I just got in the mood to start making charts because I’m tired of writing! Here’s a pie chart graphic showing the relative time to reach goals on the way to reaching Deep Jhana.
As you can see, attaining Perfect Concentration is what takes the most time and energy. This can take many months of practice, and most people will never reach it because they give up. This is what the vast majority of my students have done. They try for a week, maybe two, and then give up as if it’s unattainable.
Well, it’s unattainable in 2 weeks. Probably you won’t get there in 8 weeks either. You may have to try for a year. 1 year to reach the most amazing life-changing levels? I did it and I wasn’t aware there was going to be any payoff. I didn’t even know what path I was on. When I first got into a really solid Perfect Concentration on the feeling of the breath in the nose, it was mindblowing in a way I’d never considered possible before.
Anyway, this graphic is just meant to show you that the real problem is not attaining Deep Jhana. The real FIRST problem is mastering focus on the breath.
Once that is done, the Deep Jhanas are VERY attainable.
The Real Problem Isn’t Jhana — It’s Perfect Concentration
What this pie chart makes clear is something I’ve been saying for a long time — the hardest part isn’t the Jhana itself. It’s getting your concentration to a truly stable place. That’s what takes the most time, the most effort, and the most patience.
Why So Much Time Goes Into Concentration
If you’re trying to build a real Jhana practice, you’re probably spending 90% of your time just trying to stabilize your attention — not entering Jhana, not floating away in bliss, not exploring formless states. It’s that first step — staying with the breath — that’s the biggest hurdle.
I’ve taught a lot of students this past year. Almost all of them give up before anything significant happened. They try for a week or two, maybe even a month, and then stop. They think it’s not working. But really, they just haven’t stuck with it long enough.
It Took Me About 5 Months
For me, it took about five months of daily practice to finally arrive at what I call Perfect Concentration — that rock-solid, quiet, effortless, unwavering attention on the feeling of the breath in the nose. I wasn’t even looking for any kind of spiritual experience. I didn’t know what Jhana was. I just kept practicing because I thought if I was able to concentrate fully, I might be able to get over some of my ADD mind.
And then, one day, it just clicked. I was completely locked in, effortlessly resting with the breath, and it was clear something had changed. From that point on, the Jhanas started unfolding naturally, without following a Buddhist script. Without even knowing what Jhana was.
What the Chart Shows
So that’s what this graphic is about — it’s just a visual reminder that the hard part is getting perfectly concentrated. Not in a tense or forced way. It’s actually the opposite. It’s about getting relaxed and focused enough that the breath becomes the only thing the mind wants to stay with.
Once your mind knows how to stay put — without drifting, without fighting, without dullness — the doors open up. But if that stability isn’t there, Jhana won’t happen, no matter how many hours you sit.
Stop Looking for Deep States — Focus on the Breath
The big trap a lot of people fall into is chasing after Jhana itself. Wanting it. Looking for signs. Wondering if what they just experienced was the first Jhana or not. All of that just scatters the attention. It pulls you right back into the thinking mind.
Instead, just work with the breath. That’s it. Over and over. Gently. With interest. No pressure.
Eventually, something shifts. The attention stops wobbling. The breath becomes really satisfying. The mind naturally quiets down. And from that place, Jhana can begin to form.
What Perfect Concentration Feels Like
When people ask what it feels like, I usually say something like this:
- You’re fully with the breath — nothing else pulls you
- You expend no effort toward maintaining the focus
- Thoughts just stop arising
- Time disappears
It’s not dramatic or flashy. It’s just stable and deeply restful.
One Last Thing
If you’re practicing and it feels like nothing is happening, that’s normal. Don’t rush it. Don’t doubt the process too early. Just keep sitting. Keep showing up.
The real barrier isn’t Deep Jhana. It’s building the attention that makes Jhana possible. Once that’s in place, things start opening up on their own.