return to
dhamma writings

• Why Buddhist needs meditation?
• What is actually breathing meditation?
• Samatha vs Vipassana
• Answers wanted for a psychological question, in a wide range
• Meditation Advice???

I would like to raise a topic of why Buddhist needs mediation? Please share your ideas and comments with reasoning. If someone think meditation is not important or less important than other teachings of the Buddha, please feel free to point it out.

Hope all inputs will help us continue our journey faster.

I don't see how we could progress inner knowledge any other way than meditation. Reading words is a great way to gather views of others but to me, I never truly realize a concept without some sort of meditation, intentional or unintentional. Perhaps unintentional meditation is what we westerners would call our "subconscious". I think of intentional meditation as an excercise in mind control and tranforming to higher level of insight. My normal mind activity during day to day activities is reactionary. I react to this, I react to that. React, react react. Meditation reverses this reactionary spiral and the calming effect is probably the best excercise for healing the mind.

These are my thoughts. Hope I'm on the right track. dick west

This is something I have often thought about too. In my view, it all depends what you mean by "meditation". (What an unhelpful answer, eh?!).

In my view, "meditation" in a strict or narrow sense involving particular physical postures and processes is one way of following the path, but only one way and not necessarily the best or most appropriate for everyone. Buddha taught these methods, but I don't think he claimed that they were exclusively the only ones. In any case, we must remember the cultural context in which he taught - in ancient India where the Brahmins had taught these methods for thousands of years as essential to religious practice. We should not assume that whatever Buddha thought appropriate for people in ancient India must necessarily be appropriate for us here today. Buddha himself would not have said that. We have to think for ourselves and work out our own path.

The fundamental point is to develop and cultivate awareness and mindfulness of the nature of existence. This cultivation is "meditation" in a wider sense. In this sense, meditation is essential if we are to follow the path.

Rory

Lord Buddha is never characterized as making a forceful demand.

He didn't yell. He didn't chastize. He didn't tell anyone that the end of the world was at hand.

Buddha means teacher. We are really talking about Siddhatta when we speak of what was learned. And one of the paths Siddhatta took was to practice yogic style meditation, which became an indulgence.

The ascetic response to human suffering is one of the universal tendencies that might be chosen, whether it's under the auspices of a religion or it's a person's choice to practice an extreme asceticism, such as veganism.

If one chooses to be a Buddhist, the middle way is essential.

As one belonging to a society that stresses a very high degree of individualism, I'm challenged by the dhamma, and I have to admit I don't want to let go of any of the individualism I've learned to put my faith in.

In a sense in Western society today everybody is a prince. That is the result of democracy, and that is a very good thing, because universal enlightenment becomes more possible now than ever before.

Albert

I am trying to find an easy answer for beginner. It seems to me that the more I meditate the more I understand the reason for this question. So an easy answer for beginner will not be easy if I answer with my ease.

I hope I can give my own answer later and I would like to show the answer from Phra Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo’s teaching (a Thai Forest Monk: Phra = monk, Ajaan = teacher, Lee Dhammadharo was his name). I had read his book many times and thought that I had understood every word in this book. But when I read it again to search for this question, I had found new paragraphs that I never saw before. I have just realized that my understanding from previous reading was just from my ignorance and foolishness.

I read Phra Ajaan Lee’s teaching in Thai and Matthew gave me the address for English translation at http://world.std.com./~metta. I highly recommend for further study and you can download full teaching. I will bring some important parts of his teaching to answer this question. Before you read his teaching, please keep the question in mind “Why Buddhist needs meditation? Why? Why?”. (Note: Phra Ajaan Lee practiced Mindfulness of Breathing)

___________________________________________________________________________

“Keeping the Breath in Mind and Lessons in Samadhi” by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo (Phra Suddhidhammaransi Gambhiramedhacariya) Translated from the Thai by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

……… A person with a wide-ranging knowledge of the texts -- well-versed in their letter and meaning, capable of clearly and correctly explaining various points of doctrine -- but with no inner center for the mind, is like a pilot flying about in an airplane with a clear view of the clouds and stars but no sense of where the landing strip is. He's headed for trouble. If he flies higher, he'll run out of air. All he can do is keep flying around until he runs out of fuel and comes crashing down in the savage wilds.

Some people, even though they are highly educated, are no better than savages in their behavior. This is because they've gotten carried away, up in the clouds. Some people -- taken with what they feel to be the high level of their own learning, ideas, and opinions -- won't practice centering the mind because they feel it beneath them. They think they deserve to go straight to release through discernment instead. Actually, they're heading straight to disaster, like the airplane pilot who has lost sight of the landing strip.

To practice centering the mind is to build a landing strip for yourself. Then, when discernment comes, you'll be able to attain release safely.

This is why we have to develop all three parts of the path -- virtue, concentration, and discernment -- if we want to be complete in our practice of the religion. Otherwise, how can we say that we know the four Noble Truths? -- because the path, to qualify as the Noble Path, has to be composed of virtue, concentration, and discernment. If we don't develop it within ourselves, how can we know it? If we don't know, how can we let go?

The truth of the path is always true: Virtue is something true, concentration is true, discernment is true, release is true. But if we aren't true, we won't meet with anything true. If we aren't true in practicing virtue, concentration, and discernment, we'll end up only with things that are fake and imitation. And when we make use of things fake and imitation, we're headed for trouble. So we have to be true in our hearts. When our hearts are true, we'll come to savor the taste of the Dhamma, a taste surpassing all the tastes of the world……..

When you have this white light as large as the head, bring it down to The Fifth Base, the center of the chest. Once it's firmly settled, let it spread out to fill the chest. Make this breath as white and as bright as possible, and then let both the breath and the light spread throughout the body, out to every pore, until different parts of the body appear on their own as pictures. If you don't want the pictures, take two or three long breaths and they'll disappear. Keep your awareness still and expansive. Don't let it latch onto or be affected by any nimitta that may happen to pass into the brightness of the breath. Keep careful watch over the mind. Keep it one. Keep it intent on a single preoccupation, the refined breath, letting this refined breath suffuse the entire body.

(My note: nimitta = the mental image. It is a reason why the word “discernment” was chosen.)

When you've reached this point, knowledge will gradually begin to unfold. The body will be light, like fluff. The mind will be rested and refreshed -- supple, solitary, and self-contained. There will be an extreme sense of physical pleasure and mental ease.

If you want to acquire knowledge and skill, practice these steps until you're adept at entering, leaving, and staying in place. When you've mastered them, you'll be able to give rise to the nimitta of the breath -- the brilliantly white ball or lump of light -- whenever you want. When you want knowledge, simply make the mind still and let go of all preoccupations, leaving just the brightness. Think one or two times of whatever you want to know -- of things inside or outside, concerning yourself or others -- and the knowledge will arise or a mental picture will appear. To become thoroughly expert you should, if possible, study directly with someone who has practiced and is skilled in these matters, because knowledge of this sort can come only from the practice of centering the mind.

The knowledge that comes from centering the mind falls into two classes: mundane (lokiya) and transcendent (lokuttara). With mundane knowledge, you're attached to your knowledge and views on the one hand, and to the things that appear and give rise to your knowledge on the other. Your knowledge and the things that give you knowledge through the power of your skill are composed of true and false mixed together -- but the "true" here is true simply on the level of mental fashioning, and anything fashioned is by nature changeable, unstable, and inconstant.

So when you want to go on to the transcendent level, gather all the things you know and see into a single preoccupation -- ekaggatarammana, the singleness of mental absorption -- and see that they are all of the same nature. Take all your knowledge and awareness and gather it into the same point, until you can clearly see the truth: that all of these things, by their nature, simply arise and pass away. Don't try to latch onto the things you know -- your preoccupations -- as yours. Don't try to latch onto the knowledge that has come from within you as your own. Let these things be, in line with their own inherent nature. If you latch onto your pre-occupations, you're latching onto stress and pain. If you hold onto your knowledge, it will turn into the cause of stress.

(My note: “stress” is the word that translator used for “suffering” or dukkha.)

So: A mind centered and still gives rise to knowledge. This knowledge is the path. All of the things that come passing by for you to know are stress. Don't let the mind fasten onto its knowledge. Don't let it fasten onto the preoccupations that appear for you to know. Let them be, in line with their nature. Put your mind at ease. Don't fasten onto the mind or suppose it to be this or that. As long as you suppose yourself, you're suffering from obscured awareness (avijja). When you can truly know this, the transcendent will arise within you -- the noblest good, the most exalted happiness a human being can know………..

When your concentration is strong like this, it can give rise to discernment: the ability to see stress, its cause, its disbanding, and the path to its disbanding, all clearly within the breath. This can be explained as follows: The in-and-out breath is stress -- the in-breath, the stress of arising; the out-breath, the stress of passing away. Not being aware of the breath as it goes in and out, not knowing the characteristics of the breath, is the cause of stress. Knowing when the breath is coming in, knowing when it's going out, knowing its characteristics clearly -- i.e., keeping your views in line with the truth of the breath -- is Right View, part of the Noble Path.

Knowing which ways of breathing are uncomfortable, knowing how to vary the breath; knowing, "That way of breathing is uncomfortable; I'll have to breathe like this in order to feel at ease:" This is Right Aspiration.

The mental factors that think about and correctly evaluate all aspects of the breath are Right Speech.

Knowing various ways of improving the breath; breathing, for example, in long and out long, in short and out short, in short and out long, in long and out short, until you come across the breath most comfortable for you: This is Right Action.

Knowing how to use the breath to purify the blood, how to let this purified blood nourish the heart muscles, how to adjust the breath so that it eases the body and soothes the mind, how to breathe so that you feel full and refreshed in body and mind: This is Right Livelihood.

Trying to adjust the breath until it soothes the body and mind, and to keep trying as long as you aren't fully at ease, is Right Effort.

Being mindful of the in-and-out breath at all times, knowing the various aspects of the breath -- the up-flowing breath, the down-flowing breath, the breath in the stomach, the breath in the intestines, the breath flowing along the muscles and out to every pore -- keeping track of these things with every in-and-out breath: This is Right Mindfulness.

A mind intent only on issues related to the breath, not pulling any other objects in to interfere, until the breath is refined, giving rise to fixed absorption and then liberating insight: This is Right Concentration.

To think of the breath is termed vitakka, directed thought. To adjust the breath and let it spread is called vicara, evaluation. When all aspects of the breath flow freely throughout the body, you feel full and refreshed in body and mind: This is piti, rapture. When body and mind are both at rest, you feel serene and at ease: This is sukha, pleasure. And once you feel pleasure, the mind is bound to hold fast to a single preoccupation and not go straying after any others: This is ekaggatarammana, singleness of preoccupation. These five factors form the beginning stage of Right Concentration.

When all these parts of the Noble Path -- virtue, concentration, and discernment -- are brought together fully mature in the heart, you gain insight into all aspects of the breath, knowing that "Breathing this way gives rise to good mental states. Breathing that way gives rise to bad mental states." You aren't caught up with the factors -- the breath in all its aspects -- that fashion the body, the factors that fashion speech, the factors that fashion the mind, whether for good or for ill. You let them be, in line with their inherent nature: This is the disbanding of stress.

Another, even briefer way to express the four Noble Truths is this: The in-and-out breath is the truth of stress. Not being aware of the in-breath, not being aware of the out-breath: This is the cause of stress -- obscured, deluded awareness. Seeing into all aspects of the breath so clearly that you can let them go with no sense of attachment, is the disbanding of stress. Being constantly mindful and aware of all aspects of the breath, is the path to the disbanding of stress.

What is actually breathing meditation? Why is it claimed to be the key of all meditation practice? (This is my question.) What sect does it belong to? How do I get start? What is the state/symbol or how do I know that I'm in the state of the meditation? Any danger to practice it on my own?

In answer to your question, the practice I am most familiar with is called, Anapanna meditation. This is mentioned in the early Pali texts and is pure focus upon the breath as it goes in and out of the nostrils. You do not try and control this; you simply observe breath as it goes in and out. This kind of breathing meditation is supposedly what the Buddha stumbled upon as a child, and then returned to later when he was practicing under the Bodhi Tree and heading for full enlightenment. kamala

Breathing meditation, mindfulness of breathing, or anapanasati is the same thing for me. What is breathing meditation? This question is easy and we can see and learn how to practice breathing meditation from many books and sites. But the question of “what is ACTUALLY breathing meditation?” is hardly answered. I will answer from my understanding and experience so it may be strange from usual.

Breathing meditation is actually a natural meditation practice. Breathing is not only an automatic movement of the body but also the last barrier before entering the meditative state. Meditator should tune his depth and rhythm of in-and-out breath until the body is happy. (Do you know Pali words – vitakka, vicara, piti, sukha, ekaggatarammana?) When the body is happy, the mind will be happy. When the mind is happy and stronger, the mind will be bright and light. The meditator body will disappear and his mind will become visible.

Watching the breath is just a process of one-point focusing. There are two variations of breath watching. 1. Watching the movement of the breathing body at navel area or 2. Watching the feeling caused by the air touches the body. (My practice is based on the second.) When the mind is happy and strong enough, the meditator must detach from watching the breathing and then progress to other refiner practices such as visualizing or vipassana. (Do you know the word Samatha and Vipassana?) Buddhist meditation is the practice of detaching so watching the breath does not carry out until the end of time. Wise meditator must know the next steps and the suitable timing to detach from breathing to another advance step.

> Why is it claimed to be the key of all meditation practice?

All meditation practices need strong power of mind. Power of mind generates easily within healthy body. Healthy body must have good rhythm of breathing. It is very difficult for sick people to meditate.

Another point is relied on the concept of mind-base, air base, and coordination of mind-air. This concept is applied indirectly in other kinds of meditation.

> What sect does it belong to?

I learned it from Theravada. The Buddha always had mindfulness of breathing.

> How do I get start?

Try down load the teaching from http://world.std.com./~metta or www.suanmokkh.org

>What is the state/symbol or how do I know that I'm in the state of the meditation?

Blissful, joyful, and pleasure that you never had before. Your body may feel warm, cold, or shaking. You may cry with happiness. Your sensory perception such as hearing will turn off.

> Any danger to practice it on my own?

Keep balancing of precepts, meditation, and wisdom then you will know how by yourself. There are more dangers from not practice than practice.

1) breathing meditation is the exercise recommended most highly by the Buddha himself, and was the Buddha's meditation tool. It has its own Sutta, the Anapana-Sati Sutta in the Majhima Nikaya.

2) It is an invaluable tool. It is always with you, everyone has it, and it is subtle enouph to be a challenge, but not too hard to focus mindfullness on. It is the "body-sankhara", an intimate link to the state of both the body and the mind.

(note-it is the body sankhara because it is the most fundamental sustenence for the body, and is intimately bound up with the health of the body, in the Buddha's explanation.) Anapana-Sati, as its called in Pali, is the launching board for all other meditation practices, such as Metta Bhavana, Mindfullness of The Parts of The Body, and most importantly, it is considered the best road to The Jhanas for most people.

3) It belongs to no sect. It is a fundamental Buddhist practice recommended to all followers of the Dhamma in the Kayagata-Sati Sutta, the Maha-Satipathana Sutta and the Anapana-Sati Sutta, for example, it is also mentioned and recommended in others.

4) The way to start is to study the teachings of Ajahns. I would recommend Ajahn Chah, Lee Dhammadaro, Upasika Kee Nanayon, Ajahn Mun, for easy to understand instructions. All of these are available at the Access To Insight website at world.std.com/~metta. I would warn though that Ajahn Lee's system was developed by himself and is somewhat complex, and may only appeal to some.

5) You are in the state of meditation as soon as you sussessfully focus your sati ( sati is mindfullness) on the breath for even one moment. 6) There shouldn't be any dangers unless you don't follow the instructions properly. Hope that helps, Love Matthew

>I would warn though that Ajahn Lee's system was developed by himself and is somewhat complex, and may only appeal to some.

Very important point from Matthew. The one should select the practice that easy for him. It is safer for beginner to practice each object of meditation one by one than to mix many objects especially when he has no teacher. Please refer to 40 objects of meditation in Re: Where is the best place? Posted by Somkiat Foongkiat on Friday, 2 October 1998.

Basic practice of many Thai Buddhist monks may seem to be complex but all meditation practices are from the same origin. As long as the practitioner knows the reason behind, all practices are the same and safe. I myself have my own way of meditating and I never use only one method. I have to analyze my situation at hand and select the right medicine to practice. Calm the body then catch the mind. Sometimes I can catch the mind without breathing meditation.

There are many deeper practices after the one can catch his mind. Meditation is the door to Dhamma and beyond.

Again, don’t rush, don’t aim for the goal too fast, don’t mix many kinds of practice too complex, and do not think that someone can help you to progress faster. Let the progress move itself.

I have just one question to ask you about Spiraling meditation (actually I haven't finished you paper yet but I can't hold my curiosity, hope you don't mind answering before hand here).

There is a mention in your paper that before you get start meditating (spiraling meditation), you should have some sacred things (don't know I used the word correct or not -- it's something like buddha statuette) at hand or pray for sacred things to protect you cause if your mind is not strong enough, it will become a medium which could be influenced or controlled by outer bad energy or power easily. This kind of thing really scares me! Is it really true? Could you please explain me more about this cause I was reading your paper very late at night and before I would get start practicing, I came across this note so I just got scared unreasonably and dare not to continue. ann

That is a reason why the meditator should prey for the Triple Gem and Brahmavihara. When the mind is trying to be still and loses awareness, it is very easy to be interfered internally and externally. Mara will try to stop you from meditating. Mara may be your previous karmic owner who wants to revenge. Please notice every time you try to do good deeds there will be unusual obstructions. It is not because you are going to practice Spiraling Meditation but because you are going to advance yourself above your karmic owners.

You must be very careful to find teacher because bad teacher who has more mind power can control your mind without your knowing. Luang Poh Pudh Thaniyo had warned his students not to be “Krob vicca (Thai word)” by teacher. We better trust and undertake the Triple Gem as our teacher only.

There is physical evidence that the meditator should protect himself while meditating. Please look at the picture or statue of the Buddha, he is sitting in a circle dome covering his body entirely. This dome is called “Prasat thum vicca (Thai word)” or translated as “Palace for practice”. There is a mantra called “Chinna-bun-chorn” to ask arahants for protecting all sensory organs, body, and mind. Thai Buddhist has protected himself automatically although he never knows another reason behind.

Samadhi needs sila. Sila will be your internal and external shield. No body can harm you. You may see some picture in your mind. Do not believe in its reality. This picture may be from your thought, your needs, and your memory. If it is real, it should be seen with our opened eyes. If it is actually real, it can not harm you because the Triple Gem is protecting you. If it do can harm you because you have karma with it, let it do freely because dying in jhana is the ultimate goal of dying. This is how my teacher thinks when he meditates in the forest or in the graveyard.

Is breathing meditation a guide/way to enlightenment? It seems that these are a kind of practice that many people do to relax themselves, any different? I'm still unsure why I practice this because I didn't feel any improvement in my concentration, on the other hand I have more desires and day dream during and after my meditation practices. Others seem to be in the state of mindfulness easily and have encountered kinds of situations but I have nothings to say but more 'dreams'. I have practice for 6 months. Is it my views or reasons are not clear or I'm just stupid. You said that it is a natural way of meditation but it is very difficult to focus!!! This breathing meditation is really the most natural way to practice for what I know and I do not wish to give up but is there any other methods to support my practice in this?

And you mentioned that it is very difficult for the sick to practice meditation, but I thought meditation is good for health - for blood circulation...Some even suggest that the sick one should practice meditation so that they move their concentration on other objects like the Buddha image, crystal ... rather then focusing to their illness and in this way, the sick can lessened their sufferings due to their sickness. What do you think.

Bodhi, Singapore

> Is breathing meditation a guide/way to enlightenment? It seems that these are a kind of practice that many people do to relax themselves, any different?

Breathing meditation is Samatha that stills the mind and increases the mind power. Breathing meditation can pass to the 4 th meditative state (jhana) only. There are totally 8 states but in order to enlightenment we may need only the first jhana with high vipassana. We need to practice vipassana together with samatha to enlightenment. The Buddha discovered vipassana meditation that made Buddhism unique and different from other meditation practices.

> I have nothings to say but more 'dreams'. I have practice for 6 months. Is it my views or reasons are not clear or I'm just stupid. You said that it is a natural way of meditation but it is very difficult to focus!!!

I have practice for years and still do not enlighten or any closer. Do not worry or rush. Let the progress move step by step. You have more dreams that mean you have progress in awareness. Lots of people stop practice meditation because they aim to still their mind but finally they find more thinking instead. Actually it is a sign of progress that the practitioner can follow his mind better than before.

When you find it difficult to focus, you may let your thought move freely as it like then wait until the mind is tired then you can focus again. Do not fight when you are not ready. Another practice is to select a very simple object to focus. There are many antidotes for different fault:

If you can catch the mind, do not need any antidote.

If you have more pictures as dream, use visualizing with color or light or simple white clear crystal ball.

If you have more thought as your mind is talking, use mantra and repeat it quietly in your mind.

If you think of somewhere outside, draw your mind inward to the touching point between the breathing air and your nose.

If you have mix thought, mix antidote.

Keep in mind to detach from antidote immediately when you have more control.

Breathing meditation has an outstanding method because we can really follow the mind inward into the center of the body. Hi Hi Hi Hi Can you hear me? Can you see me? Sight and sound always drag our perception to the sources but breathing is located inside the body.

> And you mentioned that it is very difficult for the sick to practice meditation, but I thought meditation is good for health - for blood circulation.

Just do not start meditating too late. Young people have more chance to progress than older because their bodies are in more good shape and health. Normally older people will start practice meditation because they needs healthy from meditating but it may be too late. Lots of people wait until they are retired that may be too late. If I am not wrong, the Buddha enlightened at 36 years old. Old body is like a 10 years car engine that hopefully it can be ignited only.

What is samatha? What is vipassana? Which one will help your detaching? How to detach from attachment?

Please kindly help me explain these questions especially for beginners. I am now very tired. It will be better to express our understanding than answer from the book. Your help will be very appreciated.

I will answer from what I read from Dynamic meditation.

1. Concentration (Samatha practice) is calmness without liberating knowledge. It's calmness under delusion.

2. Insight (Vipassana practice) is calmness that you clearly know, really know, clearly see and really see. You can practice this kind of meditation while you are working, sitting, eating, etc. You don't have to stay still, but should know the movement of body and mind every moment. When the body moves, feel it, when the mind moves, know it. The movement of mind is thought. As soon as thought arises, you should know it, understand it, manage to conquer it. Do the continuous practice until you get the total awareness, you will have the knowledge that liberates. You will see, you will know, you will understanding by and in yourself, a knowledge and understanding that cannot come from anyone else. When you practice correctly the not-knowing just disappears while the knowledge that liberates appears instead. Stupidity disappear, wisdom will immediately replace it. Darkness and unhappiness disappear while brightness and calmness will be there instead.

***********************************

I know I should have attempted to explain by myself but I'm just too lazy. Please forgive me. :)

So from the above it should be clearly seen that Vipassana will help your detaching. However, to explain how to detach is quite difficult for me now. (My brain is not really working well today) Maybe I try to catch up later.

But just want to tell you I have been taught that Vipassana is the only way to really get enlightened. And the Buddha is the first and only one who discovered this truth. Am I saying it right?

BTW, Somkiat, you are a great teacher you know that? You've made me think! :) Ann

> What is samatha?

Samatha is concentration of the mind leading to calm. It quiets down the distracted mind by fixing the attention to one thing (such as the breath in anapana meditation). It is very helpful and in my tradition it is the preliminary work for vipassana.

>What is vipassana?

Vipassana means insight or seeeing things as they are throughout the body and the mind and in my tradition this menas the systematic observation of sensations from the top of the head to the tips of the toes, leading to an awareness of reality "as it is" not as I would like it to be.

So samatha requires a kind of "control" in order to quiet the mind and then vipassana can be better used as we are more balanced and able to observe reality as it is.

From what I read and hear, Vipassana is the best way of purification while samatha is more "superficial." It calms the mind but does not eradicate the defilements at the root level. While with samatha we may be able to control the mind, with vipassana we can actually purify it.

>Which one will help your

detaching?

Seems that both are helpful. I've heard of people using "dry insight" and there are those who are capable of doing vipassana alone, but most of us today need both I think.

>How to detach from attachment?

Keep meditating and don't worry about these things. Samatha is a good tool for quieting the mind from being obsessed by such questions so we can get on with vipassana meditation. Molly

I think Samatha and Vipassana cannot separate from each other nor can be practiced only one alone and none is better than the other. It is just vipassana that leads us to purifying but without Samatha we can't get on with Vipassana. We do really need both in order to attain enlightenment. Am I right? :) Ann

Samatha can be both friend and foe of enlightenment because samatha has 8 states that still the mind until the mind can do nothing. So the problem here is subject to when or which part of samatha that we should continue with vipassana.

The meditator should practice samatha as deeply as he can then reverse back to upacara level (access concentration before approaching jhana). At this upacara level, the mind can be activated in control and with full awareness. In stead of stepping from khanika-samadhi (momentary concentration) up to upacara-samadhi for vipassana practice, he should try to pass to 4 or 8 jhana and then reverse back and forth many times until his mind is very strong then return to upacara for vipassana. This process is like the mind athletic exercise of samatha. Upacara-samadhi is where Khun Mae Siri always keeps ong-parikam (Thai or Pali as anga-parikamma = repetition factor). Upacara is where samatha links with vipassana.

So the path before starting with vipassana is not easy then next step of vipassana is also not easy. To see the truths of suffering and its cause, understand the truths of the process (magga), and be able to apply the truths in ending another truth of suffering are required very strong power of mind. Seeing the truths from the movement of the body is just the beginning step, which is half of samatha outcome and vipassana entry.

Seeing the truths from the interaction inside the Five Aggregates, the Twelve Sense-objects of Consciousness (ayatana), the Eighteen Elements (dhatu), the Twenty-two Sense-faculties (indriya), and the Four Noble Truths are just the next steps. The most important step is how to apply the knowledge of the truths in detaching and then detach from the truths itself.

How to detach the attachment? It seems to be progressed step by step that the person who advances to this level will know next process himself. But one recommendation for sure is that detaching is not easy as we think or had been discussed in this forum otherwise there should be no one left for discussing anymore.

Detaching from attachment is like the way I had put in “How Buddhist stop anger?”. After the anger had been analyzed and understood clearly, anger is just a strange funny feeling that I feel hot inside my body but nothing show off. This is just the beginning of detaching concept that next step is to end the cause of the cause of anger internally entirely and permanently.

I can be a great teacher for myself as you can be also. Buddhism is a science that everyone can learn from oneself.

How can I find more information on this? I haven't read anything like it my meditation books. Are there scriptures I should read that will help me understand?

>>>>

Somkiat, the same question to the paragraph below. I have read much about Buddhism, but very little actual practice. Kindly, what do you recommend?

> I can be a great teacher for myself as you can be also. Buddhism is a science that everyone can learn from oneself.

Yes, you are a great teacher on this board, and I print out a lot of your posts. It seems that you have mentioned various readings or teachings you have passed along through e-mail, may I be included on your mailing list, if you have one?

Kunga Chimit

I recommend reading Buddhist meditation book: manual, practice, and experience from Buddhist monk. But only few books have that information and although they have that information, reader may not see it. It likes showing E = MCC but no one in 100 years ago notices it. After practicing and gaining more experience, I always found more information from the same books.

I do not like reading sutta because its difficult words make me headache so I read the explanation from monk first and then if I need more information, finally I will read sutta. Many times that old belief will block new learning especially when that old belief was taught from our teacher.

You may be interested in reading the teachings of Theravada monks from http://world.std.com/~metta. Please feel free to let me help explain any skeptic words. Theravada monks in the Forest Monk group are very good teachers. I would like to recommend other great Buddhist monks such as Luang Poh Sod (Dhammakaya Meditation at http://www.concentration.org), Luang Poh Rue Si Ling Dum (Anapanasati Meditation at n.a. site), and Luang Poh Thien (Dynamic Meditation at http://baus.org/dm/index.html). “Luang” is a word that Thai use for monk. “Poh” means father. Few English books explain Theravada meditation in detail. I would like to recommend other choices: (I bought these 2 books from Borders Book, Singapore)

Meditative States in Tibetan Buddhism by Lati Rinbochay & Denma Locho Rinbochay, translated by Leah Zahler & Jeffrey Hopkins, Wisdom Publications, Boston, US A, 74457.2046@compuserve.com

Concentration and Meditation: A Manual of Mind Development by Christmas Humphreys, Elements Books, Inc., PO Box 830, Rockport, MA 01966.

Connie: There are many people who believe the only way you can learn about what the Buddha practiced is to read books written by monks. There are also many people who have been practicing Annapana meditation--the first stage--and Vipassana--the second--who are not monks and who will advise you to NOTstudy books as a way of learning how to do. They will advise you instead to get yourself to a 10-day meditation course asap, where you will taste the experience and find the answer to all your questions about meditation for yourself. Just as the Buddha advised us to do. Check the website for VIPASSANA; follow the trail for Meditation Centers in the tradition of Sayagi U Ba Khin. There are 50+ some centers around the world. They offer 10-day courses by donation. You are not allowed to give any money until you have completed the 10-day course; and the amount of offering is up to you. There are courses held year-round; in California, there are at least 1 per month. Go. I promise you if you attend one of these, it will be the hardest 10 days of your life--and it will all come from you. The people there are wonderful, everything is provided, it is in total noble silence--and you will know for a fact, the way you know your own skin the meaning of the 1st Noble Truth--and probably comprehend the 2nd. Good luck to you--Be Happy. A Friend

I am also not the one who believe the ONLY way you can learn about what the Buddha practiced is to read books written by monks. I have read many books until I have a library room for Dhamma books. I am a very skeptic student who never believes or disbelieves Dhamma easily without proof.

My teacher taught me,” If you want to get Dhamma, you have to make it yourself.” and he suggested me to go home to practice. He taught simple meditation by praying of the Triple Gem. So any knowledge from any books can not help much in this practice. Everyone has different path so no one knows better than oneself what is the most suitable and what is next.

I do not have only one teacher. Before I can practice alone, I learned and practiced meditation with teachers for years. I will NOT suggest you and everyone to learn only one meditation method or have only one teacher. One of my teachers has at least 16 teachers. His teacher always advised other teachers for him to learn more. Real teacher is far better than reading books as Ann said.

Good teacher who has spiritual eyes can suggest next better step for his students. He may see your previous life and suggest the method to continue and speed up your practice. I had met a teacher who can see what his students are thinking and visualizing during meditating. Spiritual eyes are real.

A friend’s posting reminds me to suggest you and others who read this post more. Do not follow my path. You have your own path and you have to make the path by yourself. Progress step by step that is easy and easy for you.

Finding a good teacher is difficult but finding a good student is even more difficult. Being a good student is the most difficult.

Hey to all Dhamma friends out there, especially Somkiat Foongkiat from Thailand,

Below is a psychological question which Bodhi hopes to have types of answers/sayings based on both Buddhism and worldly doings.

When you have a particular goal you want to achieve ( such as studying Buddhism or others), how do you monitor your attention? What do you do to keep your attention focused on your goal instead of being distracted?

Bodhi, Singapore

> how do you monitor your attention? What do you do to keep your attention focused on your goal instead of being distracted?

May I show you how I meditate?

I close my eyes and recite the following mantra quietly in my mind:

“Buddham saranam gacchami Dhammam saranam gacchami Sangham saranam gacchami”

(Translation : I go to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha for refuge.)

I keep reciting those sentences again and again until I cross to another state that reciting is no need.

Sometime I can not keep my attention in reciting quietly so I recite quietly with loud voice in my mind.

Sometime I recite very quietly in my mind, as I am whispering and let my mind follow that whispering.

Sometime I stress the word “Buddham, Dhammam, and Sangham” with loud voice quietly in my mind.

Sometime I combine reciting with breathing.

Mind always acts like a monkey so if I can not catch the monkey, I will play with the monkey as mind exercise.

Next I has to find the location of my mind inside my body. Where is your mind, Bodhi? Mind always locates where your feeling or thinking is. So I guide my mind to have a permanent home at the middle of my body. Just follow your breath to the end of wind tube and gradually focus at this center. This center is inside the body above navel level. Keep the mind there.

Next step in to sharpen the mind by focusing to the center of the center of the body. While I am reciting Buddham, I will visualize a little Buddha sitting at my center and his body is clear white bright light. Not only seeing the Buddha, but I also simulate the feeling of warm and happiness. Everyone can be Buddha and previous first life of everyone is clean and pure as the Buddha.

Next step while I am reciting Dhammam, I will visualize a new body inside the little Buddha body with more bright light. The Buddha taught Dhamma and Dhamma causes the Buddha.

Next step while I am reciting Sangham, I will visualize a new body inside the little Dhamma body with more bright light. The Dhamma is from the Sangha and Sangha causes the Dhamma.

Next step while I am reciting Buddham another round, I will repeat visualizing and feeling the same above patterns again and again until I see very very bright light.

Next I will not recite further more, but I will continue focus at the light to the middle of the middle of the light. I will try to reduce the size of the light to be smaller as a tiny star. Then I will try to enlarge and move the light at wish. Try to duplicate the light to be happened in every cell and every element of water, earth, fire, and wind inside my body. My body will turn bright and light.

Next simulate all bodies overlap inwardly and focus until all bodies turn light. Then mix all bodies to be only one to purify until this body turns very bright and light. I cover my light over my room, my house, my land, my city, my country, my world, my universe, and enlarge the light bigger while the mind is focused inwardly to the center of the center of the light.

Keep practice until I can do all process very fast as your blink. I like to call it as One-Second-Meditation. It is a kind of dynamic meditation that exercises the mind then let the mind follow. It is one application of the Dhammakaya Meditation.

There are many more steps.

In summary, let your distractions be your exercise.

Thanks for sharing your method with us. I think I'll try to meditate as your way to see if it works for me or not. My problem about sitting meditation is that I can hardly keep my mind still. Your trick is interesting! :) Ann

Nice techniques, Somkiat!

What I've found workable in my case are energetic preparatory exercises of forcing the winds around in the body with pranayama (Tibetan Tummo yoga), before actually sitting down on the cushion.

Preparing in this way for me usually results in samatha and makes it easier (much easier) to relax into a deep calm that serves as the foundation for vipassana. I've found pranayama to be an excellent technique for getting rid of the Five Hindrances to samadhi -- in fact, they were the only techniques that really took hold and worked for me.

The other aspect, which simply cannot be ignored here, is building a foundation for samatha in your life through sila. This aspect is indispensable, as you need to help get your mind into restful equipoise, equipoise being impossible when you're beleaguered by adventitious negative emotions and thoughts. So ideally these should all work hand-in-hand, as in the Noble Eightfold Path. Balba.

> What I've found workable in my case are energetic preparatory exercises of forcing the winds around in the body with pranayama (Tibetan Tummo yoga), before actually sitting down on the cushion.

Would you mind explain about forcing the winds around in the body with pranayama? I am very interested in pranayama. Do you have to direct the wind from the nose to the forehead to the head to the neck then down to the navel as I learned from Theravada in Thailand?

Sila is the base for samadhi. Thanks very much for pointing this very important component. Without sila, a meditator is hardly meditator because it is difficult to calm down the mind. Hope to talk with you more.

I would like to begin by thanking everyone for the helpful information and on the advice of Laura I would like to make a request of anyone who would be able to give information or suggested reading to a beginning meditator on how to meditate.

Eric Brenn

Here is the list of Buddhist meditation websites that may be useful for you:

www.suanmokkh.org for Simple Breathing Meditation (Anapanasati)

www.baus.org/dm/index.html for Dynamic Meditation

www.concentration.org for Dhammakaya Meditation

world.std.com/~metta for general meditation practices

www.falun.mit.edu and www.falundafa.ca for Falun Dafa Meditation

www.pds.co.th/dhamma for general Dhamma and meditations

I would like to recommend very simple technique. Close your eyes and recite the following mantra quietly in your mind:

“Buddham saranam gacchami

Dhammam saranam gacchami

Sangham saranam gacchami”

(Translation : I go to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha for refuge.)

Keep reciting again and again continuously without open any one gap for other thought. No need to visualize or focus at the breath. Just keep reciting quietly then you will progress and find the next step by yourself. This is the practice I learned from a monk at Wat Sa Kae, Ayutthaya province. (Wat = temple) He also recommended me to hold a small Buddha statue in my hand while reciting. You may not have that small statue so just put your right hand on left hand and let your thumbs touch each other. Do not expect or rush for any goal.

Last updated
01-12-2542