If 'access concentration' takes four hours every day then what am I doing?

[u/xjashumonx]

Started meditating again for the first time in years and getting what I consider beneficial results. I've only been doing 30 minutes a day once or twice a day to build up my stamina. I'm going to aggressively avoid any Buddhist terminology and try to explain things in my own words here. After some initial difficulty what's emerged is a much more calm and fairly persistent feeling even after I finish meditating. I sit down and get a kind of stable united feeling in the body that is very pleasant, and to my surprise, compassionate feelings toward myself and others (something much removed from my typical state.) Lately I've had observations about how my senses work. For example Im beginning to regard seeing as more of a flat image as opposed to the typical way which I would say is more like looking out of a window. The phrase I've heard "in the seeing there is only seeing" now seems significant to me. And today after meditating I had a stronger sense that my body is basically empty space except for whatever nerves are being stimulated.

I say all that just to give you a sense of what I get out of my meager practice. And it's not all roses, either. The first ten minutes after sitting down is pretty killer tbh. None of this is what I would call easy or effortless. So this leads to my question, what's going on here? I'm not some genius meditator. I would say I'm probably less inclined than almost anyone. I'm definitely nowhere near jhana or even access concentration by the standards I've been introduced to here. So where are these benefits coming from? How is this ultra elementary stage described in Buddhism? If jhana IS meditation, then that means I'm not even meditating, right? The benefits feel substantial, though.

[u/Common_Ad_3134]

It reads like you're doing a sort of homebrew meditation. Is that right? Homebrew meditation is fine – great even – if it gets you where you want to go. But it seems to be leading you to doubt and confusion.

For example, you're referencing this in a post about jhana:

The phrase I've heard "in the seeing there is only seeing" now seems significant to me.

Afaik, the source for that is the Bahiya Sutta. To my knowledge, that sutta is not about jhana.

And again, that's totally fine if it gets you where you want to go. But if you're frustrated, maybe look for some concrete instructions from a trusted teacher and follow those. The sidebar has several links to sources for jhana: Burbea, Brasington, The Mind Illuminated.

Trying to get coherent practice advice on a sub like this is probably counter-productive unless you've identified posters who use the same instructions as you, or at least have similar orientations in their practices. In particular, there are lots of variations in jhana teachings – and plenty of teachers simply don't teach them at all.

[u/xjashumonx → u/Common_Ad_3134]

It's not so much that, but wondering where the state of my practice fits in the Buddhist paradigm. I experience far less frustration and doubt now than I did in past attempts to meditate. I can't say I fully understand what jhana is, but I would be content to just have enough focus to do mindfulness meditation and get closer to stream entry. It's definitely not a preoccupation of mine. I have heard it said tho that you can't get to fruition without being able to reach first jhana.

[u/Common_Ad_3134 → u/xjashumonx]

To me, it sounds like you're doing fine. Some positive things are flowing from meditation into daily life, and that's really great. It's really the most important part of all of this.

30 minutes once or twice a day is a fine place to start, and even to stay if you're happy with the outcomes.

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wondering where the state of my practice fits in the Buddhist paradigm

There are lots of different Buddhisms. And there are lots of different models. A popular one is the 4-stage, 10-fetter model. This model includes "stream entry".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruits_of_the_noble_path

Since you mentioned the Bahiya sutta, maybe it's useful to mention this model:

https://www.mctb.org/mctb2/table-of-contents/part-v-awakening/37-models-of-the-stages-of-awakening/the-non-duality-models/

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Regarding jhana, it typically requires quite a bit of time. For jhana practice, an hour-long sit each day typically wouldn't be considered excessive, or even a lot. Many people can only access jhanas in retreat conditions.

I can't say I fully understand what jhana is

There's lots of disagreement about what is and isn't jhana. At least in my experience with what I happen to call jhana, there's no mistaking it, at least if it's strong. It's really an altered state.

If it's useful, Leigh Brasington – he's linked in the sidebar – has this summary of different jhana definitions/thresholds and links to who teaches them that way: https://leighb.com/jhanantp.htm

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I should probably mention that I'm not a Buddhist and I don't do concentration meditation/jhanas anymore.

Good luck!

[u/xjashumonx → u/Common_Ad_3134]

I should probably mention that I'm not a Buddhist and I don't do concentration meditation/jhanas anymore.

why is that? do you have to be a Buddhist to do this?

[u/Common_Ad_3134 → u/xjashumonx]

Why I don't do concentration meditation? A few reasons:

• Absorption takes a lot of time. I'd rather put that time into insight.
• I ended up with "piti" 24/7. It's lasted for years and it gets stronger if I do concentration practices.
• I find that non-dual practices are more productive for me. I do Gary Weber's practices: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK8pcUt4gio

[u/xjashumonx → u/Common_Ad_3134]

Interesting. Thanks for that.

I ended up with "piti" 24/7. It's lasted for years and it gets stronger if I do concentration practices.

Since I started meditating again, I've been noticing a persistent basically positive sensation, almost drug like, it might even be akin to the effects of some anti-depressants. Is this a related phenomenon? Only marginal downside is a sense of my awareness getting kind of stuck in my head.

[u/Common_Ad_3134 → u/xjashumonx]

Is this a related phenomenon?

I think it's a distinct thing, but who knows?

Meditation definitely improves my mood. But that's mostly welcome. (I did have a period of undiagnosed hypomania due to meditation, which was unwelcome.)

For the piti, it's a buzzy, electric, wavy sensation on and around the surface of the skin. For me, it covers most of my head 24/7, but it's especially pronounced from the crown of the head to my top lip. The sensations are constantly moving.

When it first appeared outside of meditation, I thought it was "progress". It would go away if I stopped meditating for a few days. Then one day, it didn't disappear anymore, even if I stopped meditating for months.

It was really annoying – disturbing sleep onset – for about 6 months. I still have the sensations now, several years later, but the mind doesn't bring them into the foreground for the most part.