Fruit of the Contemplative Life
Fruit of the contemplative life: => Samadhi => : Jhanananda December 19, 2011, 04:46:51 AM
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The religious experience withing Hinduism and Buddhism is called 'samadhi.' It comes in 8 stages. The first 4 stages are known as 'jhana' in early Buddhism. For more details on this subject please feel free to examine the essays and videos at the following links:
Recognizing the Absorption States (jhana) (October 16, 2004)
http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/recognizingabsorption.htm
Videos:
What is jhana?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L385Ef-Bv_8
The four jhanas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLdfAz5tvWI
Guided meditation through the four jhanas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkwPIL4ZNPg
Guided sunrise meditation to the first jhana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UaGROTkkfY
Guided meditation through the four jhanas at sunrise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVa1EIsEYMM
An Experiential Look at the Phenomena of Meditative Absorption
http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/experientialjhana.htm
A Proposed Unifying Theory for the Experience of Gnosis within the Buddha’s 9 stages of Meditative Absorption (contemplation, fana, jhana, samadhi, shamatha)
http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/transitionalabsorption.htm
Absorption States (Jhanas) Within A Non-dualist Context (April 28, 2004)
http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/nondualistjhana.htm
Absorption States (Jhanas) Within A Theistic Context (April 17, 2004)
http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/theisticjhana.htm
Are the physical senses fully effaced during jhana?
http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/physicaljhana.htm
The Immaterial Domains and the Milky Way
http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/non-materialdomains.htm
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JJjpCndhbo
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Does the experience of cosmic consciousness marks the achievement of enlightenment or the realization of our true nature and its integration in day to day life? As i had discussed with u once on ur YouTube video abt jhanas... U explained that if u can stay in jhana 2 thruout the day, u will start there on in meditation.. Likewise what i feel is therz an achievement which we can enlightenment, where when u sit and get into experience of cosmic consciousness or beyond like the domain of no perception or non perception as u describe it, we dont experience an alter of awareness or the identification/experience of who i am doesnt change... Its getting a bit diffuclt to say it in words.. But what i mean to say that if we can identify with that same source of consciousness which we experience in last samadhi, while we r in waking state, that i believe is enlightenment.. What are your views? And since this is my first comment ever on here, i wud like to add that i really respect u and greatly appreciate all the good work n knwldge sharing you have been doing. Namaste :)
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Welcome, rastogi97, and thank-you for posting on this forum.
Does the experience of cosmic consciousness marks the achievement of enlightenment or the realization of our true nature and its integration in day to day life? As i had discussed with u once on ur YouTube video abt jhanas... U explained that if u can stay in jhana 2 thruout the day, u will start there on in meditation.. Likewise what i feel is therz an achievement which we can enlightenment, where when u sit and get into experience of cosmic consciousness or beyond like the domain of no perception or non perception as u describe it, we dont experience an alter of awareness or the identification/experience of who i am doesnt change... Its getting a bit diffuclt to say it in words.. But what i mean to say that if we can identify with that same source of consciousness which we experience in last samadhi, while we r in waking state, that i believe is enlightenment.. What are your views? And since this is my first comment ever on here, i wud like to add that i really respect u and greatly appreciate all the good work n knwldge sharing you have been doing. Namaste :)
The use of the term "cosmic consciousness" varies from reporter to reporter, so we have to investigate what the individual means by its use.
A feeling of a loss of a sense of self, or identity, is commonly experienced by those who meditate to the depth of the 2nd level or deeper. While this level of depth in meditation is not experienced by most people who meditate, and even Buddhist monks, who claim to meditate, rarely seem to have this depth of meditation experience; nonetheless, it is quite some accomplishment, but no where near as rare as the gurus of the world would like us to believe.
However, often people mistake the depth of the 2nd level of meditation as "cosmic consciousness," when there are 6 more levels to go. The true level of depth that is correctly associated with cosmic consciousness would be the 8th level of depth in meditation. Perhaps you have had this experience.
However, what we have also found is just because someone has had the experience of a profound level of depth in meditation does not necessitate their liberation and enlightenment. So, we have to keep in mind that "we know a tree by its fruit. That "fruit" is the superior fruit of attainment. And, we can begin with the superior fruit of attainment of liberation from addictive behavior. Without liberation from addictive behavior we cannot say one is either liberated or enlightened.
Arriving at liberation requires not just a single deep meditation experience, but a practice and lifestyle that consistently produces depth in meditation.
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This reply is well overdue. Actually i was expecting a notification in my email box, i thot no1 replied my comment. Thanx for ur reply:) Yeah i agree with u... Integration of seflessness in the waking state is what that shud mark enlightment.
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... Integration of seflessness in the waking state is what that shud mark enlightment.
Yes, I agree that the arising of selflessness is certainly a characteristic of enlightenment; however, we here have accepted that there are a number of other characteristics of enlightenment that are not traditionally recognized, and yet they were listed as important characteristic of enlightenment that were recognized by previous enlightened beings, such as Siddhartha Gautama, and Patanjali. In fact Siddhartha Gautama called those characteristics "samana-phala," which means the 'fruit of the contemplative life,' which is what this forum is all about. So, I hope you find the other characteristic of enlightenment listed here worthy of accepting in your list of what it is to be enlightened.