Breath Mindfulness 5

The Five Obstacles

As we practice meditation, we will be blocked and hindered by five main mental qualities that the Buddha outlined in many suttas. These are called the “five obstacles” or “hindrances”.

The Satipatthana Sutta and its parallels places these five obstacles under the fourth Satipatthana (since they are technically dhammas, phenomena), and for this reason we will discuss them in this section. But in reality, it will be necessary to work against these five obstacles during the practice of all four tetrads.

The Satipatthana Sutta says:

A seeker who feels sense desire knows there is sense desire present. When they don’t have sense desire, they know it’s not present. They know how sense desire arises, how it can be given up, and how it can be prevented in the future.

A seeker also is aware and knows when the following obstacles are present and when they are not present: hostility, dullness and drowsiness, agitation and remorse, and hesitation. They know how these obstacles arise, how they can be given up, and how they can be prevented in the future.

They observe dharmas like this, internally and externally. They observe how dharmas arise, how they pass away, and how they both arise and pass. They remain mindful of these dharmas until there is full knowledge and steady mindfulness. They are independent, not grasping at anything in the world.

The five obstacles block our meditation progress and our entrance to samadhi (and thus, to awakening), hence they are also called ‘obscurations’ or ‘hindrances’. The Buddha said that the five obstacles “choke the mind, robbing understanding of its strength.”

Ajahn Lee compared them to weeds which suck out all the nutrient away from crops and which must be pulled up by the plow of directed thought and the harrow of evaluation. The Buddha compared them to different disturbances or pollutants in a pool of water, once they are removed, the clear water in the pool has the power to reflect reality like a mirror.

So too, there are these five poisons of the mind, tainted by which the mind is not soft, nor workable, nor radiant, but is brittle, and does not have right samadhi for the evaporation of the poisons. What five? Sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, and doubt…. But when the mind is released from these five poisons, that mind is soft, workable, radiant, not brittle, it has right samadhi for the evaporation of the poisons.’ – AN 5.13

The five obstacles also impede the establishment of the factors of awakening, thus learning to deal with them is key to progressing to the next practice in the path. Like pulling weeds in a garden, one must tend the mind for them. The suttas state that when one enters into the first jhana, the five hindrances are abandoned and that this is a necessary condition. This is interesting because it shows that that meditation is never perfectly sequential, but a balancing of factors that we cultivate.

Being freed from the hindrances is related to seclusion, which includes being secluded from anything detrimental to mental development.

If one is meditating without recognizing the hindrances as they arise, letting them run rampant, then one will not progress much. Recognizing the hindrances meanwhile can lead to mental purification. By simply being aware of the hindrances one can dispel them of much of their power.

General techniques

A common method of working with the obstacles mentally noting or labelling them with a neutral word and this can lead to their diffusion and to a greater understanding of them. One can also just silently watch them and notice as they arise and pass.

As a obstacle arises in the mind, we are to watch it and notice the conditions and factors that lead to it arising. If a obstacle is present, we are to remember the factors that lead to its removal and after it has passed we think about how to prevent them in the future. Once a obstacle has passed, we are also instructed to notice their absence and how this leads to calm and even joy.

One schema used by IMS to practice with the hindrances is ‘RAIN’:

R: Recognize it.

A: Accept it, just be aware that it is there.

I: Investigate it, be curious. What is it like?

N: Non-identification. This is just a passing process, not “me” or “mine”.

Sometimes just being mindful is enough to dispel an obstacle, other times we must actively work to dispel them. The suttas say that the common problem with obstacle is inappropriate attention, so shifting our focus of attention to other objects and thoughts can help to work with the obstacles.

A common way to reflect on a hindrance is to think about why it is unhelpful and unskillful. This is called “examining the dangers” or “drawbacks” (adinava). Basically you think about the negative consequences of continuing to feed the hindrance. This reflection might lead to its natural dissolution.

The obstacle of sense desire

“When one dwells with a mind obsessed by sensual lust, overwhelmed by sensual lust, and one does not understand as it really is the escape from arisen sensual lust, on that occasion one neither knows nor sees as it really is for one’s own good, or the good of others, or the good of both…Suppose there is a bowl of water mixed with lac, turmeric, blue dye, or crimson dye. If a man with good sight were to examine his own facial reflection in it, he would neither know nor see it as it really is.” – SN 46

Sense desire is any wanting, interest or involvement with the five senses. It includes wanting to replace unpleasant sense contact with pleasant or neutral sense contact. Any concern with experiencing pleasure, relief or comfort is sense desire.

The nature of sense desire is cyclical. Wanting and gratification lead to more wanting. The more a desire is gratified the stronger it grows. It is based on the misconception that happiness can be had from sense contact. Sense desire is a narrow pleasure, compared to spiritual pleasure. It is evanescent and crude, always being interwoven with suffering of some kind. It is also usually selfish, and often creates pains for others.

Thinking about sense pleasure is also an element of this, and one must be aware of our fantasies and understand they are based on ignorance. Remind yourself that the pleasure born of spiritual practice is vastly superior to sense pleasure, which is ignoble, fleeting and weak. Spiritual pleasures on the other hand are vast, pure and peaceful, leading to real, lasting freedom.

Sensual desire commonly arises from contact with external objects, thus one must always be watchful of the five senses and practice in restraining them. SN 35.120 says:

“How does one guard the sense doors? Herein, a monk, having seen a form, does not seize upon its (delusive) appearance as a whole, nor on its details. If his sense of sight were uncontrolled, covetousness, grief and other evil, unwholesome states would flow into him. Therefore he practices for the sake of its control, he watches over the sense of sight, he enters upon its control. Having heard a sound… smelt an odor… tasted a taste… felt a touch… cognized a mental object, he does not seize upon its (delusive) appearance as a whole… he enters upon its control.”

Sense desire, particularly lust, can also be countered by practicing mindfulness of the “non-beautiful” or ugly parts of the body and also the meditation on the decay and death of the body as outlined in the Satipatthana Sutta.

You can also reflect on the general impermanence of all things. If you are experiencing desire for something which might have negative consequences, reflect on those negative consequences (ex. reflect on the unhealthy impact of sugary foods). Reflect thus: “Sense objects give little enjoyment, but much pain and much despair; the danger in them prevails.” — MN 14

Aversion

Buddha’s simile from SN 46: “a bowl of water being heated over a fire, bubbling and boiling.”

In dealing with aversion, hostility or ill-will, a similar approach is useful. One practices bare attention of the various emotions which constitute aversion (irritation, fear, anger, hate) and which give rise to it. The primary cause of aversion is said to be careless attention to a repugnant object of the senses.

In sitting meditation practice one of the most common forms of aversion is aversion to pain or physical discomfort. If you are experiencing physical discomfort, tell yourself that pain is normal part of life and that this is a good opportunity to learn to deal with it. The pain of dying will certainly be worse than this!

Also, remind yourself not to appropriate it as “yours”, don’t let your mind lay claim to it as “yours” or “mine”. Try to view the pain, the perception of the pain, and your mental thoughts about the pain as objectively as possible and analyze the process. This brings insight into how your mind experiences pain.

You can also try to breathe into the pain, imagine breath energy healing the spot where the pain is. This mental perception can sometimes soothe painful sensations. Another mental perception you can create in your mind is visualizing the painful sections of your body – using the color red as a representation for pain and imagining this dissolving and being replaced by a different color.

If this doesn’t work, watch the pain closely, ask questions about it. Is the pain really yours, is it aimed your way, is it solid and singular? What if you label it just “sensing” in your mind instead of calling it pain? Where is it located? Analyze the pain closely and notice the subtle elements and changes of the pain.

Another form of ill-will is towards the meditation process itself, a subtle form of this is boredom. In this case, one must remember one’s goal and remind oneself that only through practice will one achieve true happiness. Also, try to arouse a sense of interest in the meditation object, think about how precious the breath is for example and how grateful you are for being able to breathe normally, without obstructions.

Fear is another kind of aversion, the Buddha compares it to being attacked by robbers and brigands on the road. The emotion of anger is also another form of aversion. The main remedy against anger towards others is directing one’s mind to the opposite emotion, metta (friendliness, loving-kindness) which can also aid in calming the mind and promoting empathy towards others.

Metta is often taught as a formal sitting meditation practice. A common formula is to repeat a phrase like:

May I be filled with metta. May I be free of dukkha. May I be at ease and happy. May I dwell in equanimity.

The meditator develops feelings of love and friendliness towards himself, perhaps he pictures himself as a child, or as someone deserving peace, forgiveness and love. Jack Kornfield recommends reflecting on our own good deeds: think about things you have done that have helped yourself or others. This shift of attention from our negative qualities to our positive qualities can help in dealing with self-loathing or low self-esteem.

After working with this, the meditator then extends it outwards towards various people – family, friends, neutral persons, difficult persons, all beings in all directions. You can visualize these people, think about their good qualities and how they also desire happiness and yet suffer just like you.

Another way to diffuse anger is to focus on how anger and aversion can hurt both yourself and others. Buddhaghosa says:

“By doing this you are like a man who wants to hit another and picks up a burning ember or excrement in his hand and so burns himself or makes himself stink first.”

Dullness and drowsiness

Buddha’s simile from SN 46: “a bowl of water covered over with water plants and algae.”

“What is sluggishness? It is heaviness of body and mind. It stupefies, making both the body and mind unmanageable” – Abhidharmakoshabhasya

Dullness refers to a sluggishness of the mind and a sense of laziness. Drowsiness can manifest as a heaviness of the body, a feeling of tiredness, sleepiness, blurriness of attention and cloudiness. Both indicate a lack of energy. They can arise out of lack of sleep, overeating, boredom, discontent or a depressed state of mind.

There are various ways to rouse energy to counter this obstacle, one is simply to be aware of it, investigate it and attempt to marshal some mental energy by remembering our goal in practice. Without a clear goal in mind we can quickly become lazy.

One can also attempt to straighten up our posture or change our meditation position altogether. Try taking a set of extra deep breaths. One can also go outside for a walk, take a shower, stretch, bow before your shrine and read some inspirational passages from the suttas. Remember to eat moderately and get enough sleep.

The Buddha had several recommendations for dullness and drowsiness in AN 7.58:

“Well then, Moggallana, whatever perception you have in mind when drowsiness descends on you, don’t attend to that perception, don’t pursue it. It’s possible that by doing this you will shake off your drowsiness.

“But if by doing this you don’t shake off your drowsiness, then recall to your awareness the Dhamma as you have heard & memorized it, re-examine it & ponder it over in your mind. It’s possible that by doing this you will shake off your drowsiness.

“But if by doing this you don’t shake off your drowsiness, then repeat aloud in detail the Dhamma as you have heard & memorized it…

“… pull both your earlobes and rub your limbs with your hands…

“…get up from your seat and, after washing your eyes out with water, look around in all directions and upward to the major stars & constellations…

“… attend to the perception of light, resolve on the perception of daytime, [dwelling] by night as by day, and by day as by night. By means of an awareness thus open & unhampered, develop a brightened mind….

“… percipient of what lies in front & behind — set a distance to meditate walking back & forth, your senses inwardly immersed, your mind not straying outwards…

“… reclining on your right side — take up the lion’s posture, one foot placed on top of the other, mindful, alert, with your mind set on getting up. As soon as you wake up, get up quickly, with the thought, ‘I won’t stay indulging in the pleasure of lying down, the pleasure of reclining, the pleasure of drowsiness.’ That is how you should train yourself.

With regards to ‘the perception of light’, one way to do this practice is simply to visualize a blue sky and the sun shining brightly in the middle of it. Various Buddhist texts teach the practice of visualizing the sun in one’s mind. The Sravakabhumi states:

“Grasp the image of light that originates from a butter lamp or a great blazing fire or from the disc of the sun.”

The Tibetan Kagyu tradition teaches the following practice called the Mahabrahma samadhi: imagine a small sphere of bright light in the center of the body and then imagine this sphere moving up until it shoots through your head up into the vast space above. Raise your gaze and straighten your posture as you do this.

Another similar meditation taught in Tibetan Buddhism is to imagine a ball of light descending into your body and then expanding until your entire body is filled with a bright white light. You can also play around with different visualizations and see which one is helpful in dispelling these obstacles.

You can also think about inspiring teachers like the Buddha and how you want to emulate their ways. Think about the qualities of the Buddha and how he was a human just like you, and how you can achieve what he achieved.

One can also think about death and of the ways it can come unexpectedly (sickness, accident, war etc). A powerful meditation on death taught by Buddha is visualizing your corpse rotting and decomposing after having died. You can also imagine all the possible ways you could die. The point of this is to combat laziness and make you motivated to practice now, appreciate that you have time to practice now.

Agitation and remorse

Buddha’s simile from SN 46: “a bowl of water stirred by the wind, rippling, swirling, churned into wavelets.”

A restless and agitated mind is always excited and anxious, like a monkey jumping from one thought to the next. This can be experienced as anxious mind wandering and intrusive thoughts. This can also manifest itself physically, such as as wanting to constantly shift posture. If you are assailed by many thoughts that are unrelated to improving your attention on the breath, try any of the following:

1. Ignore them, or simply note them and bring the mind back to the current meditation theme.

2. To to preemptively notice when your mind is weakly with the breath but is preparing to move to another object of attention, or waiting for a new thought to come so it can jump to it.

3. Focus on the process by which the mind creates and feeds thought worlds instead of being drawn to identify with the thought worlds themselves. This is like focusing on how a magician’s magic tricks actually work instead of being drawn in by the lights and flashiness of the tricks themselves and thus being ‘fooled’ by them.

4. Focus on the drawbacks of the thoughts. If you let this thought train continue would it lead you anywhere more skillful than if you continue meditating? Why are they alluring? Can you notice why they are dukkha? Try to think of a theme that counteracts that allure. Example: if it is about a great idea or project, think about how the most skillful project is actually practicing Dharma.

5. See if relaxing your body and breath helps relax those thoughts, the breath and body condition the mind so perhaps focus on calming the body and see if thoughts follow. Breathe out with a sound, such as ‘AHHH’ and imagine letting go of the restless activity this way.

6. Check and straighten your posture. Then place your attention on the points of the body touching the ground and on the sensation of hardness and solidity in your body and try to stay with that sensation for a bit and see if the perception of firmness helps ground and calm the mind. Remain still. You might visualize a mountain to help.

Remorse refers to regret, guilt and sorrow. This hindrance can sometimes also arise because of excessive striving and wanting as well as incorrect ethical conduct. Try to examine these thoughts and their usefulness or skillfulness, this helps with letting them go.

Hesitation or doubt

Buddha’s simile: “a bowl of water that is turbid, unsettled, muddy, placed in the dark.”

Careless attention to unwholesome thoughts give rise to confusion and doubt of one’s practices and path. “Why am I doing this?”, “Can I do this?”, “Am I doing this right?” Having a clear understanding of the Dhamma (teachings), a clear set of meditation instructions, and an understanding of what is wholesome and what is unwholesome serves as an antidote to doubt. This comes about by a clear comprehension of dhammas (mental qualities).

Good friends and a teacher whom you trust is also helpful in answer questions and providing instruction. Remembering the example of the Buddha and other great masters might also be helpful here. Remind yourself they were human just like you, with hindrances just like yours. Also remember the times when you have had good meditations or when Dhamma practice proved useful.

You might also have a lot of doubt surrounding the effectiveness of your current meditation method, this is why it is important to decide on a method and stick to it once you’ve experimented a bit. Tell yourself that after you’ve tried this method for some time, then you will think about it (post-meditation) and decide if a change is needed. But do not obsesses over methods during meditation itself!

With continuous training, it will become easier to recognize the arising of the obstacles and the meditator will be able to dispel them as soon as they arise, as one simile states as quickly as a drop of water evaporates when it falls on a hot frying pan.

Experiment in finding your ways of dealing with the hindrances too, don’t be reliant on one way only, if you do, unskillful parts of the ego will find ways around it.

Some texts add two extra faults to be carefully watched and removed, “non-exertion” which is lack of effort to eliminate hindrances and “over-exertion” which is the opposite excessive striving especially after hindrances have been pacified. The Indian master Chandragomin says: “undue exertion causes restless thoughts to arise, over-relaxation produces dullness, an even balance is hard to achieve.”

In the suttas, the Buddha compares excessive energy and lack of energy to a hand holding a quail, if you grip too tight you kill it, but if you don’t hold on tight enough it flies away.

So don’t be too forceful in applying the solutions to the hindrances, but don’t let them run rampant without doing anything either. Find a balance. The Sona Sutta compares meditation to tuning a stringed instrument, neither too tight nor taut and says:

“In the same way, Sona, over-aroused persistence leads to restlessness, overly slack persistence leads to laziness. Thus you should determine the right pitch for your persistence, attune the pitch of the faculties, and there pick up your theme.”

Abandoning the five obstacles is a pre-requisite for jhana, and creates a chain reaction of causes leading to liberation itself:

‘Having thus abandoned these five obstacles, the poisons of the mind which rob understanding of its strength … he enters and abides in the first jhana … second jhana … third jhana … fourth jhana. Seeing a visible form with the eye, he does not lust for pleasant seeming visible forms. He abides with mindfulness of the body established, with an immeasurable heart, and he understands in accordance with reality the release of heart, release by understanding where these evil unbeneficial phenomena cease without remainder. – MN 38

Aids to Awakening

The Anapanasati Sutta and the Satipatthana Sutta both explain that a meditator should also be mindful of and attempt to cultivate seven important features of the meditative mind which need to be developed for awakening to occur. They are considered the proper nutriment for the Buddhist practitioner and are key facets of self-cultivation (bhavana). These seven factors as considered “dhammas” and thus technically fall under the fourth satipatthana and fourth tetrad.

Sati – mindfulness is considered a global balancing and foundational factor for the others. It is seen as always useful.

Dhammavicaya (investigation of dhammas), Viriya (energy, vigor), Piti (joy) which are considered useful for combating sloth and torpor, and hence are seen as energizing. If you find yourself feeling sluggish or tired, one can attempt to focus on these three factors and it is compared to throwing dry grass on a small fire so as to make it blaze and grow. In contrast, one should not focus on developing the factors of tranquility, samadhi and equipoise if one is in a dull listless state of mind, and several suttas compare this to throwing wet grass on to a small fire that one would like to grow.

Sati and dhammavicaya include recollecting and investigating the teachings as well as phenomenological contemplation and discrimination. Dhammavicaya is also considered as an antidote to the hindrance of doubt. Viriya includes mental and physical aspects of vigor and vitality.

Passaddhi (tranquility of body-mind), Samadhi, Upekkha (equipoise). The last three meanwhile are considered useful for combating the restlessness and anxiety, while the previous three are seen as not helpful when one is overly excited. It is compared to wanting to decrease a great fire by throwing dry grass on to it, while developing tranquility, samadhi and upekkha is compared to weakening a large fire by throwing wet grass on it.

The meditator, using his mindfulness, is to balance and unify these factors until they are part of a single system, working perfectly together.

The Anapanasati Sutta lists these factors in this order: mindfulness, analysis of dharmas, energy, bliss, calm, unification and equanimity. It indicates that each one leads to the next in a progressive fashion. Beginning with mindfulness, each factor gives rise to and helps the growth of the other. Being attentive leads to closer investigation, which leads to a sense of energy. This in turn brings joy, which then brings a sense of calmness for the body and mind leading to concentration and unification of the mind. This culminates in stillness, equipoise or equanimity, an awareness without any craving or aversion to all phenomena.

In practice, this means an act of turning inward while practicing anapanasati. One brings attention to the realm of the mind and notices if there are of these qualities present, if so how can one help them grow best? If there are qualities missing, how can one bring them about skillfully?

The key here is balance, not being too forceful nor too loose. You have to do things for plants to grow, such as plant seeds, but at the same time you have to patiently wait for them to grow on their own. This subtle monitoring of one’s mental world is central to bringing about the perfection of the awakening factors.

The pattern of progression in the seven factors of awakening listed in the sutta parallel the pattern of progression of the four tetrads, involving the observation and knowledge of increasingly subtler processes so as to calm and relax them.

The Anapanasati Sutta further states that these factors, when supported by seclusion, dispassion, cessation and culminating in letting go, lead to awakening. The last three of these are insight factors that one develops during the fourth tetrad, which is an indication that awakening is closely tied with the fourth tetrad.

Seclusion is a reference to the seclusion of the mind in jhana. At this point of the practice, the meditator while in jhana is able to see that even the higher spiritual qualities of jhana are impermanent, dukkha and subject to cessation, and this leads to a deeper letting go, ultimately to full awakening.

Samadhi and Jhana

The factor of piti-sukha are also indicators calm meditative states called jhanas or absorptions, and samadhi in general which is one of the initial goals of Buddhist meditation. The fact that anapanasati is strongly associated with jhana is supported by the early texts and also the Pali commentaries. The Sarvastivada parallel text to the Satipatthana sutta as well as the Kayagatasati sutta includes the four jhanas immediately after the exposition of anapanasati.

Samadhi is associated with mental and physical stillness and calm arising from letting go, as well as a mental unification, collectedness and oneness (ekagatta). Buddha called it “a happy abiding here and now”. It has the feature of being a un-scattered and un-fragmented awareness. It is also a sense of wholeness and integration (from the root sam-, together, as in “sum”).

All four Pali Nikayas see jhana as necessary for liberation. The Dhammapada says:

There is no jhana for one without discernment, No discernment for one without jhana. But for one with both jhana and discernment, He is close to nibbana.

AN 8.30 says:

This Dhamma is for one with samadhi, not for one without samadhi.‘ So it was said. For what reason was this said? Here a monk enters and abides in the first jhana … second jhana … third jhana … fourth jhana.

MN 66.21:

The bliss of renunciation, the bliss of seclusion, the bliss of peace, the bliss of enlightenment. I say of this kind of pleasure that it should be pursued, that it should be developed, that it should be cultivated, that it should not be feared.

In the Pali texts, jhana (Sanskrit: dhyana) is mainly a powerful, blissful and calm meditative state. The term has older meanings and was not invented by the Buddha. In the Vedas, the Sanskrit term “dhih” is used to refer to the visionary experience and spiritual thoughts of the seers (rsis) and the divine power of their mantric prayers which lead to visions/revelations of the world of the gods. Their supranormal divine sight is thus due to the power of their “dhiyah“. Also, dhih is said to bring the gods to the sacrificial space and to provide the protection of the gods. The association of jhana with the divine was also retained in the Buddhist literature, where it is said that practicing jhana leads to rebirth in the realms of the gods.

Jhana is often said to be characterized by expansion of good feelings, a relaxed ‘collectedness’ which allows sati to do its work of investigation and insight. While jhana is not necessary to experience piti and sukha and hence once could technically go through this step and not be absorbed, this is a good point to describe the quality of calm abiding or shamatha.

A key feature of jhana is the absence of the five hindrances of sense desire, ill-will, sloth-torpor, restlessness-worry and doubt. A simile used by the Buddha is that of a steed who is focused on the task before them, not on seeking and worrying:

And how does a thoroughbred meditate? A fine thoroughbred, tied up by the feeding trough, doesn’t meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’ Why is that? Because it occurs to the fine thoroughbred tied up by the feeding trough: ‘What task will the horse trainer have me do today? How should I respond?’ Tied up by the feeding trough they don’t meditate: ‘Fodder, fodder!’ For that fine thoroughbred regards the use of the goad as a debt, a bond, a loss, a misfortune.

In the same way, take a certain fine thoroughbred person who has gone to the forest, the root of a tree, or an empty hut. Their heart is not overcome and mired in sensual desire, and they truly understand the escape from sensual desire that has arisen. Their heart is not overcome by ill will … dullness and drowsiness … restlessness and remorse … doubt … They don’t meditate dependent on earth, water, fire, and air… – AN 11.10

The state of jhana in the suttas is described as being pleasurably and happily absorbed and united with the object of meditation. The mind moves away from the senses and gathers internally. The body, breath and mind become suffused with a joyful bright awareness. The sensation of the body becomes light, airy or seemingly disappears. There is a feeling of oneness or unification, the sense of subject and object begin to fuse together. The mind is quiet and undisturbed by thoughts. The suttas also state that jhana is an “expansive liberation of mind” and it is a vast, broad awareness and a pervasive state of mind. It is described as measureless and exalted, so it is not a state of narrowness of awareness.

When one is in jhana one’s mind is so unified and single that one does not attend to any of the five senses or to thoughts. The mind is undisturbed and totally fused on the object and thus does not detect sounds or smell smells etc. This is one easy way to know if a state was jhana or not, and to gauge the strength and stability of one’s jhana. AN 10.72 says:

To one in the first jhana, sounds are a thorn. To one in the second jhana, thinking and examining are a thorn. To one in the third jhana, piti is a thorn. To one in the fourth jhana, in breathing and out breathing is a thorn. To one attaining the cessation of perceptions and feelings, perceptions and feelings are a thorn. Greed is a thorn. Hate is a thorn and delusion is a thorn. Bhikkhus, live without thorns, free from thorns. Bhikkhus, the worthy ones are without thorns, free from thorns.

In the Buddhist texts there is also mention of “signs” (nimitta) that are supposed to indicate that one has entered jhana. They are often said to be like a silky smooth or breezy feeling, as well as a sense of inner brightness. Some teachers affirm that the ‘sign’ that often (but not always) indicates absorption is some kind of sensation or perception (an experience of brilliance, a soft sensation). These sometimes appear after you have been undistracted with the breath for some time and the mind is calm and silent. If you experience a mental brightness or a feeling like a breeze, you might want to attend to it and let it grow and become unified. If the nimitta is dull, unstable or weak, leave it alone.

These are all possible indications of the appearance of jhana and of the jhana factors. However, don’t worry if you don’t get it, in many expositions of jhana nimitta is not mentioned and may not appear for everyone, what really matters are the jhana factors. A common metaphor used is that a jhana mind it is like the full moon (a clear and calm mind) that finally comes out from behind the clouds (the hindrances). Patisambhidamagga says:

Just like the full moon free from clouds: corruptions are like clouds, the noble ones’ knowledge is like the moon. The bhikkhu is like the deity’s son who possesses the full moon. As the moon when freed from cloud, freed from mist, freed from smoke and dust, delivered from the clutches of the eclipse-demon Rahu, gleams and glows and shines, so too the bhikkhu who is delivered from all corruptions gleams and glows and shines.

Piti-sukha and then jhana arise on their own after continuous practice of mindfulness of breathing. The meditator should simply allow them to come and be aware of them. The Pali suttas state:

“Suppose that a wild deer is living in a wilderness glen. Carefree it walks, carefree it stands, carefree it sits, carefree it lies down. Why is that? Because it has gone beyond the hunter’s range. In the same way, a monk—quite withdrawn from sensual pleasures, withdrawn from unskillful qualities—enters & remains in the first jhana: piti & sukha born from withdrawal, accompanied by thinking and pondering. This monk is said to have blinded Mara. Trackless, he has destroyed Mara’s vision and has become invisible to the Evil One.

And:

He permeates and pervades, suffuses and fills this very body with the rapture and pleasure born from withdrawal. There is nothing of his entire body un-pervaded by rapture and pleasure born from withdrawal.

These four jhana factors are said to be the nimitta or sign that one has entered jhana. Remember though, samadhi is not just jhana, there can be lesser forms of mental unification as well. Just because you haven’t reached jhana does not mean you are not progressing, so don’t get discouraged.

The Pali commentaries interpret this tetrad in as matching the four jhanas, step one is first jhana, etc. However this has been questioned by modern scholars and teachers like Analayo, who state that there is no textual indication from the suttas that this tetrad necessitates jhana.

As stated in the formula, Jhana requires that one has withdrawn the mind from the five strands of sensual pleasure (corresponding to the five senses). These are external sense objects that are attractive, agreeable, tantalizing, etc. This is why reflecting on the negatives of sensual pleasures and going to a secluded place is helpful preparation for jhana. The Latukikopama Sutta states sensual pleasure is:

A filthy pleasure, a worldly pleasure, an ignoble pleasure. And I say that this pleasure is not to be cultivated, not to be developed, not to be pursued, that it is to be feared.

The second key feature of the formula is to be “withdrawn from unskillful dhammas”, this is considered any thought that is not related to the dharma, especially the five hindrances and all wrong counterparts to the eightfold path (wrong view, wrong effort…etc). For more on the five hindrances/obstacles see the fourth tetrad below. This shows that a key element of cultivating jhana is letting go of things and releasing burdensome mental factors such as craving.

In sitting down to meditate, one should always do so with the intention to abandon everything and detach ourselves from all concerns. Lay down all burdens and let go of all wants and thoughts of the past or the future. Meditation is not a time to explore our past experiences, our psychological baggage, etc. The more you let go of the easier it is to enter jhana.

Another key element of jhana is one of vast suffusion of joy, spreading of pleasurable sensations, images of soaking, drenching, steeping and filling up with pleasure abound in the suttas. Clearly these are very enjoyable experiences. Ajahn Lee compares reaching samadhi with a homeless person who obtains a home, it is a sheltered place away from the hardship of the external elements – the hindrances. It is a fortress built against the defilements which gives you the defensive position from which to shoot back at them with discernment (pañña).

An important element of attaining jhana is that it is done in a subtle fashion, since jhana is a refined letting go of things. So any sense of forcing jhana to happen is going to make the process difficult. Paradoxically, you get jhana by not focusing too much on getting it. Jhanas have to be cultivated but they must also be let alone so they can grow on their own. Try to force a jhana is like trying to force open a flower bud. Likewise any thoughts of “I” or “me” in relation to the jhana are also unproductive. As Venerable Sariputta says:

“Here, friend, secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I entered and dwelled in the first jhana, which is accompanied by thought and examination, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion. Yet, friend, it did not occur to me, ‘I am attaining the first jhana,’ or ‘I have attained the first jhana,’ or ‘I have emerged from the first jhana.'” – SN 28:1-9

So, any grasping after jhana, or any clinging to those states once they have been attained and development of conceit around them will block one’s progress and even cause regression. Thus the Prajñaparamita-samchayagatha says:

Those of great might who dwell in the four dhyanas do not make them into a place to settle down in, nor into a home. But these four dhyanas, with their limbs, will in their turn become the basis for the attainment of the supreme and unsurpassed awakening.

Throughout the four jhanas, the factor of cittakaggata or ekagatta citta (singleness, one-pointedness of mind) continuously increases, becoming easily noticeable in the second jhana. The Atthasalini says:

This concentration, known as one-pointedness of mind, has non-scattering (of itself) or non-distraction (of associated states) as characteristic, the welding together of the coexistent states as function, as water kneads bath-powder into a paste, and peace of mind or knowledge as manifestation. For it has been said: ‘He who is concentrated knows, sees according to the truth.’ It is distinguished by having ease (sukha) (usually) as a proximate cause. Like the steadiness of a lamp in the absence of wind, so should steadfastness of mind be understood.

According to the Sravakabhumi of the Sarvastivada this is:

A homogeneous cognitive object of repeated mindfulness and is conjoined with a faultless pleasure which flows on continuously. That serial continuity of the mind is called “equipoise” as well as “singleness of a wholesome mind”.

Ekagatta is singleness of attention or preoccupation, the quality of mind that means that one thing remains predominant to attention and the object fills your awareness. The perceptual image (nimitta) of the object colors your whole awareness. You do not notice sounds while in jhana for example, because you are so single mindedly absorbed on the meditation object.

In the Indo-Tibetan tradition, jhana is likewise explained as a state in which the mind is clearly and vibrantly focused on an object without distraction. The meditator can calmly remain in this state as long he wills and has complete control over the direction of his mind (praśrabdhi – pliancy, flexibility). The Sravakabhumi also notes that this is a state without coarse conceptuality.

The 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje (1556-1603) explains meditative progress thus: the first stage of meditation is like your thoughts are a waterfall, they just rush on and on. It’s not that you are having more thoughts than normal it’s just that you’re now just noticing how crazy your mind is. The next stage is like a placid, slow moving river, there are still thoughts but it is not hard to see them and they are less numerous and you rarely get distracted by them (but it can happen). Third stage is like a still ocean, one is free of all thoughts. Tashi Namgyal says that even if a subtle thought arises it is unable to function and dissolves. However there is a strong clarity and sharp awareness, as opposed to dullness, spaced out mind or a mind in deep sleep. That’s why Wangchuk Dorje describes it as “not a sea at nighttime, but a sea in the daytime”.

Once tranquil absorption is mastered, one will be able to enter it much more easily and effortlessly and do it for extended length of time without tiring. Dakpo Tashi Namgyal compares it to one who has mastered reading, the beginner needs to make effort and strive to read, but he that has mastered this skill just needs to look at a page and it almost reads itself.

Historically and also currently, there are different interpretations of jhana. The main difference seems to be in the depth of concentration and focus – with some teachers focusing on very deep states of mind which take a long time to cultivate and are highly focused on a single meditation object to the exclusion of all other phenomena (i.e. no perception of sounds, sights, etc) and others teaching a simpler, broader and more accessible form which allows for vipassana or analysis of phenomena while in jhana (as described in MN 111). Since Jhana comes from the verb jhayati, to meditate, it is also a fuzzy concept in the Pali discourses and hence it is really a continuum of meditations from deeply absorbed concentration to a less narrow more broad and flexible kind of unification.

Further expanding on the metaphor of water, being in jhana can be compared to entering a lake full of clear refreshing water on a hot day, it is pleasurable – mentally and physically, it is a fully embodied somatic experience of immersion and it is refreshing and leads to wakefulness as well as happiness. One knows one is in jhana then one one’s whole phenomenological experience shifts to being in a pleasurable refreshing, unified and calm state.

Also, one can enter a lake in different ways, sometimes one jumps in and becomes fully submerged and hence cannot hear sounds or see well outside the water. This is the quality of the muffling of or seclusion from sense perception. Other times one slowly walks into the lake, and in this sense it is possible to be halfway in, two thirds of the way in, and so on and still experience perception. This accounts for the differences in sutta, abhidharma and modern descriptions of jhanas.

Entering the jhanas then, is to be seen as a continuum and it is possible to be fully “submerged” in jhana, as well as ‘partly’ in jhana (hence the descriptions of “access” or “near” samadhi). The more one practices and becomes adept at meditation, the more one will be able to master the act of diving into or gradually entering the lake of the jhanas.

First jhana is a state in which the whole body is filled with these factors of non-carnal bliss and happiness, there is no pain, no experiencing of any of the five hindrances (desire, aversion, sloth-torpor, restlessness-worry, doubt), or any unwholesome states (akusala dhammas) nor is there experiencing any sensual pleasure (kama). The joy in this first jhana is said to be born of seclusion or withdrawal (ie from kama and akusala dhammas). Once one realizes that one is free of these states, a sense of pleasure arises and one is to let this pleasure suffuse one’s entire body-mind. There is also some singleness of the mind focused on the object of meditation.

The Kayagatasati sutta gives the following definition and simile of first jhana:

Then the seeker detaches themselves from sensual pleasures and unwholesome qualities. They enter into the first jhana, which has these qualities: joy and happiness born of seclusion, thinking and evaluating.

They steep, drench and fill their whole body with the bliss and happiness born of seclusion. There’s no part of their body that’s not filled with this bliss and happiness. It’s like if someone were to pour bath powder into a metal dish and slowly add water. Then they would rub it until the ball of powder is soaked and saturated with water inside and out and yet it does not leak. In that same way, a seeker permeates their whole body with bliss and happiness born of seclusion.

In first jhana there is also the initial application of thought to place your mind on the meditation object (vitakka) and there is a certain effort or sustained attention to keeping your mind on it (vichara) and evaluating its qualities. These factors are the skillful use of the cognitive faculty to a particular object of focus. The Petakopadesa states:

Directed thought: There are three kinds of directed thought, namely the thought of renunciation, the thought of non-aversion, and the thought of harmlessness.

Here, directed thought is the first instance while evaluation is the evaluation of what is thereby received. Just as when a man sees someone approaching in the distance he does not yet know whether it is a woman or a man, but when he has received [the apperception] that “it is a woman” or “it is a man” or that “it is of such color” or that “it is one of such shape,” then when he has thought this he further scrutinizes, “How then, is he ethical or unethical, rich or poor?” This is examination. With directed thought he fixes. With examination he moves about and turns over [what has been thought].

And just as a winged bird first accumulates [speed] and then accumulates no more [speed when gliding], so too, directed thought is like the accumulation, and evaluation is like the outstretched wings which keeps preserving the directed thought and evaluation.

Vitakka and vicara are like two qualities of an experienced and calm masseuse, there is the placement of the hands on the body and the continuous relaxed effort of massaging.

Vicara keeps the attention on the breath, and observes how the meditation is going, while vicara is evaluating how it feels and what can be done to improve.

First jhana means that you can easily stay in a state of pleasurable meditation without physical or mental discomfort or movement, as long as you like. However, it can still be disturbed by subtle unhappiness as indicated in some suttas.

Second jhana – This stage is achieved through the suppression or stilling (vupasama) of vitakka and vicara. The Kayagatasati Sutta states:

When thinking and evaluating disappear, they enter and remain in the second meditation. It has these qualities: joy and happiness born of unification, inner clarity, confidence and oneness. They steep, drench and fill their whole body with the bliss and happiness born of unification. There’s no part of their body that’s not filled with this bliss and happiness. This is just like a lake that is fed only by spring water and nothing else, not even rain. From time to time, a stream of cool water from the spring fills and saturates the lake. There’s no part of the lake that’s not infused with coolness. In that same way, a seeker permeates their whole body with bliss and happiness born of unification.

Once the jhana factors of directed thought and evaluation drop away and there is only piti, sukha, serene-clarity (sampasadana) and ekagatta citta, a focused mind or singleness of mind and there is generally less thoughtful effort being made to stay concentrated. The serene-clarity of this state is compared to a completely tranquil and cool lake. All mental movement and intention ceases in blissful stillness, even skillful resolve and intention. All unhappiness ceases while in this state, that is, there is no mental discomfort at all. The happiness in this jhana is said to arise due to increased samadhi and singleness of mind.

In the third Jhana piti is seen as a burden or unecessary and one allows it to fade away, being left with the factors of singleness of mind and pleasurable feeling (sukha). The Kayagatasati Sutta states:

When joy fades away, they enter and remain in the third meditation, where they are equanimous, mindful and aware. The noble ones state that this is a peaceful and happy state. They steep, drench and fill their whole body with a happiness that is free of bliss. There’s no part of the body that’s not filled with a happiness that is free of bliss. It’s like a pool with blue water lilies, or pink or white lotuses. Some of these flowers grow and live in the water. They are saturated and soaked with cool water. There’s no part of them not immersed in water. In that same way, a seeker permeates their whole body with a happiness that is free of bliss.

Any physical pleasure, comfort, ease born of body contact ceases. What takes its place is a calm bodily happiness (sukha) and equanimity (upekkha). Upekkha is a certain kind of conative neutrality, affective detachment or equanimous awareness which comes with sati-sampajanna (mindful clear awareness).

Fourth Jhana sees the meditator letting go of all kinds of happiness, which he sees as burdensome, and lets it fade away as well and the mind enters a state of total stillness and pure equanimity (upekkha) in body and mind. The Kayagatasati Sutta states:

When one gives up all pleasure and pain, happiness and sadness, they enter and remain in the fourth meditation. Here there is just pure mindful equanimity. They fill their body with a pure bright mind. There’s no part of it not filled with a pure bright mind. This is like someone who was wrapped from head to toe with a white cloth and there was no part of the body not covered with it.

Fourth jhana is state of “neither pleasure nor pain” (adukkhamasukha) and neither happiness nor sorrow (somanassa domanassa). It is more subtle and sublime than the blissful stillness of 3rd jhana. The breath is said to no longer be noticeable in this state as well. The suttas state that this stage has a purity of mindfulness and equanimity. These factors are pure (parisuddhim) now in the sense that they no longer rely on pleasure or happiness. The suttas explain the fourth jhana with the following simile:

“There remains only equanimity: pure & bright, pliant, malleable, & luminous. Just as if a dexterous goldsmith or goldsmith’s apprentice were to prepare a furnace, heat up a crucible, and, taking gold with a pair of tongs, place it in the crucible: He would blow on it time & again, sprinkle water on it time & again, examine it time & again, so that the gold would become refined, well-refined, thoroughly refined, flawless, free from dross, pliant, malleable, & luminous. Then whatever sort of ornament he had in mind—whether a belt, an earring, a necklace, or a gold chain—it would serve his purpose.”

According to the Samaññaphala Sutta, obtaining the four jhanas leads to a mind that is in unified, fully purified, cleansed, stainless, uncorrupted, sensitive, workable, steady, and un-shakeable. It is a mind which becomes the basis for full awakening since it has no obstacles.

Bhikkhus, just as the Ganges River slants, slopes and inclines towards the ocean, so too a bhikkhu who develops and cultivates the four jhānas slants, slopes and inclines towards Nibbāna. – SN 53.6

The Jhana factors:

1st Jhana: vitakka, vicara, piti, sukha, cittekaggata

2nd Jhana: piti, sukha, sampasadana, cittekaggata

3rd Jhana: sukha, upekkha, sati-sampajanna, cittekaggata

4th Jhana: upekkha, adukkhamasukha, sati-parisuddhi, cittekaggata

Jhanas are good motivation for continuing your meditation practice because they feel so great. They create a mind which is much more receptive, focused and pliable for the work of insight. It is the sweet carrot you dangle in front of the mind to keep it away from worldly concerns and pleasures.

Some teachers warn that being attached to jhanic attainments and pleasurable sensations can also be an impediment to practice, so always keep in mind that jhana is about reaching a still and clear mind in order to then use that mind to examine ourselves, our thoughts and our suffering, not just feeling good for its own sake. Samatha is to be used as a launching pad and as a foundation for Vipassana.

SN 22.5 says:

Bhikkhus, develop samādhi. A bhikkhu who has developed samādhi understands things as they truly are.

The cultivation of jhana is compared by the Buddha to the refinement of gold:

Suppose a skilled goldsmith or goldsmith’s apprentice were to prepare a furnace and heat the crucible, take some gold in a pair of tongs and place it in the crucible. Then from time to time he would blow air, from time to time he would sprinkle water, and from time to time he would watch over with equanimity. The gold would become refined, well refined, thoroughly refined, cleansed, rid of dross, soft, workable, and radiant, and could be used for whatever kind of adornment be desired, whether bracelets, earrings, necklaces, or golden garlands. So too, there remains only equanimity, purified and bright, soft, workable, and radiant. – MN 140

Though we have spoken much of jhana, it is important to note that this step of anapanasati does not require jhana, as one can experience piti and sukha in lesser levels of samadhi. As long as one works to improve one’s mental and physical stillness and reaches greater mental unification, one is progressing.

Jhana can be a difficult state to reach and master, but piti-sukha is common in meditators who have not reached jhana. This pre-jhanic piti-sukha is still incredibly important, because it helps to calm and relax the body-mind, to allow one to sit for longer and to motivate the meditator to practice more diligently. There is no requirement that this anapanasati element has to be taken all the way to all the jhanas before moving on to the other ones, so if jhana does not come, do not worry too much and continue to practice.

If attaining jhana or piti-sukha seem difficult, one can review the other factors of the eight-fold path and notice if one just needs to develop some of them more. Sometimes jhana is difficult to obtain because our practice is unbalanced in some way or our life is too busy and too focused on worldly concerns. Also, perhaps we have not attained jhana because we are either trying too hard to get jhana or not putting in enough effort.

Samatha and Vipassana

Samadhi is also said to allow the quality of wisdom to arise naturally:

For a person with right samādhi there is no need to arouse the wish, ‘May I see things as they truly are.‘ It is a natural process, it is in accordance with nature, that someone with right samādhi will see things as they truly are. – AN 10.3

‘Monks, these two principles share in realization. What two? Samatha and vipassana. ‘When samatha is developed, what purpose is achieved? The mind is developed. When the mind is developed, what purpose is achieved? Lust is abandoned. ‘When vipassana is developed, what purpose is achieved? Understanding is developed. When understanding is developed, what purpose is achieved? Ignorance is abandoned. – AN 2:3.10

Reaching jhana is said to remove the five hindrances (sloth-torpor, ill will, sense desire, restlessness, doubt), to bring about happy feelings, to calm the mind (a calming which is termed samatha) and to make the mind more effective at the skill of vipassana (clear seeing, insight), a quality of mind which allows one to see the true nature of things clearly. A mind with the quality of samatha is relaxed, pliant, still, tranquil, happy and focused. It is often used synonymous with samadhi. A mind with the quality of vipassana is discerning, clear, sharp, penetrative, able to investigate, explore and analyze. It is compared to the clear water of a lake that allows one to easily observe all the animals, plants and rocks on the floor of the lake. MN 149 says:

These two qualities of calm and clear seeing occur in him yoked evenly together. With direct gnosis he fully understands those things which should be understood through direct gnosis. With direct gnosis he abandons those things which should be abandoned through direct gnosis. with direct gnosis he develops those things which should be developed through direct gnosis. With direct gnosis he realizes those things which should be realized through direct gnosis.

The importance of Shamatha and Vipassana as two complementary parts of anapanasati meditation is a key teaching of Buddhism, they are said to be like two wings of a bird or two swift messengers that bring the message of awakening. Since they are two qualities of mind, they exist ‘yoked together’ and cannot be completely separated from each other. A candle flame that is blown about and flickers cannot illuminate as well as a candle that is undisturbed. One cannot cut down a tree with a razor blade or with a big hammer, but a sharp and heavy axe could cut it down because of it has both strength and sharpness.

The middle Bhavanakrama of Kamalashila states:

Insight without tranquility renders a yogin’s mind susceptible to the distraction of sensory objects. Because it is unstable, like a butter lamp exposed to the wind, it fails to attain the illumination of awareness.

Both qualities of samatha and vipassana need to be developed within our meditation in a balanced way. Samatha has the power to settle negative emotive qualities of the mind like craving, while vipassana tackles and eliminates ignorance. A pool of dirty water cannot reflect your face, but if the water is allowed to settle the dirt will float to the bottom and the pool will become reflective. Samatha releases the affective aspects of the defilements, vipassana brings proper discernment. Samatha and vipassana are like the left and right legs, you need both, in balance, to walk. They are like two sides of one stamp, the bottom part sticks, the upper part informs.

How, in brief, does one cultivate vipassana? One mainly pays close attention to phenomena, in a detached manner and notices that all phenomena are transient. One carefully investigaes their impermanent nature. In the context of anapanasati this is primarily done by starting with seeing the impermanence of breathing, which is quite easy to observe. Indeed, the impermanent nature of breathing could be said to be the foundation of anapanasati when seen from the perspective of vipassana. The ever changing rhythm and qualities of the breath serves as the background and home base of anapanasati vipassana.

Doing vipassana, one also notices that all phenomena are dukkha, that is, they all have some element of unease and dissatisfaction. Finally, one sees that all phenomena are empty, how so? All phenomena are empty of any kind of self, of anything that is permanent, unchanging. They have no center, no core, no basis, but are like the open sky, like bubbles. They are like a mirage, a rainbow, when you look into them closely to find their essence, they shift or vanish. This practice can be helpful even for the beginning of anapanasati, when distracting thoughts and feelings are constantly taking one away from the object of meditation, one can attempt to bring more vipassana to the fore of attention and see this things for what they are. In this way, distractions can be combated, and samatha grows, allow for even subtler vipassana. This is how they work together, like the Thai forest masters say, it is like picking up a log from both ends.

Sometimes in your practice one might want to give more emphasis to samatha by unifying the sense of being with the breathing processes, sometimes more emphasis is given to vipassana by noticing the changing aspects of breathing and other processes connected to it (body and mind). It is a balancing act that a meditator has to learn with experience. The flexibility of anapanasati for both elements of meditation means that it is easy to shift from working on one quality to another.

The Patisambhidamagga, the Dhammasangani, the Mahavibhasa, and the Abhidharmakosabhasya as well as Sautrantika and Yogacara texts all maintain that vipassana can and should optimally be developed within jhana. MN 111 Anupada sutta says:

Whatever phenomena there are in the first jhāna: directed thought, evaluation, joy, pleasure, singleness of mind, contact, feeling, apperception, intention, mind, desire, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and attention; he defined them one by one as they occurred. Known to him they arose, known to him they remained, known to him they subsided. He understood, ‘So this is how these phenomena, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.’Regarding those phenomena, he remained unattracted, unrepelled, independent, detached, free, dissociated, with a mind rid of barriers.

The Dhammasangani notes that jhana includes the mental factors of samatha and vipassana and says:

What at that time is samatha? That which at that time is stability of mind, steadfastness of mind, thorough steadfastness of mind, unshakableness, non-distraction, imperturbability, calmness of mind, faculty of concentration, strength of concentration, right concentration.

What at that time is vipassanā? That which at that time is discernment (paññā), thorough understanding, investigation, comprehensive investigation, investigation of phenomena, consideration, discrimination, direct discrimination, erudite intelligence, proficiency, refined intelligence, discriminative examination.

The Sarvāstivāda Mahāvibhāṣā states:

In the four dhyānas, śamatha and vipaśyanā are equal in strength, and thus they are named a pleasant dwelling.

The Abhidharmakośabhāṣya states:

Samādhi is in fact excellent: it is a dhyāna filled with “parts,” which goes by the means of the yoke of śamatha and vipaśyanā [that is to say, in which śamatha and vipaśyanā are in equilibrium], that is termed in the Sūtra “happiness in this world” and “the easy path,” the path by which one knows better and easily.

Think about samatha and vipassana as if the meditator is on a swing. To get to a higher state of samatha, you also need strong vipassana, and vice versa. The calmer your mind, the better you can see phenomena unfold, the better you can see phenomena’s nature, the easier it is to calm the mind. If you become unbalanced in their development then it will be more difficult to achieve either.