3.1.4. The Path of Tranquility

“When the mind is quiet, then truth gets her chance to be heard in the purity of the silence.”
— Sri Aurobindo

There are times on this path when everything narrows to a still, bright point. The worries that once roared through the mind soften into a hush, and in that hush, new dimensions open. In this chapter I wish to share some reflections on the traditional path of tranquility meditation—how it unfolds through the deep states known as jhāna, and how, through mastery of this subtle art, one might draw closer to the mind’s luminous source.

There are many routes that carry a seeker toward arahantship. Some unfold gradually, step by steady step, while others break open quite suddenly—though these often require the presence of an enlightened master to catalyse and steady the shift. Beyond arahantship lies the Bodhisattva path, where things turn delightfully strange, but that is a journey we will explore more fully in Rubedo.

In truth, one needs both tranquility (samatha) and insight (vipassanā). Tranquility settles and focuses the mind, providing a stable platform upon which insight can land and deepen. The insightful mind is always present, but tranquility reveals it. One way to picture this is that tranquility is like smoothing the surface of a pond so that insight, like the moon, can be clearly reflected without distortion.

In this spirit, I have outlined here the classical progression and mastery of jhāna, especially as it shapes a predominantly tranquility-based approach to liberation.

The Five Hindrances

Before jhāna arises, one must overcome five classic obstacles, known as the hindrances (nīvaraṇa):

Mastery of even the first jhāna generally emerges when these hindrances are subdued. In fact, the first jhāna often arises quite spontaneously once these obstacles lose their hold.

Grades of Jhāna

While the suttas describe four form jhānas, the Abhidhamma speaks of five, distinguished by ever subtler configurations of mental factors (cetasikas). Each level is like a finely balanced mental continuum where the mind rests content, free from worldly friction.

As one stabilises in a particular jhāna, slight imperfections become apparent—mental movements that can be further refined to transition to the next level. This involves gradually letting go of certain mental factors, akin to tuning a delicate instrument.

First Form Jhāna

In the first jhāna, the mind rests exclusively on its meditation object. It is supported by two key factors: initial application (vitakka), the striking of the mind onto the object, and sustained application (vicāra), the gentle resonance that follows. This level is closest to normal consciousness and can still include faint discursive thought. It is also the most fragile, easily disturbed.

Second Form Jhāna

Here, the meditator drops vitakka, leaving only vicāra. Without the “striking,” the experience becomes seamless, and joy (pīti) arises more fully, sometimes manifesting as delightful bodily sensations. Freed from coarse mental chatter, the body relaxes deeply, releasing held tensions.

Third Form Jhāna

With further refinement, vicāra too is abandoned. The meditator now dwells in pure joy and happiness (sukha), the mind tranquil and unified, free of earlier mental ripples.

Fourth Form Jhāna

Eventually, even this bliss is seen as subtly agitating. It fades, replaced by deep equanimity (upekkhā). The mind becomes vast and steady, like a clear sky—happiness remains, but now oceanic and formless, beyond familiar bounds.

Fifth Form Jhāna

At this level, even the refined happiness of the fourth jhāna is replaced by the serene equipoise of pure equanimity. The mind rests without even subtle delight, balanced and unshakable.

The Formless Jhānas

Once mastery of form jhāna is secure, the meditator may enter the arūpa (formless) absorptions. These are more abstract, almost alien, yet they exert a profound clarifying power on attachment to material existence:

• Infinite Space: Expanding the meditation sign until it fills the cosmos, attention shifts to the boundless space itself.
• Infinite Consciousness: Noticing the awareness that perceives this space, the meditator focuses on consciousness as vast and undivided.
• Nothingness: Letting go even of infinite consciousness, the meditator contemplates pure void, a subtle perception of utter absence.
• Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception: The most delicate state, where perception is so faint it cannot be said fully to exist, nor fully not to exist—a threshold hinting at non-dual awareness.

Mastery and Cessation

True mastery involves moving among these states fluidly, sometimes across different kasinas (meditation objects)—for example, progressing from first jhāna on earth to second jhāna on water, and so on. Only with such mastery does one approach the extraordinary pinnacle called cessation (nirodha-samāpatti), where all mental activity halts. For anāgāmīs and arahants, this profound stillness purifies the mind utterly, setting the stage for insight into dependent origination and, ultimately, full awakening.

This path of tranquility is as demanding as it is wondrous. It draws the mind inward, past the coarse and noisy surfaces of thought, into chambers of silence so deep they seem to erase even being itself. For many modern seekers, so schooled in restlessness and analysis, tranquility can be the steeper ascent. Yet its promise is profound: a mind made still enough to glimpse its own boundless, luminous heart.

This text is excerpted from the upcoming book Citrinitas: A Course in Modern Alchemy. The complete volume will include additional study guides, glossaries, and extended teachings. Learn more about the book here.