“Is there any easiest way to attain jhanas?”
- It depends. Some people can get to jhanas easily. They had cultivated jhana in recent past lives. Still, one must get the mind to a calm state where sensual thoughts (kama sankappa) or immoral thoughts (akusala citta) do not arise. Anariya yogis do that by focusing the mind on a neutral object like the breath or a kasina object. Bhikkhus do that by avoiding akusala kamma/thoughts and contemplating the unfruitfulness/dangers of craving sensual pleasures.
- The same techniques must be used over a long time to attain jhana for those who do not easily get to jhana.
- The best approach is to engage in Vipassana (insight) mediation. One may or may not “cultivate jhana” (i.e., have the ability to get into a jhana at will) but one will make progress toward attaining a magga phala. Generating “jhana cittas” on and off (which likely happens to many people) is different from being able to get into a jhana at will (which requires spending time specifically to “practice the jhana“). I will have more information in the post to be posted later today.
“Should we just focus on the peace of mind while in the meditation and jhanas will appear?”
- Yes. Once the mind gets detached from the “kama loka,” it will automatically go to the higher “rupa loka” at least temporarily. But generating jhana cittas continuously (i.e., being able to get into “jhana samapatti“) requires practice.
- Anariya yogis‘ minds only temporarily detach from kama loka even if they can stay in jhana samapatti for long times. Thus, they can “lose the ability to get into jhana” if they go back to the “old ways” of engaging in akusala kamma/excessive sensual pleasures.
P.S. New post on jhana: “Jhāna – Finer Details“
