Wisdom Wide and Deep by Shaila Catherine

Author:Shaila Catherine
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780861718528
Publisher: Wisdom Publications

MEDITATION INSTRUCTION 13.3

Discerning the Jhāna Cognitive Process

1. To begin, reestablish the first jhāna with the breath or a kasiṇa of your choice. Direct your attention to the mind door at the heart base and discern the jhāna factors and mental formations as you practiced in meditation instruction 13.2. You may shift between absorption in jhāna and the discerning process until it is clear.

2. After emerging from jhāna and perceiving the appearance of a reflection of the nimitta in the mind door, focus on the jhāna mind-door processes that just occurred. You will find that twelve mental formations arise in the initial mind-moment, followed by a stream of momentary events that contain thirty-four mental factors (consciousnesses plus thirty-three associated mental factors).

3. This discernment procedure is similar to the previous discernment; however, now you will be attentive to the functions of consciousness in a sequential process, noting at a glance the individual mental factors that permit each consciousness to perform its special role in the jhāna cognitive process. The sequence of mind-moments in the jhāna cognitive process are named according to their functions: mind-door adverting consciousness, preparatory consciousness, access consciousness, conformity consciousness, change of lineage consciousness, and jhāna impulsion consciousness (see Table 13.5).

4. Notice the characteristic that is common to all mental phenomena—they bend toward their object. Recognize this characteristic of mentality in each of the momentary occurrences of consciousness.

5. Proceed to discern and analyze the cognitive processes associated with the second, third, and fourth jhānas. You will find that the second jhāna has the same initial twelve formations (consciousness plus eleven associated mental factors), followed by a brief spike of thirty-four factors (consciousness plus thirty-three associated mental factors) as the mind orients toward the object, and then settles into a stream of thirty-two mental formations (consciousness plus thirty-one associated mental factors) that compose the subsequent impulsion consciousnesses. The third, fourth, and immaterial jhānas will contain the initial twelve formations, followed by thirty-one formations in the impulsion consciousness. The fourth and immaterial jhānas invariably exclude pīti at every stage of the cognitive process.

6. Proceed to review each and every jhāna that you have attained. The pattern will be similar, with the addition of compassion or appreciative joy pertinent to those immeasurable attainments.

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