Jhananda (Jeffrey S, Brooks)
the Great Western Vehicle
PO Box 41795
Tucson, AZ 85717
http://www.becomepeace.org/
Sources:
Mahaasaccaka
sutta (MN 36)
"Climbing
to the Top of the Mountain: An interview with Bhikkhu Bodhi"
Satipatthanasamyutta SN 8 (8) The
Competent Cook
The Interior Castle, St. Teresa of Avila,
translation and introduction by Mirabai Star. Riverhead Books, Published
by the Berkley Publishing Group a division of Penguin Group USA Inc. 375
Hudson Street, New York NY 10014, 2003
Rumi, the Illustrated Rumi, translated
by Colman Barks
Dark Night of the Soul,
John of the Cross (pg 61 p 2).
Dark Night of the Soul, by St. John of the Cross
(1542-1591) translated by E. Allison Peers, Image Books, Garden City, New
York, 3rd addition, 1959
Jhana Sutta (AN
XI.36)
Dispelling Common Misconceptions Regarding Insight (vipassana) and Absorption (Jhana/dhyana)
Nivapa Sutta MN 25.12
(Majjhima Nikaya trans. Bhikkhus Nanamoli & Bodhi,
Wisdom, 1995)
(((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))
The following interview was sent to me by Bhante
Vimalaramsi on the following date. It came with no courses,.
on 6/30/06 7:20 AM, Bhante Vimalaramsi at bhante_vimalaramsi@yahoo.com
wrote:
Dhamma Greetings,
Please send this to Jeff, so he will have some real
Buddhist perspective on what meditation is supposed to be according to
the Buddha. Thank you.
Metta
Bhante Vimalaramsi
PS I have asked Jeff to take me off of your mailing
list and apparently he has not done this. Please do so now. Thank you
June 19, 2006 "Reclaiming the Buddha's Words:
An Opening Interview", with Venerable Bhante Vimalaramsi, Annapolis,
Missouri, Ozark Mountains. Jeta's Grove & Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center.
Interviewer: What was the main discovery the Buddha
made that was different from other teachings at that time?
Bhante V: Well, the first and most important discovery
was that of finding exactly how the process of Dependent Origination occurs,
through seeing, using, realizing and understanding the 4 Noble Truths and
how they work. This is the "Middle Way" which is by far the most important
discovery that the Buddha made. Another insight that he had was that there
is a definite connection between both mind and body. Because most people
would agree with this today, this sounds a bit odd. Though during the time
of the Buddha, it was a common practice to torture one's body and just
focus on mental development. This practice and the meditation that went
along with it tried to ignore the body and the feelings that arose when
mind became extremely absorbed and one-pointed.
Even today there are many practices that lead one
to deep absorption or ecstatic states. This is where there are only mental
states and the body no longer has any feelings arising in it while in a
Jhana. In sutta number 111, "The Anupada Sutta" of the Majjhima Nikaya,
there is the description of Venerable Sariputta's meditation experience.
In this sutta it tells how the five aggregates (that is body [contact],
feeling, perception, volitional formations and consciousness) were present
while he was in each of the jhanas. This implies that there is a very strong
connection between mind and body even while one is in a "jhana" (this
Pali word means a meditation stage of understanding).
Interviewer: As a teacher, what are your main sources
for teaching the Dhamma?
Bhante V: My main sources for teaching come from
the Suttas and the Books of Discipline (Vinaya) which brings me to a point
that many people misunderstand (especially in the West). The Vinaya is
usually thought to be only the "Rules of Discipline" for the monks, but
actually there is a great deal of wisdom and practical advice one can gain
by reading the suttas in the Vinaya. When I give Dhamma talks I read a
Sutta and explain how it is relevant to one's daily meditation practice.
I mainly use the Majjhima Nikaya, the Samyutta Nikaya (the Bhikkhu Bodhi
Translations from Wisdom Publications) and occasionally take some Suttas
from the Vinaya. If you want to get a sample of a Dhamma talk go to our
website at www.dhammasukha.org/Study/resources.htm#talk <http://www.dhammasukha.org/Study/resources.htm> .
The main thrust of the way I teach is to inspire
meditators to have their own direct experience of what the Suttas and Vinaya
are teaching us. I closely follow the instructions given in "The Anapanasati
Sutta " # 118 in the Majjhima Nikaya. Basically, these instructions tell
us to tranquilize or relax our mind and body on both the in-breath and
the out-breath. This tranquilizing or relaxing of subtle tightnesses or
tensions in both mind and body is the secret to the Buddha's teachings.
It seems that this is ignored and/or not practiced today, or it is not
understood that one needs to consciously relax on both the in and out breath.
This "relaxing or tranquilizing" does not happen automatically, it takes
sharp observation and effort to relax on both the in-breath and the out-breath,
to do this meditation in the way that the Buddha shows us!
Interviewer: Why are so many people having trouble
achieving full liberation from the taints and fetters, through meditation
today?
Bhante V: One of the main reasons is the way Buddhism
is being presented to Westerners by the Eastern teachers. In the East,
the average person is around Buddhist monks all of the time and they think
they have lots of time to become "awakened". Plus they are very
light and "happy-go-lucky", they love to indulge in food, sleep and other
sensual pleasures; so when they go to learn about meditation at the monasteries
or temples the teachers are rather severe and harsh. These teachers have
to push them very hard to get serious about the practice. When a Westerner
goes to an Asian teacher they are taught in the same way.
The problem is, that Westerners, generally speaking
are already too serious and very goal oriented. Westerners by nature are
very hard workers and they are willing to put huge amounts of effort into
attaining their goals. So when the Asian teacher begins to push the Westerner
and tries to make them work harder, the Westerners really go for it, with
too much energy.
A person might, for example, go to Myanmar for a
3 month retreat and cut down on their intake of food (and sleep) too much
and lose lots of weight (some think that this is good, but when they get
home the weight comes back), as a result their energy goes down and then
they try to push and work even harder. What Westerners need is not to put
more energy into their practice, but less. The Buddha's Teaching is about
developing a balanced way of doing things, and because we are such a goal
oriented society we need to cultivate more joy and ease, in our practice.
The Eastern teachers tell the meditators to "not
be attached" when joy arises, because it comes up so easily for the
Eastern mind. But when a Westerner is told that, they will immediately
push the feeling of joy away and stop it from arising. We need to realize
that joy is one of the Enlightenment Factors and it is necessary for the
meditator to experience it. When joy is in one's mind and body, mind becomes
very light, extremely observant, and agile. It becomes easy to notice when
joy disappears and a heavy mental state arises, so the meditator's mindfulness
sharpens when joy is present.
Another thing that slows down one's progress is,
here in the West, there are just too many different things that the meditator
does in the name of seeking enlightenment. By this I mean I have seen - "Yoga-Buddhism", "Psychotherapy-Buddhism", "Christian-Buddhism", "Theravada
Buddhism", "Tai Chi-Buddhism", "Hindu-Buddhism", "Bon-Buddhism", "Mahayana
Buddhism", "Psychology-Buddhism", "New-Age Buddhism", "Tantric-Buddhism", "Commentary
Buddhism" and a whole variety of other types of practices that are being
promoted in the name of "Buddhism". There are too many other traditions
that are being mixed in with the Buddha's Teaching and, as a result, no
one is actually practicing Buddhism, the way that the Buddha taught us.
When anyone wants to mix one practice with another
discipline, it is like trying to bake a cake without using the correct
ingredients. You may wind up with something that looks like a cake, but
it certainly won't taste like what you had wanted, when you started.
This is why when I start to read from the suttas
it comes as such a surprise to people who have been practicing meditation
for years and years. It sounds so foreign to them! Also, all of these years
of practice are thought to have been a waste of time, but actually if the
meditator lets-go of all of their other practices and information. Then
just follows the Buddha's teachings that are being taught. Those years
of discipline actually help the meditator to develop their meditation progress
more quickly and more easily.
The key is only to do one kind of practice at a time,
and to do that practice fully, see where it ends up. If it doesn't seem
like it is the way for you, then choose another practice and do that one
fully. If one tries to mix and match, some of this with some of that, it
can turn out to be a jumbled mix and actually cause harm to some people.
They can never see the real benefits of their practice and can become quite
confused.
Another thing that takes place is that Dhamma talks
have turned into an entertainment for meditators rather than a time to
learn the deeper aspects of the practice. Some years ago I heard the term "Diluted
-Dhamma". This seems to be the way that most talks are being delivered
these days. The idea that one can say anything as long as it agrees with "their
heart" is not necessarily following the way to liberation or the Buddha's
Path. This is the very reason that I read directly from the suttas. To
coin a phrase, "this is hearing it straight from the horse's mouth"!
In other words, we have the Buddha's Teachings today in reasonably good
shape, so let's take advantage of it and go back to the original teachings!
The Buddha's teachings are very complete in and by
themselves, there is no need to add or subtract anything. And every time
something is added or subtracted, it changes the actual teachings, which
in turn slows down one's spiritual progress and understanding. This is
why there are so few honestly successful practitioners of meditation! The
whole reason is the "Diluted Dhamma" that is currently being presented
as being the Buddha's Teachings. There actually is great danger in doing
this with the confusion and frustrating way so many people are experiencing,
today.
Another thing that has taken place over the years
since the Buddha passed away is that there have been many commentaries
written by monks and laymen. Some of them are good and very helpful and
others are not so good, and can lead us in a direction that isn't "immediately
effective" and they don't lead to final liberation "here and
now". There is a very popular commentary that has been used for over
1500 years (300 generations) that separates Samatha (serenity meditation)
and Vipassana (insight meditation) into two different types of meditation.
If you would go to "The Mahasalayatanika Sutta ", # 149, in the Middle
Length Sayings, in section 10 it says: "These two things - serenity
and insight - occur in him evenly yoked together". This shows us that
serenity (Samatha) and insight (Vipassana) are not separate practices to
be divided up and practiced at different times.
Also, again, if you would go to sutta #111, "The
Anupada Sutta" (one of my personal favorite suttas), you will see a description
of Venerable Sariputta's meditation experience given by the Buddha. This
sutta shows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that serenity and insight (Samatha/Vipassana)
were practiced while Venerable Sariputta (who is considered today to be
a "dry Arahat" meaning that he only practiced straight vipassana) was experiencing
each of the material and immaterial "jhanas" (meditation stages of understanding).
Interviewer: What are the qualities and teachings
that we should look for in a teacher when we are ready to practice meditation?
Bhante V: One of the most important things to look
for in the teacher and his guidance is, whether that teacher understands
and teaches their students Dependent Origination as seen through the eyes
of the 4 Noble Truths. This is the core teaching that the Buddha spent
45 years showing us. In the Samyutta Nikaya there is one sutta that talks
about this very thing. This is from The Book of Causation 82 (1) it says:
At Savatthi. "Bhikkhus, one who does not know
and see as it really is, aging-and-death, its origin, its cessation, and
the way leading to the cessation, (this is the Four Noble Truths) should
search for a teacher in order to know this is as it really is. "Bhikkhus,
one who does not know and see as it really is birth ... existence ... clinging
... craving ... feeling ... contact ... the six sense bases ... mentality/
materiality ... consciousness ... volitional formations, their origin,
their cessation, and the way leading to their cessation, should search
for a teacher in order to know this as it really is."
This pretty much sums up what one should look for
in a teacher. There is the next sutta [83 (2)] that explains How one should
approach their training. It says: "Bhikkhus, one who does not know
and see as it actually is, aging-and-death... birth... existence... clinging...
craving... feeling... contact... the six sense bases... mentality/materiality...
consciousness... volitional formations, their origin, their cessation and
the way leading to their cessation, should practice the training in order
to know this as it really is.
So this gives a sincere meditator, who wants to get
off of this birth-death cycle, the way to truly practice meditation. Also,
please notice that there is no mention of the three Characteristics of
existence (that is impermanence, suffering, and the impersonal nature of
all existence) in this description. Why do you suppose this is? The answer
can be found in the Maha-Vagga of the Vinaya it says: "The meditator
can see, one or all of the "Three Characteristics of Existence' (impermanence,
suffering and the impersonal nature of all existence), without seeing Dependent
Origination, but when one sees Dependent Origination directly they will
always see all of the "Three Characteristics'." This is very interesting
because when people practice straight Vipassana meditation, they are taught
that seeing the "Three Characteristics" is the main goal of straight
vipassana, as it is being taught today!
Interviewer: Exactly, how is Nibbana experienced
according to the suttas and what is the genuine experience of the freedom,
that the Buddha spent so much time showing us?
Bhante V: Actually this is a very important question
to answer! There are so many ideas today about what this experience is
and how does one develop their understanding enough to recognize Nibbana.
Of course, this is accomplished through the practice of the Samatha/Vipassana
meditation that has been talked about throughout this interview. My best
answer to this is simple. I will give you a sutta that explains this precisely
with very little commentary from me. Please excuse all of the repetition
in the first part of this sutta. It is there to show just how much the
4 Noble Truths are necessary, and are being used by the sincere meditator,
who has the desire to get off of the Wheel of Samsara!
In Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation of the Samyutta Nikaya
(published by Wisdom Publications) the Book of Causation Chapter 12 (Nidanasamyutta)
Sutta number 13 (3) Named "Ascetics and Brahmans" it says: "At Savatthi. "Bhikkhus,
those Ascetics or Brahmins who do not understand aging-and- death, its
origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation; who do not
understand birth, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its
cessation; who do not understand existence, its origin, its cessation,
and the way leading to its cessation; who do not understand clinging, its
origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation; who do not
understand craving, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to its
cessation; who do not understand feeling, its origin, its cessation, and
the way leading to its cessation; who do not understand contact, its origin,
its cessation, and the way leading to its cessation; who do not understand
the six sense bases, their origin, their cessation, and the way leading
to their cessation; who do not understand mentality/ materiality, its origin,
its cessation, and the way leading to the cessation; who do not understand
consciousness, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading to the cessation;
who do not understand volitional formations, their origin, their cessation,
and the way leading to the cessation; These I do not consider to be Ascetic
among Ascetics or Brahmin among Brahmins, and those venerable ones do not,
by realizing for themselves with direct knowledge, in this very life enter
and dwell in the goal of asceticism or the goal of brahminhood" (a quick
note here, this is talking about not attaining Nibbana.)
"But, Bhikkhus, those Ascetics and Brahmins who [do]
understand aging-and-death, its origin, its cessation, and the way leading
to its cessation; who [do] understand birth... existence... clinging... craving... feeling... contact... the
six sense bases... mentality/materiality... consciousness... volitional formations,
their origin, their cessation, and the way leading to their cessation:
these I [do] consider to be Ascetic among Ascetics and Brahmin among Brahmins,
and these venerable ones, by realizing for themselves with direct knowledge,
in this very life enter and [do] dwell in the goal of Asceticism and the
goal of Brahminhood." (Another quick note, this is talking about the way
to attain Nibbana)
What does all of this mean? Simply put it means that
when one knows, sees, understands and realizes all of the links of Dependent
Origination, by way of the deductive reasoning of the 4 Noble Truths, this
is the way to truly experience the liberation from all kinds of suffering,
hindrances, and fetters (Dukkha). It means that if a meditator doesn't
know and see exactly how Dependent Origination arises and passes away,
through the use of the 4 Noble Truths, then they will not be able to have
the experience of Nibbana that the Buddha describes in the suttas themselves.
We truly need to understand that everything the Buddha taught for 45 years
was how to see, realize and experience what is talked about in this very
sutta.
I know that this may sound very different from many
teachings that are presented today. But you just experienced what the sutta
explains in the whole process of gaining liberation. Did you notice how
the 4 Noble Truths are explained with each of the links? I mean, did you
see that each link was present (the First Noble Truth), its origin (the
Second Noble Truth), its cessation (the Third Noble Truth), and the way
leading to its cessation (The Fourth Noble Truth)? Do you see how these
Noble Truths are ever present and by realizing them with every link, in
this way how one overcomes ignorance? Do you see how these Noble Truths
are used as a tool to discover the deepest meaning of the impersonal nature
(anatta) of everything that rises and passes away?
Currently there are many, many different ideas as
to how one experiences the ultimate goal (Nibbana). This short sutta has
explained exactly what to do and how to use the 4 Noble Truths in order
to experience and understand completely, how Dependent Origination occurs,
without even the slightest hint of a personal self (atta) involved at all.
This is really one of the deepest and most penetrating suttas that can
be found, in the entire Pali Canon! It is short and very much to the point
about what is expected of a true truth seeker!
I hope that everyone who reads this will begin to
explore the importance of Dependent Origination and the 4 Noble Truths
as they are presented here in this sutta. If anyone does investigate this,
they will begin to truly appreciate just how deep and profound the Buddha's
Teachings actually are! They will become more and more interested in the
workings of their own mind and then this path truly becomes fun and exciting.
Interviewer: What are the two different types of "Jhana" that
you talk about in your Dhamma talks from the suttas?
Bhante V: Before we start with this I think something
must be said. Because these definitions may be a lot different than what
the reader may be used to, they may take this to be my "own" opinion,
or they can take the time to study the suttas to see if what I am talking
about agrees with the actual texts. If the reader is sincere in finding
out about what the Buddha actually taught, as opposed to going along with
what they have previously learn from the commentaries, I invite them to
investigate with an open mind what is said in the suttas.
Please don't take my word, on anything! When the
sincere Buddhist takes the time and effort to look into what I am saying
then they can judge for themselves whether this is true or not. This is
the advice given to all Buddhists, who are sincerely interested in the
Buddha's Teachings. We are told not to believe anything, until what is
being said is compared with the Suttas and the Vinaya (Please notice that
this does not include the Abhidhamma, which was added later, at the 3rd
Buddhist Council, by the monks at that time). In that way one can see for
themselves whether what is being presented is correct or not. This advice
was given to Ananda, by the Buddha in the Parinibbana Sutta of the Digha
Nikaya.
With that said, now let's first take a look at the
word "Jhana". Today the common translation of this word describes a state
of deep one-pointed concentration, ecstatic concentration or absorption
concentration. Actually, this was the kind of meditation that the Bodhisatta
(future Buddha) practiced when he first started searching for freedom from
the birth-death cycle. He practiced this meditation with two different
teachers. The first teacher showed him how to attain a very deep absorption
level called the "Realm of Nothingness" and the second taught him how
to attain an even deeper level of absorption called the "Realm of Neither
Perception nor Non- Perception".
The way he was told to practice was by putting a
very strong focus on the breath and anytime mind's attention was distracted
by thoughts or sensations in the body, his instructions were to let go
of the distraction and immediately go back to the breath. After doing this
for a while his concentration began to deepen and the force of the concentration
would suppress any hindrances when they tried to arise. This is still practiced
today and is thought to be the same practice that leads to final liberation.
This strong absorption concentration which suppresses the hindrances is
commonly thought to be "purifying one's mind' (but this is not the kind
of "purifying of mind' that the Buddha taught, the kind of "purifying one's
mind' that the Buddha taught, will be talked about later. This is also
shown in the Satipatthana Sutta M.N. 10, verse 36 - called Dhammanupassana
or Contemplation of mind-objects).
Practicing "absorption or ecstatic concentration" can
cause some physical and mental problems such as headaches, ringing in the
ear, vertigo, stomach disorders, mental imbalances - like extremely critical
mind, instant anger, depression and unwholesome pride, etc. It causes mind
to contract and focus very deeply to the exclusion of anything else. But
when the concentration weakens, as one does their daily activities, these
hindrances may have the tendency to come back and even be bigger and more
painful than before.
The future Buddha (Gotama Bodhisatta) asked if there
was any deeper state of meditation than the realms of "Nothingness" and "Neither
Perception nor Non-Perception" and was told that this was as deep as anyone
could ever experience. The Bodhisatta was not satisfied with these states
and totally rejected them! Why? Because he saw that the practice of "absorption
concentration" or "ecstatic concentration" would never lead to the kind
of experiences and understanding that could unravel the problem of getting
off of the Wheel of "Samsara". He had gone as far as anyone could
possibly go with that kind of meditation. Others may match what he had
done, but no one could possibly go beyond that. Being a little disappointed,
the ever curious Bodhisatta, went off on his own to see if he could find
a different way of practicing mental development.
What the Bodhisatta discovered by himself was a different
type of practice that added one extra step to the meditation and this small
addition changed the entire way a "Jhana" is experienced. The definition
here of "Jhana" in Buddhist terms is a "stage of meditation gained
through understanding and seeing how mind actually works". This one
extra step is talked about in both "The Anapanasati Sutta" and "The
Satipatthana Sutta".
Without going through the whole set of instructions
we can focus on the last part which says; "He trains thus: "I shall
tranquilize the bodily formation on the in-breath". He trains thus: "I
shall tranquilize the bodily formation on the out-breath"". When
one tranquilizes their body in this way one's mind also becomes tranquil.
This is a step that is clearly not being practiced by the majority of Buddhists
today. As a result, there is some confusion about the different kinds of "Jhana" (meditation
stages of understanding and seeing things as they truly are). The Buddha
taught "Samatha/Vipassana" which has a very different end-result than
the moment-to-moment, access, absorption, ecstatic, or extreme one-pointed "jhana" (meditation
stage). This is one of the reasons that so many people today, who have
practiced meditation for so many years, haven't reached the end-result
of Nibbana. Why? Because they are actually practicing one form or another
of one-pointed or ecstatic concentration, instead of the Samatha/Vipassana
meditation as described above.
Interviewer: What are some of the terms used in Buddhist
meditation where the present day definitions appear to be confusing one's
clear understanding and progress for the meditators in the West?
Bhante V: Well actually, there are a lot of terms
that have very specific definitions in Buddhist terminology and meditation
that need to be defined as to their deeper meaning. These are words that
everybody knows and uses but not many people can give a concise definition
for them. So I will try to give a precise set of "working definitions" for
commonly misunderstood words according to the way they are meant in the
Buddhist texts.
When I question some people about the word "Meditation" (Bhavana),
for example, I seem to get a very vague and confusing definition. Like "being
one with the universe". What in the world is that supposed to mean?
A good "working definition" of the word "Meditation" (Bhavana) is "watching
how mind's attention moves (anicca) moment-to-moment in order to see clearly
the Four Noble Truths and the true impersonal nature of HOW the pattern
of Dependent Origination occurs."
Another word that is often used is the word "Mindfulness" (Sati)
this word is often defined by using the words "Just Be Mindful ". I just
read an article that defined Mindfulness as "to remember, to remember,
to remember"! (which seems to be another case of "Diluted Dhamma" which
sounds great but has no real explanation). If that isn't confusing, I don't
know what is! A better working definition is - "Mindfulness is remembering
to recognize and release any distraction that pulls one's attention away
from their meditation object". Notice how closely "Meditation" (Bhavana)
and "Mindfulness" (Sati) are interlinked? The function of "Mindfulness" (Sati)
is to remember. The question is to remember what? To remember to see everything
that arises (Anicca) as being a part of an impersonal process (Anatta),
to remember to observe how the 4 Noble Truths and Dependent Origination
interact with each other. This infers, that we have to learn "HOW" to
be observant with everything that arises all of the time. Not just while
we are sitting in "Meditation" (Bhavana), but all of the time!
Another interesting word for consideration is the
word "Craving" (Tanha). The common definition means "to want or desire",
but there is much more to this word. According to the Buddha there is a
definite pattern with everything that arises. For instance, in order "to
see" there is a set way things happen. First, there must be a functioning
sense door such as the eye. Next there must be color and form. When the
eye hits color and form then eye-consciousness arises. The meeting of these
three things is called eye-contact. With eye-contact as condition eye-feeling
arises (Feeling [Vedana] is pleasant, painful or neither painful nor pleasant
and this is either physical or mental feeling.) With eye-feeling as condition,
then eye-craving arises.
Now "Craving" (Tanha) in all of its many different
forms (seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, bodily sensations, and thoughts)
always arises as being a tightness or tension in both mind and body. "Craving" (Tanha)
always manifests as the "I like it or I don't like it" mind and
can be recognized as tension or tightness in both one's mind and body.
This is where we come to understand the importance of the Buddha's instructions
about consciously tranquilizing one's mind and body. When the meditator
has any kind of distraction arising, that pulls their attention away from
their object of meditation, then a feeling immediately arises, and next,
right after that the "I like it, I don't like it" [craving-Tanha]
mind arises. This is seen sometimes as a big gross tightness and sometimes
as a very subtle tightness or tension in mind and body.
As "Craving" (Tanha) is the cause of suffering
(the Second Noble Truth) what the meditator must do is softly let go of
that tension or tightness (i.e. relax, and this must consciously be done
it doesn't happen automatically as it is shown in the meditation instruction
given to us by the Buddha) then gently redirect mind's attention back to
the object of meditation (this step is the Third Noble Truth or the cessation
of craving or suffering, this is also called "pure mind' because there
is no craving in it at all). In practical terms this relaxing is the most
important and major step that the Buddha discovered, this and the Fourth
Noble Truth- that is "the way" leading to the Cessation of Suffering.
The Buddha saw that when "Craving" (Tanha) was
let go of, mind became clear, open, and very observant. He saw that the
thinking mind did not arise. The thinking mind in Buddhism is called "Clinging" (Upadana).
So, when a teacher says something like "Cling To Nothing" they
are actually saying to "stop thinking about things and just observe".
which is good advice as far as it goes. Actually it would be better to
say "Crave Nothing" but that would be misunderstood because how
are we supposed to do that? "Crave Nothing" means "to notice
and let go of the tightness or tension in one's mind and body before it
arises". How does one do this? When one sees a "Feeling" arise, if they
relax at that very moment, then the "Craving" (Tanha) won't arise. "Craving" (Tanha)
is the weak link in the cycle or process of Dependent Origination. It CAN
be recognized and let go of, and when it is released then the "Clinging" (Upadana)
won't arise.
One thing that has become popular today is the putting
together of these two words, "Craving/Clinging" and I think it helps
to cause even more confusion. "Craving" is the "I like it, I don't
like it" mind and "Clinging" is all of the thoughts, ideas, opinions,
and concepts why mind likes or dislikes a feeling when it arises. They
are two very different and separate parts to the process of how things
work. So putting them together just makes one's understanding of this process,
even more cloudy. Some teachers today are trying to say the "Craving and
Clinging" can be best defined as "Grasping". And as I just explained
that moves away from the more precise definitions that the Buddha shows
us within his teaching.
Also, there is the word "delusion" (Moha). In some
Buddhist traditions the word "delusion" (Moha) is linked up with
two other words which are "Lust" (lobha) and "Hatred" (dosa). Together
these three words are sometimes called "the three poisons". This
actually is a reasonable way to look at them. But there is some confusion
about what "delusion" (Moha) actually means. Let's see what the
Buddha was talking about, every time he used this word.
According to the suttas the word "Delusion" (Moha)
means to see whatever arises as being a personal self (Atta). Or we can
say that "Delusion" (Moha) is seeing things through the false (Deluded)
idea of a self (Atta). In other words, one takes all feelings or sensations
to be a part of the "I", "Me", "Mine" (Atta)
identification.
Anytime one takes a feeling as being theirs personally,
they have the tendency to try and control it with their own personal (Atta)
thoughts, emotions, opinions, concepts, or ideas (Upadana or Clinging).
And this is a big cause of suffering (Dukkha)! Let us quickly go back to
the Five Aggregates (Pan~ca Khandha). Again they are body (Contact), feeling,
perception, formations (which includes thoughts) and consciousness.
When a feeling (Vedana) arises (as described earlier)
whether it is a pleasant feeling or a painful feeling the natural tendency
for one's mind is to try to "think" the "feeling" and
control it. In this way, one begins to see those feelings and thoughts
as being theirs personally (Atta). This is a mind full of delusion (Moha).
Anytime one takes anything that arises as being personally theirs, (Atta)
instead of seeing that this is an impersonal process (Anatta) to be let
go of, there is delusion (Moha). Delusion of what? Delusion that all thoughts
and feelings are ours to take personally (Atta) and then attempt to control
them by sheer will-power. Which the Buddha said is the cause of immense
suffering (Dukkha).
So what is a meditator to do about this? The first
thing that one can do is see all of these thoughts, concepts and opinions
as they truly are. That is just thoughts, concepts and opinions that arose
because conditions were right for them to arise. Then to let them go and
relax the tightness or tension caused by that distraction. Next the meditator
will notice that there is a tight mental fist wrapped around the feeling.
This tight mental fist is aversion and craving. The truth is when a feeling
arises it is there (that is the Dhamma of the present moment). Anytime
one tries to fight with the truth (Dhamma), anytime one tries to control
the truth (Dhamma), anytime one tries to make the truth (Dhamma) be what
they want it to be, that person is causing themselves huge amounts of pain
and suffering! The more they try to control the truth (Dhamma) with their
thoughts the bigger and more intense the suffering becomes.
It is like someone picks up a red hot piece of charcoal,
they say "OW! That's hot!", so then they start to squeeze that coal and
they "Say, boy! This is really painful!" and the more pain they feel and
try to think it away, the worse the pain becomes. What would you do in
this kind of a situation? Of course, you would open up your hand and let
the red hot piece of charcoal go! Whenever a meditator has a feeling arise,
it is very like picking up that hot coal and they have the choice of what
to do with it. They can either let it go or not! When a meditator sees
a tight mental fist wrapped around a feeling they can let it go and allow
that feeling to be there by itself, then they can see clearly that there
is a need to relax the tightness caused by that feeling and then redirect
their mind back to the meditation object (the breath and relaxing on the
in breath and the out breath).
When a meditator handles a painful feeling in this
way, they will begin to see that this is just a part of an impersonal process
(Anatta) to be observed and let go of, instead of an enemy to fight with
or try to control. Seeing this process as being impersonal (Anatta) with
an undeluded mind (Amoha) is what the Buddha teaches us. If the meditator
sees and takes the feeling personally (Atta) they are said to be caught
in the "Mire of Delusion".
Another word that we are all supposed to automatically
know what the meaning is, this word is "Wisdom". This word is often defined
by using the words "To Be Wise or smart". In the Buddhist teaching, "Wisdom",
means that one sees and understands (in the texts this is described as
knowledge and vision [sampajjana]) exactly how the Four Noble Truths and
the process of Dependent Origination are yoked together, also how they
arise and pass away (Anicca). Anytime the words "Wise Attention" or "Wisdom" is
seen in the suttas they are referring to the understanding of the Four
Noble Truths and the process of Dependent Origination.
For example, in "The Anupada Sutta", that I referred
to earlier, the words used to describe Venerable Sariputta's experience
of attaining Nibbana are: "And his taints were destroyed by his seeing
with wisdom". The question that needs to be asked is "seeing what" and "how
did he see it"? The answer is he saw, understood and realized exactly
how the Four Noble Truths occur by seeing the impersonal (Anatta) process
of Dependent Origination (Paticca Samupada).
Only by seeing, understanding and realizing this
did he finally let go of all of the taints. So every time the words "Wise
Attention", or "Wisdom" show up in the suttas this is what these words
refer to. The phrase "the taints are destroyed by seeing with wisdom" implies,
that the way to experience Nibbana is through our own understanding of
how the Four Noble Truths and the process of Dependent Origination occurs,
in all situations. This is a very important thing to realize!
Too many people think that attaining Nibbana is some
mystical-magical experience that occurs where all of a sudden "Bingo,
I am enlightened!" , but unfortunately it doesn't work this way. Actually,
the experience of Nibbana only comes through the deep understanding and
direct experience of the process mentioned above. This is why when I talked
about what "Jhana States" are and the differences, I gave an example
of one kind of jhana where mind was fixed on only one thing versus the
Samatha/Vipassana Jhana that is used for exploring how the process of mind's
attention actually works.
The definition of each "Samatha/Vipassana Jhana
meditation stage" is where one sees and understands the impersonal process
(anatta) of the way things really are. This is what was taught and practiced
by the Buddha. Each "Samatha/Vipassana Jhana stage" is a deeper level
of the understanding of just how mind's attention arises and shifts, that
is how the Four Noble Truths and the "seeing of this impersonal process
(Anatta) of Dependent Origination" (Paticca Samupada) is in everything
that occurs.
Another word is "Insight" (Vipassana). This word
has a surface meaning which is "seeing things as they truly are". But
according to the Buddha's definition it goes much deeper than that. "Insight" or
understanding into what? Realizing the impersonal nature and deep understanding
of the Four Noble Truths and "HOW" Dependent Origination actually occurs
with everything that arises (Anicca) in one's mind and body.
In other words, one gains a deeper and deeper understanding
(in each stage of Jhana) of the impersonal process of "HOW" mind and body
arises through truly seeing and understanding (knowledge and vision) of
the Four Noble Truths interconnection with the ongoing processes of Dependent
Origination.
When one can see clearly these processes in all of
existence, they will experience an unshakable knowledge that this is the
right path to follow. Mind begins to see clearly that whatever arises (Anicca)
is a part of a definite process and this leads to a deep understanding
that everything going on is a part of an impersonal pattern (anatta). These "Insights" can
occur at anytime whether one is sitting in meditation or doing their daily
activities. They are quite profound when they occur. "Insights" are like
finding a lost part to a puzzle and this is where the true "aha!" experiences
occur.
Here again is another word to look at. In Pali the
word is "Samatha". The meaning of "Samatha" is tranquility, serenity,
calmness, peacefulness, or stillness. And the common popular definition
is a strongly one-pointed type of concentration, absorption concentration,
or ecstatic concentration. This specific definition of serenity or tranquility
certainly implies a different type of "collectedness" than the
deeper types of absorption or ecstatic "concentration".
The goal of absorption or ecstatic concentration
is to have mind stay on only one thing as if it were glued to it (to the
exclusion of anything else), the "Samatha Collectedness" implies to have
a mind that is still, serene, and calm, but alert to whatever shifting
or moving mind does moment-to-moment. Of course Samatha/Vipassana (which
is the standard way it is described in the suttas) leads to the total liberation
of mind by seeing and recognizing how the 4 Noble Truths interact with
Dependent Origination. Samatha/Vipassana leads directly to the end-result
of Nibbana and absorption or ecstatic concentration does not, as the Bodhisatta
found out first hand.
Interviewer: Why do you choose to change the commonly
used word "Concentration", to "Collectedness"?
Bhante V: I much prefer the word "Collectedness" to
the word "Concentration". Here in the West people take the word "Concentration" to
mean a kind of deep one-pointedness of mind or an absorbed mind and this
is not what the Buddha was trying to get across. Before the time of the
Buddha there were many words that described deep absorption or one-pointedness
of mind.
But the Buddha made up a new word "Samadhi" to
describe a completely different way of seeing and experiencing the Jhana.
After the Buddha's paranibbana, because this word was very popular, the
Brahmins of that time changed the definition of "Samadhi" back to mean
- "strong one-pointedness". But, the Buddha was showing that there is
a difference between a "Collected Mind" and a strongly absorbed or "Concentrated
Mind"".
The words "Collected Mind"" (Samadhi) gives us
the idea of a mind that is composed, calm, still, and very alert. This
kind of mind observes whenever mind's attention shifts from one thing to
another. A "Concentrated' mind", means that mind is stuck on one thing
to the exclusion of anything else that may try to arise.
A "Concentrated' Mind" by this definition loses
full awareness (Sampajjana) and mindfulness (Sati) of what is happening
in the present moment, because it is only seeing the one thing it is pointing
at. This statement also refers to "access or neighborhood concentration" (Upacara
Samadhi) and "moment-to-moment concentration" (Khanika Samadhi).
Why? The simple answer is, there is no tranquilizing of mind and body before
the meditator brings their attention back to the object of meditation.
Because of this, there is no seeing of how the Four Noble Truths and Dependent
Origination actually work and how craving (tightness) is brought back to
the meditation object.
This is why when the teachers of straight "Vipassana" tell
their students that "Absorption Concentration" won't ever lead to Nibbana,
they are 100% correct. Any kind of practice which divides "Samatha Meditation" and "Vipassana
Meditation" into two different practices, can't possibly lead one to Nibbana.
Why? Because mind has the need to be calm, composed, and clear, while it
is in a jhana, in order to see the interconnectedness of the 4 Noble Truths
and Dependent Origination, fully. This is why the practice of straight
vipassana has led to so much disappointment after so many years of hard
work for some students. The Buddha taught us to practice "Samatha/ Vipassana" together
and this is the difference between commentary based meditation practices
and the Sutta approach to meditation.
The results of these two practices are different.
One-pointed "Concentration'" is not the same kind of mental development
that the Buddha shows us. The Buddha taught us to tranquilize our mind
and body every time mind's attention shifts from one thing to another.
The "Collected Mind'" is not so deeply one-pointed that the force of
one's "Concentration" causes mind to stay on one object of meditation,
even if that attention "Concentrates" on something momentarily.
The "Collected Mind" is able to observe how mind's
attention goes from one thing to another, very precisely. There is much
more full awareness of both mind and body here than with a deeply "Concentrated" one-
pointed mind or absorbed mind". This is why I choose to use the word "Collected" rather
than "Concentrated"" mind. By using the word "Collected" there
is less confusion about the kind of meditation that the Buddha is referring
to and it is easier to understand the descriptions given in the suttas.
Interviewer: Would you please talk about the importance
of keeping one's precepts, how hindrances arise and their connection to
the practice?
Bhante V: Boy this is a big topic, but I'll try to
explain this for you as simply as I can. In the West the word morality
is not very much liked, mostly because of the way in which other religions
present these rules. But in Buddhism the precepts are "suggestions" to
follow because by keeping them one's mind will become peaceful and calm.
The precepts are:
1] Abstaining from killing or harming living beings
on purpose.
2] Abstaining from taking what is not given.
3] Abstaining from wrong sexual activity.
4] Abstaining from telling lies, harsh speech, slanderous
speech, and gossip.
5] Abstaining from taking drugs and alcohol.
On the surface this may look like a bunch of rules
that may get in the way of "what I want to do". Actually they
are not rules of conduct so much as they are guidelines that lead to a
happy life. They are not commandments that will cause one to be thrown
into hell for ever and ever. Keep them or not it is up to you!
However, if you break a precept notice how you feel.
Does abstaining from killing, or stealing, etc. cause your mind to be more
happy or not? In one sutta it says that if we do things that cause harm
to ourselves or others, we should then watch and see how you feel about
those actions in your own mind. If your mind is not happy, and becomes
full of anxiety and guilt then don't do that any more. And if you keep
the precepts and do things that make you and others happy then be aware
of that and do those things over and over again. See for yourself how keeping
or breaking the precepts makes you personally feel. No one throws lightning
bolts out of the sky to fry someone who breaks the precepts.
You just need to take a good look at how your mind
feels when one of these precepts are broken. There are some actions like
breaking the precept of killing or harming living beings that will have
some consequences that may not be to your liking. For instance, a person
who kills other beings will have the tendency to have guilt, fear and anxiety
arise in their mind. Of course, this can be ignored for a period of time,
but eventually these mental upsets can cause depression, worry, anxiety,
sleep disorders, physical dis-eases, and stress to arise and become so
strong that many people think they have to take drugs or alcohol to find
some relief.
The drug companies love this kind of problem. It's
making them richer than they already are. Breaking any of these precepts
leads to an unhappy life. One thing that is so attractive to me about Buddhism
is that we are totally responsible for our own life. This self-responsibility
means we can't blame anyone else for our own suffering. So, it becomes
a conscious decision whether to follow one's precepts or not.
Interviewer: So do the precepts and hindrances directly
effect your meditation?
Bhante V: Well, let's take a look at one of the previous
questions that was asked about why some people don't have any progress
in their meditation even after years of practice. The cause of every hindrance
arising is the breaking of one or more of these precepts. I have known
many people who have taken a lot of 3 month retreats and had virtually
no progress in their meditation.
They don't understand or are not taught, that even
after they get off of retreat there is a need to keep their precepts closely.
So they go back to doing the same things they always have, telling lies,
gossiping, taking things that are not given, drinking alcohol, taking some
recreational drugs, or having wrong sexual activities, etc. Then they come
to another retreat and they are attacked with huge amounts of remorse and
the hindrances, which they indulge in and try to force them to go away.
That kind of person will never have any real progress in their meditation
because they keep causing themselves problems by not keeping the precepts
closely.
While I was in Malaysia teaching meditation, there
was one lady who was an extremely good person, who never broke any precepts.
She came to me and wanted to learn about meditation. She had never tried
any meditation before coming to ask about doing a weekend retreat. I gave
her instructions in how to practice metta (Loving-Kindness) meditation
and had her sit for no less than 30 minutes and asked her to sit longer
if she wanted to.
In the afternoon I asked her how her meditation was
going. She said that she was "Only" able to sit for 45 minutes. I asked
why she couldn't sit for longer and she said that her knees hurt so badly,
because she was sitting on the floor that she couldn't last any longer
than that. I told her that it was OK for her to sit in a chair but not
to lean into the back of the chair. She did that and her next sitting lasted
for 4 hours and she had attained the first jhana! This was the first time
she had ever tried to meditate in her life!
Why was she able to progress so rapidly when the
person who had done so many retreats had so little progress? The answer
is simple. The lady in Malaysia kept her precepts very closely and wouldn't
consciously break them, for any reason. The other person took a ho-hum,
never-mind attitude toward the precepts. There is no need for psycho-therapy
or psychology to help a meditator to understand why they suffer so much.
The meditators have to be taught just how important keeping the precepts
really are in their daily lives, then they will be able to see for themselves
real progress in meditation practice and this causes happiness to arise.
It is just that simple.
Interviewer: How often should a person take their
precepts?
Bhante V: One thing that I do on every retreat that
I give, is have the meditators take the precepts every day. They do this
not as some kind of rite or ritual because I have them read the precepts
in English. They take these as a reminder to keep them as closely as possible.
And when I give a retreat I tell the meditators that if for some reason
they do break a precept to come and tell me so they can take them again.
I have found, over the years, that if a meditator breaks even the slightest
precept it will affect their retreat negatively. By this I mean that they
will have major troubles with the hindrances arising and staying around.
Interviewer: So are the hindrances to be considered
valuable in the practice?
Bhante V: Yes. With that said, the hindrances are
where our attachments are stored and they are where our false idea in a
personal self arises. In short they are where mind becomes so involved
with the thoughts and feelings that mind's attention is pulled away and
really gets involved with the drama and story. The reason that these things
are a problem is because when a hindrance arises it will take the meditator
completely away from the meditation object and they will get caught in
thinking, planning, liking, disliking, day dreaming etc. Actually speaking
when a hindrance arises the meditator doesn't even know where they are.
That is how troublesome the hindrances can be and remember, they arise
from past breaking of the precepts.
Interviewer: When the hindrances do arise what should
the meditator do to lessen their hold, so the meditator can progress in
their meditation?
Bhante V: This is where one's mindfulness comes in.
If you will remember, previously I said that "the function of mindfulness
is to remember". To remember what? "To remember to recognize
and release any distraction that pulls one's attention away from their
meditation object". Next to relax the tightness or tension caused
by that distraction then to smile and softly re-direct one's attention
back to the meditation object. Of course, mind's attention will be pulled
back to that distraction again and again and again many times, until the
attachment to that hindrance weakens and eventually it will go away by
itself. This is the "Purification of Mind" that the Buddha taught.
I have developed a technique to help the meditator
remember how to practice. I call them the six R's, that is: to Recognize,
that mind is distracted. To Release, or let go of that distraction. To
Relax, the tightness or tension caused by that distraction. To Re-smile,
so mind will be light and have joy in it (the way I teach even the Mindfulness
of Breathing is to smile while meditating). To Return, one's attention
back to the meditation object. To Repeat, and stay with the object of meditation.
So it is: Recognize; Release: Relax; Re-Smile; Return;
Repeat. These 6 R's have been very helpful to many people.
Interviewer: Is the actual Practice to learn to see
HOW this works and where to let go?
Bhante V: The job of the meditator is to see HOW
mind's attention moves away from the meditation object (let us say the
breath and relaxing on the in-breath and relaxing on the out-breath). Exactly
how did their mind get from the breath and relaxing to that distraction.
According to the Buddha this happens in exactly the same way every time.
So HOW exactly did that occur? As the meditator begins to investigate HOW
mind works eventually they will begin to see this pattern of movements
clearly (by using the 6 R's). That is what meditation is all about.
As the meditator begins to see the pattern repeat
itself over and over again they will become more and more familiar with
it and begin to let go of the hindrance more easily and quickly. When this
happens the amount of time they spend on their meditation object increases.
This process will occur until the hindrance becomes so weak that it will
eventually not arise any more. Any hindrance feeds on mind's attention.
Without attention placed on it, it cannot survive. So, by letting the hindrance
be, then relax and re-direct mind's attention back to the object of meditation
the hindrance fades away by itself. What happens next is that the meditator
feels a huge sense of relief and then joy arises quite strongly.
Interviewer: Is there a danger of attachment of this
joy here?
Bhante V: The way one doesn't become attached to
joy (piti) is by seeing it as only a pleasant feeling, let it be, relax,
and redirect mind's attention back to their meditation object (the breath
and relaxing). Pleasant feeling and painful feeling are two sides of the
same coin, so the meditator treats them all in the same way. Eventually,
the joy (piti) will fade away and a true feeling of both mental and physical
comfort will arise. In Buddhist terms this is called "happiness" (sukha),
this will last for a period of time and then mind becomes very peaceful,
relaxed and stays on the meditation object with little or no effort at
all (This is called the unification of mind - ekaggataa). I have just described
some of the things that the meditator experiences in the first jhana.
Interviewer: Is what you are teaching a new method
of teaching meditation?
Bhante V: Funny you should ask that. Since I came
back to the West (after spending 12 years in the East) many people are
trying to make this the "Bhante Vimalaramsi Method of Meditation". I
find this very peculiar because I read the instructions from the suttas,
I read out loud exactly what the sutta tells us word for word, and I personally
follow the teachings of the Buddha as closely as possible. Very little
of what I teach is coming directly from me, and what does come from me
is in agreement with the suttas. The way I look at teaching is, if it doesn't
agree with what many suttas teach then I will not bother to teach it. So
the answer to your question is no absolutely not! This is not a new way
of teaching the Buddha's Path.
This method of practice comes directly from the Buddha's
teachings which have been around for more than 2500 years. All I am attempting
to do is make these teachings more readily available so many more people
can benefit from these brilliant teachings. Also, I hope to see a true
Buddhist awakening occur in the West. I have seen the beginning of a new
blossoming of the Dhamma, where the original Teachings will thrive. May
it continue to grow and show the way for many people to experience liberation
and peace. Thank you!
Bhante Vimalaramsi
Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center
RR1 Box 100
Annapolis, MO. 63620, U.S.A.
www.dhammasukha.org
bhantev4u@yahoo.com
