Sammasambodhi Gami wrote: “Jhanas can also be achieved by focusing one’s mind on a suitable object like breath/kasina/mantras/image of a god, etc. That is Samatha meditation.
However, just getting to jhanas will not get one to Nibbana because the anusayas (mental fermentations) are only suppressed (in anariya jhanas), they are not removed. The anusayas and sanyojanas can be removed only by cultivating wisdom (panna) of Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta/Paticca Samuppada/Four Noble Truths.”
That is correct. Good observation!
– Jhānic states correspond to the Brahma realms. They are a set of existences in the world of 31 realms.
– Paticca Samuppada generates all existences via abhisankhara.
– Existences in the apayas are generated via apunna abhisankhara. Those in the human, Deva, and rupavacara Brahma realms (corresponding to jhāna) arise via punna abhisankhara. Those in arupavacara Brahma realms (corresponding to akasanancayatana through nevasannanasanayatana samapattis) arise via anenja abhisankhara. See the post: “Rebirths Take Place According to Abhisaṅkhāra“
Therefore, the term “Ariya jhāna” does not make sense. There are only four (or five according to Abhidhamma classification) jhana.
– However, I also used the term “Ariya jhāna” previously. I need to start correcting those posts.
– One can be a Noble Person (up to Arahanthood) without cultivating jhāna. Those Arahants are Pannavimutti Arahants.
– One can be a puthujjana and have all the jhanas and samapattis without any magga phala. They are cetovimutta but not pannavimutta.
– A limited number of Arahants are both pannavimutta and cetovimutta. They are called ubhatovimutta Arahants.
– Any Noble Person may have some jhāna at various levels. I will write a post discussing this in detail.
This is explained well in Abhidhamma. For a Noble Person without jhāna, the total number of citta possible is 81. When jhānas are included (for those with jhāna at various levels), that number of possible cittas increases to 121.