* THE FIRST BENEFIT OF PURIFICATION
When a person practises mindfulness, he can purify his being all defilements. The Pali word 'kilesa' may be familiar to you. The word kilesa is translated as defilements by Buddhist scholars. The kilesa as of ten main kinds:
1. Lobha
2. Dosa
3. Moha
4. Mana
5. Ditthi
6. Vicikicchã
7. Thina-middha
8. Uddhacca-kukkucca
9. Ahirika
10. Anottappa
1. Lobha means not only greed but also desire, lust, craving, attachment and Love. When one of these mental states arises in us, our mind gets defiled. So these are known as defilements.
2. Dosa is hatred, anger, ill-will or aversion.
3. Moha is delusion or ignorance.
4. Ditthi is wrong view or false view.
5. Mana is conceit.
6. Vicikicchã is sceptical doubt.
7. Thina-middha is sloth and torpor. Sleepiness also comes under sloth and torpor. Sloth and torpor are 'old friends' of meditators and also those who listen to the Dhamma.
8. Uddhacca-kukkucca means restlessness and remorse.
9. Ahirika means moral shame-lessness. One who is not ashamed to do evil deeds is speech, thought and action.
10. Anottappa means moral fearless-ness - that is one is not afraid of the consequence of evil action one may do in deed, speech and thought. This moral fearlessness is one of the defilements.
These are the ten kinds of defilements which must be abandoned or removed from our minds by means of Vipassana Meditation. The Buddha says:
If one practises mindfulness meditation,
one can be purified from all defilements.
That means, he can attain Arahantship when he is completely purified from all kinds of defilements. This is the first benefit.
* THE SECOND BENEFIT OF MINDFULNESS IS THE OVERCOMING OF SORROW AND WORRY
You will not feel sorry about the death of your relatives, or about the loss of your wealth. You will not be sorry about anything if you practise this mindfulness meditation. Although you have not attained any Path and Fruition knowledge (magga and phala), you can overcome sorrow and worry to some extent. When sorrow or worry arises, you will be mindful of it as it is. When mindfulness becomes powerful, sorrow and worry will stop and disappear. When you have completely developed mindfulness meditation, you are sure to attain Arahantship, and hence be free from sorry and worry permanently. In this way, sorrow and worry can be overcome by mindfulness meditation.
* THE THIRD BENEFIT IS THAT OF OVERCOMING LAMENTATION
Although your parents, children or relatives die, you will not have any lamentation for them because you have fully realised that mental and physical processes constitute the so-called child or the so-called parents. In this way, lamentation can be overcome by mindfulness meditation. He get know the four noble truth:
1. Dukkha-saccã (the truth of suffering)
2. Samudaya-saccã (the truth of the cause of suffering)
3. Nirodha-saccã (the truth of cessation of suffering)
4. Magga-saccã (the truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering)
The Four Noble Truth includes advice on how to be mindful of whatever arises in our mind and body as it really is. As the people die during the time of the Buddha, people nowaday can overcome sorrow and worry. This is done by practising mindfulness meditation and attaining some higher stages of insight. You are also included in those who can overcome sorrow and worry by means of mindfulness meditation.
* THE FOURTH BENEFIT IS THE CESSATION OF PHYSICAL SUFFERING
* THE FIFTH BENEFIT IS THE CESSATION OF MENTAL SUFFERING
Physical suffering such as pain, stiffness, itchiness, numbness and so on can be overcome by this mindfulness in meditation retreats as wel as in daily life. When you have some experience in the meditation practice, you can overcome your mental and physical practice, you can overcome your mental and physical suffering to a large extent.
If you invest enough effort and time you can exterminate both mental and physical suffering permanently when you have attained Arahantship. But during meditation, you can overcome pain, stiffness, numbness, itchiners and all kinds of unpleasant physical sensations by observing them very attentively and closely. Therefor, you need not be afraid of pain, stiffness or numbness because these are your good friends who can help you to attain the cessation of suffering.
