BUDDHIST SPECTRUM

Great foundations of mindfulness

Mahasatipatthana Sutta:

Dr Vidhura Mahendra

Buddhist monks are the pillars of Buddhism and the Sinhalese language. By and large credit goes to many erudite Buddhist monks as such a passage has been constructive for the development of a just society in the country.

As a school kid, I learnt not only Buddhism and Sinhalese but maths in addition from a learned Buddhist monk. My father once said the legendary singer H R Jothipala learnt to pronounce Sinhalese words phonetically accurate where the meaning does not alter, from a certain scholarly monk in the 1960s. This was further justified subsequently by veteran musician Pundit W D Amaradeva on his comments on Jothipala’s pronunciation.

Recently, I had the good opportunity to listen to the entire ‘Mahasatipatthana sutta’ recited by yet another Buddhist scholar Ven. Dr. Omalpe Sobhitha. I must also mention Sampath Perera who tirelessly maintains a dedicated Buddhist website for those suttas had sent the internet link facilitating me to listen via high quality stereo sound reproduction.

The chanting by Ven. Dr. Sobhitha was absolutely phenomenal and one senses as if in a trance for an hour and half or to some who follows Dhamma a ‘serenade’. Out of ordinarily Pundit Amaradeva had also sung the preamble of the sutta with his virtuoso performance. This may sound surprisingly true but one may perceive that suttas may be chanted as of songs for preludes.

In fact some Buddhist scholars view Mahasatipatthana sutta (“great foundations of mindfulness,” or “great frames of reference”) as the most important Sutta that Buddha taught. One may need to listen to the sutta time and again to assimilate the message it disseminates. The original Pali text of this Sutta can be found in Mahavagga of the Digha Nikaya 22.

In this sutta, Buddha addressed four references for establishing mindfulness meditation for Buddhist monks in Kuru (Haryana/West Uttar Pradesh) state of India, body (Kaya), sensations or feelings (Vedana), mind or consciousness (Citta) and mental contents (Dhamma) for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the disappearance of pain and distress, for the attainment of the right method, and for the realisation of Unbinding.

There is the case where a monk remains focused on the body in and of itself - ardent, alert, and mindful - putting aside greed and distress with reference to the world.

He remains focused on feelings... mind... mental qualities in and of themselves - ardent, alert, and mindful — putting aside greed and distress with reference to the world.

The four references are further broken down into subsections as below (ref: Thanissaro Bhikkhu - Mahasatipatthana Sutta)

1. Body (Kaya)

* Breathing (also see the Anapanasati Sutta)

* Postures (Walking, Standing, Sitting, Laying Down)

* Clear Comprehending

* Reflections on Repulsiveness of the Body

* Reflections on Material Elements

* Cemetery Contemplations

2. Sensations/Feelings (Vedana)

* pleasant or unpleasant or neither-pleasant-nor-unpleasant (neutral) feelings

* worldly or spiritual feelings

3. Mind/Consciousness (Citta)

* lust (saraga) or without lust (vitaraga)

* hate (sadosa) or without hate (vitadosa)

* delusion (samoha) or without delusion (vitamoha)

* contracted (sankhitta) or scattered (vikkhitta)

* lofty (mahaggata) or not lofty (amahaggata)

* surpassable (sa-uttara) or unsurpassed (anuttara)

* quieted (samahita) or not quieted (asamahita)

* released (vimutta) or not released (avimutta)

4. Mental Contents (Dhamma)

* The Hindrances

* The Aggregates of Clinging

* The Sense-Bases and their Fetters

* The Factors of Enlightenment

* The Four Noble Truths

The afore-mentioned subsections were an absolute nutshell of the lengthy detailing of the steps/processes the Bhikkhus have to concentrate upon which are clearly explained in Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s outline of the entire Sutta.

In fact, Mahasatipatthana sutta has a repetitive clause in between from the beginning to the end that eulogises the importance of attention to its contents when one carefully listens to that attributes to Buddha addressing the monks ‘Puna cha parang bhikkhave….’ (Once more monks….’) the adherence to the four references earlier may be maintained unabated thus attain correct mindfulness and concentration.

In truth a Buddhist devotee may find it extremely useful to associate the entire Mahasatipatthana sutta in Pali and its translation in either in Sinhala (e.g. Mahasatipatthana Sutra Varnanawa by Ven. Labugama Sri Lankananda) or English to comprehend the ocean of high spiritual message of concentration and endurance pertaining to body, feelings, consciousness and mental contents intrinsically.

Meditation Not for lay success?

Sachitra Mahendra

This word has sort of become a popular word, and I think, this is the most mistaken concept among Buddhists let alone others. One clear reason is that meditation is not a Buddhist concept alone; Buddhism has specific methods of meditation.

This is not an attempt to spell out what meditation is, and how you should carry it out. I may need another time to do so.

The concept is mistaken as Buddhists have taken meditation as some way of escaping from the lay life. I have often heard Buddhists with funny remarks like ‘no time for meditation’. This should be well excused, when there are meditation clubs, and mushrooming ‘meditation masters’ who will issue Sovan certificates, just like some institutes issuing bogus doctorates. Leave it at that. True there should be a specific time for meditations of specific type, though this does not apply for every kind of meditation.

For instance, Vidarshana meditation, seeing as they are, can be applied at any moment. It requires a little bit of patience, and observance of mind’s thought movement. When you feel angry, you should have the patience to feel the state of mind. When you come across a lustful feeling, you should be patient enough to observe your mind’s thought frame.

Perhaps it’s the comedy of errors to see many foreigners coming into meditation, while locals shy away with funny remarks! Meditation, in Buddhist sense, is not disappearing into some seclusive corner and sit cross legged with eyes closed. It’s basically the mental concentration.

Mental concentration is what we least practise. Buddha likened the mind for a fish out of water, constantly changing from frame to frame. When we think of something, something else comes in the next instance. We hardly have the capacity to concentrate on one single item for long. Some people are gifted with concentration to some extent. That is how we see brilliant students and intellectuals of any field. Ask a brilliant student about his strategies. Meditative mind is one undisclosed reason.

One simple example. We travel in bus, but our mindset does not stay in bus. It travels into far away places. We may be thinking about a workmate in bus, and in the next instance we somehow go away from the workmate to something personal. Sometimes we may feel irritating to think about some workmates, and anger overpervades our innocent mind frame.

We should be able to observe our mind’s movements. There is no shortcut. It should be cultivated.

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[ABHIDHAMMA IN A NUTSHELL - IX]

Seeing things as they truly are

Shamika Soysa

Think about a person with many likings. That person might enjoy life in many ways by fulfilling those likings. Once he achieved one of his desires he would expect more to satisfy himself further. Assume due to some unfortunate reason he lost the rhythm of his life. Instead of fulfilling his likings he has to struggle to survive.

Compare the suffering he would undergo with someone in contrast who had less likings and desires in life. Obviously, the person with more desires would suffer than the other.

In our life, we can never expect everlasting progress and success. Everything is subject to change. One has to suffer at birth as well as at the death. In between there are many ups and downs in life. More you desire, more you suffer and less you desire, less you suffer.

The Buddhist, who has entered the path of reaching Nibbana would understand this reality and work towards getting rid of all the sufferings. He would understand that this existence is due to past Ignorance (Avijja), Craving (Thanha), Attachment (Upadhana), Kamma, and physical Food (Ahara) of present life.

He would understand that everything is subject to Transient (Anithya), Suffering (Dukkha) and devoid of any immortal Soul (Anathma). He would understand that in none of the Realms of existence there is permanent joy or happiness. Therefore he would start Vipassana Bhavana, the meditation to understand things as they truly are.

The Noble Eight-Fold Path (Arya Ashtangika Margaya) is the path to Nibbana. Enormous effort in Samsara together with this path would make it possible for one to fully realise the Four Noble Truths (Chathurarya Sathya): Suffering (Dukkha), Cause of the Suffering (Dukkha Samudaya), Cessation of Suffering (Dukka Nirodha), Path leading to the cessation of Suffering (Dukkha Nirodha Gamini Patipada).

Out of 89 types of consciousness, Kamavachara, Rupavachara and Arupavachara chiththas are all non-permanent even though the later chiththas are purer. They arise in the 31 realms of existence and they are together called ‘Mundane Consciousness’ or ‘Lokiya Chiththas’.

The consciousness arise in the path of Nibbana, the supreme of all consciousness, are called ‘Supramundane Consciousness’ (Lokuththara Chiththas) and they are two fold as Path-Consciousness (Marga Chiththas) and their corresponding Fruit-Consciousness (Phala Chiththas);

Supramundane Path-Consciousness (Lokuththara Marga Chiththas) - 4

1. Sothapaththi Marga Chiththa Sothapaththi Path-Consciousness

2. Sakadhagami Marga Chiththa Sakadhagami Path-Consciousness

3. Anagami Marga Chiththa Anagami Path-Consciousness

4. Arhath Marga Chiththa Arhath Path-Consciousness

Supramundane Fruit-Consciousness (Lokuththara Pala Chiththas) - 4

5. Sothapaththi Pala Chiththa Sothapaththi Fruit-Consciousness

6. Sakadhagami Pala Chiththa Sakadhagami Fruit-Consciousness

7. Anagami Pala Chiththa Anagami Fruit-Consciousness

8. Arhath Pala Chiththa Arhath Fruit-Consciousness

Stages of Sainthood

The person who has developed mind through Samatha Bhavana, with enormous effort of Vipassana Bhavana would enter the path of Nibbana. The first stage of ‘Sainthood’ is Sothapaththi. Sotha means ‘the stream that leads to the Nibbana’ and Apaththi means ‘entering for the first time’.

Therefore Sothapaththi means entering the stream of Nibbana for the first time. At this instance the consciousness arises is called Sothapaththi Path-Consciousness (Sothapaththi Marga Chiththa). Unlike Lokiya Chiththas these chiththas would arise once in a life time and is immediately followed by its resultant consciousness, which is here called as Sothapaththi Fruit-Consciousness (Sothapaththi Pala Chiththa).

The Sothapanna person will then proceed to the second stage of Sainthood that is Sakadhagami. Saka means ‘once’ and Agami means ‘returns’.

Sakadhagami means the one who returns to this world of human beings only once before attaining Arhathship. The consciousness, arise at entering Sakadhagami is “Sakhadagami Path-Consciousness” (Sakadhagami Marga Chiththa) and it is immediately followed by “Sakadhagami Fruit-Consciosness” (Sakadhagami Pala Chiththa). The third stage of Sainthood Anagami. Ana means ‘not’ and Agami means ‘returns’. Therefore Anagami means not returning to the Sense-Sphere (Kamaloka). Those who attain Anagami are born in ‘Pure Abodes’ or in Suddavasa Brahma realms till they attain Arhathship.

The corresponding consciousness is “Anagami Path-Consciousness” (Anagami Marga Chiththa) and is followed by ‘Anagami Fruit-Consciousness’ (Anagami Pala Chiththa).

The last stage of Sainthood, the ultimate destination of any Buddhist is followed by Anagami and that is attaining Arhathship or Nibbana which marks the end of Samsara. The consciousness pertaining to this stage is “Arhath Path-Consciousness” (Arhath Marga Chiththa) and is followed by “Arhath Fruit-Consciousness” (Arhath Pala Chiththa). It should be mentioned that it is only the Consciousness pertaining in attaining Nibbana is considered here.

The fourth Paramatha that is Nirvana Paramaththa would describe attaining Nibbana in detail.

Thus end eight types of Supramundane Consciousness along with 89 types of Consciousness. The next episode would describe the 121 types of consciousness and summarise Chiththa Paramaththa in conclusion.

Reference: Abhidharma Margaya by Ven. Prof. Renukane Chandhawimala A Manual of Abhidhamma by Ven. Narada

Tenant farmers

The rays of the new sun in the new world
That echoes among the songs of the birds
The poetic jewel of the nation that shines
Because of poeticism inherent
The succour attached to common masses
And embraced in unity,
In this Sinhala earth of golden treasure
Which maintained these unhidden

Honey that drips from the smell of,
Sandal, pine, cassia, and crysanthemum
From the song invaluable that spreads
Among jungle tree-tops
From the endless stretch of paddy-fields
Bending with ears of paddy
Is filled with spreading fragrant water
Flowing from resources of land and sea

The inner bliss
Raise high the roofs
raise high the walls
let it touch the skies
dear builders
of my mansion
allow it to scrape
the heavenly stars.
A miracle happens
I am alone
in this vast room
of mine
cut off from
the din and sound

Sunanda Mahendra

Unveiling the Kotha of newly built ‘Piyagunaseya’ ceitya in memory of late J.A.D. Jayarathne of Maththumagala was held at Sri Baudhaloka Viharaya Parakrama road Maththumagala recently. Here Sunila Jayasinghe wife of late Jayaratne is seen unveiling the Kotha of the ceitya. (left) and Ven. Welisara Soratha presenting a commemorative gift to Sunila Jayasinghe (right). Ven. Mapitigama Sobitha was also present. Picture by Nimal Perera, Wattala group corr.

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