The Buddhist Community

by Stephen Batchelor (Gelong Jhampa Thabkay)

As a Western Buddhist, one is invariably faced with two separate claims to truth, neither of which one is usually prepared to deny completely. These two claims are those of the Buddhist tradition and the Western situation. Such a tension between a tradition and a particular situation is hardly unique to those of us caught vacillating between these alternatives today. It is a quality which has characterised the developments and been instrumental in the transformation that Buddhism has undergone from the very first beginnings of its history.

This polarity has tended to encourage two primary attitudes towards resolving the conflict between the claims of the tradition as opposed to those of the situation. For there are always certain people who are more inclined towards accepting the authority of tradition at its face value, and others who feel it to be more important to evaluate the heritage of the tradition in the light of its own views, reason itself, and contemporary exigencies. Consequently, the former tend to take belief as their primary attitude, whereas the latter generally consider reason to be primary.

However, it is oversimplifying matters to divide such attitudes into these mutually opposing camps. In the majority of individual cases there is more of an unstable amalgam of belief and reason which causes the mind to oscillate between the two alternatives. Even the adoption of a traditionalist stance is usually preceded by a process of reasoned reflection which culminates in a preference for belief over reason. Likewise the "situationalist", as long as he remains a Buddhist, has his tendency to free-thinking constantly held in check by whatever degree of faith secures him within the fold of the Buddhist tradition.
Belief and reason, then, become the two points of departure for embarking upon a conscious commitment to Buddhism. If we turn to the words attributed to the Buddha himself we find a number of passages to support both attitudes. In most cases the Buddha seems to speak directly from the standpoint of his enlightenment in the manner of a benevolent authority, thus encouraging a confident acceptance of what he teaches. Yet on other occasions, as in the discourse spoken to the people of Kalama, he considerably undermines his own authority by asserting)' that one should not rely upon ""what has been acquired by repealed hearing; hi upon tradition;... nor upon what is in a scripture;... nor upon the consideration "The monk is our teacher." " Add to this the various conflicting perspectives found In the Mahayana discourses, and it becomes even more difficult to unravel the intended meaning of the Buddha's speech. Thus it becomes clearer why the Buddha encouraged his followers to test his words as carefully as an assayer would examine gold. And "only then should they be accepted; but not merely out of respect for."

Among all the major world religions Buddhism has a singularly ambigious. relationship to its own scriptural record, because for a Buddhist direct experience and insight are finally the only reliable touchstones of certainty. Hence both belief and skepticism, reason and faith can all be encouraged provided (hey assist one on the way to enlightenment. The sutras are able to act as signposts along this way, but it is no simple matter to determine how much certainty they provide us about our destination.

II
In approaching the idea of the Buddhist community or Sangha we have to take into account the frequent divergent claims of the tradition and the current situation. Depending upon our leaning, we will either stress the importance of maintaining the traditional communal forms, or the importance of adapting these forms to the needs and peculiarities of the present situation. Yet prior to any question of its form is the question of what it is that actually constitutes the spiritual life of the Buddhist community. What is it that really unifies people as Buddhists? And how can this bonding factor be best understood and maintained?

A genuine sense of community comes into being when people share a common concern as well as the determination to sustain it. As the central focus of the Buddhist vision are those four truths which become progressively realised through the stages along the way to enlightenment. These four higher truths (aryasatya) provide an essential orientation to the practice of Buddhism. They indicate what needs to be done away with, what needs to be accomplished, and the means to reach those ends. In this way they summarise most concisely and completely the object of every Buddhist's concern.

The higher Buddhist community (aryasangha) is comprised of those whose convictions about the four truths are founded on neither belief nor reason alone but on direct experience and insight. The majority of Buddhists, however, are unified only through a faithful and rational concern for these truths. Their vision still retains varying degrees of conceptualization and uncertainty, thus rendering their spiritual communion into an approximation of that of the higher community. Sangha, therefore, is a reality which encompasses a wide range of shared concerns, reaching its most authentic expression when people are united through a vision of the four higher truths.

The more preliminary and unstable is the nature of this concern, then the more does it need to be nourished by the power of commitment. In Buddhism the matrix of commitment is established in the act of entrusting oneself to the Three Jewels, Such a commitment injects a quality of constancy into what may otherwise be a momentary and fluctuating concern. It involves a restructuring of one's inner life around the principles of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and a conscious turning away from whatever stands in opposition to these values. In elevating one's concern for the four truths to a higher degree of continuity, this commitment thereby effectively serves to support and sustain the concern.
The aim of the Buddhist community is to authenticate its central concern through direct vision and experience. Belief and reason alone are unable to strengthen a shared sense of community beyond the limits imposed by their own inherent fallibility. This process of authentication depends primarily upon each
individual's own effort to deepen his or her insight into the meaning of the four truths. But as a communal endeavor, it also depends upon the maintainance of a form which effectively supports the realization of its inner aim.

III
Traditionally, the form of the Buddhist community has been equated with that of the Buddhist monastic community (bhikksusangha). Although it has usually been accepted that inclusion in the higher community is not restricted to monks and nuns, since the time of the Buddha himself the term "Sangha" has been commonly used only to denote the community of fully ordained monastics. Because of their ethical discipline and freedom from the burdens of the householder's life, historically monks and nuns have had the greatest opportunity to realize the four truths and thus sustain the momentum of the Buddhist tradition. Even the Mahayanist introduction of a wider-based community structured around the ideal of the Bodhisattva has only partially affected the general notion of the community's being identical with the monastic order.

There is certainly a good case to be made in support of this traditional view of Sangha. Yet although it would be foolish to deny the value of the monastic life as an important basis of the Buddhist community, it is open to question whether the monastic order alone should preserve such a monopoly on the concept of "community". Monasticism is one particular form of Sangha which over time has proven to be a fairly resilient model for supporting the inner aim of Buddhism. But surely when confronted with any new situation, it becomes the responsibility of the community to determine exactly where its active forces are presently working and in which direction they are moving.

Although proponents of the traditional view of Sangha find considerable support through scriptural authority, they tend to give little attention to the role that situations have played in conditioning the forms of the community. To what extent, for example, has the monastic order been influenced in its development by social, cultural and even economic factors? In formulating his idea of a monastic community, how far was the Buddha himself merely responding to the given historical circumstances of his time? These questions are difficult to answer, but they need to be borne in mind if we are ever to discover a middle way between the conflicting claims of the Buddhist tradition and our present situation.
With every move that Buddhism has made, it has been affected by the influence of the circumstances in which it has sought to take root. Depending upon the level of diversity between the tradition and the new situation, it has felt that influence to a greater extent, as in Japan, or a lesser extent, as in Burma. Conversely, each situation which has been exposed to Buddhism has also been modified. In Tibet and the Southern countries, this modification has been considerable, whereas in China has been less. No matter where we look we can observe this mutual process of give and take.

It is just as unrealistic to maintain that traditional Buddhism can significantly transform our present world as it is to believe that the integrity of the tradition will be inevitably subverted by exposure to modernity and change. The future being unpredictable and the twists and turns of history largely unreasonable, it is hard to imagine the direction that Buddhism will take in the West. Given the extent of diversity, however, between the tradition and our current situation, we should be prepared for at least an unprecedented kind of interaction between the two. Thus in whatever course we decide to follow, we need always to remind ourselves of the experimental character of our undertaking. And in recognizing our own limitations, we should remain open to the alternative pursuits of others.

Buddhism is still sufficiently strong to maintain and further evolve its own identity. But the more it becomes consolidated in a non-Asian setting, the greater becomes the need to define the role and meaning of the term "Sangha ". For the founding of a genuine sense of community is without doubt one of the most important elements needed to ensure the continuity of the Buddhist tradition.

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Right Death

SIX STEPS TO RIGHT DEATH AND DYING
by Dennis T. Sibley

In keeping with the spirit of the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path, I would like to respectfully consider the principle of "Right Dying". In recent years a great deal has been written about what might be called "the ecology of death and dying": numerous articles and books are available to inform us about the physical, psychological and social care of people facing death from terminal disease. All of this is surely welcomed. But what the Western world has lost, and now so desperately needs, is a spiritual guidebook on the art of dying. It is time to re-discover the principle of "Right Dying".

Most Buddhists will probably have heard of the Bardo Thodol, which was translated as The Tibetan Book of the Dead by the Tibetan scholar, Dr. W.Y. Evans-Wentz. Is this not a book on "Right Dying"? There can be little doubt that much can be learned from a careful study of its venerable writings — if we are both willing and able to open our hearts and minds to its particular metaphysics. (The Artes Moriendi or "Art of Dying" literature that was so popular throughout Europe during the Middle Ages also has much to teach us.)

But what of the modern Western Buddhist who lives in the midst of a society that is still haunted by a fear of death? Where can he or she look for a way to come to terms with mortality? Who can guide the modern Westerner through the gateway of death, and how can he or she prepare for the inevitable journey beyond? These are questions that concern us all. We all will die. If we can practice "Right Dying" in the midst of life, we can in a sense write our own spiritual guidebook and many of these questions will fall away.

"Right Dying" is founded on the Buddha's central teaching of mindfulness. Without mindfulness the contemplation of death creates a great fear in the human heart. The practice of "Right Dying" can teach us to face the fear, know it for what it really is, and thus transcend it.

In presenting the principle of "Right Dying", I would like to acknowledge my great debt to the brilliant and sensitive work of Stephen Levine, whose approach to dying people is unique. Although widely known in America as a gifted teacher of Buddhist meditation, his work with terminally ill people is virtually unknown in England. His gentle approach to death and dying has helped me to see the importance of "Right Dying" in my own work as a nurse in a small hospice.

Stephen first began working with dying people at the invitation of Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a remarkable Swiss-born American psychiatrist, whose own work with dying people has revolution alised the psychological care of terminal illness all over the world. In the late 1970s Stephen was asked to direct The Dying Project under the auspices of the Hanuman Foundation. The project offers a free consultation service by phone, and a newsletter for those confronting a terminal illness or the grief of a recent loss, who wish to investigate their experience as a means of spiritual awakening.

Stephen Levine's guidance through meditation is aimed at opening the heart, and allowing uncomfortable feelings to exist in a safe space where they can be acknowledged for what they really are. When we can be open to what is unpleasant and uncomfortable we can be open to the experience of dying I have tried below to outline six steps towards the practice of "Right Dying", They have been freely adapted from Stephen Levine's work and the credit lot their originality is rightfully his. The arbitrary division into "steps" is my own and can be ignored if necessary: I simply used them in this way to point up tlx principle I have called "Right Dying".

1. FACING DENIAL

For the Westerner who lives in such a death-denying culture as our own, facing up to our personal and cultural denial of the reality of death is the first important step We have been conditioned to deny the reality of death: every year we spend millions of pounds on cosmetics, face-lifts, toupees and hair-dyes, in an all out attempt to cover up the lessons that the decay of the physical body could teach ill We are obsessed with fitness and look upon the old and the infirm almost aj second-class citizens. Denial is a state of the conditioned mind, and the practice of mindfulness enables us to break free of this conditioning. A growing sense ol awareness gives us the space to perceive denial as denial, and in that moment we are free. This is the first (and therefore the most important) step in moving towards the acceptance of what is unacceptable.

2. EXPLORING DEATH THROUGH ILLNESS

Tibetan Buddhist traditions often make the point that every obstacle or difficulty in life is an opportunity to learn. It is difficult to learn when all is going well. Every small headache or attack of flu, every major operation or infectious disease, can be an excellent opportunity for melting our resistance to life as it is. Whilst we struggle for satisfaction from moment to moment, and view our predicament as either fortunate or unfortunate, we are missing the great teaching of impermanence. In the cosy comfort of the armchair we can nod agreeably at the teaching of impermanence, but during a bout of flu with a body racked in pain and discomfort we have an opportunity to know the reality of anicca. Again we must open ourselves to the reality of the uncomfortable.

3. REFLECTING ON DEATH

The misfortunes of others make up a large percentage of our daily diet of news. Whilst we are immersed in the misfortunes of others we are creating the illusion of our own good fortune. "It will never happen to me!" "There, but for the grace of God, go I". We always partake of the survivors' news, almost convinced that it (death) will never happen to me. Seldom do we realise that the news of death by accident or design — gives us an excellent opportunity to explore our fear of death. When we can know that death is natural and necessary, and that every face is the face of Charon the ferryman, we can open ourselves to that Supreme Identity that lies behind all separate identities.

4. OPENING TO THE UNKNOWN

"If we examine our fear of death", writes Stephen Levine, "we see in it a fear of the moment to follow, over which we have no control." The practice of mindfulness opens us to a flowing stream of mind-states — many of which wc would gladly disown. Our refusal to face the unpleasant leaves us feeling threatened and vulnerable. If we arc to be whole we must deny nothing'. In denying that which is painful we create the condition of fear: fear of the next moment. We want to control everything so that nothing can disturb us. When we are able to open to the unknown moment to come — whatever it may be — then we will have the courage to live fully in the midst of death.

5. LETTING GO OF NOW

The fear of death is a measure of the fear of life. The stronger the sense of self, the more distinct is the feeling of separateness and the more overwhelming the fear of death. The practice of opening the heart, of compassion, allows each moment (pleasant or unpleasant) to be itself. If we are not able to allow things simply to be, then we will not be able to let them go. Anger and fear are mind-states which have a kind of "personality" that fixes and imprisons the open heart; when we can let them go by knowing what they really are we can travel beyond the prison of our own fears.

6. OPENING TO FEAR

When we are able to face whatever may happen to us with a mind that is not full of fear and doubt, worry or expectation, we can be fully present and open to a great mystery. When we are present for life, we are present for death. As Stephen Levine so clearly puts it, "It means being open to whatever happens, excluding nothing. Because if everything is OK except death, then eventually you notice that everything's OK but death and loss. And then everything is OK but death, loss and a bad pastrami sandwich. Then everything's OK but death, loss, a bad pastrami sandwich and the plumber coming. The limiting of what is acceptable narrows down to the cage of self protection in which we fitfully live so much of our life. Until "security" means nobody entering our cage. We are isolated. Nobody is rattling our bars."

I have tried to present the barest outline of an approach to dying using the Buddhist practice of mindfulness. "Right Dying" is the art of dying to each moment in such a way that we can meet our own physical demise with an open heart. I have had the privilege of being present at the moment of death on many occasions, and I have marvelled at the dignity and grace of those ordinary people who have broken through the "bars" of fear and pain. I have also felt sad and helpless in the company of those who were alone and afraid. Perhaps they could have been helped.

Six steps to right death and dying - by Dennis T. Sibley

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Pali Glossary

Acariya - a teacher; regular instructor
Anagami - non-returner; one who has attained the third stage of holiness
Anatta - adj. no soul; soulless; not-self.
Anicca - impermanent; transient
Arahant - worthy one; perfected one; one who has attained Nirvana/Nibbana arammana
Sense-objects - an object of consciousness; preoccupation
Ariyasacca - noble Truth
Arupajhana - the ( four ) Absorptions of the Formless Sphere
Atta - self; soul; ego; personal entity

Bhava - becoming; existence; process of becoming;state of existence

Bhavatanha - craving for existence; craving for rebirth

Brahma - a divine being of the Form Sphere or of the Formless Sphere

Cankama - walking up and down as a method of concentration development

Citta- thought; mind; a state of consciousness

Dhamma - 1. the Doctrine; the teachings of the Lord Buddha the Norm; the Law; nature the Truth; Ultimate Reality the supermundane, esp. Nirvana/Nibbana righteousness; virtue; morality; good conduct; right behavior tradition; practice; principle; rule; dutyjustice; impartiality thing; phenomenon9. a cognisable object; mind-object; idea 10. mental state; mental factor; mental activities 11. condition; cause; causal antecedent

Dhatu - an element; natural condition; that which carries its own characteristic mark

Dukkha - 1. suffering; misery; woe; pain; ill; sorrow; trouble; discomfort; unsatisfactoriness; problematic situation; stress; conflict 2. physical or bodily pain ekaggata one-pointedness of mind

Jhana - meditation; absorption; a state of serene contemplation attained by meditation

Karma/Kama - sense-desire; desire; sensuality; an object of sensual enjoyment; sensual pleasures. Kamatanha - sensual craving; craving for sensual pleasures

Kamavacara - belonging to the Sense Sphere aggregate; category defilements; impurities; impairments the Path; the Way; the Noble Path; the Noble Eightfold Path; the Path leading to the Cessation of Suffering wrong

Khandha - aggregate; category

Micchoditthi - view; false view knowledge; real knowledge; wisdom; insight Nirvana; the extinction of the fires of greed, hatred and ignorance; the Unconditioned;

Kilesa - defilements; impurities; impairements

Magga - the path; the way; the Noble Path; the Noble Eightfold Path; the Path leading to the Cessation of Suffering

Michaditthi - wrong view; false view

Nana - knowledge; real knowledge; wisdom; insight

Nibbana/Nirvana - Nirvana; extinction of the fires of greed, hatred and ignorance, the unconditioned; the Final Goal; the supreme goal of Buddhism

Nirodha - the Cessation or Extinction of suffering

Panna - wisdom; knowledge; intelligence; insight; discernment; reason

Parikamma - recitation; mental repetion

Pariyatti - the Scriptures; study of the Scriptures; the Teachings to be studied

Peta - the ghost of the departed

Rupajhana - absorption of the Fine-Material Sphere

Sikkapada - 1. morality; moral code 2. a precept; rule of morality; training rule

Sacca - the Truth; truth

Sakadagami - a Once-Returner; one who has attained the second stage of the Path and will be reborn on the earth only once before attaining final emancipationsamadhi

Samadhi - concentration; one-pointedness of mind

Samatha - calm; tranquility; quietude of heart

Sammati - convention; agreement; supposition; conventional truth

Samsara - lit. faring on; the Round of Rebirth; the Round of Existence; the Wheel of Rebirth; the Wheel of Life

Samudaya - the Cause of Suffering; the Origin of Suffering

Sangho/Sangha - Buddhist monks; Noble Disciples

Sankhara - 1. compounded things; component things; conditioned things; the world of phenomena; all things which have been made up by pre-existing causes 2. volitional activities; mental formations;

mental predispositions; volitional impulses; impulses and emotions; volition; all the mental factors except feeling and perception having volition as theconstant factor

Sati - mindfulness; attentiveness; detached watching;

Sotapana - a Stream-Enterer, one who attained the first stage of holiness

Tanha - craving; desire; thirst

Tilakkhana - the Three Characteristics; the Three Signs of Being; also called the Common Characteristics

Tipitaka - lit. the Three baskets; the Three Divisions of the Buddhist Canon, viz., Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma ( generally known as the Pali Canon )

Vatta - the round of rebirth; the round of existences; the cycle of rebirth

Vibhavatanha - craving for non-existence

Vipassana - insight; contemplation; insight development

Yogavacara - one who practises spiritual exercise; meditator

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Knowledge of Self

CUTTING OFF THE STREAM

SELF KNOWLEDGE FREE FROM IMAGININGS AND CONCEPTUAL SIGNS

After the cessation of the Five Aggregates and the sense organs as described above, there is no connection with anything because vinnana (the knowing component of the Five Aggregates) has ceased. The Five Aggregates are merely aggregates. Internal and external sense receptors are not associated because the consciousness or the associate of senses has already stopped functioning. There is no self in corporeality, no corporeality in self. That self is not body, and body is not self becomes clear at this point. Feeling is not self and self is not feeling. Feeling does not exist in self, and self does not exist in feeling. Memory is not self, and self in not memory. Memory does not exist in self, and self does not exist in memory. Compounded condition is not self, and self is not compounded condition.

Compounded condition does not exist in self, and self does not exist in compounded condition. Consciousness is not self, and self is not consciousness. Consciousness does not exist in self, and self does not exist in consciousness. As self does not exist in anything and nothing is self, it is like zero, a state of nothingness or valuelessness. It is asarikhatadhatu, asarikhatadhamma and asaiikhatapaccaya. There is no 'fuel' to continue the fire. It is akuppadhamma, in which there is no cause for a condition to drift along the stream of the world any longer. Nirodha has cut off the route of rebirth totally, and the factors that cause one to float along the stream of the world have come to an end.

At this point arises a special kind of knowledge. This is not knowledge in the Five Aggregates, nor that derived from sensory experience. It is beyond any worldly conventional knowledge. It has no foundation, no limit and no control. It is beyond worldly description. It reveals the entire world and is unique.

A Dharma follower will reach this point after the continued practice of initial wisdom development described in this book. He needs Right View and Right Thought to contemplate things until he attains perfect wisdom and ultimate knowledge, which make his mind transcend to the crystal clear stage of Truth, the true condition of everything, which results in nirodha, the cessation of suffering as described.

Not long after the cessation, there is an abrupt turn in the mind. It is one quick moment right after the cessation, in which there is a sudden feeling of extraordinary bravery in the mind. It is the kind of boldness that one has never experienced before. It is so powerful that it destroys defilements and craving and cut off the rebirth cycle to put an end to it entirely and immediately. This occurs only to those who reach the last stage of practice. At this stage mindfulness is very strong and wisdom is very sharp. It is the extraordenary mindfulness and wisdom, so powerful that it could destroy a whole mountain in one moment. This is because worldly business is cut off from the mind, and there is no imaginings or convention in the mind any more. Everything is well perceived as nothing. Worldly matters are nothing when the mind is free from arrogance and attachment to self. The no-self is the notingness which is free from the mind completely since everything is destroyed The brave mind at this stage enables one to sit in one posture for days as if it was one short moment. One can be still until blood dries out and this body rots. This is the kind of bravery described here. It is clear to him that asavakkhayanana, the knowledge to destroy defilements and craving will be demolished at this moment. Asavakkhayanana occurs simultaneously with the extraordinary bravery and once it arises it continues until the mind is liberated.

There is no need for any commitment because the process proceeds anyway until defilements are destroyed completely in a split second, in less than a blink of the eyes. One knows for oneself that the defilements are all gone, and feels as if the whole world is shaking, as stated in Pali:

'Vimuttasamin vimuttamiti nanamhoti' meaning, 'The liberation occuring at any moment is known fully at that moment'. 'Khina jati,' One knows right away that the cycle of births has come to an end.
'Vusitam brahmacariyani', The purification of virtue is complete 'Katam karaniyani,'The work of Dharma practice to reach liberation has come to an end. There is no need for further practice. This is the end of practice. Purity is complete, and the mind is independent of all worldly things. It is unique in itself, and the boldness subsides.

Shortly afterwards, there is a natural and unintentional thought of how subtle, profound and difficult it is for an individual to reach this purity. Therefore there is a natural feeling of unwillingness to teach anyone. Nevertheless anyone who has reached this stage was also once a blind man, who cycled in the wheel of births before. If he can reach it, why can some others who have practised hard not reach it too? There is also a chance for them to succeed. Those who have attained the Fruition also had teachers to guide them. So those who have reached the goal must also lead the way for others too. The thought subsides, and the next feeling is that of missing the Lord Buddha very much. Even though the Lord Buddha died a long time ago, there is an extremely strong feeling to pay respect to the Lord. If the Lord were still alive, no matter how long it took or how far he was the person would have to see the Lord, not to tell him about what has happened but only to be with him as a gesture of gratitude. This feeling also dies down shortly, and there is full realization of the Dhamma stated in Pali:

'Yo dhammarh passati so mam passati' meaning, 'Anyone who sees Dhamma sees the Lord.'
From that moment on, there is extraordinary strength in the mind. It is so strong that if physical strength is commensurate, it could lift up or crush the whole mountain. This mental strength lasts for several days.
At this time, the purity of Dhamma and the mental strength expand to the body. The elements comprising the body are washed by this purity and strength until they become pure. It washes every bone in the body until the bone is transformed from coarse to pure matter. When all rough elements have been cleaned and changed to pure elements, the mental strength gradually declines until it is normal.

Although the mental strength becomes normal, the purity remains. This is the point of no decline and no turning back. It is 'nanadasanavisudhi,' knowing and seeing purity all the time. It is 'ekarattm,' everlasting knowing without deterioration and suffering. It is purity beyond the world. It is incomparable with the darkness or brightness of the sun, the moon or the stars. It is timeless purity, which is not changing with anything. It is therefore 'dftthivisudhiifanadassana,' knowing and seeing purityall the time.

There is no need for prediction or confirmation. Even though there are the former Noble Ones around, there is no need to ask whether the knowing and seeing is correct. Instead, he is willing to describe it, if asked to do so, because it is so clear. Even the Lord Buddha were there, there would be no question to ask the Lord either. It is like drinking a glass of water. The drinker knows for himself whether or not he has drunk the water. One knows for oneself that the purity he has attained is complete. There is no more doubt and no need to ask about it any more.

The purity attained now has the same nature as that in the Lord Buddha's time. It is the same in the Lord Buddha, Silent Buddhas or arahants. It is complete after the defilement, craving and ignorance are destroyed, this is equal in all who have reached Nibbana. The next Buddha or future arahants will all reach Nibbana in the same manner. A Dhamma follower who knows and sees purity for himself is said to be a perfect asekhapuggala, one who does not require further training.

I have described the means and the consequence of Dhamma practice from the beginning to the end of the process. I hope that this will be useful to Dhamma students. The practice as described in this book emphasizes wisdom development according to Right View and Right Thought in the Noble Eightfold Path. It involves teaching the mind about the Truth revealed by wisdom.

Phra Acariya Thoon Khippapanno

* The views and opinions expressed in this document may not necessarily be shared by knowbuddhism.info

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Walking Meditation

METHODS OF CONCENTRATION DEVELOPMENT
WALKING MEDITATION (CANKAMA)
PREPARATION FOR CANKAMA WALK

Phra Acariya Thoon Khippapanno

The path for cankama meditation walk should be about 1 metre wide and 15 metres long. It should be smooth so that the walker is not worried about stumbling while walking. To get started, stand at one end of the path facing the other end; the two palms are joined at the chest or forehead as a token of reverence to the Lord Buddha. Then make the following commitment :

" I now intend to practise a cankama meditation walk as a tribute to the purity of the Lord Buddha, Dhamma and the Noble Ones; also to the virtues of my parents, teachers and those who have been kind to me. May I be able to develop mindfulness, calmness and the ability to know and see the Truth clearly. May the wholesomeness of my act inspire all beings to forgive one another and be happy. "

Then put your hands down, the right hand grasping the back of the left in front of the body as when one stands in a solemn manner. Keep the mind in a neutral mood. Do not let it incline to any pleasant or unpleasant thought.

Think, " From this moment on I will set aside all other thoughts but the intention to practise a cankama meditation walk. " Then follow these steps :

1. Mindfully breathe in slowly, thinking "Bud " Mindfully breathe out slowly, thinking " dho " Mindfully breathe in slowly, thinking " Dham " Mindfully breathe out slowly, thinking "mo " Mindfully breathe in slowly, thinking "Sari " Mindfully breathe out slowly, thinking " gho "

2. Do 1.3 - 7 times or more to bring Bud-dho, Dham-mo, San-gho together into the mind.

3. Then do only the " Bud " - " dho " part and start walking according to one of the following methods.

FIRST METHOD OF WALKING MEDITATION - CANKAMA WALK

Mindfully take a step, thinking " Bud "; then another, thinking "dho ". Do this over and over as you walk along the path. At any time your attention is not on your step, you know that you have lost sati or mindfulness, and you must start again until your mind is fixed firmly on every step. Do not walk too fast or too slow. Walk at your regular speed.

This is a method of concentration development in which the act of walking is used as the object of attention. When you reach one end of the walking path, turn around by always making a right turn, and walk back and forth.

SECOND METHOD OF WALKING MEDITATION - CANKAMA WALK

In this method, one uses breathing instead of walking as the object of attention. Think " Bud " as you breathe in, and " dho " as you breathe out. In this way, you concentrate on your breath and parikamma word- " Bud " -"dho " as a practice of concentration. When you get tired of walking, simply stand still, but continue fixing your mind on "Bud "- "dho " as before.

THIRD METHOD OF WALKING MEDITATION - CANKAMA WALK

In this method, one concentrates on a part of one's body. Pick any part that you feel is easy for you to concentrate on. This body part will be used as the object of attention, at which mindfulness and the " knowing " nature of the mind will stay together.

For a beginner, first practise by imagining the physical appearance of the body part : for example, its color, texture and location. By doing this over and over again, you can fix your mind on that part more quickly, either with or without closing your eyes. When you gain enough skill for one part, you can then move on to do the same for other parts. Seeing all body parts as having the same basic characteristics by this method provides a good foundation for wisdom or insight development ( vipassana ). This method does not depend on walking steps as the object of attention. Instead, it uses the name of the body part-for example, " taco " meaning " skin ", " qtthi " meaning " bone " --as the parikamma word.

FOURTH METHOD OF WALKING MEDITATION - CANKAMA WALK

In this method, one concentrates on the mental objects-crude or delicate, pleasant or unpleasant-that arise in one's mind. Just be mindful of the arising of mental objects, but do not think about their source, because in doing so you will intensify that feeling even more. Any mental object has its cause. Therefore you must be mindful enough to know and see clearly the cause of a mental object and watch how it can expand.
The cause here means the inner cause that already resides in the mind. There is fuel ready in the mind; that is, craving for more sensual objects and sensual moods. The mind has been craving for its food in terms of forms, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile sensations for a long, long time for innumerable past lives. Similarly, in one's present life it craves for " hot " mental objects through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body. This has been impressed profoundly in the mind and serves as the inner cause of all mental objects. Forms, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile sensations merely trigger the inner cause. When one perceives anything from the senses, one's mind tends to hold onto the perception and think about it until it is fastened in the mind.

The mental object is where the mind is. Therefore when one concentrates on a mental object, one is actually watching one's mind. While watching it, one should be aware when greed, anger, passion or delusion occur in the mind. One must be mindful enough to spot any "invader " of the mind and tone it down until it fades away. It is important, however, that you not let the mind think about the source of the mental object, which could be form, sound, smell, taste, touch or jealousy, because the feeling will be more intensified and can do more harm to the mind. The right way is to concentrate exclusively on the mental object as it arises in the mind. Fix your attention on it until you see clearly what it is really like. Soon it will lose strength and die down. This is the " inner war " or the confrontation between mindfulness and mental objects. Whether you will win or lose depends on the strength of your mindfulness.

At the end of a cankama meditation walk, stand at one end of the path facing the other end. Again, put the two palms together to pay respect to the Lord Buddha as when you start, and say :

" I have finished a cankama meditation walk as a tribute to the purity of the Lord Buddha, Dhamma and the Noble Ones. May this practice of mine be a blessing to myself as well as my parents, my teachers and all who have been kind to me. May heavenly beings, small and large animals and those who dislike me also be blessed by this wholesome act. "

Then walk away from the path mindfully to continue concentration practice by sitting.

Guides from Different Meditation Masters:

Walking Meditation - Luang Por Teean Jittasubho
Walking Meditation Guide - Buddhadasa Bhikkhu
Walking Stage Practice - Mahasi Sayadaw Shin Sobhana
Walking Practice - Luang Phu Mun

Phra Acariya Thoon Khippapanno

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Sitting Meditation

SITTING MEDITATION

PREPARATION FOR SITTING


Phra Acariya Thoon Khippapanno

To start, one pays respect to the Lord Buddha by repeating some chants, either briefly or at length as one wishes. At the end of the chants, bless oneself and other beings. For a layman, make a commitment to observe the Five Moral Precepts. This is to assure the purity of one's mind during concentration practice. It is a means of removing worry about physical or verbal unwholesome deeds in the past.
At this moment, one should be confident about the purity of one's precepts and forget about evil acts in the past. Instead, one should recall one's past wholesomeness, such as giving, precept observance, thoughts of benevolence for others, etc., to put the mind in a happy mood.
If one cannot .formally make a resolution to a monk to observe the Five Moral Precepts, one can make his own commitment anywhere, because essentially the intent to relinquish physical and verbal misconduct is what counts in precept observance.

COMMITMENT TO OBSERVE THE FIVE MORAL PRECEPTS

One commits oneself to observe the Five Moral Precepts by reciting the following:

I shall not kill any life.
I shall not steal.
I shall not commit adultery.
I shall not lie.
I shall not take alcohol or other intoxicants.

You must be true to yourself and your own commitment, and this is the correct way to observe the precepts. After that, say the following Pali three times : Imani pahca sikkhapadani samadiyami cetanaham silam vadami

Then bow to the ground three times to pay respect to the Lord Buddha, Dhamma and the Noble Ones. For monks and novices, make sure about the purity of your precepts and vinaya. Do not let this point worry you while practising concentration.

Now you are ready for the sitting. Remember that samadhi sitting can come either before or after a cankama meditation walk. Or, if it is inconvenient to practise cankama meditation walking, you can practise concentration simply by sitting.

For men, put your right leg over the left as you sit. For women, sit in the same way as men, or you can sit with both legs folded to one side (a typical posture for a Thai lady sitting on the floor). The important point is to choose a comfortable sitting position. Now relax and join both palms in front of your chest or forehead as a token of reverence to the Lord Buddha, and make the following commitment :
" I now intend to practise samadhi sitting as a tribute
to the purity of the Lord Buddha, Dhamma and the
Noble Ones; etc. " just as in a carikama walk.

Then put your hands on your lap, the right hand on top of the left, both palms up. Keep the upper body straight up. Be mindful inside. Do not let your mind wander outwards, for it will invite sensual desires, resentment and ill will, etc., into the mind, causing depression, frustration and restlessness. Think instead, " At this moment, I shall stop thinking about external things and keep my mind with the present only. "

FIRST METHOD OF SAMADHI SITTING MEDITATION

Mindfully breathe in slowly, thinking "Bud " Mindfully breathe out slowly, thinking " dho " Mindfully breathe in slowly, thinking " Dham " Mindfully breathe out slowly, thinking " mo " Mindfully breathe in slowly, thinking " Sari ". Mindfully breathe out slowly, thinking " gho ".
Do 1. 3-7 times or more to bring Buddho, Dhammo, Sarigho together into the mind.
3. Then do only the "Bud "• "dho " part. Breathe
normally. Fix your attention on the parikamma words and
your breath. Be mindful all the time. Do not let your
attention slip away. Remember this : breathe in thinking
" Bud ", breathe out thinking " dho "

At any moment you do not breathe attentively- for example, you think " Bud " ahead of an in-breath-you have lost mindfulness. At any time you do not exhale together with " dho " with full attention, your mindfulness has been disrupted. Therefore you must fix your mind firmly on breathing with the appropriate parikamma word. Repeat this until you become skilled. A skilled meditator can keep his mind on breathing and parikamma words for a long time. This, is a good method. One knows when one loses mindfulness. It is difficult in the beginning, but will get easier as one practises often. This is a means of strengthening mindfulness and the " knowing " nature of the mind, using breathing as the object of attention. A skilled meditator can omit the parikamma words and keep mindful of breathing along. The mind trained in this way will experience more and more tranquility, and mindfulness will get stronger and stronger.

SECOND METHOD OF SAMADHI SITTING MEDITATION

In this method the parikamma words " Bud " - " dho " are omitted. Fix your mind on breathing alone. Know when breathing is heavy and watch it until it gets softer. Know when breathing is soft and watch it still until it gets even softer-extremely soft. At this point one has attained ekaggatarammana, one-pointedness .of mind. The soft breath is a sign of a subtle mind. When the mind reaches this stage, one may experience many manifestations of the calm mind : for example, the body, the limbs or the head may seem enlarged. If this happens, don't be frightened. Keep on being mindful of your soft breath-nothing else but the soft breath. In about 5 minutes, the sensation of the enlarged body will disappear. In other cases, some meditators may feel taller; some shorter; some spinning around; some bending towards one side or another. Just be mindful of the breath. Ignore various expressions of the mind. These arise and will soon go away.

Sometimes your breath may be so soft that it seems to disappear. Those who are afraid of dying will withdraw from samadhi at this point. Actually, this is an indication that the mind is fully concentrated. Don't be afraid. Just keep on watching the soft breath-nothing else-until finally you do not breathe at all. Here is the point at which the body does not seem to exist. There remains only the " knowing " nature of the mind. Sometimes a little or a lot of brightness appears all around even without the body. This brightness reveals the true nature of the " knowing " mind. The brightness and lightness of mind at this moment will be the most miraculous experience in one's life. There is nothing in the world to compare. Such tranquility lasts for about 10 minutes, and then breathing resumes. The happiness and lightness of the body and mind that one has experienced have no ordinary things to compare. The tranquility is so great that those who do not have enough wisdom will tend to long for it again. But those who have had enough discernment training before will contemplate it with wisdom and use it as a basis to develop more and more wisdom. They do not attach to the happiness of the tranquil mind in samadhi, but use samadhi as a tool for more efficient wisdom development.

I would like to suggest one point to readers who have practised concentration with firm intent, hoping that wisdom will occur in the tranquil mind. If you have never developed discernment into various aspects of the Dhamma, even though your concentration is developed to the absorbed state of samadhxsamapatti or meditative attainment-it merely results in happiness of the body and mind. As concentration progresses, some may develop supernormal powers (abhinna ) : for example, the power to know past and future events, the ability to see things at distance with " inner eyes " or to hear with " inner ears " from afar, the power to do extraordinary things or to read peoples' or even animals' minds. Having gained such supernormal powers, they may easily claim that they have become arahants.
In the Lord Buddha's time, there were 30 monks who had practised concentration until their minds reached full tranquility. They experienced happiness of the body and mind that lasted for several days, until they were certain that they had demolished their defilements, craving and ignorance, and become arahants. They then wanted to tell the i^ord Buddha about it. When the Lord knew about their coming, he sent Phra Ananda to meet them at the entrance to tell them not to see the Lord yet, but to remain in the cemetery first. Getting the Lord's message, the 30 monks entered the cemetery. At that time, in the cemetery lay a naked body of a beautiful lady who had just died. The dead body looked like a woman asleep. The monks looked at it, first with curiosity, but then they were filled with passion and sexual desire! At this point they realized with embarrassment that they were not yet arahants, for their minds still had passion, desire and ignorance. They then contemplated what happened over and over again until they all became enlightened right there in the cemetery.

You can see how tranquilty in samadhi can deceive you. In the Lord Buddha's time, there were many cases similar to the 30 monks. If it happened nowadays, the 30 monks would have had no chance of correcting their mistake, and would have been false arahants all their lives. Today there are no fresh corpses lying in the cemetery for the same thing to happen. So, those who patiently practise concentration waiting for wisdom to occur by itself from the tranquil mind should pause to think a little. Was there any monk in the Lord Buddha's time who became an arahant by practising concentration alone? The fact is that all arahants in the past had first practised contemplation for the sake of wisdom development.

Nowadays some good teachers are still around. They practise contemplation alternating with concentration. After withdrawing from tranquility, they investigate things down to the Truth of all things : that is, suffering, impermanence and not-selfness. They do not wait for wisdom to occur by itself. So you must realize the difference and practise accordingly. Without a coconut seed it is impossible to grow a coconut tree regardless of how well you have prepared the soil for it. One gets the right tree only from the right seed.

THIRD METHOD OF SAMADHI SITTING MEDITATION

In this method, one fixes attention on a part of the body. Choose any part that is easy to visualize. This will be used as the site where mindfulness and the " knowing " nature of the mind will rest. The breath and parikamma words play only supporting roles. The focus is on the body part until one sees that part clearly and closely with one's mind. If one is worried about breathing and parikamma words, the attention will be distracted, and one cannot see the body part clearly. The chosen part can be a scar. It can be in front or at the back of your body. Or it can be any part at all that feels right to focus on. At first think about its location, color and texture. If you cannot see it clearly, that shows that your intent and mindfulness are not firm enough. It is best to choose a small part so that one can focus on only a small area, similar to when one concentrates on a needle hole to thread a needle.

You first imagine the picture of the small area of your body. Do it over and over until your mind can see that part instantly and naturally. Now you can reflect on it in any way you like : for example, seeing it rot, separating it from the bone, etc. This is a good basis for contemplation to develop wisdom. The method of fixing the mind on a body part is to give the mind a place to rest. It is just like a bird that needs a branch to rest on after' flying. A body part is taken as a resting place for a straying mind.

FOURTH METHOD OF SAMADHI SITTING MEDITATION

In this method the mind concentrates on mental objects arising in the mind, just as in the fourth method of carikama walk, only this time it is done in a sitting position, which is better because there is no movement of the body. The mind can concentrate on mental objects much better. Be aware when the mind is happy, suffering or in a neutral mood. Know when passion and desire arise. Know the rise and fall of feelings. Know which are causes and which are results. Notice that all continue in cycles, from past to present to future. They alternate in being causes and results and continue to roll on endlessly. Some old feelings are mistaken for new ones because of one's unawareness of the on-going cycle. Thus one is actually driven in the wheel of the world by these deluding mental objects. Defilements, craving and ignorance are the causes of the love and hatred that arise and persist in the mind.

Therefore, developing mindfulness by using mental objects as the object of attention is a good practice for promoting discernment into the causality of all events. Knowing how a mental object arises, one can find ways to cut off the stream or the bridge of defilements or craving. If one does not know the causes, one does not know how to prevent the results. To get a sharp knife, one sharpens it. To eliminate heat, one extinguishes the fire. So, to get rid of suffering, one must demolish its causes.
The mind is where the mental object is, as heat is with fire. So, if you want to see your mind, see it through mental objects. Be mindful of an arising mental object. Keep watching it long enough until its cause is revealed. Then stop watching, and analyse it instead. Just as in a battle : When a soldier is able to spot his enemy, he stops searching and quickly fires at him. When a hunter finds game, he shoots it right away. When one sees that something is on fire, one puts it out immediately.

This is a method of discernment in trying to kill defilements and desires causing craving for sensuality. It allows wisdom to destroy the vicious cycle. This practice enables one to discover the " headquarters of defilements and desires. Wisdom, conviction and effort can then be pooled to bombard and destroy the headquarters completely. In boxing, a boxer looks for a target to knock the other out. If he loses this time, he will try to win next time. In Dhamma practice you must have firm intent to develop wisdom; otherwise defilements and desires will be perpetual winners.

To be a strong Dhamma student, you must aim at the destruction of your chief enemy : the defilements. Direct your practice inwardly towards mental objects, and plan to clean all impurities out of your mind.

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Vinnana - The Cycle Ceases - Rebirth

THE CYCLE CEASES, THE FIRE IS EXTINGUISHED

The cessation of suffering is known and experienced only by the one who is becoming a noble one. The Noble Path or the sublime path of holy life reaches its fruition at this point. The cessation occurs both inwards and outwards. It is as if the power generator was turned off and all electricity in the system is gone. The inward cessation involves the termination of greed, hatred and delusion. There is nothing to generate electric current and heat, because the source is gone. Even though the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the body and the mind are still there, they stop functioning at that moment. The eyes exist, but since there is no vinnana (consciousness) there is no sight. The ears exist, but since there is no vinnana the ears cannot hear. The nose exists, but since there is no vinnana the nose cannot smell. The tongue exists, but since there is no vinnana the tongue cannot taste. The body exists, but since there is no vinnana the body cannot feel any tactile sensation. The mind exists, but since there is no vinnana the mind cannot perceive happiness, suffering or any emotion.

This is nirodha, the complete cessation of all inward and outward sufferings at their causes. Form, feeling, memory, mental formation and consciousness comprising the Five Aggregates are all gone. There is nothing in the Five Aggregates since the consciousness which controls all others has been cut off by nirodha. Form exists as merely form with no feeling, memory or any perception. Sankhara that used to associate things cannot do so now. Vinhana which perceives things now stops doing so. As a consequence of the non-functioning of vinnana, the actions of the other aggregates (form, feeling, memory and mental formation) and the sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body) also stop. In short the mind stops working. It is like a system of machines connected by a single belt. The whole system stops working when the prime mover is turned off. The 'prime mover" is ignorance. When nirodha extinguishes ignorance, the cycle of births stops. The ultimate wisdom cuts it off and destroys ignorance completely. There is no way to recover, it is as if the fuel and the fire were removed and so there was no more heat. Lust, hatred and delusion, like heat, are gone as the 'fuel'(ignorance) and the 'fire' (wheel of births) are completely destroyed. The 'water" of nirodha extinguishes the "fire." Where can 'heat'(suffering) come from then?

Phra Acariya Thoon Khippapanno

The views and opinions expressed in this document may not necessarily be shared by knowbuddhism.info

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The Craving Mind - Defilments

CUTTING OFF THE STREAM *
WISDOM IS THE WEAPON TO DESTROY DEFILEMENT'S

For a mind that is not so delicate, one uses one kind of wisdom. For a fine mind, fine wisdom is used accordingly. We know and see all conditions according to the Truth thoroughly , panhanana (mindfulness) evolves into vipassananana (insight knowledge), perfect knowledge or transcendent wisdom. Therefore Dharma followers must get started with their ordinary wisdom in alignment with Right View and Right Thought and develop it by contemplation until the mind knows and sees the harm and danger of birth, aging, illness and death and the harm and danger of sensual pleasures, and finds the way to detach itself from them, as stated in the
Pali:
'Nibbanagamanani maggam khippameva visodhaye' meaning, One must hurry to cut short the way to Nibbana by moving from one goal to the next, which will be seen clearly.*
'Pannayattham vipassaf 'means 'Only wisdom can lead to the true nature of Dharma'. 'Pannaya parisujjhati' means 'Only one who has wisdom can be purified.' Therefore wisdom is a very important thing, and it is an individual's responsibility to develop his own wisdom. It is not something that comes automatically. Do not misunderstand that vipassananana (insight knowledge) would occur in a completely calm mind. There are different levels of wisdom and different levels of understanding of Right View; rough, medium, and refine.

In the present life, one is usually deluded by one's appearance, by putting on things to cover oneself up to conceal the real appearance. One is deluded by one's illusory self as well as external illusions. The mind has been lost in this wheel of rebirth for so long because it has been attached to imaginings, pleasures and delusions without knowing it This is avijja ignorance, which results in cycling through different states of being for so long. We drift along the stream of the world with no end in sight. Compounded thoughts and imaginings are very good tools of defilement, craving and ignorance, and the mind that slips from mindfulness and wisdom becomes their slave. Defilement, craving and ignorance come in different forms, rough or delicate, and they reside in the mind. Compounded thoughts and imaginings are actors, acting to cover up the Truth. The mind without wisdom gets involved in the acting as if it were real.

Dharma followers must be mindful and know circumspectly in order to battle defilement and craving, like a boxer who must train himself all the time and study his opponent's weaknesses in order to win. Dharma students must build up their own strength of confidence, effort, mindfulness concentration and wisdom. Altogether they uproot and get rid of defilement and craving entirely. Only wise men know the source, the site and the course of defilement and craving, like an experienced doctor who knows what to do to his patient to cure the disease. Contemplation with wisdom is the search for the definite center of defilements and materials nor an eater, the cook is useless. Or if there are ingredients but there is no cook nor an eater; or there is an eater, but there is no food ingredient nor a cook, the component existing is useless. There must be the three components together. Craving, sankhara and imaginings are the three related things as in the cook example. As long as there is defilement or craving, sankhara is at work. It works on past, present or even future events. It associates and exaggerates things; a big thing from a small one, a fine matter from a rough one, a long story from a short one. It makes up stories about the past and the future from its own illusion, day-dreaming and imagining, roams more and more deeply into its own emotion and gets lost in them unconsciously, with no way out. One may reminisce and think about the picture of a person for whom one used to feel affection in the past until the mind is trapped in its own thought. Even though the person may have been dead or gone away a long time ago, he or she may still be remembered in great detail, whether it is his or her appearance, complexion, personality or speech at various places and times. Sometimes the reminiscence goes far beyond truth. The mind imagines totally new things. Once there are raw materials, the mind starts cooking them up and is infatuated with those cooked stories while walking or sitting and does not want to rest or sleep. The mind yields to defilement and craving and becomes miserable. Sometimes it 'cooks' up the future, by making plans about job, position, fame, happiness and wealth. It dreams of a perfect husband or wife and children. This is the craving that drives sankhara to create stories out of imagination, until the craving to eradicate them completely.

Defilements and craving are in the mind. One must watch the mind closely with wisdom and must not yield to any defilement or craving. Whenever it 'cooks up' any supposition, one must use wisdom to destroy it immediately. Do not let sankhara work too long. Wiping soon as they get dirty. When the mind is sad, one must contemplate and find a way to get rid of that feeling right away. Destroy all carriers of defilement and craving. Know their hiding place and do not let them fool the mind again. Form, sound, smell, taste and tactile receptors, that is, eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin, including the mind are hiding places of defilements and cravings. The Five Aggregates, namely corporeality, feeling, perception, mental formation and consciousness, are fooled by defilement and craving. The mind is deluded that there is self, but in the wise mind, wisdom destroys the delusion right away where it arises and reveals its Three Characteristics, suffering, impermanence and no-self. Every component of the Five Aggregates that the five sense receptors perceive as self must be analyzed until the mind accepts its Three Characteristics. The belief that form, sound, smell, taste and tactile sensation are beauty is the work of defilement and craving and must be contemplated until the mind sees them as filth and accepts their true nature. Our own bodies as well as those of others must be contemplated until the mind sees no difference in them.
Contemplation in this way is to let the mind know and see things according to the Truth. Once it does, defilement and Craving can no longer use their old tricks to fool the mind in seeing things as beauty or self. They become like musicians or actors who only perform in front of us. Once we know that it is only a performance and it is harmful, we would not want to watch it anymore, or not even allow them to act. Therefore, there is no stage for the actors. Once the mind knows and sees things according to the Truth, any defilement and craving can no longer "act' or fool the mind with its performance. The mind becomes analayo, having no attachment to anything. Contemplation with wisdom is to train the mind to distinguish between real and false things. If the mind knows that it has been attached to fake and harmful things, it will detach itself from them. The body that the mind once believed to be self is merely a troublesome aggregate. The mind resides in it during its limited life. When one knows the beginning and the end of things and their causes clearly according to the Truth until there is no doubt, The knowledge becomes vipassananana, the ultimate knowledge of the Three Characteristics, from which all things reveal themselves in their entirety. Nothing in this world is secret anymore. Perfect knowledge clears up the past, the present and the future and they all fall into the Three Characteristics. There is no more doubt or hesitation on this point.

If a Dharma follower reaches this stage, he or she will not turn back any more but will proceed to the end of the Path. From here on, there is calmness and cessation. This type of calmness and cessation occurs only to the person on the verge of transcended mind. Calmness alone can occur to anyone who practises meditation. It can be calmness at the levels of the Form or Formless. But the cessation or extinction described here is something new, that is not experienced in meditation. The meditative calmness suppresses defilement and craving, but the cessation here is nirodha (cessation of suffering), which occurs once and for all at the end of Dharma practice. It is the extinction of suffering that has occurred in so many lives. Suffering due to birth, aging, illness and death all come to an end. All factors and causes of suffering are terminated. They become asarikhatadhatu, asankhatadhamma and asarikhatapaccaya which can no longer find connections. There is no 'fuel' for greed, hatred and delusion. Defilement, craving and ignorance are extinguished all at once. There is no cause for mental formation because sankhara is terminated. There is no consciousness because vinnana is terminated. There is no mind and body (namarupa) to cause the existence of sense receptors (ayatana). There is no ayatana to cause any sense reception (phassa). There is no phassa, to cause any feeling (vedana). There is no vedana to cause any craving (tanha). there is no tanha to cause any attachment (upadana). There is no upadana to cause existence (bhava). There is no bhava to cause birth (jati). When there is no birth, there is no aging, illness and death, and there is no more sorrow because its true cause, craving, has been extinguished. Sankhara that used to associate things has been cut off. It is like the death of the engineer which ends construction even though all the equipment is present. Since ignorance and craving are gone, there is nothing to create new existence and birth. The business of rebirth is over.

* The views and opinions expressed in this document may not necessarily be shared by knowbuddhism.info

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