sampajāno = lucid-discerning, not "situational awareness" (B. Sujato translation), more than 'alert' (B. Thanissaro)

sampajāno = lucid-discerning

in verb form: pajānāti (he discerns). See SN 54.1, MN 10, 3⚡💭.
Frequently occurs in the phrase S&S🐘💭 sati & sampajāno.
Sampajāno is what Dhamma-vicaya 2💭🕵️ (Dharma investigation) does in the 7sb☀️ awakening factors.
Sampajāno is equivalent and/or closely associated with pañña/discernment 5👁, vimāmsa/discrimination of 4ip 🌕⚡, right view 1👁, vipassana/insight (see SN 46.3).

Abhidhamma Vibhanga in this case agrees very much with the EBT suttas, that sampajano is far more than just "situational awareness".

4👑☸ → Vb → Tv Ab Vb 7 Sati-'paṭṭhāna-vibhaṅga

(B. Anandajoti trans.)

gloss: ‘Sampajāno.’, lucid-discerning

[360]	[360]
‘Sampajāno.’ ti	‘Full awareness.’
Tattha, katamaṁ sampajaññaṁ?	Herein, what is full awareness?{27}
Yā paññā pajānanā vicayo pavicayo dhammavicayo,	That which is wisdom, knowing, investigation, deep investigation, investigation of (the nature of) things,
sallakkhaṇā upalakkhaṇā paccupalakkhaṇā,	discernment, discrimination, differentiation,
paṇḍiccaṁ kosallaṁ nepuññaṁ vebhabyā cintā upaparikkhā,	erudition, skilfulness, subtlety, clarification, thoughtfulness, consideration,
bhūrī medhā pariṇāyikā vipassanā sampajaññaṁ patodo,	breadth, intelligence, guidance, insight, full awareness, examination,
paññā Paññindriyaṁ Paññābalaṁ,	wisdom, the Faculty of Wisdom, the Strength of Wisdom,
paññāsatthaṁ paññāpāsādo paññā-āloko	the sword of wisdom, height of wisdom, light of wisdom,
paññā-obhāso paññāpajjoto paññāratanaṁ,	lustre of wisdom, flame of wisdom, treasure of wisdom,
amoho dhammavicayo Sammādiṭṭhi:	non-delusion, investigation of (the nature of) things, Right View:
idaṁ vuccati ‘sampajaññaṁ.’	this is called ‘full awareness.’
Iminā sampajaññena upeto hoti samupeto upāgato samupāgato,	With this full awareness he is endowed, truly endowed, having attained, truly attained,
upapanno samupapanno samannāgato.	being possessed, truly possessed, furnished (with it).
Tena vuccati ‘sampajāno.’ ti	Because of this ‘full awareness’ is said.

So you can see if sampajano is going to overlap with right view, dhamma-vicaya awakening factor, wisdom faculty, "situational awareness" is not going to do the job as a translation.

Ab Vb 12 Jhāna-vibhaṅga: Even Abhidhamma 3rd jhana gloss for sati and sampajano is the same exact sampajano as Vb satipatthana above!

“Sato ca sampajāno”ti tattha katamā sati? Yā sati anussati … pe … sammāsati— ayaṃ vuccati “sati”.	“Mindful and aware” means: Therein what is mindfulness? That which is mindfulness, constant mindfulness, See section 220. right mindfulness. This is called mindfulness.
Tattha katamaṃ sampajaññaṃ? Yā paññā pajānanā … pe … amoho dhammavicayo sammādiṭṭhi—idaṃ vuccati “sampajaññaṃ”. Iti imāya ca satiyā iminā ca sampajaññena upeto hoti … pe … samannāgato. Tena vuccati “sato ca sampajāno”ti.	Therein what is awareness? That which is wisdom, understanding, See section 525. absence of delusion, truth investigation, right view. This is called awareness. Thus of this mindfulness and of this awareness he is possessed, See section 357. furnished. Therefore this is called “mindful and aware”.

sampajāno = "alert" (B. Thanissaro translation)

alert (oxford dictionary defn.)

adjective

quick to notice any unusual and potentially dangerous or difficult circumstances; vigilant.

"an alert police officer discovered a truck full of explosives"

noun

the state of being watchful for possible danger.

"security forces were placed on alert"

verb

warn (someone) of a danger, threat, or problem, typically with the intention of having it avoided or dealt with.

"he alerted people to the dangers of smoking"

problem with 'alert' in sampajano contexts

sampajāno = "situational awareness" (B. Sujato translation)

'situational awareness' is even more problematic than 'alert'.

Being alert to danger, requires 'situational awareness', but also ties into 'sati' remembrance of Dharma you're supposed to be applying every moment. In other words, you're 'alert' to whenever and however your activity is out of alignment with the Dharma. 

MN 122 is where you see 'alert' and 'situational awareness' not work

(my translation based on B. Thanissaro, I still have his translation of 'sampajano' as 'alert')

♦ 188. “kathañc-ānanda, bhikkhu	And how does the monk
ajjhattameva cittaṃ	Internally {make the} mind
saṇṭhapeti sannisādeti	steadied, settled,
ekodiṃ karoti samādahati?	Singular {******}, undistractified-&-lucidified?
idhānanda, bhikkhu	There is the case where a monk—
🚫💑 vivicc’eva kāmehi …	🚫💑 Quite-withdrawn (from) sensuality, …
🌘 paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati. …	🌘 first Jhāna (he) enters, dwells. …
🌗 dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati. …	🌗 second Jhāna (he) enters, dwells. …
🌖 tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati. …	🌖 third Jhāna (he) enters, dwells. …
👁🐘 Upekkhā-sati-pārisuddhiṃ	👁🐘 equanimous-observation-(and)-remembrance-purified,
🌕 catutthaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati	🌕 fourth Jhāna (he) enters, dwells.
evaṃ kho, ānanda, bhikkhu	That is how a monk
ajjhattameva cittaṃ	Internally {make the} mind
saṇṭhapeti sannisādeti	steadied, settled,
ekodiṃ karoti samādahati.	Singular {******}, undistractified-&-lucidified.
so ajjhattaṃ suññataṃ manasi karoti. tassa ajjhattaṃ suññataṃ manasikaroto suññatāya cittaṃ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati na vimuccati. evaṃ santametaṃ, ānanda, bhikkhu evaṃ pajānāti — ‘ajjhattaṃ suññataṃ kho me manasikaroto ajjhattaṃ suññatāya cittaṃ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati na vimuccatī’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	“He attends to internal emptiness. While he is attending to internal emptiness, his mind does not take pleasure, find satisfaction, grow steady, or indulge in internal emptiness. When this is the case, he discerns, ‘While I am attending to internal emptiness, my mind does not take pleasure, find satisfaction, grow steady, or indulge in internal emptiness.’ In this way he is alert there.
so bahiddhā suññataṃ manasi karoti ... pe ...	“He attends to external emptiness.…2
so ajjhattabahiddhā suññataṃ manasi karoti ... pe ...	“He attends to internal & external emptiness.…
so āneñjaṃ manasi karoti. tassa āneñjaṃ manasikaroto āneñjāya cittaṃ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati na vimuccati. evaṃ santametaṃ, ānanda, bhikkhu evaṃ pajānāti — ‘āneñjaṃ kho me manasikaroto āneñjāya cittaṃ na pakkhandati nappasīdati na santiṭṭhati na vimuccatī’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	“He attends to the imperturbable.3 While he is attending to the imperturbable, his mind does not take pleasure, find satisfaction, grow steady, or indulge in the imperturbable. When this is the case, he discerns, ‘While I am attending to the imperturbable, my mind does not take pleasure, find satisfaction, grow steady, or indulge in the imperturbable.’ In this way he is alert there.
♦ “tenānanda, bhikkhunā tasmiṃyeva purimasmiṃ samādhinimitte ajjhattameva cittaṃ saṇṭhapetabbaṃ sannisādetabbaṃ ekodi kātabbaṃ samādahātabbaṃ.	“When that is the case, he should get the mind steadied right within, settled, unified, & concentrated in his first theme of concentration.

(emptiness)

so ajjhattaṃ suññataṃ manasi karoti. tassa ajjhattaṃ suññataṃ manasikaroto ajjhattaṃ suññatāya cittaṃ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati vimuccati. evaṃ santametaṃ, ānanda, bhikkhu evaṃ pajānāti — ‘ajjhattaṃ suññataṃ kho me manasikaroto ajjhattaṃ suññatāya cittaṃ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati vimuccatī’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	“He then attends to internal emptiness. While he is attending to internal emptiness, his mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction, grows steady, & indulges in internal emptiness. When this is the case, he discerns, ‘While I am attending to internal emptiness, my mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction, grows steady, & indulges in internal emptiness.’ In this way he is alert there.
so bahiddhā suññataṃ manasi karoti ... pe ...	“He attends to external emptiness.…
so ajjhattabahiddhā suññataṃ manasi karoti ... pe ...	“He attends to internal & external emptiness.…
so āneñjaṃ manasi karoti. tassa āneñjaṃ manasikaroto āneñjāya cittaṃ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati vimuccati. evaṃ santametaṃ, ānanda, bhikkhu evaṃ pajānāti — ‘āneñjaṃ kho me manasikaroto āneñjāya cittaṃ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati vimuccatī’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	“He attends to the imperturbable. While he is attending to the imperturbable, his mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction, grows steady, & indulges in the imperturbable. When this is the case, he discerns, ‘While I am attending to the imperturbable, my mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction, grows steady, & indulges in the imperturbable.’ In this way he is alert there.

(doing that in 4 postures)

♦ 189. “tassa ce, ānanda, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato caṅkamāya cittaṃ namati, so caṅkamati — ‘evaṃ maṃ caṅkamantaṃ nābhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssavissantī’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	“If, while the monk is dwelling by means of this dwelling, his mind inclines to walking back & forth, he walks back & forth (thinking,) ‘While I am walking thus, no covetousness or sadness, no evil, unskillful qualities will take possession of me.’ In this way he is alert there.
tassa ce, ānanda, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato ṭhānāya cittaṃ namati, so tiṭṭhati — ‘evaṃ maṃ ṭhitaṃ nābhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssavissantī’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	“If, while he is dwelling by means of this dwelling, his mind inclines to standing…
tassa ce, ānanda, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato nisajjāya cittaṃ namati, so nisīdati — ‘evaṃ maṃ nisinnaṃ nābhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssavissantī’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	to sitting…
tassa ce, ānanda, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato sayanāya cittaṃ namati, so sayati — ‘evaṃ maṃ sayantaṃ nābhijjhādomanassā pāpakā akusalā dhammā anvāssavissantī’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	to lying down, he lies down, (thinking,) ‘While I am lying down thus, no covetousness or sadness, no evil, unskillful qualities will take possession of me.’ In this way he is alert there.
♦ “tassa ce, ānanda, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato kathāya VAR cittaṃ namati, so — ‘yāyaṃ kathā hīnā gammā pothujjanikā anariyā anatthasaṃhitā na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṃvattati, seyyathidaṃ — rājakathā corakathā mahāmattakathā senākathā bhayakathā yuddhakathā annakathā pānakathā vatthakathā sayanakathā mālākathā gandhakathā ñātikathā yānakathā gāmakathā nigamakathā nagarakathā janapadakathā itthikathā surākathā visikhākathā kumbhaṭṭhānakathā pubbapetakathā nānattakathā lokakkhāyikā samuddakkhāyikā itibhavābhavakathā iti vā iti — evarūpiṃ kathaṃ na kathessāmī’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	“If, while he is dwelling by means of this dwelling, his mind inclines to speaking, he resolves that ‘I will not engage in talk that is base, vulgar, common, ignoble, unbeneficial, that does not lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calm, direct knowledge, self-awakening, or unbinding—i.e., talk about kings, robbers, & ministers of state; armies, alarms, & battles; food & drink; clothing, furniture, garlands, & scents; relatives; vehicles; villages, towns, cities, the countryside; women & heroes; the gossip of the street & the well; tales of the dead; tales of diversity, the creation of the world & of the sea; talk of whether things exist or not.’ In this way he is alert there.
yā ca kho ayaṃ, ānanda, kathā abhisallekhikā cetovinīvaraṇasappāyā VAR ekantanibbidāya virāgāya nirodhāya upasamāya abhiññāya sambodhāya nibbānāya saṃvattati, seyyathidaṃ — appicchakathā santuṭṭhikathā pavivekakathā asaṃsaggakathā vīriyārambhakathā sīlakathā samādhikathā paññākathā vimuttikathā vimuttiñāṇadassanakathā iti — ‘evarūpiṃ kathaṃ kathessāmī’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	“‘But,’ (he resolves,) ‘I will engage in talk that is scrupulous, conducive to awareness-release, and leads exclusively to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calm, direct knowledge, self-awakening, & unbinding—i.e., talk on modesty, contentment, seclusion, non-entanglement, arousing persistence, virtue, concentration, discernment, release, and the knowledge & vision of release.’ In this way he is alert there.

(3 wrong thoughts)

♦ “tassa ce, ānanda, bhikkhuno iminā vihārena viharato vitakkāya cittaṃ namati, so — ‘ye te vitakkā hīnā gammā pothujjanikā anariyā anatthasaṃhitā na nibbidāya na virāgāya na nirodhāya na upasamāya na abhiññāya na sambodhāya na nibbānāya saṃvattanti, seyyathidaṃ — kāmavitakko byāpādavitakko vihiṃsāvitakko iti evarūpe vitakke VAR na vitakkessāmī’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.

“If, while he is dwelling by means of this dwelling, his mind inclines to thinking, he resolves that ‘I will not think thoughts that are base, vulgar, common, ignoble, unbeneficial, that do not lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calm, direct knowledge, self-awakening, or unbinding—i.e., thoughts of sensuality, thoughts of ill will, thoughts of harmfulness.’ In this way he is alert there.

(3 right thoughts)

ye ca kho ime, ānanda, vitakkā ariyā niyyānikā niyyanti takkarassa sammādukkhakkhayāya, seyyathidaṃ — nekkhammavitakko abyāpādavitakko avihiṃsāvitakko iti — ‘evarūpe vitakke VAR vitakkessāmī’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	“‘But,’ (he resolves,) ‘I will think thoughts that are noble, onward-leading, that lead to the right ending of stress for the person who acts on them—i.e., thoughts of renunciation, thoughts of no ill will, thoughts of harmlessness.’ In this way he is alert there.

(5kg: pleasure-cords)

♦ 190. “pañca kho ime, ānanda, kāmaguṇā. katame pañca? cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṃhitā rajanīyā, sotaviññeyyā saddā... ghānaviññeyyā gandhā... jivhāviññeyyā rasā... kāyaviññeyyā phoṭṭhabbā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṃhitā rajanīyā — ime kho, ānanda, pañca kāmaguṇā yattha bhikkhunā abhikkhaṇaṃ sakaṃ cittaṃ paccavekkhitabbaṃ — ‘atthi nu kho me imesu pañcasu kāmaguṇesu aññatarasmiṃ vā aññatarasmiṃ vā āyatane uppajjati cetaso samudācāro’ti? sace, ānanda, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṃ pajānāti — ‘atthi kho me imesu pañcasu kāmaguṇesu aññatarasmiṃ vā aññatarasmiṃ vā āyatane uppajjati cetaso samudācāro’ti, evaṃ santametaṃ VAR, ānanda, bhikkhu evaṃ pajānāti — ‘yo kho imesu pañcasu kāmaguṇesu chandarāgo so me nappahīno’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti. sace panānanda, bhikkhu paccavekkhamāno evaṃ pajānāti — ‘natthi kho me imesu pañcasu kāmaguṇesu aññatarasmiṃ vā aññatarasmiṃ vā āyatane uppajjati cetaso samudācāro’ti, evaṃ santametaṃ, ānanda, bhikkhu evaṃ pajānāti — ‘yo kho imesu pañcasu kāmaguṇesu chandarāgo so me pahīno’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.

“Ānanda, there are these five strings of sensuality. Which five? Forms cognizable via the eye—agreeable, pleasing, charming, endearing, enticing, linked to sensual desire. Sounds cognizable via the ear… Aromas cognizable via the nose… Flavors cognizable via the tongue… Tactile sensations cognizable via the body—agreeable, pleasing, charming, endearing, enticing, linked to sensual desire. These are the five strings of sensuality where a monk should reflect on his mind repeatedly: ‘Is there within me, in any circumstance or another, any engagement of awareness that arises with regard to these five strings of sensuality?’ If, on reflection, the monk discerns, ‘There is within me, in one circumstance or another, an engagement of awareness that arises with regard to these five strings of sensuality,’ then—this being the case—he discerns that ‘Desire-passion for the five strings of sensuality has not been abandoned by me.’ But if, on reflection, he discerns, ‘There is not within me, in any circumstance or another, any engagement of awareness that arises with regard to these five strings of sensuality,’ then—this being the case—he discerns that ‘Desire-passion for the five strings of sensuality has been abandoned by me.’ In this way he is alert there.

(5uk: clingable aggregates)

♦ 191. “pañca kho ime, ānanda, upādānakkhandhā yattha bhikkhunā udayabbayānupassinā vihātabbaṃ — ‘iti rūpaṃ iti rūpassa samudayo iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo, iti vedanā... iti saññā... iti saṅkhārā... iti viññāṇaṃ iti viññāṇassa samudayo iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti. tassa imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassino viharato yo pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu asmimāno so pahīyati. evaṃ santametaṃ, ānanda, bhikkhu evaṃ pajānāti — ‘yo kho imesu pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu asmimāno so me pahīno’ti. itiha tattha sampajāno hoti.	“There are these five clinging-aggregates where a monk should stay, keeping track of arising & passing away (thus): ‘Such is form, such its origination, such its disappearance. Such is feeling… Such is perception… Such are fabrications… Such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.’ As he stays keeping track of arising & passing away with regard to these five clinging-aggregates, he abandons any conceit that ‘I am’ with regard to these five clinging-aggregates. This being the case, he discerns, ‘I have abandoned any conceit that “I am” with regard to these five clinging-aggregates.’ In this way he is alert there.
ime kho te, ānanda, dhammā ekantakusalā kusalāyātikā VAR ariyā lokuttarā anavakkantā pāpimatā.	“These qualities, Ānanda, are exclusively skillful in their grounding, noble, transcendent, inaccessible to the Evil One.
taṃ kiṃ maññasi, ānanda, kaṃ atthavasaṃ sampassamāno arahati sāvako satthāraṃ anubandhituṃ api paṇujjamāno”ti VAR?	“What do you think, Ānanda? When envisioning what aim is it proper for a disciple to follow after the Teacher even when being rebuked?“
“bhagavaṃmūlakā no, bhante, dhammā bhagavaṃnettikā bhagavaṃpaṭisaraṇā. sādhu vata, bhante, bhagavantaṃyeva paṭibhātu etassa bhāsitassa attho. bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.	“For us, lord, the teachings have the Blessed One as their root, their guide, & their arbitrator. It would be good if the Blessed One himself would explicate the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the monks will remember it.”

(to be continued)

🔗📝 notes on S&S🐘💭: sati & sam-pajāno, remembering & lucid-discerning

 

internal notes:

4👑☸ → ☂️🌄 → 7🐘 → S&S🐘💭  

S&S🐘💭 = sati & sampajāno

See definition for sati 7🐘.
Sati in isolation (without sampajāno) occasionally just means the pre-buddhist remembering faculty SN 48.9.
But most of the time, Sati in isolation (without sampajāno) is intended to slurp in S&S🐘💭, 4sp🐘, or even 7sb☀️.
Sati with Sampajāno is an explicit declaration that the specialized Buddhist meaning of 4sp🐘 is intended.



sampajāno = lucid-discerning

in verb form: pajānāti (he discerns). See SN 54.1, MN 10, 3⚡💭.
Frequently occurs in the phrase S&S🐘💭 sati & sampajāno.
Sampajāno is what Dhamma-vicaya 2💭🕵️ (Dharma investigation) does in the 7sb☀️ awakening factors.
Sampajāno is equivalent and/or closely associated with pañña/discernment 5👁, vimāmsa/discrimination of 4ip 🌕⚡, right view 1👁, vipassana/insight (see SN 46.3).

external notes:

🔗📝 ☸Dhamma-anu-passana 🐘: collection of notes

sampajāno = lucid-discerning, not "situational awareness" (B. Sujato translation)

AN 7.49 great example of why sampajāno is not "situational awareness"

sampajāna-musā-vādo = deliberate lie telling, not 'situational awareness of lie'

these are 3 important things I learned 

after decades of trying to decipher confusing interpretations and translations of 'mindfulness' meditation.

There's only a few minutes worth of reading words here, but unless you've discovered some of the same things in your practice, it may take some time for it to sink in. Chew slowly and savor :)

1. Satipaṭṭhāna: "mindfulness" is continuous, moment to moment, to be done all the time.

2. Sati-'paṭṭhāna ("mindfulness meditation"): There's no need to translate the literal 'seeing' in there as 'contemplation'

3. B. Bodhi's translation of satipaṭṭhāna formula: "contemplating the body in the body": what does that even mean?

related

The Jhāna passaddhi 'force' equation, and the simile of Ajahn Brahm and the golden goose

Simile of the golden goose 

People tend to be scared of math, so I'll start off with an intuitive simile to illustrate the purpose of the 'force' equation.

Suppose you're lucky enough to follow a correct EBT interpretation of jhana and  satipatthana ("mindfulness meditation").

Then you know that sati ("mindful" of relevant Dharma to apply every moment) and jhana are not mutually exclusive practices, as LBT Theravada wrongly promulgates, but that they are in fact completely integrated, aspects of  the same moment to moment meditation you should be doing all day, every day 24/7.  Sati should always be active. You're in grave danger whenever sati is not active. 

The 4 jhanas are 4 quality levels of sati.  If you can do jhana, but do sati every moment without applying your passaddhi (pacification) and jhana skill, it's beyond foolish. 

If you are skilled in Jhana, it's like you own a smart and loyal companion who's always with you, laying golden eggs continuously, like every minute or so. All you have to do, if you have any common sense, is collect the eggs and store them in your treasure chest of accumulated spiritual capital (the currency/money you need to realize arahantship and higher knowledges).  

To do sati all the time, without doing jhana quality of samadhi along with that sati, would be like not collecting all those free golden eggs your friend is producing every minute. That would be foolish wouldn't it? 

Simile of what LBT Theravada, Visuddhimagga and Ajahn Brahm do to that golden goose

Since they promulgate a system of jhana that is mutually exclusive from sati practice, it prevents people from even trying to accumulate spiritual wealth all day, in all 4 postures of activity. They don't even know that you can do partial jhana and passaddhi while you do sati every moment. 

The 4 jhanas are 4 quality levels of sati.  If you can do jhana, but do sati every moment without applying your passaddhi (pacification) and jhana skill, it's beyond foolish. But this is exactly what Vism. and Ajahn Brahm are telling you to do, by redefining jhana into a disembodied frozen stupor that in practice can only be done in a sitting posture under intensive silent retreat conditions.

Is that corrupted redefinition of jhana what you really want to do, or would you rather follow a correct EBT interpretation of jhana and sati, which are done simultaneously all the time, all day? You should  always be charging your jhana battery, always baking PIE, always collecting those golden eggs in all 4 postures in all activities. 

The size of the eggs laid every minute varies according to the 'force' equation. 

The Jhāna passaddhi 'force' equation

Loaded Zen: Baking PIE, getting rich by maximizing the zen coefficient every moment

PIE = ∫ zen × zc × activity × ac 

from t = 0 (time of birth) to t = time of death

zen [1,4] = first jhana to fourth jhana, your baseline samadhi skill level, i.e. when you flip the switch which zen are you typically in. Ordinary person below zen 1, let's call 0.5.

zc [0.0,1.0] = zen coefficient 

activity [-∞️, +∞️]:

+∞️ positive activity like noble silence + 4sp satipatthana + 4bv brahmavihara, 

-∞️ negative activity based on 5niv hindrances mostly kāma sensuality based that drain exorbitant amounts of vital internal energy.

ac = activity coefficient = force × current × pacification  ÷ tension

tension [0,+∞️]: you can see from equation having zero tension will make your activity coefficient an infinite number, while having maximum tension will drag your ac score to zero, and your moment to moment PIE yield to zero.

Problems with this equation: 

1. Many of the variables are not independent

2. There really should be exponential growth expressed somewhere

simile: golden goose always with you. The higher your zen coefficient and activity coefficient, the bigger the golden egg he lays, every minute. Golden egg filled with PIE. 

Related

🔗📝 notes on passadhi (pacification) and force

🔗📝 notes on passadhi (pacification) and force

internal:

4👑☸ → STED → 7sb☀️ → 5🌊 passaddhi-sam-bojjh-aṅgassa

external:

Use the force

If you practice jhāna correctly according to the suttas, the force is always with you and it grows exponentially.

The jhān-o-meter: why should you use the force? because it's tangible proof of passadhi sambojjhanga

The Jhāna passaddhi 'force' equation, and the simile of Ajahn Brahm and the golden goose

Stories of jhanic force

stories of jhanic force: taiji expert vs. speeding car

stories of jhanic force: old damaged nerves repaired, age spot appeared and disappeared

AN 10.72 real example of loudest thunder I've ever heard

stories of jhānic force: full lotus sitting 2 hours, numbness dissolved

General principles of meditation

Do Tears Come Out, Eyeballs Shake when you do Ānāpānassati meditation?

Why Chinese meditation masters (Buddhism and Taoism) tell you to touch tongue to roof and teeth don't touch

related

 🔗📚: collection of articles for an eventual book, "Jhāna Passaddhi Baselines"

warm fuzzy feelings: demystifying Pīti & sukha from jhāna and 7 awakening factors

🔗📝notes on sleeping, wakefulness (jāgara) and sloth and torpor (thina-middhaṃ🥱)

internal notes:

4👑☸ → STED → 5niv⛅ → 3. thina-middhaṃ🥱   

jāgara ⊜ and closedly related topics

sleep😴: proper way of sleeping.
thina-middhaṃ🥱: methods to deal with sloth & torpor and drowsiness.
jāgara: all the sutta passages on wakefulness.
maraṇa-s-sati 💀: a prime motivator for jāgara.

external notes:

Ideal bed sleeping set up for meditators and yogis

http://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2021/02/ideal-bed-sleeping-set-up-for.html

If you practice jhāna correctly according to the suttas, the force is always with you and it grows exponentially.

Brief explanation of the jhana battery charging analogy 

The suttas don't explicitly describe it that way, the jhana battery getting charged.

The battery is just my 21st century analogy.

But a skilled meditator, comparing the jhana similes in AN 5.28 will understand that's what's going on.

For example, someone whose baseline is 4th jhana, with their battery full, while doing jhana (in any posture) is not going to get the physical pleasure of sukha of second jhana (intense hydraulic force) or 3rd jhana's smooth sukha. Only if they've done a fair amount of jhana battery draining activity, like thinking about Dhamma too much, giving Dhamma talk, doing physical labor, will they be able to get to taste sukha, and only for the time it takes for the jhana battery to full charge up again. It's just like eating. If you're hungry and your body needs nutrients, you'll get sukha in the form of brain pleasure chemicals to encourage you to eat more. 

What is the force in the 4 jhanas?

MN 62 sutta links

MN 62 mahā-rāhul-ovāda

• (The) Greater Rāhula Admonishment
  • 11 ways of contemplating 5 aggregates, same as in SN 22.59 anatta-lakkhana
  • Sāriputta tells him to practice ānā-pānas-sati
  • 1. Earth-property
  • 2. Water-property
  • 3. Fire-property
  • 4. Wind-property
  • 5. Space-property
  • 1. Earth-tranquility meditation
  • 2. Water-tranquility meditation
  • 3. Fire-tranquility meditation
  • 4. Wind-tranquility meditation
  • 5. Space-tranquility meditation

...

4. Wind-property

“katamā ca, rāhula, vāyo-dhātu?	"{And} what, ******, (is the) wind-property?
vāyo-dhātu siyā ajjhattikā,	(the) wind-property may-be-either internal
siyā bāhirā.	or external.
katamā ca, rāhula, ajjhattikā vāyo-dhātu?	{And} what, ******, (is the) internal wind-property?
yaṃ ajjhattaṃ paccattaṃ	Anything internal, belonging to oneself,
vāyo vāyogataṃ upādinnaṃ,	that's wind, windy, & sustained:
seyyathidaṃ —	such-as-these:
uddhaṅgamā vātā,	up-going winds,
adhogamā vātā,	down-going winds,
kucchisayā vātā,	stomach winds,
koṭṭhāsayā vātā,	intestinal winds,
aṅgam-aṅgā-(a)nusārino vātā,	{winds that} {course through}-parts-[and more]-parts [of the body],
assāso passāso,	in-breathing (and) out-breathing,
iti yaṃ vā panaññampi kiñci ajjhattaṃ paccattaṃ	or anything else internal, within oneself,
vāyo vāyogataṃ upādinnaṃ —	that's wind, windy, & sustained:
ayaṃ vuccati, rāhula, ajjhattikā vāyo-dhātu.	This is called (the) internal wind-property.

That's a description of the naturally occurring winds (vāta) that occur in our biological function. The forces required to belch, hiccup, fart, pee, excrete, hold in our pee and our poo. What do you think adult diapers are for? When the force gets weak, we can't hold in our poo. When the force is strong, we can hold it in for hours, even in great pain. 

When the force is strong, for example young teenagers who are celibate, even skinny willowy young boys can perform great feats of strength, bench pressing, squatting impressive amounts of weight. In fact, if you compare the power ratio, for example a 120lb teenager bench pressing 150lb of weight, that's much stronger and more impressive  than an adult 200lb muscle bound Adonis benching 180lb of weight.

 

The force (vāta, wind property) is the one reliable marker of all 4 jhanas 

The 4 jhanas formula isn't an exact science. It's really meant to illustrate  stages of progress in samadhi development, and is not meant to be a quantitative delineation of how much and how intense piti and sukha are for the first 3 jhanas for example. While some meditators may experience rapture and pleasure that feels like a cosmic orgasm, others might just go through stages of very unusual comfort and pleasant sensation. It depends on the health condition of the meditator when they were learning jhana whether sukha  bodily pleasure is intense or mild. Same as the difference between whether you're starving or mildly hungry, that's how euphoric you'll feel when you eat.

Passaddhi (pacification, relaxation awakening factor) is the switch that turns on the force

First jhana's main goal is train your mind to think kusala thoughts that can induce piti, pamojja, a mental joy, and emotional thrill that will cause people to relax their body. Relaxing the body deeply is passadhi, and that turns the force on like flipping a switch. But at first, the force is unsteady, it waxes and wanes, ebbs and flows, and you have to keep feeding vitakka and vicara skillful thoughts to drive the piti and passadhi action. 

For Second jhana and beyond, you no longer need to feed the 7sb awakening factor samadhi engine with skillful thoughts to get the jhanic process started.

You know what the force feels like, and how to turn it on instantly.

You can just flip the switch any time by deeply relaxing (passadhi), in any posture, to turn on the force.

This is the undirected samadhi referred to in SN 47.10, and the attenuating of V&V in AN 8.63. 

flip the passadhi switch and force is instantly on. Jhana on demand.

It's jhana on demand. Force drives current. The current circulates through all the energy channels of the body which form interconnected loops. Some of the energy current is physical, blood, lymph, some of it is invisible bioelectric and magnetic energy movement. The stronger the current, the faster the battery charges, the faster your energetic loops of energy infrastructure is repaired and expanded. 

Force, vāta (wind property), is a tangible thing you can kinesthetically sense, feel. It's not an imaginary thing, if you really got passadhi and jhana going.

Second jhana, like the simile says in AN 5.28, feels like you're sitting in a lake on springs, and you can feel a strong force of current from the jets shooting up from the spring that feeds the lake.

Or a 21st century analagy, like you're sitting in a jacuzzi hot tub and the jets of water are shooting up your tailbone and spine with tangible force you can physically feel. 

Second jhana feels hydraulic like this, it's a simile but it literally feels just like that, those exact physical sensations. 

You get the pleasure chemicals, euphoria, that you do from the same brain chemicals you get from eating food when you're starving, or the orgasmic pleasure from sex. 

That's why meditators compare jhana to sex. It can feel like that because the same brain chemicals are in play. The difference is with sex, the euphoria is localized to a few parts of the body, and vital precious energy (which is required to make healthy living babies) is leaving your system permanently.

In contrast, with jhana, it's full body pervasion of orgasmic physical sensation and the precious internal energy is retained and recirculated everywhere. 

The force is driving the current of orgasmic pleasure through every cell in your body in those interconnected loops of energy channels, and it can last for hours.  

Third jhana, you realize that emotional excitement (pīti) is just an unnecessary energetic expenditure, so mentally you remain calm and only feel the exquisite sukha. Again, in all 4 jhanas, piti and sukha can vary greatly from person to person, from sit to sit, because you're body is always changing. But the one variable you control is passadhi. You relax, it flips the jhana switch on, force drives current of energy. In second jhana, this current felt hydraulic. In third jhana, your jhana batter has already been pretty charged up, so you don't feel current and strong vibration, just soft still water that has pleasurable sensation pervading everywhere.

Once again, force is a tangible thing you can sense. It's not a magical, imaginary, or an abstract concept. It's as tangible as when you start to do one pushup, and you can sense you have the energy to do 20 or 30 more, or whatever. 

Imperturbable 4th jhana 

It's still the same force as MN 62 vāta describing ordinary bodily functions, and the same force that you can flip the switch any time you pacify (passaddhi) the body in the four jhanas, except now the force is strong enough to do some unusual things. 

The worst problem with heterodox LBT "jhāna", especially Vism. and Ajahn Brahm

They redefine "jhana" into a disembodied frozen stupor fetishizing samatha, divorcing it from vipassana, making the sutta instructions on real jhāna incoherent. Essentially destroying the Buddha's instruction manual on jhana and replacing it with an unholy abomination that can only be successfully practiced by (on average) one in a million serious meditators, and only in the sitting posture.

The Buddha taught an embodied jhana with samatha and vipassana harmoniously integrated, skillful thoughts used properly and holistically with the noble eightfold path, seamlessly integrated with 4sp satipatthana, and designed to be practiced in all four postures, at all times. 

This is why, even those who are able to accomplish Vism. heterodox 'jhana', are unable to do 'jhana' once they leave that environment with noble silence and sitting meditation 6-10 hours a day. 

Those who practice the authentic sutta jhana whole heartedly, along with satipatthana applied all day every day, in every moment every posture, their jhana battery is constantly getting charged, and the force grows exponentially. Jhana for them works just as well in a silent retreat intensive environment as normal day to day life, because they're working on that skill all the time. 

Heterodox (LBT Theravada) "jhana" doesn't properly understand the force. You never hear them genuinely teach or talk about passaddhi (pacification awakening factor) other than giving it lip service listing the laundry list of awakening factors. They never learned to relax consciously, they only learn to subconciously relax, with most of their attention focused on forcefully ignoring the body and even skillful thoughts. Using the wrong kind of force that leads to mental and physical tension (and eventually poor mental health), which is why most meditators who try that system fail. Tension is the opposite of passadhi. If you redefine the Buddha's breath meditation instructions to ignore the body and ignore thoughts right out of the gate, there's no way you're going to develop the subtle sensitivity to the body to relax deeply enough to achieve pacification of the body (passaddhi sambojjhanga). 

The genuine force in jhana requires passadhi.  

related topics

🔗📝 notes on passadhi (pacification) and force

Jhāna-constipation ⛜🌊

 

Forum discussion

https://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=41682&p=651769#p651769

mikenz66 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 26, 2021 3:44 pmJacuzzi Jhana certainly sounds enticing...
...

frankk:

It may be, at first, until you have better states.
The point is, the force, pressure, sensations experienced in the four jhanas are just as tangible and concrete as the jacuzzi jets forcing water to create sensations on your body.
It's not always going to feel like a jacuzzi, or a spring lake, but the point I'm trying to get across is whatever jhana you're in, you can always feel tangible, physically sensed force.
If you have real passaddhi, you'll feel force somewhere or everywhere in the body when you develop the sensitivity.
Passaddhi and force is instant on, once you've practiced it enough. Of course most people aren't going to get their highest quality of jhana instantly, but once you recognize and learn to tangibly feel jhanic force, you can get on the jhanic force train instantly and deepen it, and it is not limited by posture, only by tension. So of course lying down has the least tension, followed by sitting, standing, walking.

A strong second jhana feels much better than a jacuzzi, it literally can feel like a full body orgasm that can last for hours.
But that's dependent on the health condition of the body, not everyone is going to experience it that way.

But everyone who does jhana correctly will feel tangible forces at work, that you can feel and sense with the physical body, and that can be practiced and developed in all 4 postures.

DiamondNgXZ wrote: ↑Wed Oct 27, 2021 4:12 am

frank k wrote: ↑Wed Oct 27, 2021 4:04 am
A strong second jhana feels much better than a jacuzzi, it literally feels like a full body orgasm that can last for hours.

But is that an ideal way to experience meditation? Wouldn't one be tired of it? Or cannot be mindful due to too much joy? Does one has to abandon all guilt too to allow joy to keep on increasing? I assume the exponentially means the joy and happiness which increases. Also, what do you think calming the mental formations mean in the mindfulness of breathing? How to apply it? Sorry, limited internet, cannot go to your blog.

frankk:

I don't think people are really catching the main point, which is, the strength of the jhana symptoms for everyone is going to vary, it MAY be as strong as an orgasm, or MAY be extremely mild if their health is excellent and their energy channels open and in great condition. But the one reliable marker for 4 jhanas is passadhi samobojjhanga, when done correctly, one will feel tangible forces in the physical body instantly. If the force is strong enough to drive a current (of heat, electricity, gooey magnetic energy) that permeates the entire body, and it feels mentally and physically pleasurable, it's most likely somewhere on the spectrum of the first 3 jhanas.

 

STED 3rd Jhāna

3. With rapture fading,
he meditates equanimously observing,
🐘💭 remembering [and applying relevant ☸Dharma], he lucidly discerns.
He experiences pleasure with the body.
The Noble Ones praise this [stage of zen]:
"Equanimously observing and remembering [to engage in relevant ☸Dharma], they have a pleasurable abiding."
He enters and dwells in the third stage of zen (j3🌖).

STED 3rd Jhāna

🚫😁 pītiyā ca virāgā	🚫😁(with) Rapture ** fading,
👁 upekkhako ca viharati	👁 Equanimously-observing ** (he) dwells,
(S&S🐘💭) sato ca sam-pajāno,	(S&S🐘💭) (he is a) Rememberer, (a) lucid-discerner,
🙂🚶 sukhañca kāyena paṭi-saṃ-vedeti,	🙂🚶 pleasure with-the-body (he) experiences,
yaṃ taṃ ariyā ācikkhanti —	that those Noble-Ones declare -
‘upekkhako satimā sukha-vihārī’ti	“(He is an) equanimous-observer (and a) Rememberer, (he has) pleasurable-abiding.”
🌖 tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.	🌖 third Jhāna (he) enters, dwells.

Why do the noble ones single out third jhāna for praise? Why not 4th jhāna or first?

1.  third jhana is the baseline level of passadhi and samadhi most of his disciples will be able to wield in their every day all around satipatthana 24/7 practice. 

It's because third jhana is the baseline level of passadhi (pacification awakening factor) and samadhi that the Buddha expects from his ordained monastics. 

For lay people who keep 5 precepts well, a decent first jhana with a ceiling of mediocre second jhana is his expectation level. 

See article for proof: 🔗Don't give up on jhāna, till you drink from the sutta cup

(especially the sutta passages for AN 5 and DN 18)

Since ordained monastics keep 8 precepts, pure celibacy that prevents draining their jhana battery, keeping noble silence charges up their jhana battery so the expected level of jhana proficiency is 3rd jhana. 

2. because S&S🐘💭 (sati & sampajano) are not listed as jhana factors until 3rd jhana

@bath_powder wrote:

Maybe it's the inclusion of sati-sampajanna here that makes it worthy of praise? Some scholars such as Alexander Wynne and Richard Gombrich have suggested that the third and fourth jhana are fundamentally different than the first two and represent a transition to mindful observation of the sense spheres inside a jhanic state of mind. The third could be praised instead of the fourth simply because it's the first place this occurs in this understanding.

@frankk:

That's a legitimate reason too. There can be many reasons for why 3rd jhana is singled out, and those reasons need not be mutually exclusive.

Piti and sukha can be very intense in 2nd jhana, when you're first being very proficient in that, and  you'd be a lot less likely to or even able to walk around all day doing maintaining 2nd jhana, whereas third and fourth jhana become your new normal, where the sukha is really a nice but unnecessary background feature while your main focus is on S&S satipatthana, which can be done in all 4 postures all day. 

 

KN Pe Jhana commentary agrees with that, saying that sati and sampajano are listed in 3rd jhana and not first and second, because piti and sukha can be so dominant, leaving S&S unable to function well.

3. establishing code phrases for 3rd jhana

The phrase that the nobles declare they are "equanimous-observers, rememberful, and dwell in pleasure", is setting up a code phrase for 3rd jhana. That is, suttas not explicitly saying jhana or 3rd jhana, but using that code phrase is strongly implying, if not practically using a synonym for jhana. 

examples:

AN 6.1 no 3rd jhana explicitly mentioned, but monks there are guarding sense doors and using code phrase for 3rd jhana "upekkha + sati + sampajano", making them worthy of offerings.

anuruddha samyutta and MN 152: the 5 abi (noble developed faculties) refer to being upekkha, sati, and sampjano, and those sekhas have 5 bala, 5 indriya, meaning strong samadhi. 

(to be continued...)

🔗📝 AN 3.63 (walking in jhana is divine) collection of external notes and research

 

internal notes:

sutta pali + english: AN 3.63  Venāgapura

external:

AN 3.63 sujato admits evaṁ-bhūta means one is walking WHILE in 4 jhānas.

AN 3.63 Buddha walking WHILE in jhāna, has two close EBT parallels Bhikkhu Sujato missed

forum discussion

dwheel main thread: https://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=41657&p=651508#p651508

https://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=41624&p=651288#p651288

Nicolas wrote: ↑Fri Oct 22, 2021 8:00 pm

Venāgapura Sutta (AN 3.63) wrote:I collect some grass or leaves that I find there into a pile and then sit down. Having folded my legs crosswise and straightened my body, I establish mindfulness in front of me. Then, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I enter and dwell in the first jhāna [...].

Argument against walking: why does the Buddha bother to collect some grass or leaves into a pile and to then sit down before entering the first jhana?

frankk:
Because it's easier to do sitting jhana in a quiet place than walking jhana in an ordinary noisy place.

Also look at all 3 of the divine beds (1. jhana, 2. brahma vihara, 3. arahant enjoying their lack of defilements).
All 3 of them start with sitting on a pile of leaves.

Do you then think brahma viharas can only be done while sitting, and an arahant can only enjoy and reflect on his lack of defilements while he is sitting?

https://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=41624&p=651291#p651291

robertk wrote: ↑Tue Oct 19, 2021 11:14 pmFor those with mastery of jhana they can enter and leave at will in split seconds. So of course they can walk while entering and leaving. However this is not possible for someone absorbed in jhana for any length of time.
Sariputta became an arahat while fanning the Buddha and listening to a talk the Buddha gave to another monk- and sariputta , as I understand was also entering and leaving jhana states at this time.

https://www.nku.edu/~kenneyr/Buddhism/l ... el090.html

But the Venerable Sariputta continued to stay near the Master, at a cave called the Boar's Shelter (Sukarakhata-lena), depending on Rajagaha for his almsfood. Half a month after his ordination the Blessed One gave a discourse on the comprehension of feelings[6] to the Venerable Sariputta's nephew, the wandering ascetic Dighanakha. The Venerable Sariputta was standing behind the Master, fanning him. While following with his thoughts the progress of the discourse, as though sharing the food prepared for another, the Venerable Sariputta on that occasion reached the acme of "knowledge pertaining to a disciple's perfection and attained to Arahatship together with the fourfold analytical knowledge (patisambhida-ñana)."[7] And his nephew, at the end of the sermon, was established in the Fruition of Stream-entry.[8]

frankk:

I can hear the sighs of relief from all the LBT (late buddhist texts) theravadans who can sleep at night now believing LBT doesn't contradict EBT (early ...).
Confirmation bias and cleverness can find an interpretation that eel wriggles out of any situation.

But ask yourself this.

1. Assuming you're correct, that Sariputta can enter and exit frozen stupor jhana in split seconds, still, what would that look like?
Sariputta would be stumbling around like a drunken fool, spending most of that time exiting and entering with no perception and control of his body.

Why would the Buddha in AN 3.63 be describing a highly skilled LBT redefinition of jhana walk around blissfully, instead of a simple ockhams razor interpretation that people skilled in jhanas can maintain at least a partial jhana and feel the mental and physical bliss while walking?

2. Let's say Sariputta can be a functional LBT jhana drunk, that he isn't stumbling around while walking, that he's able to enjoy the mental and physical bliss of upacara samadhi version of 4th jhana. In other words, he can enter and exit frozen stupor so fast it's negligible.
Then what's the difference between a highly skilled jhana master like Sariputta and an ordinary competent 4th jhana upacara samadhi?
If the sutta describes what sounds like 4th jhana upacara samadhi, have you considered maybe because it is upcara samadhi, and the frozen stupor appana is something completely foreign to the EBT?

Even in Vimuttimagga, which also relies on (an earlier than Vism.) version of Abhidhamma, their appana samadhi jhanas don't preclude body awareness and hearing sounds. In Vimt. appana samadhi means one is fixed in focus on Dharmic perceptions, free of hindrances. It means it's a purified jhana that will not be interrupted by any hindrance. Vism. redefines appana samadhi as a frozen stupor with no volition.