..續本文上一頁e to fully relinquish control for a while and experience all this for yourself.
If it is a Jhana it will last a long time. It does not deserve to be called Jhana if it lasts only a few minutes. Usually, the higher Jhanas persist for many hours. Once inside, there is no choice. You will emerge trom the Jhana only when the mind is ready to come out, when the ”fuel” of relinquishment that was built up before is all used up. These are such still and satisfying states of consciousness that their very nature is to persist for a very long time. Another feature of Jhana is that it occurs only after the nimitta is discerned as described above. Furthermore, you should know that while in any Jhana it is impossible to experience the body (e.g. physical pain), hear a sound from outside or produce any thought, not even” good” thoughts. There is just a clear singleness of perception, an experience of non-dualistic bliss which continues unchanging for a very long time. This is not a trance, but a state of heightened awareness. This is said so that you may know for yourself whether what you take to be a Jhana is real or imaginary.
There is much more to meditation, but here only the basic method has been described using seven stages culminating with the First Jhana. Much more could be said about the ”Five Hindrances” and how they are overcome, about the meaning of mindfulness and how it is used, about the Four Satipatthana and the Four Roads to Success (Iddhipiida) and the Five Controlling Faculties (Indriya) and, of course, about the higher Jhanas. All these concern this practice of meditation but must be left for another occasion.
For those who are misled to conceive of all this as ”just Samatha practice” without regard to Insight (Vipassana), please know that this is neither Vipassana nor Samatha. It is called” Bhavana " the method taught by the Lord Buddha and repeated in the Forest Tradition of NE Thailand of which my teacher, Ven. Ajahn Chah, was a part. Ajahn Chah often said that Samatha and Vipassana cannot be separated, nor can the pair be developed apart from Right View, Right Thought, Right Moral Conduct and so forth. Indeed, to make progress on the above seven stages, the meditator needs an understanding and acceptance of the Lord Buddha”s Teachings and one”s precepts must be pure. Insight will be needed to achieve each of these stages, that is insight into the meaning of” letting go”. The further one develops these stages, the more profound will be the insight, and if you reach as far as Jhana then it will change your whole understanding. As it were, Insight dances around Jhana and Jhana dances around Insight. This is the Path to Nibbana, the Lord Buddha said, ”for one who indulges in Jhana, four results are to be expected: Stream-Winner, Once-Returner, NonReturner or Arahant” (Pasadika Sutta, Digha Nikaya).
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MAY ALL BEINGS GET JHANA
The Buddhist Society of WA and Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre in Perth
The Buddhist Society of Western Australia has been established to encourage the teaching, practice and realisation of the Dhamma (the Buddhist word for ”Truth”) with special emphasis on Theravada Buddhism. To fulfil this aim, the Society has established Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, 60 km south of Perth, and Dhammasara Nuns” Monastery in Gidgegannup, 35 km north east of Perth. The Society actively supports the monastic communities living there.
The complex which we call Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre at Nollamara consists of a large Dhamma Hall used for talks on Buddhism, instruction in meditation and for major Buddhist Ceremonies; adjoining meditation and shrine rooms; and a Community Hall for Buddhist cultural activities. A multipurpose building provides accommodation for monks, offices for the administration of the Buddhist Society, a library containing many books for loan and sale as well as audio cassettes and CD recordings of many talks given by monks and nuns, and a reception area and kitchen where visitors can sit down to a cup of tea and friendly chat. The whole complex of buildings is set in beautiful grounds on a very quiet street opposite a park, just 5 km north of the centre of Perth.
Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre aims to serve the whole Buddhist community and others, regardless of age, gender or country of origin.
Addresses:
The Buddhist Society of WA
Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, 18-20 Nanson Way Nollamara WA6061, AUSTRALIA
Phone: (61-8)93451711 Fax: (61-8)93444220
Website: www.dhammaloka.org.au
Email address:info@dhammaloka.org.au
Bodhinyana Buddhist Monastery 216 Kingsbury Drive
Serpentine WA6125 AUSTRALIA
Phone: (61-8) 9525 2420
Fax: (61-8) 95253420
Dhammasara Nuns” Monastery 287 Reen Road
Gidgegannup WA 6083 AUSTRALIA
Phone/Fax: (61-8)95746583
May the merits generated be to the well-being and happiness of the donors, departed ones and all sentient beings.
May all beings be liberated from suffering.
Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!
《The Basic Method of Meditation》全文閱讀結束。