Vipassana jhanas
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Vipassana jhanas are steps that describe the evolution of Vipassana's practice. They contrast with samatha's jhanas. The usual description opposes the concentration attained by practicing samatha : the jhanas, and concentration used in vipassana : neighborhood concentration (upacara samadhi).
Nevertheless, Sayadaw U Pandita, a disciple of Mahasi Sayadaw, describes four vipassana jhanas.
- The meditator first explores his body, then his mind, discovering the three characteristics. The first jhana consist in seeing these points and in the presence of vitakka and vicara. Phenomena reveal themselves as appearing and ceasing.
- In the second Jhana, the practice seems quite automatic. Vitaka and vicara both disappear.
- In the third Jhana, piti, the joy, disappears too: there is only happiness (sukha) and concentration.
- Then the practice leads to knowledge. The comfort disappears because the disparition seems the only phenomenon; this step is known as bhanga nupassana. The practice will become very difficult, showing every phenomenon as terrible, dangerous, disenchanting. The desire of freedom will take place. Upekkha, equanimity, will emerge, as the state of mind of an arahant.
Vipassana Knowledges
This unusual description of Vipassana's practice does not replace vipassana knowledge. Bhanga nupassana is one example of traditional step on the way of wisdom. The steps to nirvana were also described by Buddhaghosa as five purities following purity of discipline (sila) and purity of mind (samadhi), in his famous Visuddhimagga.
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