འཕགས་པ་བྱམས་པས་ཞས་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད notes.11
The Question of Maitreya (1) notes.11
- Language
- English
notes.11
11. This section outlines the system of the eight meditative absorptions (Skt. dhyāna; Pali jhāna), which are progressively deeper states of meditation. The first four are termed “form” (rūpa) jhānas because the absorption takes place within the fine material sphere (Skt. rūpadhātu; Pali rūpaloka). The final four are called “formless” (arūpa) because they take place in the formless spheres (Skt. arūpyadhātu; Pali arūpaloka), and are also known as the four attainments (samāpatti). For a presentation of the jhāna system followed in the present-day Theravāda, see Gunaratana (1988 pp. 9-20.)