Early Buddhist Meditation: The Four Jhanas as the Actualization of Insight

Offering a fresh look at an important element in Buddhist meditation, this book looks at the relationship between 'insight practice' and the attainment of the four jhanas, providing a novel map of the theoretical progress of meditation according to early Buddhist texts. The book demonstrates that the four jhanas have been misunderstood in Buddhist psychology and philosophy, by inaccurate interpretations and oversights of key terms and aspects of the meditation process. By carefully analysing all aspects of the four jhanas, the relationship between this central element in the Buddhist path and 'insight meditation' is revealed in all its power.