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A Guide to develop
the Foundations of Mindfulness ··· Contemplation on
the Postures ··· (iriyā-patha) by Achan Prani
Samreungrat She delivered this
lecture on at Round.Free
(Vivatta) Insight Practice Institute Note: This guide contains only the basis to the
development of Insight to be put into practice following the advice of the kalyānamitta, the good/wise friend.
This is just a guidance booklet; it can solely help us to develop an
understanding of what the practice is about. So it’s not “the
ready-made formula” that would allow us to accomplish the task without
the backing of a teacher. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks are due to Wiangchai Watcharanirun for his help in translating
the text at a beginning stage. Also I would like to deeply thank Wallop
Wongphodee for the kindly help of all sorts he offered while being engaged in
this work; especially his advice concerning Dhamma and Thai language issues.
I am most grateful to my friend Alejandro Ramirez Lovering for having shared
so much of his time to help me in everything related to the English language.
For having read part of the English text and giving me valuable suggestions
regarding style, making the text easier to read, I
would like to thank my friend Sue Dirksen. Gratitude is also due to Tipawadee
Emavardhana for minutely having checked the English version in relation to the
Thai and for translating part of this page into Thai; and to Ubasikā Majoorey Charoen
for revising the English text along with the Thai version. The finished text
owes a great deal to all of these people. Appreciation for my teacher Achan Prani is beyond words. Words always
fall short, and this is a matter of life or death, that is, of liberating
knowledge or unlimited ignorance: she once told me: “people don’t
know that they don’t know”. This work is dedicated to the memory of my beloved mother Elena
Martinez to whom, as well as to all living beings who are suffering, I wish
to transfer any merit created by producing this translation and giving it
away as a Dhamma-gift. Rodrigo
Aldana Round.Free Insight Practice Institute www.roundfree.org namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammā sambuddhassa Homage to that Blessed One, the Worthy One, the
Fully and Perfectly Awakened One [1] Good people who have confidence (saddhā) and interest to
practice to go beyond circling in death and [re]birth—beyond touring in
the round of perpetual wandering (samsāra-vatta)—, in all probability
will have to carefully examine and search for a consistent explanation in the
practice of Dhamma, the method
leading out of this cycle of suffering (samsāra-dukkha): “Using what method and practicing
how do we get away from this cycle?” According
to the evidence displayed in the Pāli Canon and its Commentaries,
one must practice the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (satipatthāna 4), that is, one
must contemplate body (kāya), contemplate feeling (vedanā), contemplate mind (citta) and contemplate mind-objects (dhamma). Body, feeling, mind and
mind-objects are the four objects (ārammana, or vatthu) to be contemplated.
Contemplating body [2] is contemplating rūpa:[1] walking-rūpa, standing-rūpa, sitting-rūpa and lying-rūpa—thus this
is contemplation of body as a basis for mindfulness (kāyanupassanā-satipatthāna). However, the one who is to enter the practice must first develop a
correct understanding—one has to know and be sure of the reason the
practice is going to be undertaken. This first
step concerns the development of a proper understanding [yoniso manasikāra]: “What do I wish, what do I purpose from this practice?” If one enters the practice because one desires to acquire merit,
desires peace, desires to see arising-and-ceasing, desires to see
heaven or hell, and so forth, [ayoniso
manasikāra], this is
not correct -it’s going way too far. For this reason, before actually
entering the practice, learning and studying is required in order to get a
right understanding [about the practice]. Before anything else, one must
learn what material phenomena (rūpa) are and what mental phenomena (nāma) are,[2]
and what is the method to contemplate them: How should one contemplate? How
should one apply awareness [manasikāra] at the time of walking, standing, sitting or lying down? It is indispensable
to know the reason before [yoniso
manasikāra] one walks,
stands or sits: For what reason is one to walk or sit? In which way is it a necessity to
walk or sit? If it’s not a necessity then don’t walk,
don’t sit, etc. Being a necessity or necessary
means that to be in the posture it’s not bearable—sitting or
walking, standing or lying down is no longer tolerated. When dukkha[3]
in the posture is forcing us to change, that is, when stiffness and/or
aching is actually happening, [3] one can proceed to change. One must know for what reason one is obliged
to change.[4]
If one changes the posture to recuperate, to feel comfortable or likewise,
one is creating aiding conditions (paccaya)
for defilement (kilesa)—this
means that one must be acquainted with the method of preventing defilement,
so that it cannot arise in any given object—because defilement always
depends on the four postures [for its arising]. An example is when one
desires to walk, stand, sit or lie down, to get comfortable. Thought desires
to sit or lie down to get comfortable. Just this is defilement and it’s
[a consequence of] the wrong feeling/awareness about the reason [why one
changes], thus is an aiding condition for [the occurrence of further]
defilement. Defilement therefore is dependent on its continuous arising,
unendingly creating the round of rebirth (samsāra-vatta).[5]
The truth is that although one does not want to sit, one has to sit; although
one does not want to lie down, one has to lie down. Because if one were to
only sit or only lie down without changing the posture at all, one would see
how obviously impossible that would be. After walking, standing, sitting, or
lying down for some time one has to get stiff, get sore—it’s
inevitable. The truth is that, in this way,
all the various postures are dukkha, and
therefore one is forced to keep on changing, obliged to keep on
relieving [suffering]. Stiffness and
aching are dukkha-vedanā [unpleasant feeling], but when one changes, when one eases dukkha, one intends/desires to recuperate,
to feel comfortable, one never realizes that one changes because dukkha must be eased, that dukkha is forcing us to change
all day, [4] all night. Even
when sleeping, just as one becomes aware that one is awake, at the very moment,
one has to make a movement right away. This is because the stiffness and/or aching are
already present: being in the previous mode (ākāra) is not bearable, therefore one must change, must ease. When there is
stiffness and/or aching, one does not like it (this is dosa). Just as one changes, the stiffness is gone, one likes it
(this is lobha).[6]
Therefore, before changing, first one has to consider: “For what reason
am I to change?” At the time one is
going to change, one must first be aware of the fact that one has to change – that it is a necessity – because to be in the former
posture is just too much to bear. Therefore, it is necessary to change for the purpose of easing
suffering (dukkha); one changes not to get
over it or feel comfortable. Every posture should be known in this manner. “The one who sees”, or “the one who
contemplates”, must also understand that nāma[7] is “the one who sees” (it “sees” by the heart/mind,
not by the eyes). If one focuses only on rūpa, if one does not feel (experience, perceive, sense, become
aware) that nāma is the one who sees”,
“the one who contemplates”, then one cannot know who is seeing,
as a result the mind (citta) will
know in a placid way (non-consciously).[8]
One must also be aware of which rūpa is presently being known: is it sitting-rūpa or lying-rūpa? This is the way one should apply awareness, so that one does not
misunderstand sitting-rūpa and lying-rūpa—or each and every rūpa—as being only just one rūpa. The truth is that sitting-rūpa and lying-rūpa are a different rūpa; standing-rūpa and walking-rūpa are a different rūpa as well. They are not the same rūpa, [5] because each rūpa is different. To know who is sitting or who is lying down has to be
known in the mode (the gesture: ākāra). In terms of mode, each rūpa is different from one another [each
rūpa has its own mode
(its own particular way of manifesting itself)]. If the practitioner does not
feel [experience, perceive, sense] in the sitting mode that it
is sitting-rūpa, or in the lying mode that it is lying-rūpa, etc., then the scattering of ghanasaññā—the idea of one compact solid mass—will not be possible,
because one has always taken this walking, standing, sitting and lying down
to be “I” or “me”—I wish to sit then I sit, I
wish to lie down then I lie down—, one firmly adheres to them as
“this is self” and “this is my self”. Hence the practitioner needs to feel [experience, perceive,
sense] that when knowing sitting–rūpa, the sitting is rūpa —the lying down is rūpa, the standing is rūpa, the walking is rūpa. Thus the idea of one compact solid mass may be scattered out
[disintegrated, or made to loose cohesion], and the idea of being a self or
soul will not arise. Practicing Vipassanā has as its aim the destruction of the self, the wrong view that
causes a firm belief in “this is self” and “this is my
self”. So one needs to learn and study in order to develop a good
understanding of the nāmas and rūpas happening—both internally and externally—throughout the
various sense-doors: what is nāma and what is rūpa must be understood. This is [6] most important, because this is the cause that allows for the
uprooting of wrong view, the erroneous belief that mistakenly takes things
for “this is self” and “this is my self”. And this
misunderstanding is not specifically just about the body and the postures,
this misunderstanding and belief exist generally throughout body and mind,
both internally and externally, because when there is a “me”
[internal] there has to be a “mine” [external]. Thus the practitioner needs to study about rūpa-nāma in accordance with the various sense-doors—such as rūpa-nāma through the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and heart/mind—in order
to develop a good understanding first; then, gently and gradually, he can
begin to practice. Below is a concise explanation about this, specifically in
the sense of practice, to be memorized easily—for example, through the
eye, what is nāma and what is rūpa? through the
eye………seeing is nāma and the color is rūpa through the ear………hearing is nāma and the sound is rūpa through the nose………smelling is nāma and the smell is rūpa through the tongue………tasting is nāma and the taste is rūpa through the body-sense……… knowing heat, cold, hardness, softness, pressure, is nāma and… heat, cold, hardness, softness, pressure,
are rūpa [7] through the heart/mind (mano) ……… thinking, recalling, liking, disliking, sleepiness, irritation, fear, annoyance,
laziness, boredom, worry, and so forth, are nāma Sitting, lying down, standing and walking can [only] be known through
the mind; they are not seen through the eyes or known through the eyes.[9] During
practice one must know through the heart/mind (mano). The heart/mind (citta)[10]
is the one who sees, the one who contemplates. The practitioner needs first to memorize all that has just been
explained. Because it is necessary that it must be known, memorized and also
understood, and it is of vital import for the person wishing to go beyond dukkha. It is a fundamental basis for
the practice, due to the fact that wrong view sometimes resides in rūpa and other times in nāma. Such as: Through the eye the wrong assumption is: “I see” —one takes
seeing-nāma as being
oneself Through the ear the wrong assumption is: “I hear” —one takes
hearing-nāma as being
oneself Through the nose the wrong assumption is:
“I smell” —one takes
smelling-nāma as being oneself [8] Through the tongue the wrong assumption is: “I
taste”, —one takes
tasting- nāma as being
oneself Through the body the wrong assumption is: “I’m cold”, “I’m
hot”… etc. —one takes coldness-rūpa, heat-rūpa, hardness-rūpa, softness-rūpa, etc. as being oneself Through the
heart/mind everything is grasped entirely
with wrong view because defilement is in the heart/mind [it’s a mental
factor]. How is it viewed wrongly? Wrong view is “I”—I
walk, I stand, I sit, I lie down, I see, I hear, I smell, I taste, I feel
cold, I’m hot, I’m comfortable, I’m uncomfortable, I like,
I dislike, I love, I detest, I hate, I’m angry, etc. This view is
referred to as attānuditthi [“self-view”, or “the view that a self
exists”]. One feels one is a self: this view is called sakkāyaditthi [“personality-belief”, or “false view of
individuality”] Love, gladness, desire
to get, desire to know, desire to see, desire to hear, desire to smell,
desire to taste, desire to know about this and that—any kind of desire—
is lobha, greed (tanhā: craving).[11] This two, craving (tanhā) and wrong view (ditthi),
are the first important things that have to be abandoned by anyone wishing to
go beyond the round of suffering
(vatta-dukkha). As long as one does
not abandon them, one still has to keep on circulating in birth, old age
(decay), sickness and death. One must carry on in the round of dukkha, which knows not an end—
birth after birth, [9] old age after old age, illness after illness, death after death; being
born time and again, decaying time and again, getting sick time and again,
dying time and again: one is caught burning in the fire of dukkha and defilement
perpetually. If the question arises:
“Is there any benefit in having been born a human being?”
Acquiring the condition (attābhāva) of a human
being must be the result of merit (puñña) and wholesomeness (kusala).
And just once in a great while birth as a human being has the chance to
occur—birth as an animal, etc. is the most common. Therefore, acquiring
the condition of a human being in addition to meeting with Lord
Buddha’s teaching is worthy of being considered the greatest fortune
ever. Lord Buddha handed over his legacy to the entire current generation of
people of integrity. It is for Lord Buddha’s assemblies[12] to help each
other to maintain this superb heritage. What is this heritage? The Four
Foundations of Mindfulness. For this reason, those interested in practicing
have to listen to and learn thoroughly the practice procedure first, in order
to achieve a good understanding before actually starting to practice. They
must also understand that the purpose of cultivating mental development (bhāvanā) based on the Four
Foundations of Mindfulness is to step away from birth, i.e. to go beyond this
entire mass of suffering—not to get happiness and comfort. Once the practitioner
has gained knowledge [10] of the reason for walking, standing, sitting and lying down, he/she
still has to know about the reasonability regarding the next step. Launching the practice While sitting, one
becomes aware of the sitting mode (ākāra) and one becomes aware that one is knowing sitting-rūpa—“one” means “the
one who knows” [the nāma which knows]. While lying down, one becomes aware of the lying mode and one
becomes aware that one is knowing lying-rūpa. While standing, one becomes
aware of the standing mode and one is aware that one is knowing
standing-rūpa. While walking, one becomes aware of the walking mode and one
is aware that one is knowing walking-rūpa—walking is manifested through the pacing mode. Every
time, before one changes from one posture to another or before doing any
movement, it is necessary to contemplate the reason or justification. One
must gradually have mindfulness (sati)
and carefulness all the time. If one changes unmindfully, the change is done,
so one lets it pass. However, if one is not being unmindful, then it is
necessary to know first for what reason one has to move or to change. For
what reason is it necessary [to change]? The stiffness and/or aching exert
pressure on us until one cannot sit in that mode anymore, if
it’s truly necessary one must change for sure—one must know one has
to change for the purpose of easing dukkha[13]. The awareness has to be like this.
One should have [11] this kind of
feeling/awareness in every posture. Do not change easygoing; when
changing easygoing wisdom does not arise. Knowing dukkha is to provide the cause that brings about wisdom. Wisdom
in Buddhism knows that which is true, i.e. dukkha. Dukkha is sacca-dhamma (a reality, a fact, a
truth). At the time of eating
one should first contemplate, “Why does one eat?” Not to eat, is
it possible or not? In fact it is impossible because of hunger. Hunger causes
us not to feel good. Hunger exerts pressure on us making us eat. One
cannot not eat, is unbearable. Therefore, one must contemplate directly
according to reality: one has to eat because one has to
ease dukkha -not because of the
tastiness.[14]
After eating, one still has to wash the utensils one used for eating.
One must know about the necessity of having to wash them: What if one
does not wash them? Can one eat the next meal using the unwashed utensils? What is the reason one drinks water? One drinks because the throat is
dry, one is thirsty: this is dukkha.
One drinks to ease dukkha. Why does one need to
take a shower? Is it possible not to take a shower? First one must
investigate the true reason why one takes a shower and then afterwards one goes
ahead and takes a shower. One does not take a shower following what one is
accustomed to: maybe one is used to taking a shower in the morning when
waking up and does it automatically. It is not [12] forbidden for the practitioner to take a shower, but one just needs to
know ahead the reason why one is going to take a shower. Changing clothes? Is it possible to go on without changing clothes?
Why? And about wearing clothes: why must one wear them? Can one not wear
clothes? Normally one thinks one wears clothes to look pretty or handsome
[one puts on clothing for the sake of beauty] thus one must select this and
that color. Actually try not to use them, do look, then what? In fact,
clothes are used due to a sense of shame, to keep insects from biting us and
swarming around [and to protect the body against cold, heat and sunlight]. Can one wear unwashed clothes that one wore already? One surely cannot.
Why does one wash the clothing? Normally everybody washes their clothes to
make them clean, they say the clothes are dirty. The truth is that the
clothes are dirty because one has worn them, right? Is it really the clothes
that are dirty, or is it oneself?[15] Please examine these matters carefully. When defecating or urinating one first has to contemplate: Why it is
necessary to do it? What would happen if one doesn’t? One is surely not able not do it. Also when
getting up to go to the toilet, one has to be mindful of walking-rūpa, or of the dukkha of having
to ease dukkha. Why does one wash one’s face or brush one’s teeth? Can one
not wash one’s face or brush one’s teeth? [13] At night the time comes when it is necessary to
go to bed because the body must have rest. Once knowing the reason why one
goes to sleep, one proceeds to lie down being aware of lying-rūpa. One should fall asleep with the intention in one’s heart to
wake up. Whenever
one wakes up, first one should try to be mindful of lying-rūpa
at that moment. Before getting up one must contemplate on the reason,
“What is causing me to get up?” Also, how many times one is
turning around before falling asleep? Please be
observant. Normally when doing something one
wants it done fast. Once it is done, one is pleased. Then, also by following
what one is accustomed to, one’s habit, one looks for something else to
do. However, the practitioner cannot do things in this way. For example, one
thinks one must finish eating, finish washing the dishes, and then one can
resume the sitting-kammatthāna (one’s
meditation). Don’t do it like this, don’t think in this manner.
Don’t harbor the feeling of “I am a kammatthāna-person”
[I am a “meditator”, I am a “practitioner”]. Don’t
walk
kammatthānically or sit kammatthānically. If one walks kammatthānically then one has to walk unnaturally. Sitting kammatthānically is sitting in an unusual way
[it’s fabricated]. One must sit in a normal way: sitting to ease
the stiffness. One walks naturally: easing-stiffness-walking, easing-dukkha-walking. Walk as
usual/as nothing special, do not walk by tiptoeing stealthily (nothing
singular needs to be attached to the walking; just take a walk).[16]
This has to be accompanied with mindfulness and clear comprehension (sati-sampajañña): being aware of the
walking mode [is mindfulness], knowing that it is walking-rūpa [is clear comprehension]. Whatever one does [14] should be done a little slower than usual—which is not pretending to do it slow—and
should be done one thing at a time, one by one; things are not done simultaneously.
For instance, at the time the hand is getting some food, the mouth is
chewing, the eyes are staring somewhere and the mind is aiming elsewhere
—it cannot be done in this manner, this is lack of restraint (samvara)[17]. The practitioner must always have
restraint, at all times. Practitioners are
inclined to want calmness, they aim for peace—this is not correct. When
seeing rūpa [with the intention] to make it [become] clear
one gets annoyed when wandering mind (uddhacca)
occurs, instead of realizing that wandering mind is nāma,[18] is a dhamma[19], a dhamma that is showing the truth. Inappropriate attention according to
causal relations (ayoniso
manasikāra) is an aiding condition for defilement. When practicing correctly one becomes aware of wandering
mind—knowing that wandering mind is nāma—and then one [gently] comes back again to start anew, to see the
existing rūpa in the present moment. When one comes back to see the rūpa again, one must do so
having sikkhati (careful observation)—it’s possible to come back either correctly or incorrectly.[20] Entering the
working-ground (kammatthāna)[21] When entering the
working-ground one should bear in mind that one comes here to train oneself[22]. Hoping, wanting, and preparing things in this and that way is
defilement. As long as defilement is present wisdom cannot arise [15] because the mind is rather following defilement.
When practicing to go beyond dukkha,
one must become familiar with dukkha
and defilement, and understand the method to extinguish defilement. Do not
think that a still mind, an indifferent mind, is a mind without defilement.
This is not true. An unmoving and quiet mind does not know what is
what—this mind is defiled by delusion (moha-kilesa). The
satisfaction of, “Jeez! My mind is so nicely still and peaceful,
it’s not going anywhere at all”, is a mind defiled by greed and
wrong view (lobha–kilesa and ditthi-kilesa).
Greed and wrong view depend for their arising in this way. The development of
the Foundations of Mindfulness is not to head towards peacefulness, but to
become aware of what is correct in accordance with the reality of the
intrinsic nature of phenomena (sabhāva). The nature of the mind is to know or cognize [an object]—but
with the fondness of knowing [it] incorrectly. This is because one is
accustomed to know incorrectly—thus one must train oneself
to know correctly. One must begin to train in a new direction: in knowing
ourselves by ourselves, not in knowing things outside ourselves. Mostly we know
about other people, about their affairs—about the affair within…
we are not aware. At the time of eating, one hand is getting the food, the mouth is
chewing, and the eyes are staring at the dishes with curiosity: “What
curry is this? Is it tasty or not?” When taking a shower one does it
quickly, when washing clothes one does it hastily. Whatever one does, one
does it as in a big hurry. This is because one is accustomed to do things in
this way—automatically. When doing things fast, in a big hurry, automatically,
mindfulness (sati) cannot catch up. [16] The
development of Insight (vipassanā) is therefore to fully understand nāma-rūpa. To fully understand nāma-rūpa is to fully understand dukkha.
To fully understand dukkha is to
fully understand the abandonment of craving. So one must know where
craving arises, when it arises, what it depends on for its arising, and
how/why it arises. Craving arising
through the eye depends on the visual object that is seen Craving arising
through the ear depends on the sound that is heard Craving arising
through the nose depends on odor Craving arising
through the tongue depends on flavor Craving arising
through the body-sense depends on bodily tangible object Craving arising
through the mind/heart depends on mental-object Craving depends for its arising on these six places.
Craving is a mental event, [i.e. it is nāma]. And why can
craving arise? It can arise because it depends on the wrong understanding
about the cause [or reason] —wrong in relation to the truth of the
intrinsic nature (sabhāva). It is just this erroneous awareness not compatible with what is
real, which is an aiding condition for [the arising of] craving. Fully
understanding dukkha is the
abandonment of craving. Craving desires to obtain happiness (sukha).
Craving keeps [17] whispering to the
mind; it desires to get a new posture because it presupposes the new posture
to be happiness. When one changes not knowing that dukkha is being eased, craving-satisfaction immediately gets a
chance to enter and abide in that new posture. When one is aware that one
changes to ease dukkha,
craving-satisfaction for the new posture will therefore not arise. When the
new posture is not an aiding condition for [the arising of] craving, the old
posture that was dukkha—pain and/or aching—will not be an
aiding condition for [the arising of] aversion (dosa), that is,
dissatisfaction. While feeling good/comfortable one is satisfied (this is lobha). While feeling uncomfortable one is dissatisfied (this is dosa). When there is a headache, a stomachache, or some other bodily sickness,
one should see nāma, and one should see it right where it hurts knowing
that the pain is nāma (nāma-pain) (this is to bar the idea of a self[23]). Where is
the sickness? One must see it right out there [at the
body]; one doesn’t “go inside” to know it in or from the heart/mind. The dukkha that arises from physical
sickness must be known in the nāma because it must be cured with medicine—it’s not the same dukkha that arises from the postures.
The dukkha that arises because of
walking, sitting, etc. for some time must be known at the rūpa. Which rūpa is dukkha: walking-rūpa is dukkha
or sitting-rūpa is dukkha? One must know this too. Or
when nāma is dukkha, also one must know which nāma is dukkha. When there is
stiffness in walking or standing, one eases the suffering by changing the
posture. However, the dukkha that
arises from physical sickness must [18] be cured with medicine; thus nāma-feeling (vedanā) is what is to be looked at. Having to know
that each posture is dukkha is to evict craving out of the different
postures. Knowing the reason before changing is to allow oneself to
know that one has to change to ease dukkha, and to evict
craving out of the new posture because craving assumes that the new
posture is happiness/pleasure, therefore it desires to get a new posture.
When one continues to see, to contemplate every posture, until one sees that
they are all dukkha, that every
single rūpa is dukkha,
then one can seek further happiness absolutely no more. Craving—hope
itself—becomes hopeless [hope becomes hopeless] until it has no
place to depend on, because every single rūpa is dukkha; no happy (sukha) rūpa can be found
anywhere at all. So craving gives up all its longing. And the wrong
assumption, that is, the perverted understanding (vipallāsa) that is
accustomed to assume that the body is beautiful and this rūpa-nāma is happy,
permanent and self, will be absent from the mind. is the inaccurate view that distorts or blurs that which is real. It is
compared to the way in which a man whose mind is possessed perceives the
world. [19] In terms of the
constituent parts of a system (anga-dhamma),
perversion is classified in three: view (ditthi-vipallāsa 1), thought (citta-vipallāsa 1) and memory (saññā-vipallāsa 1), which is seeing distortedly, knowing distortedly and remembering
(perceiving) distortedly respectively. However, perversion has four objects (ārammana): 1 The perversion of beauty (subha-vipallāsa) regards this rūpa which is impure (ugly: asubha) as something good or beautiful 2 The perversion of happiness (sukha-vipallāsa) regards this rūpa-nāma which is suffering (dukkha) as happiness-yielding 3 The perversion of permanence (nicca-vipallāsa) regards this rūpa-nāma which is impermanent (anicca) as permanent 4 The perversion of self (attā-vipallāsa) regards this rūpa-nāma which is without self (anattā) as “me” or “mine” These four perverted views arise in us all the time. Ditthi views things distortedly; citta thus follows knowing
distortedly, and saññā remembering distortedly. As long as these four perversions exist
within us one will be under bleak darkness and utter ignorance forever. The defilements of greed, aversion and delusion (lobha-, dosa- and moha-kilesa) arise in us all day long. It is so
because one has ignorance, (avijjā) and perversion, i.e. wrong understanding. Just these abovementioned
four assumptions are the important fundamental root-causes [20] [which support defilements]. This all happens due
to a lack of contemplation about the true reason why one does things: that
everything one has to do is to ease dukkha. Please do contemplate this deeply to experience it
actually. Having no food to eat is dukkha.
Having no medicine when one is sick is dukkha.
Having no clothing to cover the body is dukkha. Having no dwelling to protect oneself from the sunlight
and rain is dukkha. Having to be in
haste busily working and looking for money, as it is nowadays, is because of dukkha itself; looking for money to
buy food, to buy anything, again, is If through contemplation one gets an insight into genuine
cause-and-effect, profound faith in the words of Lord Buddha will arise.[24] It would
not be necessary at all to look for other things as a refuge. One would have
confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Ariya Sangha.[25] Buddha,
Dhamma, and Sangha would be our real refuge. Lord Buddha teaches to turn
oneself into one’s own refuge.[26] If one
has oneself as a real refuge already, there’s no need to run around
looking for help in a god or goddess, because it isn’t sure whether
those kinds of things can really help us or not—one doesn’t know. Buddhism arose in the world because Prince Siddhattha[27] abdicated
the royal throne for the search of freedom (mokkha-dhamma) until he
attained a thorough insight-knowledge of the Four Noble Truths (ariya-sacca).[28] And the
teaching he preached, it was preached so that good people could awaken to the
Four Noble Truths, because if one does not have a thorough knowledge of the
Four Noble Truths one still cannot go beyond this entire mass of dukkha. Actually the Noble Truths [22] exist within all of us; however, we do not know
what this Noble Truths are. The Noble Truths are but rūpa-nāma—which is nothing but the
five aggregates (khandha 5)
themselves, which in brief are: the rūpa-aggregate which consists of
walking, standing, sitting and lying down, or the whole body itself; and the nāma-aggregate that consists of four: one feeling-aggregate (vedanā-khandha), one
perception-aggregate (saññā-khandha), one mental
formations-aggregate (sankhāra-khandha), which is comprised of fifty elements or mental factors (cetasikas),
and one consciousness-aggregate (viññāna-khandha). Together they are
called “the five aggregates”. But among the fifty elements
included in the mental formations-aggregate there is one that is samudaya-sacca [Truth of the Origin],
the rest are all dukkha-sacca [Truth
of Suffering]. The one element which is the Truth of the Origin is greed (lobha), i.e. craving (tanhā) itself. We human beings have the five
aggregates when are born; for this reason every human being embodies two
Noble Truths in himself already: the Truth of Suffering, and the Truth of the
Origin which is the defilement that originates dukkha in us.[29] Lord
Buddha teaches that there are Four Noble Truths: Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha and Magga [Suffering, Origin, Cessation and Path]; he also teaches
that in order to cultivate the Path one must practice in accordance with the
function of each Noble Truth: [23] Dukkha-sacca its function is that
suffering must be The Truth of Suffering fully understood Samudaya-sacca its function is that its cause must be The Truth of the
Origin abandoned
Nirodha-sacca its function is that cessation must be The Truth of Cessation
realized Magga-sacca
its function is that the path to The Truth of the Path cessation must be cultivated For this reason, our duty is to fully understand dukkha
in the postures, both major and minor,[30] because
the Four Truths are interrelated.
Knowing that dukkha exerts pressure
on us, thus making us unable to tolerate being in that posture any longer,
forcing us to change (making the change to be a necessity), forcing us
to ease dukkha, is the way to
prevent craving from arising in the new posture: this is the abandonment of
craving. Craving does not like dukkha,
so the new posture will not be a factor for craving to arise. Craving
misconceives—assumes—the new posture to be happiness or pleasure;
therefore, it desires to change, it desires to get a new posture. When these
truths are known correctly, craving will not enter to abide in the new
posture. So fully understanding dukkha
is also the abandonment of
craving. This is tantamount to saying that the practice is following the
function of the Four Noble Truths: at the moment of comprehending Dukkha and [i.e.] abandoning Tanhā, one is realizing Nirodha
and cultivating Magga.[31] For this reason, those interested in going beyond dukkha, [24] please try to fully comprehend nāma-rūpa—this nāma-rūpa—because precisely this nāma-rūpa in and of itself is the truth of suffering (dukkha-sacca). But bodily unpleasant feeling (dukkha-vedanā) has to be seen first. Bodily unpleasant feeling is dukkha that can be amended. The Truth
of Suffering [can only be known, it] cannot be amended. To see the Truth of
Suffering itself, very sharp and acute wisdom is required. The Pāli Scriptures mention that beings do not see dukkha (suffering) because they do not
contemplate iriyā-patha (the
postures)—one changes position and feels comfortable, and so craving
likes it. Ghanasaññā, the perception of compactness, eclipses anattā, not-self, which results in feeling that one is somebody, a self or
soul [attā]. Santati,
continuity, eclipses anicca, impermanence, which results in
taking what “arises and ceases from moment to moment” to be
permanent, unchanging. When coming to practice (kammatthāna) it is necessary to bear in mind that one comes here
to train; one doesn’t come to see rūpa or see nāma, to attain path-and-fruition (magga-phala), to teach later on, nor
for whatever other purpose—these are all factors for craving to arise.
One needs to grasp this correctly so that defilements do not enter to abide.
As long as defilement exists, wisdom cannot have the opportunity to arise to
know reality. The fact is that the practitioner should train himself
properly: if [25] one produces the correct
causes there’s absolutely no need to worry about the result. Even
though one does not want to see, one will (have to) see. However, [for this
to happen] the practitioner must have mentality-and-materiality (nāma-rūpa) as a teacher first; it is this very nāma-rūpa itself which will teach
us everything [not the other way around]. The important thing is that first
one must stop wanting. When desire ceases, the end of troubles (i.e. of dukkha) is reached. Why are the postures contemplated? The postures are contemplated because they are one of the kammatthānas (working-grounds or basis for contemplation), namely, kāyanupassanā-satipatthāna (contemplation of body as a basis for
mindfulness). Lord Buddha teaches the Foundations of Mindfulness in four
categories: (1) kayanupassanā (contemplation of body), (2) vedanānupassanā (contemplation
of feeling), (3) cittanupassanā (contemplation
of mind), and (4) dhammanupassanā (contemplation of dhammas).[32] Lord
Buddha teaches in this way due to the fact that beings have different
preferences—they have different dispositions (carita): craving
disposition (tanhā-carita) and wrong view disposition (ditthi-carita).
It’s not the same in the case of Tranquility Practice (samatha)
where Lord Buddha enumerates six dispositions. For Insight Practice (vipassanā) Lord Buddha teaches only two kinds, but these are further divided in
four: [26] 1 craving disposition with
weak wisdom 2 craving disposition with
strong wisdom 3 wrong view disposition with
weak wisdom 4 wrong view disposition with
strong wisdom ·
The contemplation of body is suitable
for those with a craving disposition with weak wisdom ·
The contemplation of feeling is suitable for those with a craving disposition with strong wisdom ·
The contemplation of mind is suitable
for those with a wrong view disposition with weak wisdom ·
The contemplation of mind-objects is suitable for those with a wrong view disposition with strong wisdom
If classified under the context of the abandonment of the four
perversions: The contemplation of
body is for the abandonment of the perversion of beauty
The contemplation of
feeling is for the abandonment of the perversion of
happiness The contemplation of
mind is for the abandonment of the perversion of
permanence [27] The contemplation of
dhammas is for the abandonment of the
perversion of self Lord Buddha established the principles of the Four Foundations of
Mindfulness related to the abandonment of the Four Perversions in a
“cause-and-effect” manner: the former being the cause, the later
the result. Consequently, as the practitioner develops a proper understanding
in line with the intrinsic nature of things (sabhāva-dhamma), the wrong understanding that is causing the perversion—which
is dependent on nāma-rūpa—will decrease gradually until it is completely eradicated. Perversion, both as the constituent part of a system (anga-dhamma) and as an object (ārammana), can be eradicated
neither through Morality (sīla) nor
Tranquility (samādhi) Practices. It can only be eradicated through Insight Practice (vipassanā), because vipassanā (insight-wisdom) alone is able to penetrate into the truth of nāma-rūpa. Therefore, to develop Insight it is necessary to learn and study in
order to develop a good understanding of nāma-rūpa so to be able to apprehend the truth of nāma-rūpa.[33]
But as mentioned earlier, the methodology for apprehending nāma-rūpa has to be in line with the principles of the Four Foundations of
Mindfulness. [28] Moreover, developing the Foundations of Mindfulness is nothing other
than developing the Noble Eightfold Path (magga
8). The development of the Noble Eightfold Path is the development of sīla-samādhi-paññā (morality, concentration and wisdom). Practicing by
oneself The yogi (Dhamma practitioner)
must be familiar with the following four tasks concerning his duty in the
practice on his own:
1 he must be
on his own, eat on his own, and sleep on his own 2 he must not talk nor converse about unnecessary
things; but if talking happens to be necessary, he must have
mindfulness while doing it; too much talking is a cause for wandering
mind/restlessness (uddhacca) to multiply 3 sleeping must be moderate, if it is not
necessary to sleep during the daytime he should avoid it; too much sleep is a
cause for sloth & torpor, when these hindrances become too strong the
mind looses perseverance, and then concentration and wisdom (samādhi and paññā) have no chance
to arise [29] 4 he must
keep himself away from the “obstacles” (palibodha), which are all various kinds of worries and concerns[34].
In the context of not doing what is not necessary, when developing khamatthāna,[35]
it means to do only that which is genuinely necessary: eating, bathing,
defecating, urinating, and sitting, lying down, standing and walking…
such kinds of things. Letting the mind follow unnecessary objects is opening
the door to defilements—covetousness and unpleasant mental feeling [abhijjā and domanassa]—to
arise and dominate Once these elementary tasks altogether have been understood, the practitioner can proceed with the
development of Insight (vipassanā). As it was mentioned at
the beginning, to develop Insight is about fully understanding nāma-rūpa itself, because all mental defilements and pollutants (kilesas and āsavas) depend for
their arising just on this, our very own nāma-rūpa, having as a
basis not-knowing regarding the truth of nāma-rūpa. Not-knowing is because not-contemplating. For this
reason, when doing vipassanā, it is indispensable to contemplate nāma and rūpa in order to know them as they really are: impermanent, etc. When one
knows the truth of nāma-rūpa already, the love, yearning and infatuation with nāma-rūpa [30] due to wrong
understanding will cool down. Also the wish to be born will come to an end as
a result of seeing the harm and danger inherent in life (i.e. birth). One
will gradually get beyond this whole mass of suffering. According to that which Lord Buddha teaches in the Discourses (sutta), suffering as a Noble Truth
is: jāti, jarā, marana (birth, old age and death),
soka, parideva, dukkha, domanassa, upāyāsa (sorrow, lamentation, bodily and mental
pain, grief and despair); appīyehi sampayogo (contact with
what is disliked), piyehi vippayogo (separation from what is liked),
yampīcchang na labhati (and not to get what one wants);
sankhitena pancha-upādāna-khandā dukkha (in short, the five aggregates themselves because they themselves are
suffering). These eleven elements
altogether are mentioned in the way of the Discourses. But the truth of
suffering mentioned in the Discourses is not at all different from the one
mentioned in the Paramattha[36] because
the characteristics and manifestations of the intrinsic nature (sabhāva) of phenomena are mentioned in the Discourses too. [31] For example, “jāti pi dukkha” means “arising (birth) is suffering”, etc. Now, if we happen to question
such “arising (jāti)” – in the sense of “whose
birth (jāti) is that?” or “who is born (jāti) to get a life (birth)?” – the truth
of suffering mentioned here in the way of the Discourses means it is the birth of consciousness, mental concomitants, and materiality
(citta, cetasika and rūpa), which is no other than the truth of suffering in terms of ultimate truth (paramattha). The same applies to the intrinsic nature (sabhāva) of old age
(decay) and death: Who decays?
Consciousness, mental concomitants and materiality. Who dies? Consciousness,
mental concomitants and materiality. The remaining [eight] components of the Noble Truth of
Suffering—sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair, contact with
what one doesn’t like, separation from what one likes, and not getting
what one wants—mentioned in this way [the way of the Discourses], are
in themselves the manifestations of [in Abhidhamma terminology] lust, aversion and unpleasant feeling
(rāga, dosa, and dukkha-vedanā). Lord Buddha ends up summarizing this as the dukkha derived from the five aggregates-of-attachment (upādāna-khandha), that is to say, from citta,
cetasika and rūpa. [Interrelation] The practitioner must not worry that by only contemplating the body he
will not be able to eradicate defilement or attain path-and-result (magga-phala). He needs not to worry
that by contemplating the body the other three objects of contemplation will
not be seen: feeling, mind and mind-objects. In fact, by contemplating the
body, also feeling, mind and mind-objects will be seen, because the [32] Four Foundations of Mindfulness are all interrelated between themselves. At the moment of contemplating the postures, stiffness and/or aching as
a result of lying down, standing, sitting, or walking for some time will
surely appear. The state of stiffness and/or aching is dukkha-vedanā (unpleasant feeling). At the moment of contemplating the posture and
stiffness and/or aching arises, dislike for that unpleasant feeling will
surely present itself. When the posture has just been changed, the unpleasant
feeling disappears: satisfaction with sukha-vedanā (pleasant feeling) will surely present itself. At the moment of
contemplating the postures, the heart/mind will surely wander away: thinking,
recalling, drifting—a bit about this, a bit about that. Sometimes the
mind will follow objects of the past: recalling stories which have already
passed. Other times it will think about the future: planning to do generous
deeds—supporting a monastery, giving robes to the monks, building a
Buddha image, building a kuti for khamatthāna (meditation hut)…—thinking all sorts of stories…
planning to tell your father, mother, and/or relatives, to come to
meditate… etc. This shows how defilement is always pulling away from
the present object. The present object is extremely important. When the
hindrances (nīvaranas) are happening like this, the mind cannot establish itself with rūpa, which is the present condition that is taking place; thus one cannot
have present object, the mind cannot stay fixed.[37]
Thinking and feeling (immediate cognition) still cannot be
differentiated. 1 Contemplating the postures is classified as kāyanupassanā.[38] [33] 2 When there arises stiffness and/or aching, or sukha-vedanā (pleasant feeling), if wisdom sees this and recognizes
it distinctly as a rūpa or a nāma, it is then classified as vedanānupassanā [contemplation of feeling]. 3 When one is stiff and/or sore dissatisfaction arises (i.e. dosa). Just as one changes into the new posture, the aching is
healed, satisfaction arises (lobha-mind arises). At the moment that the mind is dosa or lobha
(irritated or greedy), if one understands this with the wisdom that knows it
as a nāma, it is then classified as cittanupassanā [contemplation
of mind]. 4
At the moment of thinking about something or drifting away, and one becomes
aware of it, one does not like it. Other times one does, which is when one
wants to continue the story until the end before coming back to see the rūpa. Sleepiness, depression, discouragement, may also
arise; or other times doubt: “Did the Awakened One really existed? Is
the ‘Unconstructed’[39] something real?” If these objects are contemplated with the
wisdom that knows them as nāma, it is then classified as dhammanupassanā [contemplation
of dhammas].[40] So the practitioner doesn’t have to worry that by only
contemplating rūpa the defilements would not be eradicated. By only contemplating rūpa one can also see feeling, mind, and dhammas; by only
contemplating rūpa one can attain path-and-fruition and Nibbāna if the
practitioner brings about the correct causes in line with the principles of
practice until [34] wisdom arises. All
the classificatory categories just mentioned are interrelated. The reason Lord Buddha distinguishes four different
foundations for developing mindfulness (satipatthāna 4) is that different beings
have different preferences and different dispositions. Lord Buddha’s
advice for the practitioner: 1 not to do anything that will deteriorate the mental development 2 not to talk nor
socialize with anybody 3 not to associate with anyone whether they are practicing mental
development or not 4 not to give more importance to sleep than to develop the Foundations of
Mindfulness 5 not to delight in the taste of food 6 to seriously keep restraint (samvara)
coupled with sense-restraint (samvara-indriya)
[35] Auxiliary
Reasoning At the moment of contemplating one needs to apply observation, sikkhati, at all times, as well as to
be aware of oneself—what/who
is oneself? Oneself is the
one who contemplates [the nāma that contemplates]—and also one has to know what rūpa is being contemplated, such as sitting-rūpa, etc. Most practitioners tend to passively contemplate and know it is rūpa, without knowing what rūpa it is; because at the moment of contemplating they don’t become
receptive to what rūpa or what nāma is being contemplated. They know passively (non-consciously or unaware
of themselves), that is, without knowing who/what contemplates. Their
minds aim knowing at the rūpa, grasping at the mode, without knowing what rūpa that mode is. If it’s like this, the various rūpas and nāmas cannot be distinguished, cannot be scattered out, because they are
like adhered to each other clustered in a lump. If one goes on in this way, the heart/mind becomes peaceful and still,
this is calmness (samādhi), but that’s all, nothing more. Calm—concentration or
tranquility—is when the mind does not go anywhere and the awareness
“is kept [inside] in the heart/mind”. This matter is of vital
importance: samādhi (calm) is misleading in that it leads one to suppose that one is
achieving this and that level (of insight-knowledge). If somebody would say
that that isn’t the way of vipassanā, the practitioner would probably
get annoyed right away. It is precisely for this reason, that the one who knows (the good/true friend,
the instructor: kalyānamitta) would rather not speak, not telling the practitioner that what
he’s doing is not yet correct—to keep neutral is equal to take
care of the practitioner’s confidence (saddhā). But the consequences could perhaps be detrimental for the
practitioner himself: he might even insult the teacher thinking that he does
not have the knowledge that he himself has because he doesn’t say
anything, so he would then [36] build up more unskillful action (akusala-kamma).[41]
Particularly if the teacher is a person possessing special virtue (guna-dhamma) of a higher type that
action will become an obstruction, not giving mindfulness-wisdom (sati-paññā) the opportunity to contemplate the rationale of the practice that allows insight into truth in a
theoretical level as mentioned in the scriptures. When the practitioner
cannot access truth through the study of the scriptures, it’s hopeless
to try to get the practice in the right course—it all ends up in wrong
view (micchā-ditthi). It is important at an initial stage to have knowledge of the
scriptures (pariyatti: theoretical
understanding of Dhamma); when one applies this correct understanding to the
practice (patipatti), then the
practice will be fruitful—sometimes more, sometimes less—and
surely one will get some flavor, some feeling, that one has never gotten
before. For the most part, practitioners aim for the result—they want a
result. As for the cause [of the result] they don’t really care too
much. Thus when they start to practice they have a tendency to “make
arrangements” [prepare, get things ready] hoping to see things as they
have heard they should be, and as they themselves somehow think they should
be. At some places they are taught to force and to control. So they make an effort to force and to
control—now they make an
effort to force; now they make an effort to control—after doing this
for some time they have no idea of how to practice at all. If they never had
an understanding of the correct justification—logic or
rationale—of the practice, their practice will deteriorate right away. If they, who in the past
have already discovered the correct contemplation, just let go of this
“arranging things” [fabricating], they would see the objects of contemplation that they
have seen before show up by themselves due to the familiarity they carry
along by their previous [correct] training. In fact, one comes to train in
order to allow the correct understanding to arise (by itself) from the training—it’s
not that it arises from our doing, i.e. because one makes it
happen. If one brings in “oneself” to do, the correct
knowledge does not arise. It cannot arise because the self (attā) got in the way. There must not be a self (anattā) [37] so that the correct
knowledge may be able to arise. Doing kammatthāna [fabricating] is
not difficult at all, but not doing [not fabricating] –that is
extraordinarily difficult! Whoever comes to practice, comes to practice
aiming to do [fabricate] something; and if on top of that they have
been taught to practice in the “doing-something way”, they
will do it BIG for sure. “Um… coming to practice and not allowed to do, then
why to come at all?” There are actually some people who think like
that. Nevertheless, by the abovementioned truth of the cause and the effect,[42] there is
a task here. However, this task is not
a doing-task, but a seeing-task. One watches whatever there is,
like when seeing somebody else.[43]
One sees with the heart/mind. One sees but also observes. One does it without
wishing to do it right and without worrying that it might end up wrong. One
just works on bringing about the correct cause(s) by following the logical
instructions: the place that defilement depends on for its occurrence is the
place where one has to learn to recognize it. One practices like this until
defilement has no place to depend on, until rūpa-nāma is known as such so it becomes one’s teacher. Just then is when vipassanā must surely happen. I see it not difficult at all—one makes it
difficult A Summary to Contemplate Mental and Physical Events
(nāma & rupa)
which are an Object of Vipassanā[44]
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[1] Rūpa is to be translated as “materiality”,
or as “material (or physical) phenomena (or event)”, to
differentiate it from “matter”. For example, the
bodily postures, although they rely on matter (that is, on the four great
elements), they are not in themselves matter,
or concrete matter, but
“mind-produced matter” (cittajarūpa)—therefore they are to be known through the
mind-door.
For a better understanding of the Buddhist terms see the Pāli
Glossary as often as necessary. Pāli is
the language of the earliest Buddhist scriptures by which the whole Teaching is exposed
[2] Nāma has the
characteristic of knowing (an object)—even though nāma itself can also
be an object of observation—while rūpa has the
characteristic of not knowing anything
[3] This term is usually translated as
“suffering”; or as “stress”, etc. These renderings can
be limited and misleading because of the background they stand for in Western thought.
So it’s preferable not to give an equivalent. It’s also difficult
to find an exact translation for some Pāli terms since they can change their meaning
according to the context
[4] One better be
careful with terms like “not bearable” or “no longer
tolerated”, thinking that it means when one’s bones and muscles are
about to break up or one is on the verge of dying. This isn’t an ascetic
practice. One changes naturally: when dukkha
(stiffness
and/or aching) tells us it’s time to take care of it: it’s time to change
the posture/gesture
[5]
Defilement depends on defilement to arise, which is the endless continuation of
dukkha
[6] Lobha
(liking, greed, etc.) and dosa (disliking, anger, etc.) are some of the
impurities that the text refers to when talking about defilement. See
the Glossary under “kilesa”
[7] From
now on the terms nāma and rūpa
would not be translated; however, one needs to keep in mind their true meaning.
For example, if it reads “nāma is
the one who knows”, it means: “a mental event is what
knows (instead of me, myself or I)”
[8] One is knowing the object only with sati,
and not with sampajañña, i.e. one knows the object, but not which rūpa or nāma it is
[9] The eye does not see sitting-rūpa,
etc.; it sees color (or light) (only). They are mind-objects (dhamma-ārammana), not visible-objects
[10] “Citta” and “mano” are synonyms. What we
usually understand as “mind”, in Pāli is known as “heart”: the
center & focus of man’s emotional nature as well as that intellectual
element which inheres in and accompanies its manifestations; i.e. thought.
[11] The Pāli terms “lobha” and
“tanhā” have the exact same meaning; but
“lobha” is mostly used in
the Abhidhamma, while “tanhā” in the Discourses. Lobha is
usually translated as greed and tanhā as craving. Nevertheless, a whole
range of terms applies to both, depending on the context and/or the intensity
of the impulse, accordingly: desire, covetousness, longing, wish, expectation,
intention, liking, inclination, etc.
[12] Lord Buddha’s
assemblies are four: monks, nuns, and male and female lay disciples
[13] It’s important to understand the
sometimes-subtle difference between “accepting” and
“enduring” dukkha. This
practice is not about enduring; it’s about knowing that if it’s necessary
one goes on and does it (change). Enduring is defilement (kilesa)
[14] In other words, one
is obliged to eat not because the food is tasty or enjoyable; one is obliged
to eat because… of hunger (makes us eat, not the tastiness of
the food).
“As the cockerel
constantly scratches the ground in search of food; so should the monk
constantly reflect on the food he takes reminding himself, ‘I eat this
not for enjoyment, nor for complexion, but merely to appease the pain of hunger
and to enable me to practice, thus I shall put an end to sorrow”
[15] Does the filth come from the clothing or
from our body?
[16] “Doing kammatthāna” means “to fabricate” something. The
true nature of things remains unseen as long as one is focused on what one is
fabricating. Kammatthāna is not something that one can do: one walks to cure suffering
(only), meanwhile kammatthāna happens by itself; it happens, so to speak,
as a “side-effect”. This practice is not about doing
“walking-meditation”, or “sitting-meditation”, etc.
“No to do” (not to fabricate, i.e. to stop
doing that which is unnecessary—that which would not be impossible not to
do, for it depends on our desire, on our liking or disliking) is the key to the
end of sorrow
[17] This is another term hard to translate and
understand mainly because in everyday language one relates it to control.
However, the development of vipassanā-wisdom is in no way related to control (attā). It actually consists of letting go of
every form of control—control that one habitually uses in
daily life. So one needs to become familiar with the “no-control-feeling”,
i.e. the “anattā-feeling”, which can be done only through the
correct understanding of restraint. Restraint: to simply
(softly) refrain from doing that which is unnecessary, that which doesn’t
have (the easing of) dukkha as its cause or motive. It’s
unnecessary to look for something
necessary (to do), dukkha tells
us—to look for is desire
[18] Nāma means a mental phenomenon (only): not a self, not a
“me” or “mine”
[19]
Wandering mind is a dhamma classified
within the five hindrances (nīvarana) in the fourth and last exercise
of satipatthāna,
“contemplation of dhammas”. In this
context dhamma can be understood as comprising all phenomena classified by
way of the categories of the Dhamma, the Buddha’s teaching. Phenomena are
contemplated “in terms of” the categories listed as dhammas;
which are the five hindrances, the seven awakening factors, the five
aggregates, the six sense spheres, and the four noble truths
[20] It is for this kind of careful observation
or scrutiny (sikkhati) to discern if one is practicing correctly or not.
An example of practicing incorrectly is when one becomes aware of wandering
mind and one quickly pulls the mind back to be with the rūpa.
Correct practice would be when sikkhati, observation, becomes aware of
this fact. Further it may also have the opportunity to know that when this
happens it’s because one harbors aversion to wandering mind; and this
aversion is due to attraction (i.e. desire) to be with the rūpa
(all the time) (this would be the development of desire and not of wisdom)
[21] In this particular case the working-ground
is the objects of observation that are used to set up mindfulness
[22] i.e. to learn by doing (mistakes), by
repetition
[23] This is to prevent the arising of the idea
that it is “I” that feels the pain, feels the physical sickness,
etc.
[24] Acquiring this faith is called “going
for refuge” in Lord Buddha. The “refuge” here derives from
the fact that one has placed trust in the truth of Lord Buddha’s
Awakening and expects that by following his teachings—in particular, and
to begin with, the principle of skillful kamma—one protects
oneself from creating further suffering for oneself or others, eventually
reaching true, unconditioned release. This act of going for refuge is what
qualifies one as a Buddhist—as opposed to someone simply interested in
Lord Buddha’s teachings—and puts one in a position to benefit fully
from what Lord Buddha taught
[25] The Triple Gem: the Awakened One, the
Teaching, and the Noble Order or holy community of the accomplished followers
of Lord Buddha
[26] “One is one’s own refuge, who
else could be the refuge?” –Lord Buddha said
[27] Lord
Buddha’s personal name. Sanskrit form: Siddhartha
[28] Noble
truths, realities or facts. It can mean, ‘truths for a, or of the, noble
one(s)’, i.e. truths that will make one noble, or the truths which bring about nobility
[29] The origin of what? Of suffering. What is
the origin of suffering? Craving (tanhā). Thus craving is the defilement that
causes or originates dukkha (in us)
[30] The mayor postures are: walking, sitting,
lying down and standing. The minor are: stretching, bending, eating, drinking,
chewing, scratching, urinating, brushing the teeth, taking a shower, gazing,
moving the head to one side, to the other side, etc.
[31] It’s not that suffering is
comprehended first and then one gives up craving. At the moment suffering is
known (first truth), craving cannot arise (second truth), thus the path (fourth
truth) leading to cessation (third truth) is simultaneously developed
[32] See foot note no.
19
[33] “Apprehending the truth” is not
theoretical, it is “experimental”—it depends on what
is immediately felt (purely cognized) not on language, verbalization, conceptualization,
thinking, etc.
[34] Such as to forget, before going into
seclusion, to pay a bill or leave food to the dog, etc.
[35] In this case “developing kammatthāna” means to cultivate the mind to know
the present object with frequency
[36] “Paramattha”
is used here to refer to the Abhidhamma—the Abhidhamma is comprised
solely of paramattha(s) (ultimate realities), it is the systematic
classification of such, while the Discourses (sutta) otherwise mention
these realities in terms of “persons” and “things”
[37] This mentions only to let the practitioner
know the fact—by no way it means that the practitioner should begin to
do something (about it), i.e. try to change the fact. This practice
is purely about becoming familiar with facts, about acknowledging reality (as
it is)—not changing it! Just to know is enough (as
opposite to not-knowing); anything extra apart from this means one is already doing, i.e. fabricating, intervening
[38] Kāyanupassanā = kāya-anupassanā.
Kāya = body. Anupassanā = contemplation
[39] Nibbāna is the Unconstructed because it is the tranquillising of the constructing activities and thus of
personality factors they construct. See the Glossary under Nibbāna
[40] See foot note no. 19
[41] An unwholesome/harmful/incorrect action (not
conducing to well-being or to the end of suffering) —popularly speaking:
“bad karma”. See the Glossary under “kamma”
[42] cause = correct understanding; effect
= correct contemplation (correct contemplation = not doing, not forcing, not
controlling, not (over)focusing, not grasping, not trying)
[43] This suggests that when one sees somebody
else there is less inclination to take it (so) personally as
opposed to when watching oneself. Seeing somebody else is more of an impersonal
situation. When nāma-rūpa becomes the object (of observation) is like seeing
somebody else, instead of the usual me or mine, myself or
I
[44] What is the purpose of this summary of contemplation? To differentiate the characteristics of nāma from those of rupa. Nāma has the characteristic of knowing an object (even though it can also be an object of observation itself), while rupa cannot know anything