I’m curious if there’s a particular school of Buddhism or text(s) that informed your understanding of jhana? I would be curious to learn different takes on it, especially those that are more established.
I practice Zen. “Zen” is literally just the word “jhana” through multiple layers of transliteration, although it’s come to take on a somewhat different meaning than how you’re using “jhana”.
Zen isn’t very interested in the jhanas, though, so most everything I know about them comes from books like Mastering the Core Teachings of The Buddha and The Mind Illuminated and practicing and seeing for myself what experiences seem to map up with how various jhanas are described. Also talking to a bunch of people who more formally practice with the jhanas and getting understanding from them.
My main way of practicing with jhanas is that they’re natural phases the mind passes through as it settles down on the way to calm abiding (shamatha).
Could you elaborate on what “meditation debt” means here?
There was this twitter thread which seems very related. Someone bought a clicker counter to train themselves to notice joy and used this to reach the jhanas, and Mark Lippman replied with a warning against this kind of clicker practice, for causing “sharp, tangled karma”.
I practice Zen.
Any recommendations for starting Zen (e.g. books, retreat recordings)? Is this one of the practices where having a teacher is essential?
Any recommendations for starting Zen (e.g. books, retreat recordings)? Is this one of the practices where having a teacher is essential?
Yes, Zen requires a teacher. One of the founding principles of Zen is that transmission of the dharma happens mind-to-mind, outside the scriptures (or in modern terms, you learn it from doing it under the instruction of a teacher and as part of a community, not from reading about it). That said, there are many good introductory books to Zen practice. My favorites to recommend are:
Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hogan
Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck (disclaimer: Joko is the root teacher of the lineage I practice within)
Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy by Katsuki Sekida (I wrote a review of it here)
I practice Zen. “Zen” is literally just the word “jhana” through multiple layers of transliteration, although it’s come to take on a somewhat different meaning than how you’re using “jhana”.
Zen isn’t very interested in the jhanas, though, so most everything I know about them comes from books like Mastering the Core Teachings of The Buddha and The Mind Illuminated and practicing and seeing for myself what experiences seem to map up with how various jhanas are described. Also talking to a bunch of people who more formally practice with the jhanas and getting understanding from them.
My main way of practicing with jhanas is that they’re natural phases the mind passes through as it settles down on the way to calm abiding (shamatha).
This is a concept I’ve borrowed from Mark Lippman’s writing, although he calls it “technical debt”. I prefer “meditation debt” since it makes a bit more sense out of the context of his book. https://meditationbook.page/#technical-debt-meditation-and-minds
There was this twitter thread which seems very related. Someone bought a clicker counter to train themselves to notice joy and used this to reach the jhanas, and Mark Lippman replied with a warning against this kind of clicker practice, for causing “sharp, tangled karma”.
Any recommendations for starting Zen (e.g. books, retreat recordings)? Is this one of the practices where having a teacher is essential?
Yes, Zen requires a teacher. One of the founding principles of Zen is that transmission of the dharma happens mind-to-mind, outside the scriptures (or in modern terms, you learn it from doing it under the instruction of a teacher and as part of a community, not from reading about it). That said, there are many good introductory books to Zen practice. My favorites to recommend are:
Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hogan
Everyday Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck (disclaimer: Joko is the root teacher of the lineage I practice within)
Zen Training: Methods and Philosophy by Katsuki Sekida (I wrote a review of it here)