BUDDHIST SPECTRUM

Moving with meditation

Dr Padmaka Silva

Meditation is like germinating a seed. When a seed gets germinated a big tree does not spring from it at once. We must look after it carefully with love and affection like looking after a child. Mindfulness is also something like that. First of all we must generate mindfulness.

Then we must develop it. To generate mindfulness too we meditate. If some mindfulness is generated that is developed by meditating. For that one needs a knowledge of Dhamma.

That means for generating mindfulness as well as for developing it we need the knowledge of Dhamma. One cannot keep on improving the mindfulness if there is no knowledge of Dhamma. Why? One does not know what one is doing.

That path to Nibbana was explained by the Buddha. We do not know about it. That is why we require the Dhamma. It is in the Dhamma that one is instructed to “Do this now. Next do this” etc. That means we require the Dhamma wherein it is explained how to improve mindfulness.

The way the Dhamma has to be developed at different places is different. The same thing must not be done often. That is why it is said listening to Dhamma and conducting Dhamma discussions have to be done at the appropriate times.

At the time of practising Sila we must speak of Dhamma pertaining to Sila. We must study Dhamma related to Sila. When we practise concentration we must study and talk about Dhamma about concentration.

When we practise wisdom we must practise and study Dhamma relevant to wisdom. When we develop concentration we must study and discuss Dhamma facts relevant to developing concentration.

That is why we have to discuss Dhamma at the appropriate time. Listen to Dhamma at the appropriate time. What most of us do is to study about concentration at the beginning itself asking: “How is that? How is this? How can such and such a concentration be developed?” Such a person can never achieve a clear knowledge or understanding. Why? It is irrelevant. It does not relate to him.

These problems arise as a consequence of lack of Saddha. If one had Saddha, if he knows about listening to Dhamma at the appropriate time, discussing Dhamma at the appropriate time one knows where he stands. Can a child in the kindergarten learn Pythagoras’ theorem? Such a thing is taught to children in grade nine or ten. We must know where we are and what we have to do. That is why we should welcome the advice of worthy friends.

To make a success of meditation there should be two factors. First one is common sense. We should have wisdom. We should also be obedient. We must be able to listen to others. We should have both or one of them. If we have both or one of them we can succeed.

Where there is none of them, there cannot be even an iota of good results. Many people lack both of them. There is no common sense. Also they do not like to listen to others. The mind does not form for that.

If we have common sense and obedience we can form Saddha. The individual who lives in Saddha gets an opportunity to follow this Dhamma preached by the Buddha. Therefore we must make up our minds to do things at the appropriate times. It is something that has to be done in Saddha.

Therefore those who embark on meditation should not be in a hurry at the beginning. That does not mean that they should be in a hurry at the end. One who is not in a hurry at the beginning does not get hurried up at the end. What does the one who is in a hurry at the beginning do? He attempts to end the journey in a hurry. He attempts to finish the journey in the way to Nibbana in a hurry.

Therefore do not be in a hurry. If you are practising some meditation, practise it gradually. Take a short time and improve the mindfulness. Get used to carrying out with mindfulness the things necessary for the meditation. It may be even one or two minutes. Suppose it is Metta Bhavana. Try to maintain the mind on the words included in the meditation.

Try to be mindful. That is the first thing you have to do. When you do it little by little in that manner you will realize that “I can now do it with mindfulness”.

Mindfulness means not allowing the mind to go here and there. The nature of the mind is to wander here and there. It may fall asleep. Or it may get covered by the Nivaranas (hindrances). We must develop this mindfulness without allowing the mind to be overcome by the Nivaranas. If we try to do it for several hours at a stretch we will not be able to do it. Why? Our mindfulness is not developed. We try to work with an undeveloped mindfulness with the intention of finishing off the defilements soon.

It is done for hours at the beginning. But the mindfulness is not developed. We are trying to work with an undeveloped mindfulness. Then the mindfulness breaks down. Ultimately various ailments may come up.

That is why we must develop our mindfulness. Before cutting down the forest we must sharpen our tool. The war against defilements has to be done with meditation. To overcome the defilements, to perform that extremely difficult activity we must develop our mindfulness well.

That mindfulness develops in meditation. To develop mindfulness we must generate mindfulness. We have the ability to develop the mindfulness so generated.

Therefore from the beginning of practising meditation we must try to develop the mindfulness little by little. Does not matter even if it is five minutes.

Do a little and remain mindful. Then you will feel the establishment of mindfulness. The mind will not fall into sleepiness. Will not wander. You will realize that you can maintain the mindfulness. Then gradually increase the time for meditating. At present our meditating time is about half an hour. Increase the meditating time to that level.

Some may be able to achieve this in one week. Some may do it in two weeks. Some others may take one month. Some may take even longer. It does not matter. Is time important? What matters is not whether it takes a short time or a long time. What is important is the maintaining of mindfulness.

Take one year or even ten years and try to establish mindfulness. Determine to generate mindfulness and then practise it.

Some may achieve it in one or two weeks or in a day. We do not know the nature of each individual. But no one should develop the idea of doing it in a hurry. What has to be done is to form the idea to develop mindfulness. Leave aside the idea of doing it in a hurry.

Then do it little by little and generate the mindfulness. After generating mindfulness in that manner you will realize that you can maintain the object of meditation without becoming sleepy or without allowing the mind to get dispersed.

Thereafter gradually increase the duration. Then we get an opportunity after sometime to practise a meditation with mindfulness.

An individual who starts meditation after deciding to meditate for half an hour or for one hour may stay in that pose not half an hour but for even five hours. But he may have fallen asleep or his mind may have gone astray.

There is no use in being like that for one hour or for even half a day. If one could stay with mindfulness even for five minutes that is the occasion for developing the Dhamma.

That is the productive way. Staying for even five hours without mindfulness is useless. To an outsider he will appear to be meditating a lot. That is not of any use to him. We also might say “I have meditated well. I have meditated for hours.” That is not of any use.

That is good for bragging. But we have not done the correct thing. Therefore try to generate mindfulness at least little by little. Try to make a start in that manner. Then the opportunity will arise for us to gradually progress in this meditation.

Compiled with instructions from Ven Nawalapitiye Ariyawansa Thera

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Abhidhamma in practice

N K G Mendis

The Abhidhamma forms the third part of the Pali Canon, the Tipitaka. The other two parts are the Vinaya Pitaka, the code of discipline for monks and nuns, and the Sutta Pitaka, which contains the Buddha’s discourses.

The word Abhidhamma means the higher teaching because it treats subjects exclusively in an ultimate sense (paramatthasacca), differing from the Sutta Pi.taka where there is often the use of expressions valid only from the standpoint of conventional truth (vohaarasacca). In the Abhidhamma the philosophical standpoint of the Buddha is given in a pure form without admixture of personalities, anecdotes, or discussions.

It deals with realities in detail and consists of numerous classifications. These may at first discourage the prospective student. However, if one perseveres one will be able to derive much benefit in life-situations from the practical application of the knowledge gained through study of the Abhidhamma.

Origins

Theravaada tradition holds that the Buddha conceived the Abhidhamma in the fourth week after his enlightenment, while still sitting in the vicinity of the Bodhi tree. Tradition also has it that he first preached the Abhidhamma to the assembly of deities in the Taavatimsa heaven; his mother, reborn as a deity, was present in the assembly.

This can be taken to mean that the Buddha, by intense concentration, transcended the earth-bound mentality and rose mentally to the world of the deities, a feat made possible by his attainment of higher powers (abhiññaa) through utmost perfection in mental concentration.

Having preached the Abhidhamma to the deities, he returned to earth, that is, to normal human consciousness, and preached it to the venerable Saariputta, the arahant disciple most advanced in wisdom.

From ancient times doubts have been expressed as to whether the Abhidhamma was really taught by the Buddha. What is important for us is to experience the realities described in the Abhidhamma. Then one will realize for oneself that such profound truths can emanate only from a source of supreme enlightenment, from a Buddha.

Much of what is contained in the Abhidhamma is also found in the Sutta Pi.taka and such sermons had never been heard by anyone until they were uttered by the Buddha.

Therefore those who deny that the source of the Abhidhamma was the Buddha will then have to say that the discourses also were not uttered by the Buddha.

At any rate, according to the Theravaada tradition, the essence of the Abhidhamma, the fundamentals, the framework, is ascribed to the Buddha. The tabulations and classifications may have been the work of later scholars.

What is important is the essence; it is this we should try to experience for ourselves. The question is also raised whether the Abhidhamma is essential for Dhamma practice. The answer to this will depend on the individual who undertakes the practice. People vary in their levels of understanding and spiritual development. Ideally all the different spiritual faculties should be harmonized, but some people are quite content with devotional practice based on faith, while others are keen on developing penetrative insight.

The Abhidhamma is most useful to those who want to understand, who want to know the Dhamma in depth and detail. It aids the development of insight into the three characteristics of existence-impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and no-self. It will be found useful not only during the periods devoted to formal meditation, but also during the rest of the day when we are engaged in various chores.

When we experience realities then we are deriving benefit from the study of the Abhidhamma. A comprehensive knowledge of the Abhidhamma is further useful to those engaged in teaching and explaining the Dhamma to others.

Ultimate realities

The Abhidhamma deals with realities existing in an ultimate sense, called in Pali paramattha dhammaa. There are four such realities:

Citta, mind or consciousness, defined as that which knows or experiences an object. Citta occurs as distinct momentary states of consciousness.

Cetasikas, the mental factors that arise and occur along with the cittas. Ruupa, physical phenomena, or material form.

Nibbaana.

Citta, the cetasikas, and ruupa are conditioned realities. They arise because of conditions and disappear when their conditions cease to sustain them. Therefore they are impermanent. Nibbaana is an unconditioned reality. It does not arise and therefore does not fall away.

These four realities can be experienced regardless of what name we give them. Any other thing — be it within ourselves or without, past, present, or future, coarse or subtle, low or lofty, far or near — is a concept and not an ultimate reality.

Citta, cetasikas, and nibbaana are also called naama. The two conditioned naamas, citta and cetasikas, together with ruupa make up naama-ruupa, the psycho-physical organism.

Each of us, in the ultimate sense, is a naama-ruupa, a compound of mental and material phenomena, and nothing more. Apart from these three realities that go to form the naama-ruupa compound there is no ego, self, or soul. The naama part of the compound is what experiences an object.

The ruupa part does not experience anything. When the body is injured it is not the body, which is ruupa, that feels the pain, but naama, the mental side. When we are hungry it is not the stomach that feels the hunger but again the naama. However, naama cannot eat the food to ease the hunger.

The naama, the mind and its factors, makes the ruupa, the body, ingest the food. Thus neither the naama nor the ruupa has any efficient power of its own. One is dependent on the other; one supports the other. Both naama and ruupa arise because of conditions and perish immediately, and this is happening every moment of our lives.

By studying and experiencing these realities we will get insight into: (1) what we truly are; (2) what we find around us; (3) how and why we react to what is within and around us; and (4) what we should aspire to reach as a spiritual goal.

Golden verses

Treasure the advice of the wise

Should one a man of wisdom meet
who points out faults and gives reproof,
who lays a hidden treasure bare,
with such a sage should one consort.
Consorting so is one enriched
and never in decline.

Explanation: If one discovers a wise person who points out one’s errors and sternly corrects one, he should be looked upon as a benign revealer of a treasure. His company should be sought. Such association would make better persons of men.

Good advice

Let him exhort, let him instruct,
and check one from abasement.

Dear indeed is he to the true,
not dear is he to the false.
Explanation: The wise and good person who reproaches and warns, and prevents a person from getting into anti-social behaviour, is liked by virtuous individuals - and disliked by those who are evil.

In the company of the virtuous

Don’t go around with evil friends,
with rogues do not resort.
Spend your time with noble friends,
and worthy ones consort.

Explanation: Do not associate with people who have evil ways. Avoid the company of wicked, evil people who are mean and bad. Associate with worthy friends. Keep the company of noble persons who are superior in quality and virtue and who will be able to elevate you.

- Dhammapada