Almost to the end of this series on The Noble Eightfold path, but not by any means the end of the journey through Buddhism, is known as Right Concentration. Right concentration is broken down through a 4-part process that takes you through releasing what are called active sensations. What this means is that the feelings that arouse excitement in us at various levels are dissolved so we are left with a feeling of peace or equanimity.

Cause I’ve seen some hot, hot blazes come down to smoke and ash. ~Joni Mitchell

What Goes Up Must Come Down

Ever fall deeply in love with someone only to be at some point thereafter feeling like a ball of writhing pain? Pain is the flip side of pleasure. Although an extreme example this is the concept behind active sensations. Active sensations are all the thought/feeling states we experience that have an element of aversion or attachment even ever so slightly. So does this mean that we will never, ever should fall deeply in love and engage in fantasies and yearn for the object of our desire? Well, let’s go back to something I mentioned earlier in this series if you see Buddha in the road kill him or in the words of the Buddha himself:

Rely not on the teacher, but on the teaching. Rely not on the words of the teaching, but on the spirit of the words. Rely not on theory, but on experience. Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe anything because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything because it is written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and the benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.

So, let’s just move on to how we can actually do this regarding this topic.

Photo by Tyler Milligan on Unsplash

Dhyana – The State of Perfect Equanimity and Awareness

We see this image a lot of the stones balancing one upon another. This is a nice metaphor for the inner calm and balance that is retained as a result of effort and practice on this path. Through a step by step releasing of intense feelings we can reach inner peace that will not be affected by any type of circumstance. This can be written about and described but only by experiencing it by consistently engaging in meditation can you actually know it. It is like the difference between looking at an apple and taking a bite out of it. What was discovered was that a practitioner would experience a four stage process is known as Dhyana.

1. In the first stage of Dhyana, desires affected with passion and unrighteous thoughts like lust of the senses, hatred, laziness, worry, anxiety, and distrust are cast aside, and feelings of happiness and joy are sustained, along with specific mental activities like focused awareness.
2. In the second stage, all mental activities are quelled, serenity and “one-pointedness” of mind cultivated, and the feelings of happiness and joy are still maintained.
3. The feeling of joy in the third stage, which is an active sensation, as such disappears, while the disposition of happiness still continues as well as mindful equanimity.
4. All sensations, even of unhappiness and happiness, of sorrow and joy, disappear in the fourth and final stage of Dhyana and only pure awareness and equanimity remain.

What one discovers when one is liberated from active sensations is a clarity and pure awareness where suffering cannot arise. It is very difficult to imagine a life without suffering in one way or another but as it has been discovered by people for thousands of years who did not take anything for granted but tried it themselves it is true. I myself have gone from struggling with suffering and anxiety or negative thoughts on a nearly hourly basis to going hours and sometimes days with zero suffering and smirking to myself thinking “wow, that was quite a long stretch with no torturous thoughts haunting me!”

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

This is the mind training and discipline developed through the last branch of the Noble Eightfold Path that has consisted of Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.

The result of the practice and cultivation of these last three that have provided the strength and the foundation are summed up to manifest Wisdom and we will touch on that in the final post in this series on the Noble Eightfold Path though we will not be finished by any means! We will circle back to these core teachings, discoveries and practices again and again.

What do you think?

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Making Mindfulness Meditation Work For You Part 4 - The Noble Eightfold Path - Right Speech
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Making Mindfulness Meditation Work For You Part 7 - The Noble Eightfold Path – Right Effort
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@soulsistashakti is a musical artist and writer based in NYC as well as a practitioner of Buddhist teachings. You can check out my music on my FB artist page at https://www.facebook.com/soulsistashakti