The people of Myanmar are mostly Buddhist but some of them believe in the concept of a soul, thought not so strongly as they follow the doctrine of the Buddha. They rightly understand theoretically that is no soul, self or everlasting entity. Yet they believe that when a person dies, the soul comes out of the body and stays near his house or his corpse or his coffin. It is a common belief that if they do not make offerings to the monks (bhikkhus) and share it with the departed ones, the soul must still alive around them.
Based on the concept of a soul, they cling to the idea personality, individuality, a being, a man or a woman - sakyã-ditthi (sakkãya here means mana and rupa, ditthi means wrong view). They have this idea of a person or a being because they do not comprehend the specific and common characteristics of the mind-body processes; they, therefore, take them to be everlasting and permanent.
If you ask yourself, "Will I die tomorrow?" - you dare not answer the question. If I say you are going to die tomorrow, you will get angry with me because you cling to the idea of the permanency of mental and physical processes. You think your mind-body processes are permanent; at least until tomorrow. Yes, that is the idea held on permanency. You hold it because you have not realised the constant appearance and disappearance of the processes of mental and physical phenomena. If you see the constant and instant appearance and disappearance of mental and physical phenomena, you will not believe them to be permanent.
Theoretically you rightly understand that none of the mental and physical processes last even a second according to the doctrine of the Lord Buddha. However, practicaly you hardly believe this because you have not realised their impermanent nature. Only if you have personal experience of the Dhamma, do you judge that these processes are impermanent. Then you can accept, "I may not even live until tomorrow. I may die this very second because every phenomenon, including myself, is arising and passing away from moment to moment and subject to impermanence".
If we say, "Now I am lifting my hand", then you ask of who is lifting the hand. I will say, "I am lifting the hand". Who is that 'I'? A bhikkhu, a man, or a being who is living? If we do not believe in the permanent nature of mind-body processes, we will not take them to be a being. Actually, the dual process of mentality and physicality, which constitutes a so-called person, is subject to change, arising and passing away. We just do not realise it. We take this dual process to be a person, a being, a dog or an animal. This view is called sakkãya-ditthi. Unless we can rightly comprehend mind and body processes in their true nature we are unable to overcome or destroy this false view.
This is why the Buddha teacher us to be mindful of any activity of body and mind, or any mental and physical processes as they really are. Then we can realise the two processes as natural processes of mentality and physicality. This is the first stage of insight in which we rightly understand the specific characteristics of mental and physical phenomena. This insight knowledge partially destroys the concept of soul or self, person or being which is the main cause of defilements (kilesas) such as greed, anger, delusion, conceit and so on. So we can say that this concept of a soul or a self is the seed of all defilements. When we have exterminated the seed no kilesas will arise. We will then have got rid of suffering. This is why the Monicidnt Buddha teacher us as follows:
'sakkãya-ditthi pahãnãya sato bhikkhu paribbaje'.
'In order to eliminate the wrong view of a person, a being, a self or a soul (sakkãya-ditthi and Atta-ditthi) a bhikkhu must strive his best by developing mindfulness'.
When we are able to do away with sakkãya-ditthi, we are sure to deliver from all kinds of suffering. Sakkãya-ditthi is the cause and seed of all kinds of defilements. So we must exert effort to exterminate it through right understanding of mental and physical processes by means of mindfulness meditation.
May all of you practise mindfulness meditation strenuously and attain the deliverance.
Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!
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Tuesday, August 30, 2011
SEVEN BENEFITS OF MEDITATION
* 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 well as in daily life. When you have some experience in the meditation 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, itchiness and all kinds of unpleasant physical sensations by observing them very attentively and closely. Therefore, you need to be afraid of pain, stiffness or numbness because there are your good friends who can help you to attain the cessation of suffering.
If you observe the pain energetically, precisely and closely. It may seem more severe because you know it more and more clearly. When you have comprehended the unpleasantness of this painful sensation, you will not identitfy it with yourself because the sensation is perceived as just a natural process of mental phenomena. You are not attached to the painful sensation as 'I' or 'mine' or 'me', or a 'person' or a 'being'. In this way, you can eradicate the wrong view me a soul, a self, a person, a being, an 'I' or a 'you'.
When the root of all kinds of defilements, i.e. sakyã-ditthi or atta-ditthi has been destroyed you are pure to attain the First Path, Sotãpatti-magga. Then you can proceed with your practice to attain the three higher stages of the Path and Fruition. That is why I say that unpleasant physical sensations such as pain, stiffness and numbness are your 'good friends' who can help you to attain the cessation of suffering. In other words, this numbness or any painful sensation is the key to open the door of Nibbãna. When you feel pain, you are lucky. Pain is the most valuable object of meditation because in attracts the 'nothing mind' to stay with it for a very long time. The 'nothing mind' can concentrate on it deeply and be absorbed in it. When the mind is completely absorbed in the painful sensation you will no longer be aware of your bodily form or yourself. Now you are realising the sabhãva-lakkhana of the pain or the individual characteristic of the painful sensation (dukkha-vedanã). Proceeding with the practice you will be able to realise the common characteristics of impermanence, suffering and no-soul or no-self nature of mental and physical phenomena. This will lead you to the cessation of all kinds of sufferings. So, you are lucky if you have pain.
In Myanmar (Burma), some meditators, having passed the third stage of insight knowledge (sammasana-ñaña), almost had completely overcome all painful sensations and were dissatisfied with their practice because they had no pain to note. So they folded their legs under themselves and pressed them so that they could get pain. They were looking for their 'good friend' who could lead them to the cessation of suffering.
When you feel unhappy, please observe that unhappy, unhappy,. If you feel depressed, that depression must be observed very attentively and perseveringly. When your mindfulness becomes powerful, the unhappiness and depression will cease to exist. So the overcoming of mental suffering is the fifth benefit of mindfulness meditation.
* THE SIXTH BENEFIT IS THE ATTAINMENT OF ENLIGHTENMENT, THE FATH AND FRUITION (magga and phala)
When you devote enough time and effort to your mindfulness meditation, you will attain at least the First Path, Sotãpatti-magga. This is the sixth benefit of Mindfulness meditation.
* THE SEVENTH BENEFIT IS THAT YOU ARE SURE TO ATTAIN NIBBÃNA, DELIVERANCE, EMANCIPATION THROUGH MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
To summarize, the seven kinds of benefits of mindfulness meditation which the Vipassana meditator can gain through personal experience of Dhamma are:
1. Purification from all kinds of defilements.
2. Overcoming sorrow and worry.
3. Overcoming lamentation.
4. Cessation of all kinds of physical suffering.
5. Cessation of all kinds of mental suffering.
6. Attainment of Enlightenment.
7. Attainment of Nibbãna.
The Buddha began the Maha satipatthana suttã with these seven benefits of mindfulness meditation. So you are pure to acquire these seven benefits if you put strenuous effort into your practice.
We are lucky because we believe in the enlightened Buddha who teaches the right way leading to the cessation of suffering. But we should not be complacent. In the Pali texts, there is a simile:
There is a great pond full of clear water with many lotus flowers in it. A traveller's hand are dirty. He knows that if he washes them in the pond, they will be clean. But though he knows it, he does not go to the pond to wash his hands, his hands are still dirty. In this way, he passes the pond and continues his journey.
He knew he could wash the dirt away in the pond, if he want to clean he must have to wash dirt.
Physical suffering such as pain, stiffness, itchiness, numbness and so on can be overcome by this mindfulness in meditation retreats as well as in daily life. When you have some experience in the meditation 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, itchiness and all kinds of unpleasant physical sensations by observing them very attentively and closely. Therefore, you need to be afraid of pain, stiffness or numbness because there are your good friends who can help you to attain the cessation of suffering.
If you observe the pain energetically, precisely and closely. It may seem more severe because you know it more and more clearly. When you have comprehended the unpleasantness of this painful sensation, you will not identitfy it with yourself because the sensation is perceived as just a natural process of mental phenomena. You are not attached to the painful sensation as 'I' or 'mine' or 'me', or a 'person' or a 'being'. In this way, you can eradicate the wrong view me a soul, a self, a person, a being, an 'I' or a 'you'.
When the root of all kinds of defilements, i.e. sakyã-ditthi or atta-ditthi has been destroyed you are pure to attain the First Path, Sotãpatti-magga. Then you can proceed with your practice to attain the three higher stages of the Path and Fruition. That is why I say that unpleasant physical sensations such as pain, stiffness and numbness are your 'good friends' who can help you to attain the cessation of suffering. In other words, this numbness or any painful sensation is the key to open the door of Nibbãna. When you feel pain, you are lucky. Pain is the most valuable object of meditation because in attracts the 'nothing mind' to stay with it for a very long time. The 'nothing mind' can concentrate on it deeply and be absorbed in it. When the mind is completely absorbed in the painful sensation you will no longer be aware of your bodily form or yourself. Now you are realising the sabhãva-lakkhana of the pain or the individual characteristic of the painful sensation (dukkha-vedanã). Proceeding with the practice you will be able to realise the common characteristics of impermanence, suffering and no-soul or no-self nature of mental and physical phenomena. This will lead you to the cessation of all kinds of sufferings. So, you are lucky if you have pain.
In Myanmar (Burma), some meditators, having passed the third stage of insight knowledge (sammasana-ñaña), almost had completely overcome all painful sensations and were dissatisfied with their practice because they had no pain to note. So they folded their legs under themselves and pressed them so that they could get pain. They were looking for their 'good friend' who could lead them to the cessation of suffering.
When you feel unhappy, please observe that unhappy, unhappy,. If you feel depressed, that depression must be observed very attentively and perseveringly. When your mindfulness becomes powerful, the unhappiness and depression will cease to exist. So the overcoming of mental suffering is the fifth benefit of mindfulness meditation.
* THE SIXTH BENEFIT IS THE ATTAINMENT OF ENLIGHTENMENT, THE FATH AND FRUITION (magga and phala)
When you devote enough time and effort to your mindfulness meditation, you will attain at least the First Path, Sotãpatti-magga. This is the sixth benefit of Mindfulness meditation.
* THE SEVENTH BENEFIT IS THAT YOU ARE SURE TO ATTAIN NIBBÃNA, DELIVERANCE, EMANCIPATION THROUGH MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
To summarize, the seven kinds of benefits of mindfulness meditation which the Vipassana meditator can gain through personal experience of Dhamma are:
1. Purification from all kinds of defilements.
2. Overcoming sorrow and worry.
3. Overcoming lamentation.
4. Cessation of all kinds of physical suffering.
5. Cessation of all kinds of mental suffering.
6. Attainment of Enlightenment.
7. Attainment of Nibbãna.
The Buddha began the Maha satipatthana suttã with these seven benefits of mindfulness meditation. So you are pure to acquire these seven benefits if you put strenuous effort into your practice.
We are lucky because we believe in the enlightened Buddha who teaches the right way leading to the cessation of suffering. But we should not be complacent. In the Pali texts, there is a simile:
There is a great pond full of clear water with many lotus flowers in it. A traveller's hand are dirty. He knows that if he washes them in the pond, they will be clean. But though he knows it, he does not go to the pond to wash his hands, his hands are still dirty. In this way, he passes the pond and continues his journey.
He knew he could wash the dirt away in the pond, if he want to clean he must have to wash dirt.
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