Rupajhana
Encyclopedia
In Buddhism
, rūpajhānas (Sanskrit
: rūpadhyāna "meditations of form", literally "form meditations") are successive levels of meditation
in which the mind is focused on a material or mental object: it is a word frequently used in Pāli
scriptures and to a lesser extent in the Mahayana
scriptures. Each higher level is harder to reach than the previous one as it relinquishes an attachment to one of the positive experiences of the previous state. The meditations of form are distinguished from arūpajhāna
(Skt: arūpadhyāna "formless meditations") which are meditations focused without material or mental objects (i.e., meditations on infinite space, on infinite consciousness, on nothingness, and beyond perception and non-perception).
in total, out of which the first four are rūpajhānas, meditations of form. All four rūpajhānas are characterized by ekaggatā (Skt: ekāgratā) which means one-pointedness, i.e. the mind focuses singularly on the material or mental object during meditation.
The four rūpajhānas are:
See also right concentration.
These first four jhānas can be characterized by certain factors called (Skt: ) whose presence or absence in each rūpajhāna is summarized in the following table:
The have the following meanings: vitakka means the noticing of the object of meditation, vicāra means the experiencing of the object, pīti means rapture, sukha means joy, ekaggatā means one-pointedness of concentration, upekkhā means equanimity.
The three realms
(Skt. triloka or tridhātu) of desire, form, and formlessness and the meditations of form within the realm of form are related to the Buddhist view of the three poisons
of the mind, i.e., greed (lust, desire, etc.), aversion (hatred, anger, etc.) and ignorance
(delusion, illusion, etc.). In the six worlds
of desire, the three poisons are present and equally strong. When the meditator renounces the poison of greed they are able to enter the realm of form. When the meditator renounces the poison of aversion they enter the formless realm. And when the meditator renounces the last poison of ignorance they leave the three realms altogether and enter the Buddha realms.
After renouncing the poison of greed and entering the realm of form, in order to renounce the poison of aversion, the meditator engages in the four meditations of form. By renouncing one's attachments to objects, the rapture in objects, and joy in the rapture, one is renouncing one's aversion to the absence of objects, absence of rapture, and absence of joy. When one is able to renounce even the equanimity achieved in the fourth meditation of form, one renounces the last attachment to the realm of form and is able to enter the formless realm without being overcome by either desire or aversion, and one becomes able to engage in the four formless meditations
.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, rūpajhānas (Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
: rūpadhyāna "meditations of form", literally "form meditations") are successive levels of meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
in which the mind is focused on a material or mental object: it is a word frequently used in Pāli
Páli
- External links :* *...
scriptures and to a lesser extent in the Mahayana
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
scriptures. Each higher level is harder to reach than the previous one as it relinquishes an attachment to one of the positive experiences of the previous state. The meditations of form are distinguished from arūpajhāna
Arupajhana
In Buddhism, the arūpajhānas or "formless meditations" are four successive levels of meditation on non-material objects. These levels are higher than the rūpajhānas, and harder to attain...
(Skt: arūpadhyāna "formless meditations") which are meditations focused without material or mental objects (i.e., meditations on infinite space, on infinite consciousness, on nothingness, and beyond perception and non-perception).
Characteristics of the Meditations of Form
There are eight jhānasDhyāna in Buddhism
Dhyāna in Sanskrit or jhāna in Pāli can refer to either meditation or meditative states. Equivalent terms are "Chán" in modern Chinese, "Zen" in Japanese, "Seon" in Korean, "Thien" in Vietnamese, and "Samten" in Tibetan....
in total, out of which the first four are rūpajhānas, meditations of form. All four rūpajhānas are characterized by ekaggatā (Skt: ekāgratā) which means one-pointedness, i.e. the mind focuses singularly on the material or mental object during meditation.
The four rūpajhānas are:
- (Skt: prathamadhyāna, literally "first jhana")
- dutiya-jhāna (Skt: dvitīyadhyāna, literally "second jhana")),
- tatiya-jhāna (Skt: ,literally "third jhana"))
- catuttha-jhāna (Skt: caturthadhyāna, literally "fourth jhana"))
See also right concentration.
These first four jhānas can be characterized by certain factors called (Skt: ) whose presence or absence in each rūpajhāna is summarized in the following table:
| jhāna Dhyāna in Buddhism Dhyāna in Sanskrit or jhāna in Pāli can refer to either meditation or meditative states. Equivalent terms are "Chán" in modern Chinese, "Zen" in Japanese, "Seon" in Korean, "Thien" in Vietnamese, and "Samten" in Tibetan.... |
vitakka Vitakka Vitakka or vitarka , both in Hinduist yoga and Buddhist meditation, means the action of taking care of any object... & vicāra Vicara Vicara means the way mind maintains attention toward any object. It first referred to pre-Hindu yoga, later in Buddhist meditation. It has been translated as "consideration," "deliberation," "examination," and "investigation."-In Buddhism:... |
pīti Piti Pīti in Pali is a mental factor associated with the concentrative absorption of Buddhist meditation. Piti is a very specific joy associated with a state of deep tranquillity... |
sukha Sukha Sukha is a Sanskrit and Pāli word that is often translated as “happiness" or "ease" or "pleasure" or "bliss." In Buddhism's Pali literature, the term is used in the context of describing laic pursuits, meditative absorptions and intra-psychic phenomena.... |
ekaggatā Ekaggata Ekaggatā is translated as either "one-pointedness" or "unification". This mental factor is one of the components in the jhānas.-See also:* Arupajhana* Buddhist meditation* Five Hindrances* Jhana* Samadhi... |
upekkhā |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * | * | * | * | ||
| dutiya-jhāna | * | * | * | ||
| tatiya-jhāna | * | * | |||
| catuttha-jhāna | * | * |
The have the following meanings: vitakka means the noticing of the object of meditation, vicāra means the experiencing of the object, pīti means rapture, sukha means joy, ekaggatā means one-pointedness of concentration, upekkhā means equanimity.
The Stages of the Four Meditations of Form
To reach each successive stage of meditation, a factor of attachment in the previous stage is renounced. The first meditation of form includes the three primary factors of the one-pointed noticing and experiencing of the object, rapture in the experience, and joy in the rapture. In the second meditation of form, the meditator lets go of the noticing and experiencing of the object and perceives the rapture and joy of the one pointedness. In the third meditation of form the person detaches from the sense of rapture and perceives the one-pointed joy. In the fourth meditation of form the meditator relinquishes joy and perceives only one-pointed equanimity not disturbed even by joy.The three realms
Trailõkya
Trailokya has been translated as "three worlds," "three spheres," "three planes of existence," "three realms" and "three regions."...
(Skt. triloka or tridhātu) of desire, form, and formlessness and the meditations of form within the realm of form are related to the Buddhist view of the three poisons
Kilesa
Kleshas , in Buddhism, are mental states that cloud the mind and manifest in unwholesome actions. Kleshas include states of mind such as anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, desire, depression, etc...
of the mind, i.e., greed (lust, desire, etc.), aversion (hatred, anger, etc.) and ignorance
Avidya
Avidyā is a Sanskrit word that means "ignorance", "delusion", "unlearned", "unwise" and that which is not, or runs counter to, vidya. It is used extensively in Hindu texts, including the Upanishads and as well in Buddhist thought...
(delusion, illusion, etc.). In the six worlds
Six realms
The desire realm is one of three realms or three worlds in traditional Buddhist cosmology into which a being wandering in may be reborn. The other two are the form realm, and the formless realm The desire realm (Sanskrit kāma-dhātu) is one of three realms (Sanskrit: dhātu, Tibetan: khams) or...
of desire, the three poisons are present and equally strong. When the meditator renounces the poison of greed they are able to enter the realm of form. When the meditator renounces the poison of aversion they enter the formless realm. And when the meditator renounces the last poison of ignorance they leave the three realms altogether and enter the Buddha realms.
After renouncing the poison of greed and entering the realm of form, in order to renounce the poison of aversion, the meditator engages in the four meditations of form. By renouncing one's attachments to objects, the rapture in objects, and joy in the rapture, one is renouncing one's aversion to the absence of objects, absence of rapture, and absence of joy. When one is able to renounce even the equanimity achieved in the fourth meditation of form, one renounces the last attachment to the realm of form and is able to enter the formless realm without being overcome by either desire or aversion, and one becomes able to engage in the four formless meditations
Arupajhana
In Buddhism, the arūpajhānas or "formless meditations" are four successive levels of meditation on non-material objects. These levels are higher than the rūpajhānas, and harder to attain...
.
External links
- Nibbana for Everyone by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu.
- Yoga — as seen in the light of vipassana by S. N. Goenka.