First Jhana

NOTE: Nothing of this article has been written by me. It has been copy-pasted from the below mentioned source. 

Source: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/gunaratana/wheel351.html

 One reason according to the Visuddhimagga, is that the hindrances are specifically obstructive to jhana, each hindrance impeding in its own way the mind's capacity for concentration.

The mind affected through lust by greed for varied objective fields does not become concentrated on an object consisting in unity, or being overwhelmed by lust, it does not enter on the way to abandoning the sense-desire element. When pestered by ill will towards an object, it does not occur uninterruptedly. When overcome by stiffness and torpor, it is unwieldy. When seized by agitation and worry, it is unquiet and buzzes about. When stricken by uncertainty, it fails to mount the way to accomplish the attainment of jhana. So it is these only that are called factors of abandonment because they are specifically obstructive to jhana.(Vism.146: PP.152)

A second reason for confining the first jhana's factors of abandoning to the five hindrances is to permit a direct alignment to be made between the hindrances and the jhanic factors. Buddhaghosa states that the abandonment of the five hindrances alone is mentioned in connection with jhana because the hindrances are the direct enemies of the five jhana factors, which the latter must eliminate and abolish. To support his point the commentator cites a passage demonstrating a one-to-one correspondence between the jhana factors and the hindrances: one-pointedness is opposed to sensual desire, rapture to ill will, applied thought to sloth and torpor, happiness to restlessness and worry, and sustained thought to doubt (Vism. 141; PP.147).[8] Thus each jhana factor is seen as having the specific task of eliminating a particular obstruction to the jhana and to correlate these obstructions with the five jhana factors they are collected into a scheme of five hindrances.

The work of overcoming the five hindrances is accomplished through the gradual training(anupubbasikkha) which the Buddha has laid down so often in the suttas, such as the Samaññaphala Sutta and the Culahatthipadopama Sutta. The gradual training is a step-by-step process designed to lead the practitioner gradually to liberation. The training begins with moral discipline, the undertaking and observance of specific rules of conduct which enable the disciple to control the coarser modes of bodily and verbal misconduct through which the hindrances find an outlet. With moral discipline as a basis, the disciple practices the restraint of the senses. He does not seize upon the general appearances of the beguiling features of things, but guards and masters his sense faculties so that sensual attractive and repugnant objects no longer become grounds for desire and aversion. Then, endowed with the self-restraint, he develops mindfulness and discernment (sati-sampajañña) in all his activities and postures, examining everything he does with clear awareness as to its purpose and suitability. He also cultivates contentment with a minimum of robes, food, shelter and other requisites.

Once he has fulfilled these preliminaries the disciple is prepared to go into solitude to develop the jhanas, and it is here that he directly confronts the five hindrances. The elimination of the hindrances requires that the meditator honestly appraises his own mind. When sensuality, ill will and the other hindrances are present, he must recognize that they are present and he must investigate the conditions that lead to their arising: the latter he must scrupulously avoid. The meditator must also understand the appropriate antidotes for each of the five hindrances. The Buddha says that all the hindrances arise through unwise consideration (ayoniso manasikara) and that they can be eliminated by wise consideration(yoniso manasikara). Each hindrance, however, has its own specific antidote. Thus wise consideration of the repulsive feature of things is the antidote to sensual desire; wise consideration of loving-kindness counteracts ill will; wise consideration of the elements of effort, exertion and striving opposes sloth and torpor; wise consideration of tranquillity of mind removes restlessness and worry; and wise consideration of the real qualities of things eliminates doubt (S.v,105-106).

 Having given up covetousness [i.e., sensual desire] with regard to the world, he dwells with a heart free of covetousness; he cleanses his mind from covetousness. Having given up the blemish of ill will, he dwells without ill will; friendly and compassionate towards all living beings, he cleanses his mind from the blemishes of ill will. Having given up sloth and torpor, he dwells free from sloth and torpor, in the perception of light; mindful and clearly comprehending, he cleanses his mind from sloth and torpor. Having given up restlessness and worry, he dwells without restlessness; his mind being calmed within, he cleanses it from restlessness and worry. Having given up doubt, he dwells as one who has passed beyond doubt; being free from uncertainty about wholesome things, he cleanses his mind from doubt...

And when he sees himself free of these five hindrances, joy arises; in him who is joyful, rapture arises; in him whose mind is enraptured, the body is stilled; the body being stilled, he feels happiness; and a happy mind finds concentration. Then, quite secluded from sense pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states of mind, he enters and dwells in the first jhana, which is accompanied by applied thought and sustained thought, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion. (D.i,73-74)[10] 

Making sense of physical exercise with vipassana

I had been working out regularly, unless unavoidable circumstances like travel, pressing work, etc., which will count to a lesser part of the year, but other than that, for at least 6 years and over a period I realized that every time after the workout I feel very refreshed. I work out mostly after work, in the evening. The workout would brush away my fatigue from the day's work and my mind also feels invigorated. 

There would be days when I have something unpleasant going on in my mind but if I workout I tend to be balanced or at least be less affected by the internal storm. I read the similar advocacy by doctors and other health care professionals and the reason they give for this rejuvenated feeling is when we workout the heart rate increases and as a result the blood flow increases to the different parts of the body, etc. I agreed with them not because I knew the cause and the effect but because I saw the causes and the affects and thought maybe they are true when the relate both. 

Brief introduction about the insight meditation - Vipassana - a pali (language of India, 26 centuries ago) word which means seeing things differently. Passana means seeing which in general is associated with outside objects. Vipassana means seeing differently. So here the difference is seeing things inside, within the framework of human body. To put the practice in a generic way is to observe somatic sensations on the body as they happen from moment to moment without any reaction towards them. So in essence awareness of sensations and equanimity towards them. 

Now when I mix my understanding from the meditation with the exercise, when I am trying to do aerobics :
 Though a part of the mind is still wandering in thoughts, the major, if I might, or the other part is focusing on: the steps on the treadmill so that I may not fall off, the flexing of the muscles during stretching, the pain in the knees or other parts from running, the sweat in various parts, the itching on the skin at the parts where the pores have been closed due to cold or other reason, the inhalation and exhalation and at times when I can't take more, reducing the speed to get the breathe back to normal, the pounding of the heart, the movement of the lungs from the deep breaths, the pain in abdomen, once in a while, if I am working out without eating, so on. And if this was practicing for half marathon, apart from all the aforementioned, I would constantly convince my mind to run the next quarter mile or half mile before settling for walking, try to make it to the mile marker, inspire to keep going with the practice, etc. 

If I am trying to do weights: I have pain in the muscles and obviously the mind is focused on the pain but I am not 100% averse to this pain because I am aware of the theory that the way muscles get pumped is the fiber breaks when subjected to tension and at night when rested, the new fiber grows in the split portion. Hence the soreness over the consecutive day(s). Since I am not averse and I am observing the pain, a grosser sensation, the mind is in essence meditating. 

And then my teacher says - this awareness and equanimity gives the mind, the best rest and you feel refreshed. So when I converge both these, now I understand with my experiential wisdom why the physical workout relaxes my temper or balances my mind! Eureka!!!