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He therefore discovered the other form of ‘meditation’ known as vipassanā (Skt. vipaśyanā or vidarśanā), ‘Insight’ into the nature of things, leading to the complete liberation of mind, to the realization of the Ultimate Truth, Nirvāna.
The discourse is divided into four main sections: the first section deals with our body (kāya), the second with our feelings and sensations (vedanā), the third with the mind (citta), and the fourth with various moral and intellectual subjects (dhamma).
It should be clearly borne in mind that whatever the form of ‘meditation’ may be, the essential thing is mindfulness or awareness (sati), attention or observation (anupassanā).
‘The Mindfulness or A wareness of in-and-out breathing’ (ānāpānasati). It is for this ‘meditation’ only that a particular and definite posture is prescribed in the text.
In other words, your mind should be so fully concentrated on your breathing that you are aware of its movements and changes.
This exercise of mindfulness of breathing, which is one of the simplest and easiest practices, is meant to develop concentration leading up to very high mystic attainments (dhyāna).
Another very important, practical, and useful form of ‘meditation’ (mental development) is to be aware and mindful of whatever you do, physically or verbally, during the daily routine of work in your life, private, public or professional.
of the act you perform at the moment. That is to say, that you should live in the present moment, in the present action. This does not mean that you should not think of the past or the future at all. On the contrary, you think of them in relation to the present moment, the present action, when and where it is relevant.
When asked why his disciples, who lived a simple and quiet life with only one meal a day, were so radiant, the Buddha replied: ‘They do not repent the past, nor do they brood over the future. They live in the present. Therefore they are radiant. By brooding over the future and repenting the past, fools dry up like green reeds cut down (in the sun).’
No. Just the contrary. The moment you think ‘I am doing this’, you become self-conscious, and then you do not live in the action, but you live in the idea ‘I am’, and consequently your work too is spoilt.
The moment a speaker becomes self-conscious and thinks ‘I am addressing an audience’, his speech is disturbed and his trend of thought broken. But when he forgets himself in his speech, in his subject, then he is at his best, he speaks well and explains things clearly.
All great work—artistic, poetic, intellectual or spiritual—is produced at those moments when its creators are lost completely in their actions, when they forget themselves a...
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You experience an unhappy, sorrowful sensation. In this state your mind is cloudy, hazy, not clear, it is depressed. In some cases, you do not even see clearly why you have that unhappy feeling. First of all, you should learn not to be unhappy about your unhappy feeling, not to be worried about your worries.
But try to see clearly why there is a sensation or a feeling of unhappiness, or worry, or sorrow. Try to examine how it arises, its cause, how it disappears, its cessation.
Here, too, you should not look at it as ‘my feeling’ or ‘my sensation’ subjectively, but only look at it as ‘a feeling’ or ‘a sensation’ objectively. You should forget again the false idea of ‘I’.
We must admit that very often we are afraid or ashamed to look at our own minds. So we prefer to avoid it. One should be bold and sincere and look at one’s own mind as one looks at one’s face in a mirror.6
It is simply observing, watching, examining.
When you observe your mind, and see its true nature clearly, you become dispassionate with regard to its emotions, sentiments and states. Thus you become detached and free, so that you may see things as they are.
The moment he becomes aware and mindful of that state of his mind, the moment he sees his anger, it becomes, as if it were, shy and ashamed, and begins to subside. You should examine its nature, how it arises, how it disappears.
You should only be aware and mindful of the state of an angry mind.
So, according to this form of meditation, you may study, think, and deliberate on the Five Hindrances (Nīvaraņa), namely: 1. lustful desires (kāmacchanda), 2. ill-will, hatred or anger (vyāpāda), 3. torpor and languor (thīna-middha), 4. restlessness and worry (uddhacca-kakkkucca), 5. sceptical doubts (yicikicchā).
One may also ‘meditate’ on the Seven Factors of Enlightenment (Bojjhaṅga). They are: 1. Mindfulness (sati), i.e., to be aware and mindful in all activities and movements both physical and mental, as we discussed above. 2. Investigation and research into the various problems of doctrine (dhamma-vicaya). Included here are all our religious, ethical and philosophical studies, reading, researches, discussions, conversation, even attending lectures relating to such doctrinal subjects. 3. Energy (viriya), to work with determination till the end. 4. Joy (pīti), the quality quite
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One may also ‘meditate’ on such subjects as the Five Aggregates investigating the question ‘What is a being?’ or ‘What is it that is called I?’, or on the Four Noble Truths, as we discussed above.
Apart from those we have discussed here, there are many other subjects of meditation, traditionally forty in number, among which mention should be made particularly of the four Sublime States: (Brahma-vihāra): (1) extending unlimited, universal love and good-will (mettā) to all living beings without any kind of discrimination, ‘just as a mother loves her only child’; (2) compassion (karuṇā) for all living beings who are suffering, in trouble and affliction; (3) sympathetic joy (muditā) in others’ success, welfare and happiness; and (4) equanimity (upekkhā) in all vicissitudes of life.
This is a sad misconception, due evidently to a lack of understanding of the teaching of the Buddha.
The Buddha’s teaching is meant not only for monks in monasteries, but also for ordinary men and women living at home with their families. The Noble Eightfold Path, which is the Buddhist way of life, is meant for all, without distinction of any kind.
another might live in a village or a town, practising no ascetic discipline, but his mind might be pure, and free from ‘defilements’.
The common belief that to follow the Buddha’s teaching one has to retire from life is a misconception. It is really an unconscious defence against practising it.
The Buddha was interested in the happiness of men. To him happiness was not possible without leading a pure life based on moral and spiritual principles.
Because of this, the Buddha told lay people how important it is to improve their economic condition.
The Buddha tells him that there are four things which are conducive to a man’s happiness in this world: First: he should be skilled, efficient, earnest, and energetic in whatever profession he is engaged, and he should know it well (uṭṭhāna-sampadā); second: he should protect his income, which he has thus earned righteously, with the sweat of his brow (ārakkha-sampadā); (This refers to protecting wealth from thieves, etc.
third: he should have good friends (kalyāņa-mitta) who are faithful, learned, virtuous, liberal and intelligent, who will help him along the right path away from evil; fourth: he should spend reasonably, in proportion to his income, neither too much nor too little, i.e., he should not hoard wealth avariciously, nor should he be extravagant—in other words he should live within his means
Then the Buddha expounds the four virtues conducive to a layman’s happiness hereafter: (1) Saddhā: he should have faith and confidence in moral, spiritual and intellectual values; (2) Sīla: he should abstain from destroying and harming life, from stealing and cheating, from adultery, from falsehood, and from intoxicating drinks; (3) Cāga: he should practise charity, generosity, without attachment and craving for his wealth; (4) Paññ...
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has four kinds of happiness. The first happiness is to enjoy economic security or sufficient wealth acquired by just and righteous means (atthi-sukha); the second is spending that wealth liberally on himself, his family, his friends and relatives, and on meritorious deeds (bhoga-sukha); the third to be free from debts (anaņa-sukha); the fourth happiness is to live a faultless, and a pure life without committing evil in thought, word or deed (anavajja-sukha).
The first of the ‘Ten Duties of the King’ is liberality, generosity, charity (dāna). The ruler should not have craving and attachment to wealth and property, but should give it away for the welfare of the people.
The Buddha says: ‘Never by hatred is hatred appeased, but it is appeased by kindness. This is an eternal truth.’12
‘One should win anger through kindness, wickedness through goodness, selfishness through charity, and falsehood through truthfulness.’13
The only conquest that brings peace and happiness is self-conquest. ‘One may conquer millions in battle, but he who conquers himself, only one, is the greatest of conquerors.’15
Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion; I say it is burning with birth, aging and death, with sorrows, with lamentations, with pains, with griefs, with despairs.
‘Bhikkhus, a learned and noble disciple, who sees (things) thus, becomes dispassionate with regard to the eye, becomes dispassionate with regard to visible forms, becomes dispassionate with regard to the visual consciousness, becomes dispassionate with regard to the visual impression, also whatever sensation, pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant, arises on account of the visual impression, with regard to that too he becomes dispassionate.
‘Being dispassionate, be becomes detached; through detachment he is liberated.
He who is skilled in good and who wishes to attain that state of Calm should act (thus): He should be able, upright, perfectly upright, compliant, gentle, and humble.
controlled in senses, discreet, not impudent, he should not be greedily attached to families.
Let one’s thoughts of boundless love pervade the whole world—above, below and across—without any obstruction, without any hatred, without any enmity. Whether one stands, walks, sits or lies down, as long as one is awake, one should maintain this mindfulness. This, they say, is the Sublime State in this life. Not falling into wrong views, virtuous and endowed with Insight, one gives up attachment to sense-desires. Verily such a man does not return to enter a womb again.
‘Many deities and men, yearning after happiness, have pondered on Blessings. Pray, tell me the Highest Blessing!’ Not to associate with fools, to associate with the wise, and to honour those who are worthy of honour—this is the Highest Blessing.
If a man’s mind is sorrowless, stainless, and secure, and does not shake when touched by worldly vicissitudes—this is the Highest Blessing.
(These are) wise reflection and unwise reflection. For a person who reflects unwisely there arise cares and troubles which have not yet arisen, and (in addition), those which have already arisen increase.
‘Bhikkhus, (1) there are cares and troubles which are to be got rid of by insight; (2) there are cares and troubles which are to be got rid of by restraint; (3) there are cares and troubles which are to be got rid of by use; (4) there are cares and troubles which are to be got rid of by endurance; (5) there are cares and troubles which are to be got rid of by avoidance; (6) there are cares and troubles which are to be got rid of by dispersal; (7) there are cares and troubles which are to be got rid of by culture.
If, in a person, reflecting on certain things, there arises the defilement of sense-pleasure which has not yet arisen, and (in addition), the defilement of sense-pleasure which has already arisen in him increases, the defilement of (the desire for) existence and for becoming . . . the defilement of ignorance which has not yet arisen arises and (in addition), the defilement of ignorance which has already arisen in him increases, then these are the things that should not be reflected on, but on which he reflects.
Or, now at the present time he is doubtful about himself: 11. Am I? 12. Am I not? 13. What am I? 14. How am I? 15. Whence came this person? 16. Whither will he go? When he reflects unwisely in this way, one of the six false views arises in him:
