The defilements of the conceited increase
What should have been done is left undone, what should not have been done is done; of those who are puffed up and headless the corruptions increase.
Pakinnaka Vagga - The Dhammapada

A true Buddhist fears no god

E. M. G. Edirisinghe

Buddhist: Whether it is the deities or the symbolic images of gods, a good/true Buddhist fears none of them whosoever.

However, mere holding of the title calling oneself a Buddhist for purposes of records, documentation or bio-data, does not give one the licence or the right and weight to lead a life unmindful of the wrath of god or gods. Gods are good servants of good Buddhists at whose difficulties they appear without appeals, prayers or gifts.

Five precepts

For a Buddhist to call himself a true follower of the Buddha Dhamma needs perfection by two segments in his mundane life. First, he must fortify himself with a strong spiritual foundation. That means to observe the five precepts: to refrain from taking life, stealing, sexual misconduct, speaking the untruth and taking intoxicating drinks. With the foundation being firmly laid with strict adherence to these five precepts, he is on the right path leading to a righteous life.

The other segment is that a Buddhist should lead a life in accordance with the four noble principles of living (Brahma Viharana). They are metta (to extend loving kindness all beings without an exception), karuna (to show compassion to each individual whenever the need arises), mudita (to feel happy over the success of others) and upekkha (to look at everything without bias). A person living in this mould and mood is spiritually and materially a perfect man who fears no man or devil, or gods in particular.

If we examine the true nature of the effect of observing the five precepts and leading a life consolidated by the four noble principles mentioned above, it becomes clear to anyone that the concern of a Buddhist is the welfare of others over one's own self, which however, fortifies one's own life leading him to perfection. So in brief, the life of a Buddhist is one of being altruistic shedding all shades of selfishness.

Thus within the context of a person leading the life of a pious man free from sin the Buddha said 'Dhamma have rakkhathi Dhammachari' (The one who conducts himself in the Dhamma is protected by the Dhamma). He needs no other protection.

That is the foremost protection one can get through one's own effort which is much above the protection one can get through appeals to gods and goddesses.

Thus according to Buddhism gods worship those humans who live a life according to the Dhamma. Man needs not worship gods or go before or after them for relief, solace or favours. Thus emancipation is within the ambit of oneself. Therefore man should be in a position to get gods to worship him and not vice-versa. That is the essence of Buddhist way of life.

On the other hand, those Buddhists who know very well that they do not live according to the Dhamma or conduct themselves in the Dhamma, most certainly make a bee-line on knees with applications, presents and prayers in mind and hand to temples of gods because they know that they have nothing in them to expect protection as they failed to live according to the principles of the Dhamma which makes those gods and deities to reverse their roles to become masters of humans instead of remaining as their servants or guardians.

Thus they are forced to live in eternal fear of gods and devils. Without anything worthwhile within, morally and spiritually, they shudder at the thought of a god or at the sight of a statue. Those who have not accumulated merit by way of leading a righteous life are often seen living in fear of gods in fear that since they have nothing positive in them to protect themselves.

They fall at the feet of any seen or unseen gods. Therefore a Buddhist should strive to live according to the Dhamma.

If he cannot or the circumstances do not allow him to live a righteous life in the way the dhamma has prescribed, he should make a genuine effort to realize it sooner or later as the Buddha said that we should at least endeavour to achieve it little by little from moment to moment (thokham the kham khane khane). Until one fortifies oneself in the dhamma, one can seek refuge in gods because he is morally and spiritually weak.

The weakling needs the support of the strong, because it is easier to live with the responsibilities vested in others.

The Buddhists are never in a mighty hurry because the death whether at infancy or at old age in this life does not put him either in hell or heaven immediately where life is eternal.

He will be only wandering in samsara (cycle of being) until he realizes emancipation. That may be one reason for some Buddhists to postpone living a righteous life for a future birth or date because everyone of them with no exception, knows that this is not the last birth in the cycle of his existence.

That is also one reason for a Buddhist to be less religious minded or be a fundamentalist as we find in some other religions.

Only those who fail or are unable to get the gods to help and protect them through a righteous living, fear gods.

The gods will help those who help themselves to tread the right path.

The Buddha said aththahi aththano natho (one is one's own saviour). And no other.

#######################

Psychic factors of the Jhanic experience and first and second Jhanas

Part 1 of this article was published on June 28, 2006

Ron Wijewantha PhD

Psychic factors: The first two psychic factors of the jhanic experience are vitakka and vicara. Initial right thinking is called vitakka. It helps in eliminating sloth and torpor, and applies the mind and its concomitants to the object of concentration.

Vicara, the second factor, means sustained mental application upon the same subject with a view to 'investigate' (anupekkhanata), while keeping the mind continuously engaged in the exercise, thereby removing doubt.' Vitakka and vicara are like Siamese-twins. They are inseparable and therefore invariably found together, though they have complementary functions.

Hence, when one is absent the other is also absent.

The next psychic factor is piti or rapture that arises as an antidote to ill will, bringing about by degrees an expansion of interest in the subject of meditation. It is purely a mental phenomenon. In commentaries, piti is subdivided into five parts in ascending order, commencing with slight or immature interest, to growing interest, followed by absorbing interest.

Then comes an increase in interest by a mounting of thrills and finally to fully developed intensive rapture or piti that arises infusing the entire body and mind. It is this very last stage that is implied as associated with the entry into the state of Jhana.

Passdhi is the subsiding or controlling of excessive piti, thereby preventing the exuberance of piti from getting out of hand. The psychic factor called suka or pleasurable, reposeful, happy feelings collectively called 'happiness' arise as the invariable consequence of the above piti and tranquillity (passadhi).

Thereby distraction and agitation are expelled, and this leads the mind to concentration. Thus it is said: "sukhino cittam samadhiyato"- the mind of him who is happy, becomes concentrated." (Dn2). Concentration (samadhi) culminating in ekaggata and the expulsion of sense desires is the fifth psychic factor, which lead the meditator to one-pointedness and clarity of the mind.

The inter-play between the five hindrances and the five factors of the first Jhana can be visualized by means of simile. A circus comes to town, and camps just outside the city limits. The chief animal trainer opts to live in a small tent all by him-self, for he likes to spend his spare time in reflection and contemplation. A circus-camel now pushes aside a flap of the tent and trusts its head and neck into the tent.

The trainer, who is in deep contemplation, does not notice the intruder.

The emboldened camel now gradually occupies more and more of the tent until he finally is fully inside the tent and has pushed the trainer to just one corner.

The trainer now comes out of his deep meditation and calls out to his trained and tamed favourite elephant, which commences to push the camel out of the tent, but in doing so occupies the space vacated by the camel.

The trainer, however, is not perturbed; for he knows that once the camel is out of the tent, he could, with gentle persuasion make the elephant leave the tent. In the above simile, the camel represents the five hindrances; the elephant represents the five-Jhanic psychic factors (of the first jhana), and the trainer the earnest meditator.

Attainment of the first Jhana

A meditator is said to have attained the first Jhana, when the five Jhanic psychic factors that were discussed above are firmly in his mind.

Their purpose is essentially to eliminate at least temporarily the five hindrances, thus freeing the mind from contaminants that obscure his vision (The permanent elimination of all five hindrances occurs only with the attainment of arhantship).

The Buddha in the Maha Satipatthana sutta, under the section called Dhammanupassana, sub-titled 'The Nivaranas', explained the manner in which the hindrances can be eliminated by Vipassana meditation:

"...Here, a monk abides contemplating mind-objects as mind-objects in respect of the five hindrances. How does he do so?...'If sensual desire is presenting himself...if ill-will is present in himself..if sloth-and-torpor...worry-and-restlessness...if doubt is present within him, a monk knows properly that it is present. If doubt is absent in himself, he knows properly that it is absent.

And he knows properly how un-arisen doubt come to arise, and he knows how the abandonment of arisen doubt come about, and he knows properly how the unarising of the abandoned doubt will come about in the future."

Now that the meditator has successfully achieved the ability to enter the first Jhana with ease, he should make the effort to return to bare observation and the experiencing of bare phenomena.

The first Jhana operates up to the point where a meditator attains insight into the rapid arising and passing away of phenomena. Experiencing this insight marks the stage where a meditator is said to 'grow up'. He now leaves reflective thinking behind and enters the maturity of simple bare attention until he feels he is ready to proceed to the next Jhana.

The systematic step-wise elimination of the five inherent hindrances as we saw in the first Jhana, paves the way leading to the occurrence of the other three higher Jhana in three progressive steps.

The Second Jhana: The meditator realizes after sometime that there are shortcomings or weaknesses in the first Jhana: 'this Jhana utilized the services of vitakka-vicara, but the latter have a near enemy in the nivarana (hindrances). It is thus not entirely calm, for it still has the waves of attentive, 'sustained thinking'.

He now sees that the absence of vitakka and vicara, would result in greater calm. Then giving up this attachment to the first Jhana, he dispenses with vitakka-vicara.

The meditator's mind now becomes lucid and sharp. He is able to follow the very fast rate at which phenomena appear and disappear from moment to moment. Because of the continuity and sharpness of mindfulness, there is little discursive thinking. Nor is there doubt about the impermanent, transitory nature of mind and body. At this time the practice seems effortless. In the absence of the need for effortful application and reflective thought, there is time for the perception of joy and rapture. This non-thinking bare attention heralds the dawn of the second Jhana.

The Second Jhana

In the course of the practice his mind now rises in piti (rapture), suka (happiness) and ekaggata (one-pointedness). These factors constitute the second Jhana. They are born of concentration, tranquillity and development of mind. Thus the simultaneous elimination of vitakka and vicara ('the Siamese-twins') gave rise to the second Jhana.

This is stated in the Mahasakuludayi sutta as follows:

"...Again with the stilling of applied and sustained thought, a bhikkhu enters upon and abides in the second Jhana, which has self-confidence and singleness of mind without applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of concentration...so too, a bhikkhu makes the rapture and happiness born of concentration drench, steep, fill, and pervade this body, so that there is no part of his whole body unpervaded by the rapture and pleasure born of concentration."

In the first material Jhana, then, the mind was congested with effort and discursive thinking. It is only when the second material Jhana arose at the beginning of insight into the arising and passing away of phenomena that clarity, great comfort, tranquillity (passaddhi), rapture and joy began to predominate.

The mind is now able to become more precise, and concentration becomes deeper. This deeper concentration leads to clear, verified faith that arises from personal experiences. It also brings with it the belief that if one continues in the practice, one will gain the benefits assured by the Buddha. Rapture and mental-physical comfort also become stronger at this stage.

The meditator should however be aware that when he attains the second material Jhana there is the strong likelihood that he will become attached to the extraordinarily pleasant states of the mind which now arise. These are experiences that perhaps evoke the deepest happiness of his life.

Some may even believe that they have become enlightened. But the wise meditator will identify and label such experiences, as no more than mental states, and immediately cut off their attachments to these experiences. These are therefore considered as imperfections of the mind - 'vipassana-upakkilesa, and are ten in number.

Effulgence of light (obhasa),
Knowledge (nana),
Rapture (piti),
Tranquillity (passaddhi),
Happiness (sukha),
Determination (adhimokkha),
Energy (paggaha),
Awareness (upatthana),
Equanimity (upekkha),
Delight (nikanti).

It should be noted that, "except for the last one-delight, they are not imperfections or defilements in themselves, but may become a basis for them to become defilements through the arising of pride or delight or by a wrong conclusion that one of the Holy Paths has been attained.

He however, who is watchful and experienced in the vipassana practice, will know that these "states-of mind" do not indicate attainment of the true Path, but are only symptoms or concomitants of insight meditation."

He will now return his attention to the primary object of mediation, which is the in-and-out breath. Only then will progress continue and bring forth even sweeter fruit. It is important that one simply recognizes all of these as obstacles and dismisses them, rather than dwell on them. The meditator is able to continue to progress only when he cuts off attachment and returns attention to the breath. Thus re-oriented, he can now proceed with greater confidence.

When the second Jhana is attained and the meditator has stabilized it in the five-fold vasita manner (described previously), he arises from the second Jhana that he has now perfected.

For he perceives the fault inherent therein, and tells himself: 'This Jhana is weakened by the emotion of piti (rapture) which is a perturbed condition of the mind.

Next: The third Jhana.

#######################

Muchalinda the friendly cobra

Whole of that week
It rained
An incessant downpour.
I shielded him
From rain and cold as usual
Under the asathu tree.
Whether rain or sunshine
it was customary
For me to warm him
And to be warmed by him.
After the rain ceased
I was to re-enter the abode
Inside his golden body
But to my utter dismay
I found.
All openings barred,
Shut tightly
I was repulsed
Refused
Dejected
With the shrunken hood
I had to go
In search
Of some other abode

Ariyawansa Ranaweera