Fit Mind – Liam McClintock

It’s a controversial term in Buddhist meditation circles. Some say jhana refers to an unbroken, laser-like focus on a single object, like a candle flame. Reaching this state can take weeks, or even months, of silent retreat. It’s viewed as an exalted achievement, and monks aren’t allowed to openly claim they’ve attained it. This kind of pinpoint focus is also a culminating achievement in Yoga. Patañjali describes it as “the gradual conquest of the mind’s tendency to flit from one thing to another.” When attention stabilizes on a single object, all mental movements stop.

Extreme serenity ensues. Similar states are mentioned in Hindu, Christian, Jewish, and Islamic wisdom traditions. For example, the fourth- and fifth-century Christian philosopher Saint Augustine of Roman North Africa wrote, “When the attention of the mind is wholly turned away and withdrawn from the bodily senses, it is called an ecstasy.” A commentary on the Hindu Upanishads claims: “The joy of this state [samādhi] cannot be described…The individual personality dissolves like salt in a sea of joy, merges in it like a river, rejoices like a fish in an ocean of bliss.”[*1] Based on his reading of the ancient Pali texts, Bhante taught that jhana is about a fully relaxed mind—not a tightly concentrated one.

It’s the natural result of Recognizing and Releasing unfit states. And Relishing fit ones. Most of Bhante’s students could access deep levels of jhana after a few days of dedicated practice. No special talent is required. In fact, you’ve probably already tasted jhana at a very surface level. How did your mind feel right after Releasing in any of the Mental Reps last chapter? There’s relief and presence. No tension, no wanting, no narratives.

That’s the start of jhana. Gotama stated that “if for just the time of a finger snap” we Release an unfit state, we’re “not devoid of jhana.” But long-lasting jhana (i.e., minutes of a sustained fit state) takes more training. In a preliminary study on jhana, Bhante’s more advanced students exhibited thirty-two times spikes in total power of heart-rate variability (HRV), an indicator of flexible cognitive processing, self-regulatory strength, and general physical health. Furthermore, within just three weeks of daily practice, 50 to 60 percent of novice meditators reported jhana.

The majority of them measured similar HRV peaks as the experts, though not as pronounced.

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Please note that no part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems. Avery with colophon is a registered trademark of Penguin Random House LLC Cover design: Jess Morphew Cover image: Artyway / Shutterstock Illustrations by Paul Ballas Illustrations on this page and this page by Dr. Yael Friedman-Levi Excerpts from The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A New Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya, translated by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, edited and revised by Bhikkhu Bodhi.

Copyright © 1995 by Bhikkhu Bodhi. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC, on behalf of Wisdom Publications, wisdompubs.org; excerpts from The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: A Complete Translation of the Aṅguttara Nikāya, translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi. Copyright © 2012 by Bhikkhu Bodhi. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC, on behalf of Wisdom Publications, wisdompubs.org; excerpts from The Science of Meditation by Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson, published by Penguin Life.

Copyright © Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson, 2017. Reprinted by permission of Penguin Books Limited; Andrew Litchy, ND / www.awakeninsightretreats.org; the material includes the following lines from Yixue Zhao’s Medium article titled “How I Sit for 8 Hours in Meditation,” July 4, 2023, as well as personal communication. Hardcover ISBN 9780593538753 Ebook ISBN 9780593538777 The authorized representative in the EU for product safety and compliance is Penguin Random House Ireland, Morrison Chambers, 32 Nassau Street, Dublin D02 YH68, Ireland, https://eu-contact.penguin.ie.

prhid_prh_7.4a_156248052_c0_r0 OceanofPDF.com CONTENTS A Note on References and Resources Introduction What Is Mental Fitness? • New Science, Ancient Tools • The 4 Steps STEP 1: RECOGNIZE Chapter 1: Recognize Unfit States When Is Now?

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