8. RIGHT CONCENTRATION
Right Concentration is the last step mentioned in the noble Eight-fold path, certainly the most complex to explain and requiring great detail. The practice has as it’s goal to avoid unwholesome states [of mind], to nurture wholesome states [of mind], and to go ‘beyond’ the duality of the wholesome and unwholesome.
First, let’s take a look at how the previous 7 steps are related:
“There are, monks, these seven accessories of concentration. What seven? Right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, and right mindfulness. One-pointedness of mind equipped with these seven factors is called noble right concentration ‘with its supports’ and ‘with its accessories.’” — AN IV.40
Right Concentration starts with the guarding of the senses [sense-doors]:
“Monks, one should practice heedfulness, mindfulness, and guarding of the mind in four instances. What four?
- “May my mind not become excited by things that provoke lust!"
- “May my mind not be full of hate toward things that provoke hatred!"
- “May my mind not be deluded by things that cause delusion!"
- “May my mind not be intoxicated by things that intoxicate!"
One bent on his own welfare should practice heedfulness, mindfulness, and guarding of the mind thus.” — AN II 120
Second, concentration combined with clear comprehension related to Right Mindfulness provides stability: as full awareness of the purpose of actions; as awareness in the choice of means; as engagement of the mind with meditation subjects; as discernment of things in their true nature as they truly are, and free from delusion.
Thirdly, the emancipation from the 5 hindrances [obstacles of the mind]: sensuality, ill-will, sluggishness of mind or body, worry, and doubt. The antidotes to the 5 hindrances are considered nutriments of the path.
An important part of Right Concentration are what are called the jhanas. This is the Pali word for Dhyana in Sanskrit, ch’an in Chinese, and likely the most known term is the Japanese word Zen. Essentially it means meditation, but it is more than just that. The PTS Pali-English dictionary explains it:
“meditation on objects and from burning up anything adverse, literally meditation. But it never means vaguely meditation. It is the technical term for a special religious experience, reached in a certain order of mental states.”
It was originally divided into four particular states called the form meditations (rupa-jhana):
“And what, friends, is right concentration?
Here, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, a monk enters upon and abides in the first jhana, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion.
With the stilling of applied and sustained thought, he enters upon and abides in the second jhana, which has self-confidence and singleness of mind without applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of concentration.
With the fading away as well of rapture, he abides in equanimity, and mindful and fully aware, still feeling pleasure with the body, he enters upon and abides in the third jhana, on account of which noble ones announce: ‘He has a pleasant abiding who has equanimity and is mindful.
With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, he enters upon and abides in the fourth jhana, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. This is called right concentration.” — MN III.252
The jhanas are only a means to and end, not the end itself. To imagine that jhana experience is equal to attaining Arahantship is considered a heresy (see DN I.37).
Besides the 4 form-meditations, there are also the formless [immaterial] meditations (arupa-jhana) that apply concentration to even more subtle meditations:
“Here, Udayin, with the complete surmounting of perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, with non-attention to perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite,’ a monk enters upon and abides in the base of infinite space.
By completely surmounting the base of infinite space, aware that ‘consciousness is infinite,’ a monk enters upon and abides in the base of infinite consciousness.
By completely surmounting the base of infinite consciousness, aware that ‘there is nothing,’ a monk enters upon and abides in the base of nothingness.
By completely surmounting the base of nothingness, a monk enters upon and abides in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
By completely surmounting the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, a monk enters upon and abides in the cessation of perception and feeling.” — MN I.455
In the next post No. 9 of the path will be discussed: Right Knowledge.
The Nikayas are Buddhist books that form the earliest Buddhist canon of scriptures containing the teachings of the Buddha.
First of all, it really helps to have these books in digital form, so you can search for a particular word easily and be able to read how it is mentioned and in what context it is placed in the teachings of the Buddha.
The following English translations of the primary texts are available and used:
- The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya (SN)
- The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya (DN)
- The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (MN)
- The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Anguttara Nikaya (AN
B. The Virtue and Moral Discipline aggregate of training
- Right livelihood (samma-ajiva)
C. The Concentration aggregate of training
- Right effort (samma-vayama)
- Right mindfulness (samma-sati)
- Right concentration (samma-samadhi)
The Ten-fold Path consists of two additional ‘folds’:
- Right knowledge / wisdom (samma-nana)
- Right liberation / release (samma-vimutti)
- AN = Anguttara Nikaya,
- DN = Digha Nikaya,
- MN = Majjhima Nikaya,
- SN= Samyutta Nikaya); followed by book number in roman capitalized numerals and verse number (for example, AN I.30 = Anguttara Nikaya book 1 verse 30).
Note: Quotations follow the PTS (Pali Text Society) naming and numbering format:
- Right View
- Right Intention/Thought
- Right Speech
- Right Action
- Right Livelihood
- Right Effort
- Right Concentration
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