Understanding Jhana Through Modern Lenses
Despite the frequent mention of the Jhanas throughout early Buddhist teachings, their true nature remains a subject of debate more than 2,500 years later. What follows is an overview of various perspectives on the Jhanas, not a definitive guide—just a working map of the landscape as it appears today. If you’ve encountered a different approach, feel free to share the details with me.
One of the key distinctions that emerges early on is between what are often called “Sutta Jhanas” and “Visuddhimagga Jhanas.” While the labels aren’t perfect, they’re commonly used. The Visuddhimagga model relies on a visual or mental nimitta as a gateway and requires intense focus, often described as a “locked-in” state of absorption. The Sutta version, in contrast, leans toward a more accessible style of concentration, emphasizing joy, ease, and mental unification without the strict requirement of a nimitta. These differences reflect not only technical variations but also philosophical stances on the role of concentration in the path to awakening.
The Pali Canon tends to present Jhana as an integral part of monastic life, suggesting that many people could reach these states without too much struggle. For example, suttas like the Anapanasati Sutta (MN 118) describe Jhana as a natural outcome of mindful breathing, accessible to those who cultivate calm and insight in tandem. This casual accessibility contrasts sharply with the Visuddhimagga’s claim (section XII.8) that only a minuscule percentage of meditators can reach even the first absorption—a statistic meant more to emphasize depth than to be taken literally. The Visuddhimagga framework is highly refined and methodical, outlining different factors and processes than the original suttas. You can compare the differences in depth and structure here – The Traditional Factors of the 8 Jhanas.
What follows is a summary of the various Jhana interpretations I’ve come across, grouped loosely by teaching lineage or meditation center, with additional perspectives from contemporary teachers to broaden the scope:
Visuddhimagga-Based Approaches
The Pa Auk Monastery in Myanmar preserves the Visuddhimagga tradition in its purest form. Here, deep absorption states are the goal, but few people reach them. Reports suggest around one-third of the monks and nuns achieve these states, with nuns often outpacing the monks, possibly due to their disciplined practice schedules. Western laypeople generally need months-long retreats to break through. Students use breath meditation and visual objects (kasinas) as tools to build powerful concentration, often spending hours stabilizing the nimitta—a luminous mental image that signals deepening absorption. These states are used as foundations for insight practices detailed in both the Visuddhimagga and Abhidhamma. Pa Auk’s approach also emphasizes the sequential mastery of all eight Jhanas, including the formless realms, as a prerequisite for advanced Vipassana.
Vern Lovic, an American meditation teacher and author based in Thailand, offers a distinctive approach to the Visuddhimagga Jhanas (Deep Jhanas), rooted in his personal experiences rather than formal Buddhist training. Through his platform, Jhana8.com, Lovic teaches that the deep absorptions described by Buddhaghosa are accessible without adhering to traditional Buddhist frameworks or religious prerequisites. He stumbled upon the Jhanas unintentionally, unaware of their significance, by focusing intensely on the breath until achieving complete concentration (samadhi). Lovic emphasizes a minimalist, non-dogmatic method, instructing students to micro-focus on the sensation of breath at the nostrils for 5 to 20 minutes per session, letting go of any attachment to outcomes. He views craving for Jhana as a primary obstacle, advocating a paradoxical approach of indifference—walking away from unstable Jhana states to reduce grasping, which paradoxically facilitates deeper absorption. His coaching, including retreats in Krabi, Thailand, and online sessions, prioritizes practical steps over doctrinal purity, aiming to prepare the mind for transformative experiences like ego dissolution and heightened mental clarity. Lovic’s writings, such as DEEP JHANA – Total Ego Annihilation, and his meditation training videos highlight the life-changing potential of Jhana, even for non-Buddhists, while acknowledging the difficulty of attaining these states, as noted in the Visuddhimagga’s claim that only one in a million succeed in reaching deep absorption.
Tina Rasmussen and Stephen Snyder studied extensively with Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw and received permission to teach in his lineage. Their book, Jhanas Advice from Two Spiritual Friends, offers a first-person look at how these deep states can be practiced, with practical tips for navigating challenges like mental restlessness or over-effort. They emphasize the importance of ethical conduct (sila) as a foundation for Jhana, arguing that a purified mind naturally inclines toward absorption. Their approach also includes guidance on transitioning from Jhana to insight practice, using the clarity of the concentrated mind to investigate impermanence, suffering, and non-self. You can learn more about their method through their writings and talks at Awakening Dharma.
Marcia Rose, who founded The Mountain Hermitage, blends Theravada-Vipassana traditions and teaches Samatha and Jhana with endorsement from Pa Auk Sayadaw. She integrates Burmese Mahasi-style Vipassana with Pa Auk’s depth, offering a hybridized teaching path that balances absorption with insight. Rose emphasizes the role of joy (piti) in the first Jhana, encouraging students to savor this factor as a natural motivator for deeper practice. Her retreats often include guided meditations that transition from breath focus to kasina practice, allowing students to experiment with different access points. Her reflections are available at the link above.
Shaila Catherine‘s retreats are structured around building strong concentration, usually starting with breath awareness and moving into full absorption. Her methods blend sutta references with personal retreat experience, including extended practice time with Pa Auk Sayadaw. She customizes access objects based on the student’s level, sometimes incorporating loving-kindness (metta) or body-based meditations to ease beginners into concentration. Catherine also highlights the ethical dimension of Jhana, noting that sustained absorption often reveals subtle defilements, which can be addressed through mindful reflection post-Jhana. Her framework is detailed in her book Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity, where she describes Jhana as a “laboratory for the mind” that refines both concentration and insight.
Ajahn Brahm, a Western monk from the Thai Forest tradition, teaches a style that reflects the intensity of Visuddhimagga-level Jhana but insists his model is rooted in the suttas. His approach emphasizes letting go of effort and cultivating peace through breath meditation, often encouraging practitioners to “smile” into the practice to foster joy. Brahm argues that Jhana is not about forcing concentration but about creating the conditions—silence, simplicity, and surrender—for the mind to naturally enter absorption. He also addresses the role of the body in Jhana, suggesting that physical ease (sukha) is as critical as mental focus. His method is described in detail in his essays The Basic Method of Meditation and Travelogue to the Four Jhanas, available through the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. Brahm’s teachings often include humorous anecdotes, making the profound states feel approachable yet sacred.
Sutta-Inspired Approaches
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana‘s method leans heavily on the Visuddhimagga, yet many of his students report accessing Jhana within short retreats, suggesting a practical flexibility. He once explained that while full absorption precludes insight practice due to the mind’s single-pointed focus, emerging from Jhana leaves the mind clear and focused for effective insight work, as described in MN 111 – One by One as They Occurred. Gunaratana also emphasizes the dynamic interplay between Jhana factors, encouraging students to observe how joy (piti) transitions to happiness (sukha) as absorption deepens. His book The Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation provides a detailed analysis, bridging sutta simplicity with Visuddhimagga rigor. He also advocates for shorter, repeated Jhana sessions to build familiarity, rather than aiming for prolonged absorption early on.
Venerable Amathagavesi from Sri Lanka integrated Metta and Asubha practices as preparatory steps before entering Jhana. He taught that once the mind is sufficiently calm, the shift into Jhana can happen through intention alone, bypassing the need for a nimitta in some cases. His method included training in how to move in and out of Jhana at will, and students were encouraged to explore factor changes between states, such as the fading of applied thought (vitakka) in the second Jhana. Amathagavesi believed basic proficiency could be developed in a two-week retreat, though serious practitioners were urged to go deeper. He also viewed Jhana as a tool for cultivating equanimity, preparing the mind for insight into the three characteristics (anicca, dukkha, anatta). He passed away in 2007 at the age of 85, but his teachings continue to influence Sri Lankan meditation circles.
Ayya Khema taught an achievable form of absorption even within a 10-day retreat format. She emphasized lighter absorption for the earlier Jhanas but aimed for the fourth to be deep enough that sound fades from awareness, aligning with sutta descriptions of profound stillness. Her methods included breath focus, loving-kindness, and body scanning, often tailoring the practice to the student’s temperament. Khema also highlighted the role of Jhana in revealing the mind’s latent tendencies, such as craving or aversion, which could then be investigated through Vipassana. She followed The Graduated Training path (AN 5.28), where concentration leads into insight, and her talks, available through Dharma Seed, emphasize the joy of Jhana as a foretaste of liberation.
Nai Boonman and The Samatha Trust present a Jhana system closely aligned with Ayya Khema’s, though they have their own nuanced takes on the structure and function of each state. They emphasize the breath as a versatile object that can lead to both Jhana and insight, with a focus on cultivating a “bright mind” through sustained attention. Paul Dennison covers this method in detail in his book Jhāna Consciousness, published by Shambhala in September 2022, where he explores how Jhana states foster a continuity of awareness that supports mindfulness off the cushion.
Christina Feldman employs the breath as the main concentration anchor, guiding students toward Jhana without demanding the intensity seen in Visuddhimagga-based systems. She notes that at least a month of practice is often needed for results, highlighting a gradual and patient process. Feldman also integrates Jhana with relational practices, suggesting that the equanimity developed in the fourth Jhana can transform how practitioners engage with others. Her teachings, available through the Insight Meditation Society, emphasize Jhana as a state of profound rest that prepares the mind for deep inquiry.
Leigh Brasington, one of Ayya Khema’s students, builds on her teachings but asks for more absorption in the first Jhana while allowing for a looser form in the fourth. He describes Jhana as “lite” compared to Visuddhimagga standards, making it more accessible to lay practitioners. Brasington also incorporates a phenomenological approach, encouraging students to notice the felt sense of each Jhana factor, such as the vibrancy of piti or the calm of sukha. His book Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhanas provides clear instructions and troubleshooting tips, and his website (leighb.com) offers retreat schedules and resources.
Daniel M. Ingram, a prominent figure in the pragmatic Dharma movement, offers a unique perspective on Jhana through his work in Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha. Ingram distinguishes between “hard” Jhanas (aligned with Visuddhimagga-style absorption) and “soft” Jhanas (closer to sutta descriptions), advocating for a flexible approach that prioritizes experiential mastery over dogmatic adherence. He emphasizes the cyclical nature of Jhana practice, where meditators can “cycle” through states by intentionally shifting attention to different factors, such as joy or equanimity. Ingram also integrates Jhana with insight practice, suggesting that even brief Jhana experiences can sharpen mindfulness and accelerate progress through the stages of insight (ñanas). His candid, no-nonsense style appeals to modern practitioners, and his online forums, like the Dharma Overground, provide a space for discussing Jhana experiences.
Rob Burbea, a late meditation teacher known for his innovative teachings at Gaia House, approached Jhana through a lens of imagination and energetic sensitivity. In his book Seeing That Frees and his retreat talks (available on Dharma Seed), Burbea describes Jhana as a “playful” engagement with the mind’s potential for joy and stillness. He encouraged practitioners to explore the “energy body” during Jhana, noticing how subtle bodily sensations align with mental states. Burbea also introduced the concept of “Jhana as a way of looking,” where the meditative gaze itself cultivates absorption, blending concentration with insight from the outset. His approach is particularly appealing to those who find traditional Jhana frameworks overly rigid, as it allows for creative experimentation within the states.
Thanissaro Bhikkhu, a Thai Forest monk and scholar, offers a sutta-based approach to Jhana that emphasizes its role in the broader path to awakening. In his essay The Path of Concentration & Mindfulness and his book With Each & Every Breath, he argues that Jhana is not an end in itself but a tool for developing discernment (pañña). Thanissaro views the first Jhana as a state of whole-body awareness, where the breath suffuses the entire body, creating a sense of ease and rapture. He downplays the need for a nimitta, focusing instead on the natural unification of mind that arises from sustained attention. His teachings, available through dhammatalks.org, also highlight the importance of “evaluating” Jhana states to refine concentration and prepare for insight, aligning with the Buddha’s instructions in the Anapanasati Sutta.
This list isn’t exhaustive, but it offers a window into the current landscape of Jhana interpretations across the Buddhist world. The methods vary greatly, from the laser-focused absorption of Pa Auk to the playful exploration of Burbea, but all aim to cultivate stillness, clarity, and transformative insight. Contemporary teachers continue to adapt Jhana practice to modern contexts, making these ancient states accessible to lay practitioners while preserving their depth. If you’re exploring Jhana, consider experimenting with different approaches to find what resonates with your practice, and don’t hesitate to share your experiences or questions!