I agree with Lang (and I have stated this many times with Tipitaka references) that jhana are not necessary to attain magga phala.
The two discourses of Ajahn Brahm that I listened to did not mention jhana. So, I was unaware of his position on that.
– I also did not agree fully with a few of the things mentioned in the two discourses that I listened to.
– However, he was better than many others. Some, in particular, do not associate Nibbana with ending the rebirth process. Ajahn Brahm emphasized this important point. He detailed the kind of suffering that one goes through in the rebirth process, and why one must end the rebirth process to end samsaric suffering.
We can get something out of discourses by some.
– However, it is completely useless to listen to some others.
– I try to listen to different bhikkhus (and laypeople) when I have time, just to get an idea of what is out there. Most of them, I don’t need to listen to more than once to realize that it is a waste of time.
– However, I think one may be able to get some insights by listening to discourses by a selected number of bhikkus/laypeople.
– It would be nice to get the opinions of others who have listened to Ajahn Brahm. We have discussed the teachings of Goenka in detail in the link that Lang provided above.