A continuum of Naturally-Occurring States
Frank Cone
The formless layers, being “what’s left” as we suspend the normal cognitive processes of the mind, can be seen as part of a continuum of 10 meditative states, all of which can be revealed if enough of our everyday mental processes have been suspended. This can be done by something as simple as following the breath for a period of time, and may even occur spontaneously. The 10 temporary states are:
- States 1-4: the jhanas (dhyanas) of form
- States 5-8: the formless layers
- State 9: the empty (and signless/aimless) state or abiding
- State 10: the cessation of perception and feeling
With the possible exception of the 10th state, all of these temporary meditative states are possible to experience regardless of where one is “at” on the path to awakening, as long as one can meditate or otherwise allow the mind to sufficiently calm down. In my case, I became adept enough at accessing the 9th meditative state, "in" which I clearly saw there was no separate "self" - this marked the beginning of my unfettering process.
While there can be some mystery around these temporary meditative states, it should be emphasized that they are in fact natural states of the mind. Calming the mind, whether by focusing on the breath or by other means, naturally leads to the jhanas of form (States 1-4). The form jhanas, being the “shallowest” states, can arise quite naturally and spontaneously, even in the midst of an activity, should the mind be allowed to relax its grip on experience. However, they generally (and more reliably) “appear” in meditation. If you’re not familiar with them, they can catch you by surprise, as was the case with me: it wasn’t long after I started meditating that the first experience of them occurred. I was a little freaked out at how I had apparently lost track of the “form” of my body by which it seemed as though I was floating in the air, and I occasionally opened one eye to confirm that I was in fact still sitting on a meditation bench on the floor(!). However, I quickly got used to these types of experiences, and simply recognized that I was “in” a jhana state.
Likewise, one can naturally experience the formless layers as the mind becomes more deeply concentrated. I initially experienced the first three formless layers now and again simply by following my breath, if my morning meditation session happened to be “deep” enough. Like the jhanas of form, the initial experience can be rather disorienting, but then be recognizable for the temporary state that it is.
If we continue to calm down the processes of the mind, the empty/signless/aimless state or abiding can be experienced, on which the Shorter Discourse has much to say. Experience of the 10th and final state, where experience literally blanks out similar to being under general anesthesia, is likely not possible for those who have not reached a certain point in the awakening process. For example, in the unfettering process, this temporary state is likely only possible when working with or having gotten past the 6th fetter, where letting go of all mental functioning is now feasible. Once we come out of the 10th meditative state, our mental processes “reboot” after a few moments, and we re-enter the 9th state.
For those who have not experienced these final two states, there can be a tendency to conflate them. For example, in the empty abiding, objects of the mind (dhammas) are no longer experienced or recognized, though one is still very much conscious. If this empty state is assumed to be a complete “state of absence”, one might assume that the empty abiding (the 9th state) is the same as the cessation of perception and feeling (the 10th state). However, this would miss the important distinction between not interpreting sensory experience and not having sensory experience at all.
One might further suppose that the empty (or signless and aimless) abiding is not just the absence of sensory experience, but also equivalent to the “extinction” of nibbana (Sanskrit nirvana). However, to suppose that nibbana entails the ceasing of all sensory experience, or even of the interpretation of experience, would mean that the Buddha could not have gone beyond suffering in daily life, but instead had to retreat to a temporary meditative state to give himself a break from suffering. As above, interpretation of sensory experience very much continues into awakening: it’s just that it is no longer misconstrued, which is why there is no longer any suffering. It is perhaps only when we finally awaken that both the nature and limitations of these deep but temporary states can be understood. What ceases in nibbana are our projections onto what we experience, not experience itself.
That the first 8 states are available to everyone is illustrated by the fact that, as above, the formless layers were well known by the first Brahman teachers of the Buddha, well prior to him becoming “the Buddha”. This also illustrates the fact that the continuum of meditative states is by no means strictly a Buddhist teaching: it’s simply what happens as the mind calms down and the various layers of interpretation are temporarily paused.