(3) the four Noble Truths How to meditate to gain as much knowledge as possible The Truth which ought to be realized is the Fourfold Noble Truth, namely. (1) The Noble Truth of Suffering, (2) The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering, (3) The Noble Truth of the Extinction of Suffering, and (4) The Noble Truth of the Path that leads to the Extinction of Suffering. The Noble Truth of Suffering means the Five Upædænakkhandhæs (Five groups of grasping) previously mentioned. In the Dhammacakkapavattana sutta, it is mentioned that one must discern suffering so as to understand it correctly. Seeing, hearing, smelling, eating, touching and thinking must be taken notice of at the moment of their occurrences so as to understand them correctly. If no noticing is made at the moment of their occurrence, the nature of their arising and passing away may not be seen correctly and the craving to the apparent physical and mental phenomena will arise which is the Origin of Suffering. Because of craving, attachment to these phenomena will arise and volitional deeds are committed. These volitional deeds cause rebirth and thus continuous arising of this whole mass of suffering such as old age, disease, death etc. If continuous noticing is made at the moment of the occurrence of seeing, hearing etc., these physical and mental phenomena will be correctly seen and there will be lessening of craving to a certain extent. This is getting rid of (Pahætabba) the Origin of Suffering. By noticing continuously seeing, hearing etc., at the moment of their occurrence, the task to get rid of the Origin of Suffering is accomplished, which accords with the teaching in the Dhammacakkappavattana sutta. Every act of noting in this manner reduces suffering, i.e. having less rebirths to a certain extent. By thus noting, extinction of Suffering is momentarily realized through Vipassanæ Magga Saccæ (Mundane Path). This accords with the teaching that the Extinction of Suffering is to be realized and the Path that leads to the Extinction of Suffering is to be developed. The supramundeane Extinction of Suffering (Realization of Nibbæna) and the development of the Eightfold Noble Path will be explained later. By practising meditation as briefly above, realization of Nibbæna through Vipassanæ Magga³ga (Mundane Path) is explained in the Mælukyaputta sutta as follows: - Nibbæna is far when there is no mindfulness Rþpaµ disvæ sati mu¥t¬æ, piyaµ nimittaµ manasikæro-to; Særattacitto vedeti, tañca ajjhosa ti¥¥¬ati. (Saµyutta-nikæya II 296 Theragæthæ 327.) At the moment of seeing a visual form if you forget to meditate on the act of seeing, if it is a beautiful one, you enjoy it and craving arises. It is true when you see a desirable object. Tassa vaddhanti vedanæ, anekæ rþpasambhavæ; abhijjhæ ca vihesæ ca, citta massupahaññati; evaµ æcinato dukkhaµ, æræ nibbæna vuccati; One, in whom craving has arisen, will have good and bad feelings in connection with the object seen. If the object is desirable, joy will arise and thus craving of it. If the object is undesirable, aversion will arise and thus hatred of it. This craving and hatred make one’s mind restless. Unmindfulness amounts to creation of suffering, i.e. by being reborn again and again one has to undergo suffering. Thus one is far from Nibbæna. One, who is mindful of seeing whenever it arises, is said to be near to Nibbæna. This fact is explained as follows: - Nibbæna is near when there is mindfulness Na so rajjati rþpesu, rþpaµ disvæ pa¥issatto; virattacitto vedeti, tañca najjhosa ti¥t¬ati. At the moment of seeing, if one meditates on the act of seeing, craving on the object seen will not arise. This is true. Every time seeing arises, if one notes as ‘seeing, seeing’ continuously, craving on the object seen will not arise and there will be no reflection on it as well. On discerning the nature of the arising and passing away of seeing and the object seen, neither pleasure nor aversion will arise in connection with it. Therefore, if one is mindful, his mind will be free from craving and there will be only passive sensation meaning sensation without emotion or reaction. The visual form seen does not become an object of attachment in his mind. Yathassa
passato rþpaµ, sevato cæpi vedanam;
As mentioned above due to mindfulness, if there is only passive sensation, suffering (which can arise when there is no mindfulness) will have no chance to arise and thus its cessation. It means if there is no mindfulness at the moment of seeing, craving and clinging to the visual object seen will arise and suffering of being reborn again and again will ensure. On the other hand, if there is mindfulness, suffering will be got rid of, as it has no chance to arise. So if one wishes to get rid of suffering and realize happiness, he will have to be mindful every time seeing arises. The development of this knowledge through meditation is called preliminary Path (Pubba bhæga Magga³ga). By developing this preliminary path, one is bound to realize Nibbæna (Extinction of Suffering) through the attainment of the Supramundeane path (Ariyan Magga Saccæ). In the sutta it is mentioned that to escape from suffering if one meditates as mentioned above, and when he comes to know the true nature of the physical and mental phenomena of existence, he is said to be near Nibbæna. How? If one practises, meditation his insight knowledge will progress as mentioned before and he will finally realize Nibbæna through Path and Fruition knowledge (Magga & Phala ñæ¼a). If one attains Path and Fruition knowledge for the first time he becomes a Stream-Winner (Sotæpanna) and forever escapes from the four nether worlds. He will be reborn at most seven times in the good existence of humans and or celestial (Deva) worlds and finally attain the Arahatta Path and Fruition and gain deliverance from this whole mass of suffering such as rebirth, old age, disease, death etc. On attainment of Sakadægæmi Magga and Phala he will become a Sakadægæmi (Once- Returner) and within two existence, will attain the Arahatta Path and Fruition and gain deliverance from this whole mass of suffering. On attainment of Anægæmi Magga and Phala he will become an Anægæmi (Never-Returner) and will escape from the suffering connected with the human and celestial worlds and will be reborn in the Brahma worlds. Then he will become an Arahat (final stage of Holiness) through Arahatta Magga and Phala and gain deliverance from this whole mass of suffering. As stated above if you meditate on seeing at the moment of it’s arising and with the progress of insight knowledge you will become an Arahat and after the final passing away (Parinibbæna cuti) there will be complete extinction of all suffering. So for the sake complete extinction of all suffering after passing away of the present life or any future life, you must practise intensive meditation on seeing every time it arises. Or please practise to become at least a Stream-Winner (Sotæpanna) so as to escape forever from the suffering of lower worlds or try to practise as much as possible. What I have said above is how to meditate on seeing and like wise you meditate on hearing, smelling, eating, touching and thinking. If there is no mindfulness, one is far from Nibbæna and if there is mindfulness, one is near to Nibbæna. In the way you meditate on every act of seeing, please do so on every act of hearing, smelling, eating, touching and thinking. Practise of mindfulness in brief Di¥¥ha-suta-muta-viññætesu dhammesu di¥¥he di¥¥ha mattaµ bhavissati, sute suta mattaµ bhavissati, mute muta mattaµ bhavissati, viññæte viññæta mattaµ bhavissati. Among seeing, hearing, smelling, eating, touching and thinking, while meditating on seeing there will be only passive consciousness of visual object, on hearing there will be only passive consciousness of sound, on smelling, eating and touching there will be only passive consciousness of odour, taste and touch, on thinking there will be only passive consciousness of thought. To have this kind of passive consciousness one must practise meditation continuously. If one has only passive consciousness this is the end of all suffering (Nibbæna). This is the Buddha’s brief teaching to Bhikkhu Mælukyaputta. After listening to this teaching, Bhikkhu Mælukyaputta reported to the Buddha how he came to understand that if one is not mindful of seeing at the moment of its arising, he is bound to meet suffering and thus be far from Nibbæna. If there is in mindfulness, he will be free from suffering and thus be near to Nibbæna. The Buddha confirmed him by preaching the sermon Rþpaµ disvæ sati mu¥¥¬æ ... (as mentioned above). Bhikkhu Mælukyaputta meditated on seeing, hearing etc. at the moment of their arising and before long became an Arahat. So now if you want to be a Stream-Winner etc., practise meditation continuously on seeing, hearing, smelling, eating, touching and thinking whenever they arise. If you practise thus when concentration becomes strong, you will come to know by direct knowledge the difference between matter and mind, cause and effect, impermanency, suffering and egolessness. It is in conformity with the preaching Sæmæhito yathæbhþtaµ pajænæti-concentration leads to right understanding. Right understanding during meditation When concentration is strong, in every act of noting the seeing, you can discriminate between the visual object, the eye and the seeing. Out of them visual object and eye are matter which has no consciousness. Eye-consciousness and noting are mind which has consciousness. So in every act of noting the seeing, you discern that there is only matter and mind and no ego or soul. This is the knowledge distinguishing between Mind and Matter (Næma Rþpa Pariccheda Ñæ¼a). In hearing also you come to know that ear and sound are matter and ear-consciousness and noting are mind. There is only matter and mind. In smelling also nose and odour are matter and nose-consciousness and noting are mind. There is only matter and mind. In eating also tongue and taste are matter and tongue-consciousness and noting are mind. There is only matter and mind. When you note ‘walking, standing, sitting, touching, rising, falling’ etc., you come to know that body and tangible object are matter and body-consciousness and noting are mind. There is only matter and mind. When you note reflecting, thinking etc., you come to know that seat of consciousness and object of mind are matter and consciousness and noting are mind. There is only matter and mind. In this case objects of mind can be reflections, thoughts, concepts, forms etc. But objects of mind are mostly tangible matter, that is why object of mind is mentioned as matter. The knowledge distinguishing between Mind and Matter occurs more in yogøs of good intelligence and less in those of poor intelligence. Even though a yogø has few occurrences of this knowledge, he is said to have accomplished it. After this knowledge, with the improvement of concentration the yogø comes to know to a certain extent the Cause and Effect in the following manner: - While noting walking, he discerns that because there arises the intention to walk, there is walking. In sitting and standing also, he discerns that because the intention to sit arises, there is sitting, because the intention to stand arises, there is standing. While noting rising and falling, he discerns that because of in-breath and out-breath there is rising and falling. While noting seeing, he discerns that because there is visual object seeing arises, because there is eye seeing arises. In hearing also he likewise discerns it. Noting thus he comes to realize to a certain extent that these acts are neither caused by ego nor I but are just the results of corresponding cause mentioned above. This is the knowledge distinguishing between Cause and Effect. Then while noting ‘walking, standing, sitting, rising, falling, seeing, hearing, stiffening, paining, disappointment, happiness’ etc. in every act of noting he notices that both the object of noting and noting arise anew and then pass away. At first he notices the beginning and ending of a step and likewise in the rising movement of the abdomen. With the improvement of concentration and knowledge he notices them in segments. Thus by direct knowledge he comes to understand clearly that, ‘Things are neither permanent nor pleasurable but suffering. Life is just phenomena and there is neither ego nor soul.’ This is maturity of the true insight knowledge’s viz. Aniccænupassanæ Ñæ¼a. Dukkhænupassanæ Ñæ¼a and Anattænupassanæ Ñæ¼a. With the maturity of the true Insight knowledge Nibbæna is realized through Ariyan Magga and Phala Ñæ¼a (Path & Fruition knowledge). Then one becomes at least a Stream-Winner (Sotæpanna) and forever escapes from the four nether worlds. He will be reborn in the good existence of human and or celestial worlds and within seven existence will again realize Nibbæna through Arahatta Path and Fruition Knowledge. So it is highly essential to practise meditation to become at least a Stream-Winner (Sotæpanna). Now I will tell you how to practise a short-period meditation. The method is the same as explained in previous days. But now I will tell you in gist. Please adjust the sitting posture to suit you. Please close the eyes. Put you mind on the abdomen and take notice of the rising and falling movement of it. If the movement is not clear place your hands on the abdomen. Note the rising movement from the beginning to the end attentively. Note the falling movement in like manner. Noting is to be made only mentally. While thus noting, if thought arises, take notice of it and then resume noting of the rising and falling. If hearing arises, note as ‘hearing, hearing’ two three times and resume noting of the abdominal movement. If pain arises, note as paining, paining’ two three times and resume noting of the abdominal movement. Please note in this manner for about five minutes. Conclusion Now five minutes are over. Within one minute there will be 50 to 60 good deeds of noting. For five minutes there will be not less than 250. In every act of noting the effort to note Sammæ Væyæma Magga³ga (Right Effort). Mindfulness is Sammæ Sati Magga³ga (Right Mindfulness). Continuous keeping of mind on the object of meditation is Sammæ Samædhi Magga³ga (Right Concentration). These three belong to the section ‘Concentration’ and are called Samædhi Magga³ga with the strengthening of them; in every act of noting there arises Sammæ Di¥¥hi Magga³ga (Right Understanding). The will which inclined the mind onto the object of meditation to develop Right Understanding is Sammæsa³kappa Magga³ga (Right Thought). These two belong to the section ‘Wisdom’ and are called Paññæ Magga³ga. Sammævæcæ (Right Speech), Sammækammanta (Right Action) and Sammæ-æjøva (Right Livelihood) belong to the section ‘Morality’ and are called Søla Magga³ga. By practising meditation they are accomplished. Every time you note the rising and falling movement of the abdomen you are developing the Eightfold Noble Path. This Eightfold noble Path is the middle way first discovered by the Bodhisatta (Buddha to be). This Middle Way can cause distinctive insight knowledge and distinctive Path and Fruition Knowledge to arise. So I would like to advise you to practise this meditation even at home to the best of you ability. By thus practising may you all make progress in the development of concentration and realize Nibbæna in the near future through the Path and fruition Knowledge. 30-11-80 Mahæsø
Sayædaw
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