The deepest absorption state where all feeling is neutralized into perfect equanimity without pleasure or pain.
The fourth jhana (also spelled dhyana) is the final and most refined of the four primary absorption states in Buddhist meditation. It is characterized by the complete absence of both pleasure and pain, replaced entirely by equanimity (upekkha). Unlike the lower jhanas, which retain some affective tone—even if subtle—the fourth jhana contains only neutral feeling (adukkham-asukha vedana). The meditator remains fully conscious and alert, but all emotional reactivity has been systematically extinguished.
The fourth jhana is described in the Pali Canon as a state where "one sits, pervading the body with a mind accompanied by equanimity" (Majjhima Nikaya 4). This is not a blank or unconscious state. Rather, the meditator experiences a rarified form of awareness in which the entire field of perception is held in perfect balance. Breathing typically becomes extremely subtle or nearly imperceptible, and the body feels weightless or non-existent to the meditator's perception.
Buddhist texts consistently identify three defining features of the fourth jhana. First is the suppression of both pleasure (sukha) and pain (dukkha). This does not mean numbness or dissociation; it means that the meditator has passed beyond the duality of likes and dislikes entirely. Second is the presence of upekkha, often translated as equanimity, impartiality, or equipoise. This is not indifference born from apathy, but rather a profound, spacious neutrality maintained by stable concentration. Third is mental clarity and presence—mindfulness and alertness remain fully active, which distinguishes this state from mere unconsciousness.
The Visuddhimagga, a classical Theravada commentary on meditation, specifies that the fourth jhana involves only one type of feeling—the neither-painful-nor-pleasant sensation (adukkham-asukha vedana)—combined with equanimous mindfulness (upekkha-sati). This precise combination makes the fourth jhana unique among all meditative states and uniquely potent for certain Buddhist practices.
Entry to the fourth jhana requires first mastering the three preceding jhanas. A meditator must stabilize the first jhana, which involves withdrawal from sensory experience and the arising of applied attention (vitarka) and sustained attention (vicara) with pleasure and happiness. From there, one cultivates the second jhana by progressively refining and quieting the applied and sustained attention, allowing a deeper unification of mind with sustained joy. The third jhana then arises when joy itself is gradually abandoned, leaving only contentment (sukha) and mindfulness.
The transition to the fourth jhana involves deliberately relinquishing even contentment. The meditator neither rejects the pleasant feeling of the third jhana nor clings to it, but allows the mind to naturally settle into a state beyond both pleasure and pain. This requires both precise effort and non-effort—the meditator must be intent on letting go without forcing or suppressing. Many texts emphasize that the fourth jhana arises when the prior conditions have been perfected, rather than through direct willful achievement. This paradox reflects the precision needed: too much effort and the state collapses; too little and the requisite stability does not form.
Equanimity in the fourth jhana is not the same as the equanimity taught as a brahma-vihara (divine abiding) or the equanimity that arises in insight meditation. The equanimity of the fourth jhana is primarily a function of concentration. It is the complete evenness of mind that results from the total removal of affective disturbance. Because neither pleasure nor pain arises, there is nothing to disturb the balance of the mind, and the mind naturally rests in a state of perfect equipoise.
This equanimity is described as "clear" (parisuddha) and "bright" (pabha) in the texts. The meditator is not passive or inert; rather, the mind possesses a quality of luminous steadiness. The equanimity here serves the function of protecting the refined mental state from disruption, maintaining the absolute stability necessary for the profound insights that can arise from this absorption.
While in the fourth jhana, time perception becomes extremely attenuated. A meditator may sit for what feels like minutes but discover that hours have passed. The Pali Canon does not specify fixed durations for how long one can remain in the fourth jhana, as this depends on the individual's mastery and the depth of their absorption. Some texts suggest that practitioners can exit and re-enter the fourth jhana repeatedly, conditioning the mind to move between absorbed and normal states.
Physically, a person in the fourth jhana exhibits distinctive signs. The breath is minimal or absent—so subtle that an observer might wonder if the person is still breathing. The body becomes very still, though not rigid. The face often appears peaceful and undisturbed. Upon exiting the state, the meditator typically experiences a short period of readjustment before returning to normal awareness and bodily sensation.
The fourth jhana serves multiple functions in Buddhist practice depending on one's tradition and aims. In the Theravada tradition, mastery of the fourth jhana is essential for developing the five supernormal abilities (abhinna) and for cultivating the deep mental pliability needed for insight meditation. The equanimity and one-pointedness developed through the fourth jhana create an exceptionally sharp and stable mind, which can then be applied to investigating the nature of experience.
In some Mahayana traditions, the fourth jhana is considered a gateway to higher meditative states and is used as a foundation for the cultivation of bodhicitta and other advanced practices. The extraordinary mental refinement achieved in the fourth jhana is understood as a power that can be redirected toward insight into non-self (anatta), impermanence (anicca), and suffering (dukkha). Some practitioners report that insights arising from or following the fourth jhana have particular clarity and permanence, though the Canon warns against seeking special experiences or powers as an end in themselves.
The fourth jhana stands at a threshold. It is the final absorption state that involves form—however subtle—and the meditator still has a sense of localized consciousness, even if the body feels unreal. Beyond the fourth jhana lie the four formless meditative absorptions (arupa jhanas): infinite space, infinite consciousness, nothingness, and the realm of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. These states involve the complete transcendence of spatial awareness and form altogether.
The fourth jhana is therefore often called the "highest of the form-sphere jhanas" or the culmination of meditation within the realm of subtle form. In the cosmological framework of Buddhist texts, beings can be reborn into the realm corresponding to the fourth jhana (the Pure Abodes in some cosmologies), and mastery of this state is sometimes presented as the threshold beyond which rebirth in lower realms becomes impossible for a practitioner.