Does anyone practice MN 128?

Discussion
1

Hello,

I am trying to get into grips with MN 128. It is with regard to developing immersion in three ways.

I thought: ‘I’ve given up my mental corruptions. Now let me develop immersion in three ways.’ I developed immersion while placing the mind and keeping it connected; without placing the mind, but just keeping it connected; without placing the mind or keeping it connected; with rapture; without rapture; with pleasure; with equanimity.

This makes it unclear what the three ways are supposed to be, but Bhikku Thannissaro’s translation makes the three ways more clear

  1. concentration with directed thought & evaluation. concentration without directed thought but with a modicum of evaluation. concentration without directed thought or evaluation
  2. concentration with rapture. concentration without rapture
  3. concentration with enjoyment. concentration with equanimity.

(Though I cannot quite make out the difference between directed thought & evaluation).

This aside, immersion while placing the mind and keeping it connected is clear to me. It is when mental displacement & disconnection fades away. But:

  1. immersion without placing the mind, but just keeping it connected;
  2. immersion without placing the mind or keeping it connected

are not clear to me. What are these two immersion stages supposed to mean?

2

Edit: Different jhanic stages? 2nd and 3rd?

3

Hi, just and update. MN 128 via Ajahn Brahm

Please see video at 1:24:53. Here AB goes over the passage in question.

The skinny on it…

Subverbal mind moving onto (vitaka) the object (the bliss) and holding it (vicara).

Without either… 1st jhana
Without both… 2nd jhana
State in between… 1.5 jhana

1 Like
4

Many thanks! I’ll go through the video.

5

I was using the “unified mind” of the second jhana as the reference point. With that as the reference point, there is displacement & disconnection. So I let go of that displacement & disconnection and called what was left “connecting & placing the mind”.

Many Thanks!

6

Hi RyanM,

Thanks for the video. It cleared my question. I was not able to pin down what connecting the mind was supposed to be. But I was able to pin down what disconnecting the mind is. Now it’s clear that what I was calling “disconnecting the mind” is “connecting the mind”.

Friendship,
Aditya.