Concentration leads to Absorption, which leads to Enlightenment

It has been widely accepted that a dedicated contemplative practice can bring
one to enlightenment. However there are many contemplative traditions, and
they teach many concentration techniques. How does one choose which practice
to conduct to produce the desired result, enlightenment?

We may first examine what is meant by 'enlightenment.' Every religion seems
to have a concept of enlightenment. And, some religions define enlightenment
very specifically. Buddhism seems to have defined enlightenment in the
narrowest and most articulated form in the Pali canon. There you will see that
enlightenment is defined in terms of a subjective absorption, which is brought
about primarily through the practice of meditation.

The historic Buddha articulated his path to freedom from suffering, and
enlightenment (nibbana), through a subjective purification process he called the
Noble Eight Fold Path. This path is said to be a "middle path" that leads
through three basic components wisdom (panna) ethics (sila) and absorption
(samadhi).

Noble Eight Fold Path:

Samma-ditthi right view (understanding)
samma-sankappa right thought,
samma-vaca right speech
samma-kammanta right action,
samma-ajiva right livelihood,
samma-vayam right effort,
samma-sati right awareness (mindfulness)
samma-samadhi right absorption.

Wisdom, or discernment (panna), brings us to right view. Right view or
understanding is understood as following reasoning, study and reflection to its
logical conclusion that enlightenment is in deed possible in this very lifetime,
and that there is in deed a path of effort, or a practice regimen, that one
can engage in that will bring one to enlightenment.

Ethics (sila) are revealed and illuminated in Right Thought, Speech and
Action. Sila is the avoiding of harmful thoughts, words and action and the
cultivation of beneficial thoughts, words and action. Beneficial thoughts are
cultivated by meditating upon 4 desirable abstract qualities. These desirable
qualities, or states of mind, are called the Four Divine Abodes (Brahma Viharas or
Bodhichitta).

The Four Boundless States or Divine Abodes (Brahma Viharas or Bodhichitta):

1) Metta Loving Kindness
2) Karuna Compassion
3) Mudita Sympathetic Joy
4) Upekkha Equanimity

Right livelihood is any subsistence strategy that sustains one without
interfering with one's journey to enlightenment (nibbana) and it must be ethical.
There are a wide range of ethical subsistence strategies available in our
culture. Some of these strategies or careers are healing work, counseling,
meditation and yoga instruction, etc. But, there are actually many, many such
subsistence strategies. One need only keep in mind that one's subsistence strategy
must not only pay the bills, but also leave sufficient time to engage in all
of the aspects of the Noble Eight Fold Path: which includes time to study
through various books and materials; time to reflect upon what you have studied;
then sufficient time to engage in the actual practice. Since Buddhism is a
contemplative tradition, then engaging in the practice, constitutes meditation
practice. And, finally all of this must fall under ethical conduct and the
cultivation of the four positive states of mind (Brahma Viharas).

Right awareness is articulated in the three suttas (chapters) on awareness
(Sati) in the Pali canon. Right awareness (samma-sati) is cultivated through
the practice of concentration. Awareness (Sati) practice is defined in the Sati
suttas as awareness of the breath, body, senses and mind. These are known as
the four cornerstones of awareness (Sati).

DN 22.21
"And what is right awareness (samma-sati)? There is the case where an
aspirant remains focused on the body in & of itself -- ardent, alert, & aware --
putting aside greed & unhappiness (dukkha) with reference to the world. one
remains focused on feelings in & of themselves ... one remains focused on the mind
in & of itself ... one remains focused on mental qualities in & of themselves
-- ardent, alert, & aware -- putting aside greed & unhappiness (dukkha) with
reference to the world. This is called right awareness (samma-sati)."

Mindfulness is the common translation of the Pali term 'Sati.' However, I
prefer to use the word 'awareness' for a translation of the Pali term 'Sati,'
because that is what we are doing when we are practicing Satipatthana,
developing awareness. The word 'mindfulness' refers to the mind, which is a rather
vague term in the English language that can also mean the processes of cognition.
It is some of these processes of cognition, (perception, thinking, reasoning
and memory) that we are attempting to bring to cessation, while maintaining
only the awareness component of cognition for enlightenment (nibbana) to arise.

Awareness (Sati) is separated out from the aggregate of cognition and
developed through the practice of concentration. The cultivation of awareness is
revealed in the three Sati suttas. The Sati suttas are a series of concentration
exercises that lead to the development of awareness (Sati), which leads to
absorption (jhana), which leads to cessation (nibbana).

The Noble Eight Fold Path requires Right Absorption (sama-samadhi), which is
the cultivation of absorption states (jhanas) through the development of awar
eness (Sati) by practicing the concentration techniques that are revealed in
the three Sati suttas. Right Absorption (sama-samadhi) is defined in terms of
absorption (jhana) in the Maha-satipatthana Sutta (DN 22.21).

DN 22.21
"And what is right {absorption (sama-samadhi)}? There is the case where an
aspirant -- quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful (mental)
qualities -- enters & remains in the first jhana: joy & pleasure born from
withdrawal, accompanied by applied and sustained {concentration (vitakka and
vicára)}. With the stilling of applied and sustained {concentration (vitakka and
vicára)}, one enters & remains in the second jhana: joy & pleasure born of
tranquillity, unification of awareness free from directed applied and sustained
{concentration (vitakka and vicára)} -- internal assurance. With the fading of
exuberance one remains in equanimity, (aware) & alert, physically sensitive of
ecstasy. One enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones
declare, 'Equanimous & (aware), one has a pleasurable abiding.' With the
abandoning of (grasping and aversion for) pleasure & pain -- as with the earlier
disappearance of pleasure & pain -- one enters & remains in the fourth jhana: purity
of equanimity & awareness, neither pleasure nor pain. This is called right
absorption."

If you are intent upon enlightenment (nibbana) in this very lifetime, then
cultivating absorption (jhana) should be the most important thing on your mind.
That however does not mean that you have to renounce all of your material
possessions and relationships to arrive at a "pleasant abiding in the here and
now" (jhana). All you need do is follow the Noble Eight Fold Path, which
requires that one develop right awareness (samma-sati) which leads to right
absorption (samma-samadhi), which leads to cessation (nibbana).

Meditation is too often interpreted in a concept of doing something, as in
mantras, yantras, and tantras. It might be worth realizing that there is
nothing magical or sacred about one's technique. All of the various methods and
techniques of meditation are simply concentration aids to occupy the mind with
the intention of enlightenment, and to redirect it whenever it wanders. This is
in fact the central concept behind concentration, that is to occupy the mind
in a single activity and to gently redirect it back to its meditation object
whenever it wonders off the object.

One pointedness is one of the terms used to define concentration. Because of
this I find too often concentration is defined in terms of a narrow focus.
However, since concentration is simply directing one's awareness toward an
object, and redirecting it back to the object over and over again, until the mind
or awareness sticks on the object, then one could also include reflection upon
abstract concepts as a meditation object as well.

In Theravadan Buddhism they have developed a meditation practice, called
vipassana, that is oriented toward abstract concepts. Those abstract concepts are
typically reflections upon three topics that were central to the historic
Buddha's teaching method. Those concepts were dissatisfaction (dukkha),
impermanence (anicca) and no self identification (anatta). With the idea that one can
direct and redirect the mind toward an abstract concept, then we could extend
our definition of concentration to include a broadly focused awareness domain
upon concepts. From here we could extend our thinking about concentration to
include larger objects as well, like the Earth, the Moon and the Sun, etc.
Therefore we can conclude concentration can be upon any object, large or small,
abstract or concrete (nama or rupa).

Thanissaro Bhikkhu's translations of the above suttas are available at these
URLs:

Anapanasati Sutta (MN 118)
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/majjhima/mn118.html
Satipatthana Sutta (MN 10)
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/majjhima/mn010.html
Maha-satipatthana Sutta (DN. 22)
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/digha/dn22.html

The alternate translations that I used are available at this URL:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Jhanas/files/

May you become enlightened in this very lifetime.

Jeff Brooks