Mind, Consciousness, Jhanas, Samadhis and The Illusion Game !
Abstract: There exist many interpretations to the term “consciousness”. In some of the Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, the consciousness is referred to as the highest meditative attainment and it is frequently equated with the “Godly” or the enlightened nature of our mind. However, in the Buddhist tradition, such an enlightened state is referred to as the “cessation of consciousness” in which, the gross-level human mind disappears. There’s no individuality or self-notion to grasp in it. However, our mind, when it operates with the five senses in day-to-day life, is also called consciousness in science, albeit this is the gross-level operation. So, there’s a contradiction in the usage of this term. This article demystifies the term “consciousness” and explains different meditative states one can attain with respect to our day-to-day mind. It is also worthwhile to study about the “illusion game” created by our consciousness and to navigate through its dramatic narratives.
Fig. 1. The illusive nature of the human consciousness projected through the outside phenomenon.
There are many stories which unfold around the term consciousness. The consciousness has been interpreted in many different ways by many religious faiths and traditions. Certain Abrahamic faiths and Hindu/Yogic traditions introduce consciousness as the ultimate state of our being and in the Buddhist context, this is quite the opposite. The ultimate state of our mind is witnessed in the higher-level meditative absorptions where our limited human consciousness dissolves or ceases to exist. Therefore, in the Buddhist context, the consciousness or Viññāṇa is our gross-level human mind which runs from the sensory perception, memory and imagination. This is simply referred to as the “5 aggregates” in Buddhism. In principle, the consciousness is our “gross-level” human mind of the limited capacity. Or one could say that this human mind is simply a chain of thoughts. There are a few articles from our blog that explain how our human consciousness is created from 5 aggregates and how it is being formed in our energy system:
Creation of our human consciousness according to the Buddhist tradition:
According to the Hindu/Yogic tradition:
Fig. 2. Human Consciousness: Mind consciousness as the aggregate of all other consciousnesses according to Buddhist Abhidhamma [1].
Fig. 3. Eye Consciousness: How the detection of the external objects through our eyes, generates the neurotransmitters (chemical signals) to the brain in order to form thoughts.
Fig. 2 depicts the creation of our final/aggregated human consciousness based on the five sense-objects and their resulting consciousnesses. Fig. 3 depicts the creation of one such consciousness (Eye Consciousness) based on the perceived external object, brain signals, nerves and neuro transmitters. So, if we are more inclined to the Buddhist interpretation, which is more logical and convincing, the term consciousness is simply the gross level operation of our human mind. In other words, our thoughts. This is the human mind that suffers, agitates, being happy, being curious and at the same time that seeks the Godly nature/enlightenment within us.
From this point onwards we define the term “consciousness” and its attributes as follows:
- Consciousness is the gross level (normal) human mind that runs with 5 senses, imagination and memory.
- Godly nature/enlightenment or higher “Samadhi” states are possible in meditation. It can only be attained by a human consciousness. And this is where we find the common ground among all religious traditions. These meditative absorptions are “static” by nature. More information on these attainments can be found below (It's a lengthy video):
- What is the point of meditation and enlightenment? Any form of enlightenment brings about an irreversible shift to our everyday human consciousness. After experiencing enlightenment, our consciousness is no longer the same as the basic, gross-level awareness mentioned previously. As a result, there is a positive influence on our mind stemming from practices like meditation and the experience of enlightenment. This positive transformation is evident in the "dynamic" nature of our thoughts and emotions. In Buddhist tradition, this significant shift is commonly referred to as Anidassana Viññāṇa and Apatittitha Viññāṇa. A loose translation of these terms is "Non-abiding Consciousness". This type of consciousness is characterized by lack of attachment to the five aggregates and a disengagement from thoughts about the past or future. It is akin to birds soaring through the sky, leaving no footprints in their wake.
- How these meditative attainments change our perception? If we refer to these attainments as Godly nature, then how does being attuned to it change our perception? These higher meditative states have a certain quality which can flush out subconscious/unconscious hooks, tendencies in our mind. In order to experience the influence to the dynamic nature, one needs to meditate and attain these states.
Buddha was said to have witnessed the atomic level operation of our human mind, and this atomic level is extremely subtle to the level that, Buddha had even noticed the small chunks of a single thought according to the Abhidhamma [1]. In Hindu and other religious traditions, yogis claimed to have witnessed the sub-atomic particle operation of our energy system. So in every tradition, there is something stated about the manifestation of matter and energy as a projection of our human consciousness. However, Gautham Buddha’s teaching was specifically pointed at the level of mind or at the level of consciousness.
What can meditation do to our consciousness?
The purpose of meditation is to attain subtle mental states to maintain mental calmness, bliss, tranquility and peace of mind. The mental states which bring these qualities are commonly referred to as Jhanas, Samadhis in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. In Zen jargon, these states have a special set of technical terms called Kensho, Satori etc. When your meditation progresses, your gross-level consciousness becomes subtler and subtler. Still through these mental states, the human awareness exists and it can figure out where we are despite the absence of our thoughts. At some point, we reach the subtlest state of our mind and at that point, mind totally disappears into nothingness. These are the so-called “no-mind” states and a good description about their ascending order can be found below:
Fig. 4. Different meditative absorptions (aka Samadhi).
Nature of the subtler meditative states ?
As previously mentioned, the human mind tends to dissipate in certain meditative states, commonly referred to as "No-Mind" states in a secular context. In these states, human consciousness fades into nothingness, which can also be understood as our mind becoming attuned to "God". In Buddhist tradition, this state of mind is often described as the "cessation of consciousness", known as Nirodha Samapatthi, or even Phala Samapatthi. The latter is depending on the level of fruition achieved. This is only possible through Vipassana or sometimes even with the natural evolution of our human consciousness due to the merits through several reincarnations. These meditative states sometimes can be compared to the "Nirvikalpa Samadhi" in Hindu and Yogic traditions. However oftentimes, the 4th Rupa (Form) and Arupa (Formless) Samadhis can also be mistaken for these fruition states (Samapatthis) and to Nirvikalpa Samadhis due to the lacking of guidance and insights.
Additionally, there are lower levels of meditative states, or samadhis, in which one can experience deep absorption. In Buddhism, these are called form and formless Jhanic states, and they are somewhat comparable to the Savikalpa Samadhis found in Hindu and Yogic traditions. Through these meditative experiences, mental activities gradually decrease from lower levels of absorption to higher ones. An experienced meditator can navigate through these states in the blink of an eye, while a novice may progress through them slowly, one at a time. Graphically, this experience can be represented as follows:
Fig. 5. Different meditative absorptions (aka Samadhis) and the nature of mind in these states.
Jhanas, Access Concentration and Samadhis?
The intention of this article is not to discuss or provide textual or canonical references on this topic. Instead, I aim to share personal experiences and draw parallels between them and traditionally written texts. Any subtle mental state achieved either by forcefully activating chakras or contemplating on an external or internal meditative object is usually referred to as Jhanas. Although Buddhist practices do not explicitly address chakras, many meditative treatises written alongside the Pali Canon, such as the Visuddhi Magga and its commentaries, as well as the Pali Canon itself, mention various meditative states that emanate from Dhathus. You can read more about these states in the following article:
Jhana refers to the nature of the mind when it is deeply absorbed in a meditative object. It can be developed through both Shamatha and Vipassana techniques. In Shamatha, we train our minds to maintain a single-pointed focus and concentration on either an external or an internal meditative object. These meditative objects can vary greatly, ranging from a Buddhist statue to a flame of an oil lamp or even a colorful meditative disc. By directing our mental energy towards a specific object with clarity, we can fully or partially activate our chakras. As a result, the inner meditative lights and signs, known as "Nimitta", will become visible to the practitioner. The access concentration is where we train our mind to be deeply absorbed in these inner lights or mental objects. As a result, mind will attain calm abiding states where mental activities slowly diminish and if these states can be maintained un-interruptly for a prolonged period of time, Jhanas become Samadhis. This is the method of energizing our mind. Vipassana is the total opposite. It is the method of slowing down our mind. Through Vipassana, the chakra activation is highly unlikely the case, but the deceleration of our conscious mind can illuminate the inner light and this can be developed into Jhanic states. You can read more about Vipassana meditation below:
Any Jhana and its Samadhi developed through either Vipassana or Shamatha may have Nama/Rupas (Names/Forms) associated with their meditative experience. This means that in closed-eye meditation, one can notice various signs, symbols as messages in those deep meditative absorptions. That means during these Jhanas, our mind still operates and maintains its link to our memory/information. One can even notice very subtle emotions at subconscious level as mental pictures.
Fruition Mind: A Non Karmic State?
The fruition mind through meditation might be visible to the practitioner after eradicating mental fetters.
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