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24 – 7 samādhi

always sati and jhāna

every posture, every activity, all the time 🔗📝



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_24/7 samādhi

Intro

only 1 way‍ 8.7.20 – sati is ON 24/7: from the Dharma you depart, break the Buddha's heart

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Book 1: 4 Jhānas ≈ 4 Satipaṭṭhāna


abbreviations used frequently in this article
4j = 4 jhānas = sammā samādhi (right undistractible-lucidity)
4sp = 4 Satipaṭṭhāna = sammā sati (right remembering-and-applying-Dharma)
MN 10 = Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta
Jhāna is satipaṭṭhāna, and satipaṭṭhāna is Jhāna.

There's a popular misconception that 4j is a completely different entity than 4sp.
In a technical sense, they are different,
but if we look carefully at many passsages in the EBT,
we'll see that 4j and 4sp not only overlap,
but interpenetrate each other to the point where you can't separate them.

It's important to understand this fundamental point,
because later Buddhist traditions try to establish that 4j and 4sp are very different practices
in order to justify their narrow, sectarian,
and overly complex theory underlying their meditation systems.
While later innovations have their merits,
we have to carefully evaluate their claims of exclusivity
when they deny the authenticity and legitimacy of other interpretations of Jhāna
that follow a simple straightforward reading of the EBT.

sutta excerpts we will survey
Relevant suttas in brief
AN 1.53 Practices that can be done simultaneously with Jhāna
EA 12.1 Ekottarika-āgama, || MN 10. 4 jhana explicitly part of 4th speak
Iti 3.32 He’s in jhāna while walking on almsround
Iti 45 4j, 4sp and vipassana concurrent in verse.
Ne 4j corresponds to 4sp
Ud 1.2 liberating insight happens while in jhāna
Ud 1.3 liberating insight happens while in jhāna
MA 217 doing 4sp with 4th jhana, || MN 52
MA 81 is || MN 119 kayagata
MA 98 four jhana similes part of 1st sp frame
MN 10 meditation exercises under kāya anupassana
MN 119 samādhi ekodi refrain = do 4 jhanas for each satipatthana exercise!
MN 122 sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati = do 4 jhanas.
MN 52 eleven doors to deathless
MN 53 4th jhāna = “supreme mindfulness”, is what 6 abhiñña are based on
MN 125 first jhana explicitly equated with 4sp!
SN 43.0 covers the same territory as AN 1
SN 47.4 newly ordained and arahant do 4j=4sp
SN 47.8 simile of cook: samadhi, 4sp, V&V concurrent
More detailed analysis of selected sutta passages
Jhāna doesn’t only mean 4 jhānas.
MA 81 is || MN 119 kayagata
MA 217 doing 4sp with 4th jhana, || MN 52
MN 10 meditation exercises under kāya anupassana
this insight refrain follows each exercise:
MN 52 eleven doors to deathless
MN 119 kāyagata sati sutta
samādhi ekodi refrain
Let me repeat this since it might not have sunk in
MN 122 sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati = do 4 jhanas
satipatthana = 4 jhana
MN 10 parallel in EA 12.1 Ekottarika-āgama dhamma anupasssana
(excerpt from Analayo's SP perspectives)
now we compare to AN 6.29 udayi sutta
difference between AN 6.29 and MN 10, MN 119
MA 98 MADHYAMA-ĀGAMA SATIPAṬṬHĀNA sutta
the meditaiton exercises
EA 12.1 4 jhānas = 4sp, as explicit as you can get
Plenty of more passages in EBT show 4j=4sp
More passages where Jhāna and 4sp can’t be separated
MN 53: 4th jhāna = “supreme mindfulness”, is what 6 abhiñña are based on
SN 47.4 newly ordained and arahant do 4j=4sp
SN 47.8 simile of cook: samadhi, 4sp, V&V concurrent
AN 1: “Not devoid of Jhāna”
Practices that can be done simultaneously with Jhāna
AN 1.53 mettā-cittaṃ āsevati
AN 1.54 mettā-cittaṃ bhāveti
AN 1.55 mettā-cittaṃ manasi karoti
SN 43 covers the same territory as AN 1
Saṁyutta Nikāya 43: Asaṅkhata-saṁyutta
Short early strata passages where 4j = 4sp
Udāna 1.2 & 1.3: liberating insight happens while in jhāna
Itivuttaka 3.32: He’s in jhāna while walking on almsround
perspective from Chinese scripture earlier than Vism.
150 CE: In jhāna, samatha and vipassana equal in strength
4 CE: A different Abhidhamma tradition says jhāna contains both samatha and vipassana
4CE: But this changes over time, enter access concentration
other schools and texts with similar ideas as above
6 CE: Vism.
Misc.

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1.1 – Relevant suttas in brief

AN 1.53 Practices that can be done simultaneously with Jhāna
AN 1.53 “Not devoid of Jhāna” Practices that can be done simultaneously with Jhāna

EA 12.1 Ekottarika-āgama, || MN 10. 4 jhana explicitly part of 4th speak
EA 12.1 Ekottarika-āgama, || MN 10. 4 jhana explicitly part of 4th speak

KN Iti 3.32: He’s in jhāna while walking on almsround
--ERROR SUTREF: Iti 3.32:-- He’s in jhāna while walking on almsround

KN Iti 45 4j, 4sp and vipassana concurrent in verse.
Iti 45 4j, fsp and vipassana concurrent in verse. Sujato tries to make jhana disappear in this passage, because it shows jhana concurrent with satipatthana

KN Netti 4j corresponds to 4sp
KN Netti http://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2020/06/sted-4sp-satipatthana-formula-4-jhanas.html

KN Ud 1.2 liberating insight happens while in jhāna
Ud 1.2 liberating insight happens while in jhāna

KN Ud 1.3 liberating insight happens while in jhāna
Ud 1.3 liberating insight happens while in jhāna

MA 217 doing 4sp with 4th jhana, || MN 52
MA 217 doing 4sp with 4th jhana, || MN 52

MA 81 is || MN 119 kayagata
MA 81 is || MN 119 kayagata

MA 98 four jhana similes part of 1st sp frame
MA 98 four jhana similes part of 1st sp frame

MN 10 meditation exercises under kāya anupassana
MN 10 meditation exercises under kāya anupassana. this insight refrain follows each exercise:

MN 119 samādhi ekodi refrain = do 4 jhanas for each satipatthana exercise!
MN 119 samādhi ekodi refrain = do 4 jhanas for each satipatthana exercise!

MN 122 sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati = do 4 jhanas.
MN 122 sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati = do 4 jhanas.

MN 52 eleven doors to deathless
MN 52 eleven doors to deathless

MN 53 4th jhāna = “supreme mindfulness”, is what 6 abhiñña are based on
MN 53 4th jhāna = “supreme mindfulness”, is what 6 abhiñña are based on

MN 125 first jhana explicitly equated with 4sp!
MN 125 first jhana explicitly equated with 4sp!

SN 43 covers the same territory as AN 1
SN 43.1 covers the same territory as AN 1, all of these samadhi practices with “do jhana” refrain at end of sutta.

SN 47.4 newly ordained and arahant do 4j=4sp
SN 47.4 newly ordained and arahant do 4j=4sp

SN 47.8 simile of cook: samadhi, 4sp, V&V concurrent
SN 47.8 simile of cook: samadhi, 4sp, V&V concurrent

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1.2 – More detailed analysis of selected sutta passages

Jhāna doesn’t only mean 4 jhānas.
The Buddha uses the same word, “jhāna” to describe other types of meditation that are wrong or not optimal. He also describes the samādhi we think of as “4 jhānas” as satipaṭṭhāna. He also describes the activities we think of as satipaṭṭhāna as “jhāna”. He described all the activities we think of as jhāna or satipaṭṭhāna as samādhi. He also describes the 4 jhānas as gradual emptiness. He described the 4 right exertions, 4 aspects of right effort as samādhi. He described Nirvana perception as a samādhi. If you look at enough EBT passages carefully, you realize those samādhi related terms can have quite a range. Unfortunately lots of passages are terse so depending on context there can be some ambiguity. The safest approach is to leave the ambiguity open, and not try to squeeze LBT interpretations of samādhi or our own interpretations into the EBT usage of those terms. That’s the approach I’ve taken, and I don’t see any other way. If you try to nail things down too specifically where there is ambiguity or room for interpretation, then you’re going to get incoherence and contradictions.

MA 81 is || MN 119 kayagata
MA 81 || to MN 119

MA 217 doing 4sp with 4th jhana, || MN 52
[ext.link]MA 217 || to MN 52

MN 10 meditation exercises under kāya anupassana
MN 10
1. mindful of various bodily postures
2. sato and sampajano in doing physical and mental activities
3. first 4 steps of 16 APS (anapanasati) + simile of lathe
4. 31 body parts + simile of bag of beans
5. 4 elements + simile of butcher
6. 9 stages of corpse decay

this insight refrain follows each exercise:
(b.bodhi) “In this way he abides contemplating the body as a body internally,
or he abides contemplating the body as a body externally,
or he abides contemplating the body as a body both internally and externally.
Or else he abides contemplating in the body its nature of arising,
or he abides contemplating in the body its nature of vanishing,
or he abides contemplating in the body its nature of both arising and vanishing.

Or else mindfulness that ‘there is a body’ is simply established in him to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and mindfulness.

And he abides independent,
not clinging to anything in the world.
That is how a bhikkhu abides contemplating the body as a body.

MN 52 eleven doors to deathless
MN 52
[ext.link]MA 217 || to MN 52

MN 119 kāyagata sati sutta
MN 119
deals with the same 6 meditation exercises as MN 10, plus they add the 4 jhanas with their similes from AN 5.28

1. mindful of various bodily postures
2. sato and sampajano in doing physical and mental activities
3. first 4 steps of 16 APS (anapanasati) + simile of lathe
4. 31 body parts + simile of bag of beans
5. 4 elements + simile of butcher
6. 9 stages of corpse decay
1st jhana and simile
2nd jhana and simile
3rd jhana and simile
4th jhana and simile
samādhi ekodi refrain
instead of the insight refrain from MN 10, there's a samadhi and ekodi refrain for each exercise:
tassa evaṃ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato ye gehasitā sarasaṅkappā te pahīyanti. tesaṃ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṃ santiṭṭhati, sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. evampi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāyagatāsatiṃ bhāveti. As he abides thus diligent, ardent, and resolute, his memories and intentions based on the household life are abandoned; with their abandoning his mind becomes steadied internally, quieted, brought to singleness, and concentrated. That is how a bhikkhu develops mindfulness of the body.


Let me repeat this since it might not have sunk in
cittaṃ santiṭṭhati, sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati is part fo the refrain for all 10 exercises, even #1 and #2 which include walking, talking, pissing, etc. The words ekodi and samadhi are hallmarks of 2nd jhana.

And look here in this sutta where that refrain is explicitly tied to 4 jhanas:

MN 122  sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati = do 4 jhanas
MN 122
“kathañcānanda, bhikkhu  And how does he 
ajjhattameva cittaṃ  steady his mind internally,
saṇṭhapeti sannisādeti  quiet it,
ekodiṃ karoti bring it to singleness,
samādahati? and concentrate it?
idhānanda, bhikkhu  8.“Here, Ānanda,
vivicceva kāmehi  quite secluded from sensual pleasures,
vivicca akusalehi dhammehi ..pe ... secluded from unwholesome states,
paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati ...pe ... a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna…
dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ... the second jhāna…
tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ... the third jhāna…
catutthaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati. the fourth jhāna,... he enters and abides in.


satipatthana = 4 jhana
Maybe not exactly equal in some technical senses, but from a practical point of view, surveying a broad range of suttas in the EBT world including pali and agamas,  where satipatthana, samadhi, ekaggata, ekodi, upekkha, sato and sampajano collide, there are no clear boundaries beween right mindfulness, right effort, right concentration.

MN 10 parallel in EA 12.1 Ekottarika-āgama dhamma anupasssana
not convinced? look at this MN 10 parallel EA 12.1 in Ekottarika-āgama dhammanupasssana

unlike the MA version of MN 10 which puts 4 jhanas under kaya anupassana, EA puts it under dhamma anupasssana, and adds the insight refrain for each jhana similar to MN 10. Let me repeat, jhana, satipatthana, happen simultaneously.

(excerpt from Analayo's SP perspectives)
The Ekottarika-āgama account of contemplation of dharmas includes the attainment of the four absorptions in its description of contemplation of dharmas. The instructions present the standard description of the attainment of the four absorptions, each time followed by the suggestion that this would be a form of satipaṭṭhāna practice. The full passage reads as follows:

Again, free from craving for sensual pleasures, removing evil and unwholesome states, with [directed] awareness and [sustained] contemplation, being tranquil and mindful … one enjoys the first absorption and experiences joy in oneself. In this way, [in regard to] dharmas … one contemplates the characteristics of dharmas as a satipaṭṭhāna.

Again, discarding [directed] awareness and [sustained] contem plation, arousing joy within, the mind being unified, without [directed] awareness or [sustained] contemplation, being mindful and tranquil, with joy and at ease … one dwells in the second absorption and experiences joy in oneself. In this way, [in regard] to dharmas … one contemplates the characteristics of dharmas as a satipaṭṭhāna.

Again, mindfully discarding [joy] … one cultivates equanimity in this respect, one constantly knows and experiences pleasant feelings oneself with the body, as sought after by noble ones, with purity of equanimity and mindfulness,1 one engages in the third absorption. In this way, [in regard to] dharmas … one contemplates the characteristics of dharmas as a satipaṭṭhāna.

Again, discarding mental states of pain and pleasure and also being without sadness and joy, without pain and without pleasure, with purity of equanimity and mindfulness … one enjoys the fourth absorption. In this way, [in regard to] dharmas … one contemplates the characteristics of dharmas as a satipaṭṭhāna.

what does 3rd jhana sato and sampajano do? 4th jhana's upekkha sati parisddhim?

well now you know. sati and sampajano means just what it means under samma sati and satipatthana contexts, as the EA passage and MA parallels to MN 10 make explicit.

now we compare to AN 6.29 udayi sutta
There are 3 really outstanding features of AN 6.29

1. for each of the 6  adhicitta practice (higher mind, synonym for samadhi), it explains its purpose
2. fourth jhana is split apart from the first 3 jhanas.
3. there's an organic, sequential temporal causal sequence here, tipped off by the 4th jhana split apart from the first 3.

the 6 exercises in AN 6.29

first 3 jhanas, done for the purpose of ditta dhamma sukha viharaya, pleasant abiding here and now.
perception of light devleoped day and night, for the purpose of naña dassana, knowledge and vision.
31 body parts for the purpose of abanding kama raga, sensuality ad lust.
9 stages of corpse contemplations for asmi mana samuggataya, uprooting subtle conceit and sense of self.
4th jhana for the purpose of aneka dhatu pativedhaya, penetratiion of many elements.
awareness of postures, awareness of mental intention while doing kamma, for the purpose of sati and sampajano

difference between AN 6.29 and MN 10, MN 119
in MN 10, you're presented with a dizzying array of meditation exercises with no idea what order to do them, which is more important, etc. In AN 6.29 the order of development is clear: 1, 2, 3, 4. 5. You need to get pleasant abiding first, otherwise this life of intense meditaiton practice is painful. Note vesali sutta in SN 54 anapana samyutta where scores of monks committed suicde from doing 31 body parts and corpse contemplation incorrectly. So the buddha taught them 16 APS for pleasant abiding.  That's why you need pleasant abiding before you do the emotionally  hard stuff. You also want to have pleasant abiding well established before you to develop perception of light. Otherwise it's going to be painful and unpleasant, only the force of willpower and fear of samsara drives you. It doesn't have to be painful, do it in the proper order.

MA 98 MADHYAMA-ĀGAMA  SATIPAṬṬHĀNA sutta
so what's the special feature of this sutra? MA 98

Unlike the Theravada segregatig MN 10 and MN 119 into sati and samadhi practices (using the same meditaiton exercises), MA is unified. in their refrain for each exercise, it mentions knowledge and vision, implying 7 bojjhanga and noble eightfold path,  which includes both sati and samadhi. Consistent with EA parallel of MN 10 which has satipatthana in essence equivalent to 4 jhanas. While MA SP sutta doesn't explicitly say the purpose of each meditaiton as AN 6.29 does, they add a few exercises in strategic spots that makes it clear to any serious meditator there's a holistic temporal causal sequence going on.

the meditaiton exercises
4 postures
mindfulness and awareness of physical and mental activities, talking, pissing, etc.
similar to MN 20's strategy of eliminating unwanted thinking by replacing kusala thought with akusala, with a simile
similar to MN 20's strategy of last resort "crushing mind with mind" when unwanted thinking won't stop, with a simile
first 4 steps of 16 stpes anapana
first jhana simile from AN 5.28
second jhana simile
third jhana simile
fourth jahna simile of white cloth covering body
perception of light for knowledge and vision, a longer version than AN 6.29 version, same as iddhipadda SN 51 extended formula version
5th noble right concentration factor of AN 5.28 , the reviewing sign, with its simile
31 body parts
4 elements
9 cemetary contemplations
insight refrain for each exercise:

“In this way a monk contemplates the body as a body internally and contemplates the body as a body externally. He establishes mindfulness in the body and is endowed with knowledge, vision, understanding, and penetration. This is reckoned how a monk contemplates the body as a body.

temporal causal elements

look at step 3 and 4 adding what looks like cittanpassana terrirtory material into kayanupassana. And marvel at how perception of light in #10 is stuck right between 4th jhana and the 5th concentration factor of "reviewing sign". this sutra is exquisite!

is he doing sati, samadhi, wisdom, or all of the above?

I've summarized some key passages, you should be able to draw a rational conclusion.

end of section [1.2 – More detailed analysis of selected sutta passages]❧
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1.3 – EA 12.1, 4 jhānas = 4sp, as explicit as you can get

EA 12.1 see the full chinese + english word for word breakdown in 4nt → 8aam #8 Samma Samadhi → STED Sammā Samādhi from Pāli and Agamas, and sanskrit

Plenty of more passages in EBT show 4j=4sp
Once you’ve been enlightened to this concept, free from your previous mis-understanding that no insight is possible while in jhāna, you’ll be able to look at the pali passages presented in the articles and see it in many more EBT passages on your own.

When you see pali sutta passages where a large congregation of samadhi related terms are happening at the same time, some combination of vitakka, vicāra, sati, sampajano, jhāna, or jhāyti (doing jhāna), ekaggata, ekodi-bhava, samādhi, it’s like catching a big gang of criminals red handed at a scene of a crime, all present simultaneously with a look of guilt on their face. The jig is up. Jhāna is satipaṭṭhāna, and satipaṭṭhāna is Jhāna.

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1.4 – More passages where Jhāna and 4sp can’t be separated

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§4.1 – MN 53: 4th jhāna = “supreme mindfulness”, is what 6 abhiñña are based on

MN 53 Instead of following the usual formula of four jhanas then 6 abhiñña, here the buddha instead of referencing 4th jhana, uses the name “purified equanimity and mindfulness”.
♦ 28. “sa kho so, mahānāma, ariyasāvako imaṃyeva anuttaraṃ upekkhāsatipārisuddhiṃ āgamma anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarati, seyyathidaṃ — ekampi jātiṃ dvepi jātiyo ... pe ... iti sākāraṃ sauddesaṃ anekavihitaṃ pubbenivāsaṃ anussarati, ayamassa paṭhamābhinibbhidā hoti kukkuṭacchāpakasseva aṇḍakosamhā. 20. “Based upon that same supreme mindfulness whose purity is due to equanimity,563 this noble disciple recollects his manifold past lives…(as Sutta 51, §24)…Thus with their aspects and particulars he recollects his manifold past lives. This is his first breaking out like that of the hen’s chicks from their shells.


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§4.2 – SN 47.4 newly ordained and arahant do 4j=4sp

kāye kāyānupassino
etha tumhe, āvuso, “‘Come, my, friends,
kāye kāy-ānupassino viharatha body (as) body-contemplating (you must) dwell (in).
ātāpino sampajānā ardent, clearly-comprehending,
ekodi-bhūtā {become}-unified,
vippasanna-cittā limpid-mind,
samāhitā ek-agga-cittā, concentrated, (with) one-peak-mind,
kāyassa yathā-bhūtaṃ (the) body as-[it really]-is:
ñāṇāya; [you must] know [this].

SN 47 is the 4sp samyutta. The above exercise is repeated for all 4 of 4sp. Note ekodi-bhuta and samadhi, both present in that paragraph, are the hallmark characteristics of 2nd jhāna and higher. Jhana and 4sp interpenetrate here, you can’t separate them. The newly ordained are taught to do “jhāna” and “satipatthana” in this way, and the arahant continues the same practice.


§4.3 – SN 47.8 simile of cook: samadhi, 4sp, V&V concurrent

SN 47.8
from the simile, it's clear vitakka and vicara meaning thought and evaluation that is activiely fighting the upakkilesa's (proxy for 5 hindrances). the reward for successfully doing this is both "sati and sampajanna", "pleasant abiding", which is a way of saying first, 2nd, or 3rd jhana. (AN 6.29, AN 4.41). so the reward of the fruit of doing 4sp and of doing 4jh is happening simultaneously.

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1.5 – AN 1: “Not devoid of Jhāna”

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Practices that can be done simultaneously with Jhāna
First, AN 1.53 – 1.55 uses the phrase “not devoid of jhāna” that is strongly suggesting that it’s a fancy way of saying jhāna can be done simultaneously with Metta.

Then in AN 1.394 it removes doubt by using the same formula as AN 1.53 to link it to the four jhānas. So if while you’re doing the four jhanas it is said that “you are not devoid of jhāna”, then it’s safe to assume “not being devoid” means you’re doing it and fulling the definition of jhāna.

The same formula is then extended from metta to all 4bv (brahma viharas), then the 4sp (satipatthana) and 4pd, the 4 aspects of right effort. Note that 4j, 4sp, 4pd are all classified under the samādhi group. It’s really natural to extend jhāna to encompass all 3 noble eightfold path factors that fall under samādhi.

Then the same formula gets extended to the entire 37bp (bodhi pakkhiya, wings to awakening), then the formless attainments, and other meditative recollections and topics. And following that, it starts doing some permutations with jhāna and certain 37bp factors simultaneously. So when your’e doing jhāna, you’re also doing satipatthana.

AN 1.53 mettā-cittaṃ āsevati

“accharā-saṅghāt-amattampi ce, bhikkhave, "{Monks}, (if), for the amount of time it takes to snap-the-fingers,
bhikkhu mettā-cittaṃ āsevati; a-monk {does} good-will-(with the)-mind;
ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave — this is-called, ********* -
‘bhikkhu arittaj-jhāno viharati 'a-monk not-devoid-(of)-jhāna (he) abides (in).
satthu-sāsana-karo {he carries out} the-teachers-dispensation-****,
ovāda-pati-karo, {he carries out} the-advice,
a-moghaṃ raṭṭha-piṇḍaṃ bhuñjati’. not-(in)-futility (is the) country's-almsfood (that he) eats.'
ko pana vādo ye naṃ bahulī-karontī”ti! how much-more I-say (of) he *** (that) abundantly-practices (it)!"

AN 1.54 mettā-cittaṃ bhāveti

“accharā-saṅghāt-amattampi ce, bhikkhave, "{Monks}, (if), for the amount of time it takes to snap-the-fingers,
bhikkhu mettā-cittaṃ bhāveti; a-monk {develops} good-will-(with the)-mind;
ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave — this is-called, ********* -
‘bhikkhu arittaj-jhāno viharati 'a-monk not-devoid-(of)-jhāna (he) abides (in).
satthu-sāsana-karo {he carries out} the-teachers-dispensation-****,
ovāda-pati-karo, {he carries out} the-advice,
a-moghaṃ raṭṭha-piṇḍaṃ bhuñjati’. not-(in)-futility (is the) country's-almsfood (that he) eats.'
ko pana vādo ye naṃ bahulī-karontī”ti! how much-more I-say (of) he *** (that) abundantly-practices (it)!"

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AN 1.55 mettā-cittaṃ manasi karoti

“accharā-saṅghāt-amattampi ce, bhikkhave, "{Monks}, (if), for the amount of time it takes to snap-the-fingers,
bhikkhu mettā-cittaṃ manasi karoti; a-monk {pays-attention-to} good-will-(with the)-mind;
ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave — this is-called, ********* -
‘bhikkhu arittaj-jhāno viharati 'a-monk not-devoid-(of)-jhāna (he) abides (in).
satthu-sāsana-karo {he carries out} the-teachers-dispensation-****,
ovāda-pati-karo, {he carries out} the-advice,
a-moghaṃ raṭṭha-piṇḍaṃ bhuñjati’. not-(in)-futility (is the) country's-almsfood (that he) eats.'
ko pana vādo ye naṃ bahulī-karontī”ti! how much-more I-say (of) he *** (that) abundantly-practices (it)!"


Aṅguttara Nikāya, ekakanipātapāḷi, 18. aparāccharāsaṅghātavaggo (AN 1.382-493-562)
AN 1.394 1st jhāna
“accharā-saṅghāt-amattampi ce, bhikkhave, "{Monks}, (if), for the amount of time it takes to snap-the-fingers,
paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ bhāveti, first jhāna he-develops,
ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave — this is-called, ********* -
‘bhikkhu arittaj-jhāno viharati 'a-monk not-devoid-(of)-jhāna (he) abides (in).
satthu-sāsana-karo {he carries out} the-teachers-dispensation-****,
ovāda-pati-karo, {he carries out} the-advice,
a-moghaṃ raṭṭha-piṇḍaṃ bhuñjati’. not-(in)-futility (is the) country's-almsfood (that he) eats.'
ko pana vādo ye naṃ bahulī-karontī”ti! how much-more I-say (of) he *** (that) abundantly-practices (it)!"

AN 1.395-397 2nd jhāna to 4th jhāna
dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ bhāveti ... pe ... second jhāna he-develops,
tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ bhāveti ... pe ... third jhāna he-develops,
catutthaṃ jhānaṃ bhāveti ... pe ... fourth jhāna he-develops,

AN 1.398-401 4bv mind liberations
mettaṃ ceto-vimuttiṃ bhāveti ... pe ... Good-will mind’s-liberation he-develops,
karuṇaṃ ceto-vimuttiṃ bhāveti ... pe ... compassion mind’s-liberation he-develops,
muditaṃ ceto-vimuttiṃ bhāveti ... pe ... Sympathetic-joy mind’s-liberation he-develops,
upekkhaṃ ceto-vimuttiṃ bhāveti ... pe .... equanimity mind’s liberation he-develops,

-4sp – 4 mindful-establishings
♦ 390-393. kāye kāyānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ; vedanāsu vedanānupassī viharati ... pe ...
citte cittānupassī viharati ... pe ...
dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.

-4 right exertions
♦ 394-397. anuppannānaṃ pāpakānaṃ akusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ anuppādāya chandaṃ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṃ VAR ārabhati cittaṃ paggaṇhāti padahati;
uppannānaṃ pāpakānaṃ akusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ pahānāya chandaṃ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṃ ārabhati cittaṃ paggaṇhāti padahati.
anuppannānaṃ kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ uppādāya chandaṃ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṃ ārabhati cittaṃ paggaṇhāti padahati;
uppannānaṃ kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ ṭhitiyā asammosāya bhiyyobhāvāya vepullāya bhāvanāya pāripūriyā chandaṃ janeti vāyamati vīriyaṃ ārabhati
cittaṃ paggaṇhāti padahati.

-4ip 4 power-bases
♦ 398-401. chandasamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṃ iddhipādaṃ bhāveti...
vīriyasamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṃ iddhipādaṃ bhāveti...
cittasamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāga...
iddhipā...
bhāveti...
vīmaṃsāsamādhipadhānasaṅkhārasamannāgataṃ iddhipādaṃ bhāveti....

-5 indriya
♦ 402-406. saddhindriyaṃ bhāveti...
vīriyindriyaṃ bhāveti...
satindriyaṃ bhāveti...
samādhindriyaṃ bhāveti...
paññindriyaṃ bhāveti....

-5 bala
♦ 407-411. saddhābalaṃ bhāveti...
vīriyabalaṃ bhāveti...
satibalaṃ bhāveti...
samādhibalaṃ bhāveti...
paññābalaṃ bhāveti....

-7 awakening-factors
♦ 412-418. satisambojjhaṅgaṃ bhāveti...
dhammavicayasambojjhaṅgaṃ bhāveti...
vīriyasambojjhaṅgaṃ bhāveti...
pītisambojjhaṅgaṃ bhāveti...
passaddhisambojjhaṅgaṃ bhāveti...
samādhisambojjhaṅgaṃ bhāveti...
upekkhāsambojjhaṅgaṃ bhāveti....

-8aam: noble eightfold path
♦ 419-426. sammādiṭṭhiṃ bhāveti...
sammāsaṅkappaṃ bhāveti...
sammāvācaṃ bhāveti...
sammākammantaṃ bhāveti...
sammāājīvaṃ bhāveti...
sammāvāyāmaṃ bhāveti...
sammāsatiṃ bhāveti...
sammāsamādhiṃ bhāveti....

formless perceptions and formless perceptions
♦ 427-434. VAR ajjhattaṃ rūpasaññī bahiddhā rūpāni passati parittāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni. ‘tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti — evaṃsaññī hoti...
ajjhattaṃ rūpasaññī bahiddhā rūpāni passati appamāṇāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni. ‘tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti — evaṃsaññī hoti...
ajjhattaṃ arūpasaññī bahiddhā rūpāni passati parittāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni. ‘tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti — evaṃsaññī hoti...
ajjhattaṃ arūpasaññī bahiddhā rūpāni passati appamāṇāni suvaṇṇadubbaṇṇāni. ‘tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti — evaṃsaññī hoti...
ajjhattaṃ arūpasaññī bahiddhā rūpāni passati nīlāni nīlavaṇṇāni nīlanidassanāni nīlanibhāsāni. ‘tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti — evaṃsaññī hoti...
ajjhattaṃ arūpasaññī bahiddhā rūpāni passati pītāni pītavaṇṇāni pītanidassanāni pītanibhāsāni. ‘tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti — evaṃsaññī hoti...
ajjhattaṃ arūpasaññī bahiddhā rūpāni passati lohitakāni lohitakavaṇṇāni lohitakanidassanāni lohitakanibhāsāni. ‘tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti evaṃsaññī hoti...
ajjhattaṃ arūpasaññī bahiddhā rūpāni passati odātāni odātavaṇṇāni odātanidassanāni odātanibhāsāni. ‘tāni abhibhuyya jānāmi passāmī’ti — evaṃsaññī hoti....

♦ 435-442. rūpī rūpāni passati...
ajjhattaṃ arūpasaññī bahiddhā rūpāni passati subhanteva adhimutto hoti...
sabbaso rūpasaññānaṃ samatikkamā paṭighasaññānaṃ atthaṅgamā nānattasaññānaṃ amanasikārā ananto ākāsoti ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharati...
sabbaso ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ samatikkamma anantaṃ viññāṇanti viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharati...
sabbaso viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ samatikkamma natthi kiñcīti ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharati...
sabbaso ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ samatikkamma nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ upasampajja viharati...
sabbaso nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ samatikkamma saññāvedayitanirodhaṃ upasampajja viharati....

-10 kasinas
♦ 443-452. pathavīkasiṇaṃ bhāveti...
āpokasiṇaṃ bhāveti...
tejokasiṇaṃ bhāveti...
vāyokasiṇaṃ bhāveti...
nīlakasiṇaṃ bhāveti...
pītakasiṇaṃ bhāveti...
lohitakasiṇaṃ bhāveti...
odātakasiṇaṃ bhāveti...
ākāsakasiṇaṃ bhāveti...
viññāṇakasiṇaṃ bhāveti....

-10 perceptions
♦ 453-462. asubhasaññaṃ bhāveti...
maraṇasaññaṃ bhāveti...
āhāre paṭikūlasaññaṃ bhāveti...
sabbaloke anabhiratisaññaṃ VAR bhāveti...
aniccasaññaṃ bhāveti...
anicce dukkhasaññaṃ bhāveti...
dukkhe anattasaññaṃ bhāveti...
pahānasaññaṃ bhāveti...
virāgasaññaṃ bhāveti...
nirodhasaññaṃ bhāveti....

- 10 more perceptions
♦ 463-472. aniccasaññaṃ bhāveti...
anattasaññaṃ bhāveti...
maraṇasaññaṃ bhāveti...
āhāre paṭikūlasaññaṃ bhāveti...
sabbaloke anabhiratisaññaṃ bhāveti...
aṭṭhikasaññaṃ bhāveti...
puḷavakasaññaṃ VAR bhāveti...
vinīlakasaññaṃ bhāveti...
vicchiddakasaññaṃ bhāveti...
uddhumātakasaññaṃ bhāveti....

- 10 recollections
♦ 473-482. buddhānussatiṃ bhāveti...
dhammānussatiṃ bhāveti...
saṅghānussatiṃ bhāveti...
sīlānussatiṃ bhāveti...
cāgānussatiṃ bhāveti...
devatānussatiṃ bhāveti...
ānāpānassatiṃ bhāveti...
maraṇassatiṃ bhāveti...
kāyagatāsatiṃ bhāveti...
upasamānussatiṃ bhāveti....

1 – st jhana combined with bala
♦ 483-492. paṭhamajjhānasahagataṃ saddhindriyaṃ bhāveti...
vīriyindriyaṃ bhāveti...
satindriyaṃ bhāveti...
samādhindriyaṃ bhāveti...
paññindriyaṃ bhāveti...
saddhābalaṃ bhāveti...
vīriyabalaṃ bhāveti...
satibalaṃ bhāveti...
samādhibalaṃ bhāveti...
paññābalaṃ bhāveti....

♦ 493-562. “dutiyajjhānasahagataṃ ...
pe ...

tatiyajjhānasahagataṃ ...
pe ...
catutthajjhānasahagataṃ ... pe ...
mettāsahagataṃ ... pe ...
karuṇāsahagataṃ ... pe ...
muditāsahagataṃ ... pe ...
upekkhāsahagataṃ saddhindriyaṃ bhāveti... vīriyindriyaṃ bhāveti...
satindriyaṃ bhāveti...
samādhindriyaṃ bhāveti...
paññindriyaṃ bhāveti...
saddhābalaṃ bhāveti...
vīriyabalaṃ bhāveti...
satibalaṃ bhāveti...
samādhibalaṃ bhāveti...
paññābalaṃ bhāveti. ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave — ‘bhikkhu arittajjhāno viharati satthusāsanakaro ovādapatikaro, amoghaṃ raṭṭhapiṇḍaṃ bhuñjati’. ko pana vādo ye naṃ bahulīkarontī”ti!

♦ aparāccharāsaṅghātavaggo aṭṭhārasamo.


end of section [AN 1.55 mettā-cittaṃ manasi karoti]❧
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§5.10 – SN 43 covers the same territory as AN 1

. .
Each sutta in this saṁyutta ends with the same stock phrase "meditate (jhāyatha, verb form of jhāna) monks, don't regret it later..." The meditation topics referred to very similar to the list in AN 1.

yaṃ, bhikkhave, satthārā karaṇīyaṃ sāvakānaṃ hitesinā anukampakena anukampaṃ upādāya, kataṃ vo taṃ mayā. etāni, bhikkhave, rukkhamūlāni, etāni suññāgārāni. jhāyatha VAR, bhikkhave, mā pamādattha; mā pacchā vippaṭisārino ahuvattha. ayaṃ vo amhākaṃ anusāsanī”ti. paṭhamaṃ. Whatever should be done, bhikkhus, by a compassionate teacher out of compassion for his disciples, desiring their welfare, that I have done for you. These are the feet of trees, bhikkhus, these are empty huts. Meditate, bhikkhus, do not be negligent, lest you regret it later. This is our instruction to you.”


Saṁyutta Nikāya 43: Asaṅkhata-saṁyutta
Connected Discourses on the Unconditioned

I. THE FIRST SUBCHAPTER

• 1. Mindfulness Directed to the body • 2. Serenity and Insight • 3. With Thought and Examination • 4. Emptiness Concentration • 5. (5)Establishments of Mindfulness • 6. Right Strivings • 7. Bases for Spiritual Power • 8. Spiritual Faculties • 9. Powers • 10. Factors of Enlightenment • 11. The Eightfold Path
II. THE SECOND SUBCHAPTER
• 12. The Unconditionel • 13. The Uninclined • 14–43. The Taintless, Etc. • 44. The Destination

end of section [1.5 – AN 1: “Not devoid of Jhāna”]❧
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1.6 – Short early strata passages where 4j = 4sp

. .

Udāna 1.2 & 1.3: liberating insight happens while in jhāna

Udana 1.2 & 1.3: "As phenomena grow clear to the Brahman--ardent, in jhana--his doubts all vanish when he penetrates the ending of requisite conditions."

Itivuttaka 3.32: He’s in jhāna while walking on almsround

Itivuttaka 3.32: "Both when receiving offerings & not: his concentration won't waver, he remains heedful: he — continually staying in jhana, subtle in view & clear-seeing, enjoying the ending of clinging — is called a man of integrity."

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1.7 – perspective from Chinese scripture earlier than Vism.

. .
They also display a pattern similar to Pāli EBT. The earlier the text, the more vipassana and samatha coexist simultaneously in Jhāna. The later the text, the more it resembles Vism. Redefinitions of jhāna.

- 150 CE: In jhāna, samatha and vipassana equal in strength

The Mahāvibhāṣā (circa 150 C.E.; Apidamo dapiposha lun):

“In the four dhyānas, śamatha and vipaśyanā are equal in strength, and thus they are named a pleasant dwelling.”

-4 CE: A different Abhidhamma tradition says jhāna contains both samatha and vipassana

The Abhidharmakośabhāṣya (circa 4th century; Apidamo jushe lun):

“Samādhi is in fact excellent: it is a dhyāna filled with ‘parts,’ which goes by the means of the yoke of śamatha and vipaśyanā [that is to say, in which śamatha and vipaśyanā are in equilibrium], that is termed in the Sūtra ‘happiness in this world’ and ‘the easy path,’ the path by which one knows better and easily.”

- 4CE: But this changes over time, enter access concentration

The Yogācārabhūmiśāstra (circa 4th century; chronologically later than the last two commentaries): “Furthermore, only by depending on the dhyānas and the access concentration preceding the first dhyāna, the incompletely attained concentration, can one make the [initial] breakthrough to the noble truths. The formless attainments are inadequate. What is the reason? In the state of the formless attainments, the path of śamatha is superior, whereas the path of vipaśyanā is inferior. The inferior path of vipaśyanā is incapable of attaining the [initial] breakthrough to the noble truths.” (instructor note: “path” here should read “quality”)

The Yogācārabhūmiśāstra’s position: insight in all four states of jhāna, but not in the four states of “formless” bases

other schools and texts with similar ideas as above

The Tattvasiddhiśāstra (Chengshih lun), the Prakaraṇāryavācaśāstra (Xianyang shengjiao lun), and the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa (Dazhi du lun) make similar statements

- 6 CE: Vism.

Still more different from the suttas’ position is the Visuddhimagga’s position: no insight in any of the four states of jhāna and the four states of “formless” bases.

Misc.

[ext.link]KN Netti, MN 52 eleven doors, abhijja domanassa gloss

end of section [1 – Book 1: 4 Jhānas ≈ 4 Satipaṭṭhāna]❧
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Book 2: Jhāna + samādhi in all 4 postures

This article focuses on sutta passages with explicit references to jhāna being done in various postures such as walking, lying down, etc.

+

articles relevant to doing jhāna in all postures, all the time

• 🚶 Walking meditation, samādhi & jhāna in all postures: explicit references to jhāna in different postures.
• 4 Jhānas🌕 ≈ 4 Satipaṭṭhāna🐘: Since 4sp🐘 can be done in any posture, any and all the time when concious, and since 4j🌕 four jhāna quality can be done concurrently with 4sp, it's implicit that jhānas therefore can be done in all four postures all the time.
• 6ab ⚡☸: Generally it's assumed if a meditator is exercising any of the 6 higher knowledges (such as supernormal powers, divine eye, etc), one is using j4🌕 āneñja⚡ highly refined fourth jhāna, or equivalent samādhi quality of 4ip 🌕⚡. If one is levitating, walking around invisible, obviously that's doing jhāna in all four postures. Remember in EBT there is no "access concentration." It's just called "jhāna" whether it's quiescent closed eyes sitting, or dynamic walking around or exercising superpowers.


excerpts will be examined from these suttas
Walking meditation, jhāna in all postures
AN 3.16 alternating walking/sitting meditation 24/7
AN 3.63 four jhānas in all 4 postures explicitly stated
AN 4.11, Iti 110 cara: walking (vitakka refinement in various postures)
AN 4.12, --ERROR SUTREF: Iti 111,-- samādhi/jhāna in all 4 postures
(1. Walking)
(Standing, sitting, lying down follows same pattern...)
(verse)
AN 5.29 samādhi from walking long lasting
AN 5.29 walking meditation footnote
AN 8.63 four jhānas, 4sp, 4bv in all four postures, phāsu = comfort (of jhāna)
AN 5.94, AN 5.105, AN 5.106: phāsu refers to 4 jhānas, 4bv
Iti 110 cara: walking (vitakka refinement in various postures)
--ERROR SUTREF: Iti 111,-- samādhi/jhāna in all 4 postures
Snp‍ 1.8 Metta: Cmy says jhana with metta
MN 36 4th jhana quality samadhi after dhamma talk
MN 119 jhāna with all four postures in these satipatthana exercises
MN 122 sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati = do 4 jhanas
MN 122 while in suññata and imperturbable samādhi, 4 postures
Standing
Iti 81 sakkāra: offerings: almsround standing, walking in jhāna
Snp‍ 3.11 (standing & sitting in jhana)
Lying down
AN 4.246 jhana lying down
See section on 4th jhāna as a requirement for 6 ab
Āgamas
DA T1.14a unification and nondistraction in 4 postures
THOX: later Theravada orthodox (not EBT)
Vism. Says walking in jhāna is possible
Samādhi & jhāna all the time 24/7
SN 7.9 fire metaphor
--ERROR SUTREF: Thag 15.2-- naga (elephant and jhana mediator) always in samadhi, all postures
--ERROR SUTREF: Thag 16.7-- jhana while eating, walking and interacting with people on almsround
Misc.
Noble silence = second jhana
4 jhānas are 4 quality levels ⭐⭐⭐⭐
sutta refs
umpasampajja viharati
AN 4.51 measureless appamāṇa ceto-samādhi while eating, medicine, lodgings…

Walking meditation, jhāna in all postures

2.1 – sitting in jhāna

Nobody disputes this is possible.

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2.2 – walking in jhāna

AN 3.16 alternating walking/sitting meditation 24/7
AN 3.16
Apaṇṇaka: Unmistaken: 3 qualities lead to destruction of āsavā's. 1. guarding sense doors, 2. eating proper way, 3. sleeping and waking properly
jhāna and samādhi are not mentioned, but schedule of walking and sitting gives an idea of how the Buddha expects you to use your time throughout the day.
“avaraniyehi dhammehi cittam parisodheti”, purifying the hindrances, the 5niv, is the activity one is told to do while walking and sitting. The supression of 5niv would be the 4 jhanas of course, so at all times, in all postures, you are working on samadhi.

AN 3.63 four jhānas in all 4 postures explicitly stated
AN 3.63
(1) “But, Master Gotama, what is the celestial high and luxurious bed that at present you gain at will, without trouble or difficulty?”
432“Here, brahmin, when I am dwelling in dependence on a village or town, in the morning I dress, take my bowl and robe, and enter that village or town for alms. After the meal, when I have returned from the alms round, I enter a grove. I collect some grass or leaves that I find there into a pile and then sit down. Having folded my legs crosswise and straightened my body, I establish mindfulness in front of me. Then, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I enter and dwell in the first jhāna, which consists of rapture and pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by thought and examination. With the subsiding of thought and examination, I enter and dwell in the second jhāna, which has internal placidity and unification of mind and consists of rapture and pleasure born of concentration, without thought and examination. With the fading away as well of rapture, I dwell equanimous and, mindful and clearly comprehending, I experience pleasure with the body; I enter and dwell in the third jhāna of which the noble ones declare: ‘He is equanimous, mindful, one who dwells happily.’ With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and dejection, I enter and dwell in the fourth jhāna, neither painful nor pleasant, which has purification of mindfulness by equanimity.

“Then, brahmin, when I am in such a state, if I walk back and forth, on that occasion my walking back and forth is celestial.444"" If I am standing, on that occasion my standing is celestial. If I am sitting, on that occasion my sitting is celestial. If I lie down, on that occasion this is my celestial high and luxurious bed. This is that [183] celestial high and luxurious bed that at present I can gain at will, without trouble or difficulty.”

AN 4.11, KN Iti 110 cara: walking (vitakka refinement in various postures)
AN 4.11, Iti 110
♦ 11. cara-suttaṃ (KN 4.110) n
♦ 110. vuttañhetaṃ bhagavatā, §110. This was said by the Blessed One,
vuttamarahatāti me sutaṃ -- said by the Arahant, so I have heard:

(while walking, wrong effort towards wrong thoughts)
♦ “carato cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno “If, while he is walking, monks,
uppajjati kāma-vitakko vā there arises in a monk a thought of sensuality,
byāpāda-vitakko vā a thought of ill-will,
vihiṃsā-vitakko vā. or a thought of harmfulness,
tañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu and, ********, (that) monk
adhivāseti tolerates (it),
nap-pajahati does not quickly abandon,
na vinodeti dispel,
na byantī-karoti demolish,
na anabhāvaṃ gameti. or wipe that thought out of existence,

carampi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu then a monk walking
evaṃ-bhūto an-ātāpī an-ottāpī with such a lack of ardency & compunction
satataṃ samitaṃ kusīto hīna-vīriyoti vuccati. is called continually & continuously lethargic & low in his persistence.

(while standing, wrong effort towards wrong thoughts)
♦ “ṭhitassa cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno “If, while he is standing, monks,
(… same wrong effort refrain as “walking” …)
ṭhitopi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu then a monk standing
evaṃ-bhūto an-ātāpī an-ottāpī with such a lack of ardency & compunction
satataṃ samitaṃ kusīto hīna-vīriyoti vuccati. is called continually & continuously lethargic & low in his persistence.

(while sitting, wrong effort towards wrong thoughts)
♦ “nisinnassa cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno “If, while he is sitting, monks,
(… same wrong effort refrain as “walking” …)
nisinnopi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu then a monk sitting
evaṃ-bhūto an-ātāpī an-ottāpī with such a lack of ardency & compunction
satataṃ samitaṃ kusīto hīna-vīriyoti vuccati. is called continually & continuously lethargic & low in his persistence.

(while lying down, wrong effort towards wrong thoughts)
♦ “nisinnassa cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno “If, while he is sitting, monks,
(… same wrong effort refrain as “walking” …)
nisinnopi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu then a monk sitting
evaṃ-bhūto an-ātāpī an-ottāpī with such a lack of ardency & compunction
satataṃ samitaṃ kusīto hīna-vīriyoti vuccati. is called continually & continuously lethargic & low in his persistence.


(while lying down wakeful, wrong effort towards wrong thoughts)
♦ “sayānassa cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno jāgarassa “If, while he is lying down wakeful, monks,
(… same wrong effort refrain as “walking” …)
sayānopi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu jāgaro then a monk lying down wakeful
evaṃ-bhūto an-ātāpī an-ottāpī with such a lack of ardency & compunction
satataṃ samitaṃ kusīto hīna-vīriyoti vuccati. is called continually & continuously lethargic & low in his persistence.

(while walking, right effort towards wrong thoughts)
♦ “carato cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno “But if, while he is walking,
uppajjati kāma-vitakko vā there arises in a monk a thought of sensuality,
byāpāda-vitakko vā a thought of ill-will,
vihiṃsā-vitakko vā. or a thought of harmfulness,
tañce, bhikkhave, bhikkhu and he
n-ādhivāseti quickly
pajahati abandons,
vinodeti dispels,
byantīkaroti demolishes,
ana-bhāvaṃ gameti. & wipes that thought out of existence,

carampi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu then a monk walking
evaṃbhūto ātāpī ottāpī with such ardency & compunction
satataṃ samitaṃ āraddha-vīriyo pahitattoti vuccati. is called continually & continuously resolute, one with persistence aroused.

(while standing, right effort towards wrong thoughts)
♦ “ṭhitassa cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno “If, while he is standing.…
(… same right effort refrain as “walking” …)
ṭhitopi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
evaṃbhūto ātāpī ottāpī with such ardency & compunction
satataṃ samitaṃ āraddha-vīriyo pahitattoti vuccati. is called continually & continuously resolute, one with persistence aroused.

(while sitting, right effort towards wrong thoughts)
♦ “nisinnassa cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno “If, while he is sitting.…
(… same right effort refrain as “walking” …)
nisinnopi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu
evaṃbhūto ātāpī ottāpī with such ardency & compunction
satataṃ samitaṃ āraddha-vīriyo pahitattoti vuccati. is called continually & continuously resolute, one with persistence aroused.

(while lying down, right effort towards wrong thoughts)
♦ “sayānassa cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno jāgarassa “If, while he is lying down,
(… same right effort refrain as “walking” …)
sayānopi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu jāgaro
evaṃbhūto ātāpī ottāpī with such ardency & compunction
satataṃ samitaṃ āraddha-vīriyo pahitattoti vuccati. is called continually & continuously resolute, one with persistence aroused.

Etam-atthaṃ bhagavā avoca. This is the meaning of what the Blessed One said.
Tatth-etaṃ iti vuccati — So with regard to this it was said

(verse)
♦ “caraṃ vā yadi vā tiṭṭhaṃ, Whether walking, standing,
nisinno uda vā sayaṃ. sitting, or lying down,
♦ yo vitakkaṃ vitakketi, whoever thinks evil thoughts,
pāpakaṃ gehanissitaṃ. related to the household life,
♦ “kummaggaṃ paṭipanno VAR so, is following no path at all,
mohaneyyesu mucchito. smitten with delusory things.
♦ abhabbo tādiso bhikkhu, He’s incapable, a monk like this,
phuṭṭhuṃ sam-bodhi-muttamaṃ. of touching superlative self-awakening.
♦ “yo ca caraṃ vā tiṭṭhaṃ vā VAR, But whoever– walking, standing,
nisinno uda vā sayaṃ. sitting, or lying down–
♦ vitakkaṃ samayitvāna, overcomes thought,
Vitakk-ūpasame rato. delighting in the stilling of thought:
♦ bhabbo so tādiso bhikkhu, he’s capable, a monk like this,
phuṭṭhuṃ sambodhi-muttaman”ti. of touching superlative self-awakening.

♦ ayampi attho vutto bhagavatā, This, too, was the meaning of what was said by the Blessed One,
iti me sutanti. so I have heard.
ekādasamaṃ. (end of sutta)
See also: MN 19; MN 20; AN 3:102; AN 4:11; AN 6:20; AN 10:51

The activity in all four postures, although first jhāna is not explicitly mentioned, is a good representation of what one working on attaining and refining first jhana. The ending verse talks about stilling Vitakka and delighting in that, which is an allusion to second jhana.


AN 4.12, KN Iti 111, samādhi/jhāna in all 4 postures
AN 4.12, Iti 111
AN 4.12 Sīla-suttaṃ AN 4.12 Virtuous Behavior-discourse

♦ 12. “sampanna-sīlā, bhikkhave, "observant-(of)-virtuous-behavior, *********,
viharatha sampanna-pātimokkhā, (you)-should-dwell observant(of)-pātimokkhā,
pātimokkha-saṃvar-asaṃvutā viharatha (with) pātimokkhā-restraint-(of)-un-restrained (you) should-dwell
ācāra-gocara-sampannā {observant of}-[good]-conduct-(and)-sphere-of-activity-********
aṇumattesu vajjesu bhaya-dassāvino. (in the most) minute faults, [there is] fear-(in)-seeing (that).
samādāya sikkhatha sikkhā-padesu. (having) accepted (them), train-oneself (in the) training-rules.

sampanna-sīlānaṃ vo, bhikkhave, [When you have done so...]
… ...
kimassa uttari karaṇīyaṃ? what more (should)-be-done?

(1. Walking)
♦ “carato cepi, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno "{if, while} walking ****, **********, (a) monk
abhijjhā-byāpādo vigato hoti, {has gotten rid of} longing-(and)-ill-will,
thina-middhaṃ... {has abandoned} dullness-and-drowsiness,
uddhacca-kukkuccaṃ... {has abandoned} restlessness-and-remorse,
vicikicchā pahīnā hoti, {has abandoned} doubt,
āraddhaṃ hoti vīriyaṃ as-allīnaṃ, aroused is (his) vigor, without-slackening
upaṭṭhitā sati a-sammuṭṭhā, established mindfulness not-muddled,
passaddho kāyo a-sāraddho, tranquil body not-disturbed,
samāhitaṃ cittaṃ ekaggaṃ, concentrated mind unified,

carampi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu evaṃ-bhūto then {that monk while} walking {is said to} be:
‘ātāpī ottāpī 'ardent, dreads-wrongdoing,
satataṃ samitaṃ constantly (and) continuously
āraddha-vīriyo pahitatto’ti has-aroused-vigor (and) resolute.'
vuccati. {*******}

(Standing, sitting, lying down follows same pattern...)
♦ “ṭhitassa cepi, bhikkhave, 82(2) “If a bhikkhu has gotten rid of longing and ill will while standing …


(verse)
♦ “yataṃ care yataṃ tiṭṭhe, Controlled (in) walking, controlled (in) standing,
yataṃ acche yataṃ saye. controlled (in) sitting (and in) lying down;
♦ yataṃ samiñjaye bhikkhu, controlled (he) draws-in-the-limbs, (the) monk,
yatamenaṃ pasāraye. controlled (he) stretches-them-out.
♦ “uddhaṃ tiriyaṃ apācīnaṃ, Above, across, (and) below,
yāvatā jagato gati. as-far-as (the) world extends,
♦ samavekkhitā ca dhammānaṃ, one-who-scrutinizes the dhamma,
khandhānaṃ udayabbayaṃ. aggregates arising-and-vanishing.
♦ “ceto-samatha-sāmīciṃ, mind's-serenity-proper,
sikkhamānaṃ sadā sataṃ. training (in that), always mindful
♦ satataṃ pahitattoti, constantly resolute,
āhu bhikkhuṃ tathāvidhan”ti. (they) call (a) monk such-as-that."

dutiyaṃ. [end of] second [sutta in this section].


AN 5.29 samādhi from walking long lasting
AN 5.29
AN 5.29 caṅkama-suttaṃ AN 5.29 walking-meditation-discourse
“pañc-ime, bhikkhave, "[There are] five-(of)-these, **********,
caṅkame ānisaṃsā. walking-meditation benefits.
katame pañca? Which five?
addhānak-khamo hoti, (1) Long-journeys-{one becomes}-capable-of-enduring ****,
padhānak-khamo hoti, (2) exertion-(one){becomes}-capable (of) ****,
appābādho hoti, (3) free-of-disease (one) becomes,
asitaṃ pītaṃ khāyitaṃ sāyitaṃ (4) [what has been] eaten, drunk, consumed, tasted,
sammā pariṇāmaṃ gacchati, proper digestion (it) goes (through),
caṅkam-ādhigato samādhi (5) walking-meditation-attained concentration
ciraṭ-ṭhitiko hoti. {is} long-lasting ****.
ime kho, bhikkhave, these indeed, *********,
pañca caṅkame ānisaṃsā”ti. (are) five walking-meditation benefits.

AN 5.29 walking meditation footnote
Mp: “If one has acquired the mark [of concentration] while standing up, it is lost when one sits down. If one has acquired the mark while sitting, it is lost when one lies down. But for one who has resolved on walking up and down and acquired the mark in a moving object, it is not lost even when one stands still, sits down, and lies down.”

AN 8.63 four jhānas, 4sp, 4bv in all four postures, phāsu = comfort (of jhāna)
AN 8.63

Yato kho te,bhikkhu, ayaṃ samādhi evaṃ bhāvito hoti subhāvito, “When this concentration is thus developed, thus well-developed by you,
tato tvaṃ,bhikkhu, yena yeneva gagghasi phāsuṃyeva gagghasi, then wherever you go, you will go in comfort.
yattha yattha ṭhassasi phāsuṃyeva ṭhassasi, Wherever you stand, you will stand in comfort.
yattha yattha nisīdissasi phāsuṃyeva nisīdissasi, Wherever you sit, you will sit in comfort.
yattha yattha seyyaṃ kappessasi phāsuṃyeva seyyaṃ kappessasī”ti. Wherever you lie down, you will lie down in comfort.”

AN 5.94, AN 5.105, AN 5.106: phāsu refers to 4 jhānas, 4bv
AN 5.94 Phāsu-vihāra: comfortable-dwelling: (#1-4) four jhānas, (#5) arahantship
AN 5.105 Phāsu-vihāra: comfortable-abiding: (#1-3) metta by body/speech/mind towards fellow monks is phāsu, #4 so is samadhi, #5 so is arahantship
AN 5.106 Ānanda: (#1-3) virtue and anyonymity is phāsu, (#4) 4 jhānas is phāsu (comfort) dwelling, (#5) arahantship highest phāsu.

KN Iti 110 cara: walking (vitakka refinement in various postures)
same as AN 4.11, see passage above
KN Iti 111, samādhi/jhāna in all 4 postures
same as AN 4.12, see passage above

§2.14 – KN Snp 1.8 Metta: Cmy says jhana with metta
Snp‍ 1.8 Metta [Karaṇīyamettā]: [ext.link]Commentary says this is done with jhāna in all four postures!

Here jhana is explained as being done in all four postures. This must be jhana and not “meditation in general” because the commentary says it leads to Non-return, ie it is samma-samadhi.

Why is that astounding?
Because Vism. and commentary usually redefine "jhana" as a disembodied frozen stupor, which one has to "emerge from" before doing metta, or vipassana. Here we have the commentary describing "Jhana" consistent with EBT definition, such as AN 8.63 where 4bv brahmavihara is done as a way to get into 4 jhanas, and then maintained in all 4 postures.

B. Bodhi's translation of the Commentary to this part of the sutta,
from his KN Snp translation:

excerpt:

151. Having thus shown the extension of the development of friendly-kindness, now showing that there is no fixed posture for one intent on its development, he says:
“Whether standing, walking . . . on this mindfulness.
” This is its meaning:
One developing this mind of friendly-kindness in such a way [250] need not adopt a fixed posture as is prescribed for other meditation subjects thus,
“He sits down, having folded his legs crosswise, straightening his body,” and so forth.
Dispelling discomfort by adopting any posture as one pleases, whether standing, walking, sitting, or lying down,
as long as one is not drowsy, one should resolve on this mindfulness of the jhāna of friendly-kindness.

Or alternatively, having thus shown the extension of the development of friendly-kindness, now showing mastery over it, he says:
“Whether standing, walking.
” For one who has achieved mastery wishes to resolve on this mindfuiness of the jhāna of friendly-kindness as long as the posture lasts,
whether standing, walking, sitting, or lying down.
Or else by “standing or walking” he indicates that standing [and walking] are not obstacles to it.
Moreover, for as long as one wishes to resolve on this mindfulness of the jhāna of friendly-kindness,
for just so long one resolves on it without becoming drowsy;
there is no sluggishness in regard to it.
Hence he says:
“Whether standing, walking, or sitting, or lying down, as long as one is not drowsy, one should resolve on this mindfulness.
”

This is the purport:
“As to what was said, ‘And toward the whole world one should develop an unbounded mind of friendly-kindness,’
one should develop it in such a way that, whatever posture one adopts, such as standing, etc.,
as long as the posture lasts, taking no notice713 that one is standing, etc.,
as long as one wishes to remain resolved on the mindfulness of the jhāna of friendly-kindness,
for just so long one can resolve on that mindfulness.
”714

While showing what mastery in the development of friendly-kindness entails,
after enjoining one to dwell in friendly-kindness with the words
“one should resolve on this mindfulness,”
the Blessed One now praises that dwelling with the words
“They call this a divine dwelling here.
” This is its meaning:
They call this dwelling in friendly-kindness —
as described by the passage that extends from the words
“May all beings be happy and secure” down to
“one should resolve on this mindfulness” —
a divine dwelling, the best dwelling here, in the noble Dhamma and discipline.
It is best because it is devoid of faults and because it brings benefits to oneself and others,
and a dwelling among the four dwellings:
the celestial, divine, and noble [dwellings], and the postures.
715 [251] Hence constantly and continuously, without interruption,
one should resolve on this mindfulness whether standing, walking, sitting, or lying down,
as long as one is not drowsy.

MN 36 4th jhana quality samadhi after dhamma talk
MN 36
aṃ desetā. Aggivessana, I recall teaching the Dhamma to an assembly of many hundreds,
Apissu maṃ ekameko evaṃ maññati: and each person thinks
‘mamevārabbha samaṇo gotamo dhammaṃ desetī’ti. that I am teaching the Dhamma especially for them.
Na kho panetaṃ, aggivessana, evaṃ daṭṭhabbaṃ; But it should not be seen like this.
yāvadeva viññāpanatthāya tathāgato paresaṃ dhammaṃ deseti. The Realized One teaches others only so that they can understand.
So kho ahaṃ, aggivessana, tassāyeva kathāya pariyosāne, tasmiṃyeva purimasmiṃ samādhinimitte ajjhattameva cittaṃ saṇṭhapemi sannisādemi ekodiṃ karomi samādahāmi, yena sudaṃ niccakappaṃ viharāmī”ti. When that talk is finished, I still, settle, unify, and undistractify-&-lucidify my mind in samādhi internally, using the same meditation subject as a basis of undistractible-lucidity that I used before, which is my usual meditation.”


MN 119 jhāna with all four postures in these satipatthana exercises
MN 119
♦ “puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gacchanto vā ‘gacchāmī’ti pajānāti, ṭhito vā ‘ṭhitomhī’ti pajānāti, nisinno vā ‘nisinnomhī’ti pajānāti, sayāno vā ‘sayānomhī’ti pajānāti. yathā yathā vā panassa kāyo paṇihito hoti, tathā tathā naṃ pajānāti. tassa evaṃ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato ye gehasitā sarasaṅkappā te pahīyanti. tesaṃ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṃ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. evampi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāyagatāsatiṃ bhāveti. "Furthermore, when walking, the monk discerns, 'I am walking.' When standing, he discerns, 'I am standing.' When sitting, he discerns, 'I am sitting.' When lying down, he discerns, 'I am lying down.' Or however his body is disposed, that is how he discerns it. And as he remains thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, any memories & resolves related to the household life are abandoned, and with their abandoning his mind gathers & settles inwardly, grows unified & centered. This is how a monk develops mindfulness immersed in the body.

♦ “puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu abhikkante paṭikkante sampajānakārī hoti, ālokite vilokite sampajānakārī hoti, samiñjite pasārite sampajānakārī hoti, saṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇe sampajānakārī hoti, asite pīte khāyite sāyite sampajānakārī hoti, uccārapassāvakamme sampajānakārī hoti, gate ṭhite nisinne sutte jāgarite bhāsite tuṇhībhāve sampajānakārī hoti. tassa evaṃ appamattassa ātāpino pahitattassa viharato ye gehasitā sarasaṅkappā te pahīyanti. tesaṃ pahānā ajjhattameva cittaṃ santiṭṭhati sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati. evampi, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kāyagatāsatiṃ bhāveti. "Furthermore, when going forward & returning, he makes himself fully alert; when looking toward & looking away... when bending & extending his limbs... when carrying his outer cloak, his upper robe & his bowl... when eating, drinking, chewing, & savoring... when urinating & defecating... when walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking, & remaining silent, he makes himself fully alert. And as he remains thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, any memories & resolves related to the household life are abandoned, and with their abandoning his mind gathers & settles inwardly, grows unified & centered. This is how a monk develops mindfulness immersed in the body.

cittaṃ santiṭṭhati, sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati is part fo the refrain for all 10 exercises in MN 119, even #1 and #2 which include walking, talking, pissing, etc. The words ekodi and samadhi are hallmarks of 2nd jhana.

And look in MN 122 where that refrain is explicitly tied to 4 jhanas:


MN 122  sannisīdati ekodi hoti samādhiyati = do 4 jhanas
“kathañcānanda, bhikkhu  And how does he 
MN 122
ajjhattameva cittaṃ  steady his mind internally,
saṇṭhapeti sannisādeti  quiet it,
ekodiṃ karoti bring it to singleness,
samādahati? and concentrate it?
idhānanda, bhikkhu  8.“Here, Ānanda,
vivicceva kāmehi  quite secluded from sensual pleasures,
vivicca akusalehi dhammehi ..pe ... secluded from unwholesome states,
paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati ...pe ... a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the first jhāna…
dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ... the second jhāna…
tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ... the third jhāna…
catutthaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati. the fourth jhāna,... he enters and abides in.


MN 122 while in suññata and imperturbable samādhi, 4 postures
MN 122

“He attends to external emptiness.…

“He attends to internal & external emptiness.…

“He attends to the imperturbable. While he is attending to the imperturbable, his mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction, grows steady, & indulges in the imperturbable. When this is the case, he discerns, ‘While I am attending to the imperturbable, my mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction, grows steady, & indulges in the imperturbable.’ In this way he is alert there.

“If, while the monk is dwelling by means of this dwelling, his mind inclines to walking back & forth, he walks back & forth (thinking,) ‘While I am walking thus, no covetousness or sadness, no evil, unskillful qualities will take possession of me.’ In this way he is alert there.

“If, while he is dwelling by means of this dwelling, his mind inclines to standing… to sitting… to lying down, he lies down, (thinking,) ‘While I am lying down thus, no covetousness or sadness, no evil, unskillful qualities will take possession of me.’ In this way he is alert there.

“If, while he is dwelling by means of this dwelling, his mind inclines to speaking, he resolves that ‘I will not engage in talk that is base, vulgar, common, ignoble, unbeneficial, that does not lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calm, direct knowledge, self-awakening, or unbinding—i.e., talk about kings, robbers, & ministers of state; armies, alarms, & battles; food & drink; clothing, furniture, garlands, & scents; relatives; vehicles; villages, towns, cities, the countryside; women & heroes; the gossip of the street & the well; tales of the dead; tales of diversity, the creation of the world & of the sea; talk of whether things exist or not.’ In this way he is alert there.

“‘But,’ (he resolves,) ‘I will engage in talk that is scrupulous, conducive to awareness-release, and leads exclusively to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calm, direct knowledge, self-awakening, & unbinding—i.e., talk on modesty, contentment, seclusion, non-entanglement, arousing persistence, virtue, concentration, discernment, release, and the knowledge & vision of release.’ In this way he is alert there.

“If, while he is dwelling by means of this dwelling, his mind inclines to thinking, he resolves that ‘I will not think thoughts that are base, vulgar, common, ignoble, unbeneficial, that do not lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calm, direct knowledge, self-awakening, or unbinding—i.e., thoughts of sensuality, thoughts of ill will, thoughts of harmfulness.’ In this way he is alert there.

end of section [2.2 – walking in jhāna]❧
+

2.3 – standing in jhāna

KN Iti 81 sakkāra: offerings: almsround standing, walking in jhāna
Iti 81 (the Buddha reports the karmic rebirth results [presumably from using his divine eye to see], where monks who don’t properly conduct their almsround are reborn)
(he emphasizes that this is his direct knowledge, he’s seeing it himself, it’s not hear say or just a view)
(verse)
♦ “yassa sakkariya-mānassa, when offerings (or respect) [are received],
a-sakkārena c’-ūbhayaṃ. (when) no-offerings [are received], in-both [cases],
♦ samādhi na vikampati, Undistractable-lucidity [does] not waver;
appamāda-vihārino . (he is an) Assiduous-practitioner.
♦ “taṃ jhāyinaṃ sātatikaṃ, that Jhāna (he is) continually [absorbed in],
sukhumaṃ diṭṭhi-vi-passakaṃ . subtle (in) view-&-clear-seeing,
♦ upādānak-khay’-ā-rāmaṃ, Clinging-destroyed;--abundantly-relishing (that),
āhu sap-puriso itī”ti. (that is) called (a) man-of-integrity.


KN Snp 3.11 (standing & sitting in jhana)
Snp‍ 3.11
♦ 713.
♦ “sa piṇḍa-cāraṃ caritvā, the alms[round]-walk (having been) walked,
Vanan-tam-abhihāraye. (the) forest – (he should) – go into,
♦ upaṭṭhito rukkha-mūlasmiṃ, standing [or setting up] (by a) tree-root,
Āsan-ūpagato muni. Sitting-down, (the) sage,

♦ 714.
♦ “sa jhāna-pasuto dhīro, jhāna--(he is)--engaged-in, (the) wise (one),
vanante ramito siyā. (the) forest (he should) relish.
♦ jhāyetha rukkha-mūlasmiṃ, (he) should-do-jhāna (at the) tree-root,
Attānam-abhito-sayaṃ. attaining his own satisfaction.

When KN Snp 3.11 is viewed in conjunction with Iti-vuttaka 81, then the standing interpretation makes sense, since when a monk receives offerings and praise, he would tend to be standing or walking.

Samadhi, like sati, is something you should be doing all the time. Sitting at the tree-root just means you're giving yourself a more conducive environment to purify samadhi and sati. The 4 jhanas are just a quality rating of the samadhi. You don't have to be sitting down to get a quality rating. Just as superman doesn't have to wear a cape to fly. If he's dressed up like Clark Kent and you see him flying around in a business suit, he's still fricking superman with 4th jhana quality of samadhi.


+

2.4 – lying down in jhāna

AN 4.246 jhana lying down
AN 4.246 1382“Bhikkhus, there are these four postures for lying down. What four? The corpse’s posture, the sensualist’s posture, the lion’s posture, and the Tathāgata’s posture.

1383(1) “And what is the corpse’s posture? Corpses usually lie flat on their backs. This is called the corpse’s posture.

1384(2) “And what is the sensualist’s posture? The sensualist usually lies on his left side. This is called the sensualist’s posture.

1385(3) “And what is the lion’s posture? [245] The lion, the king of beasts, lies down on his right side, having covered one foot with the other and tucked his tail in between his thighs. When he awakens, he raises his front quarters and looks back at his hind quarters. If the lion sees any disorderliness or distension of his body, he is displeased. If he does not see any disorderliness or distension of his body, he is pleased. This is called the lion’s posture.

1386(4) “And what is the Tathāgata’s posture? Here, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, the Tathāgata enters and dwells in the first jhāna … the fourth jhāna. This is called the Tathāgata’s posture.

2.5 – supernormal powers 6ab, four power bases 4ip, imperturbable version of 4th jhāna

j4🌕 āneñja⚡: imperturbable version of 4th jhāna can exercise some or all of
6ab ⚡☸ supernormal powers and 6 higher knowledges.
mastery of 4ip 🌕⚡ four power bases also leads to 6ab ⚡☸.

To be able to levitate, walk through walls,
one would need to be in a samādhi that is sensitive to both internal and external rūpa.
It’s also very common for yogis with mind reading and divine eye do it while walking around.
Even in modern times, and not just in Buddhism, but also Taoist, Hindu, Christian yogis can do this.
The question is whether they are technically in 4th jhāna while doing that, or 4th jhāna is just a prerequisite?

+

2.6 – Āgama sutras

Many parallels exist for all the pāḷi sutta passages already discussed.

DA T1.14a unification and nondistraction in 4 postures
http://tripitaka.cbeta.org/ja/T01n0001_002 Dr. W.Chu
[0013c23]:「汝等比丘！當自攝心，具諸威儀。云何比丘自攝其心？於是比丘內身身觀，精勤不懈，憶念不忘，捨世貪憂；外身身觀，精勤不懈，憶念不忘，捨世貪憂；內外身觀，精勤不懈，捨世貪憂。受、意、法觀，亦復如是。云何比丘具諸威儀？於是比丘可行知行，可止知止，左右顧視，屈伸俯仰，攝持衣鉢，食飲湯藥，不失宜則，善設方便，除去蔭蓋，行住坐臥，覺寤語默，攝心不亂，是謂比丘具諸威儀。」 “You, bhikshus, should bring your mind to unification (當自攝心), and become endowed with dignified comportment. How does a bhikshu bring his mind to unification (自攝其心)? Here, a bhikshu should contemplate the inner body as inner body—with diligence and heedfulness, keeping [the practice] in mind without forgetfulness, and putting aside covetousness and worries in relation to the world. He should contemplate the outer body as outer body—with diligence and heedfulness, keeping [the practice] in mind without forgetfulness, and putting aside covetousness and worries in relation to the world. He should contemplate both the inner and outer body as inner and outer body—with diligence and heedfulness, keeping [the practice] in mind without forgetfulness, and putting aside covetousness and worries in relation to the world. The same is so with contemplating feeling, mind, and the Dhammas. How does a bhikshu become endowed with dignified comportment? Here, a bhikshu is aware of walking when walking, aware of standing when standing; When looking to the left or the right, when bending or extending [a limb], when raising or lowering the head, when carrying the robes and bowl, when receiving beverages and food, he should not be remiss of moderation and what is appropriate, and should skillfully employ various means to dispel the hindrances. By ways of bringing his mind to unification and non-distraction (攝心不亂) [in such a way] when he is walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, when he wakes up and goes to sleep, and when he speaks or remain silent—this is how a bhikshu become endowed with dignified comportment.”

Dr. Chu comments the “unification of mind” in the Chinese, is likely to correspond with the pāli “citta ekaggata”, but no way to be sure.


2.7 – LBT Theravāda, even Vism. Says walking possible in jhāna

According to Pa Auk Sayadaw,
one of the foremost masters in meditation and scripture on LBT and Vism. meditation system:
When asked if it was possible to use the standing posture in VRJ👻🥶 (vism. Redefined jhāna),
he said (parphrase), “not only is it possible to stand, it’s possible to walk, according to Vism.”
Considering his fame as a meditation master,
one would have to think it’s highly probable he knows that from personal experience.

pic for smd 24/7
end of section [2 – Book 2: Jhāna + samādhi in all 4 postures]❧
+

Book 3: Samādhi & jhāna all the time 24/7

sutta refs (alphabetical)
Dhp 23 jhāna all the time leads to nirvana linked to a-p-pamāda 🐘🐾‍
Iti 45 mindfulness is 24/7, here explicitly sati WITH jhāna: satimanto ca jhāyino;
Iti 46 Not just noble ones, Buddha tells all disciples to do enjoy jhāna and be in samādhi all the time, tasmā sadā jhānaratā samāhitā
Iti 81 jhāna all the time, jhāyinaṁ sātatikaṁ
MN 125.3.10 since sati is 24/7, and here sati with no kāma-vitakka/thoughts of sensuality = first jhāna, jhāna is also 24/7
--ERROR SUTREF: Thag 15.2-- nāga (elephant and jhāna meditator) always in samādhi, all postures
--ERROR SUTREF: Thag 16.7-- jhāna while eating, walking and interacting with people on almsround

SN 4.23 arahant described by Buddha as always enjoying jhāna, jhāyī jhānarato sadā; 🔗📝
SN 7.9 fire metaphor for jhāna, always blazing in samādhi, Buddha always in samādhi, Nicc-agginī nicca-samāhitatto
SN 21.1 defines noble silence as second jhāna. Since monks when together are told to either “talk about dhamma, or abide in noble silence, you'd expect monks to be standing or walking with eyes open in many of those contexts.

Iti 81 jhāna all the time
“Yassa sakkariyamānassa, “Whether they’re honored
asakkārena cūbhayaṁ; or not honored, or both,
Samādhi na vikampati, their undistractible-lucidity doesn’t waver
Appamāda-vihārino. as they live assiduously (a-p-pamāda 🐾‍).

Taṁ jhāyinaṁ sātatikaṁ, They continuously do jhāna
sukhumadiṭṭhivipassakaṁ; with subtle view and discernment.
Upādānakkhayārāmaṁ, Rejoicing in the ending of grasping,
āhu sappuriso itī”ti. they’re said to be a good person.”


SN 7.9 fire metaphor for jhāna, always blazing in samādhi
SN 7.9

“Mā brāhmaṇa dāru samādahāno, “When you’re kindling the wood, brahmin,
Suddhiṃ amaññi bahiddhā hi etaṃ; don’t imagine this is purity, for it’s just an external.
Na hi tena suddhiṃ kusalā vadanti, Experts say that those who wish for purity
Yo bāhirena parisuddhimicche. through externals will not find it.


Hitvā ahaṃ brāhmaṇa dārudāhaṃ, I’ve given up kindling firewood, brahmin,
Ajjhattamevujjalayāmi jotiṃ; now I just light the inner flame.
Niccagginī niccasamāhitatto, Always blazing, always undistractify-&-lucidifyd,
Arahaṃ ahaṃ brahmacariyaṃ carāmi. I am a perfected one living the spiritual life.


Māno hi te brāhmaṇa khāribhāro, Conceit, brahmin, is the burden of your possessions,
Kodho dhumo bhasmani mosavajjaṃ; anger your smoke, and lies your ashes.
Jivhā sujā hadayaṃ jotiṭhānaṃ, The tongue is the ladle and the heart the fire altar;
Attā sudanto purisassa joti. a well-tamed self is a person’s light.


Dhammo rahado brāhmaṇa sīlatittho, The Dharma is a lake with shores of ethics, brahmin,
Anāvilo sabbhi sataṃ pasattho; unclouded, praised by the fine to the good.
Yattha have vedaguno sinātā, There the knowledge-masters go to bathe,
Anallagattāva taranti pāraṃ. and cross to the far shore without getting wet.


Saccaṃ dhammo saṃyamo brahmacariyaṃ, Truth, dharma, restraint, the spiritual life;
Majjhe sitā brāhmaṇa brahmapatti; the attainment of the supreme based on the middle, brahmin.
Sa tujjubhūtesu namo karohi, Pay homage to the straightforward ones—
Tamahaṃ naraṃ dhammasārīti brūmī”ti. I declare that man to be one who follows The Dharma.”


Evaṃ vutte, sundarikabhāradvājo brāhmaṇo bhagavantaṃ etadavoca: When he had spoken, the brahmin Bhāradvāja of Sundarika said to the Buddha:
“abhikkantaṃ, bho gotama … pe … “Excellent, Master Gotama …” …
aññataro ca panāyasmā bhāradvājo arahataṃ ahosīti. And Venerable Bhāradvāja became one of the perfected.

[ext.link]SN 7.9 excerpt: Buddha always in samadhi
24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
always in jhāna and samādhi 🌄, equated with metaphor of fire 🔥
Jhāna also means 'burning' (fire),
and samādahati is putting together the kindling to a fire.

Two important points to make in this short article:

1. jhāna and samādhi both often use a metaphor of a fire.
Based on passages like this,
'jhāna' being a fire that burns away defilements seems to be what the Buddha intended,
and not just a fanciful commentary explanation as I originally thought.

2. the Buddha expects his disciples to be in jhāna and samādhi all the time.
Several passages in the EBT, such as this one, make that point explicitly.
'nicca' = permanent, constant.
Noble silence means second jhāna,
and 'pleasant abiding' (dittha dhamma sukha vihara) is a code phrase for 3rd jhāna.

2b. always in jhāna and samādhi means all postures, all activities,
not just "formal sitting" practice.

❧
KN Thag 15.2 naga (elephant and jhana mediator) always in samadhi, all postures
Thera-gāthā 15.2
I’ll extol the giant for you, Nāgaṃ vo kittayissāmi,
for he does nothing monstrous. na hi āguṃ karoti so;
Gentleness and harmlessness Soraccaṃ avihiṃsā ca,
are two feet of the giant. pādā nāgassa te duve.
rememberfulness and awareness Sati ca sampajaññañca,
are his two other feet. caraṇā nāgassa tepare;
Faith is the giant’s trunk, Saddhāhattho mahānāgo,
and equanimity his white tusks. upekkhāsetadantavā.
rememberfulness is his neck, his head is wisdom— Sati gīvā siro paññā,
investigation and thinking about principles. vīmaṃsā dhammacintanā;
His belly is the sacred hearth of the Dhamma, Dhammakucchisamāvāso,
and his tail is seclusion. viveko tassa vāladhi.
Practicing jhāna, enjoying the breath, So jhāyī assāsarato,
he is undistractible-&-lucid within. ajjhattaṃ susamāhito;
The giant is undistractible-&-lucid when walking, Gacchaṃ samāhito nāgo,
the giant is undistractible-&-lucid when standing, ṭhito nāgo samāhito.
the giant is undistractible-&-lucid when lying down, Sayaṃ samāhito nāgo,
and when sitting, the giant is undistractible-&-lucid. nisinnopi samāhito;
The giant is restrained everywhere: Sabbattha saṃvuto nāgo,
this is the accomplishment of the giant. esā nāgassa sampadā.


KN Thag 16.7 jhana while eating, walking and interacting with people on almsround
Thera-gāthā 16.7
Today I am fortunate, persistent, Sojja bhaddo sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: uñchāpattāgate rato;
Bhaddiya son of Godhā Jhāyati anupādāno,
practices jhāna without grasping. putto godhāya bhaddiyo.
Wearing rags, persistent, Paṃsukūlī sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: uñchāpattāgate rato;
Bhaddiya son of Godhā Jhāyati anupādāno,
practices jhāna without grasping. putto godhāya bhaddiyo.
Living on alms-food, persistent, Piṇḍapātī sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Possessing only three robes, persistent, Tecīvarī sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Wandering for alms indiscriminately, persistent, Sapadānacārī sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Sitting alone, persistent, Ekāsanī sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Eating only what is placed in the alms-bowl, persistent, Pattapiṇḍī sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Never eating too late, persistent, Khalupacchābhattī sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Living in the wilderness, persistent, Āraññiko sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Living at the foot of a tree, persistent, Rukkhamūliko sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Living in the open, persistent, Abbhokāsī sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Living in a charnel ground, persistent, Sosāniko sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Accepting whatever seat is offered, persistent, Yathāsanthatiko sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Not lying down to sleep, persistent, Nesajjiko sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Few in wishes, persistent, Appiccho sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Content, persistent, Santuṭṭho sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Secluded, persistent, Pavivitto sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Not socializing, persistent, Asaṃsaṭṭho sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …
Energetic, persistent, Āraddhavīriyo sātatiko,
happy with the scraps in my bowl: Bhaddiya son of Godhā practices jhāna without grasping. … pe …


❧

3.5 – Noble silence = second jhana

see j2🌗 second jhāna for details.
The basic idea is monks are told to either “talk about dhamma, or abide in noble silence (defined by SN 21.1 as being in second jhana). The circumstances of where the “noble silence” phrase is used, you would expect the monks to be standing or walking with eyes open in many of those contexts.

3.6 – 4 jhānas are 4 quality levels ⭐⭐⭐⭐

4 jhānas are 4 quality levels ⭐⭐⭐⭐ of samādhi to do all the time, in all postures
https://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2019/03/4-jhanas-are-4-quality-levels-of.html

Many people have the mistaken idea that the 4 jhānas have to be done in sitting posture only, not all 4 postures (standing, sitting, lying, walking).
That's wrong.
And this affects the way people approach their practice.

A more helpful way to think of it, is that sitting in the four jhānas with your eyes closed is your control group to assess the quality level of your samādhi. It's like a food critic coming into your jhāna kitchen assigning one to four stars depending on how nutritious the jhāna food quality is. It's a controlled laboratory condition to do a quality check. But you shouldn't only be 'doing' jhāna and samādhi while sitting with your eyes closed. You should approach practice like your survival (life after life) depends on the quality of your samādhi - all the time, in all postures. This is what many suttas like AN 8.63 say. And good meditation teachers will emphasize this point.

If your formal sitting practice does not go well, it's usually because it's just a continuation of what you habitually do all the time while you're not in formal sitting. In other words, if you train yourself all the time to be distracted, unfocused, following your whims, following defiled emotions, then in sitting meditation the pattern continues. But if you're training in samādhi all the time, in all postures, with eyes open, while eating, working, doing chores, etc, that means you're always training to think what you want to think and not thinking what you don't want to think. In other words, undistractible lucidity. You see things clearly, act with purpose, no wasted energy and effort. And if you train all the time like that, then when you do a formal sit, the habit continues and developing samādhi shows improvement easily. Having to work and perform other duties is no excuse to neglect samādhi development. Samādhi is a quality amplifier for everything, worldly and spiritual. So if you do your work and other non-spiritual duties with undistractible lucidity, care, quality, attention to detail, then your'e samādhi quality improves and carries over into your spiritual practice. Everybody has to eat, so that's at least 60 min. a day one can practice undistractible lucidty while eating. With noble silence, or thinking only thoughts related to food sustaining your life and practice. If you take a minute out of every hour for noble silence while working, that goes a long way.

🌑🌑🌑🌑 samādhi quality level = below first jhāna quality
⭐🌑🌑🌑 samādhi quality level = first jhāna quality
⭐⭐🌑🌑 samādhi quality level = second jhāna quality
⭐⭐⭐🌑 samādhi quality level = third jhāna quality
⭐⭐⭐⭐ samādhi quality level = fourth jhāna quality

STED (smd 1) 🌘 paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ: First Jhāna
STED (smd 2) 🌗 dutiyaṃ jhānaṃ: Second Jhāna
STED (smd 3) 🌖 tatiyaṃ jhānaṃ: Third Jhāna
STED (smd 4) 🌕 catutthaṃ jhānaṃ: Fourth Jhāna

DN 2 : 4 jhānas are 4 quality levels of samadhi-sambojjhanga
(7sb → 1-3 💭🕵️🏹) Tassime pañca nīvaraṇe pahīne attani samanupassato
(7sb → 1-3 💭🕵️🏹) Seeing that the hindrances have been given up in them,
pā-mojjaṃ jāyati,
profuse-mirth is born.
(7sb → 4. 😁) pa-muditassa pīti jāyati,
(7sb → 4. 😁) Being profusely-mirthful rapture (is) born,
(7sb → 5. 🌊) pīti-manassa kāyo passambhati,
(7sb → 5. 🌊) (with) en-raptured-mind (the) body (is) pacified,
(7sb → 5.5 🙂) passaddha-kāyo sukhaṃ vedeti,
(7sb → 5.5 🙂) (with) pacified-body, they experience pleasure.
(7sb → 6. 🌄) sukhino cittaṃ samādhiyati.
(7sb → 6. 🌄) (in) pleasure, the mind becomes undistractible-&-lucid.
4.3.2.5. First jhāna
4.3.2.5. Paṭhamajhāna
4.3.2.5. First jhāna
🚫💑 so vivicc’eva kāmehi
🚫💑 Quite-withdrawn (from) sensuality,
🚫😠 vivicca a-kusalehi dhammehi
🚫😠 withdrawn (from) un-skillful Dhamma [teachings & qualities],
(V&V💭) sa-vitakkaṃ sa-vicāraṃ
(V&V💭) With-directed-thought, with-evaluation,
😁🙂 viveka-jaṃ pīti-sukhaṃ
😁🙂 withdrawal-born rapture-&pleasure,
🌘 paṭhamaṃ jhānaṃ upasampajja viharati.
🌘 first Jhāna (he) enters, dwells.

first jhana similes...
second ....
third...
fourth jhana and similes...

AN 8.63 describes jhāna in all four postures

Samādhi, jhāna, 4bv, 4sp in all 4 postures
See AN 5.94, 105, 106 for jhāna, metta as part of phāsu (comfortable) abiding
AN 8.63 Saṅkhitta-sutta
(preliminary practice, proxy for removing 5niv)
(1. 4Bv #1: mettā me ceto-vimutti)
(2. 4Bv #2: karuṇā me ceto-vimutti)
(3. 4Bv #3: muditā me ceto-vimutti)
(4. 4Bv #4: upekkhā me ceto-vimutti)
(5. 4Sp #1: Kāya anupassana )
(6. 4Sp #2: Vedana Anupassana)
(7. 4Sp #3: Citta Anupassana)
(8. 4Sp #4: Dhamma Anupassana)
(jhāna samādhi possible in all 4 postures )
(conclusion: khīnā jāti! Destroyed is birth!)

end of section [3 – Book 3: Samādhi & jhāna all the time 24/7]❧
+

Book 4: Upasampajja Viharati: Attains and lives doing Jhāna samādhi

(derived from friend’s research http://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2023/06/upasampajja-viharati-attains-and-lives.html)

Upasampajja Viharati Not Used in Jhana/Formless/Animtta/Etc Formula

Current conclusion: Upasampajja Viharati is another 'jhana unicorn'-a word or phrase that translators give an entirely new meaning in the context of jhana with no other examples in the suttas having that meaning. An expression that in the vast majority of cases outside of the 8 attainments means 'live having entered', 'keep going what you have developed', 'lives having developed, 'lives having attained', it seems to imply the effort of maintenance of skillful qualities which again would be a full life thing. The only place this doesn't make as natural of sense is the formless attainments, but I highly suspect those formulas are late, although the non-formulaic versions are early.

4.5 – type 1: just attained arahantship, lives like an arahant afterwards (not temporary attainment)

Type 1:I (cetvimuttim, pannavimuttim dittheva dhamma saym abhinna sacchikatva upasampajja viharati)
DN 6.4, I
DN 8.5, I
DN 11.4, I
DN 15.6, I
DN 26.11, I
DN 28, I
DN 29, I
DN 34.7, I

MN 12, I
MN 40.1
MN 53.1
MN 54.2
MN 73
MN 108
MN 119
MN 120
MN 146

SN 16.9 (includes usages with jhana's/formless states as well)
SN 16.10 (includes usages with jhana's/formless states as well)
SN 21.4 (only contains part of usage I)
SN 21.5 "
SN 21.6 "
SN 21.11 "
SN 22.63 " (Seems like the brahmacariyam version is it's own separate pericope. Perhaps one of the two is earlier??)
SN 47.3 "
SN 47.46 "
SN 48.20 (more standard usage including cetovimmuti etc)
SN 48.43 (also standard)
SN 51.11 (Also standard)
SN 51.12 (also standard)
SN 51.14 (also standard)
"*.18
"*.20
"*.21
"*.23
"*.31
"*.32
SN 55.24 (ceto version)
SN 55.25 (ceto version)

AN 7.39 seems to explain the pericope in more detail?

4.6 – type 2: remaining in vedana

Type 2 (remaining in vedana)
MN 70
MN 102 (kinda, kinda it's own type as well)
AN 5.176

4.7 – type 3: MN 117 seems unique

Type 3
MN 117 (seems unique)

4.8 – type 4: remaining in Dhamma

Type 4 (remaining in dhamma (dhamme))
SN 22.2 (may include vedana-like usage too)

+

4.9 – type 5: undetermined

Type 5 (idk)
AN 3.60 (an important one 'live having entered that' doesn't make much sense as 'remain/stay having entered that' in context)

Unique ones
AN 4.51-used for alms round with measureless mental samadhi (all postures!!)
AN 4.178
SN 5.45
AN 3.65
‘These things are skillful, blameless, praised by sensible people, and when you undertake them, they lead to welfare and happiness’, then you should acquire them and keep them.
‘ime dhammā kusalā, ime dhammā anavajjā, ime dhammā viññuppasatthā, ime dhammā samattā samādinnā hitāya sukhāya saṁvattantī’ti, atha tumhe, kālāmā, upasampajja vihareyyātha.
again, enter and remain doesn't work here, again referring to a full life thing

Vimokkha's it looks like
DN 24.6?
DN 33.11 ?
SN 46.54

OOO a new one!:
From DN 9:
Saṅkilesikā ceva dhammā pahīyissanti, vodāniyā ca dhammā abhivaḍḍhissanti, paññāpāripūriṁ vepullattañca diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharissati, pāmujjañceva bhavissati pīti ca passaddhi ca sati ca sampajaññañca sukho ca vihāro.

Having entered living in wisdom and joy! Clear reference to third jhana again as a full-life thing.

The following suttas show examples of umpasampajja viharati outside of jhana that must mean something like 'lives having entered'.

Dittheva dhamme ... upasampajja viharati arahant pericope from any of the many suttas with it, clearly not temporary! Here it must mean something like 'lives having acquired'.
AN 3.61 (You should live having acquired skillful qualities)
AN 4.51 (upsampajja viharati in a measureless state of mind while eating, so measureless mind and 'upasampajja viharati' are compatible with daily activities)
AN 5.94 (four jhanas living at ease compared with taintless deliverance living at ease. This one sujato has translated different for the jhana formula and the arahant formula (mentioned above) in the same sutta. Again jhana living at ease must have same meaning as arahant living at ease which requires whole-life immersion in jhana.)
AN 7.38 (live having achieved/attained/acquired the 7 patisambhida, maybe a later sutta, but again the sense is living one's whole life having gained knowledge)

AN 4.51 measureless appamāṇa ceto-samādhi while eating, medicine, lodgings…

AN 4.51 (upsampajja viharati in a measureless state of mind while eating, so measureless mind and 'upasampajja viharati' are compatible with daily activities)
compare this samādhi with 24/7 samādhi 2.2.14 – KN Snp 1.8 Metta: Cmy says jhana with metta
“Cattārome, bhikkhave, puññābhisandā kusalābhisandā sukhassāhārā sovaggikā sukhavipākā saggasaṃvattanikā iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṃvattanti. “monks, there are these four kinds of overflowing merit, overflowing goodness. They nurture happiness and are conducive to heaven, ripening in happiness and leading to heaven. They lead to what is likable, desirable, agreeable, to welfare and happiness.
Katame cattāro? Which Four?
Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu cīvaraṃ paribhuñjamāno appamāṇaṃ cetosamādhiṃ upasampajja viharati, appamāṇo tassa puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṃvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṃvattati. When a monk enters and remains in a limitless undistractible-lucidity of heart while using a robe …


Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu piṇḍapātaṃ paribhuñjamāno appamāṇaṃ cetosamādhiṃ upasampajja viharati, appamāṇo tassa puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṃvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṃvattati. while eating alms-food …


Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu senāsanaṃ paribhuñjamāno appamāṇaṃ cetosamādhiṃ upasampajja viharati, appamāṇo tassa puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṃvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṃvattati. while using lodgings …


Yassa, bhikkhave, bhikkhu gilānappaccayabhesajjaparikkhāraṃ paribhuñjamāno appamāṇaṃ cetosamādhiṃ upasampajja viharati, appamāṇo tassa puññābhisando kusalābhisando sukhassāhāro sovaggiko sukhavipāko saggasaṃvattaniko iṭṭhāya kantāya manāpāya hitāya sukhāya saṃvattati. while using medicines and supplies for the sick, the overflowing of merit for the donor is limitless …


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Book 5: You can hear sounds in all 4 jhānas, not just the first. Which samādhis are silent?


✅ You can hear sounds in the 4 jhānas, including 'imperturbable' version of 4th jhāna (j4🌕 āneñja⚡). First three jhāna are 'perturbable' MN 66.
✅ You can not hear sounds in imperturbable formless (a-rūpa) attainments.
&nbsp &nbsp* Unqualified 'āneñja' (imperturbable) is usually referring to these formless attainment's, and not 4th jhāna.
&nbsp &nbsp* These formless states are the 'santi vihara' peaceful meditations referred to in DN 16 where Buddha and his teacher can not hear sounds.
⛔ Tv Ab Kv 18.8 claims that one can not hear sounds in the four jhānas. First of all, this text is relatively new and not everyone agrees it's canonical. Second, they use fallacious and circular reasoning.


 hearing in jhāna👂🌄 1 – You can hear sounds in the 4 jhānas. Which samādhis are silent?
hearing in jhāna👂🌄 2 – hearing in the four jhānas explicit in these suttas
hearing in jhāna👂🌄 3 - These are the only suttas showing no hearing being possible
hearing in jhāna👂🌄 4 – Analysis of relevant sutta references (alphabetical)
hearing in jhāna👂🌄 5 – Hearing and thinking while in Jhāna strongly implied
hearing in jhāna👂🌄 6 – Can you hear sound in imperturbable samādhi?
hearing in jhāna👂🌄 7 – AN 10.72 sound can be a thorn in all four jhānas
hearing in jhāna👂🌄 8 – Jhāna vs. VRJ
hearing in jhāna👂🌄 9 – Silence Isn’t Mandatory
hearing in jhāna👂🌄 10 – Misc.

5.1 – You can hear sounds in the 4 jhānas. Which samādhis are silent?

You can hear sounds in the 4 jhānas. Which samādhis are silent?
Answer: MN 43 and AN 9.37 make it absolutely clear, by not listing 4 jhanas, it’s only in the formless attainments where one is percipient and conscious and awake, but can not hear sounds, feel touch of body, etc. with 5 sense doors.

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There are two types of imperturbable (anenja) samadhi

1. the purified and luminous 4th jhana that can easily access the 6 higher knowledges, as described in MN 125 war elephant simile, AN 5.113 and AN 5.139, AN 6.56 with Sona.
2. formless attainments (as mentioned above, MN 43 and AN 9.37)
so when Ud 3.3 states that 500 monks and buddha in imperturbable samadhi can’t hear, we know it must be talking about formless states, not imperturbable 4th jhana.
when DN 16 mentions Buddh, while awake, percipient, conscious, not hearing in thunderstorm, and Alara not hearing 500 carts, their unamed samadhi must therefore be the imperturbable formless attainments, not the 4th jhana.
the imperturbable samadhi of Moggallana in the Vinaya passage must be the formless states, not 4th jhana for the same reason.
AN 10.72 deliberately omitting the 4 formless attainments, and listing 4 jhanas (plural), means sound acts as thorns in all jhanas, but not in the formless samadhi.
In DN 21 Buddha hears carriage moving and is knocked out of ‘samadhi’, we know that unspecified samadhi must therefore be 4 jhanas, or animitta samadhi. In several suttas, the buddha has stated whenever he’s not giving a dhamma talk, his mind is in suññata or samadhi. Suññata includes all 9 attainments and also animitta samadhi. Since he’s walking around, he’s not in a formless samadhi, and so most likely he’s in imperturbable 4th jhana by default.

'Santa Vihara', Peaceful dwellings, are formless attainments, not 4 jhānas

Besides the imperturbable formless samādhi where one can not hear sounds, the another term that is used is 'Santa Vihara', Peaceful dwellings.
In DN 16 when Buddha and his Teacher can not hear sounds, they are in Santa Vihara.
As MN 8 very clearly delineates, the four jhānas are 'pleasant dwellings', as opposed to the 4 formless attainments which are 'peaceful dwellings.'

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Conclusion: you can hear sounds in the 4 jhanas, loud sounds are thorns

When you consider all the sutta passages in this article, the evidence is overwhelming and incontrovertible. There is no controversy, and people should do their homework and clear it up for themselves. It’s not that hard. All the evidence is laid out for you here, you just need to commit a couple of hours to careful study.

5.2 – hearing in the four jhānas explicit in these suttas

Chapter 4 will look at excerpts from every sutta that has anything to do with hearing in samādhi, this chapter just briefly highlights a few of the most clear and explicit suttas showing hearing happening in the four jhānas.

MN 125 satipaṭṭhāna explicitly equated with first jhāna! If you can hear in 4sp🐘, you can also hear in jhāna
This sutta pretty much closes the case already. If you can hear in first jhāna, and we know someone with imperturbale version of fourth jhāna j4🌕 āneñja⚡ can walk around interactive with people and read their thoughts by exercising supernormal power, obviously 4th jhāna you must be able to hear sounds.
So if first jhāna can hear sounds, fourth jhāna can hear sounds, obviously 2nd and 3rd jhāna can also hear sounds.

MN 125 simile of war elephant in imperturbable 4th jhana withstanding onslaught from 5 sense doors
It’s clear what the war elephant is doing in the first 3 jhānas, involves listening, understanding, thinking with vitakka and vicāra.

DN 21 Buddha is explicitly in jhāna and hears a musician singing verse

DN 21 Buddha hears carriage moving and is knocked out of ‘samadhi’ by the loud sounds.

Ud 3.3 Buddha and 500 monks in imperturbable samadhi can’t hear Ānanda talking to them
Over the four hours of the night, Ānanda several times approaches the Buddha to talk to him, and each time the Buddha doesn’t respond.
The implication is Ānanda doesn’t expect the Buddha to be in imperturbable samādhi (formless attainments) by default, and that the Buddha normally would be in four jhānas samādhi where he can hear Ānanda talking to thim.

AN 10.72 sound is a thorn to all four jhānas, not just first jhāna
Snp‍ 5.14 Brahmin Udaya talks to the Buddha sitting in jhāna, Buddha replies.

5.3 – These are the only suttas showing no hearing being possible

These samādhis are not 4 jhānas!

DN 16 Āḷāra Kālāma doesn’t hear 500 carts pass by while in santa vihara (peaceful dwelling) awake (jagara), percipient (saññi)
DN 16 Buddha can’t hear in thunderstorm while in santa vihara (peaceful dwelling/meditation) awake (jagara), percipient (saññi)
Ud 3.3 Buddha and 500 monks in imperturbable samadhi can’t hear Ānanda talking to them
AN 9.37 mind divorced from 5 body faculties are 3 formless attainments, NOT 4 jhanas!
MN 43 mind divorced from 5 body faculties can know what? (3 formless attainments, not 4 jhanas!)
Vinaya Parjika 4.1 Moggallana hears sound in imperturbable samadhi
(Buddha explains Moggallāna was doing impure version of formless attainment when he heard sounds)

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5.4 – Analysis of relevant sutta references (alphabetical)

We’ll examine briefly some passages from these suttas (alphabetical order):

AN 5.26 First jhāna possible while hearing aand thinking during live dhamma talk
AN 5.113 sammā-samādhi-suttaṃ (right concentration)
AN 5.139 🐘 explicit in withstanding 5 senses while in samādhi
AN 5.151 listen to Dhamma with ekagga-citta
AN 5.209 chanting suttas is samādhi
AN 6.55 imperturbable (āneñja) outside of sitting jhāna
AN 6.56 Phagguna attained arahantship with hearing, V&V
AN 9.36 one is percipient of rūpa (5 senses of body) in four jhānas, but not in formless attainments
AN 9.37 mind divorced from 5 body faculties are 3 formless attainments, NOT 4 jhanas!
AN 10.72 sound is a thorn to all four jhānas, not just first jhāna
DN 16 Āḷāra Kālāma doesn’t hear 500 carts pass by while in santa vihara (peaceful dwelling) awake (jagara), percipient (saññi)
DN 16 Buddha can’t hear in thunderstorm while in santa vihara (peaceful dwelling/meditation) awake (jagara), percipient (saññi)
DN 21 Buddha hears carriage moving and is knocked out of ‘samadhi’
Ud 3.3 Buddha and 500 monks in imperturbable samadhi can’t hear Ānanda talking to them
MN 43 mind divorced from 5 body faculties can know what? (3 formless attainments, not 4 jhanas!)
MN 125 satipaṭṭhāna explicitly equated with first jhāna! If you can hear in 4sp, you can also hear in jhāna
MN 125 simile of war elephant in imperturbable 4th jhana withstanding onslaught from 5 sense doors
MN 137 upekkha of 4th jhāna is connected to 5 senses, upekkha of formless attainments is not
SN 46.38 hearing & thinking the dhamma while in jhāna samādhi
Vinaya Mv.II.3.4 “We listen with an ek’agga mind, an unscattered...
Vinaya Parjika 4.1 Moggallana hears sound in imperturbable samadhi
Vimt. Arahant Upatissa, On sound and speech in jhāna

Hearing and thinking while in Jhāna strongly implied

MN 70 hearing, memorizing, thinking dhamma for arahantship
AN 9.41 Buddha practicing impure first jhāna

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AN 5.26 First jhāna possible while hearing aand thinking during live dhamma talk

AN 5.26
idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno Here, monks, (for a) monk,
satthā dhammaṃ deseti (a) teacher (of) dhamma teaches (him),
aññataro vā garuṭṭhāniyo sabrahmacārī. {or a} certain fellow monk [teaches him],

yathā yathā, bhikkhave, tassa bhikkhuno in whatever way , *********, (for the) monk (that)
satthā dhammaṃ deseti (a) teacher (of) dhamma teaches (him),
aññataro vā garuṭṭhāniyo sabrahmacārī. {or a} certain fellow monk [teaches him],

(refrain: 7sb → jhāna → arahantship)
tathā tathā so tasmiṃ like-that, accordingly, he ******
dhamme attha-paṭisaṃvedī ca hoti {feels [inspiration]} in Dhamma meaning and
dhamma-paṭisaṃvedī ca. {feels [inspiration]} in Dhamma,
tassa attha-paṭisaṃvedino dhamma-paṭisaṃvedino as he {feels [inspiration] in} Dhamma-meaning (and) Dhamma,
pāmojjaṃ jāyati. joy arises.
pamuditassa pīti jāyati. (When he is) joyful, rapture arises.
pīti-manassa kāyo passambhati. (with) rapturous-mind, (the) body (becomes) tranquil.
passaddha-kāyo sukhaṃ vedeti. (with) tranquil-body, pleasure (he) feels.
sukhino cittaṃ samādhiyati. (For one feeling) pleasure, (the) mind (becomes) concentrated.

idaṃ, bhikkhave, paṭhamaṃ vimutt-āyatanaṃ This, monks, (is the) first liberation-basis,
yattha bhikkhuno appamattassa by means of which, if a monk {dwells} assiduous,
ātāpino pahitattassa viharato ardent, resolute, ********,
a-vimuttaṃ vā cittaṃ vimuccati, (his) un-liberated ** mind (is) liberated,
a-parik-khīṇā vā āsavā parik-khayaṃ gacchanti, un-destroyed ** asinine-inclinations, utterly-destroyed (they) become.
An-anuppattaṃ vā an-uttaraṃ yogak-khemaṃ (the) un-reached un-surpassed security-from-the-yoke
Anu-pāpuṇāti. (he) reaches.”


AN 5.113 sammā-samādhi-suttaṃ (right concentration)

AN 5.113
AN 5.113 sammā-samādhi-suttaṃ AN 5.113 right concentration discourse
♦ 113. “pañcahi, bhikkhave, dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu abhabbo sammāsamādhiṃ upasampajja viharituṃ. katamehi pañcahi? idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu akkhamo hoti rūpānaṃ, akkhamo saddānaṃ, akkhamo gandhānaṃ, akkhamo rasānaṃ, akkhamo phoṭṭhabbānaṃ. imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato bhikkhu abhabbo sammāsamādhiṃ upasampajja viharituṃ. (bodhi trans.) “Bhikkhus, possessing five qualities, a bhikkhu is incapable of entering and dwelling in right concentration. What five? Here, a bhikkhu cannot patiently endure forms, sounds, odors, tastes, and tactile objects. Possessing these five qualities, a bhikkhu is incapable of entering and dwelling in right concentration.
... (and the opposite case of above is stated for the remainder of the sutta)...

(Thanissaro translates ak-khamo as "resilient" or "able to withstand the impact of")

Recall STED (standard definition) of right concentration is the 4 jhānas. In the four arupa samadhis, the mind is divorced from the 5 sense faculties. In the 4 jhānas, which are still joined with the 5 sense faculties, as that’s the nature of rūpa, one is still able to hear sounds, feel mosquito bites, smell fresh cow dung, etc.



AN 5.139 🐘 explicit in withstanding 5 senses while in samādhi

(based on thanissaro trans., the phrase for mind concentrated is "cittaṃ samādahituṃ")
AN 5.139
“Endowed with five qualities, monks, a king’s elephant is not worthy of a king, is not a king’s asset, does not count as a very limb of his king. Which five? There is the case where a king’s elephant is not resilient to sights, not resilient to sounds, not resilient to aromas, not resilient to flavors, not resilient to tactile sensations.
...
“And how is a king’s elephant not resilient to sounds? There is the case where a king’s elephant, having gone into battle, hears the sound of elephants, the sound of cavalry, the sound of chariots, the sound of foot soldiers, the resounding din of drums, cymbals, conchs, & tom-toms, and so he falters, faints, doesn’t steel himself, can’t engage in the battle. This is how a king’s elephant is not resilient to sounds.

“And how is a king’s elephant not resilient to aromas? There is the case where a king’s elephant, having gone into battle, smells the stench of the urine & feces of those pedigreed royal elephants who are at home in the battlefield, and so he falters, faints, doesn’t steel himself, can’t engage in the battle. This is how a king’s elephant is not resilient to aromas.
...
“And how is a king’s elephant not resilient to tactile sensations? There is the case where a king’s elephant, having gone into battle, is pierced by a flight of arrows, two flights, three flights, four flights, five flights of arrows, and so he falters, faints, doesn’t steel himself, can’t engage in the battle. This is how a king’s elephant is not resilient to tactile sensations.
...
“In the same way, a monk endowed with five qualities is not deserving of gifts, deserving of hospitality, deserving of offerings, deserving of respect, nor is he an unexcelled field of merit for the world. Which five? There is the case where a monk is not resilient to sights, not resilient to sounds, not resilient to aromas, not resilient to flavors, not resilient to tactile sensations.
...
“And how is a monk not resilient to sounds? There is the case where a monk, on hearing a sound with the ear, feels passion for a sound that incites passion and cannot concentrate his mind. This is how a monk is not resilient to sounds.

“And how is a monk not resilient to aromas? There is the case where a monk, on smelling an aroma with the nose, feels passion for an aroma that incites passion and cannot concentrate his mind. This is how a monk is not resilient to aromas.
...

“And how is a monk not resilient to tactile sensations? There is the case where a monk, on touching a tactile sensation with the body, feels passion for a tactile sensation that incites passion and cannot concentrate his mind. This is how a monk is not resilient to tactile sensations.
...
(... the rest of sutta states the positive opposite 5 cases each for elephant and monk ... )

“Endowed with these five qualities, a monk is deserving of gifts, deserving of hospitality, deserving of offerings, deserving of respect, an unexcelled field of merit for the world.”

While the scenario above is an active samādhi that occurs in all postures, sitting meditation is one of those postures. It’s possible to hear sounds while in first jhāna, listening to a dhamma teaching for example, and reflecting on the meaning of that dhamma with V&V (vitakka and vicara), as we’ll see in another sutta.


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AN 5.151 listen to Dhamma with ekagga-citta

(1. doesn’t hold talk in contempt )
(2. doesn’t hold speaker in contempt )
(3. doesn’t hold oneself in contempt )
(4. Listens without scattered/vikkhitta-citto mind )
(5. Mind is ek-agga, with-appropriate attention. )
a-vikkhitta-citto dhammaṃ suṇāti, “One listens to the Dhamma with an un-scattered mind,
ek’-agga-citto (with) single-preoccupation – (in) – mind
yoniso ca manasi karoti. “One attends appropriately.”
imehi kho, bhikkhave, pañcahi dhammehi samannāgato “Endowed with these five qualities
suṇanto saddhammaṃ when listening to the True Dhamma,
bhabbo niyāmaṃ okkamituṃ kusalesu dhammesu sammattan”ti. paṭhamaṃ. one is capable of alighting on the orderliness, on the rightness of skillful qualities.”

Ekaggata and samādhi often used synonymously
Here are a few excerpts from Thanissaro’s article on Ekaggata that show hearing sounds and samādhi and jhāna happen simultaneously.
agga is a meeting place
The second cluster of meanings for agga centers on the idea of “meeting place.” A hall where monks gather for the uposatha, for example, is called an uposath’agga. The spot where they gather for their meals is called a bhatt’agga.

Given that the object of concentration is said to be a dwelling (vihāra), and that a person enters and dwells (viharati) in the levels of jhāna, this second cluster of meanings may be the more relevant one here. A mind with a single agga, in this case, would simply be a mind gathered around one object, and need not be reduced to a single point.

B. An even more telling way to determine the meanings of ek’agga and ek’aggatā is, instead of dividing these words into their roots, to look at the ways in which the Canon uses them to describe minds.

1. Two passages, one from the Vinaya and one from a sutta, show what ek’agga means in the everyday context of listening to the Dhamma.

Mv.II.3.4 “We listen with an ek’agga mind, an unscattered...
In Mv.II.3.4, the phrase, “we pay attention,” in the instructions for how to listen to the Pāṭimokkha, is defined as: “We listen with an ek’agga mind, an unscattered mind, an undistracted mind.” Even if ek’agga were translated as “one-pointed” here, the “point” is obviously not so restricted as to make the ears fall silent. Otherwise, we would not be able to hear the Pāṭimokkha at all. And the fact that the mind is ek’agga doesn’t mean that we can’t also hear other sounds aside from the Pāṭimokkha. It’s just that those sounds don’t make the mind lose its focus on a single theme.

AN 5:151 with ek'agga mind one can listen and think
In AN 5.151, the Buddha lists five qualities that enable one, when listening to the true Dhamma, to “alight on assuredness, on the rightness of skillful qualities.” The five qualities are:

“One doesn’t hold the talk in contempt.
“One doesn’t hold the speaker in contempt.
“One doesn’t hold oneself in contempt.
“One listens to the Dhamma with an unscattered mind, an ek’agga mind.
“One attends appropriately.”

Because appropriate attention means to contemplate experiences in terms of the four noble truths (see MN 2), this passage shows that when the mind is ek’agga, it’s not only able to hear. It can also think at the same time. If it couldn’t hear or think, it couldn’t make sense of the Dhamma talk. So again, even if we translate ek’agga as “one-pointed,” the one-pointed mind is not so pointy that it cannot think or hear sounds. This would defeat the purpose of listening to the Dhamma and would get in the way of “alighting on assuredness.”

AN 5.209 chanting suttas is samādhi

AN 5.209
sara-kuttimpi ni-kāma-yamānassa (4) intonation-refining (for) one-desiring (that),

samādhissa bhaṅgo hoti, (their) undistractable-lucidity breaks-up.


This sutta is talking about the problems with being too musical in how one chants suttas. Item #4 shows that the act of vocalizing, listening to one's own vocalization to adjust intonation, understanding the sutta's meaning as one chants, or even just knowing whether one's reciting is accurate, is samādhi.
The 4 jhānas are samādhi, so one can hear sounds in jhāna.


AN 6.55 imperturbable (āneñja) outside of sitting jhāna

evaṃ sammā vimuttacittassa kho, āvuso, bhikkhuno bhusā cepi cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā cakkhussa āpāthaṃ āgacchanti, nevassa cittaṃ pariyādiyanti; amissīkatamevassa cittaṃ hoti ṭhitaṃ āneñjappattaṃ, vayaṃ cassānupassati. "Even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into the visual range of a monk whose mind is thus rightly released, his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being still, having reached imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away.
AN 6.55
♦ “bhusā cepi sotaviññeyyā saddā... ghānaviññeyyā gandhā... jivhāviññeyyā rasā... kāyaviññeyyā phoṭṭhabbā... manoviññeyyā dhammā manassa āpāthaṃ āgacchanti, nevassa cittaṃ pariyādiyanti; amissīkatamevassa cittaṃ hoti ṭhitaṃ āneñjappattaṃ, vayaṃ cassānupassatī”ti. chaṭṭhaṃ. And even if powerful sounds... aromas... flavors... tactile sensations... Even if powerful ideas cognizable by the intellect come into the mental range of a monk whose mind is thus rightly released, his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being still, having reached imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away.

In this particular passage, Ven. Sona is an arahant describing himself, but the key word imperturbability suggests he’s still in a 4th jhāna that can hear sounds, and not be affected by the sounds .

AN 6.56 Phagguna attained arahantship with hearing, V&V

Jhāna and samādhi are not explicitly stated in AN 6.56 Phagguna-sutta.

But it’s hard to believe one hears a Dhamma talk, or reflects on memorized Dhamma with V&V (vitakka & vicara) without being in at least first jhana to attain non-returner or arahantship.

If you’re saying these 6 scenarios happened without jhana, then you’re in a very awkward position of trying to explain what kind of samadhi looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, but is not jhana.

This sutta is talking about not just Phagguna, but is a general description of 6 ways one can attain non-return or arahantship from listening to (while in first jhana), or thinking and considering Dhamma (B. Sujato’s translation of V&V here).

So which is it? If he’s in first jhana, then V&V would need to be translated as “placing the mind and keeping it connected”, which would be incoherent. If he’s not in first jhana, then where in the suttas does it explain the origination and province of all these duck-like species that aren’t ducks but look and behave exactly like them?

AN 6.56 phagguna, although not mentioning jhana explicitly, is following the same 7sb pattern (where hearing and V&V are involved) in AN 5.26.

Now AN 5.26 also doesn’t explicitly say “jhana”, but when you have piti-samobojjhanga present, passadhi-sambojjhanga present, samadhi-sambojjhanga present, that’s absolutely 4 jhana quality of samadhi. Or else you have yet more mysterious species of duck like creatures that look, act, quack like a duck but are supposedly not actually ducks.

AN 9.36 one is percipient of rūpa (5 senses of body) in four jhānas, but not in formless attainments

AN 9.36
Note that AN 9.36 is the sutta that immediately precedes AN 9.37!
Those suttas are connected.
The sutta is explaining how one does vipassana while one is in the four jhānas and the first three formless attainments.
It also mentions one is percipient of form/rūpa while in the four jhānas,
but one is not percipient of rūpa while in the formless attainments
Percipient of rūpa means the mind is connected to the 5 senses of the physical body.
You can hear sounds in the four jhānas.
Just to make sure you get the point, the next sutta, AN 9.37 uses different terminology equivalent to the body’s rūpa in terms of the 5 bodily sense bases, and only mentions the formless attainments as not being able to sense the body or hear sounds, very conspicuously omitting the four jhānas from that!

AN 9.37 mind divorced from 5 body faculties are 3 formless attainments, NOT 4 jhanas!

AN 9.37
(for example one would not be able to hear sounds, feel mosquito bites in this state)

(1) That very eye will-be-present (with) those forms tadeva nāma cakkhuṃ bhavissati te rūpā
[and yet] that-base [one] {will} not experience. Tañc-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati.
(2) That very ear will-be-present (with) those sounds, tadeva nāma sotaṃ bhavissati te saddā
[and yet] that-base [one] {will} not experience. Tañc-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati.
(3) That very nose will-be-present (with) those odors, tadeva nāma ghānaṃ bhavissati te gandhā
[and yet] that-base [one] {will} not experience. Tañc-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati.
(4) That very tongue will-be-present (with) those tastes, sāva nāma jivhā bhavissati te rasā
[and yet] that-base [one] {will} not experience. Tañc-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati.
That very body will-be-present (with) those tactile-objects, sova nāma kāyo bhavissati te phoṭṭhabbā
[and yet] that-base [one] {will} not experience. Tañc-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedissati.
“ ti.
(What is one percipient of when divorced from 5 sense faculties?)
with-that said, Venerable Udāyī ♦ evaṃ vutte āyasmā udāyī
(to) Venerable Ānanda {said}-this: āyasmantaṃ ānandaṃ etadavoca —
"(Is one) percipient-*** ***, friend Ānanda, “saññīm-eva nu kho, āvuso ānanda,
(while) that-base (is) not experienced, tad-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti
or (is one) not-percipient?" udāhu a-saññī”ti?

"[One is] Percipient-*** indeed, *****, “saññīm-eva kho, āvuso,
(while) that-base (is) not experienced, tad-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedeti,
not un-percipient." no a-saññī”ti.

"What-(is one)-percipient (of), friend, ♦ “kiṃ-saññī panāvuso,
(while) that-base (is) not experienced?" tad-āyatanaṃ no paṭisaṃvedetī”ti?
Answer is same 3 formless attainments as MN 43, plus na ca sa-saṅkhāra-niggayha-vārita-gato


AN 10.72 sound is a thorn to all four jhānas, not just first jhāna

AN 10.72 see detailed sutta analysis in next section

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DN 16 Āḷāra Kālāma doesn’t hear 500 carts pass by while in santa vihara (peaceful dwelling) awake (jagara), percipient (saññi)

DN 16
(sutta passage analyzed in another chapter of article)

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DN 16 Buddha can’t hear in thunderstorm while in santa vihara (peaceful dwelling/meditation) awake (jagara), percipient (saññi)

DN 16
(sutta passage analyzed in another chapter of article)

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DN 21 Buddha hears carriage moving and is knocked out of ‘samadhi’

DN 21 compare with DN 16 where Buddha can’t hear in imperturbable samadhi
https://notesonthedhamma.blogspot.com/2020/01/dn-21-sound-of-chariot-causes-buddha-to.html
‘akālo kho, mārisa, bhagavantaṃ dassanāya; ‘It’s the wrong time to see the Buddha,
paṭisallīno bhagavā’ti. as he’s in retreat.’
‘Tena hi, bhagini, yadā bhagavā tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhito hoti, atha mama vacanena bhagavantaṃ abhivādehi: ‘Well then, sister, please convey my message when the Buddha emerges from that undistractible-lucidity.’
“sakko, bhante, devānamindo sāmacco saparijano bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatī”’ti.
Kacci me sā, bhante, bhaginī bhagavantaṃ abhivādesi? I hope that sister bowed to you?
Sarati bhagavā tassā bhaginiyā vacanan”ti? Do you remember what she said?”
“Abhivādesi maṃ sā, devānaminda, bhaginī, sarāmahaṃ tassā bhaginiyā vacanaṃ. “She did bow, lord of gods, and I remember what she said.
Api cāhaṃ āyasmato nemisaddena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhito”ti. I also remember that it was the sound of your chariot wheels that pulled me out of that undistractible-lucidity.”

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KN Ud 3.3 Buddha and 500 monks in imperturbable samadhi can’t hear Ānanda talking to them

Ud 3.3 if they could hear, buddha would have responded to Ānanda talking to him.

♦ tatiyampi kho āyasmā ānando abhikkantāya rattiyā, nikkhante pacchime yāme, uddhaste aruṇe, nandimukhiyā rattiyā uṭṭhāyāsanā ekaṃsaṃ uttarāsaṅgaṃ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṃ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṃ etadavoca — “abhikkantā, bhante, ratti; nikkhanto pacchimo yāmo; uddhasto aruṇo; nandimukhī ratti; ciranisinnā āgantukā bhikkhū; paṭisammodatu, bhante, bhagavā, āgantukehi bhikkhūhī”ti. Then a third time, when the night was far advanced, at the end of the last watch, as dawn was approaching and the face of the night was beaming, Ven. Ānanda got up from his seat, arranged his robe over one shoulder, stood facing the Blessed One, paying homage to him with his hands placed palm-to-palm over his heart, and said to him, “The night, lord, is far advanced. The last watch has ended. Dawn is approaching and the face of the night is beaming. The visiting monks have been sitting here a long time. May the Blessed One greet them.”
♦ atha kho bhagavā tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhahitvā āyasmantaṃ ānandaṃ āmantesi — “sace kho tvaṃ, ānanda, jāneyyāsi ettakampi te nappaṭibhāseyya VAR . ahañca, ānanda, imāni ca pañca bhikkhusatāni sabbeva āneñjasamādhinā nisīdimhā”ti. Then the Blessed One, emerging from his imperturbable concentration, said to Ven. Ānanda, “Ānanda, if you had known, not even that much would have occurred to you (to say).1 I, along with all 500 of these monks, have been sitting in imperturbable concentration.”

Summary of Ud 3.3:
This sutta is closely related to AN 10.72 sutta on sound being a thorn to the four jhānas.
It even ends with the udāna verse about 3 thorns ended by an arahant,
The sutta starts with monks making very loud noises and the Buddha being disturbed by the noise, implying that the Buddha was experiencing sound as thorns in the 4 jhānas, just as in AN 10.72 the merchants in their carriages making a loud noise traveling.
The Buddha sends away the 500 noisy monks.
Those 500 monks meditate diligently, and all attain the 3 higher knowledges and imperturbable formless attainments.
The Buddha summons those monks.
Those 500 monks notice that the Buddha is in imperturbable samādhi, and sit down and also enter imperturbable samādhi.
Ānanda goes to the Buddha to announce the arrival of the 500 monks, but the Buddha doesn’t hear him and doesn’t respond.
Ānanda asks a few more times, over the course of the night (about a 4 hour period).
Same results, Buddha doesn’t respond.
Then next morning, the Buddha tells Ānanda, “if you had known that I and the 500 monks were in formless samādhi, you would not have talked to me expecting me to hear and respond to you.”

So to reiterate the two important points:
1. earlier when the 500 monks were not yet arahants, they were noisy and disturbing the Buddha with the noise. Since the Buddha is always in suññata or samādhi (4 jhānas can be a mode of suññata), then the Buddha would obviously be in one of the four jhānas when he heard the monks making loud noises.
2. at the end of the sutta when the Buddha and the 500 monks are in imperturbable samādhi and can not hear Ānanda talking to them, they are in the formless attainments and can not hear sounds. This is why AN 10.72 lists four jhānas as having sound be a thorn, but omits the 4 formless attainments.
3. Important implication: The fact that Ānanda saw the Buddha sitting quietly over the 4 hours entire night, and several times tried to talk to him, means that Ānanda generally expects the Buddha not to be in imperturbable samādhi. Instead, Buddha would typically be in four jhānas the majority or at least a good portion of the typical nightly four hour period. Otherwise Ānanda wouldn’t try to talk to him!
4. Deduction: the imperturbable samādhi here must be the formless attainments, rather than 4th jhāna, since they couldn’t hear Ānanda talking to them.

MN 43 mind divorced from 5 body faculties can know what? (3 formless attainments, not 4 jhanas!)

MN 43. Very simlar to AN 9.37, slightly different terminology to refer to 5 bodily senses.
[Ven. Mahā Koṭṭhita]: “divorced ****** (from the) five sense-faculties, ♦ 451. “nissaṭṭhena hāvuso, pañcahi indriyehi
(with a) purified mind-consciousness, parisuddhena mano-viññāṇena
what can-be-known?" kiṃ neyyan”ti?

[Ven. Sāriputta]: “divorced ****** (from the) five sense-faculties, ♦ “nissaṭṭhena āvuso, pañcahi indriyehi
(with a) purified mind-consciousness, parisuddhena mano-viññāṇena
‘infinite space,’ the-space-infinitude-dimension (can be) known, ‘ananto ākāso’ti ākāsān-añc-āyatanaṃ neyyaṃ,
‘infinite consciousness,’ the-consciousness-infinitude-dimension (can be) known, ‘anantaṃ viññāṇan’ti viññāṇ-añc-āyatanaṃ neyyaṃ,
‘There is nothing.’ the-nothingness-dimension (can be) known." ‘natthi kiñcī’ti ākiñcaññ-āyatanaṃ neyyan”ti.


MN 125 satipaṭṭhāna explicitly equated with first jhāna! If you can hear in 4sp, you can also hear in jhāna

MN 125.3.10 - (do 4sp with no kāma-vitakka/thoughts of sensuality = first jhāna)

MN 125 simile of war elephant in imperturbable 4th jhana withstanding onslaught from 5 sense doors

MN 125 ties in with khamo (resilience) to 5 sense doors from AN 5.113 and AN 5.139
MN 125.3.11.1 - (simile: monk developing 2nd through 4th jhāna → elephant tied up so it can’t move while training to be imperturbable to simulated weapons and battle stress)
MN 125.5 - (mark of sammā samādhi is khamo/patient endurance of any unpleasant experience)
MN 125.5.1 - (simile: successful monk with imperturbable 4th jhāna withstands cold, heat, mosquitoes → elephant in live battle struck by spears, swords, arrows)
MN 125.5.2 - (in the same way, repeat what monk does before elephant simile )

MN 137 upekkha of 4th jhāna is connected to 5 senses, upekkha of formless attainments is not

MN 137.5.1 - (upekkha based on diversity/nanatta are 3rd and 4th jhāna)
MN 137.5.2 - (upekkha based on unity/ekatta are 4 a-rūpa attainments)


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SN 46.38 hearing & thinking the dhamma while in jhāna samādhi

SN 46.38 āvaraṇ-anīvaraṇa-suttaṃ SN 46.38 without-obstruction-without-hindrances-discourse
♦ “yasmiṃ, bhikkhave, samaye ariya-sāvako "whatever, *********, time (a) noble-one's-disciple,
aṭṭhiṃ katvā manasi katvā attending to it as a matter of vital concern,
sabbaṃ cetaso samann-āharitvā (with) entire mind directed (to it),
ohita-soto dhammaṃ suṇāti, (with) eager-ears, (the) dhamma (he) listens (to),
imassa pañca nīvaraṇā tasmiṃ samaye na honti. the five hindrances (at) that time (are) not present.
satta bojjh-aṅgā tasmiṃ samaye (the) seven awakening-factors (at) that time
bhāvanā-pāripūriṃ gacchanti. (their) development-fulfillment happens.
bodhi:
“When, bhikkhus, a noble disciple listens to the Dhamma with eager ears, attending to it as a matter of vital concern, directing his whole mind to it, on that occasion the five hindrances are not present in him; on that occasion the seven factors of enlightenment go to fulfilment by development.

In a moment of practice where the 5 hindrances are absent, and all 7 awakening factors are fulfilled, that includes samādhi-sam-bojjhanga, which the next 2 passages show includes sammā samādhi, i.e. the four jhānas.

AN 10.3 samādhi-sambojjhanga includes sammā-samādhi (which in turn is 4 jhanas)
sīlavipannassa hatūpaniso hoti avippaṭisāro; (1) for an immoral person, for one deficient in virtuous behavior,
avippaṭisāre asati avippaṭisāravipannassa hatūpanisaṃ hoti pāmojjaṃ; (2) non-regret lacks its proximate cause. When there is no non-regret, for one deficient in non-regret,
pāmojje asati pāmojjavipannassa hatūpanisā hoti pīti; (3) joy lacks its proximate cause. When there is no joy, for one deficient in joy,
pītiyā asati pītivipannassa hatūpanisā hoti passaddhi; (4) rapture lacks its proximate cause. When there is no rapture, for one deficient in rapture,
passaddhiyā asati passaddhivipannassa hatūpanisaṃ hoti sukhaṃ; (5) tranquility lacks its proximate cause. When there is no tranquility, for one deficient in tranquility,
sukhe asati sukhavipannassa hatūpaniso hoti sammāsamādhi; (6) pleasure lacks its proximate cause. When there is no pleasure, for one deficient in pleasure,
sammāsamādhimhi asati sammāsamādhivipannassa hatūpanisaṃ hoti yathābhūtañāṇadassanaṃ; (7) right concentration lacks its proximate cause. When there is no right concentration, for one deficient in right concentration,
yathābhūtañāṇadassane asati yathābhūtañāṇadassanavipannassa hatūpaniso hoti nibbidāvirāgo; (8) the knowledge and vision of things as they really are lacks its proximate cause. When there is no knowledge and vision of things as they really are, for one deficient in the knowledge and vision of things as they really are,
nibbidāvirāge asati nibbidāvirāgavipannassa hatūpanisaṃ hoti vimuttiñāṇadassanaṃ. (9) disenchantment and dispassion lack their proximate cause. When there is no disenchantment and dispassion, for one deficient in disenchantment and dispassion,
(10) the knowledge and vision of liberation lacks its proximate cause.

SN 46.52 samādhi-sam-bojjhanga includes samādhi in 3 ways
SN 46 is the bojjhanga samyutta, and these 2 samādhis are 2 out of the “samadhi in 3 ways”, which are recognized by both EBT and commentaries as being equivalent to the 4 jhānas of sammā samādhi.
♦ “yadapi, bhikkhave, 18“Whatever concentration there is accompanied by thought and examination is the enlightenment factor of concentration;
savitakko savicāro samādhi tadapi samādhisambojjhaṅgo, whatever concentration there is without thought and examination is also the enlightenment factor of concentration.103 "" Thus what is spoken of concisely as the enlightenment factor of concentration becomes,
yadapi avitakkāvicāro samādhi tadapi samādhisambojjhaṅgo. by this method of exposition,
‘samādhisambojjhaṅgo’ti iti hidaṃ uddesaṃ gacchati. twofold.
tadamināpetaṃ pariyāyena dvayaṃ hoti.



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Vinaya Mv.II.3.4 “We listen with an ek’agga mind, an unscattered...

Vin Mv‍ 2.69, Mv.II.3.4 “We listen with an ek’agga mind, an unscattered...
In Mv.II.3.4, the phrase, “we pay attention,” in the instructions for how to listen to the Pāṭimokkha, is defined as: “We listen with an ek’agga mind, an unscattered mind, an undistracted mind.” Even if ek’agga were translated as “one-pointed” here, the “point” is obviously not so restricted as to make the ears fall silent. Otherwise, we would not be able to hear the Pāṭimokkha at all. And the fact that the mind is ek’agga doesn’t mean that we can’t also hear other sounds aside from the Pāṭimokkha. It’s just that those sounds don’t make the mind lose its focus on a single theme.
Vin 4, 2. uposathakkhandhako, 69. pātimokkhuddesānujānanā, para. 3 ⇒

Sādhukaṃ suṇomāti aṭṭhiṃ katvā manasi katvā sabbacetasā [sabbaṃ cetasā (syā. ka.)] samannāharāma. (We) listen properly means: having applied ourselves, having attended, we concentrate with all our mind.
Manasi karomāti ekaggacittā avikkhittacittā avisāhaṭacittā nisāmema. (Mhv. 2, Pātimokkhuddesānujānanā) (We) pay attention means: we listen, minds one-pointed, minds not distracted, minds not perturbed. (Mhv. 2, Allowance to recite the Pātimokkha)



Vinaya Parjika 4.1 Moggallana hears sound in imperturbable samadhi

passage analyzed in next section.
imperturbable (anenja) corresponds to most likely 3 formless perception attainments, but can also refer to a high quality fourth jhana capable of 6ab psychic powers.


Vimt. Arahant Upatissa, On sound and speech in jhāna

From Vimutti-magga, this is Arahant Upatissa’s explanation of speech ceasing in first jhāna, and the ability to hear sounds in jhāna:

Q. What are the miscellaneous teachings in the field of concentration?

A. Stoppage of sounds; overturning; rising; transcending; access; initial application of thought; feeling; uncertainty. “Stoppage of sounds”: In the first meditation, jhāna, speech is stopped. On entering the fourth meditation, jhāna, the yogin stops breathing.

Gradual stoppage of sounds: When the yogin enters into concentration, he hears sounds, but he is not able to speak because the faculty of hearing and that of speech are not united. To a man who enters form concentration {four jhānas}, sound is disturbing. Hence the Buddha taught: “To a man who enters meditation, jhāna, sound is a thorn”.

end of section [5.4 – Analysis of relevant sutta references (alphabetical)]❧
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5.5 – Hearing and thinking while in Jhāna strongly implied

In conjunction with the principles established in the previous section, these passages support the idea of hearing dhamma and thinking about it while one is in first jhāna.

MN 70 hearing, memorizing, thinking dhamma for arahantship

MN 2, 2. bhikkhuvaggo, 10. kīṭāgirisuttaṃ (MN 70.1), para. 18 ⇒ (bodhi trans.)
183. “nāhaṃ, bhikkhave, ādikeneva aññārādhanaṃ vadāmi; api ca, bhikkhave, anupubbasikkhā anupubbakiriyā anupubbapaṭipadā aññārādhanā hoti. “Bhikkhus, I do not say that final knowledge is achieved all at once. On the contrary, final knowledge is achieved by gradual training, by gradual practice, by gradual progress. [480]
kathañca, bhikkhave, anupubbasikkhā anupubbakiriyā anupubbapaṭipadā aññārādhanā hoti? “And how is final knowledge achieved by gradual training, gradual practice, gradual progress?

idha, bhikkhave, saddhājāto upasaṅkamati, Here one who has faith [in a teacher] visits him;
upasaṅkamanto payirupāsati, when he visits him, he pays respect to him;
payirupāsanto sotaṃ odahati, when he pays respect to him, he gives ear;
ohitasoto dhammaṃ suṇāti, one who gives ear hears the Dhamma;
sutvā dhammaṃ dhāreti, having heard the Dhamma, he memorises it;
dhatānaṃ dhammānaṃ atthaṃ upaparikkhati, he examines the meaning of the teachings he has memorised;
atthaṃ upaparikkhato dhammā nijjhānaṃ khamanti, when he examines their meaning, he gains a reflective acceptance of those teachings;
dhammanijjhānakkhantiyā sati chando jāyati, when he has gained a reflective acceptance of those teachings, zeal springs up in him;
chandajāto ussahati, when zeal has sprung up, he applies his will;
ussāhetvā tuleti, having applied his will, he scrutinises;
tulayitvā padahati, having scrutinised, he strives;
pahitatto samāno kāyena ceva resolutely striving, he realises with the body
paramasaccaṃ sacchikaroti, paññāya ca naṃ ativijjha passati. the supreme truth and sees it by penetrating it with wisdom.708

seeing supreme truth seems to imply at least stream entry. Upa-parikkhato Is close in meaning to upekkha, both have the verb ikkhati (to look at, examine), as a base. Nij-jhānam has the same root as jhāna. Zeal, will, scrutiny, exertion are near synonyms of the 4 iddhi-pada. So if you read between the lines, upekkha and jhāna together means one has 4th jhāna, and then perfecting the 4th jhāna with the 4ip (iddhi pada) leads to stream entry of seeing supreme truth. In any case, whatever of the 37bp (bodhi pakkhiya) models from the framework you view this passage through, we know that stream entry can’t happen without jhāna and upekkha, so it’s hard to imagine nij-jhāna could refer to anything but the four-jhānas.


AN 9.41 Buddha practicing impure first jhāna

"So it is, Ananda. So it is. Even I myself, before my Awakening, when I was still an unawakened Bodhisatta, thought: 'Renunciation is good. Seclusion is good.' But my heart didn't leap up at renunciation, didn't grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace. The thought occurred to me: 'What is the cause, what is the reason, why my heart doesn't leap up at renunciation, doesn't grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace?' Then the thought occurred to me: 'I haven't seen the drawback of sensual pleasures; I haven't pursued [that theme]. I haven't understood the reward of renunciation; I haven't familiarized myself with it. That's why my heart doesn't leap up at renunciation, doesn't grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace.'

[1] "Then the thought occurred to me: 'If, having seen the drawback of sensual pleasures, I were to pursue that theme; and if, having understood the reward of renunciation, I were to familiarize myself with it, there's the possibility that my heart would leap up at renunciation, grow confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace.'

"So at a later time, having seen the drawback of sensual pleasures, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of renunciation, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at renunciation, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. Then, quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful qualities, I entered & remained in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation.

"As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with sensuality. That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so the attention to perceptions dealing with sensuality that beset me was an affliction for me.

Read this sutta passage carefully, in conjunction with AN 5.113 and AN 5.139 . Right concentration means being able to withstand the sounds one is able to hear while in first jhāna. The key characteristic of first jhāna is turning away from 5 cords of sense pleasure and seeing the suffering in it, and instead turning to the pleasure of renunciation. That has nothing to do with being in a samādhi where the body disappears and can’t be felt, and sound can’t be heard. History and even among modern meditators you’ll find plenty of live cases of meditators who can do the Vism. Samādhi of no hearing, no body sensation, but they disrobe or clearly are not free from desire for 5 cords of sensual pleasure when they are not in that samādhi. The essence of Right Concentration is that you’ve trained yourself to instantly remove akusala thoughts and replace them with kusala thoughts, not just in sitting posture, but all the time.
Don’t forget the Buddha promised a gradual training compared to the beach ocean floor gently declining until there’s a steep drop off (representing Nirvana attainment, AN 8.19, 8.20, Ud 5.5). Rome wasn’t built in a day, and a samādhi with no hearing divorced from 5 sense faculties comes later, after fourth jhāna.


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5.6 – Can you hear sound in imperturbable samādhi?

Moggallana hears loud elephant noises in imperturbable samādhi

♦ pārājikapāḷi ♦ 1. pārājikakaṇḍaṃ ♦ 4. catutthapārājikaṃ Vinaya Vibhanga, 4th pārājika
♦ 232. atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhikkhū āmantesi — Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said to the monks:
“idhāhaṃ, āvuso, sappinikāya nadiyā tīre āneñjaṃ samādhiṃ samāpanno nāgānaṃ ogayha uttarantānaṃ koñcaṃ karontānaṃ saddaṃ assosin”ti. “After attaining an imperturbable samādhi on the banks of the river Sappinikā, I heard the noise of elephants plunging in, emerging, and trumpeting.”

bhikkhū ujjhāyanti khiyyanti vipācenti — The monks complained and criticized him:
“kathañhi nāma āyasmā mahāmoggallāno āneñjaṃ samādhiṃ samāpanno saddaṃ sossati! “How can Venerable Mahāmoggallāna say such a thing?
uttarimanussadhammaṃ āyasmā mahāmoggallāno ullapatī”ti. He’s claiming a super-human ability.”
bhagavato etamatthaṃ ārocesuṃ. They informed the Master.

“attheso, bhikkhave, samādhi so ca kho aparisuddho. “Monks, there is such a samādhi, but itʼs not wholly purified.
saccaṃ, bhikkhave, moggallāno āha. Moggallāna spoke truthfully.
anāpatti, bhikkhave, moggallānassā”ti. There’s no offense for Moggallāna.”

Imperturbable (āneñjaṃ), mainly refers to arupa formless attainments, and sometimes the 4th jhāna. A separate article on āneñjaṃ under 4nt → 8aam #8 examines all the passages where that attainment occurs.

The main point of this passage is Moggallana thought he was able to hear sounds WHILE in the imperturbable samadhi. The other monks accuse Moggallana of lying about having an attainment that he didn’t actually have, but the Buddha explains Moggallana just has an IMPURE imperturbable attainment.


DN 16 Buddha can’t hear in thunderstorm

presumably Buddha in formless samadhi

‘Idāni, bhante, deve vassante deve gaḷagaḷāyante vijjullatāsu niccharantīsu asaniyā phalantiyā ‘Just now, sir, it was raining and pouring, lightning was flashing, and thunder was cracking.
dve kassakā bhātaro hatā cattāro ca balibaddā. And two farmers who were brothers were killed, as well as four oxen.

Ettheso mahājanakāyo sannipatito. Then this crowd gathered here.
Tvaṃ pana, bhante, kva ahosī’ti? But sir, where were you?’
‘Idheva kho ahaṃ, āvuso, ahosin’ti. ‘I was right here, friend.’
‘Kiṃ pana, bhante, addasā’ti? ‘But sir, did you see?’
‘Na kho ahaṃ, āvuso, addasan’ti. ‘No, friend, I didn’t see anything.’
‘Kiṃ pana, bhante, saddaṃ assosī’ti? ‘But sir, didn’t you hear a sound?’
‘Na kho ahaṃ, āvuso, saddaṃ assosin’ti. ‘No, friend, I didn’t hear a sound.’
‘Kiṃ pana, bhante, sutto ahosī’ti? ‘But sir, were you asleep?’
‘Na kho ahaṃ, āvuso, sutto ahosin’ti. ‘No, friend, I wasn’t asleep.’
‘Kiṃ pana, bhante, saññī ahosī’ti? ‘But sir, were you conscious?’
‘Evamāvuso’ti. ‘Yes, friend.’
‘So tvaṃ, bhante, saññī samāno jāgaro deve vassante deve gaḷagaḷāyante vijjullatāsu niccharantīsu asaniyā phalantiyā neva addasa, na pana saddaṃ assosī’ti? ‘So, sir, while conscious and awake you neither saw nor heard a sound as it was raining and pouring, lightning was flashing, and thunder was cracking?’
‘Evamāvuso’ti? ‘Yes, friend.’

Atha kho, pukkusa, tassa purisassa etadahosi: Then that person thought:
‘acchariyaṃ vata bho, abbhutaṃ vata bho, santena vata bho pabbajitā vihārena viharanti. ‘It’s incredible, it’s amazing! Those who have gone forth remain in such peaceful meditations,
Yatra hi nāma saññī samāno jāgaro deve vassante deve gaḷagaḷāyante vijjullatāsu niccharantīsu asaniyā phalantiyā neva dakkhati, na pana saddaṃ sossatī’ti. in that, while conscious and awake he neither saw nor heard a sound as it was raining and pouring, lightning was flashing, and thunder was cracking.’


+

Āḷāra Kālāma doesn’t hear 500 carts pass by, presumably formless samadhi

“Kiñhi, bhante, karissanti pañca vā sakaṭasatāni cha vā sakaṭasatāni satta vā sakaṭasatāni aṭṭha vā sakaṭasatāni nava vā sakaṭasatāni, sakaṭasahassaṃ vā sakaṭasatasahassaṃ vā. “What do five hundred carts matter, or six hundred, or seven hundred, or eight hundred, or nine hundred, or a thousand, or even a hundred thousand carts?
Atha kho etadeva dukkaratarañceva durabhisambhavatarañca yo saññī samāno jāgaro deve vassante deve gaḷagaḷāyante vijjullatāsu niccharantīsu asaniyā phalantiyā neva passeyya, na pana saddaṃ suṇeyyā”ti. It’s far harder and more challenging to neither see nor hear a sound as it’s raining and pouring, lightning’s flashing, and thunder’s cracking!”


santa vihara, peaceful meditations, are not 4 jhānas
when Buddha and Alara were in samādhi where they couldn’t hear, it wasn’t the four jhānas.
MN 8 delineates this distinction clearly. 4 jhānas are ‘pleasant dwellings’, 4 formless attainments are ‘peaceful dwellings’.

❧
+

5.7 – AN 10.72 sound can be a thorn in all four jhānas

AN 10.72 kaṇṭaka-suttaṃ

AN 10.72 kaṇṭaka-suttaṃ AN 10.72 thorns-discourse
ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā One time the-Blessed-one,
vesāliyaṃ viharati (at) vesāli (he) dwelled,
mahā-vane kūṭāgāra-sālāyaṃ (in the) great-wood, (in the) hall-with-peaked-roof,
sam-bahulehi abhiññātehi abhiññātehi {with} ***-many well known
therehi sāvakehi saddhiṃ — elder disciples {******} -
āyasmatā ca cālena, {and} Venerable cālena,
āyasmatā ca upacālena, {and} Venerable upacālena,
āyasmatā ca kukkuṭena, {and} Venerable kukkuṭena,
āyasmatā ca kaḷimbhena, {and} Venerable kaḷimbhena,
āyasmatā ca nikaṭena, {and} Venerable nikaṭena,
āyasmatā ca kaṭissahena; {and} Venerable kaṭissahena;
aññehi ca abhiññātehi abhiññātehi {and} other well known
therehi sāvakehi saddhiṃ. elder disciples accompanied (them).

♦ tena kho pana samayena Now on that occasion
sambahulā abhiññātā abhiññātā licchavī many very well-known Licchavis,
bhadrehi bhadrehi yānehi para-purāya (in their) very finest carriages from-town,
uccā-saddā mahā-saddā [making] loud-sounds, very-loud-sounds,
mahā-vanaṃ ajjhogāhanti (to the) Great-Wood (they) entered
bhagavantaṃ dassanāya. {to see} the-Blessed-one.

atha kho tesaṃ āyasmantānaṃ Then indeed (to) those Venerable-ones
etad-ahosi — this [thought] occurred -
“ime kho “these ***
sambahulā abhiññātā abhiññātā licchavī many very well-known Licchavis,
bhadrehi bhadrehi yānehi para-purāya (in their) very finest carriages from-town,
uccā-saddā mahā-saddā [making] loud-sounds, very-loud-sounds,
mahā-vanaṃ ajjhogāhanti (to the) Great-Wood (they) entered
bhagavantaṃ dassanāya. {to see} the-Blessed-one.

‘sadda-kaṇṭakā kho pana jhānā’ 'sound-(is a)-thorn indeed to jhānā'
vuttā bhagavatā. said the-Blessed-one.
yaṃnūna mayaṃ yena ******* we *****
gosiṅga-sāla-vanadāyo tenupasaṅkameyyāma. {should go} to gosiṅga-sāla-woods.
tattha mayaṃ appa-saddā app-ākiṇṇā there ***** (with) no-sounds (and) no-crowds,
phāsuṃ vihareyyāmā”ti. (in) comfort we-can-dwell".
atha kho te āyasmanto yena Then indeed those venerables
gosiṅgasālavanadāyo tenupasaṅkamiṃsu; (to) gosiṅga-sāla-woods (they) went;
tattha te āyasmanto appasaddā appākiṇṇā there ** ********* (with) no-sounds (and) no-crowds,
phāsuṃ viharanti. (in) comfort they-dwelled".

♦ atha kho bhagavā then indeed the-blessed-one
bhikkhū āmantesi — {addressed} the monks -
“kahaṃ nu kho, bhikkhave, cālo, where ** ***, *********, (is) cālo?
kahaṃ upacālo, where (is) upacālo?
kahaṃ kukkuṭo, where (is) kukkuṭo?
kahaṃ kaḷimbho, where (is) kaḷimbho?
kahaṃ nikaṭo, where (is) nikaṭo?
kahaṃ kaṭissaho; where (is) kaṭissaho?
kahaṃ nu kho te, bhikkhave, where have *** those, ***********,
therā sāvakā gatā”ti? elder disciples gone?"

❧

(monks report incident to buddha)

♦ “idha, bhante, "Here, Lord,
tesaṃ āyasmantānaṃ etadahosi — those venerables [thought] that -
‘ime kho sambahulā abhiññātā abhiññātā licchavī '*** *** many well known licchavī
bhadrehi bhadrehi yānehi para-purāya (in their) very finest carriages from-town
uccā-saddā mahā-saddā [making] loud-sounds, very-loud-sounds,
mahā-vanaṃ ajjhogāhanti {entered} the-great-woods
bhagavantaṃ dassanāya {to see} the-blessed-one.

‘sadda-kaṇṭakā kho pana jhānā', 'sounds-(are)-thorns indeed to jhānā',
vuttā bhagavatā said the-blessed-one.
yaṃnūna mayaṃ yena ******* we *****
gosiṅga-sāla-vanadāyo tenupasaṅkameyyāma {should go} to gosiṅga-sāla-woods.
tattha mayaṃ appa-saddā app-ākiṇṇā there ***** (with) no-sounds (and) no-crowds,
phāsuṃ vihareyyāmā’ti. (in) comfort we-can-dwell".
atha kho te, bhante, āyasmanto Then indeed those, ******, venerables
yena gosiṅgasālavanadāyo tenupasaṅkamiṃsu. (to) gosiṅga-sāla-woods (they) went;
tattha te āyasmanto appasaddā appākiṇṇā there ** ********* (with) no-sounds (and) no-crowds,
phāsuṃ viharantī”ti. (in) comfort they-dwelled".

♦ “sādhu sādhu, bhikkhave, "Good, good, monks!
yathā te mahā-sāvakā as those great-disciples
sammā byā-karamānā byā-kareyyuṃ, properly reacted (and) should-react,
‘sadda-kaṇṭakā hi, bhikkhave, jhānā’ 'sounds-(are)-thorns **, *********, (to) jhānā’
vuttā mayā. {I have} said.

(10 thorns)

“dasay-ime, bhikkhave, kaṇṭakā. “[There are] ten-(of)-these, *********, thorns.
katame dasa? Which ten?
(1) pa-vivek-ārāmassa (1) (for one who) enjoys-seclusion,
saṅgaṇik-ārāmatā kaṇṭako, enjoyment-of-society (is a) thorn,

(2) a-subha-nimitt-ānu-yogaṃ (2) (in the) {pursuit-of}-(the)-un-attractive-sign;
anu-yuttassa (for the) pursuer,
subha-nimitt-ānu-yogo kaṇṭako, {pursuit-of}-(the)-attractive-sign (is a) thorn,

(3) indriyesu (3) (the) sense-faculties;
gutta-dvārassa (for one) guarding-(the)-doors [of that],
visūka-dassanaṃ kaṇṭako, {viewing an}-unsuitable-show (is a) thorn,

(4) brahma-cariyassa (4) (for the) celibate-life,
mātugām-ūpacāro kaṇṭako, association-with-women (is a) thorn,

(5) paṭhamassa jhānassa (5) (for the) first jhāna,
saddo kaṇṭako, noise (is a) thorn,

(6) dutiyassa jhānassa (6) (for the) second jhāna,
vitakka-vicārā kaṇṭakā, thought and evaluation (is a) thorn,

(7) tatiyassa jhānassa (7) (for the) third jhāna,
pīti kaṇṭako, Rapture (is a) thorn,

(8) catutthassa jhānassa (8) (for the) fourth jhāna,
assāsa-passāso kaṇṭako, In-(and)-out breathing (is a) thorn,

(9) saññā-vedayita-nirodha-samāpattiyā (9) (for) perception-(and)-feelings'-cessation-attainment,
saññā ca vedanā ca kaṇṭako perception and feeling (is a) thorn,

(10) rāgo kaṇṭako (10) Lust (is a) thorn,
doso kaṇṭako hatred (is a) thorn,
moho kaṇṭako. delusion (is a) thorn.

❧

(conclusion)

♦ “a-kaṇṭakā, bhikkhave, viharatha. "Thorn-less, monks, you-must-dwell!
nik-kaṇṭakā, bhikkhave, viharatha. without-thorns, monks, you-must-dwell!
a-kaṇṭaka-nik-kaṇṭakā, bhikkhave, viharatha. Thorn-less-(and)-without-thorns, monks, you-must-dwell!
a-kaṇṭakā, bhikkhave, arahanto; Thorn-less, monks, (are the) Arahants!
nik-kaṇṭakā, bhikkhave, arahanto; without-thorns, monks, (are the) Arahants!
a-kaṇṭaka-nik-kaṇṭakā, bhikkhave, arahanto”ti. Thorn-less-(and)-without-thorns, monks, (are the) Arahants!”
dutiyaṃ. (end of sutta)



commentary

. .

jhānā (plural), means sound is a thorn for all 4 jhānas, not just the first

‘sadda-kaṇṭakā hi, bhikkhave, jhānā’ 'sounds-(are)-thorns **, *********, (to) jhānā’
vuttā mayā. {I have} said.
vitakka vicara, piti, breathing, are 3 bonus thorns thrown in for jhānas #2 to #4.

many monks are mentioned, so this is a common problem

6 elder monks were famous enough to mention by name, and then the rest are referred to anonymously in the group that went to the forest to escape loud noises. The sutta seems to have been crafted deliberately this way to make the point that sound being a thorn in 4 jhānas is a common problem, not just an anomaly.

loud piercing noises from carts, horses, people

Anyone who meditates in a forest knows you have to deal with sound. Jungle noises, birds, waterfalls, wind blowing through trees, animals and insects stomping around on leaves, etc. So it’s not categorically all sounds that have to be thorns. Earlier we saw how ekaggata and AN 5.26 involve the ability to hear while in jhāna samādhi. If ambient jungle noise, for example, even sitting next to a loud waterfall, is not distracting your mind, then it’s not a thorn. Meditating in mild to moderate rain is quite noisy, but the noise is not a thorn for reasonably skilled meditators. But a thunderstorm with loud thunder piercing you at unpredicatable intervals, that’s a major thorn.

*4 formless attainments conspicuously absent from list of 10 thorns

This is because rupa attainments (4 jhānas) are not arupa (formless). In Arupa, as we’ll explore in detail in the next section, the Buddha uses clear and precise language to say the mind is divorced from 5 sense faculties (seeing, hearing, smelling, etc.). So if Arupa is divorced, rupa is still married to 5 sense faculties, one is still able to hear sounds.

Also notice this sutta thematically sits in isolation in AN 10, group of tens, instead of being sandwiched in the suttas in AN 9.30 to AN 9.60, in which all 30 suttas deal with the theme of 9 progressive samādhi attainments. One not reading this sutta carefully might think sound is a thorn in first jhana only, but is NOT a thorn in all the higher attainments because one can’t hear sounds at all. As pointed out earlier, sound Is a thorn for ALL FOUR jhānas, not just the first. And the fact that it’s in AN 10 is a signal that “sound” should not be treated in the same way V&V, pīti, sukha, and the breath are gross factors abandoned in succession in each higher stage of samādhi.

but why is samādhi attainment 9 on the list?

(9) saññā-vedayita-nirodha-samāpattiyā (9) (for) perception-(and)-feelings'-cessation-attainment,
saññā ca vedanā ca kaṇṭako perception and feeling (is a) thorn,
for cessation of perception and feeling, it’s the ”attainment of” (samāpattiyā), not the activity within that samadhi itself that is a thorn. In this case, sounds are thorns while one is in the process of trying to attain. Note that same qualifer of “attainment” is not applied to the 4 jhanas, and note once again the 4 formless attainments are missing.

Is the thorn an irritator, preventor, or destroyer?

For those who subscribe to the view that jhāna is VRJ (Visuddhimagga Redefinition of Jhāna), then the 10 thorn similes used in the sutta is quite puzzling and incoherent. For if sound is a thorn that prevents first jhāna, the other 9 thorns must “prevent” the activity being stated. But if you work through the list and try it out, it’s logically incoherent and impossible. It only works for first jhana, 2nd, 3rd, and fourth jhana. You run into the same kind of logical incoherence and impossibility if you treat the thorn as a “destroyer” of that attainment/activity. Only treating the sound as “an irritator” while one is in the moment to moment active process of doing that activity, does the thorn simile make sense logically and coherently for all 10 similes.

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AN 9.41 how V&V, pīti are thorns for 2nd and 3rd jhāna

2 – nd jhana
"So at a later time, having seen the drawback of directed thought, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of being without directed thought, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at being without directed thought, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. With the stilling of directed thoughts & evaluations, I entered & remained in the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of awareness free from directed thought & evaluation — internal assurance.
"As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with directed thought. That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so the attention to perceptions dealing with directed thought that beset me was an affliction for me.

3 – rd jhana
[3] "The thought occurred to me: 'What if, with the fading of rapture, I were to remain in equanimity, mindful & alert, to be physically sensitive to pleasure, and to enter & remain in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, "Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding"?' But my heart didn't leap up at being without rapture, didn't grow confident, steadfast, or firm, seeing it as peace... So at a later time, having seen the drawback of rapture, I pursued that theme; having understood the reward of being without rapture, I familiarized myself with it. My heart leaped up at being without rapture, grew confident, steadfast, & firm, seeing it as peace. With the fading of rapture, I remained in equanimity, mindful & alert, physically sensitive to pleasure, and entered & remained in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.'

"As I remained there, I was beset with attention to perceptions dealing with rapture. That was an affliction for me. Just as pain arises as an affliction for a healthy person, even so the attention to perceptions dealing with rapture that beset me was an affliction for me.

end of section [5.7 – AN 10.72 sound can be a thorn in all four jhānas]❧
+

5.8 – Jhāna vs. VRJ

. .
EBT Jhāna versus the Visuddhi-magga Redefinition of Jhāna:
If you found it difficult to follow the details of the last section, don’t worry.
it’s not easy to comprehend.
These images should help you.
If you can keep these two images in mind, and remember that rūpa (physical form) is the opposite of a-rūpa,
you’ll eventually be able to follow all the detailed evidence and see clearly for yourself.

Image result for picture of bubble with pin
That blue pushpin is the thorn.
The bubble represents the physical body of the meditator in any of the Buddha's EBT 4 jhānas.
The pin (thorn) may just annoy and cause pain but leave the body intact, causing the jhāna to be impure with micro moments of distraction.
Or the pin (sound thorn) may be strong enough to pop the bubble - meditator is agitated with annoyance is no longer in 4 jhānas.

Image result for deathstar
This is VRJ👻🥶 and BRJ👻🥶, Vism. and Ajahn Brahm redefinition of "jhāna" as a disembodied mental paralysis.
Since the mind is disconnected from the 5 senses and hearing,
the pushpin (sound as a thorn) can not enter the awareness of the meditator inside the VRJ "jhāna".
The meditator in this state can not feel leg pain, mosquito bites either.

Jhāna in Vimutti-magga vs. Vism.

In EBT jhāna, and early Abhidhamma Jhāna (See Arahant Upatissa’s comments in Vimutti-magga), it’s not until you pass the 4 rupa jhānas and go into arupa formless attainments that the mind is divorced from 5 sense faculties.
see article: 4nt → 8aam #8 → EBT Jhāna Vs. Vism. Redefinition
for the detailed audit.

Tv Ab Kv 18.8 Abhidhamma book 5 seems to support VRJ.

Tv Ab Kv 18.8
https://suttacentral.net/pitaka/abhidhamma/pli-tv-ab
Saddaṁsuṇātītikathā—Shwe Zan Aung, C.A.F. Rhys Davids

Points of Controversy
18.8 Of Hearing in Jhāna

♦ 823. samāpanno saddaṃ suṇātīti? āmantā. Controverted Point: That one who has attained Jhāna hears sound.

samāpanno cakkhunā rūpaṃ passati ... pe ... sotena ... pe ... ghānena ... pe ... jivhāya ... pe ... kāyena phoṭṭhabbaṃ phusatīti? na hevaṃ vattabbe ... pe .... Theravādin: If so, it must be equally allowed that he can also see, smell, taste and touch objects. This you deny …

♦ samāpanno saddaṃ suṇātīti? āmantā. sotaviññāṇasamaṅgī samāpannoti? You must also allow that he enters Jhāna enjoying auditory consciousness.
na hevaṃ vattabbe. nanu samādhi manoviññāṇasamaṅgissāti? You deny, for you agree that concentration arises in one who is enjoying mental objects as such?
āmantā. hañci samādhi manoviññāṇasamaṅgissa, no ca vata re vattabbe — “samāpanno saddaṃ suṇātī”ti. But if you admit that anyone who is actually enjoying sounds hears sounds, and that concentration is the property of one who is actually enjoying mental objects as such,

♦ samādhi manoviññāṇasamaṅgissa, sotaviññāṇasamaṅgī saddaṃ suṇātīti? āmantā. hañci samādhi manoviññāṇasamaṅgissa, sotaviññāṇasamaṅgī saddaṃ suṇāti, no ca vata re vattabbe — “samāpanno saddaṃ suṇātī”ti. samādhi manoviññāṇasamaṅgissa, sotaviññāṇasamaṅgī saddaṃ suṇātīti? āmantā. dvinnaṃ phassānaṃ ... pe ... dvinnaṃ cittānaṃ samodhānaṃ hotīti? na hevaṃ vattabbe ... pe .... you should not affirm that one in the concentration of Jhāna hears sounds. If you insist that he does, you have here two parallel mental procedures going on at the same time … .

♦ 824. na vattabbaṃ — “samāpanno saddaṃ suṇātī”ti? āmantā. nanu paṭhamassa jhānassa saddo kaṇṭako vutto bhagavatāti? Pubbaseliya: But was it not said by the Exalted One that “Sound is a thorn for First Jhāna”?
āmantā.
hañci paṭhamassa jhānassa saddo kaṇṭako vutto bhagavatā, tena vata re vattabbe — “samāpanno saddaṃ suṇātī”ti. Hence one in Jhāna can surely hear sound.

♦ 825. paṭhamassa jhānassa saddo kaṇṭako vutto bhagavatāti, samāpanno saddaṃ suṇātīti? Theravādin: You say that one in Jhāna can hear sound, and quote the Word as to it being for First Jhāna a “thorn”.
āmantā. dutiyassa jhānassa vitakko vicāro kaṇṭako vutto bhagavatā, Now it was further said that thought applied and sustained is a thorn for Second Jhāna—
atthi tassa vitakkavicārāti? na hevaṃ vattabbe ... pe .... does one in Second Jhāna have applied and sustained thought? …

♦ paṭhamassa jhānassa saddo kaṇṭako vutto bhagavatāti, samāpanno saddaṃ suṇātīti? āmantā. tatiyassa jhānassa pīti kaṇṭako ... pe ... Again, it was further said that the mental factor last eliminated is a thorn for the stage newly attained—zest for Third,
catutthassa jhānassa assāsapassāso kaṇṭako ... respiration for Fourth Jhāna,
ākāsānañcāyatanaṃ samāpannassa rūpasaññā kaṇṭako... perception of visible objects for consciousness of space-infinity,
viññāṇañcāyatanaṃ samāpannassa ākāsānañcāyatanasaññā kaṇṭako... this perception for that of consciousness as infinite,
ākiñcaññāyatanaṃ samāpannassa viññāṇañcāyatanasaññā kaṇṭako... this perception for that of nothingness,
nevasaññānāsaññāyatanaṃ samāpannassa ākiñcaññāyatanasaññā kaṇṭako... this perception for that in neither perception nor non perception,
saññāvedayitanirodhaṃ samāpannassa saññā ca vedanā ca kaṇṭako vutto bhagavatā, perception and feeling for cessation
atthi tassa saññā ca vedanā cāti? of these in trance.
na hevaṃ vattabbe ... pe .... Now is “the thorn” actually present on the winning of the stage whence it is pronounced to be a thorn?
If not, then how can you say that the “thorn” of hearing sound is present to one in First Jhāna?
♦ saddaṃ suṇātītikathā niṭṭhitā. (end of section)


❧

5.9 – Silence Isn’t Mandatory

. .
By Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff)
From https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/Noble&True/Section0009.html

    Than.Breath 10.5 - Silence Isn’t Mandatory: Sensory Perception in the Jhānas
        Than.Breath 10.5.1 - Background: the Nine Attainments
        Than.Breath 10.5.2 - Silence in the Formless Attainments
        Than.Breath 10.5.3 - Buddhaghosa’s Interpretations
        Than.Breath 10.5.4 - More Arguments for Silence in the First Jhāna
        Than.Breath 10.5.5 - Purity of Concentration
        Than.Breath 10.5.6 - The Right Use of Concentration

+

5.10 – Misc.

DA 10 thorn of sound ceases in first jhana allegedly

(trans. Sylvester)
云何九證法？謂九盡： 若入初禪，則聲 刺 滅。 What are the the 9 states to be attained? That is to say the 9 Cessations. When one enters the First Dhyana, the thorn of sounds ceases.

Thanks for that interesting passage Sylvester. I asked Dr. Chu, an Agama expert for his take:

This obviously is inconsistent with what other suttas say. Other suttas state that sound is a thorn in first jhana, and this one states that the thorn of sounds ceases–a direct contradiction.
There are many typos and mistranslations in the Taisho. I would chalk it up to such abnormality. Or, I would read “thorn of sounds ceases” in some peculiar way: e.g. seclusion can mean being away from crowds and their boisterousness, and being born of seclusion, first jhana is an escape from them.

Frank: From what I remember the agama for parallel to AN 10.72 (sounds are a thorn sutta) match pretty closely, so the DA passage would contradict that. That DA passage seems to be a single anomaly, Sylvester knew of no other agama passages corroborate.


end of section [Conclusion: you can hear sounds in the 4 jhanas, loud sounds are thorns]❧
+

Book 6: Rūpa is not a-rūpa. Duh!

see smd5👻 dimension of infinite space
detailed proof that 4 jhānas are embodied: JST🥪 3



🛇👻 The four Jhānas are not formless samādhi attainments

Not formless means you have physical body 🗸🏃‍♀️ awareness, you can feel leg pain, you can hear sounds.
In 3rd and 4th jhāna, the sense of the body may subjectively be experienced as increasingly subtle, fading out.
But if you can no longer hear sounds, can not kinaesthetically locate where your hands, feet, head are,
have no sense of direction of up and down, then you've crossed over into formless samādhi 👻.
You are no longer in the four jhānas.
• rūpa is not a-rūpa, 4 jhānas operate in rūpa: You think that would be obvious, but it's not a well understood point,
thanks to late Theravada propaganda redefining 4 jhānas as formless (see VRJ👻🥶 and BRJ👻🥶).
• In the 4 jhānas, the body kāya is physical 🗸🏃‍♀️,
and feelings (vedana) by default originate and are experienced from the physical 🗸🏃‍♀️
• If you can feel leg pain and mosquito bites in the 4 jhānas, then ...
• hearing in jhāna👂🌄: You can hear sounds in the 4 jhānas. Which samādhis are silent?
• If you can walk and do the jhānas in all 4 postures, then obviously you must have body awareness and can't be in a formless samādhi.
• smd5👻 ākāsā-nañcā-(a)yatanaṃ: if you study the terms in the space infinitude dimension formula for patigha sañña and nanatta sañña,
it's clear that it must mean in the four jhānas one is sensitive to the physical anatomical body.
full details here: Goldcraft 9.1.5.10


Book 7: right effort is also 24/7 samādhi

MN 44 right effort is equipment of samādhi
♦ “yā kho, āvuso visākha, cittassa ekaggatā ayaṃ samādhi; “friend Visākha, singular focus of mind is undistractable-lucidity. “维沙卡朋友，心一境性即是正定。
cattāro sati-’paṭṭhānā samādhi-nimittā; four remembrance-establishings (are) undistractable-lucidity-themes. 四念住是正定之主题。
cattāro sammap-padhānā samādhi-parikkhārā. four right-exertions (are) undistractable-lucidity-requisites. 四正勤是正定之资具。


MN 78 right effort explicitly doing work while in the 4 jhānas to refine factors, such as sublimating verbal thoughts from unskillful into skillful Dharma thoughts of first jhāna, removing verbal thoughts and refining into nonverbal Dharma perceptions in second jhāna and above.

sense restraint is part of right effort, occurring with samāhito and ekaggata citto

AN 2.42 - 51
AN 3.115
AN 5.167
AN 6.59
Iti 92
MN 5
MN 29
MN 30
MN 107
SN 47.4
end of section [_24/7 samādhi]❧