[For Zen/Buddhism History Wonks Only]: Sutta Jhana and Shikantaza

[Jundo]

There is a debate among various scholars of early Buddhism regarding what is known as "Jhana of the (original) Suttas" versus "Jhana of the (later) Commentaries." According to some, the later developed Theravadan way may be based on concentration practices that come more from Brahmanist Yoga practices, introduced after the lifetime of Buddha in the later commentarial tradition, very unlike the early explanation of Jhana in the Suttas themselves. I have pointed out that Shikantaza practice seems very much in keeping with the 4th Jhana (the highest Jhana as it was explained in the early Suttas before the commentaries changed the meaning into deep concentration practices seeking profound stages).

I just encountered another historian's account who agrees. Reexamining Jhana Towards a Critical Reconstruction of Early Buddhist Soteriology by Prof. Grzegorz Polak. He writes:
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Meditation occupied a very important place in early Buddhist soteriology. Until recently, the issue of early Buddhist meditation was not seen as particularly problematic or controversial. It was almost taken for granted, that the meditative tradition of Theravāda Buddhism was able to preserve the meditative teachings of early Buddhism in their pure form. This view can however no longer be maintained. It appears that there are several fundamental discrepancies between the early suttas and the later meditative scriptures of Theravāda Buddhism. .... Most controversies are connected with the status and the role of the meditative state known as 'jhāna: .... Jhāna was not originally a yogic [deep concentration] type of meditation. In fact, it was often described as standing in direct opposition to yoga, which was negatively evaluated in the earliest Buddhist scriptures. .... Jhāna was misinterpreted as yoga .... The Visuddhimagga [the main commentary of Theravada] contains many important new elements, which cannot be traced down in the earlier suttas. The presence of these new elements can only be explained as a result of a wider trend to interpret jhāna as a yogic form of meditation. .... The introduction of the new elements and the reinterpretation of the other ones were supposed to supply the 'missing' information. • The meditative tradition of Theravāda Buddhism cannot be seen as an unbroken lineage going back to the Buddha himself.

He cites various Suttas as example ...
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A comparison with the stock description of the third jhāna may be helpful in this regard:
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"Again with the fading away as well of rapture, he abides in equanimity (upekkhako), and mindful (sato) and fully aware (sampajāno) still feeling pleasure in the body, he enters upon and abides in the third jhāna on account of which, the noble ones announce: ‘He has a pleasant abiding who has equanimity and is mindful" (MN 51; tr. Ñan. amoli and Bodhi, 1995: 451).
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This comparison leaves no doubts as to the relation of the practice of developing the faculties to the jhānas. ... This means that the four jhānas cannot be interpreted as the states in which the senses would come to a halt. This is of course at odds with the popular view on the jhānas as the states of deep absorption, where one is so strongly focused on his meditation object, that he is not aware of anything else. ...

[And with regard to the original "highest" jhana, the Fourth Jhana, the Sutta says]:

"With the abandoning of pleasure and pain… he enters and abides in the fourth jhāna… which has neither pain nor pleasure and purity of equanimity due to mindfulness. On seeing a form with the eye… hearing a sound with an ear… smelling an odor with the nose… tasting a flavor with a tongue… touching a tangible by the body… cognizing a mind-object with the mind, he does not lust after it if it is pleasing; he does not dislike it if it is displeasing. He abides with mindfulness of the body (kāyasati) established, with an immeasurable mind and he understands as it actually is the deliverance of mind, and deliverance by wisdom, wherein the evil unwholesome states cease without remainder" (MN 38; tr. Ñan. amoli and Bodhi, 1995: 360).
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This passage makes it very clear that in the state of the fourth jhāna, the senses of the meditator are not coming to a halt. On the contrary, they are functioning in a smooth, continuous way, because their activity is not disrupted by the arising of lust or aversion directed towards their objects. It is also worth noting that the Mahātanhāsankhaya Sutta describes in slightly different words the same state, which is depicted in the Indriyabhāvanā Sutta. The Mahātanhāsankhaya Sutta describes it as not lusting/disliking either pleasing/displeasing sense objects, while according to the Indriyabhāvanā Sutta one can remain mindful, alert and equanimous, when faced with objects that are agreeable/disagreeable.

https://www.academia.edu/34093551/Reexamining_Jhana_Towards_a_Critical_Reconstructio n_of_Early_Buddhist_Soteriology?email_work_card=ti tle&li=0

Author Richard Shankman made a similar point in his book of a few years ago, "The Experience of Samadhi." He points out that the Fourth Jhana in the Pali Suttas was considered the 'summit' of Jhana practice (as the higher Jhana, No. 5 to 8, were not encouraged as a kind of 'dead end') and appears to manifest (quoting the sutta descriptions in the book) "an abandoning of pleasure/pain, attractions/aversions, a dropping of both joy and grief", a dropping away of both rapture and bliss states, resulting in a "purity of mindfulness" and "equanimity". Combine this with the fact that, more than a "one pointed mind absorbed into a particular object", there is a "unification of mind" (described as a broader awareness around the object of meditation ... whereby the "mind itself becomes collected and unmoving, but not the objects of awareness, as mindfulness becomes lucid, effortless and unbroken" (See, for examples. pages 82-83 here. Also, a discussion of the highest (in Buddhist Practice) "Fourth Jhana", and its emphasis on equanimity while present amid circumstances (and a dropping of bliss states), can be found on page 49 there.))

http://books.google.com/books?id=lQ_ZzFgJ1AwC&dq=%22the+experience+of+sama dhi%22&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=Nej_Tar5b T&sig=4Aa-dpUHDX3TeIfMCoKHBbLZEC0&hl=en&ei=YJVMS5GkI8-HkAWOrPWcDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3 &ved=0CBQQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=&f=false

This is very close to a description of Shikantaza, for example, as dropping all aversions and attractions, finding unification of mind, collected and unmoving, effortless and unbroken, in/as/through/not removed from the life, circumstances, complexities which surround us and are us, sitting still with what is just as it is.

While it is likely more convergence than direct influence, representing an approach to realization very common in many meditative traditions, it is interesting to see that Shikantaza may actually resonate so closely with early practice. After all, the old stores relate how the Buddha mastered, then rejected, deep forms of yogic practice. Then, sitting under the tree, he witnessed the Morning Star, shining just to shine without effort.

I see that the same author has a new book out on this theme (called Nikaya Buddhism and Early Chan). I have not been able to access but it seems very interesting from the jacket below.
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adv1.jpg


Gassho, J
stlah

[Bion]

it is interesting to see that Shikantaza may actually resonate so closely with early practice.

Oh there are quite a few modern teachers who see the connection between Chan / Zen and early buddhist teachings when it comes to some of the meditation practice, among which are Bhikkhu Analayo and Bhikkhu Bodhi. Bhikkhu Analayo actually called Chan / Zen practice a more refined, or sophisticated way of approaching some of the meditative practices described in early sutras.

If one looks at something like The Shorter Discourse on Emptiness, for example, one can easily recognize roughly the same culmination of the meditative experience described in other sutras and can clearly see how zazen aligns well with that. The Buddha in this discourse speaks of how he often abides in emptiness and then proceeds to describe that practice, which ultimately culminates in sitting with a boundless mind in open awareness, clearly aware of what is present. It is fascinating and reassuring, actually, and it paints such a vivid and dynamic picture of practice as taught by the Buddha.

Thank you for geeking out with us

Gassho

[Jundo]

Oh there are quite a few modern teachers who see the connection between Chan / Zen and early buddhist teachings when it comes to some of the meditation practice, among which are Bhikkhu Analayo and Bhikkhu Bodhi. Bhikkhu Analayo actually called Chan / Zen practice a more refined, or sophisticated way of approaching some of the meditative practices described in early sutras.

If one looks at something like The Shorter Discourse on Emptiness, for example, one can easily recognize roughly the same culmination of the meditative experience described in other sutras and can clearly see how zazen aligns well with that. The Buddha in this discourse speaks of how he often abides in emptiness and then proceeds to describe that practice, which ultimately culminates in sitting with a boundless mind in open awareness, clearly aware of what is present. It is fascinating and reassuring, actually, and it paints such a vivid and dynamic picture of practice as taught by the Buddha.

Thank you for geeking out with us

Gassho

You have links to those references so I don't have to mindfully go look those up?

Gassho, Jundo
stlah

[Bion]

You have links to those references so I don't have to mindfully go look those up?

Gassho, Jundo
stlah

Sure do.

Here's a couple of snippets from a discussion between Bhikkhu Analayo, Mingyur Rinpoche and Daniel Aitken from Wisdom Publications. These are the 2 relevant bits I was mentioning. I'll link the full video below:

Full Video:

Bhihu Bodhi did this whole interview here speaking of reconciliation between Theravada and Mahayana, and touches towards the end upon similarities regarding Sudden and Gradual Awakening concepts in Zen and Theravada practice, though he speaks mostly of Chan, I believe.. time stamp is 56:21

The Shorter Discourse on Emptiness is in Majjhima Nikaya , Sutta 121 or in the Agamas, Madhyama Agama sutra 190



Gassho
sat lah

[Jundo]

Bikkhu Body still speaks of a gradual path with much prior intense training, perhaps stretching into path lives, which breaks into a sudden moment of awakening. It is not quite the same.

All this talk of stages and prior training obscure the path for the simple reason that, if one believes it takes endless lifetimes or killer effort, then it will ... while being as illusive as the carrot that the donkey cannot catch.

image.png

Analayo also talks about gradual desconstruction to reach emptiness. He also speaks of breaking through by reaching a kind of one pointed concentration through intentional arousing. It is also quite different. But some aspects seem to resonate, such as the presence and openness with what is without reacting.

The Shorter Discourse on Emptiness .... hmmm. It seems some kind of deconstructive practice, stripping away things to reach oneness. I am not sure that is Emptiness in the Mahayana sense.

a mendicant—ignoring the perception of people and the perception of wilderness—focuses on the oneness dependent on the perception of earth. Their mind leaps forth, gains confidence, settles down, and becomes decided in that perception of earth. As a bull’s hide is rid of folds when fully stretched out by a hundred pegs, so too, ignoring the hilly terrain, inaccessible riverlands, stumps and thorns, and rugged mountains, they focus on the oneness dependent on the perception of earth. The perception of earth is an idealized inner conceptual image. This is the “form” (rūpa) that is the basis for “absorption on luminous form” (rūpajjhāna). The commentaries call this the nimitta (“sign”).Their mind leaps forth, gains confidence, settles down, and becomes decided in that perception of earth. They understand: ‘Here there is no stress due to the perception of people or the perception of wilderness. There is only this modicum of stress, namely the oneness dependent on the perception of earth.’ They understand: ‘This field of perception is empty of the perception of people. It is empty of the perception of wilderness. There is only this that is not emptiness, namely the oneness dependent on the perception of earth.’ And so they regard it as empty of what is not there, but as to what remains they understand that it is present. That’s how emptiness manifests in them—genuine, undistorted, and pure.

Gassho, J
stlah

[Bion]

Bikkhu Body still speaks of a gradual path with much prior intense training, perhaps stretching into path lives, which breaks into a sudden moment of awakening. It is not quite the same.

All this talk of stages and prior training obscure the path for the simple reason that, if one believes it takes endless lifetimes or killer effort, then it will ... while being as illusive as the carrot that the donkey cannot catch.

image.png

Analayo also talks about gradual desconstruction to reach emptiness. He also speaks of breaking through by reaching a kind of one pointed concentration through intentional arousing. It is also quite different. But some aspects seem to resonate, such as the presence and openness with what is without reacting.

The Shorter Discourse on Emptiness .... hmmm. It seems some kind of deconstructive practice, stripping away things to reach oneness. I am not sure that is Emptiness in the Mahayana sense.



Gassho, J
stlah

The point was to that he brings up that Chan / Zen / styles of practice might be more similar to some of the descriptions offered early sutras.. none of them mention Soto Zen in particular, just Zen or Chan, so if they speak of stages, it can align for example with Chan. The idea wasn't that they perfectly describe Shikantaza, but rather that they themselves can see the direct line that unites early buddhist teachings with zen practice

Gassho
sat lah

[Jundo]

The point was to that he brings up that Chan / Zen / styles of practice might be more similar to some of the descriptions offered early sutras.. none of them mention Soto Zen in particular, just Zen or Chan, so if they speak of stages, it can align for example with Chan. The idea wasn't that they perfectly describe Shikantaza, but rather that they themselves can see the direct line that unites early buddhist teachings with zen practice

Gassho
sat lah

I am really only interested in Shikantaza. It is very special. We have many stage and attainment oriented flavors of Zen too.

Gassho, Jundo
stlah