Computer Studies in Buddhism - Meditation
"Vipassana Meditation Course: Series of Eight Talks", by Ven Sayadaw U Janaka
Buddha Dhamma Meditation Association, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Talk 8
Daily Activities, Postures, Noting Objects, Benefits, Balance
Today I'll continue that chapter of clear comprehension and discourse on the
Mahasatipatthana sutra. But I'll summarise it because there are some aspects
of Dhamma which should be dealt with for your progress in your meditation.
The Buddha said, 'When you bend your arms and legs you must be aware of it as
it is.' When you stretch out the arms and legs you must be aware of it as it
is. When you dress you must all be aware of it. When you take off clothes you
must be aware of it; when you put on clothes you must be aware of it. That's
what the Buddha instructed us about daily activities. Then, when you hold the
plate, you note it. When you hold the cup in the saucer you note it, holding.
When you touch it, touching. When you decide to keep inside and so on.
Whatever you are doing, in holding, drinking tea or coffee, you note it. The
Buddha said when you answer the call of nature these activities you must be
aware of as they are. When you go to the toilet you should be aware of all the
activities involved. Then, every day, the Buddha said when you eat food then
note all the activities in the act of having the food. When you drink water or
when you drink anything you must be aware of all the activities involved in
these actions. When you chew something you must note chewing. When you lick
something you must note the licking. We have a Burmese medicine for clearing
of the throat, called yessa. That means a lickable salt. There we have to lick
it. We mustn't take it.
* Postures
When you walk you must be aware of all the movements of the foot, slowing down
your stepping. When you sit you should note the upright posture of the
sitting. Not the form of the body, but the upright position of your body must
be noted as sitting. When you focus your mind on your sitting you know that
you are sitting. Then you note sitting.
In Burma some meditators when they are instructed to note the sitting posture
find out the form of the body, the shoulder, the leg, the eyes, the nose, the
head. Because they are looking for the form of the body they couldn't note it.
But the Buddha doesn't instruct us to note these forms of the body. What the
Buddha instructs is to note the upright posture of the body as sitting,
because he would like us to realise the supporting nature of vayo-dhatu, the
wind element. When you sit there's an air inside the body, and also air
outside the body. The two airs support the body so it is sitting in an upright
position. So to realise the nature of the supporting wind element the Buddha
teaches us to note sitting. So you should focus your mind on the upright
posture of the body and note it as sitting. In the same way the upright
position of standing must be noted: standing standing standing, sitting
sitting sitting and so on.
Sometimes some yogis misunderstand this instruction so when they are
instructed to note the sitting posture what they notice is the contact between
the body and the floor or the seat. It's wrong. That's contact or touching,
not sitting. The commentary to the text explains that sitting means the
bending posture of the lower and the upright posture of the upper body. I
instructed you to be aware of the upright posture of sitting, the upper body,
because if you go down and be aware of the bending posture of the lower body
your mind tends to go to the contact.
* Noting objects
So in sitting meditation if you are able to note the rising and fall of the
abdomen very well and the concentration is somewhat good, then the mind tends
to go out and wander because it can easily note the two movements of the
abdomen. Then you need some more objects to note so as to make the mind too
busy to have any time to go out. So when you are able to note the rise and
fall of the abdomen very well you should note the sitting posture and the
touching sensation too, either of the two or one of the two. Say rising
falling and sitting, or rising falling, touching - any point of the touching
sensation which is more distinct than the other points. So, rising falling
sitting touching, rising falling sitting touching. You must be aware of four
objects successively and continuously, not separately.
Some meditators misunderstand so they note two objects separately. Sometimes
they note rising and falling, rising and falling; sometimes sitting, touching,
sitting, touching. When you are able to note these four objects constitutively
and successively you must do four, not two separately. But sometimes you may
be not able to note all the four constitutively. Then you should note their
rise and fall separately, then sitting touching. If the abdominal movement is
good for you to note you should stay with it. Unless it's good for some reason
you can note the sitting and touching sensations alternately: sitting
touching, sitting touching.
Sometimes some meditators very easily feel their heartbeat when concentrating
on the movement of the abdomen, because when they note the rise and fall of
the abdomen they make too much mental effort breathing. That effort makes the
heart beat and sometimes they confuse the movement of the abdomen with the
heartbeat. For such meditators the sitting posture and touching sensation are
good at the beginning of the practise. Later on you will be able to note all
these four objects very well, systematically and methodically.
So if a meditator has no problem with the heartbeat he should continue to note
the rise and fall of the abdomen. But if he thinks he needs more objects then
note the sitting posture and touching sensation too. So rising falling,
sitting touching; rising falling, sitting touching. You have to note the
sitting posture and touching sensation before the rising movement starts
again. In other words between the falling movement and the rising movement you
should insert the two objects, sitting and touching, so that your mind doesn't
have any time to go out. The point is to make the mind quite occupied with the
object.
One meditator here reported in his interview that he didn't note the intention
before lifting. He noted only six objects of movements of the foot. I asked
why he didn't note anything. He said because he was too busy to note this and
this before lifting. A bit of time, even a millionth of a second, and the mind
goes out. So the mind must be occupied with objects. You should note
intending, lifting, pushing, dropping, touching, pressing, and so on.
The same with sitting. When you think you have a little bit of time between
the falling movement and the rising movement of the abdomen, you must fill up
that gap with the two objects or one of the two, the sitting posture and the
touching sensation. So after you have noted the falling movement you note
sitting, touching before you start to note the rising movement. Sometimes you
may find it difficult to note two objects before rising again. Then you should
note one object, the sitting or touching sensation, so that you have better
and deeper concentration.
So when you sit you must be aware of the sitting posture. When you stand you
must be aware of the standing posture. When you lie down you must be aware of
the lying posture: lying lying lying. In Burma one of the old monks about
ninety years could walk twenty-four hours; he could sit twenty-four hours; lie
down twenty-four hours by being aware of it without sleeping. Two years back
he passed away at the age of ninety-two I think. He had been meditating since
forty years of age. I think you should imitate him. He could sit for
twenty-four hours without changing position. He walked twenty-four hours. He
lay down twenty-four hours. If you lie down two minutes then you fall asleep.
In lying down you see the abdomen movement is very distinct. When lying down
note, rising falling lying, rising falling lying, rising falling lying. This
is good medicine for insomnia. When you wake up the first thing of which you
are conscious most be noted. During any meditation of ten days you are not
able to do that even though you try it. As the Buddha said, as soon as you are
awake you should note the consciousness about wakening: wakening wakening
wakening wakening. After that you want to open your eyes: wanting wanting, or
wishing wishing. And then when you open the eyes, opening opening. And so on.
These are the examples you should take for awareness for daily activity. The
Buddha teaches us these examples. The point is to have continuous and constant
mindfulness for the whole day. There is not a mental state, emotional state or
physical process of which you should not be mindful as it is so that you can
have a continuity of mindfulness which is the cause of deep concentration on
which insight knowledge is built up. When that insight knowledge is realised,
or the specific characteristics or general characteristics of mental and
physical processes, then you go through all thirteen stages of insight
knowledge one after another, and higher and higher. After you have completed
all the thirteen stages of insight knowledge you become enlightened. That
means you attain the first stage of enlightenment. It's called Magga. The
Path. When you have attained the first stage of enlightenment you totally
uproot the most important defilement, sakaya-ditthi, the false view of a
person a being an I or a you, and also doubt about the triple gems. These two
mental defilements are uprooted, including their potentiality. Then you feel
happy, you live in peace and happiness.
There are some who have gone through about four or five stages. There may be
someone who has gone through about eight or seven. There may be some who have
gone through ten or eleven. I would like all of you to complete all thirteen
stages of insight knowledge. Ten days meditation is just training, just the
learning stage. But you have some deep concentration occasionally and also
some insight which penetrates into reality of the body- mind processes.
* Benefits of mindfulness meditation
So now I would like to explain to you the benefits of this mindfulness
meditation, because we haven't time enough. I think I should explain to you
the seven benefits of this mindfulness, vipassana meditation.
1. Purification
Saddana vissudi means this mindfulness meditation must be practised for
purification of beings. This is the first benefit. If you are mindful of any
mental or physical process, if your concentration is good enough, at the
moment of deep concentration on this mental or physical process your mind is
purified. It's free from all kinds of mental defilements, all kinds of
hindrances. To purify one's mind one has to practise mindfulness meditation.
Translated literally, the meaning is that to purify your mind and body you
must practise mindfulness meditation.
2. Overcoming sorrow
Then the second benefit is overcoming worry, sorrow and lamentation. The
second benefit is sorrow and worry. You overcome sorrow and worry even though
you failed in your business. You don't worry about it; you don't feel sorry.
3. Overcoming lamentation
The third benefit is overcoming lamentation. When you have completely realised
the mental and physical processes and their true nature by means of
mindfulness meditation, even though your relative dies, or even though your
sons or parents die you won't cry over it. You have exterminated this
lamentation for the dead. When you practise this mindfulness meditation to
attain higher stages of insight knowledge, at least eleven stages should be
attained through this mindfulness meditation, then you don't feel sorry or
worry and you don't have lamentation.
In Burma some of the female meditators practise this meditation in the first
retreat say about ten or fifteen days, then the second two months or two and a
half months then later on she may continue every day at home. Then when her
husband dies she won't feel sorry. She won't lament. Is it good or bad? Good.
Why doesn't she feel sorrow and find that she laments? Attachment. Attachment
is destroyed to a certain extent. She can have less attachment to her husband
by means of mindfulness meditation because she has realised the specific and
general characteristics of body-mind processes to a large extent. So her
attachment to her husband becomes less and less, because the less attachment
doesn't make her weep or cry or lament. That's why I would like you to do it
at least two or three months intensively and strenuously. In Burma many
meditators take two or three months. Some meditators practise six months
continuously.
4. Overcoming grief
Then, the fourth benefit is the overcoming of grief. In the full retreat you
can do away with grief, when your mindfulness meditation is fully practised.
Here grief means mental suffering. Mental suffering is exterminated, done away
with, by this mindfulness meditation.
5. Overcoming physical suffering
And also pain here means physical suffering. All kinds of physical suffering
are destroyed through mindfulness meditation. In Burma there are some who
cured illness by means of mindfulness meditation. The fifth benefit is
overcoming physical suffering, dukkha. Mental suffering is known as domanassa
in Pali. Physical suffering is known as dukkha. Domanassa is mental suffering,
mental dukkha. Physical suffering is dukkha itself. These two aspects of
suffering are removed by means of mindfulness meditation.
6. Enlightenment
Then the sixth benefit is attainment of path knowledge. That's one of
enlightenment. In Buddhism there are four stages of enlightenment a meditator
has to attain through his mindfulness meditation, after he has completed all
thirteen stages of insight knowledge. The first stage is known as
sotapanna-magga . The second stage is known as sakadagami-magga. Third stage
is known anagami-magga. The fourth stage is known as arahatta-magga. All these
four stages of enlightenment can be attained when you have thoroughly realised
anicca, dukkha and anatta of bodily and mental processes. When impermanence,
suffering, the impersonal nature of body-mind processes are thoroughly
realised then you can attain all these four stages of enlightenment.
It's easy to explain about this attainment of four stages of enlightenment but
practically it's very difficult. But difficulties must be overcome by
perseverance. Patience and perseverance are needed to overcome difficulties in
any work. Then the attainment of these four stages of enlightenment, path
knowledge is the sixth benefit. Path knowledge here means the four stages of
enlightenment.
7. Nibbana
Then finally you attain to Nibbana by mindfulness meditation. What do you mean
by Nibbana? Where do you see Nibbana, on earth or underground or in heaven or
in the sky? Nowhere. Ah, but the Buddha said Nibbana is in you. The place
where you attain to Nibbana is yours, your body and mind. Unless you have
realised your body-mind processes you cannot attain Nibbana. Only when you
have fully realised your body-mind processes and two levels of understanding,
then you are sure to attain Nibbana. So Nibbana is with you, not very far,
very close.
Nibbana means the cessation of all kinds of suffering. When mental suffering
as well as physical suffering ceases to exist that state is known as Nibbana.
Where do you have mental and physical suffering? Mind and body. These two
kinds of suffering exist in the mind and body. Where do these two aspects of
suffering stop or cease? Our mind and body. Because they arise in my mind and
body, so they must stop at my mind and body. The cessation of all kinds of
suffering, mental and physical suffering, ceases to exist when you have
eradicated all mental and physical defilements by means of mindfulness
meditation. So the attainment of the cessation of suffering is the seventh
benefit of mindfulness meditation. You should remember these benefits
theoretically and you should experience them practically.
* The five mental faculties
So to gain these seven benefits what you need first is faith or belief in the
triple gems, especially in the technique of your meditation: faith or belief
or confidence through understanding. Blind faith is not needed here. Faith
through understanding is called saddha. That saddha is the first mental
faculty. Here mental faculties we call indriya in Pali. There are five
indriyas, five mental faculties a yogi must be endowed with. The first is
faith, blind faith or faith with understanding. You have to understand the
Buddha Dhamma or the technique to a certain extent so that you can have faith
in it. Without understanding it you can't have any faith or confidence or
belief in it Faith with understanding is the basic requirement of a meditator
for success in his meditation. The second need is energy. If you do not put
enough energy into your practise you can't realise any mental or physical
phenomena. It's called viriya in Pali.
The third need is sati. It's translated as mindfulness, awareness, the third
faculty a yogi must be endowed with. It means when you have faith with
understanding of the technique or the Dhamma, you put enough energy or viriya
in your practise, then you are able to be mindful of any mental or physical
process as it really is. Then when mindfulness becomes continuous and constant
your mind becomes concentrated on the object of meditation very well. So the
fourth one is concentration, samadhi, concentration of mind. When the mind is
deeply concentrated on any mental or physical phenomenon there arises insight
knowledge or penetrating knowledge or experiential knowledge which penetrates
into the intrinsic nature of mental and physical phenomena, specific
individual characteristics of the body-mind processes. This is the intrinsic
or true nature of mental and physical phenomena.
So when you realise any specific characteristic of mental or physical
phenomena you have insight. Or when you realise the passing away of any mental
or physical processes, or their coming and going, then you come to realise the
general characteristic of anicca, impermanence, the general characteristic of
mental and physical phenomena. That realisation, right understanding or
insight or experiential knowledge is known as pannya in Pali. Pannya is
sometimes translated as wisdom. Here insight or enlightenment is the fifth
faculty with which a yogi must be endowed.
You should have five mental faculties: faith, energy, mindfulness,
concentration, and insight and enlightenment. Faith means saddha. Energy means
viriya. Mindfulness means sati. Concentration means samadhi. Insight,
enlightenment, pannya. So, saddha, viriya, sati, samadhi, pannya, these are
the five mental faculties a yogi must be endowed with.
* Balance
And here these five mental faculties must be strong enough, powerful and
sharp. The Vissudimagga, a meditation text, mentions when these five mental
faculties become sharp you are sure to realise either the specific or general
characteristics of body- mind processes. So you should try to make them sharp
and keep balance. Here also the text said of the five mental faculties, saddha
and pannya, faith and understanding or insight must be kept balanced. So
viriya and samadhi, concentration and energy or effort must be kept in
balance. When saddha is strong and viriya is weak, when faith is strong and
energy or effort is weak, then the yogi may become credulous. The yogi tends
to have gullibility. He is easily deceived.
And saddha, faith or confidence must be balanced with wisdom or pannya,
insight knowledge. When you have some insight knowledge into the physical and
mental processes then you know the only way which can lead you to the
cessation of suffering or to the realisation of body-mind processes is
mindfulness meditation. You can judge through your experience, then nobody can
deceive you about the method or technique of the meditation. So you don't
believe in any other technique or any other way because by way of mindfulness
you have experienced some realisation or understanding of mental and physical
phenomena. You yourself know it's the right way so you don't believe in any
other way, you don't become credulous.
But if wisdom is strong and faith is weak, then he can be a fool in his
meditation because his concentration is weak. His concentration is weak
because he has a lot of preconceived ideas through theoretical knowledge of
Buddhism and other philosophies. So whenever he has experienced, or before he
has any experience, he analyses the technique or the experience. He thinks
about it. He uses preconceived ideas to analyse this technique or the
experience. Then he has a lot of thoughts which distract him. How can he
concentrate his mind on the object?
That's why we ask our yogis to keep aside all thought, all analytical
knowledge, preconceived ideas, philosophical thinking, logical reasoning while
they are engaged in meditation, so that there won't be hindrances to their
progress. If he has a great deal of knowledge about Dhamma or any other
philosophy, he attempts to analyse or reason, he attempts to criticise the
Dhamma or the experience or the technique. Then it's a hindrance. So wisdom or
knowledge must be balanced with saddha. Because I have faith, confidence in
this technique I come here and practise. So these must be kept aside as long
as I'm engaged in this mindfulness meditation.
Then concentration and energy must be in balance. When concentration is strong
and energy, effort is weak you have the close friend of a yogi, sloth and
torpor. So when you can concentrate very well on the abdominal movement and
concentration becomes deeper and deeper, the noting mind notes the object of
its own accord without any effort. Then the effort or energy becomes gradually
less and less, decreasing. Concentration becomes weaker and weaker and gets
into sloth and torpor. So when concentration's strong and effort is weak you
are sure to get into sloth and torpor. To correct it you must make some more
effort in your noting. Be careful, note energetically and precisely.
Then when viriya, energy is strong and concentration is weak you can't
concentrate too well, because when you are greedy to experience more and more
Dhamma you put too much effort into your noting. You note very energetically
when the mind is not concentrated you are not satisfied with your practise.
Then you get restless and have distraction distraction distraction, and
depression. No concentration at all. So energy or effort must be kept by
concentration, and balance. Your effort must be reduced. You must reduce your
effort, then again you note feeling calmness and tranquillity. Be calm and
tranquil and note steadily. Do not be greedy, do not hesitate. Then your mind
will concentrate gradually. So these two twins mental faculties must be in
balance. Then you are sure to attain the four stages of enlightenment.
Please try to make steady effort, enough effort, and have a great deal of
faith and confidence in your practise.
*** End of Vipassana Meditation Course - by Venerable Sayadaw U Janaka ***
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