glossing all the terms in the four jhānas formula for Sammā Samādhi, using EBT references

 

8.8 - 🌄 Sammā Samādhi: right undistractible-lucidity

Most often defined as 4 jhānas, such as in SN 45.8

8.8.1 - j1🌘 First Jhāna

🚫💑 vivicc’eva kāmehi	Judiciously-secluded from sensuality,
🚫😠 vivicca a-kusalehi dhammehi	Judiciously-secluded from unskillful ☸Dharmas,
(V&V💭) sa-vitakkaṃ sa-vicāraṃ	with directed-thought and evaluation [of those verbal ☸Dharma thoughts],
😁🙂 viveka-jaṃ pīti-sukhaṃ	with [mental] rapture and [physical] pleasure born from judicious-seclusion,
🌘 paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.	he attains and lives in first jhāna.



TOC for details on first Jhāna in book Goldcraft

        Goldcraft ^4.3.1 j1🌘 First Jhāna
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.1 vivicceva kāmehi = judicious-seclusion from sensual pleasures
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.1.5 viveka = judicious-seclusion, discriminative separation
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.1.6 kāma = desire for sensual pleasure
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.2 vivicca a-kusalehi dhammehi = judicious-seclusion from unskillful Dharmas
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.3 sa-vitakkaṃ sa-vicāraṃ =with directed-thought and evaluation
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.4 viveka-jaṃ pīti-sukhaṃ = rapture and pleasure born from judicious-seclusion
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.5 paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati =
he attains and lives in first jhāna
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.6 MN 78 right effort purifying first jhana
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.7 AN 4.14 right effort part 2, removes “wrong” version of right-resolve
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.8 physical body in bliss
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.9 KN Iti 72: escape from kāma is nekkhamma (right resolve’s renunciation)
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.12 first jhāna is easy! holistic, easily accessible, gradual samādhi
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.13 Speech ceasing in first jhāna
            Goldcraft ^4.3.1.15 Ekaggata jhāna factor allows “hearing” in jhāna


Essence of j1🌘 First Jhāna

From studying every reference to STED 4j🌕 formula, and examining what happens right before first jhāna, we can see the pattern.

Before one has mastered the skill of stopping internal dialogue at will, entering the 👑😶 noble silence of 2nd jhāna where V&V💭 are shut off and replaced by subverbal awareness and investigation of S&S🐘💭 , one first has to:

0. Understand and memorize the 7sb☀️ awakening factors. Especially SN 46.3. Every meditation technique, including those that use V&V skillfully in first jhana, rely on that as the underlying structure. The 4 jhānas are the 6th factor, samādhi-sambojjhanga, shown clearly in DN 2.

1. Understand the danger, the dukkha, and disadvantages of 5kg and 5niv⛅ . V&V💭 has a large role in accomplishing this, so one should not be too greedy and shoot for 4th jhāna or 2nd jhāna before mastering first jhāna and how to use first jhāna's V&V💭 skillfully.

2. Before one can completely shut off internal dialogue of V&V💭 , one first has to learn how to replace askusala/unskillful v&v with skillful v&v, and then attenuate the v&v so it doesn't block passaddhi/pacification awakening factor and the pīti & sukha (rapture and pleasure) of first jhāna. See MN 19 and vitakka & vicāra in first jhāna.

2b. Remember what 'gradual' means. You have to walk before you can run, and you have to first get rid of akusala vitakka and replace them right away with kusala vitakka (section 2). There's even samādhi in 3 ways to describe an intermediate stage between first and second jhāna for how vicāra is used before being dropped (or more accurately, sublimated). Living beings spent entire lifetimes thinking all the time, the Buddha designed a gradual training system, and he doesn't expect you completely eliminate v&v all at once.

3. The way to stabilize and prolong first jhāna, is by learning how to use V&V💭 skillfully to direct the mind to inspiring themes to stoke the fire of first jhāna and keep it burning. Suttas such as MN 20, SN 47.8, SN 47.10, SN 46.3, AN 6.10, AN 8.30 are a few such examples.

4. How do you know if you are on the right track for first jhāna? The most important part of first jhāna is not samatha kung fu, but the correct understanding of section #1 (seeing dukkha in 5kg...). The internal test to verify oneself (MN 14), do you genuinely reject 5kg 5 cords of sensual pleasure because rapture & pleasure of first jhāna is much more enticing not just because of the bliss, but because you truly see it doesn't have the drawbacks of 5kg? A samatha kung fu expert who can sit for 5 hours straight and blank their mind out, but then they still lust after sex and 5 cords of sense pleasure, they completely miss the essence of genuine first jhāna. Samatha and Vipassana need to be conjoined and balanced. Genuine EBT jhāna does this.

5. This is why you should be very wary of following non EBT samādhi systems that falsely claim to be genuine jhāna, but tends to segregate samatha from vipassana and overly emphasize samatha kung fu for first jhāna. V&V💭 has an important role to play in this stage of development, and cutting off v&v (by redefining it as 'placing the mind' or 'initial application') is cutting off one's fuel for jhāna (see section 3). How self defeating is that?

Physical side of first jhāna

The above summarises the essentials on the mental side of things.
As far as the physical side, how to pacify (kāya-passaddhi) the body to induce sukha and samādhi-sambojjhanga of first jhāna, see 5🌊, 16🌬️😤‍ especially steps 3 and 4.
Read Jhāna-constipation ⛜🌊 for brutally effective ways to cure jhāna-constipation.

8.8.2 - j2🌗 Second Jhāna

Vitakka-vicārānaṃ vūpasamā	with the subsiding of directed-thought and evaluation [of those verbal ☸Dharma thoughts],
ajjhattaṃ sam-pasādanaṃ	with internal purity and self-confidence,
🌄 cetaso ekodi-bhāvaṃ	his mind becomes singular in focus.
🚫(V&V💭) a-vitakkaṃ a-vicāraṃ	Without directed-thought and evaluation, [mental processing is now subverbal,]
🌄😁🙂 samādhi-jaṃ pīti-sukhaṃ	[mental] rapture and [physical] pleasure is born from undistractible-lucidity,
🌗 dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.	he attains and lives in second jhāna.



TOC for details on Second Jhāna in book Goldcraft

        Goldcraft ^4.3.2 j2🌗 Second Jhāna
            Goldcraft ^4.3.2.1 vitakka + vicāra = directed-thought and evaluation
            Goldcraft ^4.3.2.2 vūpasamā = subsiding
            Goldcraft ^4.3.2.3 ajjhattaṃ sam-pasādanaṃ = with internal purity and self-confidence
            Goldcraft ^4.3.2.4 cetaso ekodi-bhāvaṃ = his mind becomes singular in focus
            Goldcraft ^4.3.2.6 a-vitakkaṃ a-vicāraṃ = without directed-thought and evaluation
            Goldcraft ^4.3.2.7 samādhi-jaṃ pīti-sukham = [mental] rapture and [physical] pleasure
            Goldcraft ^4.3.2.8 dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati = he attains and lives in second jhāna
            Goldcraft ^4.3.2.40 👑😶 Noble Silence, ariyo vā tuṇhī-bhāvo
            Goldcraft ^4.3.2.50 2nd jhāna misc.


Essence of j2🌗 Second Jhāna

* Compared to first jhāna, which still involves linguistic verbal mental talk of V&V💭 ,
* in second jhāna that V&V is sublimated into the subverbal mental processing of S&S🐘💭 .
* That subverbal S&S can either passively enjoy this pleasant abiding, or engage in subverbal Dharma investigation, for example seeing dukkha, seeing cause of dukkha, etc.
* As MN 20 says, starting with second jhāna, one starts to become a master of thinking what one wants to think, and not thinking what one doesn't want to think. In contrast, the first jhāna accomplishment was that one hasn't learned the art of 👑😶 noble silence yet, but one at least prefers thinking skillful Dharma related thoughts over unskillful worldly Dharmas.

8.8.3 - j3🌖 Third Jhāna

🚫😁 pītiyā ca virāgā	With [mental] rapture fading,
👁 upekkhako ca viharati	he lives equanimously observing [☸Dharmas with subverbal mental processing].
(S&S🐘💭) sato ca sam-pajāno,	remembering [and applying relevant ☸Dharma], he lucidly discerns.
🙂🚶 sukhañca kāyena paṭi-saṃ-vedeti,	He experiences pleasure with the [physical] body.
yaṃ taṃ ariyā ācikkhanti —	The Noble Ones praise this [stage of jhāna in particular because they expect this to be the normal state of the average monk in all postures at all times]:
‘upekkhako satimā sukha-vihārī’ti	"He lives happily with pleasure, Equanimously observing and remembering [to engage in relevant ☸Dharma]."
🌖 tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.	he attains and lives in third jhāna.



TOC for details on third Jhāna in book Goldcraft

        Goldcraft ^4.3.3 j3🌖 Third Jhāna
            Goldcraft ^4.3.3.1 pītiyā ca virāgā = With [mental] rapture fading
            Goldcraft ^4.3.3.2 👁upekkhako ca viharati = he lives equanimously observing
            Goldcraft ^4.3.3.3 sato ca sam-pajāno = he is a rememberer and lucid discerner
            Goldcraft ^4.3.3.4 sukhañca kāyena paṭi-saṃ-vedeti = senses pleasure with body
            Goldcraft ^4.3.3.5 yaṃ taṃ ariyā ācikkhanti = the noble ones praise this
            Goldcraft ^4.3.3.6 ‘upekkhako satimā sukha-vihārī’ = "He lives happily.…"
            Goldcraft ^4.3.3.7 tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati = he attains and lives in third jhāna.
            Goldcraft ^4.3.3.22 3rd jhāna misc.


Essence of j3🌖 third Jhāna

* When one is first learning jhānas, first and second jhāna can have strong emotional thrill and excitement.
* On the mental development side of third jhāna, compared to second, we focus on the skill of dispassion (virāga) towards pīti (mental joy).
* Why? Pīti requires an energetic expenditure to fabricate intentions to produce mental joy.
When one already knows how to flip the switch to enter jhāna that is born of samādhi (second jhāna or higher),
one need not expend extraneous energy getting excited about it.
Just like an elite athlete who scores winning plays doesn’t need wild emotional energy expending overt displays of celebration, he calmly goes on in a state of upekkha.
Making winning plays is just expected and normal for him, so he saves his energy for more important Dharmas.
* upekkha, equanimous-observation, becomes prominent in third jhāna. In passive mode, upekkha and sampajāno equanimously observes the experience of pleasant abiding.
In dynamic mode, upekkha and sampajāno investigates the Dharma, for example seeing dukkha and its cause.

8.8.4 - j4🌕 Fourth Jhāna

sukhassa ca pahānā	With the abandoning of [physical] pleasure
dukkhassa ca pahānā	and pain,
pubbeva so-manassa-do-manassānaṃ atthaṅgamā	with the previous abandoning of elated and distressed mental states,
A-dukkham-a-sukhaṃ	experiencing [physical] sensations of neither pain nor pleasure,
👁🐘 Upekkhā-sati-pārisuddhiṃ	his equanimous observation and his remembering [and application of relevant ☸Dharma] is purified.
🌕 catutthaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati	he attains and lives in fourth jhāna.



TOC for details on fourth Jhāna in book Goldcraft

        Goldcraft ^4.3.4 j4🌕 Fourth Jhāna
            Goldcraft ^4.3.4.1 SN 48.37 informs whether sensation is physical or mental
            Goldcraft ^4.3.4.2 sukhassa ca pahānā = abandoning pleasure
            Goldcraft ^4.3.4.3 dukkhassa ca pahānā = abandoning pain
            Goldcraft ^4.3.4.4 pubbeva so-manassa-do-manassānaṃ atthaṅgamā =
previous abandoning of elated and distress...
            Goldcraft ^4.3.4.5 A-dukkham-a-sukhaṃ = neither pain nor pleasure
            Goldcraft ^4.3.4.6 👁🐘 Upekkhā-sati-pārisuddhiṃ =
equanimous observation and remembering purified
            Goldcraft ^4.3.4.7 catutthaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati = lives in fourth jhāna
            Goldcraft ^4.3.4.22 fourth jhāna misc.
                Goldcraft ^4.3.4.22.1 breathing stops in 4th jhāna
                Goldcraft ^4.3.4.22.3 4th jhāna is prerequisite for arahant?


Essence of j4🌕 fourth Jhāna

* work on imperturbability (aneñja), as exemplified in MN 125 with the war elephant in battle doing his job fearlessly despite being assaulted on all fronts.
* the quintessential quality of sammā samādhi, righteous undistractible lucidity, is khanti, patient-endurance: The ability to bear the onslaught of dukkha arising at all six doors of the senses.
* You can see how upekkha, equanimous-observation, becomes purified in fourth jhāna, with patient-endurance and imperturbability coming into prominence.

(end of 8.8 - 🌄 Sammā Samādhi⏹️)