Computer Studies in Buddhism - Meditation
"Vipassana Meditation Course: Series of Eight Talks", by Ven Sayadaw U Janaka
Buddha Dhamma Meditation Association, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Talk 7
The Two Levels of Understanding
I will review my talk on the two levels of understanding so that you can
remember it. The first level is understanding the specific characteristics of
mental and physical phenomena. The second is understanding the general or
common characteristics of mental and physical phenomena. Each mental process
or physical process has its specific characteristics. Those characteristics
are not concerned or connected with other mental processes.
The three main roots of evil, called mula priyaya in Pali, are anger, greed,
and delusion or ignorance (I prefer ignorance): lobha, dosa, moha in Pali. You
should have these terms because they are not very difficult to remember. Lobha
is greed, desire, craving, attachment. All the senses of these words are
covered by lobha. So when you say lobha, it means desire; when you say lobha
it means greed; when you say lobha it means craving; when you say lobha it
means lust; when you say lobha it means attachment. To cover the senses of all
these words we use the word attachment. So, lobha or attachment or desire,
greed is one of the main roots of evil, evil things, evil deeds, evil speech,
evil mind. When the mind becomes evil it's due to one of these three roots.
Either lobha or dosa or moha.
Dosa means anger, hatred, ill will, aversion. Dosa is anger, hatred, ill-will,
aversion. Moha is ignorance. Occasionally it is translated delusion. I do not
like this word delusion. I preferred 'ignorance,' because when you say
illusion sometimes you get confused with wrong view: sakaya-ditthi,
atta-ditthi. Say when you stretch out your legs towards the Buddha statue,
does it mean respect or disrespect to the Buddha? When you stretch out your
arms towards the Buddha statue then do you mean it as respect or disrespect to
the Buddha? Respect, when you stretch out your arms. When you stretch out your
legs towards the Buddha statue what do you mean? Disrespect. Yes. But
sometimes you did it out of mere ignorance because you did not know it was
disrespectful. You happened to stretch out your legs towards the Buddha. That
behaviour is regarded as something with no volition or motive. Without
disrespect you happened to do it. So if you feel disrespect towards the Buddha
when you stretch out this leg then you must withdraw it. But if you do not
withdraw it and keep stretching out then it's disrespect. It's done out of
ignorance.
There's a Burmese story but it may be everywhere in the world. There were two
carpenters working together. One was the father, the other his son. The son
was very foolish. The father was chopping a log when a deadly fly, one that is
very harmful, that bites and sucks the blood of human beings, came to the
father's forehead. The father was occupied over this work. He couldn't do
anything with the fly. Then the son saw it. Out of compassion for his father
he took an axe and he killed the deadly fly. The dead fly has gone. And father
is very happy. He lie down and sleep for good. Now that killing was done out
of ignorance, moha. This evil thing was done out of moha, ignorance.
So to eradicate this ignorance is the most important thing, in your daily life
as well as your meditative life too. What should you do? Ignorance must be
replaced by right understanding. Moha must be replaced by wisdom, or insight
knowledge or enlightenment. To attain this what should you do? Yes, be mindful
of your body-mind processes as they really are. You can learn scriptures so
that you have a theoretical knowledge of the teaching of the Buddha, but
theoretical knowledge has nothing to do with insight knowledge or
enlightenment. While you are being mindful of any mental or physical process,
if any theoretical knowledge comes to your mind and you use it for analysing
any experience or technique then that theoretical knowledge is a hindrance to
your concentration. It can't eradicate the ignorance. Ignorance must be
replaced by right understanding through personal experience of Dhamma,
body-mind processes.
Any evil deed or evil speech, evil mind, arises dependent on any of these
three roots of evil, on lohba or on dosa or on moha. So these three roots of
evil are completely destroyed. There won't arise any evil deed, evil speech or
evil mind, and you have a wholesome speech and mind which result in happiness
and peace. For example lobha: greed, desire, craving, lust, attachment. Lobha
has as its characteristic the nature of clinging to the object. So clinging or
being attached is the specific characteristic of lobha. The specific
characteristic of dosa is rudeness. Dosa is translated 'aversion.' It cannot
have any characteristic of clinging because aversion is the opposite of
clinging. Every mental state or emotional state, mental process, has its own
specific characteristics.
So in the course of your meditational practise when the mind becomes deeper
and deeper and more and more concentrated you come to realise mental or
physical processes which are observed in their true nature. In the beginning
of this realisation of mental and bodily processes you rightly understand
their specific characteristics which are observed. So when you note
attachment: attachment attachment attachment attachment, the attachment
doesn't go away. It passes there in you mind and you continue to note
attachment attachment attachment attachment attachment. The more mindful of
attachment the more concentrated your mind is on it. When the mind is well
concentrated on the attachment you come to realise attachment has the clinging
nature to the object. You come to realise this. That is insight knowledge you
have attained through your experience of mental processes. That is the first
level of understanding of the specific characteristic of lobha, attachment.
Then when you observe the rising and falling movements of the abdomen very
attentively and energetically, when concentration becomes deeper you come to
realise the rising and falling movements without being conscious of the form
of the body or the form of the abdomen. The form of the abdomen has
disappeared in your mind; you are not aware of it. What you are realising is
just the rising movement and falling movement and the mind that notes it. When
your realisation becomes more and more clear and sharp what you are realising
is just motion, movement, outward movement and inward movement. These are two
processes of movements rising and passing away alternately. And also you know
the mind that notes it is also rising and passing away. When you are realising
the motion without being aware of yourself and your bodily form and the
abdomen it means you are rightly understanding the specific characteristic of
the wind element vayo-dhatu.
Why can you say this understanding of the process of dual movement is right?
It may be wrong, because we have an abdomen and that abdomen rises and then
falls back. If we are not conscious of the form of the abdomen and the form of
the body and note just movements then it may be wrong. We can say definitely
it's right because this right understanding has destroyed the false idea of a
self, a soul, a person, a being. When you rightly understand just the outward
movement and inward movement only you do not identify any movement of rising
and falling with yourself, with your person, with your being. Then that idea
or concept of a person a being an I or a you has been destroyed. When you
don't have any idea of an I or you, a person or being, there won't arise any
mental defilements such as lust greed hatred ignorance and so on. When mental
defilements are destroyed there won't arise any suffering at all. Then you
have attained the state of the cessation of all kinds of suffering. This
cessation of suffering is attained through right understanding of the specific
characteristic of the wind element which is constantly observed.
It leads you to the cessation of suffering because you follow any teaching of
any religion to destroy dukkha, suffering and live happily and peacefully.
That's your aim of following any doctrine, is it not so? That aim can be
fulfilled by right understanding of mental and physical processes, especially
here, rightly understanding the specific characteristic of the wind element
Wyandotte. Is the doctrine which instructs you to be mindful of any mental or
physical process so you can rightly understand it in its true nature right or
wrong? Right, why? It leads you to the cessation of suffering which is
undesirable for you. So out of two levels of right understanding, as soon as
your concentration is good enough, deep enough, you come to realise the first
understanding, the specific characteristic of mental and physical phenomena.
Then when you proceed with your practise mindfulness becomes clear and sharp
and concentration becomes deeper.
When concentration becomes deeper you come to realise the second aspect of
mental and physical processes. That's the second level of understanding, that
is, impermanence, suffering, and the impersonal nature of the process or no
soul, no person. In Pali these are called anicca, dukkha, anatta. Anicca,
impermanence; dukkha, suffering; anatta, impersonal nature or no soul no self.
These three characteristics are concerned with all mental and physical
processes. They are called common characteristics of mental and physical
processes because they are in common with all mental and physical processes.
So when you have lobha, attachment to have tea at this time, then does that
lobha, attachment last very long? No. Then how long does it last? Yes. It
lasts until you note it. When you note it you no longer have attachment to
having tea. Then could we say attachment lasts very long or attachment is
permanent? Because it rises and then passes away, it's impermanent. In other
words lobha has the characteristic of impermanence, and the same with dosa and
moha and the other mental and emotional states.
Some meditators are very sensitive to the arising of anger. So if you feel
anger then is that anger everlasting or transient? Transient. Yes. When you
note it very attentively it goes away, it disappears. It arises and then
vanishes, so it's impermanent. There, dosa has also the characteristic of
impermanence. In the same way, the rising and fall of the abdomen has the
characteristic of impermanence. The bending movement and stretching movement
of the arms has the characteristic of impermanence. Lifting, pushing, putting
movements of the foot have the characteristic of impermanence. So it's the
nature of impermanency to be in common with every mental and physical
phenomenon. So they are called common or general characteristics.
Not only impermanence but also suffering, dukkha. Also the impersonal nature
of mental and physical processes, anatta, no self-nature. So these three are
called the common or general characteristics of body-mind processes. But at
the third stage of insight knowledge you can more clearly realise these three
characteristics of mental and physical processes. In the first stage of
insight knowledge you realise the specific characteristics of mental and
physical processes. Then it goes on the second stage and the third stage too.
So when you proceed with your practise strenuously and intensively,
concentration becomes deeper and deeper. Then you come to realise the movement
of the foot and, say, the second level of right understanding. That's the
general characteristic of the wind element vaya-dhatu.
When you note lifting what you are aware of is the lifting movement of the
foot. When you note pushing what you are aware of is the pushing movement of
the foot. When you note dropping what you are aware of is the dropping
movement. When you note touching what you are aware of is the touching
sensation. When you note pressing you note pressure. There, when you are aware
of the lifting movement with deep concentration you do not realise it as
permanent, a single process of movement. You realise it as a series of broken
movements rising and passing away, from the very beginning of the lifting of
the foot. There are many many movements which are rising and passing away.
Then sometimes meditators report their experience like this. 'When I note the
lifting movement - lifting lifting lifting - there are many many movements I
experience, from the very beginning of lifting many tiny movements.' Then
sometimes they said, 'When I note lifting I find it as a folded Chinese fan.'
This is folded, then it's stretched out it. The yogi knows it. He realises
there are a series of many tiny movements arising and passing away one after
another and he thinks, 'Oh this is like a Chinese fan.' That means he realises
the impermanence of each movement. One movement arises and then passes away,
then another movement arises and passes away. In this way he sees a series of
many gentle and soft tiny movements arising and passing away one after
another. Then he realises impermanence. When he experiences the state of
impermanence he is sure to realise the other mental and physical processes too
as impermanent. So when he bends the arm he aware of bending bending bending,
slowly slowly. Then because his concentration is good enough, deep enough, he
comes to realise this bending movement is a series of many bending movements
arising and passing away one after another. That is the realisation of the
impermanence of mental and physical processes. Also he realises the mind that
notes it is impermanent. This realisation is the second level of right
understanding upon the general characteristic of the wind or air element,
vayo-dhatu. When you are realising this impermanence of phenomena you come to
realise they are rising and passing away, never lasting even a minute or
second, ever changing, always appearing and disappearing. So they are not good
or bad.
Then he comes to dukkha, suffering, because when he sees any mental or
physical process ever changing, constantly rising and passing away every
instant, the so-called mind is oppressed by that constant appearance and
disappearance of phenomena. That is dukkha. Then when he discovers nothing is
permanent, everything is transient and ever changing, appearing and
disappearing, then does he take this mental process of ever changing as a
person or a being, an I or a you? No. The idea of a person, a being arises
dependent on the idea of a permanent body-mind process.
When you take this body of mine as permanent then you take it as a person, a
being, an I or a you. When you realise this body-mind process is ever changing
and transient and impermanent, it doesn't last even a millionth of a second,
you don't take it to be a person, a being, an I or a you. Then you don't have
the idea of atta. When you don't have the idea of atta it's called anatta.
Anatta means non-self, non person, no person, or the impersonal nature of
mental and physical processes. So in this way you come to realise the general
or common characteristics of physical processes and at the same time the mind
notes it.
When your right understanding or insight knowledge of mental and physical
processes as impermanent becomes clearer, you come to realise the mind that
notes it is also impermanent. Then you don't take any of the dual processes of
mentality and physicality to be a person a being an I or a you. What you are
realising at that moment is the incessant and continuous and constant changing
of mental and physical processes which are arising and passing away one after
another. When you take a set of phenomena which are forever changing you don't
take them to be a person or a being. That false idea of a person a being, a
self or a soul has been destroyed by right understanding of mental and
physical processes.
So when you have rightly understood these body-mind processes in their true
nature in these two aspects ignorance has been replaced by right
understanding, insight knowledge we call it: vipassana nana. Vipassa nana. In
other words, right understanding, vipassana nana, insight knowledge or
experiential knowledge, has destroyed ignorance. Yesterday I told you
ignorance has the characteristic of covering the truth. When ignorance has
been destroyed, you uncover the truth. You can realise this truth:
impermanence, suffering, no soul, no self nature of mental and physical
phenomena. But because they are ever changing and constantly appearing and
disappearing you come to realise it's dukkha. Then, do you want that to occur?
If that occurs it's not wanted, not desired. Then you have to be mindful of
whatever arises in your body and mind so that you can rightly understand
mental and physical processes in their two aspects, their specific and general
or common aspects: specific aspects of materiality and mentality, and general
characteristics of materiality and mentality. Specific characteristics are
where any mental or emotional state has its own characteristics, which are
nothing to do with the other mentalities and physicalities.
There are only three common and general characteristics. Anicca, dukkha,
anatta. Anicca means impermanence, transience, transitoriness, and flux.
Dukkha, suffering, dissatisfaction, discomfort, and so on. Then anatta,
no-self, no soul, no person, non-ego. These are the three characteristics of
the whole of existence. If you rightly understand, if you can penetrate into
these three aspects of body-mind processes, mental and physical phenomena, you
are sure to be able to destroy attachment to any living being or non-living
thing. When attachment, the cause of suffering has been destroyed there won't
arise any suffering, dukkha at all. Without suffering, dukkha, you live in
peace and happiness, when the cessation of suffering you have attained.
I think now you have rightly understood the aim of your mindfulness about all
daily activities. So do not be reluctant, do not feel lazy. Be aware of all
daily activities in more detail so you can have continuous mindfulness and
deep concentration and a penetrating insight which realises the specific and
general characteristics of mental and physical phenomena.
May all of you practise your meditation very intensively and continuously
without any laziness, reluctance and tiredness and anger.
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