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    Meditation in The Theravada Abhidhamma: Isdom Cademy

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    This reading discusses the different stages of concentration development in meditation: 1) Preliminary concentration involves developing the meditation object with eyes open and closed until the "learning sign" appears consistently with both eyes open and closed. 2) With further practice, the "counterpart sign" arises, appearing purified and clearer than the original object. At this stage, access concentration is attained and the hindrances are suppressed. 3) Absorption concentration, or jhana, is reached when the mind remains stably focused on the meditation object for extended periods without interruption, in contrast to access concentration where the mind alternates between the object and resting states.

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    Meditation in The Theravada Abhidhamma: Isdom Cademy

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    This reading discusses the different stages of concentration development in meditation: 1) Preliminary concentration involves developing the meditation object with eyes open and closed until the "learning sign" appears consistently with both eyes open and closed. 2) With further practice, the "counterpart sign" arises, appearing purified and clearer than the original object. At this stage, access concentration is attained and the hindrances are suppressed. 3) Absorption concentration, or jhana, is reached when the mind remains stably focused on the meditation object for extended periods without interruption, in contrast to access concentration where the mind alternates between the object and resting states.

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    Meditation-in-the-Theravada-Abhidhamma-Lesson-4-Reading-2

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    This reading discusses the different stages of concentration development in meditation: 1) Preliminary concentration involves developing the meditation object with eyes open and closed until the "learning sign" appears consistently with both eyes open and closed. 2) With further practice, the "counterpart sign" arises, appearing purified and clearer than the original object. At this stage, access concentration is attained and the hindrances are suppressed. 3) Absorption concentration, or jhana, is reached when the mind remains stably focused on the meditation object for extended periods without interruption, in contrast to access concentration where the mind alternates between the object and resting states.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    23 views3 pages

    Meditation in The Theravada Abhidhamma: Isdom Cademy

    Uploaded by

    C
    This reading discusses the different stages of concentration development in meditation: 1) Preliminary concentration involves developing the meditation object with eyes open and closed until the "learning sign" appears consistently with both eyes open and closed. 2) With further practice, the "counterpart sign" arises, appearing purified and clearer than the original object. At this stage, access concentration is attained and the hindrances are suppressed. 3) Absorption concentration, or jhana, is reached when the mind remains stably focused on the meditation object for extended periods without interruption, in contrast to access concentration where the mind alternates between the object and resting states.

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    of 3

    W ISDOM A CADEMY

    Meditation in the Theravada


    Abhidhamma
    BHIKKHU BODHI

    Lesson 4:
    The Jhānas

    Reading:
    “Analysis of the Terrain: The Signs”
    by Bhikkhu Bodhi
    ANALYSIS OF THE TERRAIN: THE SIGNS

    Preliminary concentration: original object, learning sign


    Access concentration: counterpart sign
    Absorption concentration (jhāna): counterpart sign

    [THE LEARNING SIGN]


    [The earth kasiṇa] should be adverted to now with eyes open, now with eyes shut. And he should
    go on developing it in this way a hundred times, a thousand times, and even more than that, until
    the learning sign arises.
    30. When, while he is developing it in this way, it comes into focus as he adverts with his eyes
    shut exactly as it does with his eyes open, then the learning sign is said to have been
    produced. After its production he should no longer sit in that place; he should return to his own
    quarters and go on developing it sitting there.… He should seat himself comfortably and develop
    it by reiterated reaction to it and by striking at it with thought and applied thought.

    [THE COUNTERPART SIGN]


    31. As he does so, the hindrances eventually become suppressed, the defilements subside, the
    mind becomes concentrated with access concentration, and the counterpart sign arises. The
    difference between the earlier learning sign and the counterpart sign is this. In the learning
    sign any fault in the kasiṇa is apparent. But the counterpart sign appears as if breaking out
    from the learning sign, and a hundred times, a thousand times more purified, like a
    looking-glass disk drawn from its case, like a mother-of-pearl dish well washed, like the
    moon’s disk coming out from behind a cloud, like cranes against a thunder cloud. But it has
    neither colour nor shape; for if it had, it would be cognizable by the eye, gross, susceptible of
    comprehension [by insight] and stamped with the three characteristics. But it is not like that. For
    it is born only of perception in one who has obtained concentration, being a mere mode of
    appearance. But as soon as it arises the hindrances are quite suppressed, the defilements
    subside, and the mind becomes concentrated in access concentration.

    [THE TWO KINDS OF CONCENTRATION]


    32. Now, concentration is of two kinds, that is to say, access concentration and absorption
    concentration: the mind becomes concentrated in two ways, that is, on the plane of access and on
    the plane of obtainment. Herein, the mind becomes concentrated on the plane of access by the
    abandonment of the hindrances, and on the plane of absorption by the manifestation of the
    jhāna factors.

    33. The difference between the two kinds of concentration is this. The factors are not strong
    in access. It is because they are not strong that when access has arisen, the mind now makes the
    sign its object and now re-enters the bhavaṅga, just as when a young child is lifted up and stood

    1
    For students of Wisdom Academy — Not for distribution
    on its feet, it repeatedly falls down on the ground. But the factors are strong in absorption. It
    is because they are strong that when absorption concentration has arisen, the mind, having once
    interrupted the flow of the bhavaṅga, carries on with a stream of wholesome javanas for a whole
    night and for a whole day, just as a healthy man, after rising from his seat, could stand for a
    whole day.

    2
    For students of Wisdom Academy — Not for distribution

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