Hi Will,
Will S:
Im asking the question from the standpoint of a huatou practitioner who has already achieved some good one pointedness. What value do the pleasurable aspects of it have? Is it just that its an unconditioned positive experience, that loosens the hold conditioned phenomena have on ones psyche? Is there other value as well?
If you are able to achieve good, strong concentration, then that's all that is needed when following the insight practices such as
satipatthana. If your huatou practice gets you there, fine. No need to use meditation to achieve the same state you are already able to access from huatou. If what you are explaining to us leaves you in a strong concentrated state, then you might be in something similar to jhana, despite the method you used to get there.
The pleasant sensations associated with jhana are utilized to allow the mind to be at ease so as to increase the level of concentration. It's all done so that the mind is able to "see things as they are," in the Dhamma sense of seeing phenomena as impermanent, unsatisfactory, and without self.
Will S:
My experience with it so far, again coming from a huatou practice background, is that i only experience notable pleasant physical feelings for the first few minutes of a sitting session and then eventually end up in about the same space as with huatou practice, a kind of quiet mildly pleasant spaciousness, with the inquiry of the huatou lacking.
When in this space i can start the inquiry if i wish, otherwise its just very calm with about the same kind of awareness.
Sounds similar to jhana, but I am unfamiliar with huatou, so I can't say from personal experience just what you have achieved. Jhana is perhaps better described as "fixed concentration" (
appana samadhi). Nothing very special about it, once one is able to achieve it. It's being able to be in control of it that matters. Just be conscious of Jackson's admonitions.