Welcome to the DhO.
And pay no attention to Dream Walker's "rules of the game" comment. There are no rules here other than a sincere interest in hardcore practice of the Buddhadhamma which results in an awakening. Most people who arrived here did so on the back of having read Daniel's book, but it is by no means a necessity. If it helps, fine. An interest in getting the practice done and experiencing the benefits is the only ticket of entry needed.
You mentioned in your initial post:
Mary Thomas:
I think I need to build my concentration. Self enquiry is doing wonderful things for me, but maybe doing the jhanas will be beneficial. I'm not sure though, sometimes I think I'm filling my head with to much and I should stop reading and just sit. I've looked over some of the jhana stuff and it looks complicated like there is so much to learn.
Improving one's concentration is a necessity for building a successful practice and garnering the benefits of mindfulness. However, you should know that (at least in my experience) the goal
dhyana meditation is to help one become better able to enter
samadhi more easily.
Samadhi, where the mind is able to rest pointedly on one object of observation, undistracted, in order to accomplish the necessary insight for awakening. Once you know this meditative terrain (
samadhi), then the goal becomes using these tools to assist you in your goal of awakening (realization).
Dhyana meditation itself is not complicated. But it may be difficult to pick up unless you've had some concentrative experiences that will help you to better relate to it. Once you get the
feel of it, then you know how to enter into it effortlessly. I no longer use it with any regularity, and much prefer to go straight into
samadhi and contemplation.
I, too, for a while, practiced using Ramana Maharshi's method of self inquiry. But I used it in order to learn how to quieten and still the mind. Once I achieved that and then obtained a clearer idea of what Gotama taught (through reading the discourses and about the teachings), that became the main focus of my practice. It is not good to do too much jumping around in the spiritual pool if what you want to accomplish is final release of the mind from its conditioning.
Best of fortune to you in your endeavors.
In peace,
Ian