Set and Setting

[Jhanananda]

The Significance of Set and Setting

Set and setting is essentially the stuff of ritual religious activity no matter how primitive or sophisticated. The typical set and setting in many religious events is a place that is perceived of as sacred, such as a church or temple, which is arranged in such a way as to enhance the perception of sacredness, which might include images and/or sculptures, or icons of or suggesting a religious context, such as candles, a point of reference into a sanctuary often containing an alter, and a flame. An officiating priest is often included, and he or she will have some kind of sacred performance, which might include an inspiring discourse. Music is often part of these religious rituals which tends to enhance the religious experience for those attending.

When I took up a contemplative life 50 years ago I created a sacred space in my home, which was a small room, where I placed a simple alter, with objects that suggested to me sacredness. I included whatever sacred book I was reading at the time, which might have been the Bible, New Testament, Pali Canon, etc. Before sitting in meditation I might play some calming and inspiring music, then read a paragraph or page from an inspiring religious text, then meditate.

When we create this set and setting in our home, which might be a castle or an automobile or tent, or cave, then we habitualize that set and setting so that every time we sit to meditate we develop a response to the  set and setting in which we are encouraged to drop right into our familiar stage of depth in the meditation experience of samma-samadhi. So, I encourage you all to create a space that is dedicated to your meditation practice. It need not be complex, or require significant expense. In fact it should not. It should be something that does not require a great effort to maintain, because it should not be a burden, but a refuge.

[Michael Hawkins]

Great post here, Jeffrey.

I always try to read a 5 minute (or so) passage from a sacred text before a sit, or I'll randomly open to a passage in the Bible, something to orient myself to the ineffable.  I now live in a small trailer on a farm, so there's not much room in here - but I have a spot for my sitting gear.  I'll need to give some thought to a little shrine of some sort.  If there's noise nearby, I may put on the sound of a fireplace or gentle rain, maybe birds chirping.  Your advise to remember a previous engagement with deeper states of absorption has really been a boon in terms of going more quickly into applied and sustained attention, and then letting go into 2nd jhana.

Set and setting do not get enough attention, in my opinion, so this really comes as a welcome reminder.

[Jhanananda]

I'm glad you are finding these recommendations helpful.  I look forward to reading about your insights and revelations.

[Michael Hawkins]

This morning it occurred to me to make a video instead of write.  There's a link in my contemplative blog if anyone's interested.

[Jhanananda]

I am so glad, Michael, that recalling a previous experience of bliss, joy and ecstasy worked so well for you. However, what can we recommend to people who may have never had an experience of depth in meditation? Let us use the previous 2 discussions on Bliss, joy and ecstasy plus this thread on Set and Setting. If we consider the broader discussion on recognizing 12 stages of ecstasy, plus set and setting, so, for hypothetical purposes, we consider what the devout do, they go to a religious event, such as church or temple, and attend a religious event there. Perhaps there is chanting or music, which inspires one, and it is in the set and setting of what one considers sacred, and perhaps that music is followed by an inspiring discourse or sermon, or one reads some inspiring passage in a religious text. The devout often report feeling love inspired by this religious event, which we recognize as bliss, then one sits to meditate. I have found using this method of set and setting worked amazingly well for me to have my first experiences in deep meditation 50 years ago. And, if the devout never sit in meditation then they will never know the greater bliss of a still mind, which is the doorway to greater ecstasies.

[Michael Hawkins]

You know, the thought occurred to me when I posted the video on Facebook that it may not be of much use for 99% of my friends/followers there.  To reach most people, an understanding of the overall context is really important.  Seeing bliss as love, for instance, offers something that everyone can relate to - whereas the word "bliss" carries strange and sometimes forbidden connotations for many.

On the other hand, I'm getting that it's equally important to document our direct experiences within meditative absorption, since almost all other traditions have chosen to cloak such observations and insights behind the veil of a priesthood or authority figure.  Talking about these things publicly leaves a trail that others may hopefully follow at a certain point in their journeys, planting seeds that may not bear fruit until we're long gone from this shit show.

[Tad]

Jhananda,

it is very interesting to learn these new pieces of information about your practice.

I have a little setting that I intuitively started using. It is a tiny statue of a bodhisattva sitting crossed legged and a Tibetan bowl bell that I got as a gift. Your post confirmed that this is a good practice and I will continue with it.

Best wishes.

[Jhanananda]

It is good to hear from you two again. I'm glad that I have helped you two to increase your meditation practice and gain greater depth. Yes, I agree, Michael, the recommendation to recall a previous experience of depth in meditation is not likely to help 99% of the population who may not even meditate, and 99% of those who do never get anything out of the practice, which is why I expanded the concept of ecstasy beyond the practice of meditation, because it does work. 

Sometime when I begin a meditation session I recall my children when they were children, which causes me to feel love for them, then I turn that into an interior experience of deep meditation. Love is bliss, and it doesn't matter much how it got triggered in our life, but there is some danger in recalling a loved one, because it can also cause us to obsess over a lost loved one, or moment of love. And, yes, the ecstatic terms, such as bliss and ecstasy tend to be too abstract for most people to identify with, and not all of us have had any experience of love having come from abusive and negligent parents. But, doing so certainly increases the audience.

Yes, creating an environment where it is acceptable to discuss the ecstatic experience in meditation here was my goal to encourage others who do have these states are too often marginalized in religion, and other contemplative movements. But, it just shows most of the people who teach meditation never get anything out of it, so why should we expect that they have anything worth listening to regarding the practice of meditation? And, yes, I expect to be long gone before any of this is recognized by anyone else, but that is another reason why I started this forum to plant seeds which will sprout and bloom in others long after I have gone.

[Jhanananda]

I have been reflecting upon recent comments, and my meditation history and realize that there are other aspects of recollection that can help with the set and setting to stimulate depth in meditation.  One of the things that I have done for the 50 years of my daily meditation practice is fairly unconscious. Every time I have sat to meditate for the last 50 years I always find my contemplative lifestyle, meditation practice and my meditation environment a refuge. When I enter the space I feel it is a refuge, and when I sit in meditation the first thing that comes to me is the feeling of the lifestyle of the Noble Eightfold Path, and my daily practice, and my practice space are all a refuge from this insanely materialistic world. Perhaps recalling this will help others gain depth in meditation.

[Michael Hawkins]

I have been reflecting upon recent comments, and my meditation history and realize that there are other aspects of recollection that can help with the set and setting to stimulate depth in meditation.  One of the things that I have done for the 50 years of my daily meditation practice is fairly unconscious. Every time I have sat to meditate for the last 50 years I always find my contemplative lifestyle, meditation practice and my meditation environment a refuge. When I enter the space I feel it is a refuge, and when I sit in meditation the first thing that comes to me is the feeling of the lifestyle of the Noble Eightfold Path, and my daily practice, and my practice space are all a refuge from this insanely materialistic world. Perhaps recalling this will help others gain depth in meditation.

For what it's worth, I have this exact same feeling when I sit for meditation.  It's like returning Home.  I get a similar feeling when reading the Suttas.

[Jhanananda]

For what it's worth, I have this exact same feeling when I sit for meditation.  It's like returning Home.  I get a similar feeling when reading the Suttas.

That is great. This feeling of comfort, like home, in leading a dedicated contemplative life is the first stage of ecstasy, the first jhana, then the ecstasy builds from there, but we cannot expect to get the rocket ship ride to the center of the universe every time we meditate, but it is so comforting to know that our home is an interior experience that we can have wherever and whenever we recall it, and we can recall it throughout the day by just recalling this feeling that we have in this internal refuge.

[Michael Hawkins]

That is great. This feeling of comfort, like home, in leading a dedicated contemplative life is the first stage of ecstasy, the first jhana, then the ecstasy builds from there, but we cannot expect to get the rocket ship ride to the center of the universe every time we meditate, but it is so comforting to know that our home is an interior experience that we can have wherever and whenever we recall it, and we can recall it throughout the day by just recalling this feeling that we have in this internal refuge.

During my sits, I've really been paying attention to the qualities associated with the different jhanas.  When I first came into contact with you, Jeffrey, I needed help with the energetic awakening that had been ongoing for probably seven years at that point (the phenomena started in 1994, so I met you perhaps in 2001, can't remember exactly) - a top-down kundalini, as described by Aurobindo in his Integral Yoga, which I didn't find for probably 5 years after initial onset of the awakening.  Once I started putting it into the context of the jhanas, I knew that I had been saturated in first jhana, and that this had become my "normal" state - which continues to this day.  When I direct my awareness inwardly, often my experience of the aggregates is stilled and rapture kicks in, even when I'm just sitting in a car waiting for work - so, second jhana.  By having a dedicated daily meditation practice, I'm providing a home - a living structure - for self-arising bliss, joy and ecstasy, so that it has a chance to express itself through the other jhana states.  I don't worry when it's not all fireworks.  It's like a bellows, where sometimes it wants to move mountains and other times it wants to refine rough edges.  Returning to my practice as I have over the past few months, I notice that I have a different perspective on the buddhadhamma - it feels matured by experience through the Dark Night, so I have a lot more patience with what comes up in meditation (and throughout the day).  As always, we'll see how it goes....

[Jhanananda]

Thank, you, Michael, well stated by a mature contemplative such as yourself.

[KriyaYogi]

I do this too for chanting names of Kali.  I have a photograph of her, a colored comfortable blanket to sit on with a comfortable pillow, a rosary , turmeric which is associated with the form of her I work with and a symbolic gold plated yantra (geometric symbol) associated with her. 

For meditation I have been really liking sitting in a hot bath recently so that has been my setting for meditation.  The hot water seems very conducive to going into meditation for me.

-David

[Tad]

Hi David,

Regarding hot water, my understanding is that heat enhances energy flow within body which helps with jhana. Ive even read recommendations to always dress warm as when body loses heat it  uses internal energy to heat up. It works for me as I have the body type that prefers heat over cold weather.