Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Mindfulness and Concentration: Establishing Mindfulness of Mental Objects and the Fourth Jhāna

 

RIGHT MINDFULNESS Establishing Mindfulness of Mental Objects A person goes to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty place and sits down. Having crossed the legs, one sets the body erect. One establishes the presence of mindfulness. (MN 10) One is aware: “Ardent, fully aware, mindful, I am content.” (SN 47.10)   When the awakening factor of equanimity is internally present, one is aware: “Equanimity is present for me.” When equanimity is not present, one is aware: “Equanimity is not present for me.” When the arising of unarisen equanimity occurs, one is aware of that. And when the development and fulfillment of the arisen awakening factor of equanimity occurs, one is aware of that . . . . One is just aware, just mindful: “There is a mental object.” And one abides not clinging to anything in the world. (MN 10)

Reflection You will know equanimity is internally present when you feel your mind is in balance, tipping neither toward what is pleasant nor away from what is unpleasant. Normally the mind is lurching up and down, like a seesaw pushed and pulled by our desires. But it is possible to experience pleasure without being pulled into it and to experience pain without pushing it away. When the mind is attentive but not tilted, this is equanimity.  Daily Practice Become familiar with what equanimity feels like internally. Start with something simple, like a slight pain in your knee when you are sitting in meditation, and simply be aware of it as a sensation rather than as something to resist, resent, or wish away. Do the same with any slightly pleasant sensation, such as in parts of your body that feel comfortable when you sit. Learn to simply observe these sensations as phenomena, with equanimity. RIGHT CONCENTRATION Approaching and Abiding in the Fourth Phase of Absorption (4th Jhāna) With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, one enters upon and abides in the fourth phase of absorption, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure and purity of mindfulness as a result of equanimity. The concentrated mind is thus purified, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability. (MN 4) Tomorrow: Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering One week from today: Establishing Mindfulness of Body and Abiding in the First Jhāna Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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