The Breath of Love
Author
Most Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi Mahàthera
The Anàpànasati Sutta
Introductory Section
1] Thus have I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was
living at Savatthi in the Eastern Park, in the Palace of Migara’s
Mother, together with many very well-known elder disciples—
the Venerable Sàriputta, the Venerable Mahà Moggallana, the
Venerable Mahà Kassapa, the Venerable Mahà Kaccana, the
Venerable Mahà Kotthita, the Venerable Mahà Kappina, the
Venerable Cunda, the Venerable Anuruddha, the Venerable
Revata, the Venerable Ananda, and other very well known
elder disciples.
2] Now on that occasion elder monks had been teaching and
instructing new monks; some elder monks had been teaching
and instructing ten new monks, some elder monks had been
teaching and instructing twenty... thirty... forty new monks.
And the new monks, taught and instructed by the elder monks,
had achieved successive stages of high distinction.
3] On that occasion—the Uposatha day of the fifteenth, on the
full-moon night of the Pavarana ceremony, [9] The Blessed One
was seated in the open surrounded by the ‘samgha of monks’.
Then, surveying the silent ‘samgha of bhikkhus’, he addressed
them thus:
4] “Monks, I am content with this progress. My mind is
content with this progress. So, arouse still more energy to
attain the unattained, to achieve the unachieved, to realize the
unrealized. I shall wait here at Savatthi for the Komudi full
moon of the fourth month.”
The monks can still practice their meditation or make new robes
and prepare to go out wandering or teaching the Dhamma to
other monks and laypersons during this extra month. The
Kathina Ceremony is also held during this month. This is the
time for laymen and laywomen to make extra merit by practicing
their generosity by giving robes and other requisites to the
samgha members.
5] The monks of the countryside heard: “The Blessed One will
wait there at Savatthi for the Komudi full moon of the fourth
month.” And the monks of the countryside left in due course
for Savatthi to see the Blessed One.
6] And the elder monks still more intensively taught and
instructed new monks; some elder monks taught and instructed
ten new monks, some elder monks taught and instructed
twenty... thirty... forty new monks. And the new monks, taught
and instructed by the elder monks, achieved successive stages
of high distinction.
7] On that occasion—the Uposatha day of the fifteenth,
the full-moon night of the Komudi full moon of the fourth
month—the Blessed One was seated in the open surrounded
by the ‘samgha of monks’. Then, surveying the silent ‘samgha
of monks’, he addressed them thus:
8] “Monks, this assembly is free from prattle; this assembly is
free from chatter.[10] It consists purely of heartwood.
Such is this ‘samgha of monks’, such is this assembly. Such an
assembly as is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy
of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, an incomparable
field of merit for the world—Such is this assembly. Such an
assembly that a small gift given to it becomes great and a great
gift becomes greater—such is this ‘samgha of monks’, such is
this assembly.
Such an assembly as is rare for the world to see—such is this
‘samgha of monks, such is this assembly. Such an assembly as
would be worthy journeying many leagues with a travel-bag
to see—such is this ‘samgha of monks’, such is this assembly.
9] “In this ‘samgha of monks’, there are monks who are Arahats
with taints destroyed, who have lived the holy life, done what
had to be done, laid down the burden, reached the true goal,
destroyed the fetters of being, and are completely liberated
through final knowledge—such monks are there in this
‘samgha of monks’.
This is the stage where all of the fetters are destroyed such that
they will not ever arise anymore.
The ten fetters (samyojana) are:
1.Belief in permanent self or soul (sakkàyaditthi),
2.Doubt in the correct path (vicikicchà),
3.Belief that chanting, or rites and rituals lead one to Nibbàna
(silabbatapàràmàsa),
4.Lust or greed (kàmaràga),
5.Hatred or aversion (patigha),
6.Greed for fine-material existence (ruparàga),
7.Greed for immaterial existence (aruparàga),
8.Conceit or pride (màna),
9.Restlessness or agitation of mind (uddhacca),
10.Ignorance (avijjà).
The final stage of an Arahat is described as follows:
(Taken from the Majjhima Nikàya sutta number 70, section 12.)
#12] “They are the ones who have lived the Holy Life,
laid down the burden, reached the true goal, destroyed
the fetters of being, and are completely liberated through
final knowledge, they have done their work with diligence;
they are no longer capable of being negligent”
Anàpànasati Sutta:
10] “In this ‘samgha of monks’ there are monks who, with
the destruction of the five lower fetters, are due to reappear
spontaneously (in the pure abodes) and there attain final
Nibbàna, without ever returning from that world—such monks
are there in this ‘samgha of monks’.
This stage of sainthood is called Anàgàmi where lust and hate no
longer even arise in one’s mind. The five lower fetters have been
destroyed but there is still work to be done.
11] “In this ‘samgha of monks there are monks who, with the
destruction of three fetters and with the attenuation of lust,
hate and delusion, are once-returners, returning once to this
world to make an end of suffering—such monks are there in
this ‘samgha of monks’.
This stage of sainthood is called being a Sakadàgàmi or once-
returner. They have given up the belief in a permanent self, belief
that one can attain enlightenment by chanting and practicing rites
and rituals, and they have given up doubt in the path. Also, the
person who has attained this stage has tremendously weakened
lust and hatred, together with all of the other fetters.
12] “In this ‘samgha of monks’ there are monks who, with the
destruction of the three fetters, are stream-enterers, no longer
subject to perdition, bound [for deliverance], headed for
awakening—such monks are there in this ‘samgha of monks’.
The person who has attained this stage of awakening is called a
Sotàpanna or stream-enterer. They have given up the three lower
fetters mentioned above; they are never going to be reborn in a
low existence again. Their lowest rebirth will be as a human being,
and the most lives that they will experience before attaining final
Nibbàna, is seven.
13] “In this ‘samgha of monks’ there are monks who abide
devoted to the development of the four foundations of
mindfulness [11]—such monks are there in this ‘samgha of
monks’. In this ‘samgha of monks’ there are monks who abide
devoted to the four right kinds of strivings (efforts)... to the
four bases for spiritual power... to the five faculties... to the
five powers... to the seven enlightenment factors... to the
Noble Eightfold Path—such monks are there in this ‘samgha
of monks’
The four right kinds of striving, the four bases for spiritual power,
the five faculties, the five powers, the seven awakening factors and
the Noble Eightfold Path are described in Mahàsakuludayi Sutta,
sutta number 77, section 16 of the Majjhima Nikàya. This shows
us how to develop wholesome states. (This sutta describes the
qualities of Buddha which his disciples repeat to honor, respect,
revere and venerate him and live in dependence on him.)
We will now look into the meanings of these terms. The Four
Foundations of Mindfulness, the Seven Awakening Factors and
the Noble Eightfold Path will be discussed later in the sutta.
The Four Right Kinds of Striving
“Again Udayin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way
to develop the four right kinds of striving. A monk awakens
enthusiasm, for the non-arising of unarisen evil unwholesome
states, and he makes effort, arouses energy, exerts his mind,
and strives.”
Besides enthusiasm, the Pàli word “chanda” also means joyful
interest or enthusiasm. A mind which points towards a
wholesome object like joy has this quality of joyful interest.
Thus, the first right kind of striving is to cultivate a mind that has
joyful interest and enthusiasm so that mind becomes clear and
free from unwholesome states. Joy grows when mind is smiling
and happy during our daily life as well as during meditation.
As a result, mind will be uplifted and wholesome at that time.
Nowadays, these four kinds of striving are usually called the four
right efforts. Some meditation teachers request the meditator to
put out strenuous effort to note what is happening in the present
moment. But this sutta clearly shows us that this is not that kind
of mindfulness.
Mindfulness of joyful interest and enthusiasm, i.e., having a
smiling mind leads to a mind which is light, open, accepting,
and without any tension. This is the proper definition of right
effort and according to the sutta, it actually has nothing to do
with noting a phenomena until it goes away.
“He awakens enthusiasm for the abandoning of arisen evil
unwholesome states, and he makes effort, arouses energy,
exerts his mind, and strives.”
The second right kind of right striving teaches one to abandon
heavy emotional states like anger, sadness, jealousy, anxiety,
stress, depression, fear, etc., and replace them with a smiling
mind which relaxes away even the subtlest tension. This is the
wholesome state of joyful interest and enthusiasm. By cultivating
such a smiling mind, one overcomes the ego-identification with
these states as being “Mine”. A good sense of humor about
oneself is a skillful tool to develop when treading the spiritual
path.
“He awakens zeal for the arising of unarisen wholesome
states, and he makes effort, arouses energy, exerts his mind,
and strives.”
This means seeing that mind brings up joyful interest and
enthusiasm when these wholesome states are not in mind. In
other words, the cultivation of mindfulness means cultivating joy
and a smiling mind. Even when there is a neutral mind that is
merely thinking this and that, this is the time to practice smiling
in mind and experiencing joyful interest and enthusiasm.
“He awakens enthusiasm for the continuous, non-disappearance,
strengthening, increase, and fulfillment by development of
arisen wholesome states, and he makes effort, arouses energy,
exerts his mind, and strives. And thereby many disciples of
mine abide having reached the consummation and perfection
of direct knowledge.”
The fourth right kind of striving refers to a continuous practice,
not only during the formal practice of meditation but also during
the daily activities.
At one time the author was approached by some questioning
students asking: “How can one attain Nibbàna by practicing
smiling and having joyful interest?” They thought that they had
made a very profound statement because they think Nibbàna is
attained by looking at pain and suffering all of the time. These
students are not practicing how to be light and happy as taught
by the Buddha. The author replied to them by asking some cross
questions: “How can you get to Nibbàna without smiling and
having joyful interest in your mind?
Isn’t joy one of the awakening factors? Didn’t the Buddha say
‘We are the Happy Ones’?
Here you can see the importance of developing a mind that smiles
and has joyful interest. There arises a true change of perspective
in your mind when you have joyful interest and a smile. You are
not so heavy and grumpy when things become difficult. This is
because there is not so much ego-attachment and the meditator
can see a situation clearly.
When mind does not smile and has no joyful interest, everything
becomes heavy and all mental states and thoughts become
depressing. Mind becomes overly serious and takes everything
negatively.
For example, let’s say that you are very happy and I come along
and give you a rose. You might take that rose and admire the
color, the shape, and the fragrance. You think, “What a beautiful
flower! Just seeing it makes me even happier”. But, if you are
in a depressed or angry mood and I come along and gave you
that same rose, your mind would see the thorns instead. You
might even think, “Ugh! This rose is so ugly. I hate it!” At that
time, all that is seen is the thorns. But, in actual fact, the rose is
the same. The only difference is your mood. Joyful interest and
smiling helps to make the world around you a better place to
live. This, however, is not to say that we won’t go through trials
and tribulations. We will! However, the perspective of having joy
in mind changes a big problem into a small one.
The Four Bases for Spiritual Power
“Again, Udayin, I have proclaimed to my disciples the way
to develop the four bases for spiritual power. Here a monk
develops the basis for spiritual power consisting in composure
of mind, due to joy and determined striving.”
The first spiritual power refers to joy. It is as explained above.
“He develops the basis for spiritual power consisting of
collectedness (here meaning stillness) due to energy and
determined striving.”
This is the second spiritual power energy. You cannot slack or
become lazy when you are on the Buddha’s Path. It takes a lot of
energy to stay on the path especially when you realize that this
is a lifetime practice! This is talking about the energy that it takes
to recognize when your mind is tight and tense, followed by the
energy to let go of the thinking and relax the tightness in the
head and mind, before coming back to the breath.
“He develops the basis for spiritual power consisting of
collectedness (here meaning serenity) due to purity of [i.e. no
craving] mind and determined striving.”
The third spiritual power refers to the purity of mind which is
developed when one stays on the object of meditation as long
as possible. Whenever a hindrance arises and knocks you out of
the meditation, you simply allow the hindrance to be, without
getting involved with the thinking mind. You proceed to run the
6R’s cycle. That is RECOGNIZING you are not on your object
of meditation, RELEASING your distraction by not keeping
your attention on it, RELAXING the tension and tightness in
your head caused by that distraction, SMILING to lighten up
mind and sharpen awareness, and RETURNING to your object
of meditation. Then you REPEAT this cycle as needed and you
develop this cycle into one flowing motion that mind learns to
do.
It doesn’t matter how many times mind goes back to that
distraction or hindrance. If mind’s attention is pulled away, you
then run this cycle.
You simply repeat the 6R’s, allowing, relaxing, and coming back to
the breath and relaxing again. This is the method to purify mind
of all defilements and hindrances. Remember, meditation is not
about thinking. It’s about expanding your understanding mind
and awareness into the present moment and then going beyond
that to the true expression of loving acceptance. Meditation is the
silence when thoughts—with all their images and words have
entirely stopped pulling mind’s attention away. But meditation
is not now, nor, has it ever meant to be ‘concentration’ in the
conventional sense.
‘Concentration’, the one-pointed or absorption type, contracts
mind and is a form of exclusion, a type of cutting off, a
suppression of hindrances, a resistance. It is also a kind of
conflict. A meditative mind can be very still and composed, and
yet, not have exclusion or suppression, or resistance in it. An
absorbed concentrated mind cannot meditate according to the
Buddhist practice.
“He develops the basis for spiritual power consisting in
collectedness (here meaning composure of mind, or serenity)
due to investigation and determined striving.”
The habit of investigation of one’s experience is a very important
aspect of your spiritual growth. When you are caught by a
hindrance, a pain, or any distraction, you must be able to see how
mind’s attention reacts to that particular situation. For example,
sleepiness arises while you are meditating. The way to overcome
sleepiness is by staying more attentive, with joyful interest, on
the object of meditation. You must try to see directly how your
mind’s attention slips back to the sleepiness.
In other words, you must put more effort and energy into the
practice so that you see how things happen. When you notice
how mind first starts to be caught by the hindrance, you will let
go of it more quickly and not be caught for too long a time.
However, if you are totally caught by sleepiness, it may take
some time to overcome this hindrance because this is the last
thing mind wants to do! Thus, mind may ‘ping pong’ back and
forth from the meditation object back to the sleepiness. The more
light and joyful interest towards how mind’s attention works,
the more quickly you will let go of the hindrance and begin to
meditate again.
Similarly, when pain arises, you do not direct mind’s attention
into the pain. You can see how mind has resistance to that
sensation only when your attention is pulled to the pain. If you
start to think about the pain, it will get bigger and more intense.
So, first you let go of the thinking mind, which verbalizes about
the distraction (pain, hindrance, heavy emotion etc.).
Next, relax mind and release the tight mental knot around the
sensation, relax the tightness in the head, calm mind, and then
smile before redirecting mind’s attention back to the object of
meditation. This is done continually until the pain doesn’t pull
mind’s attention to it again.
This is decidedly different from some other meditation
instructions where meditators are told to put their attention into
the middle of the pain and note it as ‘pain... pain... pain’. All the
while, they are trying to see it’s true nature and watch it change.
But pain, by nature, is repulsive and thus, the meditators have
the tendency to tighten and harden mind so that they are able to
continue watching the pain. This hardening of mind’s attention
is never noted by the meditators. This is never seen clearly
when it arises. The meditators will eventually develop enough
concentration (fixed attention) to be able to overcome the pain.
However, this is achieved by suppressing and tightening mind.
You can clearly observe that the spiritual base of investigation of
your experience (Dhamma-vicaya) is to purify mind by allowing
everything that happens in the present moment to be there
without trying to fight it, control it, or even disturb it in any
way. Loving-acceptance and patience (as defined in the English
dictionary means ‘non-aversion’) of the present moment. This
is the way to attain Nibbàna. It is not attained by absorption
concentration, tightness, or suppression.
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