Hi,

How long should it take me to enter access concerntration and first jhana?  I'm wondering how long I should plan to sit for and also how many hours of practice it should take.  I know this is different very everyone so a guess/range would be fine.

Thanks!

Adam

If I recall correctly, Goenka says about Day 7 of a 10 day retreat is when people tend to have breakthroughs. I think for me it was about day 5. A friend of mine say he went through the entire retreat (or 2?) reviewing his life history (zero concentration!). That's about 10 hours of meditation of day in a retreat setting. So, say 70 hours average, in a retreat setting.

And I'm guessing it will take a lot longer if you are trying while not on a retreat....  At the very least you'll need to spend a lot of continuous hours sitting.  Doing 30 minutes a day probably won't cut it.

Hi there. I'm a newb, but I will share what little experience I have.

For about three months, I meditated 2 hours a day. I didn't get very far so I quit. This was about ten years ago.

Present day, I started meditation again a little over a month ago, doing 3 or 4 sits a day for 30 mins to an hour each. About three weeks ago I attained access concentration, though it still comes and goes. On top of that, 1 to 2 weeks ago I entered the first jhana (still up for debate, but SOMETHING profound happened) and haven't experienced it again since. 

I'm sure every experience is different, but I always like to know how it is for others. Best of luck to you.

Hi Adam, as fast as it takes you to understand and lose the 5 hindrances and not hanker after the jhana as it is the 1st hindrance. I suggest a shorter-term goal e.g. to achieve the calm clarity with the frequent, short, untimed sessions that you enjoy during and post meditation for a start. There's no reason not to do that, is there?

I am quite sure Rebecca accessed it BTW!

Thanks Rebecca!  You have had much more success than I have, and you are sitting more frequently.  30 minutes 3 or 4 times a day is a great goal, I'm not sure how schedule that though.  

Which hinderance is it that keeps my monkey brain coming up with new things to think about?  :-). Must be restlessness...

Many things - an untrained mind, a mind used to having problems to solve, a mind trying to wriggle out of the discomfort of being still, all usually stemming from Fear/Aversion to Suffering. It's normal, just note it as a distraction and keep returning to the object. Illusory thoughts come and go by themselves, with concentration and by not giving them additional energy to persist, stillness will ensue.

Hundreds of repetitions are necessary before you see some light, so be patient and do not wish them away - not under your control. Laugh if you can - I think it is very funny!

Keep in mind their is huge variance not only in how long it takes people to get to these states, but their very definitions of these states. But to take a well known teacher's definition of jhana (Leigh Brasington), and what Culadasa calls the pleasure jhanas, a very rough guideline for first jhana would be:

2 hours a day of strong consistent daily practice for 6 months.
2 retreats of 10+ days in length