"DhyÄna in Sanskrit or jhÄna in PÄli can refer to either
meditation or meditative states.
Equivalent terms are "Chán" in modern Chinese, "Zen" in Japanese,
"Seon" in Korean, "Thien" in Vietnamese, and "Samten" in Tibetan.
As a meditative state, dhyÄna is characterized by profound
stillness and concentration.
It is discussed in the PÄli canon (and the parallel agamas) and
post-canonical TheravÄda Buddhist literature, and in other
literature.
There has been little scientific study of the states so far."
Stages of jhÄna [show <#> ]
Table:
JhÄna </wiki/Jh%C4%81na> -related factors. first
jhÄna </wiki/Jh%C4%81na> second
jhÄna </wiki/Jh%C4%81na> third
jhÄna </wiki/Jh%C4%81na> fourth
jhÄna </wiki/Jh%C4%81na> sensuality
(kÄma </wiki/K%C4%81ma> ),
unskillful
qualities
(akusala
dhamma) secluded
from,
withdrawn applied
thought </wiki/Vitakka>
(vitakka) accom-
panies
jhÄna </wiki/Jh%C4%81na> stilled sustained
thought </wiki/Vicara>
(vicÄra) rapture </wiki/P%C4%ABti>
(pīti) seclusion-
born;
pervades
body samÄdhi </wiki/Samadhi_(Buddhism)> -
born;
pervades
body fades
away
(as does
distress) pleasure </wiki/Sukha>
(sukha) pervades
physical
body aban-
doned
(as is
pain) pure,
mindful
equanimity </wiki/Upekkha>
(upekkhÄ-
sati-
pÄrisuddhi) [internal
confidence,
mental
unification] equani-
mous,
mindful neither
pleasure
nor pain;
permeates
body with
pure mind
Table's sources:
* Bodhi, Bhikkhu </wiki/Bhikkhu_Bodhi> (2005). In the Buddha's
Words, pp. 296-8
(SN </wiki/Samyutta_Nikaya> 28:1-9). Somerville, MA: Wisdom Pub. ISBN
081714911.
* Sri Lanka Buddha Jayanti Tipitaka Series (n.d.).
Pañcaá¹
gika-
vaggo (AN </wiki/Anguttara_Nikaya> 5.1.3.8, in Pali </wiki/Pali> ).
Retrieved 2007-06-06 from
MettaNet-Lanka.
<http://mettanet.org/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara3\
/5-pancakanipata/003-pancangikavaggo-p.html>
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu </wiki/Thanissaro_Bhikkhu> (1997). Samadhanga
Sutta: The Factors
of Concentration (AN </wiki/Anguttara_Nikaya> 5.28). Retrieved
2007-06-06 from
"Access to Insight".
<http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an05/an05.028.than.html>
In the PÄli canon the Buddha describes eight progressive states of
absorption meditation or jhÄna.
Four are considered to be meditations of form (rÅ«pa jhÄna) and
four are formless meditations (arÅ«pa jhÄna).
The first four jhÄnas are said by the Buddha to be conducive to a
pleasant abiding and freedom from suffering.
The jhÄnas are states of meditation where the mind is free from the
five hindrances craving, aversion, sloth, agitation and doubt
and (from the second jhÄna onwards) incapable of discursive
thinking. The deeper jhÄnas can last for many hours. JhÄna
empowers a meditator's mind, making it able to penetrate into the
deepest truths of existence.
There are four deeper states of meditative absorption called "the
immaterial attainments." Sometimes these are also referred to as the
"formless" jhÄnas (arÅ«pa jhÄnas) in distinction from the
first four jhÄnas (rÅ«pa jhÄnas). In the Buddhist canonical
texts, the word "jhÄna" is never explicitly used to denote them,
but they are always mentioned in sequence after the first four
jhÄnas. The enlightenment of complete dwelling in emptiness is
reached when the eighth jhÄna is transcended.
The Rupa JhÄnas
There are four stages of deep collectedness which are called the Rupa
JhÄna (Fine-material JhÄna):
1. First JhÄna - In the first jhana there are - "directed
thought, evaluation, rapture, pleasure, unification of mind, contact,
feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision,
persistence, mindfulness, equanimity & attention"
2. Second JhÄna - In the second jhana there are - "internal
assurance, rapture, pleasure, unification of mind, contact, feeling,
perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence,
mindfulness, equanimity, & attention"
3. Third JhÄna - In the third jhana, there are -
"equanimity-pleasure, unification of mind, contact, feeling, perception,
intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness,
equanimity & attention"
4. Fourth JhÄna - In the fourth jhana there are - "a feeling of
equanimity, neither pleasure nor pain; an unconcern due to serenity of
awareness; unification of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention,
consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity &
attention".
The Arupa JhÄnas
Beyond the four jhÄnas lie four attainments, referred to in the
early texts as aruppas. These are also referred to in commentarial
literature as immaterial/the formless jhÄnas
(arÅ«pajhÄnas), also translated as The Formless Dimensions:
1. Dimension of Infinite Space - In the dimension of infinite space
there are - "the perception of the dimension of the infinitude of space,
unification of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention,
consciousness, desire, decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, &
attention"
2. Dimension of Infinite Consciousness - In the Dimension of infinite
consciousness there are - "the perception of the dimension of the
infinitude of consciousness, unification of mind, contact, feeling,
perception, intention, consciousness, desire, decision, persistence,
mindfulness, equanimity, & attention"
3. Dimension of Nothingness - In the dimension of nothingness, there
are - "the perception of the dimension of nothingness, singleness of
mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, desire,
decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity, & attention"
4. Dimension of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception - About the
role of this jhana it is said: "He emerged mindfully from that
attainment. On emerging mindfully from that attainment, he regarded the
past qualities that had ceased & changed: 'So this is how these
qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.'
He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities,
independent, detached, released, dissociated, with an awareness rid of
barriers. He discerned that 'There is a further escape,' and pursuing it
there really was for him."
--- In [email protected], Jue Miao Jing Ming wrote:
>
> I don't know the exact equivalent for "jhana" in Chinese. I will post
> after some research. JM
