DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Is there sutta basis for the modern bifurcation of jhanas?

**casefexas** · 01-03-2012, 07:55 PM

Vipassana, as I understand it, is direct insight, like a clear seeing into an aspect of reality which has been hitherto obscured. What one experiences via vipassana will depend upon the object & state of consciousness. There is insight to be gained at all levels, even our mundane level.

The 'object' and state of consciousness are in constant flux. Jhana brings them to a place they have never been before and enables vipassana to therefore discover new territory. Awareness in jhana can either 'bliss out' or search. The deeper the jhana, the harder it will become to locate that which needs to be transcended. Perhaps at one point we will believe that there is nothing more to find or that our non-dual equanimity renders any further searching quite impossible.

At that point jhana may just become a kind of pleasant abiding. But give it long enough (with clear awareness) and there will be some slight movement, some volitional pull or awareness shift. What is that pull, what is the nature of that shift? Are 'you' that shift or the agent behind it? Are you within that movement or witnessing it?

01-03-2012, 07:55 PM	#8
casefexas Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 412 Senior Member	Vipassana, as I understand it, is direct insight, like a clear seeing into an aspect of reality which has been hitherto obscured. What one experiences via vipassana will depend upon the object & state of consciousness. There is insight to be gained at all levels, even our mundane level. The 'object' and state of consciousness are in constant flux. Jhana brings them to a place they have never been before and enables vipassana to therefore discover new territory. Awareness in jhana can either 'bliss out' or search. The deeper the jhana, the harder it will become to locate that which needs to be transcended. Perhaps at one point we will believe that there is nothing more to find or that our non-dual equanimity renders any further searching quite impossible. At that point jhana may just become a kind of pleasant abiding. But give it long enough (with clear awareness) and there will be some slight movement, some volitional pull or awareness shift. What is that pull, what is the nature of that shift? Are 'you' that shift or the agent behind it? Are you within that movement or witnessing it?
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