In short: right immersion (often called "right concentration") is the eighth factor of the Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha defined it as the four absorptions (jhānas): deepening states of stillness, from "rapture and bliss born of seclusion" to "pure equanimity and mindfulness" (SN 45.8).
The Buddha's definition
"And what is right immersion? It's when a mendicant, quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unskillful qualities, enters and remains in the first absorption, which has the rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected."
SN 45.8 · One of the eight factors of the Noble Eightfold Path, the Middle Way.
Read the full guide
The four absorptions
| Absorption | In the Buddha's words (SN 45.8) |
|---|---|
| First | "rapture and bliss born of seclusion, while placing the mind and keeping it connected" |
| Second | "rapture and bliss born of immersion, with internal clarity and mind at one" |
| Third | "Equanimous and mindful, one meditates in bliss." |
| Fourth | "without pleasure or pain, with pure equanimity and mindfulness" |
Where beginners start
Absorption grows naturally from steady practice; it isn't something to force. Start with the breath, work with the five hindrances, and let calm deepen. (Mindfulness of breathing · samatha and vipassanā · four ways to develop stillness)
The whole path
Right view · right intention · right speech · right action · right livelihood · right effort · right mindfulness · right immersion. Intention: right intention.
Try it
Start with a few minutes a day: Practice.
Questions people ask
What is right concentration in Buddhism?
Right immersion (samādhi) is defined as the four absorptions, or jhānas (SN 45.8): deepening states of meditative stillness.