Categories: Path to the Brahma Realm: Practical Meditation
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
Some time ago, through our spiritual teachings, we introduced a meditation method for those who had not awakened the ‘third eye,’ a path to enter a state of deep meditative absorption. We explained that through this absorption, known as jhāna, one could develop various spiritual abilities as the mind settles into tranquility. Although we provided practical instructions for a ‘third eye’ meditation, some of you may not have achieved the desired results.
You might have felt only a pressure between the eyebrows or a sensation limited to that area. Because of this, we introduced the meditation series called the ‘Path to the Brahma Worlds.’ This is a practical method where you learn to focus your mind on a point along the midline of your face, from the center of the forehead to the center of the nose wherever it is easiest for you to concentrate. From that point of focus, you may have started to feel various sensations.
For those who experienced these sensations but did not find success with the ‘third eye’ method, this ‘Path to the Brahma Worlds’ is the simplest, easiest, and most direct meditation to achieve jhāna. I am taking a moment to refresh your memory because it has been a long time since we presented a practical teaching in this series.
From this point forward, I do not intend to repeat the same basic details. If you are new to this practice today, or wish to begin, there is a whole series of articles titled ‘Path to the Brahma Worlds Practical Meditation.’ You will find the teachings numbered one, two, and three. Today, we begin the fourth teaching. This article is for those who have reached the state described in the third teaching, and it will explain what happens next and what you need to do. Let us begin this exploration.
Recalling the Joy of the Second Jhana (Pīti)
In our third teaching, we concluded by discussing the experience of entering the first and second jhāna states within our ‘Path to the Brahma Worlds’ program. After entering the second jhāna, a specific kind of joy or happiness arises in the mind. In Pali, this is called pīti. We have described every aspect of this experience without omission. Those of you who have followed the third part of this series will have an understanding of this joy.
You may have reached a level where you can dwell in the second jhāna for some time. I have described how this second jhāna feels: the body experiences a great joy, almost to the point of being overwhelming. The mind feels it too. Physically, it can feel as if the hairs on your body are standing on end.
A gentle smile may appear on your lips without any effort. Many of you may have already reached this state and remained in the second jhāna for a considerable period. Some people practice remaining in this state for half an hour or an hour daily. Others have extended this duration to one and a half, two, or even three hours. As I have explained previously in this program, it is possible to make a determination to extend this time, even up to twelve hours. There are people who have done this.
The Subtle Shift: From Joy (Pīti) to Bliss (Sukha)
For those who are abiding in the second jhāna, delighting in this joy (pīti), a gradual change begins to occur over time. The mind starts to feel as if it is ascending to a higher state. This is not a decline or a loss of the jhāna; rather, the mental state you are in elevates further. To put it simply, you are moving towards experiencing a pleasure even greater than the one you are currently enjoying. It is like having eaten a certain meal your whole life and then getting to taste a more delicious, superior dish. A new kind of experience begins to dawn.
When a person has been dwelling in the second jhāna for a while let’s say for half an hour or an hour they are fully experiencing that joy in both mind and body. Then, all at once, they begin to notice something new. I am now speaking primarily about the mind, the mentality. Along with that existing joy, a strange, blissful feeling begins to arise. In the Buddhist teachings, this refined pleasure is called sukha. This feeling is incredibly pleasant.
There is no other word to describe it but ‘pleasure’ or ‘bliss,’ and even these words do not capture its profound spiritual quality. This bliss, or sukha, feels mixed with the initial joy, yet your mind can clearly distinguish it as something separate and superior. You begin to notice, ‘This is a different feeling. This is a new kind of mental bliss.’
The Nature of Bliss in the Third Jhana: A Mind Without Worldly Thought
When you reach these stages of jhāna, remember what I have said in previous teachings: there are no discursive thoughts. The only thought present is the awareness of being in that jhāna state itself. Simply put, the only thing that comes to mind is, ‘I am experiencing this bliss.’
Thoughts about your children, grandchildren, parents, property, partners, your own lust, your aversion, your enemies none of these worldly concerns arise. Even money is not remembered here. It is crucial to remember this. If such a thought does arise, you are not in a jhāna; you are in a lower level of concentration, or samādhi, still practicing within the sense-desire world (kāma loka). This is a place beyond those thoughts.
This is the third jhāna, a state that has surpassed the first two. The unique characteristic of the Third Jhana is this profound bliss (sukha) which, while mixed with joy, far surpasses it. It’s a subtle, sublime mental state. As I mentioned, it is an incredible pleasure. In simple terms, there is an amazing lightness. To give an analogy: imagine you have only ever eaten rice with sambol your whole life. You have never even tried noodles.
Then, suddenly, you are given noodles to eat. Isn’t that a different taste, a different experience? This is just like that. You get to have a new experience. It’s a new flavor. This is what the Third Jhana is like a new taste. For the person who has been established in the second jhāna for some time, this new bliss becomes distinctly noticeable. You realize, ‘Wow! I have arrived at a new place. My mind is now more elevated.’ This realization dawns on you.
Cultivating the Third Jhana: Practice and Physical Experience
Along with this mental shift, your body also becomes lighter. Pleasure implies lightness. These are things we have experienced practically, so you can face these states without fear or agitation. This pleasure is felt physically as an extreme lightness in the body.
The body may even seem to disappear to some extent, but not completely. For the body to disappear entirely, the mind needs to reach a certain level of letting go, a higher jhāna state. I won’t describe that in detail here, but simply put, one would need to reach something like the formless absorptions (arūpāvacara jhānas). Here, we are discussing the third of the four fine-material absorptions (rūpāvacara jhānas). This is its universal description, which you would also find in the texts.
In the second jhāna, we taught you to mentally note ‘joyful’ or ‘pīti.’ Similarly, when the mind enters the Third Jhana, the joy and physical sensations of the second jhāna gradually diminish and blend into this higher state. This bliss, or sukha, begins to be felt in mind and body, and it grows stronger.
As it increases, a word will arise from your heart, from your mind itself: ‘This is an amazing bliss!’ At that point, if you wish, you should contemplate the word that arises naturally from your heart, such as ‘blissful’ or ‘sukah.’ Even if you just mentally repeat ‘sukha,’ there is no problem. For someone who becomes accustomed to this, daily repetition is not needed. You will grasp the technique yourself.
Mastery in Daily Life and Universal Principles
Once your mind is trained here, you can access it in your worldly life. While doing your work, you can just close your eyes for a moment and you will instantly enter the Third Jhana. When paying homage at home, the moment you close your eyes; while leaning back on a bus, the moment you close your eyes; even while standing, if you close your eyes, you will feel yourself being drawn into the Third Jhana. Your own mind will understand this.
From these experiences, you will know whether the jhāna has become mastered, whether you have become skilled in it. You will be able to understand if the mind has come under your control at the level of the Third Jhana. These are the practical experiences you can gain.
This is how you should approach and understand the Third Jhana. And understand this: these principles apply to the first jhāna, the second jhāna, and the Third Jhana. They will also apply to the other jhānas that I will teach in the future. Therefore, comprehend all these points in this way. These are all practical matters that can only be understood through practical experience. Remember these things well. Otherwise, you will never be able to experience them. Act with this understanding.
Conclusion: Your Path Forward in Practice
Gain experience in this. If there are those among you who already have these experiences, please share them in the comments section so that others can benefit from your insights. If you gain these experiences later, after this teaching, please come back and share them. Doing so becomes a meritorious or wholesome action (kusala) for you. I believe I have explained and provided an understanding of the physical and mental sensations of the Third Jhana. This portion is sufficient for today.
As I encourage you to gain these experiences practically, I conclude this fourth teaching in the ‘Path to the Brahma Worlds’ series, titled ‘The Bliss.’ By the power of the Triple Gem the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha may you all have the ability to practically experience this ‘Path to the Brahma Worlds’ meditation. With this blessing, I end today’s teaching.
We invite you to walk this path with us. Read our teachings, and most importantly, apply them practically in your own life. as you practice, questions will naturally arise. Please feel free to share your experiences and questions in the comments section below, via email or contact form. I will do my best to offer guidance in future talks based on your progress. For now, begin this practice with an open heart and a mind free from expectation. Cultivate it correctly, and may you find the clarity and peace you seek.
Thank you for joining us. We hope this blog will be of great benefit to your spiritual journey.
May you all be well and happy.
May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all!
