Vipassana - Daily Activities, Postures, Noting Objects, Benefits, Balance

Computer Studies in Buddhism - Meditation
"Vipassana Meditation Course: Series of Eight Talks", by Ven Sayadaw U Janaka
Buddha Dhamma Meditation Association, Sydney, AUSTRALIA



Talk 8
Daily Activities, Postures, Noting Objects, Benefits, Balance



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



  *** End of Vipassana Meditation Course - by Venerable Sayadaw U Janaka ***