20111029 white lotus sutra and five jhana stages

Buddhist Association of Canada
Cham Shan Temple

Updated Mar 2010

Cham Shan Temple

ná mó fó tuó
南無佛陀
Namo Buddha

ná mó dá mó
南無達摩
Namo Dharma

ná mó sēng qié
南無僧伽
Namo Sangha

Updated Mar 2010


Buddhist Practice and Cultivation

1 Take refuge in the Three Treasures of the
Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
皈依佛法僧(三寶)
2 Earnestly cultivate the Three Perfections of
Morality, Calmness, and Wisdom.
勤修戒定慧(三學)
3 Shed the Three Poisons of Greed, Anger and
Delusion.
息滅貪瞋癡(三毒)
4 Purify the Three Karmas of Action, Speech
and Thought.
清淨身口意(三業)

加拿大佛教會 © 2006 Buddhist Association of Canada


Five Jhana Stages
1. Bringing the mind to the object
(arousing, applying)
2. Keeping the mind with the object
(sustaining stretching, visualization)
3. Finding and having interest in the
object (Joy)
4. Being happy and content with the
object (Happiness)
5. Unifying the mind with the object
(fixing, one-pointedness)



The First Basic Meditation:
 The 1st stage of bliss that comes
from metta, detachment and
freedom from emotional distress
(klesas) - This emotional distress
includes evil desires (origination,
karmic causes) and evil states or
conditions (sufferings,
retributions), becoming positive
view and actions.
 The 1st stage of bliss also comes
from appreciation, equanimity,
wisdom…


The First Basic Meditation:
 The first two steps are cognitive
states of mind whereas the
second two are affective and
intuitive. Each state of mind is
more sublime than the
preceding state. The affective
states of mind are subtler than
the cognitive states, with
contentment being subtler than
rejoicing. Only the single mind
(one-pointed mind) is in the
state of complete concentration.



Three Types of Concentration with
Metta Bhavana
1. Parikamma Samadhi –
Preliminary Concentration

2. Upacara Samdhi – Access
Concentration

3. Appana Samadhi – Fixed
Concentration



Bhavana
Bhāvanā literally means "development"or
"cultivating"or "producing" in the
sense of "calling into existence." It is an
important concept in Buddhist praxis
(Patipatti). The word bhavana normally
appears in conjunction with another
word forming a compound phrase such
as citta-bhavana (the cultivation of the
heart/mind) or metta-bhavana (the
cultivation of lovingkindness). When
used on its own bhavana signifies
'spiritual cultivation' generally.



Bhavana
 citta-bhāvanā, translated as "development of consciousness."
 kāya-bhāvanā, translated as "development of body."
 mettā-bhāvanā, translated as the "cultivation of loving-kindness.“
 paññā-bhāvanā, translated as "development of wisdom“.
 samādhi-bhāvanā, translated as "development of tranquil-wisdom.
 samatha-bhāvanā, meaning the development of tranquility.[5]
 vipassanā-bhāvanā, meaning the development of insight.[5]



Parikamma Samadhi
 Parikamma Bhavana is the stage of
doing the preliminary exercises. Some
degree of one-pointedness or calmness
is reached when radiating metta to the
person as one is involved with active
recitations, including the initial five
stages:
 Bringing the mind to the object
 Keeping the mind with the object
 Finding, having interest in the object
 Being happy and content with the object
 Unifying the mind with the object
(partially fixing, one-pointedness)



Upacara Samadhi
 When you are very close to the object
as if you are very often about to
merge with the object.
 You need to overcome all the
hindrances i.e. sleepiness or too much
excitement.
 You need to maintain the flow of
metta without affecting by hindrances.
 Achieve transparent-like
concentration about the object.
 You can also be aware of the nature
of this fine object.
 You start to see the true nature of
forms.



Appana Samadhi
 You merge with the object into one.
 Achieve a special form of
consciousness – jhana citta or deep
absorption.
 You are in a state of bliss and is still
having metta for the object.
 Development of Upekkha Bhavana or
equanimity after going through 1st
stage jhana to 4th stage jhana.
 Complete happiness and joyfulness.
 Start to achieve oneness with forms.
 Development of moment-by-moment
appreciation.



Factors in Developing
Concentration
1. Mindfulness –
 It brings the mind to the point of
concentration skillfully and becomes
powerful enough to fall into deep
absorption.
 It guards against defilements and
extraneous thoughts.
 It alerts us to take appropriate
action to remedy hindrances.
 It keeps the mind flexible, workable,
soft, balance and so on.
 It is advisable to practice
Satipatthana Meditation to gain a
strong grounding of mindfulness.


Satipatthana Meditation
According to Abhidharmakosa , there are four types of
meditation skills to develop mindfulness:
(1) Body is untrue and impure (without form),
(2) Perception is the cause of pain (senses are also false),
(3) Mind is transient (it changes all the time), and
(4) Everything is without eternal substance (without me).

Practicing each of these meditations at first separately, then together,
the adept leads himself to the more advanced stage of meditation.
The purpose of these four types of meditation is to keep in mind that
these bodily and mental functions have no eternal substance and thus
to rid oneself of false views contrary to the contents of these four
types of meditation.



Concentration
2. Detachment
 Right concentration is referred to
concentration that detached from the five
senses.
 The meditation object is solely that of the
mind door and its concentration is that
above the five sense doors.
 If you have rampant cravings and strong
desires for sense pleasures, you can never
get near the absorptions.
 Detachment has the power to remove the
bondages that tie us to the undesirable
worlds.
 When metta comes with pleasantness and
joy, the detached attitude is an important
consideration.


Concentration
3. Patience
 Patience is the opposite of anger which is
associated with agitation.
 If you preserve patience, your mind will
calm down.
 It helps us to remain the object with
equanimity for longer periods of time.
4. Healthy conditions
 Health – good food, enough sleep &
exercise, right postures
 Environment – quite place, right
temperature, avoid draft, suitable clothing
 Companionship – Right group size,
mutual concerning and understanding,
exchange experience, techniques and ideas


Presentation Schedule

1. October 29 - The white lotus sutra by Dennis A.Yap + Meditation
Practice by Tom
2. November 5 - The white lotus sutra by Dennis A.Yap + Meditation
Practice by Tom
3. Nov. 12 - The white lotus sutra by Dennis A.Yap + Meditation
Practice by Tom
Practice by Tom
Practice by Tom
6. Dec. 3 - The white lotus sutra by Angela Masuzzo + Meditation
Practice by Tom



Questions and
Comments 討論

www.ChamShanTemple.org
www.shengguangshi.blogspot.com
ShengguangShi@hotmail.com
Shengguang Shi 釋聖光
Tom Cheung 張相棠
Kam Cheung 張仁勤
Dennis A. Yap 葉普智


回向 yuàn xiāo zhàng zhū fán năo

s ā n

Parinamana (Transfer of Merit)
願消三障諸煩惱
We wish to rid ourselves of the three hindrances and all klesas.

yuàn dé zhì huì zhēn míng
l ĭ a o

願得智慧真明了
We wish to gain wisdom and real understanding.

pŭ yuàn zuì zhàng xī chú
x i ā o

普願罪障悉消除
We wish all sinful hindrances to be totally eradicated.

shì shì cháng xíng pú sà dào

世世常行菩薩道
In one life after another we always follow Bodhisattvas’ paths.

20111029 white lotus sutra and five jhana stages

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to 20111029 white lotus sutra and five jhana stages

Similar to 20111029 white lotus sutra and five jhana stages (20)

More from Tom

More from Tom (15)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

20111029 white lotus sutra and five jhana stages