I've attained jhana literally once, should I try to pursue it further or just live a decent householder life?
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Some background: I was born into a Buddhist family. I've always been intellectually interested in spiritual things like meditation and yoga, but I never really took it seriously until my early 20s, where I started a daily meditation practice.
One day I decided to go for a Vipassana retreat where I accidentally/unintentionally attained first jhana. The experience was very transformative & made me want to learn more and go through all the jhanas. I am aware of the warnings about being attached to jhana.
Since then I haven't been able to get jhana in my daily life, understandably; too short sits, too many distractions
There's a part of me that really wants to become a monk or at least go for a longer retreat so I can reach the next jhana. The reason is that I really just want to figure out & experience for myself what is the next step. It's like reading a book for the first chapter, and then having the book taken away from you. You naturally want to find out what happens in chapter 2, 3, 4 and so on. My parents unsurprisingly don't want me to do this
There's also a part of me that thinks: it's your karma to be a householder, forget the jhana, just be a good person & practice the precepts best you can. Abandon the thought of monkhood & solitary practice.
Any advice? I'm asking on SE because I feel like some of you guys would have had similar experiences
Asked by cgtk
(566 rep)
Dec 27, 2021, 05:36 AM
Last activity: Jan 4, 2022, 12:28 PM
Last activity: Jan 4, 2022, 12:28 PM