Concentration, Jhana Equals Liberation

In concentration or what is often called Jhana meditation, we bring our awareness to one object of meditation to the exclusion of everything else, thereby collecting and unifying all mental activities. This ancient practice that the Buddha perfected is a practice that has been proven to counteract the over-stimulation of today’s world and of life! Practicing concentration meditation collects the mental activity and “builds the muscle” of concentration, enabling us to turn away from the constant pull of our busy technical world, allowing us to settle into the deep serenity of our true nature.

Transcript

Concentration and serenity meditation,

We return our awareness to one object of meditation,

To the exclusion of everything else.

So if we're using the breath,

For example,

We keep coming back to that breath.

But you set your intention to have that type of practice.

And everything that you do,

You know every step of the way.

So you know that you wake up in the morning,

You know that you go to your meditation cushion,

You know how that feeling that you have when you sit in that cushion,

You know exactly how your environment is,

You know that you're going to sit for an hour and 20 minutes,

Whatever it might be.

That you close your eyes and then you know that you bring your attention to the breath and you feel the breath at one specific point and you hold your attention there.

When something pulls that attention away,

You just bring it right back off.

But you're training,

Really training the mind,

Cultivating.

But you're doing everything exactly like you did it before.

And then when you start realizing that you're getting into these deep areas of concentration,

You repeat that system again and again.

And then you become very accustomed to the stopping of thoughts.

You're focusing on that one little tiny static item and you're doing it again and again and again and you go deeper and deeper and deeper into concentration.

The mind isn't so surprised by it.

You know we're not so surprised by it.

It's happening again and again.

But it's very difficult to do that.

If,

I think I'll meditate over here for a while.

I think I'll meditate over here.

I'm going to do it at a different time of the day even.

We want to do everything exactly the same,

Exactly the same.

Then if things are off kilter a little bit,

We can go to that and fix it right away and then come back to our meditation object.

We realize that our thoughts,

We can place our thought on something and it stays there.

It doesn't go off like it normally does.

And then it feels as if the thoughts completely stop.

What follows is,

Without the thinking mind,

Joy and blissfulness and then just the one-pointedness where we can stay right with the meditation object without falling away from it.

And we go into deeper and deeper and deeper states of concentration.

It's a very simple practice.

It's not necessarily easy to do because we have to be really strict with ourselves.

And generally we don't want to lose faith in this process.

So let's do our meditation.

Typically when we are doing concentration types of meditation,

There wouldn't be any guiding.

We use the guiding for instructions and to bring about some self-inquiry.

So please make yourself comfortable.

And please bring your attention to the breath.

And sitting upright,

Straightening the back.

And do a comfortable seated posture.

And with your attention on the breath,

Look at the breath as if it's your only object of interest.

Your breath is the only object of interest.

Let my voice and any other sounds just fade into the background.

Try to ignore it as much as possible.

Taking a little bit of attention on it.

Pay no attention to smells or touch sensations to the skin.

And feel the breath at one point on the body.

Let's know that place where the breath caresses the body,

That one specific place.

Ask yourself,

What is my level of concentration at this moment?

Is there a level of attention that is purposeful and directed?

Can you witness several levels of attention?

Is there a type of attention that has movement and at the same time another type of attention that is stable and sustained?

Is there an absence of sensual desire?

Is there a sensed freedom from ill will,

Anger,

And fear?

Is there a noticed lack of thought?

And are there signs of joy and happiness?

Again,

Ask yourself,

What is my level of concentration at this moment?

And can you come close to an area of no thought?

Is there a sense of mental stillness and freedom from attachment?

Take a few quiet moments and experience the different levels of attention,

Along with any accumulated joy and bliss that might be experienced.

And again,

Ask yourself,

What is my level of concentration at this moment?

Is there a sense of happiness?

Is there a noticing of one-pointedness,

Stability,

Flow,

Equanimity?

And ask,

What is my level of concentration?

With this deep concentration,

Is there a sense of mental and physical liberation?

Is there a sense of freedom?

Is there a sense of letting go?

For a few moments,

Silently connect the words,

Let go with the in and out breaths.

Take let with inhalation and go with the exhalation.

Let go.

Can you feel the liberation or freedom from wanting and needing?

Is there an absence for the need to move beyond the simple joys of the concentrated mind?

Rest in the peace of concentration.

Rest in the liberation from attachment.

Begin from attachment to anything,

Material,

Physical or mental.

Feel the freedom of the concentrated,

Liberated mind.

Okay.

Deep yang.

Reviews

Very nice. A good one to try so you can get an idea of how to check in with yourself during a mediation. Always a soothing voice.

I appreciate the gentle encouragement towards consistency, focus and discipline found in this recording. It’s a useful launch into a longer meditation on days when I need a guide. Also, the Jhanas are not mentioned much so I’m glad to hear them being talked about here. With appreciation...

More than a talk, a truly guided meditation. I’ve bookmarked this as I found the guidance very helpful. Thank you.

Just what I needed. The questions to ask yourself while meditating are particularly helpful. Thank you!

Wonderful. Thank you, Shane

A rather pleasant and effective meditation. I appreciated the singular focus on the breath, the clear guidance, pace, and insight of the narrator, and the quality of the music.

Really good - so appreciated. Going through a period of grief and it brought me into a very peaceful place.

Beautiful! A talk and a meditation, perfect! Thank you❤️

Informative and helpfull

Wow.
I liked that. That went deep.
For me it's still hard not to let side noises onto my consciousness.
Returning to the breath, again and again really made a difference.
Thank you.

Great reminder of the focus point, very calming, thank you

Thanks for refreshing my meditation. 🙏