The Breath of Love
Author
Most Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi Mahàthera
Fulfillment of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness
(Observation of Body) [Kàyanupassana]
23] “And how, monks, does mindfulness of breathing,
developed and cultivated, fulfill the Four Foundations of
Mindfulness?
24] “Monks, on whatever occasion a monk,
breathing in long, understands: ‘I breathe in long,’ or
breathing out long understands: ‘I breathe out long’;
Breathing in short, understands: ‘I breathe in short,’
or breathing out short, understands: ‘I breathe out short’.”
The phrase ‘on whatever occasion’, is very interesting and has
far reaching implications. ‘On whatever occasion’ does not mean
only while sitting in meditation, but, all of the time.
During your daily activities, when mind becomes heavy and
full of thoughts, as you notice it, simply let go of the thoughts,
calm and relax the tightness in your head, feel mind expand and
become tranquil and then smile and go back to the breath, relax
and smile for one or two breaths. This will help you greatly in
calming mind and it will improve your mindfulness during your
daily activities.
The more you smile during your daily activities, the better
your mindfulness becomes. This is definitely a practical way
to practice your daily activities and improve your awareness of
states of consciousness. Every time you do this during your daily
activities, it brings a kind of awareness and perspective into your
life. It becomes easier to see the three characteristics of existence
of impermanence, suffering, and the impersonal nature of
everything, even while you are working or playing.
The statement, ‘On whatever occasion’, extends into your
Walking Meditation as well. Instead of putting mind’s attention
onto your feet, (as some meditation teachers recommend), you
can still keep your attention on observing mind, and relaxing
on the in and out-breath, while walking. This is mindfulness of
body and can even extend into other activities.
Mindfulness of mind objects is a very important aspect to be
aware of and is much easier to watch than the physical body. It
is easy to tell when mind is tight and tense. If you only have a
little time, you can release the mental hold of whatever you are
thinking about, relax the tightness in the head, then smile, and
come back to the breath and relaxing for one or two breaths.
Remember that the first and second verses in the Dhammapada,
“Mind is the forerunner of all (wholesome and unwholesome)
states. Mind is chief; mind made are they.”
Everything follows mind, be it happiness or suffering. By
trying to follow all the movements of the body, you cannot see
mind clearly enough to realize the tightness caused by that
movement.
Becoming aware of mind and all of its movements and tendencies
to tighten was what the Buddha intended, when he said “On
any occasion”.
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in experiencing the whole body’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing the whole body:
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in tranquilizing the bodily
formation’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out tranquilizing the bodily
formation’—
On that occasion a monk abides observing the body as a body,
ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away covetousness
and grief for the world. I say that this is a certain body among
the bodies, namely, in-breathing and out-breathing. That is
why on that occasion a monk abides observing the body as
a body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away
covetousness and grief for the world.
The statements about experiencing the whole body, and the
tranquilizing of the bodily formation has already been discussed.
Thus, we won’t repeat that section here.
Observing the body as a body is self-explanatory about the
breath. Being ‘ardent’ means ‘working hard’, or ‘being ever alert’.
Fully aware and mindful, is pertains to the alertness of mind
when it is in the Jhànas (meditation stages of understanding) as
well as during daily activities.
When you are in the “Tranquil Wisdom Insight Jhànas”, you are
definitely very aware of what is happening around you and your
mindfulness is sharp and clear. You are able to observe all mind
states, feelings, sensations, or distractions as well as the Jhàna
factors when they arise in mind, i.e., joy, happiness, equanimity,
stillness of mind, calm composure of mind etc.
Having put away covetousness and grief for the world,
means mind has gone beyond the simple liking and disliking
of distractions, emotions, painful feeling, pleasant feeling,
happy feeling, and the thinking about them. It means to let
go of attachment to things (craving and clinging) which cause
suffering to arise.
The rest of the paragraph is just repeating that the breath
meditation is part of mindfulness of breathing, and that it
conforms with the First Foundation of Mindfulness of the Body.
25] “Monks, on whatever occasion,
a monk trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in experiencing joy’;
He trains thus “I shall breathe out experiencing joy;
He trains thus “I shall breathe in experiencing happiness’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing happiness’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in experiencing the mental
formation’;
he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing the mental
formation’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in tranquilizing the mental
formation’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out tranquilizing the mental
formation’—
This is again a repetition of the previous section, and thus, we
shall continue without further delay.
(Observation of Feeling) [Vedanànupassana]
“On that occasion a monk abides observing feeling as feeling,
ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away covetousness
and grief for the world. I say that this is a certain feeling among
feelings, namely, giving close attention to the in-breathing and
out-breathing.
That is why on that occasion a monk abides observing feeling
as feeling, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away
covetousness and grief for the world.”
This is from the Satipatthàna Sutta and further explains about how
the meditator becomes more alert through mindfulness of feeling:
#32] “And how, monks, does a monk abide observing feeling
as feeling? Here, when feeling a pleasant feeling, when a monk
feels a painful feeling, a monk understands ‘I feel a pleasant
feeling’: when feeling a neither pleasant nor painful feeling,
he understands: “ I feel a neither pleasant nor painful feeling.’
When feeling a worldly pleasant feeling, he understands; ‘I feel a
worldly pleasant feeling’ When feeling an unworldly feeling, he
understands: ‘I feel an unworldly feeling pleasant feeling’; when
feeling a painful worldly feeling, he understands: ‘I feel a painful
worldly feeling’; when feeling a painful unworldly feeling, he
understands: ‘I feel a painful unworldly feeling’; when feeling
a neither pleasant nor painful worldly feeling, he understands:
‘I feel a worldly neither pleasant nor painful feeling’; When
feeling an unworldly neither pleasant nor painful feeling, he
understands: ‘I feel an unworldly neither pleasant nor painful
feeling.’
A worldly feeling describes whatever feeling that arises at any of
the senses doors (that is the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind).
An unworldly pleasant feeling is when a meditator is in any of
the four Jhànas (which includes all of the aråpa or immaterial
Jhànas). When you are experiencing a worldly painful feeling
this means that you are experiencing a painful feeling at one of
the sense doors. For example when you stub your toe a painful
worldly feeling arises.
An unworldly painful is a meditation pain. You can identify a
meditation pain because when you get up and walk, the pain
goes away. However, a real physical pain does not go away when
you get up to walk. It is important to change your position for
sitting if physical pains arise so that you do not hurt your body.
When you feel a neither pleasant-nor-painful worldly feeling,
this is a neutral feeling that you have indifference to and the
tendency to ignore and this leads you to not being mindful at
that time.
An unworldly neither pleasant-nor-painful feeling is when you
are in any of the Jhànas and experience equanimity.
This describes all kinds of feeling (i.e. pleasant, painful, or neither
pleasant-nor-painful feeling). This is how you get to experience
the different stages of meditation. If you stop being attentive
to the breath and relaxing, your meditation progress stops as
well. The importance of staying with the breath and relaxing
cannot be understated. This is how the “Second Foundation of
Mindfulness of the Feeling” is fulfilled.
26] “Monks, on whatever occasion a monk trains thus: ‘I shall
breathe in experiencing mind’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing mind’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in gladdening mind’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out gladdening mind’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in stilling mind’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out stilling mind’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in liberating mind’;
He trains -thus: ‘I shall breathe out liberating mind’.”—
Again this next part is from the Satipatthàna Sutta and discusses
many aspects of the Jhànas.
(Observation of Mind) [Cittànupassana]
#34] “And how, monks, does a monk abide observing mind as
mind? Here a monk understands mind af fected by lust as mind
af fected by lust, and mind unaf fected by lust as mind unaf fected
by lust. He understands mind af fected by hate as mind af fected
by hate. He understands mind unaf fected by hate as mind
unaf fected by hate. He understands mind af fected by delusion
as mind af fected by delusion and mind unaf fected by delusion
as mind unaf fected by delusion.
A mind af fected by lust, hate, and delusion actually means a
mind affected by craving. Craving is the “I like it” (lust mind)
or the “I don’t like it” (hatred mind) and delusion is taking
whatever arises as being ours personally (this is “ME”). So, lust,,
hatred and delusion are always referring to the craving mind.
He understands contracted mind as contracted mind,
A contracted mind is a mind that has sloth and torpor in it,
And distracted mind as distracted mind.
A distracted mind is a mind that has restlessness or anxiety in it.
He understands exalted mind as exalted mind, and unexalted
mind as unexalted mind.
An exalted mind is a mind that experiences one of the råpa or
material Jhànas.
He understands surpassed mind as surpassed mind, and
unsurpassed mind as unsurpassed mind.
A surpassed mind is a mind that can get into any of the aråpa
or immaterial realms—that is the realm of infinite space, the
realm of infinite consciousness, the realm of nothingness, and
the realm of neither perception nor non-perception.
He understands, collected mind as collected mind and uncollected
mind as uncollected mind. He understands, liberated mind as
liberated mind, and unliberated mind as unliberated mind.
These last two sentences are pretty much self explanatory.
“On that occasion a monk abides observing mind as mind,
ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put away covetousness
and grief for the world. I do not say that there is development of
mindfulness of breathing and relaxing for one who is forgetful,
who is not fully aware. That is why on that occasion a monk
abides observing mind as mind, ardent, fully aware, and mindful,
having put away covetousness and grief for the world.”
The statement, “I do not say there is development of mindfulness
of breathing and relaxing for one who is forgetful, who is not
fully aware” is one of the strongest statements made in the
Satipatthàna Sutta. The function of mindfulness is to remember.
To remember what? To remember to observe how mind’s attention
moves from one thing to another, then relax the tightness caused
by that movement and to always come back to the meditation
object with joyful interest, and clear comprehension.
When you are in the “Tranquil Wisdom Insight Jhànas”
(meditation stages of understanding) your mind becomes
extraordinarily clear, bright, and alert. As you go deeper and
deeper along the path, more profound states of mind present
themselves. Mindfulness and full awareness becomes so refined
that even the slightest movement of mind’s attention can be
observed and 6Red, let go of and relaxed into. Mind becomes
clear, more expanded, and spacious, free from tension, and the
breath and relaxing becomes clearer and easier to watch.
Your mind’s attention begins to be unwavering and mind
develops more composure than ever before. This particular part
of the foundations of mindfulness describes how to notice when
mind is experiencing each of the stages of Jhàna from the material
Jhànas (Råpa Jhànas) all the way up and through the immaterial
Jhànas (Aråpa Jhànas). This is how the “Third Foundation of
Mindfulness of Mind” is fulfilled.
27] “Monks, on whatever occasion a monk trains thus: ‘I shall
breathe in observing impermanence and relaxing’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out observing impermanence
and relaxing’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in observing fading away and
relaxing’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out observing fading away and
relaxing’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in observing cessation’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out observing cessation’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in observing relinquishment’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out observing
relinquishment’”—
This, is referring to the immaterial Jhànas (Aråpa Jhànas, or
meditation stages of understanding) again and how you
experience the attainment of the Supramundane Nibbàna.
This sutta teaches you how to reach all of the meditation
stages and to attain the highest bliss through the seeing and
understanding of all the links of Dependent Origination and
the Four Noble Truths, through the fulfillment of the “Four
Foundations of Mindfulness”, and the balancing of the Seven
Awakening Factors.
Now, again we will go the Satipatthàna Sutta which talks about
the Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness. This particular section
has five different parts and explains how the entire foundation
actually works.
(Observation of Mind Objects) [Dhammanupassana]
1. The Five Hindrances
#36] “And how, monks, does a monk abide observing mind-
objects as mind-objects? Here a monk abides observing mind-
objects as mind-objects in terms of the five hindrances. And
how does a monk abide observing mind-objects as mind objects
in terms of the five hindrances? Here there being sensual desire
in him, a monk understands ‘there is sensual desire in me’; or
there being no sensual desire in him a monk knows ‘there is no
sensual desire in me’, and he also understands how there comes
to be the arising of the unarisen sensual desire, and how there
comes to be the abandoning of the arisen sensual desire, and
how there comes to be the future non-arising of the abandoned
sensual desire.’”
You understand that your mindfulness has faded away and the
unarisen sensual desire of this hindrance has arisen. So, when
your mindfulness becomes weak and disappears, then this
hindrances will arise. This happens because you have lost keen
interest in your meditation object.
How there comes to be the abandoning of the hindrance of sensual
desire is by remembering to use the 6R’s. That is, recognizing that
mind is distracted, releasing or letting go and not keeping your
attention on that hindrance, relaxing the tightness in your head
caused by that distraction, re-smiling to bring up a wholesome
object, returning to your meditation object, and to repeating
this same cycle if needed while using your meditation object
for as long as possible—this is the 6R’s.
How there comes to be the future non-arising of the hindrance.
This happens by taking a strong interest in your meditation
object which may be the breath or Loving-kindness depending
on your choice of meditation.
2. The Five Aggregates
#38] “Again, monks, a monk abides observing mind-objects as
mind-objects in terms of the Five Aggregates af fected by craving
and clinging.”
There are many different ways to translate about the five
aggregates—one translator translates it as the ‘clinging aggregates’
which is very misleading because it implies that the aggregates
always have clinging attached to them. This is not always true.
Another translator calls it the ‘five aggregates affected by clinging’.
Again, this may be misleading because it places too much emphasis
on just the clinging and doesn’t give the cause of the clinging.
When the author gives a Dhamma talk sometimes when he
comes across the aggregates he says ‘the aggregates may or may
not be affected by craving and clinging’ depending on one’s
mindfulness at the time. Of course this is a little awkward to put
in a book. So, it is used the way it is above. The words craving and
clinging need to be mentioned with the five aggregates because
this seems to be the best way to remind the meditator that this
is a part of a process and is linked to the direct knowledge and
experience of Dependent Origination.
Satipatthàna Sutta:
#38] Here a monk understands ‘Such is material form, such
its origin, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such its
origination, such its disappearance; such is perception, such its
origin, such its disappearance; such are thoughts (formations),
such their origin, such their disappearance; such is consciousness,
such its origin, such its disappearance.
ânàpànasati Sutta:
#39] On that occasion a monk abides observing mind-objects
as mind-objects, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put
away covetousness and grief for the world. Having seen with
wisdom the abandoning of covetousness and grief, he closely
looks on with equanimity. That is why on that occasion a monk
abides obsserving mind-objects as mind-objects, ardent, fully
aware, and mindful, having put away covetousness and grief
for the world.
When you experience the higher Jhànas (meditation stages of
understanding), your mind develops a finer and finer balance in it.
You then experience the ‘abandoning of covetousness and grief,
he closely looks on with equanimity’. You see clearly how tricky
mind truly is, and you keep a sense of equanimity in it, even
though some unpleasant things may arise. The true balance of
meditation is learned when you go into the immaterial realms of
mind. This is when there is a real letting go of mental concepts
and attachments. Mind develops such a beautiful equanimity that
even when the most unpleasant feeling arises, mind will accept
it without being disturbed. This is how the Fourth Foundation of
Mindfulness of Mind-Objects is fulfilled.
ânàpànasati Sutta:
28] “Bhikkhus, that is how Mindfulness of Breathing,
developed and cultivated, fulfills the Four Foundations of
Mindfulness.”
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