Category: Jhana

Secret meditation instructions? Not with Sariputta on the watch.

The Buddhist world has seen its fair share of “gurus” and “masters” who introduced “secret meditation techniques” and found instructions nobody had ever seen before because they “allegedly” got lost or distorted over time – only to be (re-)introduced by…

How to really cleanse your mind

Can a practice that we undertake which does not purify our mind be truly considered “cultivation of the mind”? Let’s forget our concepts and ideas about “meditation” for a moment and look at some words of the Awakened One on…

Science of the present moment

What is the difference between right mindfulness and wrong mindfulness? [1] Both of them are part of an electric drill, if you excuse the mundane simile for a moment: It is the direction of the drill that ultimately matters, and…

Surfing on the Wave of Bliss

Imagine you being a surfer. Even if you have never actually surfed, just imagine for a moment standing in the ocean, close to the beach, holding your board in both your hands, looking out at the sea, watching the waves….

Buddha’s path

This post is based on some of the observations made in this post. It might help to understand this article. One day the Buddha mentioned to his students that his own meditation object with which he realized Nibbana was the…

From Vipassana Hater to Vipassana Lover

And I show you how 🙂 Okay, caught your attention (did you see what happened when you read this headline)? Now, let me rephrase a bit: This post is about how a Vipassana-opponent turned into a Vipassana-proponent. Interested? This is the…

Making the Jhanas Mainstream

…was Ayya Khema‘s noble intention. Let us all walk in her footsteps. From an email thread: better i respond now, before letting this lie around too long…so short answers. if not clear enough, give me a call 🙂 I’m glad we…

Reflecting on the Jhana Factors

If you drive back from a peaceful mountain region to the busy town you can reflect on all the milestones and passing sights either while you drive or when you are back home. Now of course watching the scenery while…

Hearing background noise in the jhanas?

For many, this is a big issue. Some take the position to say, that it cannot be a jhana if the meditator experiences “any” (other) sense impression, than the meditation topic. Others say, wait a moment, i can clearly experience…