What You Might Not Know about Jhāna & Samādhi

What You Might Not Know about Jhāna & Samādhi

Author: ​Kumāra Bhikkhu

Do you wonder about the conflicting teachings on Buddhist meditation?
 
Are you uncertain if you should practice jhāna?

Have you tried to practice concentration and found it stressful?
 
This is an invaluable contribution to the modern discussion among both practitioners and scholars concerning exactly what jhāna, samādhi and related terms mean. Confusion about these terms has been endemic in the Theravada tradition, probably for many centuries. Āyasmā Kumāra extracts the relevant passages of the earliest texts, the Buddha’s discourses, and—with particular sensitivity to the semantics of the Pāli—argues that the original intent of these terms is quite different from how they came to be most widely understood in the Theravada tradition. The result is persuasive if not conclusive. This is a must-read for all practitioners and students of Buddhist meditation.
 Bhikkhu Cintita Dinsmore

To me this is a ‘God-sent’ revelation. A ‘thank you’ is not enough. You have no idea how many books, articles and published and unpublished theses I ploughed through all these years, driven by this unsatisfied urge to get to the bottom of it all. Why? Because it affects my practice. Can you see and feel the sense of relief I have after reading the book? I find this book an oasis of wisdom and inspiration for those of us trapped by the concepts of jhānas. I could hardly put it down, nodding my head and internally screaming out YES through practically every argument and suggestion put up.
Eugene Yong

Very readable, stimulating and supportive of practice.
Ajahn Sucitto

Deeply impressed, by the tone and quality of the analysis and encouragement to see for oneself. An important contribution to the discussion.
Ajahn Vajiro

An important piece of “Dhamma practice-based scholarship”, and a courageous one at that, given the current state of (mis)understanding and contestation among Theravādins.
Tan Thien Kittiko

This wonderful work is a gem. It has helped to clear many of my doubts in meditation and has given me much confidence in the practice now. Inspiring!
Ng Lay Hoon

I’m sure this book will help and influence many people’s practice, especially monastics who feel compelled to develop jhāna. On the flip side, the ideas the writer is questioning are so entrenched in the Theravāda world-view that I have no doubt he will make more than a few enemies, be branded a heretic, tarred and feathered and chased out of town etc. etc.
B.Bhikkhu

I really like the book and find it highly important to get the message out to the public. Despite the somewhat technical topic, the style made it fun to read.
Ariyadhammika Bhikkhu

This book has cleared up some things for me which I thought were strange, but didn’t pursue them because I thought it was just me!
Low Mun-Syn

This book has clarified the practice by clarifying words that are used in different ways according to the context: the Suttas vs the Visuddhimagga. As the conclusions are backed by research with actual references to these texts and their translations, I feel more assured that it’s not just an idea handed down culturally in the Burmese Buddhist environment.
Moushumi Ghosh

More reviews in Goodreads

How to get it:

  • ePub version: Download from MediaFire or Google Drive. (You need an ePub reader to view it.)
  • Printed version: Order it here. (The book is free, but you need to pay for the delivery service.)

Chinese version: 

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