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venerable Ajahn Brahmali,
On a retreat I attended, Ajahn Brahm told the story of a monk in Java, who went into the jungle. There he had an incredible deep meditation, which he described as "a marriage with a divine white light", an incredible experience. When he came out of his meditation, he was on the exact same spot, he noticed his surroundings were seriously altered: mud, broken trees, parts of earth and water were everywhere. When he asked afterwards, the people said: "you did't notice, that place has been struck by a giant flood for 8 days, it was completely under water and very stormy ...". So this monk was submerged for one week, in the upper stage of Samadhi, was in a state of breathlessness under water, in Jhana, ... and not a scratch ... This monk was afterwards known for his psychic powers. A friend of Ajahn Brahm, a rigorous scientis, declared that during a meditation session, she opened her eyes, and there was white light coming out of this monk's eyes, flowing into her, which was very healing and soothing ...
In the Sutta's there's also a story by a monk in fourth Jhana which get cremated, because people tought he was dead due to his non-breathing and stillness. The day afterwards this monk comes on alms round, smiling, in one piece, without even an eyebrow burnt ...
So my question, what is the explanation for this apparant invulnerability during the fourth Jhana ?
Where are there more essays on this (Bhikku Bodhi, ...) ?
How can it be explained scientifically ?
Thanks
On a retreat I attended, Ajahn Brahm told the story of a monk in Java, who went into the jungle. There he had an incredible deep meditation, which he described as "a marriage with a divine white light", an incredible experience. When he came out of his meditation, he was on the exact same spot, he noticed his surroundings were seriously altered: mud, broken trees, parts of earth and water were everywhere. When he asked afterwards, the people said: "you did't notice, that place has been struck by a giant flood for 8 days, it was completely under water and very stormy ...". So this monk was submerged for one week, in the upper stage of Samadhi, was in a state of breathlessness under water, in Jhana, ... and not a scratch ... This monk was afterwards known for his psychic powers. A friend of Ajahn Brahm, a rigorous scientis, declared that during a meditation session, she opened her eyes, and there was white light coming out of this monk's eyes, flowing into her, which was very healing and soothing ...
In the Sutta's there's also a story by a monk in fourth Jhana which get cremated, because people tought he was dead due to his non-breathing and stillness. The day afterwards this monk comes on alms round, smiling, in one piece, without even an eyebrow burnt ...
So my question, what is the explanation for this apparant invulnerability during the fourth Jhana ?
Where are there more essays on this (Bhikku Bodhi, ...) ?
How can it be explained scientifically ?
Thanks
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