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For anyone on HN seriously interested in this topic, I would wholeheartedly recommend the recently published "The Mind Illuminated" book written by Culadasa, pr
by aaimnr 11y ago
For anyone on HN seriously interested in this topic, I would wholeheartedly recommend the recently published "The Mind Illuminated" book written by Culadasa, professor of neuroscience and a _very_ accomplished meditator. [ http://www.amazon.com/dp/0990847705 http://www.amazon.com/dp/0990847705 ]
For all the other commenters asking why Mindfulness and Concentration are used as technical terms - that's because they correspond to Sati and Samadhi - terms in Pali used by the Buddha.
One of the takeaways of the book mentioned above is that concentration is NOT a state of being concentrated on a single object. It's a state of unification of the mind that persists regardless of its current object. The other important information (obvious for any serious meditator) is that, once reached, it DOESN'T require lot of force to sustain. On the contrary - it's a much more energy efficient mode of functioning. That's why in the 4th Jhana (one of the most advanced states of concentration) the breath completely subsides. It wouldn't be possible if it required so much force. BTW it doesn't mean that the oxygen intake stops completely as there's still some absorption caused by the air diffusion in the lungs and through the skin (cutaneous respiration).
Again, I really recommend the book by Culadasa for anyone even remotely interested. It's amazing from theoretical point of view and even more concerning meditation practice.
- avtar 11y agoThanks for the book recommendation, I'll definitely check it out. Shaila Catherine has written a couple of books on the topic of jhanas. Her most recent one is a meditation manual which covers insight meditation practice as well. It would make for a great companion on long retreats. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/086171623X/ http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/086171623X/
- aaimnr 11y agoThanks, it's on my kindle as well (haven't finished it yet though). As I see it, Culadasa is better suited both for general audience and for those more scientifically inclined - that's why it seems to be ideal fit for HNers. It also seems to be much more ambitious, systematic work (it's his opus magnum). Probably Shaila's books target more advanced meditators - that's not to say Culadasa is just for beginners.
- pwm 11y agoI have read Focused and Fearless from her. Some topics are indeed geared towards more seasoned practitioners, nevertheless it is a great book with a wealth of information that helps deeper understanding. Highly recommended.
- aaimnr 11y agoI've seen a lot of praise about this one and I'm wondering whether it's worth reading it after Wisdom Wide and Deep (great titles btw :) or is the most important material from F&F repeated in the second one as well.
- pwm 11y agoThis. There is a clear shift when you enter jhana. I think a good analogy would be when you suddenly clearly see the 3d image in an autostereogram, or when you manage to tune a radio and suddenly there is no white noise.
- zuck9 11y agoDo you speak from experience?