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You can not practice anicca sanna with regular mind as everyday mind is kama bhumi, you only will make your mind tired and you will actually have more raga and dosa by doing “anicca sanna” dry
There are plenty of suttas that say you can attain Nibbana, through jhanas, I would say the majority. To attain Nibbana and deepen insight one needs to have a pure mind to understand Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta deeper there is no other way, you will never be able to understand Anicca Dukkha Anatta in regular consciousness or “everyday mind”. All the basis of understanding true nature in the world is based on getting rid of 5 hindrances that block that understanding, once you get rid of those you will be in jhana, whatever you want it or not – the only thing you do not need is formless jhanas.
Saying that jhana may be hindrance is very bad Lang, one should practice chanting + understanding Anicca, Dukkha, and Anatta – how something that may help you understand Dhamma better can be a hindrance? It make no sense :)
When you are Sotapanna you are able to see Paticca Samupadda cycle with your mind-eye (dhamma-eye). When you see how things are you are able to see things those things through Dhamma eye which is the new perception of world/life that one gain. To progress, one need to meditate or attain jhana or be close to jhana to have purity. I know Lal would argue or dismiss but I think it’s wrong to dismiss it, based on my practice, one will literally never progress without getting into jhana if you want to progress above Sakadagami, even from Sotapanna to Sakadagami one needs to be at least meditative and have purity of mind to push insight further, so one will need to be at least in close to jhana while chanting. There is no other way to progress. There are rare examples in the suttas like Bahiya etc. but most likely you do not have paramis to just go into Nibbana fully because you are able to realize some Dhamma concepts to some extent, which is not a small feat either but if you want true progress, get into jhana.
for example I thought I was Anagami when I first experienced the new awareness when studied Pure Dhamma, my mind was so deep in samadhi without any effort for many days there were not even inch of hate, greed and lust towards anything in sense doors after sometime it run out and things go back to normal BUT with the new insight and attained which I could work my way up again with permanent results, so your first judgement was probably from that first impact :)
I converted it into images so its easier to share, great work
If you keep wishing happiness it will become “mantra practice” or “one pointed concentration”, if metta is felt it will be very pleasant feeling in the chest that will lead to 1st jhana if one will then focus on it
Mettabhavana is feeling meditation tho, you can not just constantly focus on wish as it will turn into one-pointed concentration
Go listen to https://soundcloud.com/uddh4jmcj8i8/full-kammasthana-session-for-jhanas
Sit in comfortable position, listen to it and let energy flow as you listen, contemplate Dhamma – attain 4 jhanas and from 4th contemplate Dhamma to full completion
I’m doing a practical guide on the basis of Lal posts (and overall my own understanding at this point) so I may post that step-by-step in the future (at the Anagami stage, if that will happen of course)
Right now after Sotapanna you need to contemplate the aspect of “attachment” to holding things or “having” things via Tlakkhana, you can develop samadhi on any kind of object but chanting is the best and most easy because it does not need heavy concentration. Here are examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBf9dkqTBd8 (put subtitles on)
when I mentioned “I think it’s not really correct as of the example of that person who was Sotapanna but didn’t believe it even if Buddha said so” – I mean that one of your posts about Sotapanna had this story from the suttas, it’s from a different one. :)
“Mahānāma was a wealthy person who was related to Prince Siddhartha’s family. The Buddha told him that he had attained the Sōtapanna stage. However, when he was engaging in his business activities, he often got frustrated and angry with his servants and yelled at them. After such an episode of outburst, he would think, “if I am still able to become angry like this, I must not have attained the Sōtapanna stage yet.” So, he would go to see the Buddha, explained what happened, and ask whether the Buddha was sure about the declaration. He still had doubts about his attainment of the Sōtapanna stage until the Buddha confirmed it for the third time; see, “Paṭhama Mahānāma Sutta (SN 55.21)“”
Saying that for example that every Sotapanna will know the way to Nibbana seems not consistent also
“What sort of person is one who may be guided (neyya)?
The person for whom penetration of the Dhamma comes gradually by means of recitation, questioning, proper attention, and by serving, cultivating and waiting upon kalyānamittas is called “one who may be guided.”so if person falls into category it seems one will not able to attain Nibbana on it’s own even after being Sotapanna even above.
The only method to attain jhanas and insight I see is chanting, while it’s not bad and I personally “feel” the practice, it would be nice if we can get more practical posts about how to practice properly or have explanations on suttas how exactly to practice so and so section compared to translations, I’m working on it on the side too. Cūḷahatthipadopamasutta is good that shows step by step Path but as most suttas do not explain meditations in details which is I think most problematic thing in Dhamma, personally.
It’s from
REEXAMINING JHĀNA:
Towards a Critical Reconstruction of Early
Buddhist SoteriologyThis may be a really serious problem in terms of meditative practices as most modern lineages seem do not to have a “legit” meditation connected to what really Buddha taught
Lang, yes the I’m speaking about early buddhist texts (EBTs)
Also, another interesting sutta that explains Path step by step Cūḷahatthipadopamasutta
What I just want to mention is that we should put most emphasis on meditation and jhanas after understanding Dhamma, just understanding may be not enough in most cases if we want finish the Path
