The suttas of the Pali Canon tell us that the Buddha taught his monks to practice vipassana while in the state of jhana. Historically, this practice has become neglected, mainly due to the recent promotion of vipassana to the global, lay community. But now, with many lay people taking longer meditation retreats, under ideal conditions, it has become possible to practice vipassana in the same manner the Buddha originally taught his monks, namely while in states of jhana.

In this book, Gary Buck recounts his own attempts to practice vipassana in jhana. While adhering strictly to the standard instructions given by the leading teachers in the U Ba Khin tradition, Gary shows that, given sufficient time and effort, vipassana as taught by both Goenkaji and Mother Sayama leads naturally to jhana.

Gary draws upon fifty years of personal vipassana experience, the work of well-known vipassana teachers, and the use of historical Buddhist sources, to describe the challenges, the insights and the considerable benefits encountered along the way. He offers a clear and accessible account of how to attain jhana, and how to integrate that into vipassana practice.

Part memoir, part practical guide, and part reflective study, Vipassana in Jhana encourages readers to integrate jhana into their vipassana practice, with profound and transformative results.