Right Concentration (sammā-samādhi)
Parent topics: Eightfold Path, Meditation
Subtopics: Jhāna, Seclusion, Directed thought and evaluation, Rapture, Happiness, Equanimity, One pointedness, Formless attainments
See also: Concentration
20 excerpts, 1:48:07 total duration

All excerpts (23) Questions about (10) Answers involving (9) Stories (1) Quotes (3) Readings (1)

Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 57 – Mar. 27, 2014

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8. “In that talk he [Ajahn Sim] seemed to stress doing samatha meditation before practicing vipassana. Is that strictly held within this tradition?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Sim] [Calming meditation] [Insight meditation] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Tranquility] [Knowing itself] [Concentration] [Language]

Quote: “The qualities of the one pointed mind are vitakka, vicāra, pīti, sukha, and ekaggatā....It’s not one pointed excluding. It works together, it harmonizes, it’s balanced.” — Ajahn Chah [Ajahn Chah] [One pointedness] [Right Concentration]


Abhayagiri 2015 Winter Retreat, Session 33 – Feb. 22, 2015

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5. “Related to the need to emerge from neither-perception-nor-non-perception and cessation of perception to contemplate the five khandhas [in AN 9.36], don’t some of the commentaries imply that that’s what you do with first jhāna; that insight is not possible even in first jhāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Formless attainments] [Aggregates] [Insight meditation] [Commentaries] [Jhāna] // [Views]

Recollection: Ajahn Chah emphasized that every step of the way there has to be awareness. Awareness has to form the basis of the whole practice. [Ajahn Chah] [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension] [Right Concentration] [Right View]


Jhāna: A Practical Approach, Session 3 – Oct. 10, 2015

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2. “I’m thinking that not all samādhi is wholesome, but all jhāna is wholesome.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Concentration] [Skillful qualities] [Jhāna] // [Right Concentration]


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5. “Is jhāna only in meditation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation] [Jhāna] // [Right Concentration]

Quote: “Only farangs [Westerners] go into meditation rock climbing! Does he contemplate the Four Noble Trurths?” — Ajahn Chah [Ajahn Chah] [Culture/West] [Recreation/leisure/sport] [Four Noble Truths] [Right Concentration] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Relinquishment]


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17. “Does jhāna exclusively contain the five mental states?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Rapture] [Happiness] [One pointedness] [Jhāna] // [Right Concentration]

Sutta: MN 111 Anupada Sutta


Jhāna: A Practical Approach, Session 4 – Oct. 10, 2015

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1. “What is the difference between ekaggatā and vitakka?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [One pointedness] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Pāli] [Jhāna] // [Right Concentration]


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2. “Could we say that it [unification] is expansive?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [One pointedness] [Spaciousness] [Jhāna] // [Right Concentration]


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4. “Before the Buddha practiced the ascetic way, he already learned the seventh and eighth levels of jhāna. Why didn’t that lead to his awakening?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha/Biography] [Formless attainments] [Liberation] [Jhāna] // [Right Concentration] [Right View] [Suffering] [Middle Path] [Characteristics of existence]


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7. “If the jhānas aren’t accessible to everyone, can you still go far along the path without them?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Jhāna] // [Desire] [Right Effort] [Right Concentration] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Self-identity view]