Dhyāna

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Key Term	dhyāna
Hover Popup Choices	meditative absorption; concentration; dhyana; meditative stability; formal meditation
In Tibetan Script	བསམ་གཏན་
Wylie Tibetan Transliteration	bsam gtan
Devanagari Sanskrit Script	ध्यान
Romanized Sanskrit	dhyāna
Romanized Pali	jhāna
Tibetan Phonetic Rendering	samten
Chinese Script	禪; 禪那; 靜慮
Chinese Pinyin	chán; chánnà; jìnglǜ
Japanese Transliteration	zen; zenna; jōryo
Korean Script	seon; seonna; jeongryeo
English Standard	meditative absorption
Alternate Spellings	jhāna; bsam gtan; བསམ་གཏན་; meditative stability
Term Type	Noun
Source Language	Sanskrit
NEW: Context Descriptions (Glossary-DefinitionTsadra)	Abhidharma (Indo-Tibetan): In Abhidharma literature, dhyāna (T. bsam gtan) refers to states of one-pointed concentration where the mind is withdrawn from external sensory awareness and remains absorbed in an ideational object. While it involves the power to control the mind, it does not in itself entail enduring insight but prepares the mind for the direct realization of truth and the destruction of afflictions (kleśa). It is standardly classified into: The four meditative absorptions of the realm of subtle materiality (rūpāvacaradhyāna), characterized by the presence or absence of factors such as applied thought (vitarka), sustained thought (vicāra), joy (prīti), bliss (sukha), and equanimity (upekṣā). The four meditative absorptions of the immaterial realm (ārūpyāvacaradhyāna): infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, and neither perception nor non-perception. Together with the absorption of cessation (nirodhasamāpatti), these are often termed the "nine successive abidings." Mahāyāna (Indo-Tibetan): Within the Mahāyāna, dhyāna is practiced as the fifth perfection (dhyānapāramitā). It is defined as a virtuous one-pointed mind that acts as a basis for special insight (vipaśyanā). The "Perfection of Meditation" is traditionally classified into three types: Meditation that establishes the body and mind in bliss (T. lus sems bde ba la gnas par byed pa'i bsam gtan). Meditation that achieves qualities such as the superknowledges (T. yon tan mngon par sgrub pa'i bsam gtan). Meditation that works for the benefit of sentient beings (T. sems can gyi don byed pa'i bsam gtan). Mastery of this perfection is typically correlated with the fifth bodhisattva ground, sudurjayā (the "Difficult to Conquer"). Vajrayāna (Indo-Tibetan): In the context of Secret Mantra, dhyāna refers to the specific meditative stabilizations used during the generation stage (utpannakrama) to visualize the deity and its maṇḍala, and during the completion stage (sampannakrama) to manipulate the subtle winds, channels, and drops. It often refers to the union of "calm abiding" (śamatha) and "special insight" (vipaśyanā) focused on the non-dual nature of mind. Dzogchen/Mahāmudrā (Indo-Tibetan): In these traditions, formal dhyāna is often refined into a state of "non-meditation" (T. sgom med), which is the effortless resting in the natural, unfabricated state of mind (rigpa). Rather than a deliberate effort to concentrate, it is the recognition of the primordial clarity and emptiness that has been present from the beginning. Theravāda/Pāli Tradition Context: In the Pāli tradition, jhāna refers to the deep states of absorption reached through the cultivation of tranquility (samatha). These are essential for strengthening the mind's focus so that insight (vipassanā) can effectively penetrate the three marks of existence: impermanence, suffering, and non-self. East Asian Buddhism Context: Dhyāna is the root of the term "Chan" (China) and "Zen" (Japan). While it originally referred to meditative absorption, in these traditions it came to represent a broader approach to direct, intuitive realization of one's own nature, often transcending formal meditative structures or conceptual study.
NEW: Glossary-PopUpBeginnerDefinition	A state of deep, one-pointed concentration where the mind is stable, calm, and focused on a single object, serving as a foundation for developing wisdom.
NEW: Glossary-PopUpScholarDefinition	A technical term (Skt. dhyāna; P. jhāna; T. bsam gtan) denoting a state of one-pointed concentration in which the mind is undistracted and untainted by afflictions. It refers both to the practice leading to full absorption and the resulting states, traditionally classified into the four dhyānas of the form realm and the four formless absorptions.
NEW: Glossary-DefinitionBodhicittaWiki	On the bodhisattva path, dhyāna (T. bsam gtan) is the indispensable tool for refining the mind's power to remain focused on the benefit of others and the realization of emptiness. As the fifth perfection (dhyānapāramitā), it provides the internal stability required to practice generosity, discipline, and patience without being swayed by external distractions or internal afflictions. A bodhisattva cultivates meditation not for the sake of personal peace or mundane psychic powers, but to achieve a state of "sameness" (T. mnyam pa nyid) and to empower their activities on behalf of all sentient beings. This perfection is the generative cause that allows wisdom (prajñā) to arise clearly and transform the practitioner's understanding into a direct realization of the ultimate nature of reality.
NEW: Glossary-DefinitionLotsawas	meditative absorption; concentration; meditative stability; dhyana
Definitions