The Jhanas: A Practical Guide to Deep Meditative States

by Shaila Catherine

The Jhanas is about much more than mere meditation or concentration. It offers a complete path toward bliss, fearlessness, and true awakening.

With this accessible guide, meditators (and non-meditators) can understand how to attain extraordinary states with relative ease. Blended with contemporary examples and pragmatic "how to" instructions that anyone can try, The Jhanas provides a wealth of tools to cultivate non-distracted attention in daily life and on retreat. Shaila Catherine has a friendly, wise approach to the meditative states ( jhanas ) that lead to liberating insight. Previously published as Focused and Fearless , this new edition clarifies crucial points and offers twenty-one additional exercises, making this a great book for both those new to jhana practice and those looking to deepen their practice.

Genres: Buddhism, Meditation

328 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2024

About the author

Shaila Catherine has been practicing meditation since 1980, with more than eight years of accumulated silent retreat experience. She has taught since 1996 in the USA, and internationally. Shaila has dedicated several years to studying with masters in India, Nepal and Thailand, completed a one year intensive meditation retreat with the focus on concentration and jhana. She has extensive experience with the practice of metta, including seven months exploring metta as the meditation subject in retreats. In recent years, Shaila had continued her study of jhana and insight with the guidance of Venerable Pa-Auk Sayadaw of Burma.

Reviews

[Theodore · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

As always with Shaila Catherine, very good, very clear.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely write reviews but highly recommend this book. It took my time with finishing it and realized it is because the author’s words were often sufficient to induce me into a meditative state. I was often so eager to practice by the end of a chapter that I couldn’t bring myself to move onto the next chapter just yet. I will revisit this book when needed.