Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Buddhist Meditation: Path to Enlightenment

We are attached to the world through Craving and Ignorance. It is said that craving is predominant in our noting as sentients or persons which is the cause for suffering. The objective in meditation is to separate Name and Matter from Name-Matter forms (of objects) that we erroneously grasp as persons due to defilements. Though one may be able to see name matter separately through contemplation, his defilements and fermentations prevent him from realising it as a fact. It requires extensive dedication and effort to remove the habits caused by fermentations and these can’t simply be removed but needs to be spent or wasted away.

To understand how we form defilements and how fermentations come into play, consider your foot being trampled by a rock, you will bear the pain and deal with it not worrying about the rock, however, if it was a person who trampled your leg you will react with anger instantly, finding fault with that person. If we see beyond form and refrain from grasping as person there won’t be any difference in reaction in both instances noted above.

Tathagata identified dhammas that have to be removed by seeing and those that has to be removed by meditation. In relation to ten fetters, the first three, Identity View, Doubt and Ritual Attachment which are considered as wrong views (Ditti) are to be removed by gaining the right view. The remaining fetters, Sensual Desires, Ill Will, Lust to Material Existence, Lust to Immaterial Existence, Restlessness, Conceit and Ignorance are noted as those which need to be removed through meditation.

Tranquillity (Samatha) meditation aims to supress objects and to subdue formation of aggregates and to remove fetters such as Sense Desires, Ill Will, Lust to Material and Immaterial Existences and to an extent, Conceit. Insight (Vidarshana or Vipassana) Meditation aims to purify mind from defilements totally, by removing remaining conceit and Ignorance.

Mind (sitha or citta) and mindfulness (sati) are two different things. One can be mindful while the mind can still wonder about. You may be engaging in some activity while the mind can drift away following many objects. These two states of mind are known as conscious and subconscious mind in the West.

Mindfulness or Satipatthana draws our attention to a fixed point on our face such as tip of the nose or lips and requires us to focus on that so that our attention is restrained from being distracted. It further requires us to adopt a technique such as mindfulness of breathing (Anapanasati), loving kindness, disposition of the body (Iriapatha) or foulness meditation (Asubha) which are different forms of tranquillity meditation techniques to restrain the (inner) mind from drifting away. Anapanasati helps to subdue contemplation directly while with the other techniques such as foulness meditation one subdues unwholesome contemplation by contemplating on another wholesome object.

Practicing in this manner one is expected to reach one-pointedness (ekaggata), an advanced state of the mind that restrains thoughts of greed, ill will and delusion.

The literal meaning of Satipatthana is fixing (or stationing) the mindfulness, and is integral to Satipatthana meditation. The purpose is to calm or tranquil the mind so that hindrances are subdued and concentration is developed. Stillness in the body and the mind can be related to stillness in water which enables one to see its depth.

Comparing Tranquillity to still and clear water, the state of Five Hindrances are explained in the commentary through the simile of a water body. It describes the effect of the five forms of hindrances to concentration in relation to different states of the water as follows.

Sense desire is related to coloured water, ill will to boiling water, slop and toper to mouldy water, restlessness to disturbed water and doubt to muddy water and so on. Clarity in water is not found in any of the above states and hence one can’t see its depth.

If the mind can be purified, it can see insights similar to the ability to see the depth in a clear and still water body. Tranquillity Meditation helps to calm and settle the mind by removing hindrances.
Different Tranquillity meditation techniques are recommended in accordance with the type of hindrance that is prevalent over the others, say for instance in terms of Sense Desires, one can practice Foulness Meditation, for Ill will, Loving Kindness and for Restlessness, Anapanasati and so on.

The practitioner of Tranquillity Meditation will experience symptoms such as relief from stress, lightness in body, and a feeling of emptiness as he advances in the process; however, it is not to be mistaken as deliverance of mind (ceto vimukti).

The purpose of Tranquillity Meditation is to tranquil the mind with the ultimate aim of achieving one-pointedness. It is noted as reaching a state of emptiness and hence deliverance, but is not considered as the absolute emancipation that one achieves by removing defilements but a state of dispassion (Raga viraga ceto vimukti).

When a practitioner notes that his lustful objects have diminished and he can remain calm for longer periods of time with no aggression, he would tend to believe that he has overcome defilements.
However, it is clarified that these are symptoms of one-pointedness but not due to achieving any of the four stages of enlightenment (marga pala).  It is said that the defilements are only suppressed in this instance which one may retain for long periods of time, even extending up to eons. However it is also said, that mental concentration achieved in this manner is not permanent and will fade away eventually, also it is said that one can lose such state of mental concentration at any moment if met with unfavourable conditions.

Insight meditation is entirely different. It is built upon the right view and aims to remove defilements totally. Once the hindrances are curtailed with Tranquillity Meditation, the ability to see things as they are improves  and one will begin to see differently to how a worldly being see.
The feeling of emptiness achieved through Insight meditation is called Avidya viraga panna vimukti where ignorance is removed and wisdom gained, by discarding defilements.

The Four foundations of Mindfulness (sathara satipattana) is the meditation which Buddha recommended as the practice that directs one towards the goal of final emancipation. The teachings outline how both the Tranquillity and Insight meditation has to be practiced alternatively in this regard. The former helps with gaining necessary concentration which is essential for insight meditation & Wise Attention (Yoniso Manasikara).

The four foundations preached by the Buddha are known as Contemplation on the Body, Contemplation on Sensations, Contemplation on Thoughts and Contemplation on Dhammas[1]. Practice of the former two states releases one from attachment to corporeal, being the matter part of the name matter composite. The latter two states address the Name component of the said composition.

Buddha has referred to two types of characters in terms of pursuing the four states of this meditation, firstly, the one with Craving character (Tanha Caritha) who begins with Contemplation on the Body and Contemplation on Sensations and secondly, the one having the character of View (Ditti Carita) who can pursue Contemplation on Thoughts and Contemplation on Dhammas directly. It is clarified that the one with Craving character has to work hard to release from his attachments in the sensual world hence has to seek release from body and sensations first, to be free from craving on form. The others with the character of View are usually free from bodily attachments and only need to seek release from Name (Nama), through Contemplation on Thoughts and Contemplation on Dhammas to remove ignorance.  Craving is said to be the cause for Matter and ignorance for Name.

The sutra begins with describing prerequisites such as appropriate environment and required conditioning to meditate, firstly, choosing a conducive and serene environment free from disruptions[2] . One should sit upright, cross legged and focus on the tip of the nose or lips and be aware of the breath whether it is inhalation or exhalation, a long breath or short breath and so on; however it is strictly advised, not to follow the breath but to be aware of it, though it has been interpreted that way by many teachers. The former helps to hold the mindfulness in place and the latter, having awareness of the breath, helps to prevent the (inner) mind from drifting away. If more attention is drawn to the breadth the mindfulness could get slipped away. It has been explained through an example of a carpenter working on a piece of timber. Here the carpenter focuses on a spot on the timber piece he has to plane while being fully aware of the movement of the planer, moving back and forth past that spot. He never takes his eyes off the spot but wouldn’t lose the awareness of the movements of the planer either.

The Sutra further says, ‘tame defilements to be free from thoughts of greed and ill will through mindfulness with clear comprehension’[3]. Once the mind is tranquil, Buddha instructs, one must concentrate on internal as well as external forms[4], analysing both, your own body and of the others, as a formation of aggregates or four elements and dependent on edible foods. The mind inhabits the body and makes it conscious while being responsible for its movements.

One needs to meditate in this manner for some time and switch to Ananpanasati again when he feels that concentration is sluggish. After few minutes of practice when he feels the concentration has improved, he should return to insight meditation and continue this process switching between the two techniques as long as the notion of ‘body is me’ fades away.

The Buddha has referred to the simile of a blacksmith forging a knife to explain the above process. The blacksmith first heats the piece of steel until it glows before he flattens it on the anvil, repeating the sequence over and over again, switching between heating and shaping , until he is satisfied with the final product, a knife. Here, the act of heating the steel to required temperature is compared to calming the mind through a tranquillity meditation technique, to required level of concentration, and shaping of the knife to insight meditation.

The practitioner should also concentrate on external forms in the same way, for e.g. when a thought comes to his mind about a friend or relative. It is said the more you practice in this manner your attachment to body fades away bringing a feeling of lightness and one may even feel like a floating feather.

The exercise of cultivating the mind through tranquillity technique is ably supported by Moral conduct (Sila) as it helps to restrain speech and action. Moral conduct helps concentration (Samadi) which in turn helps to see things as they are (Panna).

As the hindrances are completely removed it will bring about pleasantness that will culminate to a state of joy or rapture followed by relaxation & tranquillity developing ultimate concentration. (Bojjanga dharma)

One who is free from hindrances is compared to being cured from a deadly decease, freed from prison or to finding an oasis when stranded in the desert searching for water.
When one reaches such level of concentration he begins to see things as they really are, i.e., the arising and ceasing nature of conditioned phenomena. Reaching this state of the Right View will remove ignorance and he will be released from the notions of permanence and wholesomeness and hence will see nothing that he can grasp as me mine and myself. Being disillusioned he will gradually detach from things that he used to grasp and when detached no more craving and he is said to be free from suffering.

Furthermore, constant practice is highly recommended by the Buddha in our day to day activities as it helps with instant sighting of the true nature of objects, which is the arising ceasing nature by subduing the ability of defilements & fermentations taking control. The hindered mind can only see the state of arising and the cessation is concealed. What occurs here is that the mental consciousness fills in at the state of cessation and let us experiences continuity. While in the state of deep concentration this does not occur and hence one is able to see cessation.

It is to be noted that impermanence (in Noble) sense cannot be seen from a personality point of view. It’s something that arises as an insight. The vision is only perfected when the phenomenon of “being non-existent it arises due to conditions and ceases when the conditions cease to exist“, is realised through concentration. This cannot be beheld but needs to be sighted, it is said.




[1] Kayanupassana, Vedananupassana, cittanupassana and Dhammanupassana
[2] Aranna gatova, rukkha mula gatova, sunnagara gatova
[3] Atapi Sampajano, Vineyya loke abhijja domanassa
[4] Ajjattamva Bahiddava

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