Mental Development in Buddhism. When we are talking about spirituality, it refers to mental development. Mental development, cittabhavana in Pali, appears in many places in the Buddhist texts. It appears in the third of the kusala kammapada (Threefold Classification of Wholesomeness) , in traisikkha and in ovadapatimokkha (the Three Admonitions or Exhortations of the Buddha) . The word “mental development” is also included in the study of the Buddha’s teachings, and when it is explained to others because there are different degrees of mental development. If we summarized the Buddha’s teachings, they would be found in the sadadhamm (the Essential Doctrine), the pariyatti (the true doctrine of study), the patipatti (the true doctrine of practice) and the pativeda (attainable aspect of the true doctrine). Basic to all the Buddha’s teaching is the theory that we learn in order to understand, we understand in order to practise, and we practise for results. The highest result is to end suffering (nibbana).Generally speaking, mental development mainly focuses on samatha (tranquil meditation) and vipassana (insight meditation), but they each have a different function and a different way of development. Samatha aims to develop calmness by concentrating on a meditative subject. Its function is to calm and temporarily free the meditator from sense impressions and the attachment which accompanies them. On the other hand, vipassana has wisdom as its function attempting to eradicate wrong view (moha) and all other defilements to the attainment of enlightenment. It is the development of direct understanding of all realities, of the mental phenomena (nama) and physical phenomena (rupa) of our life. Vipassana practice is the way to enlightenment which is found and taught in Buddhism. Samatha was used by people before the Buddha’s time.
Why did the Buddha put emphasis only on vipassana as a means of attainment? There are two kinds of deliverance: deliverance through the mind (cetovimutti) and deliverance though insight (pannavimutti). The former refers to one those who becomes enlightened by developing calm (samatha) first and then develops insight (vipassana) afterwards. The latter refers to one who is enlightened by developing vipassana directly. Even if both tranquil meditation and insight meditation are tools to lead us to the same enlightenment, they produce different qualities in an enlightened one (arahat). One who becomes an arahat through samatha can possess supernatural power, but not for those who follow vipassana.
A way of practising vipassana by those who attained samatha before is through using tranquil mind to investigate impermanence, suffering, and non-self both internally and externally. Also, tranquil mind (samadhi) obtained by samatha will make it easier to develop insight or wisdom. When practicing with tranquil mind we have an easier time practicing vipassana because calmness produces more happiness for those who possess it. We cannot attain calmness easily. That is, it is difficult way to reach enlightenment in this life. One who practises vipassana may not taste happiness in the beginning of the practice because vipassana aims to see the realities of all phenomena occurring during meditating, not to calm the mind. However, both samatha and vipassana are important for developing our spirituality.
Mental Development in Buddhism - Pinayo Prommuang
