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Revised February 12, 2018; December 3, 2019; April 19, 2024

Ariya jhānās result from removing kāma rāga. In contrast, one attains anāriya jhāna by merely suppressing kāma rāga.

Correction: One of my previous posts, “Jhāna – There Is No Separate Category of ‘Ariya Jhāna’” is incorrect. Also, the new post (“Jhāna and Magga phala – Very Different”) I posted earlier today has errors and needs to be revised. I will revise the second post and explain why I made the error. However, the following post I wrote several years ago correctly explains the difference between Ariya and anāriya jhāna.

Anāriya Jhāna Belong to This World – Āsava and Anusaya Remain

1. We saw in the previous post that Anāriya (non-Buddhist) jhānā are the mental states of rūpāvacara Brahmās, i.e., they belong to this world and have nothing to do with Nibbāna; see “Power of the Human Mind – Anāriya or Mundane Jhānās.”

▪Anāriya jhānās can be attained by focusing the mind (vitakka) on ANY neutral thought object (ārammaṇa) devoid of sensory attraction.

▪That ārammaṇa could be breath, a kasiṇa object, or any other religious symbol. Then, keeping the mind there (vicāra or sustained application) helps one to get to an anāriya jhāna.

▪Therefore, anāriya or mundane jhānā are attained by suppressing the five hindrances by concentrating on mundane objects (breath, a kasiṇa object, etc.)

▪Those with anāriya jhāna have not removed āsava and anusaya (hidden defilements) from their minds.

2.  On the other hand, Ariya jhānā are attained via using Nibbāna as the ārammaṇa (thought object.) However, Nibbāna is not “an object” in this world, so what is meant here is to recall some “cooling down” one has experienced.

▪One can start “cooling down” by living a moral life and avoiding dasa akusala; see, “Living Dhamma.”

▪When one comprehends the Three Characteristics (Tilakkhaṇa) of anicca, dukkha, and anatta, at least to some extent, there is more permanent “cooling down” over time. One can look back and notice such a “cooling down.” For example, one may not “flare-up” at the slightest provocation as one used to and may have lost cravings to some extent, etc. That is what needs to be recalled while cultivating Ariya jhāna; see #4 below for the kammaṭṭhāna.

3. Thus the key is to first experience some “cooling down” by comprehending the Three Characteristics of “this world” of 31 realms. One examines real-life situations and understands that no lasting happiness is possible, either in this life or anywhere in these 31 realms; see. “Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta,” and “Why is Correct Interpretation of Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta so Important?.”

▪This gives rise to nirāmisa sukha (see, “Three Kinds of Happiness – What is Nirāmisa Sukha?”) of Nibbāna, i.e., some “cooling down”, over time. How long it takes to experience some “cooling down” will depend on the person.

4. When one has experienced some “cooling down” that one can recall, then one can use it in a kammaṭṭhāna to cultivate jhāna. This procedure is more effective for those who have attained the Sotāpanna stage. One can sit in a quiet place and recite the following kammaṭṭhāna:

▪“etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ, yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānan’ti,” which means, “It is the only peace, the only happiness: prevent saṅkhāra from arising (via) eliminating taṇhā and excess greed, and thus stopping the arising of defilements, which is Nibbāna.” This needs to be done while recalling an instance of one’s own “cooling down”; see #3 above.

▪However, the above procedure is not effective unless one has at least some understanding of anicca, dukkha, anatta, and has experienced some “cooling down.” It can be used to quickly enter a jhāna that one has cultivated.

5. Thus the difference between the mundane and Ariya versions of Samatha meditation is the meditation object, and this is the reason that asañña jhānā are avoided in the Ariya meditation. In the former, one can focus on ANY object; in the latter one focuses on Nibbāna. Thus, vitakka, vicāra for Anariya samatha meditation becomes savitakka, savicāra, emphasizing the focus on Nibbāna, with the prefix “sa.”

▪“etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ, …….” cannot be used just as a chanting without understanding what is meant by heart. Thus the chant will become more and more effective as one starts feeling the nirāmisa sukha, at least to a certain extent. (One does not chant out loud; one could say it in one’s mind to oneself or say it quietly and meaningfully).

▪One could also start with any Anāriya Samatha meditation (the breath meditation is easy to do), and once one starts feeling the calmness and early stages of nirāmisa sukha, one could permanently switch over to the Ariya version, by contemplating anicca, dukkha, anatta and recalling one’s own “cooling down.”

6. Remember that nirāmisa sukha has no equivalent sensation in āmisa sukha or sensory pleasures available with the five physical senses. It is more like a relief sensation. When a headache goes away, one feels relief, calmness, and peace of mind. The nirāmisa sukha is something like that. The more nirāmisa sukha one feels one becomes calm inwardly AND outwardly.

▪When one gets into jhānā, jhānic pleasure can be felt in the body.

▪In the post, “Akusala Citta – How a Sotāpanna Avoids Apāyagāmi Citta,” I have explained how a Sotāpanna automatically removes the five types of citta that are responsible for rebirth in the apāyā (the lowest four realms). In that discussion, it was also shown how vicikicchā is responsible for such bad kamma and how contemplation on Tilakkhaṇa (anicca, dukkha, anatta) can remove vicikicchā, and also four other greed-rooted cittā that arise because of the wrong views.

7. Thus as one contemplates anicca, dukkha, and anatta nature, one automatically starts reducing, not just suppressing the hindrances.

Jhānic states are mental states of the Brahma realms lying above the realms in the kāma loka. In any realm in kāma loka, including the human and deva realms, kāma rāga and paṭigha are present. Both kāma rāga and paṭigha are absent in Brahma realms, as in jhānic states.

One gets to anāriya jhāna by SUPPRESSING kāma rāga and paṭigha. One gets to Ariya jhāna by REMOVING kāma rāga and paṭigha.

▪The two hindrances of kāmacchanda and vyāpāda were reduced to kāma rāga and paṭigha levels at the Sotāpanna stage. Kāma rāga and paṭigha are reduced further at the Sakadāgāmī stage, are removed at the Anāgāmī stage. Thus it is only an Anāgāmī who has REMOVED kāma rāga and paṭigha.

8. In summary, Ariya jhānā are permanent in nature compared to Anāriya jhānā. By that, I do not mean that one will be permanently in a jhānic state. It means one will be able to get into jhāna at will.

▪On the other hand, anāriya jhāna can be “lost.” By that I mean one who has cultivated anāriya jhāna may lose the ability to get to that jhāna. The best example is Devadatta who attained the highest anāriya jhanas and also cultivated supernormal (iddhi) powers. He lost all that and ended up in an apāya.

▪The most evident distinction of an Ariya jhāna is that once in the jhāna, the jhāna cannot be interrupted by a lustful or hateful thought. Even if one forcefully tries to think about such a thought, it does not “stick”; the mind rejects it; see, “11. Magga Phala via Cultivation of Saptha Bojjhaṅga.”

▪One can contemplate Dhamma concepts (savitakka, savicāra) while in a jhāna. Only vitakka and vicāra are reduced at the first Ariya jhāna, and completely eliminated at higher jhānā. Insight meditation (contemplating anicca, dukkha, anatta or any Dhamma concept) can be done with a clear, bright mind.

▪All jhānā are mundane in the sense that they provide the jhānic experience in the rūpaloka and arūpaloka, which still belong to the 31 realms of existence. The Nibbānic bliss is the ultimate bliss.

▪The nirodha samāpatti that a Ubhatovimutta Arahant can attain is incomparably better than any jhāna. Such an Arahant can continually enjoy Nibbānic bliss for up to seven days in nirodha samāpatti.

▪Thus ultimately what is most important is the purification of one’s own mind; see, “The Importance of Purifying the Mind.”

9. One gets to the first Ariya jhāna by removing (uccheda pahāna) kāma rāga, whereas one can get to the first anāriya jhāna by suppressing (vikkhambana pahāna) kāma rāga. Therefore, one will be an Anāgāmī by the time one gets to the first Ariya jhāna.

▪This is discussed in detail and evidence from the Tipiṭaka provided in the post: “Mundane versus Supramundane Jhāna.”

▪Even some followers of Waharaka Thero in Sri Lanka do not seem to understand this point. However, Waharaka Thero has clearly explained this in the following short desanā (in Sinhala): “WebLink: Listen to the audio: Ariya and Anāriya Jhāna (Audio).”

More information with references to suttā at: “Samādhi, Jhāna (Dhyāna), Magga Phala.”