SYNOPSIS

In the oldest scriptures of Theravada Buddhism much attention is given to the Jhanas, high levels of meditative attainment distinguished by powerful concentration and purity of mind. Ven. Dr. Gunaratana examines these jhanas within the context of Buddhist teaching as a whole and particularly within the meditation disciplines taught by the Buddha. Beginning with the ethical foundation for meditation, the role of the teacher, the classical subjects of meditation, and the appropriateness of these subjects to individual practitioners, the author traces the practice of meditation to the higher reaches of realization. The eight stages of jhana are individually analyzed and explained in terms of their relation to one another and to the ultimate goal of the teaching.

The author makes the critical distinction between the mundane jhanas and supermundane jhanas, pointing out that the lower four, while leading to various mental powers and psychic attainments, are not necessary to full enlightenment and may be developed or bypassed as the meditator wishes. The author goes on to explain the place of the Jhanas among the accomplishments of the arahat and to elucidate their usefulness for the dedicated meditator.

PREFACE
Chapter

1. INTRODUCTION
   The Doctrinal Context of Jhana
   The Importance of Jhana
   Etymology of Jhana
   Jhana and Samadhi
   Jhana and the Constituents of Enlightenment

    

2. THE PRELIMINARIES TO PRACTICE
   The Moral Foundation for Jhana Cutting off Impediments Approaching the Good Friend The Subjects of Serenity-meditation Choosing a Suitable Dwelling

    

3. THE CONQUEST OF THE HINDRANCES
   The Five Hindrances
   Seclusion from the Hindrances Kinds of Seclusion
   The Causal Arising of the Hindrances
   The Elimination of the Hindrances
   The Way of the Gradual Training
   The Way of Mindfulness
   The Eradication of the Hindrances
   The Benefits of Abandoning the Hindrances

    

4. THE FIRST JHANA AND ITS FACTORS
   Vitakka
   Unwholesome Applied Thought
   Wholesome Applied Thought
   Ordinary Wholesome Thought
   Wholesome Applied Thought in Jhana
   Wholesome Applied Thought in the Noble Path
   Vicara
   Piti
   Sukha
   Ekaggata
   An Overview of the First Jhana
   The Jhana Thought-Process
   Perfecting the First Jhana

    

5. THE HIGHER JHANAS
   The Second Jhana
   The Attainment of the Second Jhana
   Internal Confidence
   Unification of Mind
   Concentration
   Rapture and Happiness
   General Remarks on the Second Jhana
   The Third Jhana
   The Attainment of the Third Jhana
   Equanimity
   Mindfulness and Discernment
   Happiness
   One-pointedness
   The Fourth Jhana
   The Attainment of the Jhana
   The Four Conditions
   [1] Pleasure
   [2] Pain
   [3] Joy
   [4] Grief
   New Elements in the Jhana
   The Fivefold Scheme of the Jhana
   Concluding Remarks

    

6. BEYOND THE FOUR JHANAS
   The Four Immateial Jhanas
   The First Aruppa: The Base of Boundless Space
   With the Complete Surmounting of Perceptions of Matter
   With the Disappearance of Perceptions of Resistance
   With Non-attention to Perceptions of Variety
   Unbounded Space
   The Second Aruppa: The Base of Boundless Consciousness
   The Third Aruppa: The Base of Nothingness
   The Fourth Aruppa: The Base of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception
   General Remarks on the Aruppas
   The Modes of Direct Knowledge
   The Prerequisites for Direct Knowledge
   The Six Abinnas
   Knowledge of the modes of super-normal power
   The Three Wonders
   The Second Abhinna: the divine ear-element
   The Third Abhinna: the knowledge of others minds
   The Fourth Abhinna: the knowledge of recollecting previous lives
   The Fifth Abhinna: the divine eye - the Knowledge of the passing away and rebirth of beings
   The Sixth Abhinna: the knowledge of the destruction of the cankers
   Other kinds of Supernormal knowledge
   The Jhana and Rebirth.

    

7. THE WAY OF WISDOM
   The Nature of Wisdom
   The Two Vehicles
   The Functions of Jhana
   The Seven Purifications
   Purification of Morality
   Purification of Mind
   Purification of View
   Purification of Overcoming Doubt
   Purification of Knowledge and Vision into the Right and Wrong Paths
   Purification by Knowledge and Vision of the Way
   Knowledge of contemplation of rise and fall
   Knowledge of contemplation of dissolution
   Knowledge of appearance as terror
   Knowledge of contemplation of danger
   Knowledge of contemplation of dispassion
   Knowledge of desire for deliverance
   Knowledge of contemplation of reflection
   Knowledge of equanimity about formations
   Conformity knowledge
   Purification by Knowledge and Vision
   Change-of-lineage
   The first path and fruit
   The second Path and fruit
   The third path and fruit
   The fourth path and fruit

    

8. JHANA AND THE NOBLE ATTAINMENTS
   Supramundane Jhana
   The Jhanic Level of the Path and Fruit
   Two Attainments of the Noble Ones
   The Attainment of Fruition
   The Attainment of Cessation
   The Seven Types of Noble Persons
   Jhana and the Arahat

    

1. The Thirty Seven Constituents of Enlightenment
2. Forty Subjects of Meditation
3. The Eight Attainments
4. Kamma and Rebirth

INDEX:

1. English
2. Pali
   

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