user4976: I read that those monks who self-immolated probably felt no pain because they were in nirvana...
Is there a state you can get to more easily than nirvana where you can be conscious and pain-free? If so, how many hours of meditation do you need to get there, on average?

user-1: 
On average, how many hours of meditation do you need to get there?

This can be a tricky question to answer. You see practice and development is different from person to person. 
That is because people are different. We have different kamma and have done a variety of past deeds in this life and previous lives. This means that its very difficult to give a broad description of lets say how much time people have for practice and thereby how long it will take for them to develop a strong concentration. Some have a lot of time while others have shorter time. Others have a lot of time to practice but also has a lot of mental resistance that keeps them from developing.
Regarding the mental resistance people can have when practicing the dhamma there are the five hindrances. They are what keep beings from developing in meditation and thereby achieving the focused state you are asking about.
You can read more about the five hindrances and there antidotes here And here is an absolutely fantastic audio dhamma talk on the five hindrances by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi. Here is part 1 and part 2.
In brief the five hindrances are:

Sensual Desire (kámacchanda)
Aversion or Ill-will (vyápáda)
Sleepiness – sloth (thina), torpor (middha), sluggishness
Restlessness – worry about the future, regret of the past, anxiety (uddhacca-kukkucca)
Doubt (skeptical doubt) (vicikicchá) 

These hindrances can become a barrier for the development of meditation. For example if one has a tendency to have ill-will towards beings, objects or situations this ill-will can give further rise to anger, resentment or hatred in the mind which agitaes and distorts the mind so that it cannot see clearly or concentrate without wavering. In order to develop strong concentration we have to do away with wavering of the mind. The antidote for ill-will is loving-kindness. One should then practice Metta meditation. You can learn more about Metta meditation here.
So you see it depends on the being how long it will take to develop e.g. a strong concentration. There are different factors we can mention e.g. practice of the dhamma in this life and past lives, how much time is available for practice, how intense the hindrances are in that being and many other factors.
The best way to develop the concentration you are asking for is to begin practicing yourself and then see for yourself how long it will take. You are actually the only person that can answer it. A Buddha can also answer the question though but then you have to find one to ask.
Lanka

user-1: You can reach states after a couple of years of practice where the "suffering" caused by pain is mitigated to a degree.  The sensation of pain is still there, however.  The only state I've read of where pain might not be felt is in nirodha samapatti.  Here, feeling and cessation cease.  In fact, the consciousness stream temporarily ceases almost as if you were dead.  I don't think you can put a number on how many years (lifetimes!) it would take to reach that state.  It's only available to one who has mastered the other eight absorption (rupa and arupa) and then possibly only to those who have reached the stage of arahantship or non-returner.  See MN 111 for a description of Sariputta entering this state and the Visuddhimagga at XXIII for a gloss of nirodha samapatti.     

4976: <p>I read that those monks who self-immolated probably felt no pain because they were in nirvana...</p>

<p>Is there a state you can get to more easily than nirvana where you can be conscious and pain-free? If so, how many hours of meditation do you need to get there, on average?</p>
 -1: <blockquote>
  <p>On average, how many hours of meditation do you need to get there?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>This can be a tricky question to answer. You see practice and development is different from person to person. </p>

<p>That is because people are different. We have different kamma and have done a variety of past deeds in this life and previous lives. This means that its very difficult to give a broad description of lets say how much time people have for practice and thereby how long it will take for them to develop a strong concentration. Some have a lot of time while others have shorter time. Others have a lot of time to practice but also has a lot of mental resistance that keeps them from developing.</p>

<p>Regarding the mental resistance people can have when practicing the dhamma there are the five hindrances. They are what keep beings from developing in meditation and thereby achieving the focused state you are asking about.</p>

<p><a href="http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_hindrances#Overcoming_the_hindrances" rel="nofollow">You can read more about the five hindrances and there antidotes here</a> And here is an absolutely fantastic audio dhamma talk on the five hindrances by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi. Here is <a href="http://www.dhammaweb.net/dhammadb/view.php?id=2394" rel="nofollow">part 1</a> and <a href="http://www.dhammaweb.net/dhammadb/view.php?id=2395" rel="nofollow">part 2</a>.</p>

<p>In brief the five hindrances are:</p>

<ol>
<li>Sensual Desire (kámacchanda)</li>
<li>Aversion or Ill-will (vyápáda)</li>
<li>Sleepiness – sloth (thina), torpor (middha), sluggishness</li>
<li>Restlessness – worry about the future, regret of the past, anxiety (uddhacca-kukkucca)</li>
<li>Doubt (skeptical doubt) (vicikicchá) </li>
</ol>

<p>These hindrances can become a barrier for the development of meditation. For example if one has a tendency to have <em>ill-will</em> towards beings, objects or situations this ill-will can give further rise to anger, resentment or hatred in the mind which agitaes and distorts the mind so that it cannot see clearly or concentrate without wavering. In order to develop strong concentration we have to do away with wavering of the mind. The antidote for ill-will is <em>loving-kindness</em>. One should then practice Metta meditation. <a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/metta_in.htm" rel="nofollow">You can learn more about Metta meditation here</a>.</p>

<p>So you see it depends on the being how long it will take to develop e.g. a strong concentration. There are different factors we can mention e.g. practice of the dhamma in this life and past lives, how much time is available for practice, how intense the hindrances are in that being and many other factors.</p>

<p>The best way to develop the concentration you are asking for is to begin practicing yourself and then see for yourself how long it will take. You are actually the only person that can answer it. A Buddha can also answer the question though but then you have to find one to ask.</p>

<p>Lanka</p>
 -1: <p>You can reach states after a couple of years of practice where the "suffering" caused by pain is mitigated to a degree.  The sensation of pain is still there, however.  The only state I've read of where pain might not be felt is in nirodha samapatti.  Here, feeling and cessation cease.  In fact, the consciousness stream temporarily ceases almost as if you were dead.  I don't think you can put a number on how many years (lifetimes!) it would take to reach that state.  It's only available to one who has mastered the other eight absorption (rupa and arupa) and then possibly only to those who have reached the stage of arahantship or non-returner.  See MN 111 for a description of Sariputta entering this state and the Visuddhimagga at XXIII for a gloss of nirodha samapatti.     </p>
