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Focused and Fearless: A Meditator's Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity
With this accesssible guide, meditators (and non-meditators) can understand how to attain extraordinary states with relative ease. Blended with contemporary examples and pragmatic "how to" instructions that anyone can try, Focused and Fearless provides a wealth of tools to cultivate non-distracted attention in daily life and on retreat. Shaila Catherine has a friendly, wise approach to the meditative states ( jhanas ) that lead to liberating insight.
Focused and Fearless is about much more than merely meditation or concentration. It offers a complete path towards bliss, fearlessness, and true awakening.
Focused and Fearless is about much more than merely meditation or concentration. It offers a complete path towards bliss, fearlessness, and true awakening.
280 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
147 people are currently reading
878 people want to read
About the author
Shaila Catherine
8 books34 followersShaila Catherine has been practicing meditation since 1980, with more than eight years of accumulated silent retreat experience. She has taught since 1996 in the USA, and internationally. Shaila has dedicated several years to studying with masters in India, Nepal and Thailand, completed a one year intensive meditation retreat with the focus on concentration and jhana. She has extensive experience with the practice of metta, including seven months exploring metta as the meditation subject in retreats. In recent years, Shaila had continued her study of jhana and insight with the guidance of Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw of Burma.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 17, 2011
This book is about states of mind called "The Jhanas" in Buddhist meditation. The jhanas are states of intense concentration. Shalia Catherine describes each of these mental states and suggests exercises that will eventually help in achieving these states.
Though many techniques exist for achieving the jhanas Catherine sticks to using meditation on breathing. This technique will be familiar to people who are interested in "insight meditation". The meditation technique in the book is pretty much the same thing except in how distractions are dealt with. When doing meditation on breathing as "insight meditation" distractions are witnessed in mental silence ("mindfulness" - no mental verbalizations ). When doing meditation on breathing to increase concentration distractions are simply let go of.
Shalia writes very clearly. She explains what the jhanas are very well. She also explains the relationship of the jhanas to insight meditation and the relationship of the jhanas to Buddhist teachings very well. Most importantly she describes *how* insight meditation and meditation to deepen concentration support each other.
Though she gives many fascinating exercises in the book, the reader should not expect a step by step road map to achieving the jhanas. Instead what you will get is more like advice to travel "north east" instead of "due north" in your own journey and search. I don't think this is a defect of the book, just the nature of the subject.
This book isn't for beginning meditators. The reader who will get the most out of this book is a person who has worked with meditation on breathing for several years and who has an acquaintance with Theravada Buddhist teachings.
In a nutshell, this is an excellent book because the author really seems to know her subject and she presents her subject in a very clear, easy to understand manner.
Though many techniques exist for achieving the jhanas Catherine sticks to using meditation on breathing. This technique will be familiar to people who are interested in "insight meditation". The meditation technique in the book is pretty much the same thing except in how distractions are dealt with. When doing meditation on breathing as "insight meditation" distractions are witnessed in mental silence ("mindfulness" - no mental verbalizations ). When doing meditation on breathing to increase concentration distractions are simply let go of.
Shalia writes very clearly. She explains what the jhanas are very well. She also explains the relationship of the jhanas to insight meditation and the relationship of the jhanas to Buddhist teachings very well. Most importantly she describes *how* insight meditation and meditation to deepen concentration support each other.
Though she gives many fascinating exercises in the book, the reader should not expect a step by step road map to achieving the jhanas. Instead what you will get is more like advice to travel "north east" instead of "due north" in your own journey and search. I don't think this is a defect of the book, just the nature of the subject.
This book isn't for beginning meditators. The reader who will get the most out of this book is a person who has worked with meditation on breathing for several years and who has an acquaintance with Theravada Buddhist teachings.
In a nutshell, this is an excellent book because the author really seems to know her subject and she presents her subject in a very clear, easy to understand manner.
June 29, 2015
After encountering Buddhism tangentially in the 1960s, I have now been a practicing Buddhist for the last eight or so years, focusing on the Theravada tradition and on Ānāpānasati practice.
I am also studying Wisdom Publication’s now excellent translations of the Pali Canon where the Jhānas are mentioned if not in every Sutta, then in every other one. They are, to put it mildly, firmly part of the Theravada Path.
That said, I have read just about everything I can lay my hands on concerning the Jhānas and right concentration. At this juncture, I am re-reading these many books, and I just completed a very thorough second pass of Catherine’s “Focused and Fearless.”
I put this book down with the half-serious question: Does it really take the tender sensibilities of a woman to accurately and clearly approach and expound upon the niceties of deep-concentration meditation? I know this not to be the case, but I do forgive myself for asking.
As Catherine states clearly in the front matter of the book, it is born out of personal experience; and this, to me, is crucial. I have read far too much of what strikes me as second-hand pedagogy, based not on personal experience but on other books, which may or may not have been based on personal experience.
As a result, Catherine speaks to you confidently and wisely about the journey you are undertaking, about the pitfalls and signposts, about the false and true—she is brimmingly authentic; she’s certainly been there and done that.
While it does guide you through the steps of practice, I find “Focused and Fearless” not so much an how-to book as a genuine spiritual map of the territory; and as such, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I am also studying Wisdom Publication’s now excellent translations of the Pali Canon where the Jhānas are mentioned if not in every Sutta, then in every other one. They are, to put it mildly, firmly part of the Theravada Path.
That said, I have read just about everything I can lay my hands on concerning the Jhānas and right concentration. At this juncture, I am re-reading these many books, and I just completed a very thorough second pass of Catherine’s “Focused and Fearless.”
I put this book down with the half-serious question: Does it really take the tender sensibilities of a woman to accurately and clearly approach and expound upon the niceties of deep-concentration meditation? I know this not to be the case, but I do forgive myself for asking.
As Catherine states clearly in the front matter of the book, it is born out of personal experience; and this, to me, is crucial. I have read far too much of what strikes me as second-hand pedagogy, based not on personal experience but on other books, which may or may not have been based on personal experience.
As a result, Catherine speaks to you confidently and wisely about the journey you are undertaking, about the pitfalls and signposts, about the false and true—she is brimmingly authentic; she’s certainly been there and done that.
While it does guide you through the steps of practice, I find “Focused and Fearless” not so much an how-to book as a genuine spiritual map of the territory; and as such, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
November 5, 2022
I worked with this book for over a year and was not able to see a nimitta or get into nimitta jhanas. This was not my introduction to meditation. I had been meditating for several years before trying her methods.
This might be a good companion book if you've done a retreat with Shaila, but I found it lacking as a stand alone resource.
It reads like literature, but it is, or should be, an instruction manual. Because of this, I feel like I missed important instructions. On rereading it, different sentences would stand out to me and seem very important, but I did not notice them on the first or even second reading.
If you do read this book start with Chapter 16. Chapter 16 contains the overview of her method. Then read the book sequentially.
This might be a good companion book if you've done a retreat with Shaila, but I found it lacking as a stand alone resource.
It reads like literature, but it is, or should be, an instruction manual. Because of this, I feel like I missed important instructions. On rereading it, different sentences would stand out to me and seem very important, but I did not notice them on the first or even second reading.
If you do read this book start with Chapter 16. Chapter 16 contains the overview of her method. Then read the book sequentially.
July 11, 2016
After encountering Buddhism tangentially in the 1960s, I have now been a practicing Buddhist for the last eight or so years, focusing on the Theravada tradition and on Ānāpānasati practice.
I am also studying Wisdom Publication’s now excellent translations of the Pali Canon where the Jhānas are mentioned if not in every Sutta, then in every other one. They are, to put it mildly, firmly part of the Theravada Path.
That said, I have read just about everything I can lay my hands on concerning the Jhānas and right concentration. At this juncture, I am re-reading these many books, and I just completed a very thorough second pass of Catherine’s “Focused and Fearless.”
I put this book down with the half-serious question: Does it really take the tender sensibilities of a woman to accurately and clearly approach and expound upon the niceties of deep-concentration meditation? I know this not to be the case, but I do forgive myself for asking.
As Catherine states clearly in the front matter of the book, it is born out of personal experience; and this, to me, is crucial. I have read far too much of what strikes me as second-hand pedagogy, based not on personal experience but on other books, which may or may not have been based on personal experience.
As a result, Catherine speaks to you confidently and wisely about the journey you are undertaking, about the pitfalls and signposts, about the false and true—she is brimmingly authentic; she’s certainly been there and done that.
While it does guide you through the steps of practice, I find “Focused and Fearless” not so much an how-to book as a genuine spiritual map of the territory; and as such, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I am also studying Wisdom Publication’s now excellent translations of the Pali Canon where the Jhānas are mentioned if not in every Sutta, then in every other one. They are, to put it mildly, firmly part of the Theravada Path.
That said, I have read just about everything I can lay my hands on concerning the Jhānas and right concentration. At this juncture, I am re-reading these many books, and I just completed a very thorough second pass of Catherine’s “Focused and Fearless.”
I put this book down with the half-serious question: Does it really take the tender sensibilities of a woman to accurately and clearly approach and expound upon the niceties of deep-concentration meditation? I know this not to be the case, but I do forgive myself for asking.
As Catherine states clearly in the front matter of the book, it is born out of personal experience; and this, to me, is crucial. I have read far too much of what strikes me as second-hand pedagogy, based not on personal experience but on other books, which may or may not have been based on personal experience.
As a result, Catherine speaks to you confidently and wisely about the journey you are undertaking, about the pitfalls and signposts, about the false and true—she is brimmingly authentic; she’s certainly been there and done that.
While it does guide you through the steps of practice, I find “Focused and Fearless” not so much an how-to book as a genuine spiritual map of the territory; and as such, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
February 23, 2020
This book falls heavily on the samadhi (tranquil) meditation. These days, folks interested in Buddhist meditation are hearing more and more about this tradition/method of meditation. In a nutshell, samadhi meditation works on the premise that the mind cannot attain insight very well with thoughts bouncing around. The meditator learns to focus single-pointedly on an object--usually the breath as it enters and exits the nose--and gradually becomes less aware of aches and pains, external sounds, etc. Once you have obtained absorption, you should then gently strive to attain jhana. What is jhana? These are states of mind of joy, equanimity, and other positive feelings. And then there are formless jhanas. You can eventually learn to go through jhanas quickly or take time to recognize their states.
Why develop the ability to enter jhana? It is easy for us to dwell on negative emotions and obsess over finding situations and people who will make us happy. When we develop jhana, we come to learn that positive states are impermanent (most of us know that) but also can even be uncomfortable (now that's a shocker!). Once a jhana has been attained and explored, we come out of the meditation and see how that state slowly unravels. This should create insight into the nature of the mind and reality to the meditator.--Deep stuff!
Obviously, this type of meditation will not be for everyone and might not be the best choice for the meditator at every point in her life. Says who? Says the author! This is a meditation manual very much rooted in the Buddhist teachings of impermanence and the need to cultivate and observe positive states. The author warns that if you're seeking bliss, you're headed in the wrong direction. Jhana meditation, like vipassana, is very much an investigatory pursuit. By no means is this (or vipassana, for that matter) an easy endeavor though the popular image of these types of meditation are highly misleading--and yet somewhat true!
The chapters on how to integrate vipassana and samadhi meditation were most interesting to me. It really brought home just how precious these jewels are in the Buddhist tradition and how we really shouldn't ignore either one. This book will be dense reading unless you are trying samadhi meditation. Even then, you won't be getting to absorption and jhana at the pace that most readers consume a book. Think of this book as a manual to pick up as needed. In fact, I forewent the chapters on the formless states and plan to read them whenever or if ever I reach them or hope to attain them. The author says that the first four jhanas are enough to cultivate deep insight.--I found the author to be straightforward and honest in her explanations of samadhi/jhana meditation. Never once did I feel like this was a feel-good, pop psych read. I felt each time like I was sitting down with a mind accomplished in samadhi meditation and willing to teach me deeply about how to cultivate insight into reality unfiltered by a self-driven mind.
The author draws from the teachings of Pa-Auk, a Burmese forest monk with an expansive meditation center and highly didactic books on the meditation technique he teaches. Without Shaila Catherine's book, I would never have given the Pa-Auk method another glance. The author truly does filter the Pa-Auk method in a way that makes it more accessible to readers and yet doesn't take away from the depth of this practice. A companion book has been published--"Wisdom Wide and Deep". I mistakenly purchased the companion book first and attempted to read. For me, it was instant aversion. "Focused and Fearless" is without a doubt where you should start if you're interested in Samadhi meditation, not just the Pa-Auk method. Other authors who touch the subject are Ayya Khema, Leigh Brasington, Ajahn Brahm, Bhante Gunaratana, Alan B. Wallace, and Richard Shankman. "Focused and Fearless" was the first I chose to delve into samadhi and jhanas because of all the other books I perused, this one looked to be a gentle guide with depth and practical advice. I wasn't wrong!
To the author, I would just like to say "Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!"
Why develop the ability to enter jhana? It is easy for us to dwell on negative emotions and obsess over finding situations and people who will make us happy. When we develop jhana, we come to learn that positive states are impermanent (most of us know that) but also can even be uncomfortable (now that's a shocker!). Once a jhana has been attained and explored, we come out of the meditation and see how that state slowly unravels. This should create insight into the nature of the mind and reality to the meditator.--Deep stuff!
Obviously, this type of meditation will not be for everyone and might not be the best choice for the meditator at every point in her life. Says who? Says the author! This is a meditation manual very much rooted in the Buddhist teachings of impermanence and the need to cultivate and observe positive states. The author warns that if you're seeking bliss, you're headed in the wrong direction. Jhana meditation, like vipassana, is very much an investigatory pursuit. By no means is this (or vipassana, for that matter) an easy endeavor though the popular image of these types of meditation are highly misleading--and yet somewhat true!
The chapters on how to integrate vipassana and samadhi meditation were most interesting to me. It really brought home just how precious these jewels are in the Buddhist tradition and how we really shouldn't ignore either one. This book will be dense reading unless you are trying samadhi meditation. Even then, you won't be getting to absorption and jhana at the pace that most readers consume a book. Think of this book as a manual to pick up as needed. In fact, I forewent the chapters on the formless states and plan to read them whenever or if ever I reach them or hope to attain them. The author says that the first four jhanas are enough to cultivate deep insight.--I found the author to be straightforward and honest in her explanations of samadhi/jhana meditation. Never once did I feel like this was a feel-good, pop psych read. I felt each time like I was sitting down with a mind accomplished in samadhi meditation and willing to teach me deeply about how to cultivate insight into reality unfiltered by a self-driven mind.
The author draws from the teachings of Pa-Auk, a Burmese forest monk with an expansive meditation center and highly didactic books on the meditation technique he teaches. Without Shaila Catherine's book, I would never have given the Pa-Auk method another glance. The author truly does filter the Pa-Auk method in a way that makes it more accessible to readers and yet doesn't take away from the depth of this practice. A companion book has been published--"Wisdom Wide and Deep". I mistakenly purchased the companion book first and attempted to read. For me, it was instant aversion. "Focused and Fearless" is without a doubt where you should start if you're interested in Samadhi meditation, not just the Pa-Auk method. Other authors who touch the subject are Ayya Khema, Leigh Brasington, Ajahn Brahm, Bhante Gunaratana, Alan B. Wallace, and Richard Shankman. "Focused and Fearless" was the first I chose to delve into samadhi and jhanas because of all the other books I perused, this one looked to be a gentle guide with depth and practical advice. I wasn't wrong!
To the author, I would just like to say "Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!"
February 14, 2016
I wrote this as an email to Shaila, and I believe it fits here as a review as well as that it may help others discover the qualities this book has to offer.
***
Dear Shaila,
I’m writing to express my appreciation of, and gratitude for, your book.
I’ve now read it cover to cover along with a re-read of a few select sections over a period of a month and through two (short, weekend) retreats.
It was a treat to practice alongside with, elucidating many aspects of both Samadhi and Vipassana. Generally, I found the mix to be very good, and certainly the book delivered on the promise of teaching how to do insight work on the basis of jhana. The progression of the book, the increase in depth, was as well very skillful.
Similar to the spirit that emanated from you in the two retreats I’ve sat, the book was sharp, accurate, leaving little to no room for misinterpretation, and always on target, while still being very whole, complete, leaving few open questions, coating the reader with an “impenetrable” and “inescapable” layer of wisdom. This made it almost impossible to veer off-course, for the mind to latch into alternative interpretations beneficial to its clinging, and for practice to not be directed, full of intention and awareness.
Thank you!
***
I would recommend it to anyone who has at least a little bit of experience with meditation and is eager to deepen their practice -- as well as to longtime meditators.
***
Dear Shaila,
I’m writing to express my appreciation of, and gratitude for, your book.
I’ve now read it cover to cover along with a re-read of a few select sections over a period of a month and through two (short, weekend) retreats.
It was a treat to practice alongside with, elucidating many aspects of both Samadhi and Vipassana. Generally, I found the mix to be very good, and certainly the book delivered on the promise of teaching how to do insight work on the basis of jhana. The progression of the book, the increase in depth, was as well very skillful.
Similar to the spirit that emanated from you in the two retreats I’ve sat, the book was sharp, accurate, leaving little to no room for misinterpretation, and always on target, while still being very whole, complete, leaving few open questions, coating the reader with an “impenetrable” and “inescapable” layer of wisdom. This made it almost impossible to veer off-course, for the mind to latch into alternative interpretations beneficial to its clinging, and for practice to not be directed, full of intention and awareness.
Thank you!
***
I would recommend it to anyone who has at least a little bit of experience with meditation and is eager to deepen their practice -- as well as to longtime meditators.
April 27, 2015
A handbook to keep and re-read as your practice continues. Both samatha and vipassana are wings you should develop together to fly to the other shore. The practice is full of ups and downs. Next time I go to a meditation retreat I will try one of her practical tips; develop insight every time you come out of deep concentration. Don't wait for the higher attainments to start gaining insight.
Very humorous and human. I laughed a lot enjoying the personal stories and anecdotes between the serious stuff. I can relate with her story of being sent to the kitchen or the Indian bazaar just when she gained good concentration. Just when I thought my meditation was improving there's always something in the monasrery; a serious health care issue, a big annual celebration of Buddha pujaniya. Equanimity is just as important on as off the cushion.
Very humorous and human. I laughed a lot enjoying the personal stories and anecdotes between the serious stuff. I can relate with her story of being sent to the kitchen or the Indian bazaar just when she gained good concentration. Just when I thought my meditation was improving there's always something in the monasrery; a serious health care issue, a big annual celebration of Buddha pujaniya. Equanimity is just as important on as off the cushion.
January 5, 2016
You want to sit and meditate? Don't read this book then, just sit and meditate. But later when you feel like doing something else, you might want to read this book. Priceless when accompanied with practice, arid and empty without it.
April 21, 2023
For example, you may find yourself repeatedly planning what you will say in next week's staff meeting. Give the story a title or name such as "presenting me," "endless agendas," "my witty retort." Give the repeating thoughts funny names: "The story of my life," "The tragedy at dinner." These repetitive stories are like songs we sing over and over again.
Humorous names can depersonalize the thought patterns, minimizing their power over the mind and a playful or humorous name makes it easier to deflate any charged energy in the thoughts and recognize them simply as thoughts.
In the first ten minutes of one of your meditation sessions, notice your thinking rather than the sensations of breath. Without judging yourself for the presence of thought during meditation, count each thought. [...] Count even subtle thoughts about the meditation and judgments of how the process is developing, in addition to the coarser thoughts about past events and future plans.
Try to be totally and precisely mindful of the experience of eating [...] something you really like. [...] Take note of the changing qualities of pleasure, when it intensifies or diminishes. Observe the distinctions between a physical sensation of pleasant feeling, and a thought of craving or a commentary on the delights.
The Buddha's famous simile of the raft is one of the great illustrations of wisdom and letting go. The Buddha described the building of a raft to use to cross the river of suffering. Arriving at the other shore, one does not carry the raft on his shoulders but leaves it on the bank and travels unburdened, liberated from all attachments, even the attachment to what helped him arrive at his destination. You must untangle any clinging to method, technique, rites and rituals, views, concepts, knowledge, and experience - once they have done their job.
What really matters in life? Exploring the empty essence of mind puts one face to face with the barest of facts. In the face of no-thing, what matters?
Contemplate this question, letting it mature your heart in unlimited love and compassion. Align your life with the knowledge of what is of deepest significance. Discover what can hold its value in the face of the unfathomable mystery of emptiness. When you are motivated by wisdom, compassion, profound love, or a commitment to awakening, steadfast courage will be unstoppable. Supported by the unshakable quality of emptiness, you will be undeterred by the transient hardships that compassionate service often requires.
Practicing jhana as the basis for insight is a little like the practice of the Tibetan sand mandala. [...] Their construction demands years of training and diligent attention. No matter how perfectly formed, the painting is ritually destroyed and literally brushed away once completed. Similarly we carefully construct samadhi, but lurking beneath our efforts may be an unseen desire for permanent satisfaction.
This chapter explores the transition from seclusion to contact, from samadhi to vipassana - how to utilize jhana to flexibly shift from concentrated states into the clarity of sensory contact.
Sustained absorption in happy states changes the shape of the mind, affecting its tendencies and patterns, inclining it toward joy and ease. Concentration alone, however, does not have the power to make us free. We must join concentration, mindfulness, investigation, and wisdom to generate an unshakable deliverance from suffering. Concentration temporarily suspends preoccupation with desires and aversions and provides relief through a state of desirelessness. However, this peace is born of seclusion, not wisdom. It depends on specific conditions and hence is vulnerable to change.
When you feel ready, allow the jhana to end and observe the changes that occur. Watch closely as the factors of the jhana (in this case, primarily contentment and unified singularity of mind) shift in the transition from altered to normal consciousness, from seclusion to sensory contact, from samadhi to vipassana practice. This is your opportunity to carefully observe the impermanence of subtle mental factors. Notice how you can distinguish a jhanic state from regular consciousness. Observe whatever is happening. And then, with a mind energized, clear, and freshened by concentration, dedicate the remainder of the meditation session to recognize the true nature of mental and physical phenomena.
When consciousness is altered by the pervasive presence of sukha, nothing disturbs you. There is no sleepiness, no dullness, no energetic imbalances to shake the stability of this state; environmental sounds do not disturb the attention, nor does cold or heat. If physical discomforts such as chronic back pain should arise, the mind remains undisturbed. Although the meditator may recognize sensations of pain, pain may not be perceived as unpleasant, due to the saturation of consciousness in contentment. Muscle spasms can be recognised and wisely responded to, but the mind will be free of any unpleasant associations.
Observing the perceptions that arise and cease during absorption clarifies the conditions that support sustained spiritual pleasure. For example, you might have noticed that during the access stage the habitually restless wandering mind settles down. There was a presence of calm and an absence of restlessness. Noticing what is present and absent is a simple function of discernment that supports the integration of concentration (samatha) and insight (vipassana).
Although it is described in terms similar to the sustaining factor of vicara, ekaggata has a steadier texture; it does not possess the explorative quality inherent in vicara. Whereas vicara is compared to a bee entering a single flower and buzzing around in the pollen, ekaggata is compared to a nail or post that is anchored to one spot. Ekaggata brings certainty, deep stability, and clarity: its one-pointed focus completely unifies attention with the object until consciousness feels virtually undifferentiated from its object.
Similarly, meditation challenges us to experience a thought as a thought, a feeling as a feeling, a sight as a sight, without embellishing each encounter with a personal story of representational significance.
One of the great contributions of the modern art movement was the production of nonrepresentational art. Art works were created from an interest in the varied uses of materials - canvas, paint, wood, metal, paper, and so forth - rather than from a wish to represent a person, still-life, or landscape. A line was just a line; it did not represent the contour of a realistic or imaginary object. These innovations challenged the viewer to see without indulging in stories, to view the canvas as canvas, the paint as paint, a curve as a curve.
Imagine yourself eating a piece of berry pie. Even before finishing the serving, you begin to think about a second helping. It may not be more pie you want; in fact, a second piece might bring unpleasant feeling of bloatedness. The desire may not be to have more pie, but rather, to sustain the pleasant feeling-tone. Craving for pleasure stimulates greed for more pleasant sensations. Unaware of the dynamic of feeling, we reinforce the assumption that more pleasure will come through more experiences - if one piece of pie was good, more is better. This habitual drive for more strengthens the pattern of greed.
Equanimity is not limited to the painful areas of life. Equanimity also protects us from being swept away by praise, flattery, and success. Careless excitement in response to praise can cloud good judgment. A friend recently showed me a new dress that she could barely afford. She purchased it when the salesperson said that it made her look ten years younger. On the other side of the spectrum, self-hatred or anger can fester when we are blamed, criticized, or find our faults exposed. We live in a world where we may be barraged by both praise and blame. As a teacher who gives public lectures, I have many opportunities to experience these vicissitudes. Students often approach me after my lectures. Some people are deeply moved and offer me high praise. Other people who sat in the same room and heard the same talk may react with anger, boredom, or annoyance.
We may not realize to what extent we impose our expectations on things until those expectations are left unmet. I had always expected post offices to have stamps, banks to have cash, drug stores to sell aspirin, and international airports to have money-changing services, until I traveled.
Equanimity is steady through vicissitudes, equally close to the things you may like and the things you do not like. Observe when the tendency to move away from what you do not like ends, and the tendency to hold on to what you like is equally absent. Personal preference no longer dictates the direction of attention.
The Buddha said that "Pleasure is a bond, a joy that's brief, of little taste, leading to drawn out pain. The wise know that the hook is baited." Sensual pleasures are inherently brief, but they are not bad or immoral. Desire for sensual pleasure is simply not an effective strategy to find lasting happiness. Wherever there is attachment to sensual pleasures, there follows fear of unavoidable change. The mindful realize this truth.
It is important to explore your relationship to pleasurable activities. I often hear people say that they "love" doing something. Hiking, for example, may be a generally pleasant activity, but like any activity, it is not a reliable source of happiness. Is a walk on a forest path entirely pleasant?
When the Buddha recounted his own practice, he described joy independent of physical comfort and unshaken by the hardships of famine, illness, and verbal abuse - and beyond what can be experienced through the senses. "There are two kinds of happiness; the kind to be pursued and the kind to be avoided," the Buddha said. "When I observed that in the pursuit of such happiness, unwholesome factors increased and wholesome factors decreased, then that happiness was to be avoided. When I observed that in the pursuit of such happiness unwholesome factors decreased and wholesome ones increased, then that happiness was to be sought after." The Buddha asks us: What pursuits lead to wholesome forces developing? And what pursuits lead to unwholesome forces thriving? The Buddha was a proponent of an efficient, long-term, sustainable approach to happiness, never settling for resigned acceptance of limited conventional comforts.
You may be sitting in a quiet place, but if your mind is agitated with judging thoughts, future plans, restlessness, or fantasy, you are not yet secluded for meditation. When I lived in India, serving my teacher, H.W.L. Poonja, one student requested a private meeting with Poonjaji. He said, "I want to see you alone before I leave." Poonjaji replied, "You are invited to see me alone. You come alone to me. Don't bring anyone with you, not your clothes, not your body, not your mind. Then you can see me alone." He was not suggesting the student meet him without a shirt and pants but asking for a deeper level of relinquishment - a stripping away of the personality masks, social ranks, and self-image that habitually accompany us.
Do you ever stand that exposed, emptied of the facades of identity, without your roles, without identification with social status, utterly empty of concepts, not preoccupied with who you are and how you are perceived?
Young and not yet understanding the deeper meanings of solitude, I sought greater seclusion in a cave in Krabi District, Thailand. The only entrance was through a tunnel that bent in such a way that no light penetrated. [...] Sometimes local villagers entered with flashlights scavenging for bat droppings that are used as garden fertilizer. Even underground, I was not alone.
Inspired by some early experiences in my meditation practice, I actively sought situations of solitude. At a small forest monastery in Chonburi Province, Thailand, I spent one retreat on a platform made of wooden planks. It had no walls, but was partially covered by a grass roof. My intention was, simply, to meditate there, alone. I did not leave the platform except briefly for the single daily meal, toilet, and a bath at a nearby stream. I wanted to allow the meditation practice to flow unrestricted by schedules and social conventions.
April 9, 2022
Way back in December 2017 I picked up this book and realized after a few chapters in that it’s the kind of book that will take a long time to go through. Like a reference for my practice. Also, I realized I needed to do more than just go through the exercises in the book to develop jhana.
There are the jhanas and then there are jhana factors - the points of reference in meditation that deepens one’s awareness and prepares you for jhana states. For that, you need to be in retreat with the support and guidance of a teacher and a community. Silent retreat of at least ten days if not a handful of years.
Well, tonight my eighth grader is going to the dance. My fifth grader is at a sleepover. My house is a mess. The animals are loving on me, and I’m tentatively exploring a romantic interest.
Clearly, an extended retreat is not in the cards for me at this time. But I did take Shaila’s course, which covers the material of the book and the practices. I really appreciate doing that and Shaila’s teachings. She will be leading a short retreat in Altanta this fall. I hope to make room for that even though it is at the start of the fall semester for my classes.
In the meantime, I have new ways of introducing mindfulness to my students and fresh avenues to explore in my practice.
I’m grateful.
There are the jhanas and then there are jhana factors - the points of reference in meditation that deepens one’s awareness and prepares you for jhana states. For that, you need to be in retreat with the support and guidance of a teacher and a community. Silent retreat of at least ten days if not a handful of years.
Well, tonight my eighth grader is going to the dance. My fifth grader is at a sleepover. My house is a mess. The animals are loving on me, and I’m tentatively exploring a romantic interest.
Clearly, an extended retreat is not in the cards for me at this time. But I did take Shaila’s course, which covers the material of the book and the practices. I really appreciate doing that and Shaila’s teachings. She will be leading a short retreat in Altanta this fall. I hope to make room for that even though it is at the start of the fall semester for my classes.
In the meantime, I have new ways of introducing mindfulness to my students and fresh avenues to explore in my practice.
I’m grateful.
April 3, 2022
I found this book incredibly helpful for my meditation practice. It helped me dig deeper and embrace my meditation journey with purpose, but also with non-judgment and acceptance.
I would recommend this book to someone who has an established mindfulness/meditation practice, as it doesn’t really build up to the more complex aspects of mediation; it just jumps right in. It might be a bit much for a beginner (aka me several years ago when I tried to read it for the first time).
One thing I found disappointing and weird: I looked up ways I could further engage with Shaila Catherine’s teachings, and all opportunities available were incredibly expensive and not accessible for me… as in attending the virtual online retreat is $250-$650, and the in-person retreat is $2300-$2800 for one person. This just struck me as very strange.
I would recommend this book to someone who has an established mindfulness/meditation practice, as it doesn’t really build up to the more complex aspects of mediation; it just jumps right in. It might be a bit much for a beginner (aka me several years ago when I tried to read it for the first time).
One thing I found disappointing and weird: I looked up ways I could further engage with Shaila Catherine’s teachings, and all opportunities available were incredibly expensive and not accessible for me… as in attending the virtual online retreat is $250-$650, and the in-person retreat is $2300-$2800 for one person. This just struck me as very strange.
February 3, 2019
Ironically, this book is a bit unfocused.
It starts with a clear mission statement: discuss concentration practices (the luminous jhanas) that are only accessible during long retreats. Great, that's an underdiscussed part of meditation.
The problem arises when she decides to expand her scope to practice in general, with asides on things like integrating practice into work or home life. Those sections are unremarkable, and drag the quality down.
It starts with a clear mission statement: discuss concentration practices (the luminous jhanas) that are only accessible during long retreats. Great, that's an underdiscussed part of meditation.
The problem arises when she decides to expand her scope to practice in general, with asides on things like integrating practice into work or home life. Those sections are unremarkable, and drag the quality down.
July 10, 2023
A very dense theoretical text not suited to beginners, perhaps more for intermediate or seasoned meditators.
There are exercises but it's not a practical guide.
One to come back to during the meditation journey.
There are exercises but it's not a practical guide.
One to come back to during the meditation journey.
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May 24, 2020The style of writing is overly
March 29, 2021
Excellent
Great book, I'm 4 years into practice so it was very timely. Peace
Peace peace peace peace peace peace peace
Great book, I'm 4 years into practice so it was very timely. Peace
Peace peace peace peace peace peace peace
January 23, 2022
Great intermediate introduction to Buddhist jhanas.
August 28, 2013
Outstanding book on concentration meditation. Practices are clearly explained and placed in context. Catherine's writing ability and depth and breadth of knowledge are outstanding, far beyond that of most authors in this genre. These practices help me work more effectively and feel calmer, more focused, and more able to accept and respond to the ups and downs of being a freelance medical writer. -- Amy Karon, Karon Medical Writing, LLC
April 18, 2014
Good overview of Buddhist concentration practices, in particular the deep absorptive states known as "jhanas." This book does a good job describing the jhanic factors, the states that precede absorption as well as technical descriptions of the first four "rupa" or "material" jhanas, as well as the latter four "arupa" or "non-material" forms. Catherine also gives good exercises and explications from the suttas to help guide the reader through the technical territory.
August 27, 2024
It doesn’t teach technique. It just talks about the different meditative states.
March 20, 2012
Well organized. Makes easy to follow correlations between insight and concentration practices.
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