RE: 24 hours in fourth jhana

A Dietrich Ringle, modified 3 Years ago at 12/15/20 6:45 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 12/15/20 6:45 PM

24 hours in fourth jhana

Posts: 881 Join Date: 12/4/11 Recent Posts
For those not familiar with fourth jhana. It is a meditative state of neither pleasure of happiness or pain. That is what I was in for 24 hours exactly from last Sunday at 5 unti the next day at the same time.
Now I am really wondering how I should be applying myself.

I am still aware of impermance and suffering, but my mind is now scattered.
A Dietrich Ringle, modified 3 Years ago at 12/15/20 7:59 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 12/15/20 7:59 PM

RE: 24 hours in fourth jhana

Posts: 881 Join Date: 12/4/11 Recent Posts
When the jhana experience isn't one pointed it creates confusion within the mind. So it's not to say that I am "in" any jhana or not at the moment
George S, modified 3 Years ago at 12/15/20 8:14 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 12/15/20 8:11 PM

RE: 24 hours in fourth jhana

Posts: 2722 Join Date: 2/26/19 Recent Posts
Were you sitting in full absorption for 24h or it was more of a walking around soft jhana/equanimity experience?
A Dietrich Ringle, modified 3 Years ago at 12/15/20 8:28 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 12/15/20 8:28 PM

RE: 24 hours in fourth jhana

Posts: 881 Join Date: 12/4/11 Recent Posts
I had to attend to a few things. Like eating, drinking and taking meds take it out of you. But in fourth jhana things like full absorbtion tend to show themselves in transformative ways.

I did have a few musings about how other people were reacting but it did not cancel out anything.

Now I think that the down side of staying in concentration if it could be called that is how it affects giving higher sub-jhanas attention. I would reject formless realms to better understand where I was in a formed world.
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Tommy M, modified 3 Years ago at 12/16/20 1:55 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 12/16/20 1:55 PM

RE: 24 hours in fourth jhana

Posts: 116 Join Date: 12/1/20 Recent Posts
I'm going to be blunt here: You weren't in 4th samatha jhana for 24 hours, no matter how you cut it. I would be glad to be proven wrong, and I don't say any of this as a criticism; this is merely an objective point-of-view from someone who knows the territory well, and who sincerely wants you to avoid getting lost in your practice because I know how easy it is to do.

What did your practice look like while leading up this? How long were you practicing samatha exclusively prior to this?

You've said a few things here that, in my opinion and experience, tell a very different story to the one you're presenting. I'll point them out and perhaps you could clarify.

For those not familiar with fourth jhana. It is a meditative state of neither pleasure of happiness or pain

Dude, you're on the Dharma Overground. 99% of people here know what 4th jhana is and what it entails.

True, 4th jhana doesn't have these hindrances, but it does have other qualities which are very, very clear and which I don't see described in any of your posts so far. What else was apparent during/after this experience?

I am still aware of impermance and suffering, but my mind is now scattered.

Were you aware of impermanance and suffering during the previous state? Or did this only arise afterwards?

When the jhana experience isn't one pointed it creates confusion within the mind.

Could you describe this further, please? At the moment, it doesn't make sense which is why I ask for clarification.

1st jhana is distinctly one-pointed, and in fact one-pointedness is part of the way it's attained.

So it's not to say that I am "in" any jhana or not at the moment

If you're in jhana, and given your statements so far, you would know all about it. Again, if you could describe this further then perhaps we can understand one another more clearly.

I had to attend to a few things. Like eating, drinking and taking meds take it out of you. But in fourth jhana things like full absorbtion tend to show themselves in transformative ways.

You definitely weren't in 4th jhana for 24 hours, and certainly not fully absorbed.

The emboldened line, as with the others I've mentioned, makes little to no sense. Full absorption in jhana is a very specific attainment, and it's not something that can be done without either complete mastery of jhana, or sustained and very, very lengthy and intensive practice.

If I'm misunderstanding you, please explain how and, again, perhaps we can come to a mutual understanding on how to move forward.

I did have a few musings about how other people were reacting but it did not cancel out anything.

Given that discursive thought is absent from 2nd jhana onwards, it would be incredibly difficult to even muse in the first place.

Now I think that the down side of staying in concentration if it could be called that is how it affects giving higher sub-jhanas attention. I would reject formless realms to better understand where I was in a formed world.

Jhana, in the way you're talking about it in this post, is pure concentration.

The formless jhanas are not "sub-jhanas", they're the formless jhanas. There can be formless aspects to the form jhanas, but even being aware of those necessitates massive concentration and, as mentioned, prolonged and intensive practice. Based on these brief description, I would be confident in saying that you're not there.

From what you've said, and especially your mention of how the mind is now scattered, I would suggest that you've possibly gotten into a reasonably hard 1st jhana - which is great - and then possibly remained in that state for a reasonable amount of time until your practice ended. You've likely experience the suppression of the five hindrances, which can sometimes last for quite a long time depending on your meditative abilities, and the return to your normal baseline without that one-pointedness has led you to become scattered mentally.

To reiterate, none of this is said to insult or denigrate you or your practice. I know how easy it is to mis-diagnose yourself and where you're at, and I've done it plenty of times myself. Your descriptions simply do not align with any of the factors involved in 4th jhana, and you also seem very confused over a lot of the terminology you're using, e.g. full absorption, mind being confused by a lack of one-pointedness, etc.
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Oatmilk, modified 3 Years ago at 12/16/20 3:01 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 12/16/20 3:01 PM

RE: 24 hours in fourth jhana

Posts: 141 Join Date: 7/30/20 Recent Posts
Tommy, I don't think he's serious about his posts - just look at his other posts. I think he just does this for fun 
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Bailey , modified 3 Years ago at 12/17/20 1:21 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 12/17/20 1:20 PM

RE: 24 hours in fourth jhana

Posts: 267 Join Date: 7/14/11 Recent Posts
That's a pretty good feat, but you're supposed to use that concentration to do a Mindfullness technique emoticon

Jhana is a means to and end.
A Dietrich Ringle, modified 3 Years ago at 1/6/21 2:27 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 1/6/21 2:27 PM

RE: 24 hours in fourth jhana

Posts: 881 Join Date: 12/4/11 Recent Posts
Oatmilk:
Tommy, I don't think he's serious about his posts - just look at his other posts. I think he just does this for fun 


I do do this for fun. And I must say it is much better than other things I have tried to do in my life. Like Open Relationships.
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Oatmilk, modified 3 Years ago at 1/6/21 2:45 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 1/6/21 2:45 PM

RE: 24 hours in fourth jhana

Posts: 141 Join Date: 7/30/20 Recent Posts

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