Vipassana Samadhi confusion

Both states? Which “both states” you refer to?

So, what are the samadhi states (Samma-samadhi) you refer to?

When the Citta becomes singularly focused on the (Ti-lakkhana) investigation of the meditation subject, this is Upacara before Appana Samadhi. When the Citta withdraws from the object, this is Appana Samadhi. When the Citta has rested sufficiently, it returns to Upacara Samadhi and it is in this state that investigation is most effective. On its return, the Citta has the same degree of Sati that it did prior to Appana.

Appana Samadhi is very similar to forth Jhana, but not exactly the same.

If, during one’s meditation, one stops investigating and just focuses on the subject, such as the feel of the in and out breath, then the experience can change to become Jhana, which is also and Appana state.

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So, what are the samadhi states (Samma-samadhi) you refer to? Do you only refer to the forth Jhana?

Thanks everyone for a lot of good points! A couple of details in the OP have not been addressed.

I wouldn’t look at it that way. First up, anapanassati is satipatthana, there is no doubt of that. Satipatthana is broad and may be practiced many ways, of which anapanassati is the most common method.

Secondly, the identification of satipatthana with vipassana is mostly an artefact of the 20th century Burmese vipassana schools. In the suttas, satipatthana is included within the section on samadhi, and in fact is regarded as the “basis for samadhi”.

Yes, there is some connection between satipatthana and vipassana, because every part of the Dhamma is connected to every other part. But think of it this way: in the hundreds of suttas dealing with insight throughout the collections on the aggregates, sense bases, dependent origination and so on, satipatthana is almost never mentioned. Conversely, in eighty or so suttas on satipatthana, with a few exceptions, vipassana is never mentioned.

The basic meaning of satipatthana in the suttas is “meditation”. It is what one does when one goes to a secluded place, sits down and satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā “establishes mindfulness”, i.e. “does satipatthana”, and observes the in-breaths and out-breaths. Yes, it has a broader and more subtle sense than this, but this is the core.

Vipassanā per se does not belong under “right mindfulness” of the eightfold path, but as pointed out by thomaslaw, under “right view”.

I’ve just finished a series of four talks on the topic, enjoy!

https://lokanta.live/

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Thanks for these, Bhante, any chance Monks in cyberspace are available through RSS or some other podcast app-friendly format?