Dhyāna means meditation in Sanskrit. Equivalent terms are jhana in Pāli, chán in Chinese, and zen in Japanese.
It is a key concept in Hinduism and Buddhism. According to the Hindu Yoga Sutra dhyana is one of the eight methods of Yoga, (the other seven methods are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, and Samadhi). Theravada Buddhism general recognizes four progressive states of jhana (meditative bliss). However the original Buddha once mentioned eight states in the Pali Canon. The reason for this discrepancy is not known. For some, jhana can be "better than orgasm." In East Asia, several schools of Buddhism were founded that focused on dhyana, under the names Chan, Zen, and Seon. According to tradition, Bodhidharma brought Dhyana to the Shaolin temple in China, through Tibet, where it came to be known first as ch'an, and then zen.
Dharana is the preceding stage of Dhyana. In Dhyana, the meditator is not conscious of the act of meditation (i.e. is not aware that s/he is meditating) but is only aware that s/he exists (consciousness of being), and aware of the object of meditation. Dhyana is distinct from Dharana in that the meditator becomes one with the object of meditation and is able to maintain this oneness for 144 inhalations and expirations.
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Last updated: 05-20-2005 09:27:25
