Right Concentration Extras
What are the so-called “formless jhānas” or formless attainments in meditation? That’s one of the questions left on the cutting room floor after my video on Right Concentration. We’ll also tackle the question of how concentration meditation has tended to be sidestepped in a modern context.
Doug, how much “concentration” is required for right mindfulness?
Hi Ron, great question. Short answer is that I’m not really sure, and it seems to be a question of some controversy. I tried to go over some of that controversy in this video, as regards the Insight tradition in particular and “dry Insight”, so perhaps your question is different?
If you mean simply to ask whether one can do mindfulness meditation (or right mindfulness) without jhāna, then I think the answer is yes, but certain of the awakening factors in the fourth foundation appear related to aspects of jhānic meditation, which at least raises the question as to whether it is being assumed as a background accomplishment once we get to issues surrounding awakening itself.