Leigh Breisington gathered a number of meditation teachers’ perspectives on the Jhanas and put them in one rather short article just to show some of the major differences between teachings. It becomes quite obvious as you read below that everyone has their own perspective on the Jhanas based on what they have either experienced directly, or read. Or both.
My own perspective is guided by direct experience of the Jhanas in a deeply absorbed state.
Jhana Perspectives
Visuddhimagga Style Jhanas (Deep Absorption)
- Pa Auk Monastery: Jhanas are very deep absorptions, difficult to attain, requiring multi-month retreats. Emphasis on concentration for insight practice and Abhidhamma study. Uses Kasinas and Anapanasati. Pa Auk is located in a forest along the Taung Nyo Mountain range in Mon State, Myanmar
- Tina Rasmussen & Stephen Snyder: Authorized teachers in the Pa Auk tradition, offering experiential accounts of Jhana practice.
- Marcia Rose: Teaches with clear influence from the Burmese Mahasi Vipassana and Pa-Auk Forest Monastery lineages.
- Shaila Catherine: Focuses on deepening concentration, nurturing the nimitta, and discerning jhanic factors. Uses breath primarily, sometimes Kasinas.
- Ajahn Brahmavamso: Jhana definition aligns with Visuddhimagga, but teaches from suttas and experience. Emphasizes “beautiful breath” (Anapanasati), non-doing, joy, and right intentions.
Sutta Style Jhanas (More Accessible)
- Christina Feldman: Uses breath, students experience strong absorption, but less than Visuddhimagga. Requires significant dedicated time.
- Ayya Khema: Teaches accessible Jhanas, some attainable in 10-day retreats. Fourth Jhana involves muffled sounds. Uses breath, Metta, and “sweeping.” Focus on insight practice after Jhana.
- Leigh Brasington: Teaches in Ayya Khema’s style, but with slightly more absorption in the first Jhana and less in the fourth.
- Venerable Amathagavesi: Jhanas as preparation for Vipassana. Achievable in two weeks, mastery emphasized. Uses Metta and Asubha, then breath.
- Nai Boonman & The Samatha Trust: Similar depth to Ayya Khema, minor differences in understanding.
- Bhante Gunaratana: Teaches similarly to Visuddhimagga, but students achieve absorption in shorter retreats. Suggests insight during Jhana (MN 111), but also states insight is after Jhana. If after Jhana – he’s more closely aligned with the Visuddhimagga Jhanas because there is no insight during the Jhana in deep absorption states.
- Thanissaro Bhikkhu: Absorption allows body awareness. Teaches insight during Jhana (MN 111, AN 9.36).
- Rob Burbea: Learned from Thanissaro Bhikkhu, taught insight during Jhana (after reducing concentration depth).
- Insight Meditation Society: Uses Brahma-Vihara practices. Depth varies, some drop phrases for deeper absorption.
- Pragmatic Dharma Movement: Works with “Vipassana Jhanas” (insight knowledges) and concentration Jhanas (Sutta style).
- Bhante U Vimalaramsi: Light absorption, awareness of surroundings. Insight during Jhana. Uses Metta and breath.
General Jhana Observations
- Teachers often consider their own experiences of Jhana as the “correct” way. For myself, I don’t believe mine is the only correct way, it’s just the only one that I know and have experienced. It’s all I know and all I can teach. In my present state, I’m just not that concerned with what others’ have done. Some other people’s accounts and what they teach has been relayed to me by students. Some of it is interesting. The mystery of the Jhanas and that they are inside everyone’s mind, is really interesting to me. My experiences were so life changing, they’re certainly positive and worthy of teaching.
- Interpretations of Jhana vary widely. The major difference is about the level of deepness one encounters while in the states. For me, it’s a complete and total isolation from all outside noise and sensation. I can’t feel the body or sense anything other than what’s going on in the mind.
- The exact nature of the Buddha’s Jhanas is unknown.
- Jhanas are generally considered a tool for insight practice. Some people use them as final goal. Others (me) had natural insights occur post-jhana, not any predetermined questions or topics to be looked at for insight.
- Visuddhimagga’s description of Jhana attainment as incredibly rare (1 in 1,000,000) highlights the difficulty of deep absorptions. I don’t disagree it is difficult, but only because how wrong the steps have been taught up to this point. Very few people are engaged in attempting to reach the deep Jhanas. Fewer still can stick it out and go the distance required to reach 100% concentration before moving into the Jhanas.
Vern’s Commentary
Have you explored different approaches?
Not really. I had no need to since I was able to experience all the Jhanas many times. I later found out they matched the Visuddhimagga ‘deep jhanas’ most closely. I don’t know anything really about the other approaches.
What has your experience been with depth, accessibility, and the relationship between Jhana and insight?
Depth is very deep. Total absorption in the mind states of Jhana.
Accessibility occurs through the process of 1. Total focus on the tingling of the breath in the nose. 2. Letting go of all focus and sitting in stillness. Nothingness. 3. Without instigation, a nimitta arises. 4. Focus moves to nimitta. 5. Oneness with nimitta. 6. Complete loss of bodily sensation and mind state (absorption in the nimitta). 7. A general good feeling surfaces. 8. Focus moves to good feeling. 8. 1st Jhana as joy/bliss build, sometimes to fantastical levels.
The relationship between Jhana and insight is that Jhana occurs and the meditator exits the state eventually. For the next few hours or days, insight is possible if you want to direct it somehow – like Buddhists tend to do. I never directed it, only learned through natural insight following Jhana states.
Do you resonate with any particular teacher’s approach?
Years ago I read some of what Bhante Vimalaramsi in Western Australia teaches and it was very close to what I experienced. I can’t recall exactly, but it was nice to read it!
How do you interpret the discrepancies between the Sutta and Visuddhimagga descriptions?
It’s just a matter of degree of absorption and when insight is done. With the Suttas – insight can be during the light jhana. With Visuddhimagga Jhanas (deep jhanas), insight takes place after the states are done with you. 🙂