What are your thoughts about this following passage: > “And what is the path that leads to the unconditioned? Immersion with > placing the mind and keeping it connected. Immersion without placing > the mind, but just keeping it connected. Immersion without placing the > mind or keeping it connected. …” -Savitakkasavicārasutta

In the essay entitled "The Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest " by Ven. Nyanaponika, he wrote: > **Not only the meditative absorptions but also lesser degrees of mental > concentration are impeded by these five hindrances.** So is the > "neighborhood" (or "access") concentration (*upacarasamadhi*), being > the preliminary stage for the fully absorbed concentration (*appana*) > reached in jhana. **Likewise excluded by the presence of the hindrances > is the momentary concentration (*khanikasamadhi*) which has the > strength of neighborhood concentration and is required for mature > insight (*vipassana*). But apart from these higher stages of mental > development, any earnest attempt at clear thinking and pure living > will be seriously affected by the presence of these five hindrances.** > > This widespread harmful influence of the five hindrances shows the > urgent necessity of breaking down their power by constant effort. **One > should not believe it sufficient to turn one's attention to the > hindrances only at the moment when one sits down for meditation.** Such > last-minute effort in suppressing the hindrances will rarely be > successful unless helped by previous endeavor during one's ordinary > life. The above excerpt and this video featuring a talk by Ven. Dhammavuddho, implies that the Five Hindrances (*panca nivaranani*) not just affect meditation. They could also habitually obsess one's mind and prevent progress even outside meditation. I also see that they are among the ten fetters (*samyojana*) . Questions: 1. What is momentary concentration (*khanikasamadhi*)? Is it the kind of concentration that was found in those listening attentively to the Buddha who attained stream entry at the end of the discourse (although they did not have any meditation experience)? 2. How does one cultivate momentary concentration (*khanikasamadhi*)? I guess one also needs to overcome the five hindrances (*panca nivaranani*) in the process of cultivating momentary concentration. 3. What is wise reflection (*yoniso manasikara*)? Is this the kind of reflection that was found in those listening attentively to the Buddha who attained stream entry at the end of the discourse (although they did not have any meditation experience)? This is implied in Ven. Dhammavuddho's talk. 4. What is the relationship between wise reflection (*yoniso manasikara*) and momentary concentration (*khanikasamadhi*)? Is it like applying momentary concentration to wise reflection (outside meditation)? 5. What is the relationship between mindfulness (*sati*) and the other two - wise reflection (*yoniso manasikara*) and momentary concentration (*khanikasamadhi*)? 6. **Do these factors make it possible for one to understand the Dhamma and attain stream entry without meditation, simply by wisely reflecting on the Dhamma with momentary concentration (which could only occur when the five hindrances are not present)?** This is implied in Ven. Dhammavuddho's talk.

When being mindful in Mahasi walking meditation, should the meditator walk very slowly in order to get time enough to fit the noting in? What should the meditator's attitude be if they skip a mantra note? Should one strain hard to get the prechosen mantra note right? How should one approach mistakes? What kind of concentration is needed? Is it enough to just be mindful with superficial concentration or must a high degree of concentration be developed? With momentary concentration, can the meditator get stuck to an object like with non-momentary concentration? What would right-concentration be with this kind of walking meditation practice?

Is there such a thing ? My guess is things like OCD etc. are extremes of concentration. Yuttadhammo Bhikku, for example, alludes to this excess concentration in some of his videos (I couldn't find specific mentions at the moment, I will cite the next time I find one). What are your insights on what is it? what are the pros/cons of it and what a person afflicted with it must do to overcome it? Thanks

Point 8 of the [Noble Eightfold Path](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path) is "Right Concentration". According to Wikipedia and at least some of the (Theravada-leaning) books I have read, with Right Concentration the Buddha meant the first four Jhanas (Rupa Jhana). To what extent can one say that Right Concentration is the same as the Jhanas? * Does it depend on tradition? AFAIU the Mahayanas do not like to talk about the Jhanas so much, so they might feel such a statement to be too narrow. * Is there a Sutta which makes this connection clear?

Right concentration supports wisdom(panna) if right mindfulness arises? If right mindfulness isn't there then does right concentration support ignorance?

After right concentration, how does right view change? Do you become completely convinced by right view, or was that already the case? Is right view in some other sense more pervasive? Or is it just as it was, and all that's changed is you have a deeper insight (and if so in what way?)? I've tagged this Theravada, but only because its path is easier to break down into right view etc., so welcome an answer from any tradition.

I read a course entitled ' Meditation without exertion' which was purportedly based on Tibetan teachings and methods. It discussed methods of developing concentration and imagination leading to Samadhi. Buddhism seems to present a practical method which leads to discipline and non attachment something which is lacking, at least in my experience, in the the western traditions. I'm looking for direction to these methods and ways of applying these methods to myself and my experience. Your guidance and input will be greatly appreciated

I'm a Hindu and don't know much about Buddhism. Many people say that Buddhism is the art of cultivating the mind, which I feel includes methods to control and discipline the mind. I have poor control of my mind; I cannot concentrate on any work for a good amount of time as my mind keeps wandering away. I'm addicted to pornography, I watch porn everyday and masturbate. This causes my penis to hurt. I want to stop this habit but can't. I try not to watch porn but my mind keeps driving me to watch porn. These are not the only problems, I'm facing lot of problems in my life caused due to lack of control of my mind. I know Buddhism suggests meditation for the control of mind. Is that enough, or what are the other ways and methods to master the mind, according to Buddhism?

Please provide suttas I plan to do a meditation until I can achieve the same experience as my deep sleep but I don't know whether it's the first jhana or even cessation of feeling and perception or even nibbana hence my question After that kind of meditation I won't sleep forever because I think that meditation is enough that meditation itself is deep sleep I am inspired by dipa ma who did meditation for 2 days non stop and buddha Siddhartha(7 weeks non stop) I think my meditation should be more sublime than my deep sleep if it's not then it's a shame it just doesn't make sense that my deep sleep gives me more peace than my meditation Because bhikku thanissaro states that even during 4 rupa jhanas you can still hear sound while during my deep sleep I can't hear any sound I assume the deep sleep experience can be attained after the 4th jhana but I am not sure which I think it's not cessation of feeling stage either because during cessation your upper brain won't function (flat zero brainwave) while deep sleep still gives you delta brainwave but I am not sure Thanks 😊😊 May you all be happy my friends, Sorry for my bad english I am still learning friends

My field of perception is very wide. It often becomes so wide that it loops back onto itself in some odd kaleidoscopic fashion. This has rendered my previous methods of concentration unhelpful. Previously concentration was very deliberate and contrived and my surroundings would phase off into obscurity in favour of a pin-point focus on my chosen object. It opened up some interesting doors. The application of attention on a particular event such as breathing is very different. It is different because it is inclusive of all other phenomena, like the universe is doing the concentration from which no personal claims can be made. I find this to be a distraction but there is a part of me that wants to embrace this inclusiveness. This leaves me with some dissonance between the previous method - in particular my attachment to the results incurred from that method. Moreover, when I try to apply myself in the previous way, I suffer - I guess I've just answered my own question in some ways. Is this change in concentration to be expected? Can you share any resources from either Theravada, Mahayana or Zen that would help me further my understanding of this matter? Best wishes

The Buddha often makes this requests on his monks, *"incline your mind towards Nibbana"* Does this mean concentration with no object? As far as I can ascertain, concentration with no object does not seem to be possible. I have a particular interest in the Mahayana perspective but answers from other traditions are welcome. Thanks

I use the Tara mantra as my focus during Samatha meditation prior to beginning Vipassana but lately I am beginning to wonder...am I falling asleep? I can't tell, really. I don't get drowsy but my mantra becomes so quiet that it begins to merge with the thought-stream that it is resting on, and then I lose awareness of both until my consciousness returns to the fact that I am still chanting, but without any awareness of what, if anything, I was actually thinking about-the thoughts being too quiet to catch or to get caught in. But just as there is no going, there is no returning either (no waking up) with this experience, just very subtle ebb and flow. When I began a regular meditation practice about five months ago discursive thought would become loud enough to break my concentration. It still does, of course, more often than not, and I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of "getting caught up in the flow" only to return to the mantra. But lately it is like meditation has lost its urgency. It has become so much a part of my life. It has become like that ebb and flow and I just want to rest in the stillness of that. It is just so beautiful...but then I start to think that maybe it is an escape from being present and that my mind is playing with me. I would really like to know what is going on, and if there is somewhere I should be going with this, some way that I should be practice with it skillfully.

When reading the suttas, sometimes I come across to the expressions: "dimension of the infinitude of space", "dimension of the infinitude of consciousness", "dimension of nothingness" and "dimension of neither perception nor non-perception". What exactly is the meaning of the expressions above? Why they are "formless"? When the Buddha describes Right Concentration, he mentions only the four "form" jhana, why he excluded the "formless" jhana as Right Concentration?

I need help reading the footnotes from the following passage in the book Satipatthana , and finding the suttas which they reference. > in one instance at least, the Upakkilesa Sutta, the Buddha gave a detailed account of his own struggle to attain the first absorption.41 This passage leaves no doubt that the Buddha himself encountered considerable difficulty when he attempted to attain the first absorption, even though in his early youth he had already once experienced it. > > Analayo. Satipatthana (Kindle Locations 1196-1199). Footnote 41 says > M III 162, where only after having consecutively overcome a whole series of mental obstructions (cf. in detail page 199, footnote 73) he was able to attain the first jhāna. Cf. also A IV 439, which reports his struggle to overcome sensuality in order to be able to develop jhāna. What sutta does M III 162 reference? (as Majjhima Nikaya contains 152) And footnote 42 says >M I 246. Possibly his ability to enter the first jhāna so easily at this particular moment during his early youth was related to samatha practice undertaken in a previous life, an ability lost during his adolescence and later sensual indulgence as a young man, so that he had to develop it anew. To what does M I 246 reference?

I was reading about the noble eightfold path and Right effort, thought and concentration, they seem to be very similar. What are the differences?