Absorption

With further practice the factors of concentration gain in strength and bring the mind to absorption. Like access concentration, absorption takes the counterpart sign as object. Concentration in the stage of absorption is divided into eight levels, each marked by greater depth, purity, and subtlety than its predecessor. The first four levels form a set called the four jhana. The second four are immaterial states. The eight levels have to be attained in progressive order, the achievement of any later level being dependent on the mastery of the immediately preceding level. Mastering a level means to be able to attain it, remain in it, emerge from it, and review it repeatedly and without any trouble or difficulty.

The jhanas are distinguished by way of their component factors. The first jhana is constituted by the original set of five absorption factors (initial application, sustained application, rapture, happiness, and one-pointedness). Though the jhana is far superior to ordinary sense consciousness, it is still close to sense consciousness and two of the absorption factors – initial application and sustained application – are not as refined as the other factors. The meditator focuses his efforts on overcoming initial and sustained application and once these two factors subside, the meditator enters the second jhana, which contains only three component factors: rapture, happiness, and one-pointedness.

In the second jhana the mind becomes more tranquil and more thoroughly unified, but even this state is gross as it includes rapture, a factor which tends towards excitement. Continuing his practice, also rapture fades out, and the meditator enters the third jhana where only happiness and one-pointedness are left. However, also this attainment is defective as happiness is gross compared to neutral feeling – a feeling that is neither pleasant not painful. When the meditator gets beyond even the sublime happiness, he enters the fourth jhana, which is defined by one-pointedness and neutral feeling.

Beyond the four jhanas lie the four immaterial states. These are attained by successively replacing a relatively gross object with a subtler one. The four attainments are named after their respective objects: the base of infinite space; the base of infinite consciousness; the base of nothingness; and the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.

Bookmark to: