Well hello there,
Many things has changes since I joined this marvelous forum. I have investigated a lot of topics discussed here.
In my personal experience, what has happened:
-from accidental jhana state now I am aware of jhana state
-I experienced all rupa jhanas
-I progressed a lot in eradicating sanhkaras and I have noticed the less sankhara the easier access to jhana
Example: months ago it took me 1 hour to go to first, sometimes second jhana - in the end of 1 hour sitting I sometimes realised time was not enough to reach 1st
Now it takes me 15 minutes for stable second jhana
I had problem with attaining 3rd jhana - whenever I was close (or at least after that I thought I was) strange things cropped up and I've been struggling. For now I think I cleared that deep areas and there is no wavering or no disruptions, mind is still and sukha spreads everywhere and from that moment I can remain in 3rd jhana for some time.
-I found information about mastering jhana
Aspects of jhana mastery
A meditator should first master the lower jhānas, before they can go into the higher jhānas. There are five aspects of jhāna mastery:
Mastery in adverting: the ability to advert[clarification needed] to the jhāna factors one by one after emerging from the jhāna, wherever he wants, whenever he wants, and for as long as he wants.
Mastery in attaining: the ability to enter upon jhāna quickly.
Mastery in resolving: the ability to remain in the jhāna for exactly the pre-determined length of time.
Mastery in emerging: the ability to emerge from jhāna quickly without difficulty.
Mastery in reviewing: the ability to review the jhāna and its factors with retrospective knowledge immediately after adverting to them.
So I tried it and I see some effects. It is possible to go almost instantly from each jhana to any other once 4th jhana was reached during session. I am not sure if this works like 4->1->3->2 etc or rather very fast ins and outs like 4->0->1->0->3->0->2 on demand. Before I thought such thing is not possible at all, so I am confused a little. I am going to look at it some more.
-Furthermore it looks clear for me now that absorptive states are natural states of the pure mind as Buddha said, so I think we are all heading towards constant jhana states that are inseparable from pure mind. So my intuition about focusing on kilesa was correct as it brings a lot of effects in very short time, so for near future I am going to focus more on them and share some details in the future.
What I wonder now is this one:
Nirodha-Samapatti
The Buddha also rediscovered an attainment beyond the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, Nirodha-Samapatti, the "cessation of feelings and perceptions".[38] This is sometimes called the "ninth jhāna" in commentarial and scholarly literature
I am curious if the information about going for such deep meditation may lead to ending fast.
Liberation in Nirodha-Samapatti
According to some texts, after progressing through the eight jhanas and the stage of Nirodha-Samapatti, a person is liberated.[38] According to some traditions someone attaining the state of Nirodha-Samapatti is an anagami or an arahant.[54] In the Anupadda sutra, the Buddha narrates that Sariputta became an arahant upon reaching it.
I think it may be so, because as we know 1) it requires really deep meditation and a lot of effort that gives distance to all sankharas 2) the ability of observing arising-passing phenomena is skyrocketing so I assume all kilesa pop up and vanish insanely fast if one is able to go 9th jhana and stay tuned at the same time [ I mean not all effort is put to get there/maintain ]. I have to apologise for terminology - today it is pretty loose, I know english got better words to be precise.
So I wanted to thank You all again for sharing your experiences - these were very valuable to put me on right track and pushed me miles ahead. I am very happy that so many of You shared so many things and I was free to read them.
very happy
Janek
