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Commentary on the Heartwood Discourse

(Mahàsàropama Sutta MN 29)

By Jhanananda (Jeffrey S. Brooks)
(copyright 2001 to 2006 all rights reserved)
Bolinas, CA, November 25, 2006

Hello dear friends, the Heartwood Discourse (Mahàsàropama Sutta MN 29) is often sited by the dry, or stoic insight (vipassana) community as a means of undermining the Ecstatic Buddhist premise that meditative absorption (jhana, samadhi) is indispensable on the path to enlightenment (nibanna).  What they miss is the Buddha defined the eightfold of the Noble Eightfold Path in terns of meditative absorption (jhana, samadhi), where as there is no fold of the Noble Eightfold Path that the Buddha defined in terms of insight (vipassana). 

The Buddha's definition of the 8th fold of the Noble Eightfold Path Maha-satipatthana Sutta (DN 22.22), translated from the Pali by Jhananda 11-02-06
 (1st Jhana)
[22]"And what Bhikkhus is right absorption (sammàsamàdhi)? There is the case where a contemplative is withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unwholesome mental states and beliefs; with applied and sustained attention and bliss and joy (pãtisukhaü) one resides in the clarity of the first ecstasy (pañhamaü jhànaü).

The Buddha also defined Seven Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhanga, sambojjhanaga). Meditative absorption (jhana, samadhi) is the 6th factor, whereas, my friends, insight (vipassana) was not listed by the Buddha as a Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhanga, sambojjhanaga).  The Buddha also described 10 'Great fruits' of the contemplative life, (Samaññaphala, Maha-Phala), but friends he did not list insight (vipassana) as one of the 10 Great fruits (Maha-Phala) of the contemplative life. So, friends, what is the point of the Heartwood Discourse (Mahàsàropama Sutta MN 29) where the Buddha clearly states meditative absorption (jhana, samadhi) is not the Heartwood of the Noble Eightfold Path?

Jhanasamyutta SN 9.53

"Bhikkhus, there are these five higher fetters.  What five?  Lust for form, lust for the formless, conceit, restlessness, ignorance.  These are the five higher fetters.  The four meditative absorptions (jhanas) are to be developed for direct knowledge of these five higher fetters, for the full understanding of them, for their utter destruction, for their abandoning."
(Samyutta Nikaya trans. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Wisdom, 2000)

The point of the Heartwood Discourse (Mahàsàropama Sutta MN 29) is not to reject the value of meditative absorption (jhana, samadhi), as too many misinformed bhikkhus and lay Vipassana teachers attempt to do.  After all it is the very definition of the 8th fold of the Noble Eightfold Path (DN 22). But, to simply say one should not be satisfied with just the honor and respect that one gains in just wearing the saffron robes, nor just in attaining virtue, which is sila, nor even in a single experience of the attainment of meditative absorption (jhana, samadhi), but one must continue all of the way to liberation from the mind (cetovimutti).

You will notice, by the way, that the term 'vipassana' does not even appear here in this sutta.  So, those misinformed priests and lay teachers who reject meditative absorption while looking for heartwood have come away satisfied with just a hand full of leaves, which is the suttas, and the honor and respect of wearing the robes and belonging to a 'lineage', however they missed meditative absorption (jhana, samadhi) and liberation from the mind (cetovimutti), thus they too have missed the heartwood.

Further, if one were to read the suttas one will find where the Buddha describes 8 kinds of liberation (attha vimokkha-mukha). Liberation from the mind (cetovimutti) is only one of them. The concept of 8 liberations (attha vimokkha), occurs frequently in the suttas; however vipassana is not one of the liberations, but six of the levels of Liberation are meditative absorption (jhana, samadhi).

The 8 liberations (attha vimokkha-mukha)
 

samadhi

English

Pali

1

  

conditionlessness (or signlessness)

animitta v.

2

  

desirelessness

apanihita v.

3

4

deliverances of mind

ceto-vimutti

4

5

Deliverances from the finite

ákásánañcáyatana

5

6

Deliverance from space into consciousness

viññánañcáyatana

6

7

Deliverance from consciousness into nothingness

ákiñeaññáyatana

7

8

Deliverance from nothingness into neither-perception-nor-non-perception

n'eva-saññá-násaññáyatana

8

9

Deliverance from neither-perception-nor-non-perception into extinction

s. nirodha-samápatti

The concept of 8 liberations (attha vimokkha), occurs frequently in the texts (D. 15.34, 16, M. 43.26 A. VIII, 66 etc.)

Friends, in Asia it is easy for any wealthy person to gain honor and respect.  All one need do is buy it.  In Asia a wealthy merchant can buy monasteries, and millions of devotees by feeding millions of people.  However, friends, influence does not mean one understands the dhamma.  Having many devotees just supports P.T. Barnum's claim, 'a sucker is born every minute,' because people, priests (who are pretentious hypocrite), and institutions can be bought, but liberation, enlightenment and true insight cannot be bought.  They can only be won through leading a skillful contemplative life. A pretentious hypocrite has only come away with a hand full of leaves.

What is a pretentious hypocrite?
The Collected Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book [V: 99-100] 46: Links. 44
A certain bhikkhu once asked the Blessed Buddha: Venerable Sir, it is said: a pretentious hypocrite... In what way, Venerable Sir, can one rightly be called a pretentious hypocrite?
Bhikkhu, it is because a Bhikkhu has neither developed nor cultivated these Seven Factors of Enlightenment that one rightly is called a pretentious hypocrite!!! What seven?
1: The Awareness Factor of Enlightenment.
2: The Investigation Factor of Enlightenment.
3: The Energy Factor of Enlightenment.
4: The Bliss Factor of Enlightenment.
5: The Tranquility Factor of Enlightenment.
6: The Ecstasy Factor of Enlightenment.
7: The Equanimity Factor of Enlightenment.
It is because a Bhikkhu has neither developed nor ever cultivated these Seven Factors of Enlightenment that one is called a pretentious hypocrite...

The Buddha defined the eightfold of the Noble Eightfold Path in terns of meditative absorption (jhana, samadhi); however, he did not define any part of the Noble Eightfold Path in terms of insight (vipassana). He also defined Seven Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhanga, sambojjhanaga). Meditative absorption (jhana, samadhi) is the 6th factor, whereas, my friends, insight (vipassana) was not listed by the Buddha as a Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhanga, sambojjhanaga).  The Buddha also described 10 'Great fruits' of the contemplative life, (Samaññaphala, Maha-Phala), but friends he did not list insight (vipassana) as one of the 10 Great Fruits (Maha-Phala) of the contemplative life.

Sources:

Jhanasamyutta SN 9.53

(Samyutta Nikaya trans. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Wisdom, 2000)

Mahàsàropama sutta (MN 29) "The Major Discourse on Heartwood". Pali

Maha-nidana Sutta (DN-15) 'The Larger Discourse on Causation, Dependent Origination (paticca samuppada), Seven Stations of Cognition, Eight Emancipations'

Maha-satipatthana Sutta (DN 22), 'Larger Discourse on the Four Paths of Mindfulness' updated 10-27-04

What is a pretentious hypocrite?

The Collected Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book [V: 99-100] 46: Links. 44

Kindest regards,
Jeffrey S, Brooks
(sámañña Jhananda)
the Great Western Vehicle 
PO Box 93
Bolinas, CA 94924

Commentary on the Heartwood Discourse (Mahàsàropama Sutta MN 29)

http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/criticism/heartwood.htm

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