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But as Leigh Brasington spends a lot of time discussing, sources and teachers differ in their definitions of the jhanas. IIRC Brasington distinguishes between j
by abeppu 2y ago
But as Leigh Brasington spends a lot of time discussing, sources and teachers differ in their definitions of the jhanas. IIRC Brasington distinguishes between jhanas as described in the suttas (especially early suttas) and jhanas as described in the later commentaries like the Visuddhimagga, and he also gives a lot of attention to defining/translating the jhana factor terms in a somewhat idiosyncratic way. In this particular context, linking jhanas to specific EEG patterns, I think it's not entirely clear whether following another method would lead you to the same states visited by these Samatha Trust practitioners.
I further think that Brasington and Ajahn Brahm differ meaningfully, in that Ajahn Brahm in his "preliminary" steps actually sets a pretty high bar.
- nprateem 2y agoYeah exactly, Leigh goes for what's been termed jhana-lite while Ajahn Brahm basically says if you don't see a nimita it's not legit. Maybe he's right, maybe he's just keeping it more elitist, or just swayed by the fact he's living a monastic lifestyle unlike Brasington (except on retreat), so accesses deeper states. But Leigh is no slouch and says he's been to all jhanas countless times (but also says he's not awake so...). That's the distinction he makes from those two parts of the canon, and argues that jhana lite is what the Buddha taught. For me, either of them would be an improvement over my normal waking state, so I'm not too concerned. But yeah, it's good to be aware of both perspectives, that's why i suggested them.