1. Theory

What do I mean by “jhana,” “absorption,” and “samadhi”?

 

Those familiar with the topic of jhanas probably know that there are several understandings of what jhana means. My aim here is not to engage in an extensive theoretical discussion and argue in favor of one of the jhana interpretations. However, clarifying what type of jhana I’m talking about and what I mean by “absorption” is necessary before using these terms in the manual.

 

First, the scriptural basis I work with is the Bhikkhu Bodhi translations of the suttas. In the suttas, the attainments number five to eight are not called “jhanas,” and I also don’t think of them as jhanas. I use “formless attainments.” You may see the labels I use for the nine attainments in the Table of Meditation Techniques / Attainments at the beginning of the manual.

 

 

Which “jhana” am I talking about?

 

I’ve heard mostly about the classification of jhanas into three types. One such classification is in the book The Mind Illuminated (Yates, Immergut and Graves 2017). Another one is in the paper “Toward a Unified Account of Advanced Concentrative Absorption Meditation: A Systematic Definition and Classification of Jhana” (Sparby and Sacchet 2024). I’m not sure if it’s a perfect match, but of the three types—let’s call them “lite,” “intermediate,” and “absorption” jhanas—the jhanas I talk about are closest to the intermediate type. They are not absorption; they are based on the suttas and are the more difficult and profound ones of the sutta-based types[1].

 

 

Absorption as the main difference between jhana and the formless

 

By meditative absorption in its pure form, I mean a state in which one does not perceive through the five senses (one does not feel the body, does not hear or visualize anything, etc.), and the mind is fully absorbed in the perception of its mental object (e.g., infinite space). The state is thus purely mental, immaterial, “unplugged” from any external input.

 

Exactly that, as I understand it, is the main difference between the four jhanas and the formless attainments. The four jhanas are not absorption, while the formless attainments are. The sutta passage for the base of infinite space describes a transition from a non-absorbed state (fourth jhana) into an absorbed state (infinite space):

 

“ . . . 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.”[2] (The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, sutta 31)

 

The suttas talk about the formless states as “liberations that are peaceful and immaterial, transcending forms” (The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, sutta 70). It refers to being temporarily liberated from form, matter, and the five-sense experience. In the case of infinite space, for instance, the only thing one is aware of, the only thing that is being experienced, is simply infinite space. There is a clear perception of boundless space all around and nothing else.

 

The mind in absorption is very stable, imperturbable, as if “fixed” or “locked-in.” It’s not blissful in the sense that there would be a pleasurable feeling (such as in the first three jhanas). The feeling is, technically speaking, neither painful nor pleasant—neutral. It is not an ecstatic bliss. It is a bliss of stability, peace, and freedom from matter and all sensory impact.

 

Given the jhana sutta similes that talk about pervading the whole body by something (the similes are presented in the Jhana Training chapter), I find it difficult to interpret the four jhanas as absorptions in which one does not experience the physical body.

 

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I elaborate more on all the meditative attainments in their respective subchapters. Here, I’m clarifying which interpretation of jhana I’m talking about and what I refer to when talking about absorption, which is the main quality differentiating the formless attainments from the jhanas.

 

 

What do I mean by “samadhi”?

 

The term “samadhi” is widespread in meditative circles. The sutta translations I read usually translate it as “concentration,” and it often occurs in the context of “samma-samadhi”—“right concentration,” which is the eighth factor of the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path defined as the four jhanas.

 

The suttas also speak about samadhi as “unification of mind,” or “one-pointedness of mind.”[3] The way I understand it is not that the object of concentration is necessarily one specific point but rather that the mind goes in one direction; it is collected instead of scattered. In that sense, it might also be thought of as “one-directedness of mind.”

 

“Samadhi” is a broader term than “jhana.” Jhana is samadhi, but not all samadhi is jhana. The formless attainments are not jhana (unless you use the “eight jhanas” commentarial terminology), but they are samadhi. If you’re not yet in jhana but are getting close to it, it’s probably fair to say you have decent samadhi. This whole manual is about developing samadhi, the jhanas being a specific form of it.

 

 

What is the relationship between mindfulness and samadhi, including jhana?

 

“Unification of mind, friend Visakha, is concentration [samadhi]; the four foundations[4] of mindfulness are the basis of concentration.” (The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, sutta 44)

 

Mindfulness is a condition for samadhi. It’s what precedes and leads to samadhi. In this manual, mindfulness of breathing is the tool for getting into the first jhana—a specific stage of samadhi. In all the lists of certain qualities in the suttas that include both mindfulness (sati) and samadhi—such as the five faculties, the seven enlightenment factors, and the Noble Eightfold Path—mindfulness comes before samadhi (and the lists can be seen as a sequence).

 

Cultivating samadhi is going beyond mindfulness, but it doesn’t mean you leave mindfulness behind. Mindfulness is highly developed in the jhanas. The fourth jhana has “purification of mindfulness.”[5] If you want the purest mindfulness, go for the jhanas.

 

 

Four key factors for attaining jhana

 

Developing jhana is learning a new skill—producing a particular altered state of mind at will. Sometimes, meditation is seen as something religious or mystical. I don’t think about it that way. I think of it as simply training one’s mind and brain. As people go to the gym to train their bodies, similarly, we meditate to train our minds and brains. The jhanas are whole-body experiences, but the main thing is clearly happening and felt in the head.

 

The factors for developing this new skill—jhana—are not too different from developing other skills. I grew up playing tennis. It’s a simplification, but I think it’s fair to say that to become a successful tennis player, you need four things:

 

• Favorable external conditions

• Good coach teaching the proper technique and other aspects of the game

• Persistent effort

• Talent

 

The key factors for attaining jhana are the same. In a broader sense, they are the four key factors for developing samadhi. Let’s dive into them one by one.

 

 

Favorable external (retreat) conditions

 

This one should be more or less clear to those with a solid meditation retreat experience. Generally, the retreat place should be conducive to calming the mind, relatively simple, but not necessarily uncomfortable. Ideally, it would be a quiet, secluded place in nature. It could be a monastery, a retreat center, or an individual lodging.

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Silence

 

The sounds of nature (anyone who has been to a tropical rainforest knows what I’m talking about) are not as much of an issue as human-produced sounds, such as traffic, music, construction work, or other people talking. But generally, the quieter, the better.

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Seclusion

 

Secluded means you’re not seeing or meeting other people frequently. If you can get a lodging where you can’t see anything other than nature when looking around, that’s perfect. But things don’t always need to be perfect. If you can get a place where you’re not disturbed by noise or other people, that will do.

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Simplicity

 

I mentioned that the place should be simple. As I will explain later, the “job” will be calming the mind in meditation and not distracting it outside of it. Keeping the place simple means avoiding things that may distract the mind. In a way, the retreat place should be boring. Bring only things you will really need. The retreat activities only include sleeping, eating, meditating, contemplating, being out in nature, and maybe reading, exercising, and discussing the training with someone else.

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Moderate comfort

 

In terms of level of comfort, balance is the way to go. Some meditators resort to very ascetic conditions, which is OK but not necessary for developing jhana. Luxury doesn’t help either. The simplicity should make it less comfortable than what you’re used to in your non-retreat setting. You can push yourself a bit. But you should not suffer too much.

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Supportive diet

 

Food is also a thing to consider when planning a retreat. Having enough energy and feeling well helps the mind training. Try to make sure you are somewhere where you can get enough healthy, nutritious “fuel” for the training.

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The more time, the better

 

I also include time in this external conditions factor. It’s straightforward—the more time you have for the retreat, the better. If you can get two weeks, that would be good. One month, great. Two to three months, samadhi through the roof. Maybe. Even if you can get only a week or a weekend, it’s worth it. You will not attain jhana, but that’s OK. It’s a gradual training. Every meditation counts. Regularly meditating outside the retreat setting and going on a short retreat occasionally means starting from a higher base when you eventually do find the time for a more extended retreat.

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Group or solitary retreat?

 

The loneliness of a solitary retreat can have both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that you can be more secluded and less disturbed by others, and you can tailor the daily schedule to yourself. The disadvantage is that loneliness may be challenging, especially for beginners. If you prefer a group retreat, try to find one with a conducive set-up and environment for developing jhana. If you prefer a solitary retreat, don’t underestimate the challenge of being alone. Feeding yourself measured doses of friendly human interaction, ideally with someone you can discuss the practice with, is advisable.

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Good instruction and advice

 

Good instruction and advice are essential. Just as with learning other skills, the right advice at the right time can save plenty of time and make the difference between mediocre and good results. So, where, or from whom, can you get the right meditation instruction and advice? A million-dollar question.

 

In the spiritual circles, you get a wide range of figures, from con artists who fake their “enlightenments,” through people who, with genuinely good intentions, preach things that hardly make sense, to wise teachers worth following. There is no universal magic formula for telling one from another. Jhana Training Manual would be a simple answer to the million-dollar question, indeed, but a slightly biased one coming from the author of it.

 

I had a couple of pages written on selecting a teacher. However, I will abstain from sharing it. I think it’s fairer to recuse myself from commenting on the topic in detail since I myself offer meditation advice and instruction.

 

Generally speaking, when choosing the person and method to follow, it’s good to invest time in one’s own research into the matter, be careful about confirmation bias, be skeptical about methods promising quick results, avoid blindly accepting recommendations of others, and be open to adjusting if you realize there might be a better way than your current method.

 

 

Persistent effort

 

Don’t focus on things you cannot control, such as the results. Focus on things you can influence, such as your persistent effort.

 

This factor is solely up to you. No one can do the work for you. Even with the best external conditions and instruction, it won’t work without some striving. It’s closely related to motivation and mindset.

 

I don’t believe much in artificial motivation boosting. You’re either genuinely interested, or you’re not. If you are and have the conditions for the training, go all in. I like the term “wholeheartedly.” I have no doubt it’s worth it, whether you make it to jhana or not. If you do, it will change your life. If you don’t, you have increased the chance of it happening the next time.

 

By the way, even the pre-jhanic states can be very rewarding. It’s not an all-or-nothing game whether you get to jhana or not. It’s rather about whether you play (go to a retreat) or not. If you do, you always win at least something. If not jhana, it may be the pre-jhanic pleasantness and peace of mind. If nothing else, you spent some quiet time developing mindfulness and tranquility in nature.

 

 

Talent

 

Talent is not at all the most important thing. But it is a thing. In many areas of skill development—sports, arts, professional work, and others—there are cases of people having similar starting conditions and training methods, putting in a similar amount of effort, and the results being quite different. Samadhi development is no different.

 

To what extent talent is inborn or determined in our childhood and by our upbringing is not relevant to our discussion. For this manual, let’s define talent as the “inner potential for samadhi we cannot influence.”

 

I think teachers, coaches, motivational speakers, and the like, sometimes underplay the role of talent. Putting significant weight on talent is inconvenient because it may sound discouraging. Again, I’m far from saying that talent is the leading factor. However, omitting it from the key factors would be inconsistent with reality. It would lead to the expectation that if one does everything correctly, the jhanas must happen. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. Due to this talent factor, I cannot promise anyone that the jhanas will happen.

 

A crucial thing to add is that you cannot know whether you have the talent until you try. By trying, I mean fulfilling the three previous factors on a longer retreat. If you go on a short retreat and don’t experience anything special, it doesn’t mean you don’t have the talent.

 

I remember quitting early twice on two-week retreats before I became a monk. I couldn’t handle it and left the retreats after a week or so. Even if you’re struggling on relatively short retreats, it doesn’t imply you don’t have the talent for samadhi and the potential for jhana.

 

Struggling with the hindrances at the beginning is normal. The trick is to get through that difficult initial period while cultivating samadhi. Then, if the samadhi grows, it will subdue the hindrances, and suddenly everything becomes much more manageable.

 

So, please, don’t get into that “can’t do” attitude before giving it a serious try on a long retreat. The (un)realistic timeframes for attaining jhana—that is, what I mean by a long retreat—are discussed in the Jhana Training chapter.

 

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Overall, you don’t need all four factors to be perfect, but you do need all of them to some degree to get to jhana. The first one—favorable external (retreat) conditions—is a matter of arrangement. The third one—persistent effort—is up to you. We can’t do anything about the fourth one—talent. You need to try and see what happens. And yes, the whole purpose of this manual is to get you covered regarding that second factor—good instruction and advice.

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• “ . . . of the three types—let’s call them ‘lite,’ ‘intermediate’ and ‘absorption’ jhanas—the jhanas I talk about are closest to the intermediate type.”

 

• “Exactly that [absorption], as I understand it, is the main difference between the four jhanas and the formless attainments. The four jhanas are not absorption, while the formless attainments are.”

 

• “Cultivating samadhi is going beyond mindfulness, but it doesn’t mean you leave mindfulness behind. Mindfulness is highly developed in the jhanas. . . . If you want the purest mindfulness, go for the jhanas.”

 

• The four key factors for attaining jhana are:

 

• Favorable external (retreat) conditions

• Good instruction and advice

• Persistent effort

• Talent

 

• “Don’t focus on things you cannot control, such as the results. Focus on things you can influence, such as your persistent effort.”

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[1] The lite and intermediate types are based on the suttas, whereas the absorption type is based on the Visuddhimagga.

[2] © 2009 by Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha. Reprinted by arrangement with Wisdom Publications. This attribution applies to all excerpts from The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha throughout the manual.

[3] The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, sutta 44.

[4] Body, feelings, mind, mind-objects.

[5] The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha, sutta 5.28.