Buddhist Meditation based on the Pali Canon

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Buddhist Meditationbased on the Pali Canon

• Ng Wai Chong

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Bhaddekaratta gathaA Single Excellent Night (MN
131)

• Let not a person revive the past
• Or on the future build his hopes
• For the past has been left behind
• And the future has not been reached,
• Instead with insight let him see
• Each presently arisen state
• Let him know this and be sure of it,
• Invincibly, unshakably.
• Today the effort must be made
• Tomorrow Death may come, who knows?
• No bargain with Mortality
• Can keep him and his hordes away,
• But one who dwells thus ardently,
• Relentlessly, by day, by night-
• It is he, the Peaceful Sage has said,
• Who has had a Single Excellent Night.

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Overview

• What is Buddhist Meditation?
• Why do Buddhists meditate?
• The Practice- a Basic Framework
• Is meditation really necessary?
• Practical notes

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What is Buddhist Meditation?

• Buddhist Meditation is twofold Tranquility and
  Insight
• Samatha
• Tranquility meditation, in which the wavering and
  trepidation of the mind is brought to an end,
  culminating in one-pointedness of mind, with
  samaadhi as its result.
• Vipassana
• Insight meditation, seeing in various ways the
  conditioned phenomena as impermanent, suffering
  and non-self, with panna as its result.
• (A comprehensive manual of Abhidhamma by Bhikkhu
  Bodhi)

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Tranquility Meditation

• Purification of Mind
• Training of the higher mind
• Culminating in Right Concentration (MN 141
  Saccavibhanga Sutta)
• Jhanas as guide posts

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Tranquility Meditation

• Like a microscope Sayalay Dipankara
• Like a slow walk up the mountain path, the trees
  and leaves become ever clearer (Adapted from
  Ajahn Brahms story)

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Tranquility Meditation

• 40 Meditation objects
• 10 kasinas earth, water, fire, air, blue,
  yellow, red, white, space, light
• 10 kinds of foulness bloated, corpse, livid
  corpse, festering corpse, dismembered corpse,
  eaten corpse, scattered-in-pieces corpse,
  mutilated corpse, bloody corpse, worm-infested
  corpse, skeleton
• 10 recollections Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha,
  morality, generosity, devas, peace, death, 32
  parts of the body, breath
• 4 illimitables loving kindness, compassion, joy,
  equanimity
• 1 perception loathsomeness of food
• 1 analysis the 4 elements
• 4 immaterial states infinite space, infinite
  consciousness, nothingness, neither-perception-nor
  -non-perception

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The Benefits of Developing Concentration

• Blissful abiding here and now
• Proximate cause for Insight
• Bhikkhus, develop concentration a bhikkhu who
  is concentrated understands correctly. (S.
  iii,13)
• Realisation of the Direct Knowledges
• Rebirth in the Brahma Worlds
• For the Noble Ones, the attainment of Cessation
• (Vism XI 120)

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• Bhikkhus, develop concentration a bhikkhu who
  is concentrated understands correctly. (S.
  iii,13)

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Vipassana

• Training of higher wisdom
• Arriving at the ultimate Right View and Right
  Thought knowing and seeing the Four Noble Truths
• Nanas as guide posts
• The object is conditioned phenomena, i.e. the 5
  aggregates and their causes

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2 kinds of practitioners

• Samathayaana involves prior development of
  tranquility meditation to either access or
  absorption concentration as a basis for
  developing insight.
• Suddhavipassanaayaana after purification of
  morality, enters directly into mindful
  contemplation of the changing mind-body
  phenomena. As this contemplation gains in
  strength and precision, the mind attains a
  concentration equal to access concentration.

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Tranquility and Insight

• the person who gains internal tranquility of
  mind but not higher wisdom of insight into things
  should approach one who gains higher wisdom and
  inquire of him
• the person who gains higher wisdom of insight
  into things but not tranquility of mind should
  approach one who gains tranquility of mind and
  inquire of him
• the person who possesses both internal
  tranquility of mind and higher wisdom of insight
  into things should establish himself in just
  these wholesome states and make a further effort
  for the destruction of the taints. AN IV, 94
• Back to Overview

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Why do Buddhists meditate?

• For the sake of purer and purer happinessfor
  Nibbana is the highest bliss! ?
• Health is the highest gain, contentment the
  greatest wealth. A trustworthy person is the best
  kinsman, Nibbana the highest bliss. (Dhammapada
  204)
• Back to the Overview

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Why do Buddhists meditate?

• The Rapture of Seclusion (AN V 176)
• Householders, you attend upon the Sangha of
  monks with robes, almsfood, lodgings and
  medicinal requisites for use in time of sickness.
  But you should not remain satisfied merely with
  this. Rather, householders, you should train
  yourselves thus How can we dwell from time to
  time in the rapture of seclusion? Thus should
  you train yourselves.

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Why do Buddhists meditate?

• What does being a lay Buddhist mean?
• How, Lord, is one a lay follower?
• If, Mahanama, one has gone for refuge to the
  Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, one is a lay
  follower. (AN VIII, 25)

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Why do Buddhists meditate?

• What are the 3 refuges?
• The analogy of the Physician, His Prescription
  and the Health Attendants.
• Dhamma is 3-fold Verbal Teachings, The Practice,
  Nibbana The analagy of the Map and the
  Traveller.
• The Dhamma as the Main Refuge. Taking refuge in
  the Dhamma means to learn and practise the
  Dhamma, as taught by the Buddha.

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Why do Buddhists meditate?

• What is the Goal of the Practice of Dhamma?
• For Lay disciples
• The sappurisa or Superior Person as the ideal (AN
  VIII, 38) who embodies the 4 ideals (AN VIII,
  54)
• Faith a family man places faith in the
  Enlightenment of the Tathagata
• Virtue - a family man abstains from the
  destruction of life, from stealing, from sexual
  misconduct, from false speech and from wines,
  liquors and intoxicants which are a basis of
  negligence.
• Generosity a family man dwells at home with
  a mind devoid of the stain of stinginess, freely
  generous, open-handed, delighting in
  relinquishment, one devoted to charity,
  delighting in giving and sharing.
• Wisdom a family man possesses the wisdom
  which sees into the arising and passing away of
  phenomena, which is noble and penetrative and
  leads to the complete destruction of suffering.
• A good future rebirth or the attainment of
  Nibbaana.

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Why do Buddhists meditate?

• Monks, although a monk who does not apply himself
  to the meditative development of his mind may
  wish, Oh, that my mind might be freed from the
  taints by non-clinging!, yet his mind will not
  be freed. For what reason? because he has not
  developed his mind. One has to say. Not
  developed in what? In the four foundations of
  mindfulness, the four kinds of right striving,
  the four bases of success, the five spiritual
  faculties, the five spiritual powers, the seven
  factors of enlightenment and the Noble Eightfold
  Path. Suppose, monks, a hen has eight, ten or
  twelve eggs
• (AN VII, 67)

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The Basic Framework of the Gradual Training

• has faith, virtues, generosity and
• listen to the good Dhamma
• retains in the mind the teachings heard and
  carefully examines their meaning
• practises in accordance with the Dhamma
• (AN VIII, 25)

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The Basic Framework of the Gradual Training

• The arising of the Tathagata in the world and his
  exposition of the Dhamma
• The disciple acquires faith
• Follows the Teacher into homelessness
• Observes the rules of discipline to acquire
  purification of conduct and livelihood
• Contentment
• Restraint of the sense faculties
• (Moderation in eating)
• (Wakefulness)
• Mindfulness and clear comprehension
• Abandoning the 5 Hindrances and attain
  Concentration
• Insight into things as they really are
• Realization of Nibbana
• MN 39 The Greater Discourse at Assapura

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The Basic Framework of the Gradual Training

• Virtues
• Non-remorse
• Gladness
• Joy
• Serenity
• Happiness
• Concentration
• Knowledge and Vision of things as they really are
• Dispassion
• Knowledge and Vision of Liberation
• AN X The Rewards of Virtues

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The Gradual Training

• The 7 Stages of Purification
• Purification of Virtue
• Purification of Mind
• Purification of View
• Purification by Overcoming Doubt
• Purification by Knowledge and Vision of what is
  the Path and what is not the Path
• Purification by Knowledge and Vision of what is
  the Way
• Purification by Knowledge and Vision
• (Rathaviniitha Sutta MN 24 The Royal Chariots)

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The Threefold Training

• then monks, there are these three trainings
• the training in higher virtue,
• the training in higher mind,
• the training in higher wisdom
• (AN III, 83 84 combined)

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The Noble Eightfold Path

• the Noble Eightfold Path is included by the
  three aggregates. Right speech, right action, and
  right livelihood these states are included in
  the aggregate of virtue. Right effort, right
  mindfulness, and right concentration these
  states are included in the aggregate of
  concentration. Right view and right intention
  these states are included in the aggregate of
  wisdom.
• (MN 44 Cuulavedalla Sutta)

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PURIFICATION PRACTICE
Of virtue Of mind Of view By overcoming doubt By knowledge and vision of path and not path By knowledge and vision of the way Between VI and VII VII .By knowledge and vision Four kinds of purified virtue Access and absorption concentration Understanding characteristics of mental and material phenomena Discernment of conditions for mental and material phenomena Knowledge of comprehension Knowledge of rise and fall (tender phase) 2. Knowledge of rise and fall (mature phase) Knowledge of dissolution Knowledge of fearfulness Knowledge of danger Knowledge of disenchantment Knowledge of desire for deliverance Knowledge of reflection Knowledge of equanimity towards formations Knowledge of conformity Change-of-lineage Knowledge of four supramundane paths
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The Practice the basic framework
Faith, Virtues Generosity
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Nibbana
Purification by Knowledge and Vision
Purification by Knowledge and Vision of the Way
Purification by Knowledge and Vision of Path and Not Path
Purification by Overcoming Doubt
Purification of View
Purification of Mind
Purification of Virtue
Vipassana
Characteristics/ Function/ Manifestation/
Proximate cause
Dependent-origination
Ultimate mentality
Ultimate materiality
Recollection of Death Foulness Recollection of
Buddha Lovingkindness (/- 4 Brahmaviharas) 4th
Jhana (KIV immaterial Jhana) 3rd Jhana 2nd
Jhana 1st Jhana White Kasina (KIV other
kasinas) Skeleton 32 Parts of the Body
4 Elements Recollection of Death Foulness Recollec
tion of Buddha Lovingkindness (/- 4
Brahmaviharas) White Kasina (KIV other kasinas
and immaterial Jhana) Skeleton 32 Parts of the
Body 4th Jhana 3rd Jhana 2nd Jhana 1st Jhana
Patibhaggha-nimitta Uggaha-nimitta Parikamma-nimit
ta
4 Elements Meditation
Breath Meditation
Lay follower 5, 8 or 9 Precepts
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Is meditation really necessary?

• The 4 classes of individuals
• Ugghatitannu individuals capable of attaining
  the Noble Paths and Fruits by merely hearing a
  short concise discourse
• Vipancitannu individuals capable of attaining
  Noble Paths and Fruits only after the short
  discourse is expounded to him in some length
• Neyya one who needs to study and to practise
  for days, months or years in order to attain
  Noble Paths and Fruits
• Padaparama though he puts forth the utmost
  effort in both study and practice of the Dhamma,
  cannot attain the Noble Paths and Fruits in this
  lifetime. All that he can do is to accumulate
  habits and potentials and may attain deliverance
  in the next existence
• (Bodhipakkhiya Dipanii by Ledi Sayadaw)
• Back to Overview

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Practical Notes

• How to learn meditation?
• The 5 Hindrances
• The Middle Way
• Survival guides through a meditation retreat

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How to learn Meditation?
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It begins with Right View

• Therein, bhikkhus, right view comes first. And
  how does right view come first? One understands
  wrong view as wrong view and right view as right
  view this is ones right view.
• ..one understands wrong intentionspeechaction
  livelihoodeffortmindfulnessconcentration

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• Right View
• Kamma as refuge, property, inherited properties,
  origins, good friends and relatives
• Efficacy of merits past and future lives
• 4 Noble Truths

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• Attitude
• Strong faith, desire, determination and effort
• Joy
• Gratitude of this rare opportunity
• Humble and respectful
• Honest
• Dont expect anythingbe patientdont compare

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Causes before Results
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• Physical seclusion
• Proper place
• Free from duties
• Free from sensual pleasures
• Moderation in eating
• Noble silence

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• Time
• Like boiling water

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• Teacher
• A suitable object of meditation
• Guidance along the Middle Way
• Books are not enough!
• Must be right from the start

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• Spiritual Friends
• Being with the mindful will help in ones
  mindfulness

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• Discipline
• Keeping the precepts
• Dont give up
• Cleanliness of oneself and ones living quarters

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• Just do
• Learn as you do like cycling

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• Keep doing
• Refining the mind continuously

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Learning a skill
Keep practising until perfection!
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The 5 Hindrances

• 1. Craving for Sensual Pleasures

Suppose, brahmin, there is a bowl of water mixed
with lac, turmeric, blue dye or crimson dye. If a
man with good sight were to examine his own
facial reflection in it, he would neither know
nor see it as it really is. (AN V193)
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5 Hindrances

• 2. Aversion

• Suppose, Brahmin, there is a bowl of water being
  heated over a fire, bubbling and boiling.

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5 Hindrances

• 3. Sloth and Torpor

there is a bowl of water covered with water
plants and algae.
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5 Hindrances

• 4. Restlessness and worry

there is a bowl of water stirred by the wind,
rippling, swirling, churned into wavelets.
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5 Hindrances

• 5. Doubt

there is a bowl of water that is turbid,
unsettled, muddy and placed in the dark.
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How to deal with unwholesome thoughts in the
course of meditation?

• By thought replacement
• By thinking of kamma and its effects
• By letting go and not giving attention to them
• By stilling the thought formations of those
  thoughts
• By shear will-power
• MN 20 Vitakkasanthaana Sutta (The removal of
  distracting thoughts)

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The Middle Way
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The 5 Spiritual Faculties
Faith
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The 7 Factors of Enlightenment
Mindfulness
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Simile of a bee

• When a too clever bee learns that a flower on a
  tree is blooming, it sets out hurriedly,
  overshoots the mark, turns back, and arrives when
  the pollen is finished and another, not clever
  enough, bee who sets out with too slow a speed
  arrives when the pollen is finished too but a
  clever bee sets out with balanced speed, arrives
  with ease at the cluster of flowers, takes as
  much pollen as it pleases and enjoys the honey
  dew.
• Visuddhimagga IV, 67

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Survival Guide for Beginners in a Retreat

• Discipline
• Dont skip sittings
• Daily interview with the teacher
• Group sitting preferred
• Keep Noble Silence
• Causes before result
• Before sitting
• Make a determination balanced faculties,
  hindrances controlled, peaceful and calm
• After sitting
• Dedicate merits to Nibbana and all beings
• Rejoice
• If bored think of the suffering of life

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Thoughts of encouragement

• A few weeks of peace and wholesome living is so
  short compared with the rest of years filled
  restlessness and anxiety.
• Life is really very short. Soon, well be in our
  sixties! (And everything you see now will be
  memories)
• This is about the only thing that is really worth
  doing in life.
• Im already so old. we should think like this
  even when we think we are young (Ajahn Chah)
• We always want results, but dont want to give
  to causes. This cannot be! Practising Dhamma is
  wholesome causes for wholesome results. (Ajahn
  Chah)
• There is no need for anxiety for results. As
  Dhamma-farers, we can only work on causes.
• This is something I have to do for myself.
• Think about the suffering of Life.
• We have to part with all other attachment anyway
  when we die. There is no choice.
• All things are not fit to be clung on to (AN
  VII, 58A)
• All conditioned phenomena are impermanent.
  Sabbe sankhara aniccati.

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Lifes Brevity

• AN VII,70
• champagne.mpg

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Evening Reflection

• Do you know
• Where you came from?
• What are you doing now?
• Where do you want to go?
• We have seen the sun rise
• Now we are using up the energy from the sun
• Soon
• The sun will be setting
• Are you ready -
• To face the sunset?
• Will you be happy -
• Or worried when the sun sets?
• I will also have to face the sunset -
• Very soon.

Before that happens, I want to build a pagoda in
my heart. The pagoda will be built With
loving-kindness, Compassion, Patience,
Truth, and Understanding. I hope that you
will also Build the pagoda in your heart Before
the sunset arrives. When you see the
pagoda, Wisdom will arise With happiness. And
the sunset will be beautiful For you Message
by Sayalay Dipankara Nov 2003
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• Questions?