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what is pīti?
May. 30th, 2023 07:07 amSo one thing that's been bouncing around in my head for some time now is, what exactly does pīti mean?
In orthodox Theravāda (as well as the semi-orthodox modernized forms of it) it specifically refers to an experience of rapturous, blissful, ecstatic energy that arises during samādhi as a precursor to jhāna (itself a highly controversial topic!). Okay, fine. I've experienced that. It's definitely and important thing to cultivate if you want to deepen samādhi.
But. Does it mean the same thing as the pīti of the seven factors? I remember once asking this question of a group of Buddhists and they said it was, in a tone implying I was a total braindead fart for even questioning it. But I'm not convinced (and could very well be a total braindead fart).
What are the seven factors? Are they exclusively for meditative states, and cultivating them is what brings a meditation to the doorstep of enlightenment? Then yes, clearly pīti means the same thing as it does in the context of jhāna and samādhi.
But I interpret the seven factors as qualities to cultivate in life in general. One should constantly be cultivating the seven factors; it should be more of a lifestyle than a meditation experience. In which case, perhaps it means something else. I don't think it's possible to go around experiencing pīti--at least not the pīti of deep samādhi--and still be functional. An alternative definition of pīti is "joy", and that, as a quality to cultivate at all times, makes sense to me. Living a joyful life.
That said, I find that when I take a good look at the experience of joy, it's actually kind of a low-key version of the rapturous pīti. Just not as intense as the pre-jhānic and jhānic pīti.
So, maybe they are the same thing after all.
In orthodox Theravāda (as well as the semi-orthodox modernized forms of it) it specifically refers to an experience of rapturous, blissful, ecstatic energy that arises during samādhi as a precursor to jhāna (itself a highly controversial topic!). Okay, fine. I've experienced that. It's definitely and important thing to cultivate if you want to deepen samādhi.
But. Does it mean the same thing as the pīti of the seven factors? I remember once asking this question of a group of Buddhists and they said it was, in a tone implying I was a total braindead fart for even questioning it. But I'm not convinced (and could very well be a total braindead fart).
What are the seven factors? Are they exclusively for meditative states, and cultivating them is what brings a meditation to the doorstep of enlightenment? Then yes, clearly pīti means the same thing as it does in the context of jhāna and samādhi.
But I interpret the seven factors as qualities to cultivate in life in general. One should constantly be cultivating the seven factors; it should be more of a lifestyle than a meditation experience. In which case, perhaps it means something else. I don't think it's possible to go around experiencing pīti--at least not the pīti of deep samādhi--and still be functional. An alternative definition of pīti is "joy", and that, as a quality to cultivate at all times, makes sense to me. Living a joyful life.
That said, I find that when I take a good look at the experience of joy, it's actually kind of a low-key version of the rapturous pīti. Just not as intense as the pre-jhānic and jhānic pīti.
So, maybe they are the same thing after all.