Deep Jhana Blues/Bliss

[roamer]

I've noticed a pattern in my meditation practice that seems to happen everytime my practice settles into deeper levels of jhana. The pattern is that I become sort of ecstatically depressed. What it feels like is that I have awakened an energy that cuts through everything frivolous in life and I no longer can even find joy or functionality in daily activities. I just want to remain still in deeping bliss and joy.

I suppose in part that this shedding of outward attachments is a goal, but it also makes day to day working life challenging. My solution for the last year or so has been to sit right on the edge of the 3rd-4th jhana before I really get pulled in. However just a few deep sessions can tilt the scale towards this non-functional state.

Any ideas on how best to navigate this in daily life? Should I hold out deep sessions for retreats, or perhaps just go for it and figure out how to integrate the deeper jhana states into my life as I go? Just looking to see how others negotiate this.

[Michael Hawkins]

Two thoughts come to mind, Nick:

1. In Spring of 2004 (driving through a snow storm over the Rockies) my wife and I went to a jhana retreat with Jeffrey and Bhante Gunaratana in Riverside, CA. Despite some wild circumstances surrounding that retreat, I personally went deep into fourth jhana for hours and hours at a time -- indescribable, really, how ONE with all that is I became, far beyond mental ideas about what that means. Suffice it to say, I understood that this is the natural state, and that regular waking life is a curse in comparison. A few months later, I became a jhana yogi, built my daily schedule around meditation, and have tried to live my life as though it was a jhana meditation retreat ever since. Damn the torpedoes, I said to myself -- it is this or nothing.

In order to function in the world, however, I have found the Noble Eightfold Path to be a big help, since the 8th fold is none other than jhana, and the other 7 folds put jhana into a meaningful context. The Middle Way concept, beginner's mind, non-attachment, etc. -- all of it has served to keep me sane while plodding through the motions of everyday life, knowing that my practice is the only thing that is worth truly counting on.

2. After a few years, I am now realizing that the only valid motivation for taking action outside the orbit of my personal practice is to serve others -- to care for them, to say YES... to recognize that attainment is fine and dandy, but giving of myself to others makes the attainment something more than spiritual masturbation. So, I try to keep this motivation in mind more and more... and it is making a profound difference, such that I do not mind venturing out into the world these days.

I hope this is the sort of thing you were looking for, brother....

Much love,
Michael

[jhananda]

Hello Nick, when one enters the absorption states one often becomes confronted by a need to transform one's daily reality around the contemplative life. It often comes down to a "shit, or get off the pot" kind of thing. Michael and I went for it and reaped the rewards. We now live as an example for others to follow. To me it is no contest to shed all of the stuff of life for bliss, joy and ecstasy, but I also agree with Michael, if one is not leading a contemplative life for the benefit of all beings, then what is the point?

Nonetheless, Nick, one must also have a livelihood, because the GWV is not well funded, so we cannot at this time support others, and we can barely support ourselves. So, do not give up your day job, but learn how you can lead a rigorous contemplative life, that sustains bliss, joy and ecstasy every time you meditate, as well as throughout the day. And, maybe as time goes by you might find ways to hone your life, livelihood, in such a way as to maximize that bliss, joy and ecstasy, and to serve others.

Best, Jhananda

[Michael Hawkins]

It's true, Jeffrey -- bliss, joy and ecstasy, independent of external circumstances, 24/7/365 -- and the fact is, one can get along in the world just fine so long as the right motivation is in place and patience is employed during the inevitable time of adjustment. It's well worth it.

[roamer]

Micheal,
Yes I do know that a few hours of 4th jhana can have a very transformative effect. I'm also very glad you brought up the 8 fold path, this is were I think part of my problem stems from. After going deep into jhana and realizing it leads to THE goal I find myself wanting to help people deeply get closer to this. However I find myself very sadenned when I try to communicate what I experience to others. In short I've yet to build a bridge of communication to guide others towards these states. Words are a dime a dozen and the only thing I can think of to do is be able to pull one into the experience so they can see for themselves.

Jeffrey,
I do look at you as a model for how full out jhana in daily life can be done, it is a very challenging path you navigate. Part of my problem is when I get to the 4th Jhana I become very disatisfied with working for a day job that is not directly impacting my practice and benefiting others in a direct way. I no longer care enough about myself to protect myself from say quiting a good job and running off on an idealistic mission. Most likely this is just me needing to mature a little and understand when it is ok to be patient. It sounds odd but even though deep jhanas are still and peaceful they are also like a flame that is lit within oneself. Its like the jhanas themselves direct where and when one should use the newfound energy.

[Michael Hawkins]

Hello again Nick,

I visit fourth jhana on a regular basis, but to me the most pronounced transformation in all of this is the pervasive saturation that has happened. There's something about a regular rigorous and skillful practice that "matures" the energy. My first year as a yogi I had a very difficult time relating to the world -- and was lucky enough to have a 24-hour-a-week office job filled with rote routine, so that I could continue the practice even while typing away. After a while, though, my being grew accustomed to life infused with jhana, and now it is like breathing. So, it takes time, and the beginning months are necessarily filled with adjustment.

When I talk about service to others, I don't mean teaching them how to access bliss, joy and ecstasy in their meditation. I've found that even regular meditators are loathe to give up their ideas of what meditation is all about, and they have sipped the KoolAid when it comes to pathologizing samadhi. Instead, I try to open my heart to as many people as I can, challenging myself to emerge from my comfortable inner universe in order to "touch" them in whatever way is available. It could just be a smile or kind word; it could be volunteering to do something for a fellow worker to lighten their load; it could be putting in the time to answer all emails instead of blowing them off. It's a subtle shift in attitude, practiced in small and seemingly-insignificant ways that add up over time to a sense of connectedness and love. In the meantime I work to develop a community around my oracular offerings and meditation mentorship, trusting that work in these areas will grow and intensify behind this attitude of service.

I hear what you're saying, my friend -- that you go so deep so fast (and I know this is true, you are a "natural") that you don't want to emerge from that place just to work some job. I think that what Jeffrey and I are saying is, go ahead and develop a daily practice that is as rigorous as time allows, slowly taking the opportunity to build that practice more solidly, so that your external life gradually conforms to it. In the meantime, developing a sense of humble altruism in all your interactions will give meaning and purpose to your practice.

In peace and ease,
Michael

[jhananda]

Another aspect of being a mystic in the 21st century, is we are all spread pretty far and thin, so creating opportunities to renew ourselves with other members of the Ecstatic Buddhist brother/sisterhood could be quite useful. I have difficulty planning far in the future due to poor funding, but I am off through the first of the year, so Nick and/or Michael and others are certainly welcome to retreat with me for as long as you like. Or, I could travel in the van to meet others half-way.

Best, Jhananda

[roamer]

Jeffrey and Micheal,
Thank you both for the sound advice. What I am realizing is that not ony do jhanas have a mode were they get really deep really fast, but also that I often am an all or nothing personality. When I get in an all out mood for jhanas and go deep the results can be that absolutely everything but meditation is thrown away in the irrelevant and useless category of my life.

I think part of this will work itself out as I try to work on a steadier more consistent approach to the practice.

I hear you both on making certain my practice is motivated to help others. The thing I have always considered since I started is that until one attains a state beyond suffering it is very easy to confuse someone in their practice. So it probably is good advice to just work on just engaging people everyday in a warm and genuine way and not worry about spreading dharma.

[jhananda]

Yes, Roamer, making certain one's contemplative practice is motivated to help others does pay off well. I also agree that until one attains a state beyond suffering, which is the 4th jhana, then it is still very easy to become confuses. So it is good advice to just work on just engaging people everyday in a warm and genuine way and not worry about spreading dharma. Otherwise one might just become born-again, or naive in one's approach.

Best regards, Jhananda