The most important First Jhana baseline of all, the one you should be checking for progress every day

 

this article is part of a series: 🔗📚: collection of articles for an eventual book, "Jhāna Passaddhi Baselines"

Notice the title of sutta AN 6.73 : (hint: the title is not "access concentration")

73. Paṭhamata-j-jhāna-sutta	73. First jhāna (1st)
“Cha, bhikkhave, dhamme appahāya abhabbo paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharituṃ.	“monks, without giving up these [bad] dharmas you can’t enter and remain in the first jhāna.
Katame cha?	What six?
Kāma-c-chandaṃ,	1. Desire for sensual pleasures,
byāpādaṃ,	2. ill will,
thina-middhaṃ,	3. dullness and drowsiness,
uddhacca-kukkuccaṃ,	4. restlessness and remorse,
vicikicchaṃ,	5. doubt,
kāmesu kho panassa ādīnavo	6. And the drawbacks of sensual pleasures
na yathā-bhūtaṃ samma-p-paññāya su-diṭṭho hoti.	have not been {well-seen}, as-they-actually-are, (with) right-discernment.

#6 is The most important First Jhana baseline of all. Not the ability to be completely still, or free from any thoughts,  but the ability to see the first noble truth of dukkha to a certain degree.