Cultivating Concentration and the Absorption States of Jhāna
A BCBS Path Program with Shaila Catherine
September 13, 2022 - July 1, 2023
In this ten-month program with Shaila Catherine, we will explore the benefits of deep samādhi, develop the skills that support the attainment of jhāna, and experience the powerful role that right concentration plays on the path of awakening. By using the breath as a meditation subject, we will practice to overcome obstacles, cultivate conditions that support sustained attention, learn to calm the restless mind and let go, and discover how concentration increases the potency of insight.
This ten-month program will begin with an initial five-night retreat (September 13 – 18, 2022) and conclude with a nine-night retreat (June 22 – July 1, 2023). Between the two residential retreats we will gather together monthly for online discussions via Zoom. In these meetings, Shaila Catherine will support participants through this ten-month commitment to develop the skills and conditions that deepen concentration in both meditation and daily activities.
Required Reading
Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm and Clarity by Shaila Catherine
Program Overview
 | Application time frame | March 14 - July 15, 2022 |
 | Residential Course dates | September 13–18, 2022 June 22 – July 1, 2023 |
 | Duration | 10 months |
 | Time commitment | 3 hours per week |
 | Prerequisite | Minimum of 20 days of residential retreat time |
 | Wednesday Zoom Gatherings 7:00 – 8:30 PM Eastern Time, 4:00 – 5:30 PM Pacific Time | • Monthly 90 minute live small group discussions • Daily life exercises • Development of your meditation practice |
Jhānas Path Program and Schedule
Experiencing the Joy of a Focused Mind
September 13–18, 2022
Residential
This five-night retreat will introduce ways to use the breath as the primary meditation object and lay the foundation for strengthening concentration (samadhi). This initial retreat will focus on nurturing conditions that dispel hindrances, enhance focused attention, develop balanced effort, and clarify the importance of right concentration. Deep tranquility, equanimity, and joy associated with concentrated states will launch our 10-month training in samadhi.
This retreat will include sitting and walking meditation, dhamma teachings, and consultations with the teacher. The majority of the time will be devoted to silent meditation practice with teacher guidance. There will be opportunities for group discussions to nurture community connections among practitioners dedicated to strengthening concentration. Please read the introduction and chapters 1–2 of Focused and Fearless prior to the retreat.
Wednesday Zoom Gatherings
7:00 – 8:30 PM Eastern Time, 4:00 – 5:30 PM Pacific Time
Each 90-minute conference call will include opportunities to discuss the readings, daily life exercises, and the development of your meditation practice as we nurture the cultivation of concentration this year. The majority of the sessions will be teacher led; breakout groups may be incorporated into the program to encourage peer discussion and the development of sangha.
Oct 19, 2022 — Experiencing Happiness, Equanimity and Letting Go | Chapters 3, 4, 5
Nov 16, 2022 — Skillfully Addressing Emotion and Effort | Chapters 6, 7
Dec 14, 2022 — Calming Restless Thoughts | Chapter 8
Jan 18, 2023 — Cultivating the Jhāna Factors and Approaching Jhāna | Chapter 9, 10
Feb 15, 2023 — Delving Into Jhāna States | Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14
Mar 15, 2023 — Exploring Controversies and Formless States | Chapters 15, 16, and 19
Apr 12, 2023 — Applying Concentration to Insight | Chapter 17, 18
May 24, 2023 — Realizing Emptiness | Chapter 20
Deep Concentration and the Stillness of Jhāna
June 22 – July 1, 2023
Residential
Our ten-month training will culminate with a nine-night silent meditation retreat. We will apply the skills that we explored throughout the year to personally experience the profound benefits of deep concentration, explore the potential for the stillness of jhāna, and enjoy the rare opportunity to work with Shaila to deepen samadhi and perhaps even master the jhāna attainments.
This retreat will include sitting and walking meditation, dhamma teachings, and consultations with the teacher. The majority of the time will be devoted to silent meditation practice with teacher guidance. There will be an opportunity for group discussions at the end of the retreat to nurture sangha and conclude our 10-month training together.
Program Fees
Experiencing the Joy of a Focused Mind
September 13–18, 2022
| Supported | Mid Level | Sustaining | Benefactor |
| $595 | $745 | $945 | $1195 |
Deep Concentration and the Stillness of Jhāna
June 22 – July 1, 2023
| Supported | Mid Level | Sustaining | Benefactor |
| $1071 | $1341 | $1700 | $2150 |
Participants commit to attending two residential programs and the online meetings in between.
Program fees include all components and are paid in two installments.
| Total Supported |
Total Mid Level |
Total Sustaining |
Total Benefactor |
| $1666 | $2086 | $2645 | $3345 |
Participants are invited to support Shaila through the practice of dāna (generosity).
Financial assistance can be requested on the registration page.
Applications Open: March 14, 2022
Applications Close: July 15, 2022
Initial Accepted Applicants Notified: July 25, 2022
Payment Due: two weeks from date of acceptance letter
Program Starts: September 13, 2021
Shaila Catherine is the founder of Bodhi Courses , an online Dhamma classroom, and Insight Meditation South Bay , a Buddhist meditation center in Silicon Valley. She began practicing meditation in 1980, spent more than nine years in silent retreat, taught meditation internationally since 1996, and authored three books on mindfulness, concentration, and insight. Her first book, Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity, introduces the deep concentration practices of jhāna. Her second book, Wisdom Wide and Deep: A Practical Handbook for Mastering Jhāna and Vipassanā, makes the systematic practices taught by Pa-Auk Sayadaw accessible to western practitioners. Her third book, Beyond Distraction: Five Practical Ways to Focus the Mind, teaches skills to overcome restless thinking, rumination, and obstructive habitual patterns. Shaila’s teachings emphasize deep samadhi, jhāna, and the path of liberating insight.
