+Book 5: You can hear sounds in all 4 jhฤnas, not just the first. Which samฤdhis are silent?
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+hearing in jhฤna๐๐, samฤdhi
โ
You can hear sounds in the 4 jhฤnas, including 'imperturbable' version of 4th jhฤna (j4๐ ฤneรฑjaโก). First three jhฤna are 'perturbable' MN 66.
โ You can not hear sounds in imperturbable formless (a-rลซpa) attainments.
   * Unqualified 'ฤneรฑja' (imperturbable) is usually referring to these formless attainment's, and not 4th jhฤna.
   * These formless states are the 'santi vihara' peaceful meditations referred to in DN 16 where Buddha and his teacher can not hear sounds.
โ Tv Ab Kv 18.8 claims that one can not hear sounds in the four jhฤnas. First of all, this text is relatively new and not everyone agrees it's canonical. Second, they use fallacious and circular reasoning.
โ You can not hear sounds in imperturbable formless (a-rลซpa) attainments.
   * Unqualified 'ฤneรฑja' (imperturbable) is usually referring to these formless attainment's, and not 4th jhฤna.
   * These formless states are the 'santi vihara' peaceful meditations referred to in DN 16 where Buddha and his teacher can not hear sounds.
โ Tv Ab Kv 18.8 claims that one can not hear sounds in the four jhฤnas. First of all, this text is relatively new and not everyone agrees it's canonical. Second, they use fallacious and circular reasoning.
You can hear sounds in the 4 jhฤnas. Which samฤdhis are silent?
Answer: MN 43 and AN 9.37 make it absolutely clear, by not listing 4 jhanas, itโs only in the formless attainments where one is percipient and conscious and awake, but can not hear sounds, feel touch of body, etc. with 5 sense doors.
+There are two types of imperturbable (anenja) samadhi
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1. the purified and luminous 4th jhana that can easily access the 6 higher knowledges, as described in MN 125 war elephant simile, AN 5.113 and AN 5.139, AN 6.56 with Sona.
2. formless attainments (as mentioned above, MN 43 and AN 9.37)
so when Ud 3.3 states that 500 monks and buddha in imperturbable samadhi canโt hear, we know it must be talking about formless states, not imperturbable 4th jhana.
when DN 16 mentions Buddh, while awake, percipient, conscious, not hearing in thunderstorm, and Alara not hearing 500 carts, their unamed samadhi must therefore be the imperturbable formless attainments, not the 4th jhana.
the imperturbable samadhi of Moggallana in the Vinaya passage must be the formless states, not 4th jhana for the same reason.
AN 10.72 deliberately omitting the 4 formless attainments, and listing 4 jhanas (plural), means sound acts as thorns in all jhanas, but not in the formless samadhi.
In DN 21 Buddha hears carriage moving and is knocked out of โsamadhiโ, we know that unspecified samadhi must therefore be 4 jhanas, or animitta samadhi. In several suttas, the buddha has stated whenever heโs not giving a dhamma talk, his mind is in suรฑรฑata or samadhi. Suรฑรฑata includes all 9 attainments and also animitta samadhi. Since heโs walking around, heโs not in a formless samadhi, and so most likely heโs in imperturbable 4th jhana by default.
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2. formless attainments (as mentioned above, MN 43 and AN 9.37)
so when Ud 3.3 states that 500 monks and buddha in imperturbable samadhi canโt hear, we know it must be talking about formless states, not imperturbable 4th jhana.
when DN 16 mentions Buddh, while awake, percipient, conscious, not hearing in thunderstorm, and Alara not hearing 500 carts, their unamed samadhi must therefore be the imperturbable formless attainments, not the 4th jhana.
the imperturbable samadhi of Moggallana in the Vinaya passage must be the formless states, not 4th jhana for the same reason.
AN 10.72 deliberately omitting the 4 formless attainments, and listing 4 jhanas (plural), means sound acts as thorns in all jhanas, but not in the formless samadhi.
In DN 21 Buddha hears carriage moving and is knocked out of โsamadhiโ, we know that unspecified samadhi must therefore be 4 jhanas, or animitta samadhi. In several suttas, the buddha has stated whenever heโs not giving a dhamma talk, his mind is in suรฑรฑata or samadhi. Suรฑรฑata includes all 9 attainments and also animitta samadhi. Since heโs walking around, heโs not in a formless samadhi, and so most likely heโs in imperturbable 4th jhana by default.
+'Santa Vihara', Peaceful dwellings, are formless attainments, not 4 jhฤnas
Besides the imperturbable formless samฤdhi where one can not hear sounds, the another term that is used is 'Santa Vihara', Peaceful dwellings.
In DN 16 when Buddha and his Teacher can not hear sounds, they are in Santa Vihara.
As MN 8 very clearly delineates, the four jhฤnas are 'pleasant dwellings', as opposed to the 4 formless attainments which are 'peaceful dwellings.'
In DN 16 when Buddha and his Teacher can not hear sounds, they are in Santa Vihara.
As MN 8 very clearly delineates, the four jhฤnas are 'pleasant dwellings', as opposed to the 4 formless attainments which are 'peaceful dwellings.'
+ Conclusion: you can hear sounds in the 4 jhanas, loud sounds are thorns
When you consider all the sutta passages in this article, the evidence is overwhelming and incontrovertible. There is no controversy, and people should do their homework and clear it up for themselves. Itโs not that hard. All the evidence is laid out for you here, you just need to commit a couple of hours to careful study.