Vipassana jhanas

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Vipassana jhanas are steps that describe the evolution of Vipassana's practice. They contrast with samatha's jhanas. The usual description opposes the concentration attained by practicing samatha : the jhanas, and concentration used in vipassana : neighborhood concentration (upacara samadhi).

Nevertheless, Sayadaw U Pandita, a disciple of Mahasi Sayadaw, describes four vipassana jhanas.

The meditator first explores his body, then his mind, discovering the three characteristics. The first jhana consist in seeing these points and in the presence of vitakka and vicara. Phenomena reveal themselves as appearing and ceasing.
In the second Jhana, the practice seems quite automatic. Vitaka and vicara both disappear.
In the third Jhana, piti, the joy, disappears too: there is only happiness (sukha) and concentration.
Then the practice leads to knowledge. The comfort disappears because the disparition seems the only phenomenon; this step is known as bhanga nupassana. The practice will become very difficult, showing every phenomenon as terrible, dangerous, disenchanting. The desire of freedom will take place. Upekkha, equanimity, will emerge, as the state of mind of an arahant.

The only further steps are the knowledge of attaining Nirvana.

[edit] Vipassana Knowledges

This unusual description of Vipassana's practice does not replace vipassana knowledge. Bhanga nupassana is one example of traditional step on the way of wisdom. The steps to nirvana were also described by Buddhaghosa as five purities following purity of discipline (sila) and purity of mind (samadhi), in his famous Visuddhimagga.

Samatha and Vipassana Samatha and Vipassana are not two separate practices. Samatha or one pointed concentration leads to Jhana (mental absorption). In Jhana there is no mental discursiveness, or very little as the aim is to calm (the vibrations of thought). At this stage various physiological changes will happen in your brain, you will become very peaceful and blissful. Vipassana (insight) happens once you come out of Jhana and can last for many hours or days. All the changes that happen to the ego -- and which lead to nibbana -- originate in Jhana and are experienced through intuition and a connection to a deeper level of awareness that is beyond normal discursive thinking.

Nagarjuna, a famous Mahayana saint (Nagarjuna's Fundamental wisdom of the middle way), was highly critical of the Abhidhamma practitioners stating that because they misunderstand the Buddha's emptiness they believe emptiness is something to fear, not realizing that it is emptiness itself -- the emptiness of all thoughts, beliefs, phenomena that leads to nibbana. It is this direct intuitive understanding that is the meaning of enlightenment. To be free of all fears, hatred and delusion.

Jhana and insight, hand-in-hand

There's no jhana for one with no discernment, no discernment for one with no jhana. But one with both jhana & discernment: he's on the verge of Unbinding.

— Dhp 372