Welcome back to the Sutta Meditation Series Podcast.
In this Dhamma session, we look at a question that has been asked by one of our kalyāṇamittas:
“I was wondering if you could do a teaching on the four jhāna similes as found in the Samādhaṅga (Pañcaṅgika) Sutta among many others and how they relate to the development of jhana. The bath attendant, lake, lotuses and white cloth.”
In answering this question, we take the opportunity to go through the whole sutta, which has a total of 8 similes given by the Buddha.
This is a very powerful teaching from the Buddha on developing the noble five-factored right concentration. It emphasises:

how we direct the mind to develop the jhāna concentrations, using the Buddha's jhāna similes as skillful means;
having attained the jhāna concentrations, by reviewing we "know" we possess certain important attributes (including the noble eightfold path, the enlightenment factors); and
with the noble five-factored right concentration, we now have the basis or foundation to direct the mind towards the special knowledges or supernormal powers, and are capable of realising them.

Some of the suttas that are directly or indirectly referred to:

— Dvedhāvitakka Sutta (MN 19)
— Pāsarāsi Sutta (MN 26)
— Vicayahārasampāta (Ne 21)
— Āneñjasappāya Sutta (MN 106)
— Kāya Sutta (SN 46.2)
— Vatthūpama Sutta (MN 7)
— Culapanthakavatthu (Dhp 25)

Bohoma pin (much merit) to the person who asked this question.
Blessings of the Triple Gem. Theruwan saranai
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