samatha. The point of the former is understanding the anatta nature of things, whereas the point of the latter is the stillness of mind.

 

 

Neither perception nor non-perception

 

“ . . . by completely surmounting the base of nothingness, we enter upon and abide in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.” (The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, sutta 31)

 

 

From nothingness to the edge of perception

 

Again, working with the base of neither perception nor non-perception is the same as for the preceding formless attainments.

 

As noted earlier, there is only residual perception in the neither perception nor non-perception, and you can’t tell what it is that you’re still residually perceiving. This state is different from the preceding three in that those three are defined by their perception, whereas this fourth one is defined by its lack of perception (“neither perception”), while not yet being the cessation of perception (“nor non-perception”). My experience is that it also takes longer to fully develop compared to the other three formless states.

 

 

The most serene conscious state available

 

According to the suttas, this is the highest conscious meditative state possible. It’s the most peaceful conscious state available. Beyond that is only the cessation of perception and feeling—an unconscious state. The neither perception nor non-perception is extremely blissful because of how serene it is. Indeed, all the lower attainments are too rough, not refined enough, in comparison.

 

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Working with the eight meditative states

 

Going down the attainment sequence is a nice-to-have

 

Mastering the eight meditative attainments (four jhanas plus four formless states) means not only being able to go up the sequence but also down. However, besides being a nice skill to have, going down the sequence doesn’t have much practical use. The main meditation base will likely be the highest attainment the meditator can reach (I don’t see much reason for that not being the case). Even if you decide to stay in one of the lower attainments of your samadhi repertoire, you do that by going up there and not going further up the sequence. And you can always end the meditation session by opening your eyes in whatever state you’re in. You don’t need to go back down to the first jhana to end the session. So, in no usual scenario, does one need to go down the sequence of the meditative attainments.

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Focusing on the highest attainment you can get into

 

If the objective is getting as far as you can in the sequence of attainments, focusing on developing the highest one you can get into is most effective. After starting the meditation session, you can go up the sequence to your highest attainment as quickly as your ability allows you. There is no need to stay in a lower attainment longer than what is necessary to get into the next one, a higher one. That applies to the lower attainments you have mastered in the past. Developing a particular state into mastery and then moving on to the subsequent attainment is a different thing, which should not be rushed through.

 

 

The scale of depth and the “grey” area

 

If well developed, going up the jhanas and the formless attainments might be a matter of a few seconds. But that needs further clarification. The meditative states, except for the cessation of perception and feeling, are not a “0/1” thing. The reality is more fluid than that. Within what technically qualifies as jhana or a formless attainment, there is a scale of depth one can get into. In addition to that, there can be a grey, hybrid, or impure area, in which the state does not technically qualify as jhana or a formless attainment, but it’s much closer to it than to anything else.

 

So, for example, when I say you can get into the fourth jhana within a few seconds, that means you can get into a decent level of the jhana quickly (which can still be very deep in absolute terms), and only after some time meditating, you get into your deepest fourth jhana.

 

Similarly, for the formless absorptions, you may be able to quickly get into a state that closely resembles the formless attainment, is not yet full absorption (therefore, doesn’t qualify as a pure formless attainment), but is much closer to the pure formless absorption than to anything else. Let’s call it “pre-absorption.” And only after some time of meditation, you deepen it into complete absorption.

 

So, to be more precise, if you become skillful in the formless attainments, it will probably mean being able to get quickly into that pre-absorption state, while still needing some more time to get fully absorbed into what qualifies as a pure formless attainment.

 

 

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Key Takeaways

 

• “Since rupa [form], in general, is considered to be associated with suffering (the suffering arising on account of existing in the physical, material world), transcending it, going beyond it into arupa—the formless—is considered liberation, although temporary. . . . As the sutta passage suggests, one can do that by surmounting perceptions of form, sensory impact, and diversity, and entering the base of infinite space.”

 

• “ . . . there is a specific moment when the mind finally gets fully immersed as if soaked in or locked into the experience of infinite space. The perception of infinite space thus becomes clear and complete, filtering out all other experiences, including sensory perceptions. That is full absorption, the attainment of the formless infinite space, temporary liberation of the mind from matter.”

 

• “There is a natural tendency to try to be in control of what is happening. . . . Try to develop the habit and mindset of delighting in the sense of letting go, abandoning, releasing, detachment. Let the samadhi get in charge. . . . That will work best and develop the state further.”

 

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[1] It’s the same passage as in the Theory chapter.

[2] The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha, sutta 3.61.

[3] See Mastering the fourth jhana in the Fourth jhana section of chapter 5.