There is some disagreement about Jhana and how to reach it and how to practice it by different traditions. The Buddha had many statements about the Jhanas in the Suttas (Sutras) in the Pali Canon. There are descriptions of Jhana in the Commentaries. There are descriptions about Jhana in Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhimaggas. To me, all of these seem to be the best sources of information if you’re talking about the Buddhist idea of Jhana.
My Position on Jhana
Bias: I’m not Buddhist. I have never been Buddhist. In my adult life, I haven’t followed any religious tradition. I didn’t have any superstitions about Buddhism or any other practice.
Path to Jhana: Though I read books by Buddhists like Buddhadassa, Ajahn Chah, and meditation teachers who taught Buddhist concepts like S. N. Goenka (Vipassana), I distilled down all that I learned into some very simple steps that I followed in my meditation practice. To my knowledge, I wasn’t going toward Jhana or anything else but a focused mind. I just figured I would focus on the breath until I could attain complete concentration on the breath. When I did this, it opened a door to Jhana.
It wasn’t a Buddhist door or path. It was just a simple, religionless path, that led to Jhana.
My take on the Jhanas (video)
Jhana 1-8: Moving through Jhana was not done in any Buddhist way. I wasn’t aware of any factors of Jhana as they are described by Buddhists. I didn’t use any Buddhist method to move through the Jhanas. I stuck to my own few principles and the Jhanas came – all 8 – many times during my meditation sessions.
To be honest, at first I wasn’t even aware I was moving through the Jhanas or that they even had a name. They were quite different states of mind – deep states of mind – total absorption – but I didn’t know they had a name or purpose until later.
Suttas: I haven’t read the Suttas and what they say about Jhana. Only in very small amounts when someone quotes something in an article I read. I didn’t know they advocate lighter Jhana states and don’t talk about the very deep states I experienced. Today, I’m aware that most Buddhists teach the Sutta Jhanas. They are much easier to attain and appear to offer some of the same (or all of the same) benefits. I try not to comment on these Jhanas because I haven’t experienced them. I haven’t sought out to experience them, I don’t see a point at this stage.
Visuddhimagga: I have only recently learned that the Jhanas I experienced are what Buddhaghosa wrote about in the Visuddhimaggas. Compared to the surface-level Jhanas of the Suttas, these are deep states of absorption. I’m not saying they are better or essential, or anything like that. Though when I see someone being talked into Jhana with a guide leading them with verbal prompts, I question whether we’re talking about the same thing at all.
Outcome: My path wasn’t Buddhist. I didn’t follow the advice of Theravada Buddhist monks I spoke with at temples in Thailand like Wat Pah Nanachat, Wat Nong Pa Pong, and Wat Suan Mokkhabalaram. Soon, I’ll do a series of videos on Jhana and my path to clarify for everyone. My path is a non-sectarian way of reaching Jhana and changing your life for the better without anything really to do with Buddhism at all.
That said, some of the outcomes gel with Buddhism. Meaning, some of the morality that Buddhism espouses is a natural outcome of the process I went through.
There was even a supernatural (for lack of better word) component to the process that resulted in a couple of experiences that look very much like some of the Abhinnas. For a person with absolutely zero superstitious beliefs, I found it astounding that my mind had been opened up to the idea that at least some of the Abhinnas were real and directly experienceable after getting into the deep Jhanas.
Suddenly, the idea of Karma and Reincarnation… past lives… telepathy, and seeing into the future and past to some degree was opened up to me and to this day is disturbing because I don’t know what to do with it. I experienced some things that just cannot logically make sense with what I know of this world and our reality. Still, some things happened that have made me believe in some of it.
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Below I present a little overview about some of the more well-known teachers of Jhana out in the world today. There is great disagreement about what level of Jhana is necessary to move through the Buddhist path – and it always includes specific insight practice that a meditator needs to do while in the Jhanas or after while in the post-Jhannic state of clarity of mind.
I followed none of that advice about insight, and my path has lead to a much different state of mind than I have found in any Buddhist community or group. Anyway, let’s see what some other teachers believe about Jhana.
Disagreement About Jhanas
All of the traditions we’ll talk about below from Jhana teachers – are Buddhist traditions.
Where are all of the non-religious Jhana practitioners? Where are all of them that didn’t follow Buddhism to reach Jhana? I certainly cannot be the only one. Yet, I’ve never met anyone who distanced themselves from Buddhism in talking about their Jhana experience.
Meditators who targeted Jhana have been Buddhists or have followed a Buddhist path – whatever their beliefs – to reach Jhana. Though I think this must be one of the hardest things to do in life, many people have sought Jhana out and found some version of it in their Buddhist teachers.
There is some disagreement among Buddhists and lay practitioners about what exactly constitutes Jhana. Some teachers insist there are some ‘surface Jhanas’ that are similar to, or a reflection of, the real Jhanas. There are several people teaching these and calling them real Jhana.
Some refer to these as ‘soft’ Jhanas. Leigh Brasington refers to them as Sutta Jhanas.
There are even highly respected writers and intellectuals who have come to believe these teachers are teaching the real Jhana. They study them as subjects in experiments of the mind, and so on. It’s a rather sad state of things because what they are teaching differs qualitatively and substantially from a true hard Jhana experience.
Before she died, Sister Aya Khema taught Leigh Brasington these soft Jhanas and he has been teaching them for many years.
Recently I saw a Buddhist Monk in England teaching these ‘Jhanas’ – Bhante Vimalaramsi. Then I found another, “Thanissaro Bhikkhu,” and another, “Brahmavamso.”
The soft Jhanas don’t appear to require any real effort in some cases. Someone just sort of talks you into them. The states the people are in when in these soft Jhanas appear nothing like the deep Jhanas I experienced.
Other Jhana Teachers and a Bit About Their Beliefs
Teachers with Strong Belief in Deep Jhana States (Visuddhimagga Practice)
Pa-Auk Sayādaw
- Beliefs: Advocates deep jhāna states, considers the canon, commentaries, and sub-commentaries authoritative, particularly the Visuddhimagga. Believes in rebirth, karma, and the supernatural realms.
- Basis: Visuddhimagga, Pali Canon, and Commentaries.
- Teachings: Suggests practicing jhāna before vipassanā, and emphasizes the development of abhiññas (supernormal powers) and other practices considered “superstitious” by modern standards.
Henepola Gunaratana
- Beliefs: Deep jhāna states are essential for attaining nirvana. Accepts rebirth and karma, and emphasizes the importance of monasticism.
- Basis: Pali Canon, Commentaries, Abhidhamma.
- Teachings: Teaches both access concentration and single-pointedness. Praises the abhiññas and insists jhāna is necessary for enlightenment.
Ajahn Brahmavaṃso
- Beliefs: Deep jhāna states are the only path to nirvana. Believes in rebirth, karma, and the supernatural, including levitation and psychic powers. A host of magical beliefs.
- Basis: Pali Canon, Visuddhimagga, Jātakas.
- Teachings: Emphasizes that the body disappears in jhāna, making it a state of deep concentration. Uses scientific metaphors to explain Buddhist concepts.
Jhana Teachers with Belief in a Mix of Visuddhimagga and Suttas
Shaila Catherine
- Beliefs: Accepts both access concentration and the deep states described in the Visuddhimagga, though she notes access concentration is not mentioned in the suttas.
- Basis: Pali Canon, Visuddhimagga.
- Teachings: Her book targets a lay audience and incorporates teachings from various traditions, suggesting an ecumenical approach.
Bhante Vimalaramsi
- Beliefs: Critical of the Visuddhimagga, prefers sutta-based teachings. Emphasizes a return to the “original” teachings of the Buddha. Considers Visuddhimagga Jhanas “hypnosis.”
- Basis: Pali Canon, Vinaya.
- Teachings: Teaches “tranquil-wisdom meditation,” combining samatha and vipassanā. Rejects later commentaries and the Abhidhamma.
Jhana Teachers Who Are Primarily Sutta-Based
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
- Beliefs: Focuses on self-reliance and practical aspects of jhāna practice. Skeptical of rebirth and supernatural elements. Believes meditators should look at selves for Jhana belief, not outside authority. Believes deep Jhana is “wrong concentration.”
- Basis: Pali Canon.
- Teachings: Emphasizes pragmatic meditation practices and personal insight leading to nirvana. Advocates a hands-off instructional approach to jhāna.
Leigh Brasington
- Beliefs: Differentiates between “sutta jhānas” and “Visuddhimagga jhānas,” preferring the lighter sutta jhānas because they are more accessible.
- Basis: Pali Canon.
- Teachings: Suggests the jhānas are accessible and practical for spiritual growth. Takes a pragmatic approach to textual authorities. If it works and you can get to the deeper Jhanas – do that.
More Reading:
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monk. He has two amazing publications for free download in PDF format (click one below to download):
If you’d like to see his quick 17-minute overview of Jhana in the video – see below:
What Is Jhana? Transcript of Henepola Gunaratana >
You’d probably be better off to start with him, he really nails it.
Ajahn Brahm (Peter Betts from the United Kingdom) talks about the Jhanas in this video.
My Thoughts on Rob Burbea’s Idea of the Jhanas >
Personal Experience of Entering the Jhanas
My path was unconventional to say the least. In 1997 I had no teacher. I read some books by Aj. Chah of Wat Nong Pa Pong, Buddhadassa of Suan Mokkh, and SN Goenka on Vipassana. These books helped me follow a system that as far as I know, nobody had done before.
I threw out the Buddhism to start with. Just disregarded it. Some of the vocabulary was helpful so I could understand what Buddhists said about meditating, but I practiced nothing resembling Buddhism or Hinduism. I had nobody to guide me. I was on my own.
That said, I followed a fairly strict and very regular practice daily by sitting for 20-30 minutes and focusing on the breath. When the mind wandered, I refocused on the breath.
Once I attained Samadhi (full concentration on the breath for hundreds of breaths) I re-focused on the tingling in my hands. This was my ‘nimitta’ or mind sign and I went into it with a total focus there. Jhana 1 started.
I had no idea what Jhana 1 was, or any of them, but over the next couple of months I was up through all 8 Jhanas. The experiences were life-changing, and yet I didn’t know what had happened really. I yearned for answers and Thai monks at the temples near my home in Temple Terrace, Florida couldn’t explain the experiences.
It wasn’t until 7 years later in 2004 when I was able to connect with Thai monk Santikaro. He had studied for years under Buddhadassa at Suan Mokkh. I called him on the phone and we talked for an hour. He listened intently as I told him about my path and experiences. He told me about Jhana and suggested I may practice more in Thailand at Wat Pah Nanachat.
Anyway, that’s a very short description of my own experience with entering the Jhanas after less than a year of practice. It’s possible. I can probably help you do it as well. Let me know through the coaching link.
Introduction to Jhana (Index) >