The Breath of Love - Seven Awakening Factors

The Breath of Love
Author
Most Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi Mahàthera




Fulfillment of the Seven Awakening Factors

29] “And how, monks, do the Four Foundations of Mindfulness,
developed  and  cultivated,  fulfill  the  Seven  Awakening
Factors?”
30]  “Monks,  on  whatever  occasion  a  monk  abides  observing
the body as a body, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having
put  away  covetousness  and  grief  for  the  world—on  that


occasion  unremitting  mindfulness  is  established  in  him.  On
whatever occasion unremitting mindfulness is established in
a monk—on that occasion the Mindfulness Awakening Factor
is aroused in him, and he develops it, and by development, it
comes to fulfillment in him.”
Let  us  use  a  description  from  the  Satipatthàna  Sutta  for  more
clarification. It says:
#42] “Here, there being “Mindfulness Awakening Factor” in him,
a monk understands: ‘There is “Mindfulness Awakening Factor”
in  me’;  or  there  being  no  “Mindfulness  Awakening  Factor”  in
him,  he  understands:  ‘There  is  no  “Mindfulness  Awakening
Factor” in me’; and he also understands how there comes to be
the  arising  of  the  unarisen  “Mindfulness  Awakening  Factor”
and how the arisen “Mindfulness Awakening Factor” comes to
fulfillment by development.
This  is  rather  straight  forward.  It  simply  says  that  you  know
when  your  mind  is  silent,  sharp,  clear,  and  joyfully  interested
in the breath and relaxing and the other things which arise. You
also  know  when  mindfulness  is  dull,  not  sharp,  and  mind’s
attention tends to be a little bored or disinterested.
When  that  happens,  you  know  that  you  must  pick-up  your
interest and see how everything that arises is truly different.
You  then  see  how  every  breath  and  relaxing  is  different.  It  is
never exactly the same.
This is how the arisen “Mindfulness Awakening Factor” comes
to fulfillment by development.


ânàpànasati Sutta:
31]  Abiding  thus  mindful,  he  investigates  and  examines  that
state with wisdom and embarks upon a full inquiry into it. On
whatever occasion, abiding thus mindful, a monk investigates
and examines that experience with wisdom and embarks upon
a  full  inquiry  into  it—on  that  occasion  the  “Investigation-
of-Experience  Awakening  Factor”  is  aroused  in  him,  and  he
develops  it,  and  by  development  it  comes  to  fulfillment  in
him.
It is very important to be familiar with the “Factor of Investigation-
of-  your-Experience”.  This  means  whatever  arises,  whether  it
is  any  of  the  five  hindrances,  an  emotional  state,  or  a  physical
feeling,  you  impersonally  examine  how  this  arose.  We  are  not
interested in why it arose! The “why” is for psychologists.
For  Buddhists,  “how”  the  process  actually  works  is  the  most
important  thing  to  observe  and  seeing  it  with  interest  is  very
important.  This  is  done  by  not  getting  involved  with  thinking
about  that  phenomenon,  but  only  observing  it’s  presence,
allowing it to be there, then 6R-ing it—letting it go mentally—
by opening up that tight mental fist which has grabbed onto it,
relaxing,  expanding  and  allowing  that  distraction  to  be  there
by  itself  without  keeping  your  attention  on  it;  then,  relaxing
the  tightness  in  mind/head,  smiling  and  redirecting  mind’s
attention back to the breath and relaxing.
Every  time  mind  is  pulled  away,  you  see  the  different  aspects
about  that  distraction.  Then  let  it  go,  relax  mind,  smile  and
come  back  to  the  breath  and  relaxing.  In  this  way,  you  become
more  familiar  with  HOW  the  distraction  arises  and  are  able  to
recognize it more quickly. This type of investigation is described
in the Satipatthàna Sutta as:


#42]  “Here,  there  being  the  “Investigation-of-Experience
Awakening  Factor”  in  him,  a  monk  understands:  ‘There  is
the  “Investigation-of-  Experience  Awakening  Factor”  in  me’;
or  there  being  no  “Investigation-of-Experience  Awakening
Factor”  in  him,  he  understands:  ‘There  is  no  ‘Investigation-
of-Experience  Awakening  Factor”  in  me’;  and  he  also
understands how there comes to be the arising of the unarisen
“Investigation-of-Experience  Awakening  Factor”;  and  how  the
arisen  “Investigation-of-Experience  Awakening  Factor”  comes
to fulfillment by development.
To  bring  forth  the  “Awakening  Factor  of  Investigation-of-
Experience”, you have to take a strong interest in how everything
works.
In  other  words,  you  have  to  discover  what  happens  first,  what
happens next, what happens after that? The more you examine
your experience, the easier it is to recognize all of the different
and unusual aspects about the hindrances and distractions. When
you see these things clearly, it is much easier to let go of them and
to relax into them. It is also important to develop the perspective
that this is an impersonal (anattà) process which is unsatisfactory
(dukkha) and is always changing (anicca). This perspective enables
you to progress without periods of confusion.
ânàpànasati Sutta:
32]  “In  one  who  investigates  and  examines  that  state  with
wisdom  (seeing  how  Dependent  Origination  works)  and
embarks upon a full inquiry into it, tireless energy is aroused.
On  whatever  occasion  tireless  energy  is  aroused  in  a  monk
who  investigates  and  examines  that  state  with  wisdom  and
embarks  upon  a  full  inquiry  into  it—on  that  occasion  the
energy enlightenment factor is aroused in him, and he develops
it, and by development it comes to fulfillment in him.


It takes a lot of energy and effort when one takes sincere interest
into  what  is  happening  in  the  present  moment  and  examines
it  with  care.  As  you  use  your  energy  and  have  a  strong  joyful
interest, this causes even more energy to arise.
This is described in the Satipatthàna Sutta as:
#42] “Here, there being the energy enlightenment factor in him,
a monk understands: ‘There is the energy enlightenment factor
in me’; or there being no energy enlightenment factor in him, he
understands:  ‘There  is  no  energy  enlightenment  factor  in  me’;
and he also understands how there comes to be the arising of the
unarisen energy enlightenment factor and how the arisen energy
enlightenment factor comes to fulfillment by development.
ânàpànasati Sutta:
33] “In one who has aroused energy, unworldly joy arises. On
whatever  occasion  unworldly  joy  arises  in  a  monk  who  has
aroused energy—on that occasion the Joy Awakening Factor is
aroused in him.
(Unworldly joy (pharaõapãti) refers to all pervading joy.
On  whatever  occasion  unworldly  joy  arises  in  a  Bhikkhu  who
has  aroused  energy—on  that  occasion  the  joy  enlightenment
factor is aroused in him, and he develops it, and by development
it comes to fulfillment in him.
As one has more energy in staying on the breath, their mindfulness
becomes sharper and their energy increases little by little. When
this happens, mind becomes quite happy and delights in staying
on the breath and expanding mind. This happy feeling is a type
of  feeling  without  so  much  excitement  and  is  very  nice  and
cooling to mind.


These states of mind are not to be feared or pushed away. It is a
natural  process  when  one  develops  and  progresses  along  with
their  practice  of  meditation  to  experience  these  states.  If  they
stay on the breath and open their minds with interest and do not
get involved with the joy, no problems will arise.
The Satipatthàna Sutta says:
#42]  “Here,  there  being  the  joy  enlightenment  factor  a  Monk
understands:  ‘There  is  the  joy  enlightenment  factor  in  me;  or
there being no joy enlightenment factor in him, he understands:
‘There  is  no  joy  enlightenment  factor  in  me’;  and  he  also
understands how there comes to be the arising of the unarisen
joy enlightenment factor, and how the arisen joy enlightenment
factor comes to fulfillment by development.
These  first  four  enlightenment  factors  are  very  important
when  one  experiences  sloth  and  torpor.  Sloth  means
sleepiness,  and  torpor  means  dullness  of  mind.  When  one
gets  into  the  fourth  Jhàna  and  above,  the  two  main  hindrances
which arise are restlessness and, sloth and torpor.  
However,  when  one  brings  up  the  investigation  factor  of
enlightenment and examines this torpor, they have to use more
energy and this helps to overcome the dullness. When you get
into the higher Jhànas you must learn to fine tune their practice
little by little. By being familiar with these enlightenment factors,
you will learn how to eventually balance all of the factors. This
directly leads to the supramundane state of Nibbàna.
The  most  important  key  for  success  in  meditation  is  the  first
enlightenment  factor  of  mindfulness.  Without  mindfulness,
one  cannot  possibly  reach  any  of  these  meditation  stages.
Mindfulness is the main key to overcome both sloth and torpor,
and restlessness.


Remember these hindrances can come at any time and knock the
meditator right out of any of the meditation stages, even up to the
realm of neither-perception nor non-perception. Thus, you must
be  very  careful  to  recognize  these  enlightenment  factors  and
be skillful in learning how to use them when it is appropriate.
The next three enlightenment factors are important to overcome
restlessness.
ânàpànasati Sutta:
34] “In one who is joyful, the body and mind become tranquil.
On  whatever  occasion  the  body  and  mind  become  tranquil
in  a  Monk  who  is  joyful—on  that  occasion  the  tranquility
enlightenment  factor  is  aroused  in  him,  and  he  develops  it,
and by development it comes to fulfillment in him.
When  joy  arises  in  mind,  one  feels  very  pleasant  feelings  in
the  body  and  mind.  This  is  true,  even  in  the  higher  stages  of
meditation,  like  the  immaterial  states  of  Jhàna  (meditation
stages).  After  awhile,  the  joy  fades  a  little  and  one’s  mind
becomes exceptionally calm and peaceful. This state is called the
enlightenment factor of tranquility. At that time, one’s body and
mind become extraordinarily peaceful and calm.

The Satipatthàna Sutta describes it thus:
#42  “Here,  there  being  the  tranquility  enlightenment  factor  in
him, a Monk understands: ‘There is the tranquility enlightenment
factor in me’; or there being no tranquility enlightenment factor
in him, he understands, ‘There is no tranquility enlightenment
factor  in  me’;  and  he  also  understands  how  there  comes  to  be
the  arising  of  the  unarisen  tranquility  enlightenment  factor
and  how  the  arisen  tranquility  enlightenment  factor  comes  to
fulfillment by development.
Actually,  the  strongest  part  of  the  tranquility  enlightenment


factor  is  the  mental  feeling  which  is  very  nice,  calm  and  with
a  feeling  of  strong  peace.  This  is  especially  noticed  when  one
is  experiencing  the  first  three  immaterial  Jhànas  (meditation
stages)  which  are  the  realm  of  infinite  space,  the  realm  of
infinite consciousness and the realm of nothingness.  

ânàpànasati Sutta:
35]  “In  one  whose  body  is  tranquil  and  who  feels  pleasure,
mind  becomes  still  and  composed.  On  whatever  occasion
mind becomes still and composed in a Monk whose body is
tranquil and who feels pleasure—on that occasion the stillness
enlightenment  factor  is  aroused  in  him,  and  he  develops  it,
and by development it comes to fulfillment in him.
(This is frequently called the concentration enlightenment factor,
but this term is too misunderstood. So the author prefers to use
stillness enlightenment factor)
As your mind and body become more tranquil and at ease, mind
stays on the breath and relaxing and mind expands more naturally,
without  any  distractions.  It  is  much  easier  to  open  and  relax
mind with each in and out-breath. Mind is definitely composed
and  unruffled  by  any  external  or  internal  distractions.  There
comes a time when mind prefers to stay still on the meditation
object, without undue force or trying to concentrate. It stays on
the breath for very long periods of time. Of course, at this time,
there is very sharp mindfulness and full awareness.
You still has full awareness even when they reach the realm of
nothingness. Mind does not waver or move away from the breath
even  though  one  hears  sounds  or  knows  that  a  mosquito  has
landed on them.
Mindfulness of breathing and stillness are very clear and sharp


to  observe.  When  you  is  in  the  realm  of  nothingness,  you  can
explore and watch many different aspects of mind.
Their  mind  is  also  very  clear,  even  though  one  is  in  the  lower
meditation stages. Since mind is still, you can observe things quite
clearly, too. This can be called the action of silence. When mind is
absolutely silent, it is the blessing that everyone is seeking.

The Satipatthàna Sutta describes this as:
#42] “Here, there being the stillness enlightenment factor in him,
a Monk understands: ‘There is the stillness enlightenment factor
in me’; or there being no stillness enlightenment factor in him, he
understands: ‘There is no stillness enlightenment factor in me’;
and  he  also  understands  how  there  comes  to  be  the  arising  of
the unarisen stillness enlightenment factor and how the arisen
enlightenment factor comes to fulfillment by development.”
ânàpànasati Sutta:
36] “He closely looks on with equanimity at mind thus stilled
and  composed.  On  whatever  occasion  a  Monk  closely  looks
on  with  equanimity  at  mind  thus  stilled  and  composed—on
that occasion the equanimity enlightenment factor is aroused
in  him,  and  he  develops  it,  and  by  development  it  comes  to
fulfillment in him.”
The equanimity enlightenment factor is again, a very important
factor to develop. It balances mind when it becomes unsettled.
The  equanimity  enlightenment  factor  is  the  only  factor  which
allows  mind  to  lovingly-accept  whatever  arises  in  the  present
moment. For example, if there arise any kinds of pain (physical
or emotional), it doesn’t disturb mind’s attention.
The equanimity enlightenment factor is the factor which helps
you to see things impersonally and without the ego-identification


of getting involved with distractions. It is the seeing of what arises
in the moment, then going beyond it with balance. The seeing of
anattà (impersonal nature of everything) is the very thing which
allows you to progress rapidly along the Buddha’s Path. But you
must  be  somewhat  careful  with  equanimity  because  it  is  often
mistaken to be indifference. Indifference has some dissatisfaction
and  aversion  in  it,  but  not  equanimity.  Equanimity  has  sharp
mindfulness in it; dissatisfaction has no mindfulness in it.
Equanimity  has  only  openness  and  complete  acceptance  of
everything that arises in the present moment. It is the complete
impersonal  perspective.  Equanimity  opens  mind  totally.
Indifference  closes  it,  and  tries  to  ignore  what  is  happening  in
the moment.
The Satipatthàna Sutta describes it thus:
#42] “Here, there being the equanimity enlightenment factor in
him, a Monk understands: ‘There is the equanimity enlightenment
factor in me’; or there being no equanimity enlightenment factor
in him, he understands: ‘There is no equanimity enlightenment
factor  in  me’;  and  he  also  understands  how  there  comes  to  be
the  unarisen  equanimity  enlightenment  factor  and  how  the
arisen equanimity enlightenment factor comes to fulfillment by
development.”
These last three enlightenment factors, tranquility, stillness, and
equanimity  factors,  will  greatly  assist  you  when  restlessness
arises in mind. Restlessness makes mind think many thoughts
and  causes  lots  of  unpleasant  feelings  to  arise  in  the  body.  As
a result, you feel like breaking your meditation and distracting
yourself in one way or another. To say the least, it is a noticeable
hard tight mind that causes suffering.
The only way to overcome restlessness is by developing stillness


of mind and tranquility of body. When mind has restlessness in
it, there is no balance of mind at all. Instead, there is a lot of ego
identification with that feeling. Thus, to overcome this hindrance,
you have to allow it to be there by itself and relax. By bringing
forth  the  stillness,  tranquility,  and  equanimity  enlightenment
factors  and  focusing  mind  on  these  different  factors,  you  will
overcome the restlessness.
The two major hindrances that always seem to trouble meditators
are torpor, dullness of mind, and restlessness.
You  had  better  become  friends  with  these  two  hindrances,
because they will stay around until you become an Arahat. The
sooner we drop all resistance to these states when they arise and
begin to explore them with joyful interest, the faster we will be
able to recognize them. As a result, we will be able to let them go
faster and return into the Jhàna (meditation stage).
ânàpànasati Sutta:
37] Monks, on whatever occasion a Monk abides contemplating
feeling as feeling, ardent, fully aware, and mindful, having put
away covetousness and grief for the world...
(this whole formula repeats itself again starting at section 30 and
continuing on until section number 36)
the  equanimity  enlightenment  factor  is  aroused  in  him,  and
he develops it, and by development it comes to fulfillment in
him.”
Please  realize  that  you  must  use  these  enlightenment  factors
whenever any hindrance or distraction arises. It does not matter
if the hindrance arises during your sitting meditation or during
your daily activities. These factors put mind in balance whenever
it gets bumped by a distraction.


And  so,  this  goes  on  through  all  of  the  Four  Foundations  of
Mindfulness. It shows you how to use the seven enlightenment
factors  at  all  times  while  practicing  mindfulness  of  Breathing
Meditation.  These  enlightenment  factors  do  arise  one  by  one
as  they  occur  and  not  all  at  the  same  time.  Also,  it  shows  the
importance of Jhànas (meditation stages) for the development of
mind and how there is great fruit and great benefit to be enjoyed
when you follow these simple instructions.
38]  “Monks,  on  whatever  occasion  a  Monk  observes  mind
as  mind,  ardent,  fully  aware,  and  mindful,  having  put  away
covetousness and grief for the world...
(Again, this repeats from section 30 to section 36)
the  equanimity  enlightenment  factor  is  aroused  in  him,  and
he develops it, and by development it comes to fulfillment in
him.”
39] “Monks, whatever occasion a Monk abides observing mind-
objects  as  mind-objects,  ardent,  fully  aware,  and  mindful,
having put away covetousness and grief for the world...
(repeat section 30 to 36)
the  equanimity  enlightenment  factor  is  aroused  in  him,  and
he develops it, and by development it comes to fulfillment in
him.”
40] “Monks, that is how the Four Foundations of Mindfulness,
developed  and  cultivated,  fulfill  the  Seven  Enlightenment
Factors.”
When  the  Seven  Awakening  Factors  are  in  perfect  balance,  the
possibility  of  attaining  the  Supramundane  Nibbàna  occurs.  As
you go higher and higher in the Jhànas (meditation stages), the
balance  of  the  enlightenment  factors  becomes  finer  and  much
more  subtle.  This  fine  tuning  of  mind  becomes  so  interesting


that you want to naturally sit for much longer periods of time.
This meditation is by far the best show in town!

Some meditators get up very early in the morning so that they
have enough time to watch and learn the balance of mind and still
go to work. This meditation turns out to be the most gratifying
and fun exploration that you could ever experience, during any
of your activities.

The Breath of Love - Four Foundations of Mindfulness

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.”

The Breath of Love - Jhana

The Breath of Love
Author
Most Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi Mahàthera


“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.’”
As  you  continue  calming,  expanding  and  relaxing  mind,  it
naturally  begins  to  go  deeper.  Finally,  the  feeling  of  pleasure
in  the  body/mind  becomes  too  coarse  and  mind  experiences
exceptional equanimity and balance of mind. It is described thus
in the sutta:


“Here  with  the  abandoning  of  pleasure  and  pain,  and  with
the previous disappearance of joy and grief a bhikkhu enters
upon and abides in the fourth Jhàna (meditation stage), which
has neither pain or pleasure and purity of mindfulness due to
equanimity.’”
When  mind’s  attention  becomes  very  calm  and  still,  you  will
experience  deep  tranquility  and  equanimity  of  mind.  You  can
still  hear  sounds  and  feel  sensations  with  the  body,  but  these
things do not shake or move mind at all. Another description of
this stage of meditation (Jhàna) is:
“My  composed  mind  was  purified,  bright,  unblemished,  rid
of  imperfection,  malleable,  wieldy,  steady  and  attained  to
imperturbability.”
This gives the serious meditator an idea of what to expect when
they  attain  this  stage.  Mind’s  attention  is  exceptionally  clear,
bright  and  alert.  Mind  can  even  see  when  a  distraction  begins
to arise, then let it go and relax, expand mind, and calm down
again before smiling and coming back to the breath.
The  abandoning  of  pain  and  pleasure  does  not  mean  that
occasionally  pain  or  pleasure  won’t  arise.  They  will  arise,  but
mind’s attention is in such a state of balance that it won’t shake
or  become  involved  with  the  distractions.  At  that  time  mind  is
very  aware  when  pain  or  pleasure  arises  but  the  mindfulness
and equanimity are so strong that it does not become concerned
with it.
With the previous disappearance of joy and grief means your
mind’s attention has let go of the lower emotional states of liking
and  disliking.  All  of  the  stages  of  the  lower  Jhànas  (meditation
states of understanding) involve letting go of emotional states of


mind.  At  first,  when  you  begin  to  learn  about  meditation,  you
let  go  of  very  low  coarse  states  which  frequently  move  mind’s
attention.
After  you  begin  to  learn  how  to  calm  mind,  you  can  sit  for
longer  periods  of  time  without  any  distractions  arising.  You
then  experience  the  thinking  and  examining  applications  of
mind’s attention and the other Jhàna factors. When mind settles
deeper,  the  thinking  and  examining  of  mind  disappears.  The
joy becomes stronger for a while, but gradually it becomes too
coarse and mind has too much movement in it.
At that point, mind will naturally go even deeper into the object
of meditation and the joy fades away by itself. At this time there
is  equanimity,  happiness,  mindfulness  and  full  awareness  in
mind. All these states of mind are very pleasant experiences.
But  eventually,  the  happiness  is  too  coarse  a  feeling.  So,  mind
goes  deeper  into  the  breath  and  at  the  same  time,  continues
opening, expanding, and relaxing. At this point the breath and
the relaxing of mind begin to arise together.
Then  the  happiness  fades  away  and  all  that  remains  is  strong
equanimity,  exceptional  mindfulness,  and  composure  of  mind.
This  is  how  one  experiences  and  tranquilizes  the  mental
formations.
As  Krishnamurti  describes  the  true  meditative  state,  “A
meditative mind is silent. It is not the silence which thoughts can
conceive of; it is not the silence of a still evening; it is the silence
when thoughts, with all their images, words and perceptions have
entirely ceased. This meditative mind is the religious mind—the
religion  that  is  not  touched  by  the  church,  the  temples,  or  by
chants.”


20] “He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in experiencing mind’;
he trains thus ‘I shall breathe out experiencing mind.’”
At this time, your mind’s attention is very calm and any slight
disturbance is noticed and is let go of quickly and easily.
First, mind lets go of tightness... now it relaxes and smiles then
goes  back  to  the  breath  and  relaxing  while  expanding  and
calming on the in-breath and the out-breath.
“He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in gladdening mind’;
he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out gladdening mind.’”
When you reach this stage of meditation, you begin to experience
a finer and more exalted type of joy, which is described as the Joy
(pharanapiti) Awakening Factor.
Mind  becomes  peacefully  happy  and  at  ease  like  never  before.
This is called gladdening mind because it is such a pleasurable
state  to  be  in.  At  that  time,  mind  is  exceptionally  uplifted,
very  clear,  and  mindfulness  is  sharper  than  ever  before.  The
equanimity is even more balanced and composed.
“He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in stilling mind’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out stilling mind.’”
At this time, mind becomes more subtle and calm, with very few
distractions. When they do arise, they are quickly noticed, let go
of, relaxed and then you smile and return back to the breath and
relaxing.
Naturally, the breath and the relaxing of mind’s attention become
easier  and  more  serene.  They  begin  to  happen  together  at  the
same time.


“He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in liberating mind’;
he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out liberating mind.’”
Liberating mind means that you stay on the breath and relaxing
with enough joyful interest so that when mind begins to move
or go away from the breath and relaxing, you are aware of it and
you let the distractions go without any identification. You then
relax  mind  before  smiling  and  coming  back  to  the  breath  and
relaxing. When a hindrance arises, you see it quickly and let it go
without hesitation. At this point sloth and torpor, or restlessness
and anxiety, are the biggest obstacles to your practice. Whenever
a  hindrance  arises,  it  will  knock  you  out  of  the  Jhàna  and  can
cause all kinds of disturbances.
The  phrase  liberating  mind  also  means  to  let  go  of  the  lower
Jhànas (meditation stages of understanding) and all of the Jhàna
factors  by  not  being  attached  (thinking  about  and  identifying
with)  them  in  any  way.  This  is  the  liberating  way  of  relaxing
craving and experiencing the Third Noble Truth!
“He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in contemplating
impermanence’;
he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out contemplating
impermanence.’”
As you continue with your practice of meditation on the breath
and relaxing, eventually mind’s attention becomes very deep and
then you begin to notice that mind is expanding and getting bigger.
Silence and spaciousness of mind go together. The immensity of
silence is the immensity of mind in which a center does not exist.
Actually,  at  this  time,  there  is  no  center  and  there  is  no  outer
edge. Mind continually grows and expands. You begin to see that
there are no boundaries, and space and mind are infinite.  


The  Anupada  Sutta,  sutta  number  111  in  Majjhima  Nikàya,
described this as;
“Again, by passing beyond [gross] perceptions of form, with
the  disappearance  of  all  [gross]  sense  of,  aware  that  space  is
infinite, the monk enters into and abides in the base of infinite
space.
And the states in the base of infinite space—the perception of
the base of infinite space and the unification of mind.”
You still have the five aggregates affected by craving and clinging,
contact, feelings, perception, formations, and mind.
Passing  beyond  [gross]  perceptions  of  form,  means  that
even  though  you  know  that  you  have  a  body  at  that  time,  this
awareness  would  not  readily  pull  our  mind  towards  it  unless
there would be contact at one of the sense doors. In this state of
Jhàna (meditation stage of understanding), you are very aware of
mind’s attention and what it is doing.
The disappearance of all sense resistance and non-attraction to the
[gross] perceptions of change means, even though a pain arises in
the body, you know it but do not get involved with that sensation.
You feel mind’s attention growing, changing and expanding, but,
you are not distracted from the breath or the relaxing of mind.
Mind’s attention is continually moving and expanding but mind
accepts this as it truly is. Seeing impermanence and how mind’s
attention changes and expands, you realize that this phenomena
is part of an impersonal process and you have no control over it.
This is a true anattà experience.
As you continue on with the practice of opening and returning
to  the  object  of  meditation,  you  will  eventually  start  to  see
individual  consciousnesses  arising  and  passing  away.  It  is


continually  coming  up  and  going  away,  arising  and  passing
away, without a break! Consciousness keeps coming into being,
then vanishing at all the sense doors.
This is described in the Anupada Sutta as:
“Again, by completely surmounting the base of infinite space,
aware that consciousness is infinite, a monk enters upon and
abides in ‘the realm of infinite consciousness’.
And  the  states  in  the  base  of  infinite  consciousness—the
perception  of  the  base  of  infinite  consciousness  and  the
unification of mind.”
You  still  have  the  five  aggregates,  contact,  feeling,  perception,
formations, and mind.
When you are in this state of ‘infinite consciousness’ and your
mindfulness  gets  weak  or  distracted,  there  will  arise  some
hindrances  like  torpor  or  dullness  of  mind,  or  restlessness.
These  hindrances  arise  because  the  energy  that  you  put  into
your practice isn’t quite correct.
When  there  is  too  little  energy,  you  can  experience  a  kind  of
contraction  of  mind’s  attention  which  is  commonly  called
dullness (rarely does the meditator have sleepiness at this time).
On the other hand, if you try too hard or put too much energy
into the practice, a distractedness or restlessness will arise. Both
of these hindrances will knock you out of the Jhàna.
When  you  are  in  this  state  of  ‘infinite  consciousness’,  you  see
change happen so rapidly and continually, that it becomes very
tiresome.  You  begin  to  see  just  how  much  un-satisfactoriness
(dukkha) arises with each consciousness.


  Thus,  you  see  up-close  and  personal,  impermanence  (anicca),
suffering (dukkha), and you know that you have no control over
these events (anattà).
You  see  how  these  consciousnesses  happen  by  themselves.  As
a  result,  you  see  the  not-self  or  impersonal  (anattà)  nature  of
this  psycho-physical  process.  This  is  how  you  contemplate  the
‘Three characteristics of all existence’ (anicca, dukkha, anattà). It
is not done by thinking about it but by realizing it through your
own personal experience.
We return now to the ânàpànasati Sutta.
“He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in contemplating fading away’;
he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out contemplating fading away.’”
As you continue on with your practice on the in-breath, letting
go  and  relaxing  mind,  and  on  the  out-breath,  letting  go  and
relaxing  mind,  mind  naturally  lets  go  of  all  consciousnesses
which  were  so  readily  seen  before.  Mind  then  gets  into  the
“realm of nothingness”. This is when there is no external thing
for mind to see. Mind is not looking at anything outside of itself
at this time.
The Anupada Sutta says this:
“Again,  by  completely  surmounting  the  base  of  infinite
consciousness,  aware  that  there  is  ‘nothing’;  the  Bhikkhu
enters upon and abides in the base of nothingness.
And  the  states  in  the  base  of  ‘nothingness’—the  perception
of the base of nothingness and the unification of mind, again
there are still the five aggregates, contact, feeling, perception,
formations, and mind.”


As odd as this may sound, it is an exceptionally interesting state to
be in. There are still many things to watch and observe although
there is nothing to see outside of mind and mental factors. You
still have the five aggregates, and some of the hindrances will still
pop-up whenever you become either too lax or too energetic.
It  is  here  that  the  “Seven  Awakening  Factors”  become  very
important.  They  can  be  seen  one  by  one  as  they  occur.  When
torpor  arises,  you  must  put  mind’s  attention  back  into  balance
by  arousing  the  “Awakening  Factor  of  Mindfulness”  (Sati),
the  “Awakening  Factor  of  Investigation  of  your  experience”
(Dhammaviyama),  the  “Awakening  Factor  of  Energy”  (viriya),
and the “Awakening Factor of Joy” (pharanapiti). This is the way
to overcome the hindrance of torpor.
If  restlessness  arises,  you  must  bring  up  the  feeling  of  the
“Awakening  Factor  of  Mindfulness”  (Sati),  the  “Awakening
Factor  of  Tranquility  (passadhi),  the  “Awakening  Factor  of
Collectedness”  (samàdhi),  and  the  “Awakening  Factor  of
Equanimity” (upekkhà). (More will be discussed later.) This is the
way to overcome the hindrance of restlessness.
At this time, mind becomes very stricky. It becomes very interesting
to see the subtle ways it distracts you from your meditation object.
However, your mindfulness is quite strong and these tricks can be
seen very easily and they can be 6Red very easily.
Back to the ânàpànasati Sutta:
“He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in observing cessation’;
he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out observing cessation.’”
You still continue on relaxing mind on the in and out-breath. At
this time, mind’s attention begins to get smaller and it seems to


shrink. Mind becomes very subtle and still. This is described in
the Anupada Sutta as:
“Again, by completely surmounting the base of nothingness, the
monk enters upon and abides in the base of ‘neither-perception
nor non-perception (which is also neither feeling nor non-feeling,
and neither consciousness nor non-consciousness)”.
Mind’s  attention  becomes  so  subtle  and  small,  and  has  such
little movement or vibration in it, that it is sometimes difficult to
know whether there is mind’s attention or not. It is also difficult
to know if there is perception for mind. This extremely fine state
of mind is not easy to attain. Yet, it is attainable if you continue
on with the instructions given by the Buddha of staying with the
6R’s.
At this time, you cannot see the breath any longer, but there are
still some things that can arise. This state is like being in the state
of  sleep  but  being  aware  at  the  same  time.  At  first,  it  will  only
last for a few minutes. When you come out of that state, you have
to reflect on what happened while you were in that state. Some
of the things you can remember are shapes, colors, or forms. As
soon as you remember anything, you must 6R it immediately.
This  is  when  you  begin  to  sit  for  long  periods  of  time.  The
meditation is the total tranquilizing and releasing of all energy.
This is where you are purifying your mind at its finest. Also you
become unconscious of time. The longer you sit in this exquisite
peacefulness, the better. You might begin to sit for three, four or
five hours and this can be extended during retreats or at home if
you have the time.
 
At  this  time,  you  can  still  experience  an  occasional  subtle
vibration  of  mind’s  attention.  As  you  continue  on  with  your


practice  and  keep  opening,  relaxing  and  calming  your  mind,
in  a  very  subtle  way,  mind  becomes  very  fine  and  it  does  not
move at all. Eventually you will experience the state called “the
Cessation  of  Perception,  Feeling  and  Consciousness”  (nirodha-
samapatti).
“He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in observing relinquishment’;
he trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out observing relinquishment.’”
This state of meditation is not the experience of the Supramundane
Nibbàna yet. But, it is very close to that time. When you come out
of the cessation of perception, feeling, and consciousness, you will
next see very clearly the arising of all of the links of Dependent
Origination.  That  is  because  when  formations  arise,  then
consciousness arises; when consciousness arises, then mentality/
materiality arises; when mentality/materiality arises, then 6 sense
doors  arise;  when  the  6  sense  doors  arise,  then  contact  arises;
when contact arises, then feeling arises; when feeling arises, then
craving  arises;  when  craving  arises,  then  clinging  arises;  when
clinging  arises,  then  habitual  tendency  arises;  when  habitual
tendency arises, then birth arises; when birth arises, then ageing
and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain grief and despair arise. This
is the arising of this whole mass of suffering.
Then  you  will  see  that  when  formations  do  not  arise,  then
consciousness doesn’t arise; and so on and when ignorance does
not arise, there are no more conditions and that is the cessation
of all of this whole mass of suffering.
You  will  experience  the  Supramundane  Nibbàna  when  you  see
all of this arising and passing away and you will understand so
deeply that the big “OH WOW!” of Nibbàna occurs. This happens
after the perception, feeling, and consciousness comes back and
is noticed.


Upon  observing  the  final  letting  go  of  all  conditioned  things,
there is a huge shift in your mind. It becomes dispassionate, and
completely lets go of the belief in a permanent unchanging self
or soul.
This is the only way you will experience the supramundane state
of Nibbàna, that is, by seeing directly all of the links of Dependent
Origination through the eyes of the Four Noble Truths and the
Three Characteristics of all Existence.
This is why it is called the ‘Doctrine of Awakening’. The Anupada
Sutta description is as follows:
“Again,  by  completely  surmounting  the  base  of  neither-
perception nor non-perception, the monk enters upon and abides
in  the  cessation  of  perception,  feeling  and  consciousness.  And
his taints are destroyed by his seeing with wisdom.”
When you are in the state of the “Cessation of Perception, Feeling,
and Consciousness, you will not know that you are in that state.
Why? It is because you do not have any perception, feeling, or
consciousness at all!
It is like all the lights were turned off on a very dark night. At
that time you can not see anything at all, not even if you were to
put your hands in front of your face.
Now,  you  may  sit  in  this  state  for  a  period  of  time.  When  the
perception,  feeling  and  consciousness  comes  back,  and  if  your
mindfulness  is  sharp  enough,  you  will  see  directly  all  of  the
Links  of  Dependent  Origination,  and  the  Four  Noble  Truths
quickly and automatically.
It  does  not  matter  whether  you  have  studied  the  links  of


Dependent  Origination  or  not.  This  is  direct  knowledge,  not
memorized or studied knowledge.
The statement: ‘And his taints are destroyed by his seeing with
wisdom’ means seeing and realizing all of the links of Dependent
Origination and the Four Noble Truths directly.
It was said many times in the texts that, “One who sees Dependent
Origination  sees  the  Dhamma  and  one  who  sees  the  Dhamma  sees
Dependent Origination.” But in order to see the origin of suffering
you have to know what suffering is! Thus, if you see the ceasing
of the suffering i.e., the Third Noble Truth, you will naturally see
the Fourth Noble Truth.
You  must  practice  the  way  leading  to  the  cessation  of  the
suffering in order to see the other three Noble Truths. And this
is the Fourth Noble Truth. Thus, seeing Dependent Origination
directly  means  that  you  see  and  realize  all  of  the  Four  Noble
Truths. This is how you observe relinquishment.

Back to the ânàpànasati Sutta:
22] “Monks, that is how mindfulness of breathing is developed
and cultivated so that it is of great fruit and great benefit”

The Breath of Love - Five Aggregates

The Breath of Love
Author
Most Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi Mahàthera


Five Aggregates

This  psycho-physical  process  is  made  up  of  five  different
aggregates  which  are  affected  by  craving  and  clinging.  The
meditator  has  a  physical  body,  feeling  (both  mental  and
physical),  perception  (a  process  of  naming  things),  thoughts,
and consciousness. Knowing this, you can clearly see that feeling
is one thing and thoughts are another.
Unfortunately,  all  of  us  have  developed  the  habit  of  trying  to
think feeling away. This only makes the feeling bigger and more
intense. As a result, more pain and suffering arise.
When you practice the Buddha’s meditation method, you begin
to understand and let go of this old habit of thinking the feeling.
Thus, when a feeling arises, no matter whether it is physical or
emotional,  first,  let  go  of  any  thoughts  about  the  feeling  and
relax  the  tightness  in  your  head  caused  by  that  movement  of
mind’s attention.
Next, let go of that tight mental hold around that feeling. Now
relax  the  tightness  in  the  head  and  feel  mind  expand.  Notice
it  becomes  calm  and  tranquil.  Next,  smile  and  redirect  mind’s
attention back to the breath and relaxing.
When you do this, you are seeing the true nature of that feeling:
It  wasn’t  there.  Then,  it  arose  by  itself,  i.e.  this  is  change  or
impermanence. You certainly do not request for this incredibly
painful  sensation  to  arise,  nor  do  you  ask  at  that  time  to  feel
angry,  sad,  fearful,  depressed,  doubtful  or  whatever  the  “catch
of the day” happens to be.
A feeling arises by itself, without your desire for it to arise. They
last as long as they last. The more you try to control, fight with,
or push away a feeling or you try to think the feeling away, the
longer it stays and becomes much bigger and extra intense.


This  is  because  whenever  you  want  to  control  a  feeling,  you
are  identifying  with  that  sensation  or  emotion  as  being  yours
personally (craving)! You tend to think about how much it hurts,
where it came from, why it has to bother you now? “Oh! I hate
that feeling and I want it to go away.”
Every thought about the feeling is the ego-identification (which
is  craving  and  then  clinging)  with  that  feeling.  Every  time  you
try to resist what is happening in the present moment, you are
fighting  with  the  “Dhamma  of  the  Present  Moment”.  You  are
fighting with the Truth!
When a painful or even a pleasant feeling arises, the Truth is—it
is there. Any resistance, trying to control it, wishing it away with
thoughts, or fighting that feeling in any way, only causes more
suffering to arise. Actually whenever a feeling arises, you open
mind, let go of the want to control, lovingly accept the fact that
this feeling is there, and relax and smile—allow it to be there by
itself.
“Don’t Resist Or Push. Soften and Smile”. This DROPSS is the
key to having an accepting open mind which later develops into
equanimity. Any slight resistance or tightness means that there
is some craving or ego-identification still attached to it.
Let’s  say  that  a  friend  or  a  boss  came  up  and  scolded  you  in
the  early  morning  after  you  went  to  work.  What  happened  to
your  mind?  If  you  were  like  most  people—you  would  have
scolded them back because you were angry and ready to fight
back.  When  the  friend  or  boss  went  away,  what  did  you  think
about?  What  you  said?  What  your  friend,  or  boss  said?  What
you should have said? “I’m right for feeling the way I do and for
what I said. They are wrong for what they said and did.“ And so
it goes on in your mind. This feeling of anger is strong and there


were thoughts which were attached to that feeling.
After a little while you distract yourself with some other activities.
But the anger is still there and if someone comes to talk to you,
chances are good that you will complain about your other friend
or boss who scolded you.
So, at that time you are giving your dissatisfaction and anger to
someone else and that affects them in a negative way. At different
times  during  the  day,  these  feelings  and  the  thoughts  that  are
attached  to  them  arise.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  these  thoughts  are
just like they were recorded on a cassette tape with a permanent
loop going around and around.
They  come  back  in  the  same  order  and  with  exactly  the  same
words.  After  the  end  of  the  day  you  would  have  distracted
yourself so much that this feeling doesn’t come up so often. Then
comes the time to sit in meditation and purify mind. But what
arises? This feeling of anger, and the associated thoughts come
up! Thus, here we go again.
But this time, you 6R as you let go of getting involved with those
feelings  and  thoughts,  you  begin  to  relax.  Seeing  that  these
thoughts  cause  the  feeling  to  grow,  you  then  begin  to  soften
mind’s attention. “Never mind! It just isn’t that important.” You
Soften... “Let it be”... open mind and let go of that tight mental
knot around these thoughts and gently relax the tightness in your
head. You let go of the aversion to the feeling and you feel mind
begin  to  relax,  then  expand,  become  calm,  and  you  smile,  and
then  redirect  mind’s  attention  back  to  the  breath  and  relaxing.
What a relief!
Now  gently  go  back  to  the  breath  and,  on  the  in-breath  relax
the  tightness  in  the  head;  on  the  out-breath  relax  the  tightness


in the head. Always you are feeling mind open up, expand, and
become tranquil, and then you smile.
Then, the anger comes up again, and so, again you do the same
thing. You let it be there by itself without getting involved with
the  thinking  about  it...  open  and  relax  the  mental  hold  on  it...
relax the tightness in the head... smile… softly re-direct mind’s
attention  back  to  the  breath  and  relaxing  again.  This  is  the
process of the 6R’s.
It doesn’t matter how many times mind’s attention goes back to
that feeling of anger. It is treated in the same way every time. You
are not taking that feeling personally when you let the feeling be
there by itself and relax.
Thus,  there  is  no  ego-identification  (craving  or  clinging)  with
that  feeling.  This  is  seeing  the  true  nature  of  that  feeling,  isn’t
it? The feeling wasn’t there before, but now it is. This is seeing
impermanence.  When  that  feeling  arises,  it  takes  away  the
tranquility and peace. That is definitely painful, a true form of
suffering. When you allow the feeling to be there by itself without
getting  involved  or  thinking  about  it  and  you  open  your  mind
and relax the tightness away and smile, you are experiencing the
impersonal nature (anattà) at that time.
Thus, when you practice “Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation”
(TWIM), you continually experience the Three Characteristics of
Existence: impermanence, suffering, and the impersonal nature
of everything (anicca, dukkha, anattà).
As  you  continue  to  relax  mind’s  attention  and  let  go  of  any
distraction,  attachment  (craving)  becomes  smaller  and  weaker.
Finally it doesn’t have enough strength to arise anymore. When
this happens, mind becomes filled with relief and joy arises.


Letting go of attachment (craving) means you become secluded
from unwholesome states. When you let go and joy arises, it lasts
for a period of time. After that, mind becomes very tranquil and
happy (sukha). Now, you will experience a mind which stays on
the object of meditation very easily. When this is done repeatedly,
mind will naturally become calm and collected by itself. At that
time,  you  begin  to  develop  some  equanimity  and  balance  of
mind.
“The monk enters upon and abides in the first Jhàna (meditation
stage),  which  is  accompanied  by  thinking  and  examining
thought, with joy and happiness born of seclusion.”
All of these different factors make up what is commonly called
the first Jhàna (meditation stage of understanding). At that time
there can still exist some very small wandering thoughts. If mind
wanders  away  from  the  breath  and  relaxing,  you  can  easily  let
that  distraction  go  and  relax  mind,  then  smile.  The  wandering
thoughts are noticed very quickly.
Simply let go. Relax the tightness and smile before coming back
to  the  breath  and  relaxing.  Some  meditation  teachers  call  this
‘access  concentration’.  But  actually  they  are  looking  at  things
from  the  viewpoint  of  “concentration  meditation”  and  not
“Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation” (TWIM).
Thinking and examining thought are descriptions of the thinking
mind  and  discursive  thinking  (wandering  thoughts).  Some
translations call this initial and sustained thought, thinking and
pondering.
There can still be directed thoughts in each one of the different
Jhànas  (meditation  stages  of  understanding).  The  difference
between directed thought and wandering thoughts is: Directed


thought is about what is happening to you in the present moment.
With  wandering  thoughts,  you  think  about  what  happened  in
the past or what will happen in the future, or daydream about
what you would like to see.
Observation  thoughts  are  a  little  different.  For  instance,  ‘mind
feels very happy right now’, ‘mind is very calm’, ‘body feels very
still and peaceful right now’, etc. This is another way of looking
at examining thought.
Thinking  thought  is  mind  that  notices  when  mind’s  attention
is  distracted  and  brings  the  attention  back  to  the  breath  and
relaxing.  Examining  thought  is  mind  that  stays  on  the  breath
and  relaxing  without  slipping  away  again  and  it  also  has  the
thoughts of what is happening in the present moment.
When mind’s attention begins to stay on the object of meditation
for longer and longer periods of time, relief and joy will become
quite strong. You will naturally feel like smiling because the joy
is such a pleasurable feeling in both mind and body.
At  that  time,  the  body  and  the  mind  feel  very  light  until  it  is
almost  like  floating.  This  is  quite  a  pleasant  experience.  Some
meditation  teachers  tell  their  students  that  when  joy  arises,
“Don’t  Be  Attached!”  So,  these  students  become  fearful  of  that
joy and try to push it away so that they won’t possibly have the
chance to become attached.
However,  this  is  not  the  correct  thing  to  do  because  it  doesn’t
matter  what  kind  of  feeling  arises,  either  pleasurable,  painful,
or neutral, your job is to see that mind stays on the breath and
relaxing and allow those feelings to be there by themselves.
If mind’s attention is pulled away by a feeling, simply let it be


there by itself and relax the tightness in the head, feel mind open
and expand, then go back to the breath. Attachment or “craving”
comes from personally getting involved with liking or disliking
what  arises  in  the  present  moment.  “Clinging”  is  the  thinking
mind  where  concepts,  opinions,  ideas,  and  the  story  about
why you like or dislike that feeling arises. You will not become
attached  when  you  allow  whatever  arises  to  be  there  by  itself,
relax and smile, and then come back to the object of meditation.
After the joy fades away, mind will become very calm, peaceful
and comfortable. It is this comfortable and tranquil feeling that
is called “happiness born of seclusion”.
At first, you can sit in this stage of meditation for 5 or 6 minutes.
You can do this for longer periods as mind becomes quieter. This
is the first Jhàna (meditation stage of understanding) and it will
arise  when  you  have  let  go  of  sensual  pleasure  for  a  period  of
time,  and  have  also  let  go  of  unwholesome  habits  or  states  of
mind (the craving and clinging) which stop the meditator from
having a mind without distractions in it.
Once you have experienced this state of calm, you will begin to
realize the reasons that you are meditating. At that time, mind is
nicely composed and happy with very few distractions. There is
more peace of mind than has ever been experienced before.
Then,  after  that  experience,  you  become  enthusiastic  and  want
it  to  happen  every  time  you  sit.  BUT,  that  very  desire  to  have
those  calm  states  of  mind  is  the  very  thing  which  stops  them
from arising! You then try even harder and put in more effort.
Unfortunately, mind only becomes more and more restless and
unsettled.
This is due to the desire for something to happen in a particular


way.  When  it  doesn’t  happen  that  way,  you  have  the  tendency
to  push  harder  and  try  to  force  things  to  become  calm  and
tranquil.
As a result of your attachment (craving and clinging), your desire
to have this occur as you want it to be, you can’t experience this
calm  stage  of  meditation  again.  This  desire  causes  you  to  lean
out of the present moment and to try to make the next present
moment the way you want it to be. When that present moment
isn’t right, you try even harder.
However, this calm state of mind will occur again when mind is
relaxed and at ease and you don’t try to push it. Just relax and
let go of that strong desire, calm down and stop expecting things
to  work  according  to  your  own  desires  and  attachments.  After
the first experience of Jhàna (meditation stage of understanding),
mind may become quite active the next time you sit in meditation.
So, laugh and let it be!
But,  now  your  mindfulness  is  sharp  and  is  able  to  recognize
when mind’s attention goes away quickly. Then you simply let it
go, open mind up, relax, smile, and return mind’s attention back
to the breath and relaxing.
Calming  and  relaxing  on  the  in-breath,  calming  and  relaxing
mind on the out-breath helps the meditation. Before long, mind
will settle down again and the joy will arise again. When this joy
fades away, you will again experience a tranquil mind that is a
very comfortable and happy feeling, as well as a mind that is still
and at ease.
At this time, you still have the experience of all the five aggregates
(these aggregates are not affected by craving or clinging). You can
still hear things, or have feelings arise in the body. For example,


you would know when a mosquito or an ant lands on you. You
may  have  some  thoughts  about  that  mosquito  or  ant,  but  you
quickly recognize that this is a distraction, you 6R, and you let
it go, relax the tension in the head and mind, smile, then softly
come back to the breath and relaxing.
As you continue to relax, open and calm mind on the in and out-
breath, eventually you will arrive at a stage where there are no
more wandering thoughts and this is when you let go of all of
your thinking thoughts. This is commonly called Noble Silence.
The joy is a little stronger here, and it lasts a little longer. When it
fades away, the comfortable feeling of happiness is stronger and
the calm mind goes deeper into the breath and relaxing.
This state is described:
“again with the stilling of thinking and examining thought, the
monk, enters and abides in the second Jhàna (meditation stage
of understanding), which has self-confidence and singleness
of  mind  without  thinking  and  examining  thought,  with  joy
and happiness born of stillness of mind.”
The  stilling  of  thinking  and  examining  thought  means  that  at
that  time,  mind  becomes  very  still  and  stays  on  the  object  of
meditation quite nicely. There is no discursive thinking about the
past or future. However, there can still be observation thoughts.
Remember that true meditation is silent, open observation.
There  is  still  feeling  in  the  body  as  all  of  the  sense  doors  are
working and the five aggregates are present. But, for example, if
a sound arises, it doesn’t make mind shake or move. You know
where you are and what you are doing.
The  self-confidence  mentioned  in  the  sutta,  comes  from  the
confidence you gain when you see clearly for yourself how well


the meditation works. The self-confidence not only arises when
you are sitting in meditation but, also during daily activities. The
singleness of mind means that mind is very calm and doesn’t run
around. Mind is very contented to stay on the breath and relaxing
and keep opening and relaxing on the in and out-breaths. These
are the descriptions of the first two Jhànas (meditation stages).
We now return to the ânàpànasati Sutta.  

He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe in experiencing happiness’;
He trains thus: ‘I shall breathe out experiencing happiness.’
As you continue onwards with your practice and keep calming
and relaxing mind, eventually you will reach a stage where the
feeling  of  joy  becomes  too  coarse  and  it  won’t  arise  naturally
anymore.  This  is  always  a  rather  comical  time  for  the  teacher
because the meditator comes to the teacher and says:
Student: ‘There’s something wrong with my meditation!’  
Teacher: ‘Why do you say that?’
Student: ‘I don’t feel any more joy’,
Teacher: ‘Is that bad?’
Student:  ‘No,  of  course  not,  but  still  I  don’t  feel  any  more  joy.
Why?’
Teacher:  ‘Do  you  feel  comfortable  and  more  calm  than  ever
before and does your mind have a strong sense of balance in it
and you feel very much at ease?’
Student: ‘Yes, I feel all of that, but I don’t feel any more joy!’
Teacher:  ‘Good,  continue.  Everything  is  going  along  just  fine.
Relax and stop demanding that joy arises when you want it to.’


The joy fades away by itself, and a very strong sense of equanimity
and calm becomes apparent. You can still hear sounds, and feel
contact  with  the  body  even  though  eventually  the  body  seems
to disappear. If someone were to touch you during your sitting
meditation, you would know it. It someone made a sound, you
would hear it but, your mind would not go to it. This is what is
meant when the sutta says the meditator has full awareness. It is
described as follows:
“Again,  with  the  fading  away  of  joy,  a  monk  abides  in
equanimity,  and  mindful  and  fully  aware,  still  feeling
happiness  (or  pleasure)  with  the  body,  he  enters  upon  and
abides  in  the  third  Jhàna  (meditation  stage),  on  account  of
which noble ones announce: ‘He has a pleasant abiding who
has equanimity and is mindful’.
With the description above, you can plainly see that being in the
third  Jhàna  (meditation  stage  of  understanding);  mind  is  very
clear,  alert  and  balanced.  You  are  aware  of  what  is  happening
around  you,  but  mind  stays  on  the  object  of  meditation  easily
and comfortably.
Being  alert  (being  mindful)  and  having  equanimity  in  mind  is
an unusual thing to experience because this state of meditation
is the highest and best feeling that you have ever experienced in
your whole life. Furthermore, you are not attached to it due to
the strong equanimity.
At the same time, both body and mind are exceptionally relaxed
and  at  ease.  What  a  nice  state  to  be  in!  This  is  why  this  state
is praised by noble ones. Besides this easing of the tightness in
the head, the body looses tension and the feeling of sensations
begin to disappear. This is because the tightness in mind causes
tension in the body. But now, mind is so comfortable and tension


free  that  the  tension  in  the  sensation  of  the  body  goes  away.
When this happens, the body becomes so soft and comfortable
that there is nothing to feel. However, you become aware of it if
anyone were to touch you. This is the meaning of being mindful
and fully aware. Mind knows what is happening around it but it
does not shake or become disturbed.
This is what we call experiencing happiness on the in and out-
breath.
Some  “Fixed  Concentration  Meditation”  teachers  say  that
when  one  is  in  this  state  of  Jhàna,  the  meditator  can  no  longer
experience the body or any of the sense doors. They claim that
the meditator will not know if someone were to hit them with a
stick or someone were to change their positions of their hands
and  feet.  This  is  because  their  minds  are  so  deeply  absorbed
into the object that they can’t be fully aware. This is clearly not
true in the meditation described within the suttas or if one were
practicing “Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation” (TWIM).