Doubts,
Progress And Confidence In Bhavana.
Though
continuance of the topic of 'Abstinence', as a second part of it was
postponed last time, here again it is delayed for tomorrow, to deal
with an essential part in the practice of Bhavana, in order to help
the practitioner.
There
are five hindrances to the practice of Bhavana, and Doubt is one of
them. Doubt would take place, due to the perception, that there is no
progress in the practice of Bhavana, and in the lack of interest for
the practice, for the same reason. Hence, it is important to measure
and understand the progress in Bhavana, and its beneficial outcomes
within, and without, to oneself as well as to others, in order to do
away with the doubt gradually.
Doubt
is not a single item, where one can dispel it by removing it once and
for all. It is a bundle of uncertainties, where every single items of
it should be removed one by one, gradually and progressively, as one
continues to practice.
When
one is able to see the progress in Bhavana, where one feels that he
is advancing day by day, and also benefiting from the developed
states of one's mind, within and without, his self confidence would
improve, and his confidence and faith in the practice and its
possible future outcome also would increase. This will enhance the
interest and motivation in the practice.
The
first and foremost, the way of removing the doubt is to, one to be
able to see the progress in the Bhavana itself, where one should not
think of the final result, that is getting established in and
maintaining 'Sati' on the breathing, but there should be an awareness
of the gradual progress taking place everyday. One would have been
able to sit for the practice, only for ten minutes, in the first
week. With the practice and with the relevant Adistana
(Determination. Resolution), one would have been able to sit for 20
minuets now, and the depth of the 'Attention' would have increased,
and breathing would have become more calmer, and it would have become
more rhythmic, all of which points to the progress.
What
are the other indicators of the progress in Bhavana, which would help
to increase the confidence in Bhavana? Which would help to reduce the
doubts in Bhavana?
There
would be an increase in the number of incidence taking place, in
accordance with the Adistana made. This would not only increase the
confidence in Bhavana, it will increase in the confidence in Adistana
as well, further developing the ability and the skill of the
Adistana. Here one would see how Adistana helps to develop mental
states of 'Attention' and to maintain it, and how the Adistana helps
in, putting away the distractions, etc., thus seeing the progress in
the practice of Bhavana. Which helps to reduce the doubt, whether,
one is progressing towards the goal.
Though,
it may take some time to come to the perfect 'Sati', but everyday one
can detect the progress plus increased Happiness and Joy, increased
'attention', more calmness in the thinking, less thinking, etc.,
where doubt is reduced.
Another
way of removing doubts from the beginning of the practice, is to get
the benefits of the developed mind state, in the use of worldly
activities, without. How can one do this?
It
is by making Adistana to improve one's life in all their daily
activities. When one comes to the end of the Bhavana practice in
each session of it, and before getting up, but while in that deep
state of Bhavana, one should make Adistana to improve one's
personality, as well as to overcome difficulties in day to day life.
For examples one can make Adistana as follows:-
A.
Will not feel inferior or superior, in all situations. (it would be
better not to use the word 'I')
B.
Will be confident in all situations.
C.
No fear will overcome me, in any situation.
D.
No anger would arise, whatever the situation.
E.
Would be kind to others.
F.
would feel happy always.
etc,,
etc.
But
one should make only about a few of Adistana at a time, say about
five of them, choosing Adistana, which are most important at present.
When
these Adistana start to materialize, increasing the ability of the
same as well as the Bhavana, the doubt and uncertainty will get
reduced, and the confidence will increase, where one will be able to
keep the interest and the motivation. But more on this topic of doubt
will be discussed in the future.
Discovering
and Developing Abstinence - Sila. - Part 2.
We
have discussed that abstaining from sex altogether, that is
practicing Brahmacharya, or in other words the abstinence of
Abrahmacharya, is for one who practices Bhavana, but not for one who
leads a layman's life.
Let
us examine this further, that is the need for one to abstain from
Abrahmacharya, totally avoiding sex in all forms including the
thinking of the same.
This
situation one has to discover in his Bhavana practice, by oneself, by
him/her self. How does one do this?
When
one pays 'Attention' to breathing, distracting 'thinking' would
arise, and one of those category of thinking is Lust, Sex. As it was
pointed out earlier, after one has contemplated on these thinking, as
first to identity them, then to find about the reasons why they
arise, one can with that understanding, make the 'thinking' weak,
enabling the subduing the same, easy. Then one labels them, whenever
they arise, and comes back to the Attention of the breathing.
Apart
from this there are some techniques, once one have come to this
stage, after contemplation, to keep the attention on the breathing,
which would be dealt in a future posts. But, here I would like to
introduce one of the the technique employed by many, which may work
well if one does it with a diligence and with an interest, after
fully understanding he technique.
Counting
the breathing.
Here,
one counts the breathing, while inhaling and exhaling, for each of
the pair of inhalation and the exhalation as one, two, etc. It may be
counted up to 5, 8 or 10, and would come back to start again from
one, two, etc. But there is no rule that the maximum number of counts
should be 10. Different people have varying abilities, and hence they
can decide, what is best for them.
When
one inhales, he says 'one', observing the entire course of the
inhalation, fully paying attention from the beginning of it, to the
end of the inhalation, if he can detect as such, which would be the
case, for a beginner, as the breathing would at that stage be gross,
thus enabling the observation of it, in its compete course of
inhalation. Then,
one says for the first exhalation, 'one', in its process, as well.
Here,
one has to do the following things, in this technique. Paying
attention fully. Feeling the Sensation of the breathing, to identify
it. Applying the idea of 'One' to the first breathing, twice to each
part of it, where the first counting of 'one' is for inhalation and
the second counting of 'one' is applied to exhalation. That means,
instead of recognizing the 'inhalation' as inhalation, one recognizes
it by an applied thought of 'one'. In the same way, the first
exhalation is recognized by the applied thinking of 'one', but not as
'exhalation'. In the same way one maintains and sustains these
applied thinking of 'one', 'two', 'three', etc., recognizing that
this is the first breathing, that this is the second breathing, etc.
These applied and sustained thinking, which recognizes the breathing
would help to block any other thinking to manifest and distract the
attention.
These
counting of the breathing, would become easy and automatic with the
practice. But one should not let that automatic counting to become a
mere repetition, without meaning. For instance, when the mind
automatically counts the third inhalation as the 'Three' in the
count, one should understand actively and be aware, 'this is the
inhalation of three', while paying attention to the breathing. Hence
there would be paying attention to the breathing, paying attention to
the automatic count, and as well as understanding that ' this is the
inhalation three', which is the applied thinking, were it is
continuously sustained as such. Same applies to the automatic count
of 'exhalation' of the third breathing as well.
But
it should be noted, that there are people, who are comfortable in
applying, the words 'inhalation' and 'exhalation' as the applied and
sustain thinking, to keep the attention on breathing. We would
discuss more on this later.
But,
when the distractions take place, now one would label them and come
back to the attention. Then one would reduce the labeling to main
categories of thinking, such as Anger, Desire, Lust, Ego and
ignorance and would come back to the observation of the breathing.
This
is where one would find, that the thinking in Sex, not only related
to the mind, but it is related to the body as well. If one indulges
in sexual actives, body and mind are stimulated by that, and even if
one keeps the mind away from thinking, the thinking would be
triggered by the body, body sensations. Hence, by restraining
oneself, by abstinence, one cures the body of the sexual urges. This
curing of the body from sex, may take at least three weeks, if one
restrain in sex, bodily, and in thinking.
Then
he would find out that watching films, reading, listening, etc., of
having contents of sex, has to be avoided, for one to cure himself of
sex. This is what Brahmacharya means, this is what the avoidance of,
Abstinence of, Abrahmacharya means. Without this there is no progress
in Bhavana, and one should not waste time there, expecting Samadi.
The
Minimum Requirement Of Abstinence - Sila.
In
the last post, it was examined that how one has to decide to avoid
sex in full, that is to follow the Brahmacharya, if one is a
practitioner of Bhavana. Before we discuss further Avoidances or
abstinences in Bhavana, let us examine the minimum requirement of
Abstinence (Sila) as recommended by Lord Buddha to a lay
practitioner.
It
is stated in the Eight Precepts, as the minimum required, to be
followed by a lay person:-
The
Eight Precepts:
1.
Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I
undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures.
2.
Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I
undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given.
3.
Abrahmacariya veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I
undertake the precept to refrain from all sexual activity.
4.
Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I
undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect (lying and false)
speech.
5.
Suramerayamajja pamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I
undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs
which lead to carelessness.
6.
Vikalabhojana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I
undertake the precept to refrain from eating at the forbidden time
(i.e., after noon).
7.
Nacca-gita-vadita-visukkadassana
mala-gandha-vilepana-dharana-mandana-vibhusanathana veramani
sikkhapadam samadiyami
I
undertake the precept to refrain from dancing, singing, music, going
to see entertainments, wearing garlands, using perfumes, and
beautifying the body with cosmetics.
8.
Uccasayana-mahasayana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami
I
undertake the precept to refrain from lying on a high or luxurious
sleeping place.
{Links:-
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sila/atthasila.html
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.041.vaka.html
}
So,
together with the 3rd precepts of abstaining totally from sex, the
other first 4 precepts, other than abstaining from sex totally, are
even applicable to a lay person, even if he does not practice
Bhavana, just to lead a married, sexual life, happily. so I won't
take those other 4 precepts into discussion as one has to obviously
follow them, even if one does not practice Bhavana.
One
can experiment with the 6th precepts, as to his needs, of having a
meal three times a day. One who practices full time in a temple, may
be able to not to eat, as he is not doing any hard work bodily, hence
the body requirement of energy would be less. But a person who
practices Bhavana at home, in the morning and in the evening, while
going for work, need not alter his three meals a day. But one would
find, if one indulges in eating, often in between the meals, then
that it would cause the body to be uncomfortable and be difficult to
bring the body to a rest, during the practicing of Bhavana. Hence, if
one avoids unnecessary meals in between, it would be a help in the
practice. But occasionally, when one is free on a particular days,
where he does not work, he can experiment with lesser meals or
avoiding a meal to test, how body become restful during the practice
of Bhavana.
The
seventh precepts shows that what one should avoid, while practicing
Bhavana, in order to reduce unnecessary thoughts cropping up, due to
the daily activities one has done during the day.
For
instance, if one has watched a film or read a book during the day,
then thoughts about them would come up, when one practice Bhavana.
Hence, by avoiding all of such activities, one can easily pay
attention to the practice. According to modern day living, avoiding
reading papers, books, etc., and listening to the radio, watching TV,
Facebook, etc., has to be avoided, if one practices intensively. It
is better to avoid unnecessary talks and gossips with friends as
well.
Eighth
precepts indicate of the way one lives bodily, whether he indulges in
body comforts, leading to pride, laziness etc. Practice of Bhavana
needs an alert mind. For that one has to maintain an alert body as
well. When one indulges in body comforts, the body develops a sleepy,
lazy state, which would lead to an inattentive state of the mind.
Though
these are the minimum requirement of precepts to be followed, one has
to add more to it by way of others, as one discovers them by himself,
that there are other things to be avoided, which cannot be introduced
as precepts due to certain reasons. Those are discovered as a
requirements to be followed, when one continues to practice, through
the practice itself. These will be covered in the next post.
Discovering and Developing Abstinence - Sila. - Part 3.
Now
we have found out the eight minimum precepts needed to practice
Bhavana. And the question arises, if we undertake these eight
precepts, will we be able to successfully practice Bhavana? Or we
need to undertake more precepts? The answer is yes. Then what are
those precepts we have to undertake more than the eight precepts?
Before
going into the question, let us examine the 10 Great sins or Bad
Karmas to be avoided, together with the eight precepts.
Quote.
.................
7. "Householders, there are three kinds of bodily conduct not in
accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct. There are four kinds
of verbal conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous
conduct. There are three kinds of mental conduct not in accordance
with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct.
8.
"And how are there three kinds of bodily conduct not in
accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct?Here someone is a
killer of living beings: he is murderous, bloody-handed, given to
blows and violence, and merciless to all living beings. He is a
taker of what is not given: he takes as a thief another's
chattels and property in the village or in the forest. He is given
over to misconduct in sexual desires: he has intercourse with
such (women) as are protected by the mother, father, (mother and
father), brother, sister, relatives, as have a husband, as entail a
penalty, and also with those that are garlanded in token of
betrothal. That is how there are three kinds of bodily conduct not in
accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct.
9.
"And how are there four kinds of verbal conduct not in
accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct?Here someone
speaks falsehood: when summoned to a court or to a meeting, or to
his relatives' presence, or to his guild, or to the royal family's
presence, and questioned as a witness thus, 'So, good man, tell what
you know,' then, not knowing, he says 'I know,' or knowing, he says
'I do not know,' not seeing, he says 'I see,' or seeing, he says 'I
do not see'; in full awareness he speaks falsehood for his own ends
or for another's ends or for some trifling worldly end. He speaks
maliciously: he is a repeater elsewhere of what is heard here for
the purpose of causing division from these, or he is a repeater to
these of what is heard elsewhere for the purpose of causing division
from those, and he is thus a divider of the united, a creator of
divisions, who enjoys discord, rejoices in discord, delights in
discord, he is a speaker of words that create discord. He speaks
harshly: he utters such words as are rough, hard, hurtful to
others, censorious of others, bordering on anger and unconducive to
concentration. He is a gossip: as one who tells that which is
unseasonable, that which is not fact, that which is not good, that
which is not the Dhamma, that which is not the Discipline, and he
speaks out of season speech not worth recording, which is unreasoned,
indefinite, and unconnected with good. That is how there are four
kinds of verbal conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma,
unrighteous conduct.
10.
"And how are there three kinds of mental conduct not in
accordance with the Dhamma, unrighteous conduct?Here someone is
covetous: he is a coveter of another's chattels and property thus:
'Oh, that what is another's were mine!'
Or
he has a mind of ill-will, with the intention of a mind affected
by hate thus: 'May these beings be slain and slaughtered, may
they be cut off, perish, or be annihilated!'
Or
he has wrong view, distorted vision, thus: 'There is nothing given,
nothing offered, nothing sacrificed, no fruit and ripening of good
and bad Kammas, no this world, no other world, no mother, no father,
no spontaneously (born) beings, no good and virtuous monks and
brahmans that have themselves realized by direct knowledge and
declare this world and the other world.' That is how there are three
kinds of mental conduct not in accordance with the Dhamma,
unrighteous conduct. ..............
translated
from the Pali by Ñanamoli Thera
End
Of Quote.
So
if we compare those 10 great sins (Karmas) or bad actions with that
of Eight precepts, i.e.:-
1.
I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures.
2. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not
given.
3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual activity.
4.
I undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect (false) speech.
5.
I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs
which lead to carelessness.
6. I undertake the precept to refrain
from eating at the forbidden time (i.e., after noon).
7. I undertake
the precept to refrain from dancing, singing, music, going to see
entertainments, wearing garlands, using perfumes, and beautifying the
body with cosmetics.
8. I undertake the precept to refrain from lying
on a high or luxurious sleeping place.
precepts
1, 2, 3, 4 accords with the 10 great sins (Karmas) or bad actions.
You may notice that except for the fourth precepts of "refraining
from incorrect (false) speech.", which relates to the verbal
action, all other precepts relates to bodily actions.
Then
three of the four Bad Karma in great sins, in speech, are not
included as precepts, as one have to abandon them while practicing
Bhavana gradually, if those actions of speech has become an habit.
They are:-
A.
malicious speech. B. harsh speech. C. gossiping.
A
real practitioner of Bhavana would discover himself, that these type
of activity is an hindrance to the practice, giving rise to a lot of
thinking, while in the practice, and hence would add these as further
abstinence by himself.
Then
there are other three great sins (Karmas) or Bad actions related to
the mind. Therefore, they cannot be made as precepts to be followed,
but one has to restrain or abstain from them to overcome them. The
practice of Bhavana is meant for such an overcoming of the mental
constrains, hence in the course of practice one would find them as
hindrances to the practice and therefore would abstain from those
type of thinking, without, as well as in the practice as well. And
these are the 'mind' related hindrances in relation to distractive
thinking, when one tries to pay attention to the breathing. They
are:-
A.
Covetousness. B. Having ill-will. C. Having wrong view.
All
the three above one has to find in the Bhavana practice itself, and
gradually overcome them. Before gaining Samadi, one would find that
the 'Covetousness' and 'ill-will' as a mind hindrances to be overcome to
gain the Samadi. One would overcome the 'wrong views', once one
overcomes Covetousness, ill-will, etc., thus enabling Samadi. With
the Samadi attained, one would have overcome the fundamental
erroneous views, and will have 'right view', i.e Samma Dhitti.
This
Samma Dhitti, i.e. Right View attained is different from the initial
Right View one has, when beginning the Bhavana practice, which is the
opposite view of the 'wrong view', presented in the Sutta above. The
'wrong view' is according to the above Sutta is:-
There
is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed, no fruit and
ripening of good and bad Kammas, no this world, no other world, no
mother, no father, no spontaneously (born) beings, no good and
virtuous monks and brahmans that have themselves realized by direct
knowledge and declare this world and the other world.
To
the contrary to the 'wrong view' above the 'Right view' is stated as
below in the same Sutta is:-
There
is what is given and what is offered and what is sacrificed, and
there is fruit and ripening of good and bad kammas, and there is this
world and the other world and mother and father and spontaneously
(born) beings, and good and virtuous monks and brahmans that have
themselves realized by direct knowledge and declared this world and
the other world.
This
'Right view' or 'Wrong View' above forms a belief, not an actual
experience. The above 'Right View' is known as Pruthagjana Samma
Dhitti or lay followers right view. But When one attains to the
Samadi, by practicing Bhavana, the 'Right View' one gains is an
actual experience, which is the practitioners Right View. Hence,
there are two types of 'Right view', namely Pruthagjana Samma Dhitti
and Ariyan Samma Dhitti, meaning a lay followers right view and a
practitioners right view. In the Practitioners Right view, he sees
the Mind as it is. He knows and sees how suffering can be overcome.
That is, he sees and knows, once he attained the Samadi, that,
1.
There is sufferings and it is in the mind. 2. There are reasons for
sufferings and they are in the mind as well. 3. He understands that
Sufferings can be overcome and he experiences the overcoming to some
extent. 4. Since he has overcome the suffering to some extent, he
knows the path of overcoming the suffering.
Such
a person, who has the Ariayan Samma Dhitti, will embark on the path
leading to the ultimate goal of Enlightenment, Nibbana.
< Previous Next >
No comments:
Post a Comment