jhānas, Zen, and how to practice concentration meditation
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I've read about the jhānas which one can experience from concentration (samatha) meditation. I have been practicing some form of mindfulness, breathing meditation, but have not experienced a state of absorption that is characteristic of the jhānas. I know that the jhānas cannot be experienced only by reading about them, however, the insight from my meditation practice alone has not brought me to them.
From my perspective as a novice practitioner, it makes sense to look to the Zen (derived from the word dhyāna ) branch of Buddhism for guidance on the subject of meditation :
> In the process of deepening meditation, one can roughly identify three
> distinct stages: the stage of concentration, the stage of meditation,
> and the stage of absorption.
>
> This dualistic relationship is broken gradually as the practitioner
> moves into the stage of meditation. The ego-conscious activity is
> gradually lessened, and the barriers it set up for itself will
> gradually be removed. When the practitioner enters the stage of
> absorption, the dualistic framing of the mind will be removed such
> that the mind starts structuring itself non-dualistically. There will
> be no separation or distancing between an object of the mind and the
> activity of the mind itself.
I don't have the budget for every book on Zen Buddhism, but I have read all the Zen books on Kindle Unlimited (the content is mostly history, terminology, and sitting accessories). What books are there that go into depth on Zen/samatha meditation practice?
Asked by user8619
Aug 19, 2016, 01:42 AM
Last activity: Sep 11, 2019, 09:50 AM
Last activity: Sep 11, 2019, 09:50 AM