Worldly beings are constantly searching for happiness, however, is their
anyone who is enjoying lasting happiness?, the problem seems to be that we do
not identify what happiness is to go in search for it and we do not see what
unhappiness is to make an effort to keep away from it, we do not have a
realistic aim either way.
A hungry fox wondering about, looking for food, sees a tree with chunks
of red meat hanging from it. Delighted with what it saw the fox runs towards
the tree for a good feast. When the fox gets closer it sees meat fallen on the
ground as well and quickly bite into one, well its not meat , then it sees few
pieces falling from the tree and have a go at one, again its not meat. The
fox has actually been deceived by a coral tree that is in full bloom. However,
still hungry and eager, it keeps staring at the remaining red coral flowers up
on the tree hoping that they are meat.
We all have expectations to achieve certain goals to become happy but
when we reach those goals the anticipated happiness is not there anymore. The
above parable relates to how we overlook the reality in search of happiness
& to keep away from unhappiness, how we have been deceived in the past
(like the fox grabbing the flowers under the tree) and present (the fox
catching the flowers falling from the tree). As the fox continue to be
deceived, thinking that the flowers on the tree are meat, we have hope that we
can gain happiness in the near future. We continue to seek material
comforts, to gather possessions and form relationships, to be free
from unhappiness and be happy as we have done in the past and aim for the same
in the present & future but all what we could gain more and more is
unhappiness. Buddha Dhamma shows the path to be free from unhappiness and gain
eternal happiness.
MINDFULNESS
The Enlightened ones emerge in this world to recognise the cause for the
misery we are in and to free us from this deception. The Buddha has said that
the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is the only way to purification & to be
free from grief, lamentation, sorrow (Dukkha) & thereby to reach
states of enlightenment & emancipation (eternal happiness). He has said. ‘there
is only one way bhikkus to the purification of beings to overcome sorrow and
sadness to the disappearance of pain and suffering to attain the right path to
realize nibbana and that is the four foundations of mindfulness.[1]
Just by offering one meal to a person who lives up to 100 years, can one
make him happy all his life?, similarly just as one experiences happiness
in this life there is no assurance that he (or she) will be able to
experience happiness in future existences.
Having understood the short lived happiness, there were kings who left
Royalty and the rich who left all their wealth to gain eternal happiness.
Mindfulness helps to discard unhappiness and to gain absolute happiness. If one
is not able to understand the Four Foundations of Mindfulness correctly and
practice accordingly he or she cannot pursue the Noble Eightfold Path
effectively and that means the person cannot become enlightened. Therefore, we
need to comprehend the Four Foundations of Mindfulness correctly.
The Hunter & the Monkey Trap
A Monkey hunter sets up a trap, a small doll made out of glue, to catch
monkeys. An eager monkey tries to touch it with its hand and the hand gets
stuck on the glue, he tries with the other hand and that also get stuck.
Thereafter, he uses a leg to release himself but that gets stuck and similarly
the other leg too. Finally the monkey uses its head but again to no avail and
thus it gets trapped on all five points of the body and now the hunter can do
anything to the helpless monkey. Meanwhile the wise monkeys avoid the trap
& move elsewhere sensing the danger and hence the hunter can’t see them,
catch them or do any harm to them.
Similar to the eager monkey, beings of the sensual world who are caught
up with the five senses and deceived by things of pleasure, tread in the
territory of Mara[2] and get stuck in his traps and thus the Mara
can do any harm to them. However, the man with wisdom will not get caught up
with things of pleasure and cleverly avoids the traps set up by Mara. Those who
practice the Four Foundations of Mindfulness are not exposed to Mara. The Mara
can’t see them but they can see Mara. It is known as living while observing the
body as it is, the sensations as it is, the mind as it is and the perceptions
& formations as they are.
To practice it precisely we need to understand the noble Right View. We
see, hear, smell etc. through senses as Name-Matter (fruits of old kamma
or vipaka). This state is similar to what a little child sees
without any descriptions. Our thoughts, speech and bodily action upon those Name-Matter becomes our consciousness. If we tie our consciousness to the
corresponding object, or form, it positions itself on the object. In other
words when we tie our consciousness to those that we see hear etc. the
consciousness positions on those objects. This phenomenon is called viinnana
thithi in the Buddhist canon.
Furthermore, if we tie consciousness to a feeling from an external
object the consciousness will take position on that feeling. Similarly if we
tie it to the perception i.e. shape & outline of what is seen, it will
occupy the perception associating the external object, visual, audible etc.
In summary, if we tie what we think, speak and act about a sense
experience, to the object (Matter) or associated sensations & perceptions
(Name) the consciousness will position on name-matter, if the consciousness
does not take position on those it is considered as not ‘positioned’ &
hence we will not gather kamma therefore freeing us from the three existences.
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness detail the methodology to achieve this.
MINDFULNESS OF THE BODY
If we allow kamma consciousness arising from our notion as a person to
position on the object such positioning makes that object a person. Our notions
in such instances are said to be underpinned by our grasping & clinging (as
person) & the resultant thoughts that are tainted get projected onto the
external aggregates making them appear real. As they are susceptible to
clinging in this manner the aggregates are known as clinging aggregates &
hence as 'suffering'.[3]
Our effort must be to prevent the positioning of consciousness on the
object (matter) or the related sensation, perception & formation (name).
Mindfulness of the body (Kayagata-sathi) helps to arrest our notion of
person projecting on an external object.
In the previous example of the brick wall & painting it was noted
that neither the brick wall nor the painting are self. The person applies paint
on the wall according to his ideas. The perception we develop that it is a
person is due to our fermentations. Our responses to that notion (as a person) conditions
arising of kamma consciousness. When we tie our mental concepts to the painting
we ignore the wall that is made of brick & mortar. When our consciousness
lands on the painting we begin to think of it as a person. We continue to feel
the same even when we move away from the object.
The Sutra highlights, mindfulness with clear comprehension of what is
seen heard etc. When thoughts arise in the mind, if we are mindful with clear
comprehension, we can witness the truth as positioning of the consciousness on
the form gets arrested. When we keep on contemplating this way, brick and
mortar come into focus & hence we begin to see the reality without much
effort and eventually we get to a point where our thought speech and bodily action
will not associate the object at any time. That’s when we can say that we have
liberated from form and that there is no more gathering of kamma.
If we let our responses to associate the external object it becomes
memory. If we do note tie our thoughts, speech & bodily action
(consciousness) to the external object those won’t be retained in our memory.
Through mindfulness we prevent such positioning of consciousness, with the
shield of wisdom.
GATHERING OF KAMMA
We gather kamma only if we connect our consciousness to the object, or associated feelings, perceptions and
formations. Mindfulness of the body protects our thoughts from positioning on
the object. It discloses that what exist out there are only four great elements (Mahabutha)and those forms that associate four great elements (Upadaya rupa).
Whatever the artist draw on the wall whether it’s a car or a bus will be
seen in accordance to our notion of what it looks like. If one finds things
externally that’s a sign that thoughts that have arisen in his or her mind are
projected on those objects. If things are seen as they really are kamma will not get
accumulated.
Tathagata assures
complete emancipation if mindfulness is practiced correctly. One need not worry
even if he or she doesn’t know how to peruse Four Roads of Power (Sathara
Irdipada), Factors of Enlightenment (Saptha Bojjanga) etc. Mindfulness
takes one through all the above and respective states of enlightenment on its
way to discard suffering & to reach emancipation.
Without knowing what mindfulness is and how it works, even if we
practice for a number of years, its not beneficial. We cannot observe mindfulness
on formations which are already formed with defilements. The purpose of
mindfulness meditation is to eliminate defilements. Where hair, nails, skin, flesh etc. are grouped in a particular manner, say as Nimal, and experience similarly when we
see his image in a newspaper or a video. This is awakening of thoughts in our
mind with the notion of self or a person. As long as we behold as Nimal - a
self, the truth (the body composed of hair, skin, flesh etc.) disappears due to
positioning of consciousness on the form. Mindfulness reveals form as non-self
and prevents it being positioned by consciousness. As we continue, the tendency
that make us perceive as a self, fades away and as a result fermentations &
hindrances disappear enabling us to comprehend the four noble truths.
We also need to focus on the notion of me[4], considering that my picture is painted on the
wall, for instance, if I touch my face I feel the wall. If I let the thought it
is ‘me’ to position on the painting I will behold that way. If so I will be able
to identify ‘me’ even when I see a picture of me in a newspaper or a video.
Mindfulness of body thwarts it and using the technique we can prevent our
thoughts taking position on the body. We need to meditate to comprehend that
the thought ‘me’ is a one that arises in the mind where a bundle of aggregates
i.e, hair, skin, flesh etc. are present.
The following dialogue between the Buddha & his disciples well illustrates this dhamma,
"Just as if there were a roofed house or a roofed hall having windows on the north, the south, or the east. When the sun rises, and a ray has entered by way of the window on the east, where does it land?"
The following dialogue between the Buddha & his disciples well illustrates this dhamma,
"Just as if there were a roofed house or a roofed hall having windows on the north, the south, or the east. When the sun rises, and a ray has entered by way of the window on the east, where does it land?"
"On the western wall, lord."
"And if there is no western wall, where does it land?"
"On the ground, lord."
"And if there is no ground, where does it land?"
"On the water, lord." "And if there is no water, where does it land?"
"It does not land, lord."
"In the same way, where there is no passion for the nutriment of physical food ... contact ... intellectual intention ... consciousness, where there is no delight, no craving, then consciousness does not land there or grow. Where consciousness does not land or grow, name-&-form does not alight. Where name-&-form does not alight, there is no growth of fabrications. Where there is no growth of fabrications, there is no production of renewed becoming in the future. Where there is no production of renewed becoming in the future, there is no future birth, aging, & death. That, I tell you, has no sorrow, affliction, or despair."
"And if there is no western wall, where does it land?"
"On the ground, lord."
"And if there is no ground, where does it land?"
"On the water, lord." "And if there is no water, where does it land?"
"It does not land, lord."
"In the same way, where there is no passion for the nutriment of physical food ... contact ... intellectual intention ... consciousness, where there is no delight, no craving, then consciousness does not land there or grow. Where consciousness does not land or grow, name-&-form does not alight. Where name-&-form does not alight, there is no growth of fabrications. Where there is no growth of fabrications, there is no production of renewed becoming in the future. Where there is no production of renewed becoming in the future, there is no future birth, aging, & death. That, I tell you, has no sorrow, affliction, or despair."
(Atthi Raga Sutra- Samyutta Nikaya)
MINDFULNESS OF SENSATION
MINDFULNESS OF SENSATION
Sensations that are pleasant, unpleasant or neither pleasant nor
unpleasant are to be recognised as those which relate to sense desires (kama)
or desirelessness (nekkhamma). It is also to be noted the eleven states
where sensations arise, i.e. sensations that are past or present, far or close,
pleasant or inferior, gross or fine etc. similar to the eleven states the form
is represented with. Sensations are also categorised according to those that
arise in the body & the mind, for instance, pleasant sensations are
identified as sukha vedana (body) & somanassa (mind)
and unpleasant sensations as dukkha vedana (body) & domansassa
(mind). Neutral sensations arising in both the body & mind are commonly
known as neither pleasant nor unpleasant (adukkhamasuka vedana).
Mindfulness of sensations helps to avert interpretation of internal
sensations as those that belong to external objects. It is about not letting
the consciousness to take position on sensations, associating them with objects
that are seen or heard. Sensations do not vary in accordance with different
types of objects, visible audible etc., they are generally felt as pleasant,
unpleasant or neither pleasant nor unpleasant. We must not let our thoughts on
sensations to associate external objects, alternatively we must observe that
they just arise due to contact & cease thereafter.
Mindfulness on sensations with clear comprehension discloses the
conditionality of sensations, as those that arise due to conditions & cease
when the conditions cease to exist. Thereby we can ascertain that sensations
are not created by me or an external force and that they are not spontaneous
either but arise due to conditions. It should particularly be reminded that a
product formed due to conditions does not belong to the conditions, such as a
shadow of a tree appearing on ground does not belong to the tree, ground or the
sunlight.
Similar to the earlier discussion about thoughts having no linkage to
external form, sensations felt in our mind should not be noted as hand pain,
leg pain etc. Sensations are felt to be
arising in hand or leg as we tend to grasp them as experiences a person (or self)
undergoes and therefore our responses on them are natural. If we can
contemplate on this delusion & comprehend that there is no interconnection
we can be free of hand pains, leg pains etc. and eventually from the notion of
legs & arms of a person that seem to exist.
When our body touches somebody else’s body can we say that we feel the
other person? No, we only experience our body sensation due to the contact.
If we get hit by a wooden stick we only feel the body pain not the wood,
similarly we feel a sensation due to contact, when we touch a person we only
feel our body but not somebody else’s. If we let our consciousness to position
on sensations associating external objects its inevitable that we feel
sensations from visible objects, sound, smell etc. that are external.
To understand how we develop stress due to errors in our perception as
discussed, 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 instantly react with anger , finding fault with that
person. If we can refrain from tying physical sensations to external objects
there won’t be any difference in our reaction in both instances noted above and
hence we will be free from stress.
SENSUALITY & MIND
The Sensual world is built upon forms. It is made to look real due to
projection of erroneous thoughts arising within the mind on external objects
& hence it is said, sensuality is a dream (swapnopama kama).
We are not born into a world that exists. Buddhist teachings refer to
forms, visible, audible etc. as attributes of Sensuality (kama), not
just sensuality as we associate. The reality is that the world only consists of
four great elements & those forms that associate four great elements. We
formulate sensuality on elementary things that exist out there with our
thoughts and desires.
As said before we can paint different objects such as cars, buildings etc. on the wall and they just remain as art created by brush strokes on the wall until our thoughts are projected on them to make them real and similarly we create a world that consists of things & people in our mind. The sensual world conceals reality of form but mindfulness reveals this hidden reality by exposing the elementary state made of four great elements and those forms that associate them e.g. wall and the painting, overriding sensuality.
However, in this endeavour we must not contemplate on the impressions
that arise in the mind but rather concentrate on respective objects that seem
to exist in the external to address the cause for becoming (bhava).
Things that arise in our mind often relate to external form due to our notions
that things that we have seen, heard or smelt etc. exist out there. When
something arises in mind it always associates external form which is the notion
of existence. Mindfulness of the Body discloses the truth and eliminates our
deception caused by positioning of consciousness on external form.
PROFOUND PHYLOSOPHY
“If one can paint a mural covering this wall in front of us, we will
see a mural but if we touch we will only feel the wall. We don’t see what we
feel & don’t feel what we see. If we push the wall over to fall flat on
ground and walk on it we don’t see where we walk and we don’t walk on
what we see. If we practice to meditate in that manner we will not
have any impression of where we go or to where we return to”, says Ven.
Sudassana thero.
Imagine that the whole world is like the wall painted with pictures of
buildings, roads, trees etc. We have never seen where we walked and we haven’t
walked on what we see. If one can relate to where he (or she) goes to (gathi)
and return to (agathi) the person is said to be associating death &
rebirth. As long as we see on which we walk on and walk on what we see, we are
said to be dealing with birth, decay and death or suffering (Dukkha).
This is how the notion of continuity (Santhathi) prevails.
If one can overcome this habit of claiming I went to that place (gathi), I
arrived at this place (agathi), the person is able to reach a state that
is peaceful and calm. Buddha Dhamma takes one who practices in this manner to
an incredible & spectacular state though understanding such deep concepts
of teachings is not simple. However, one only needs to begin by taking one step
forward i.e. starting with mindfulness of the body.
If one is to reach the depth of the ocean, he or she always has to start
from a point where the water is only ankle high & as the person keeps
walking the sea will get deeper and deeper, likewise the path needs to be
followed step by step in order to reach the depth of realisation.
[1] Eka Yano Ayam
Bikkhave Maggo Sattanam Visuddhiya Soka Paridevanam Samatikkamaya Dukkha
Domanassanam Atthangamaya Nayassa Adhigamaya Nayassa Adhigamaya Nibbanassa
Sacchikiriyaya Yadidam Cattaro Satipattahana`ti- Maha Sathipatthana Sutra
[2] Early Buddhism
acknowledged both a literal and psychological interpretation of Mara. Specially
Mara is described both as an entity having an existence in sensual
world, just as are shown existing around the Buddha, and also is described
in paticcasamuppada as, primarily, the guardian
of passion and the catalyst for lust, hesitation and fear that
obstructs meditation among Buddhists.
[3]
The Buddha referred to the Five Clinging Aggregates as Suffering- Dhamma Chakka
Pawattana Sutra
