Transcript
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
1/147
A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATIONPRACTICE OF
LUANGPOR TEEAN JITTASUBHO.
By
Mrs. Venica Pookgaman
A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment ofThe Requirement for the Degree of
Master of Arts
(Buddhist Studies)
International Master of Arts Degree ProgrammeGraduate School
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya UniversityBangkok, Thailand
2550 BE
Page 1 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
2/147
A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATIONPRACTICE OF
LUANGPOR TEEAN JITTASUBHO.
By
Mrs. Venica Pookgaman
A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of
The Requirement for the Degree ofMaster of Arts
(Buddhist Studies)
International Master of Arts Degree ProgrammeGraduate School
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya UniversityBangkok, Thailand
2550 BE
(Copyright, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University)
Page 2 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
3/147
The Graduate School of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya
University has approved this thesis, A Study of the Dynamic
Meditation Practice of Luangpor Teean Jittasubho, as fulfilling thethesis requirement of the Master of Arts Buddhist Studies curriculum.
............................................................
(Phra Srisitthimuni)
Dean of the Graduate School
Thesis Examination Committee:
............................................................(Phra Methiratanadilok)
Chairperson
............................................................
(Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phra Sudhivorayan)
Member
............................................................
(Asst. Prof. Dr. Phra Suthithammanuwat)
Member
............................................................
(Asst. Prof. Boon Ketutassa)
Member
............................................................
(Asst. Prof. Tavivat Puntarigvivat, Ph.D.)
Member
Thesis Supervisory Committee:
............................................................
(Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phra Sudhivorayan)
Chairperson
............................................................
(Asst. Prof. Dr. Phra Suthithammanuwat)
Member
............................................................(Asst. Prof. Boon Ketutassa)
Member
Page 3 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
4/147
Thesis Title: A Study of the Dynamic Meditation
Practice of Luangpor Teean Jittasubho
Researcher: Mrs. Venica Pookgaman
Degree: Master of Arts (Buddhist Studies)
Thesis Supervisory
Committee:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phra Sudhivorayan,
Pali VIII, Ph.D. (Buddhist Studies)
Asst. Prof. Dr. Phra Suthithammanuwat,
Pali IX, M.A., Ph.D. (Pali)Asst. Prof. Boon Ketutassa, M.A.
Date of Graduation: 3 December 2550 BE
Abstract
The present thesis is a study of the meditation technique known
as Dynamic Meditation. Originated by Luangpor Teean Jittasubho
when he was a layperson, the technique is a unique vipassan practice
involving rhythmic hand and arm movements without accompanying
recitations. Unable to read or write Thai and without formal knowledge of
the Buddhist Canon or the Pali language, Luangpor Teean, born Phan
Inthaphieu, achieved the end of suffering with the technique then
instructed others. The technique has spread throughout Thailand and
abroad. Twenty years after his death, the technique continues to be
practiced by many throughout the world. Luangpor Teean maintained that
his technique was in accordance with the Satipahnasutta and dared to
guarantee results for those who practice rightly and continuously.
Everyone, he proclaimed has the innate capability to achieve Nibbna and
Dynamic Meditation is a shortcut.
This study is an analytical study of Dynamic Meditation
elucidating and making explicit the concepts, theory, and practice of
Luangpor Teeans teachings, and the results of following his instructions.
The hope is to answer the question: to what extent is Luangpor Teeans
Page 4 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
5/147
teaching and technique consistent with the teaching of the Buddha, and in
particular with satipahna meditation as described in the Nikyas?
Satipahna meditation is taken to be the fundamental meditationinstruction for going beyond dukkha. That, in turn requires that we
develop a good understanding of satipahna meditation, both in
method and purpose. I take the Mahsatipahnasutta as the decisive
text in developing that understanding. A second, related question is: to
what extent can Luangpor Teeans teachings be situated within the
Theravda tradition, and to what extent to those teachings diverge? In
other words: are these teachings orthodox?
It was found in the research that Dynamic Meditation isconsistent with satipahnameditation and, indeed, can be considered a
variation of that type of meditation, including the four foundations of
mindfulness: the contemplation of the body, of feeling, of mind, and of
dhammas. That conclusion holds in spite of the fact that the deliberate
hand and arm movements at the stage of contemplation of the body seems
to be an innovation not found in the Sutta exposition, and the fact that it is
not always obvious how the progress of Dynamic Meditation correlates
with the four foundations, for example, when contemplation of mind ends
and contemplation ofdhammas
begins. A detailed examination revealsthe correlations and finds that the hand and arm movements are entirely
within the spirit of the Sutta. The movements accelerate the process of
developing and strengthening mindfulness and full comprehension,leading quickly to achievement of sla, samdhi, andpa. Moreover,
reports of results of the practice, from both published reports andinterviews, indicate that practitioners experience reductions of
defilements (kilesas) and increased happiness, while those who pursue the
highest goal, practicing properly and continuously come to see Dhammain due order.
Articulating and evaluating Luangpors teachings vis--vistraditional Theravda doctrine is more difficult, as Luangpor concentrated
on teaching practice rather than theory, and in that lacking a classical
education, he taught from experience without a formal doctrinalframework within which to express that experience. Nevertheless, when
allowances are made for the unusual ways in which Luangpor sometimes
used technical Pali terms, and when the pedagogical intent of his
statements are recognized, he is found to have been remarkably well
within the doctrinal tradition as well. Indeed, his innovative teachingsmay be more a revivification of Theravda Buddhism, and Buddhism in
Page 5 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
6/147
general, than a departure from it. His teachings bring this ancient tradition
vibrantly to the modern world. A crucial finding here is that Luangpor
must be read as a meditation instructor giving oral teachings face-to-face,not as a scholar writing doctrinal treatises.
Through the course of the research, it appeared that Luangpors
teachings could contribute to a renewed and better understanding of
traditional practice and doctrine, and I recommend further research in that
direction. The linguistic problems with which I wrestled, both in terms of
Luangpors unusual usage of Pali and in terms of expressing his ideas in
English move me urgently to recommend extensive linguistic research
involving those who knew Luangpor personally. Inasmuch as Luangporsteachings were direct oral instructions to meditators, I recommend
publishing his teachings in a format that most closely approximates that
situation. Finally, I recommend introducing Dynamic Meditation to
schools and the workplace. That would be of benefit to both the
individuals and to the institution, inasmuch as Dynamic Meditation
enhances the performance of the meditators.
In conclusion, Dynamic Meditation is found to be a variety ofsatipahna
practice and should be considered, not an alternative ormodified practice, but a sub-set of the methodology of the Sutta.
Dynamic Meditation is a valuable and effective meditation technique
capable of leading quickly to reduction in suffering and even to fullenlightenment.
Page 6 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
7/147
Acknowledgements
This thesis has been completed with the kind support of everymember of my supervisory committee. I am profoundly grateful to Assoc.
Prof. Dr. Phra Sudhivorayan, Chairman as well as to Committee
Members Asst. Prof. Dr. Phra Suthithammanuwat and Asst. Prof. BoonKetutassa. Their guidance, ideas, and comments have been essential to
the production of this thesis. They introduced me to important texts that I
would not otherwise have found and their corrections to the thesis itself
were most helpful and welcome. It was their continual encouragementthroughout the process of researching and writing the thesis that
motivated me to bring it to completion.
I should also like to express deep gratitude to Phramaha Somjin
Sammpao, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, as well as to Phra
Srisitthimuni, Dean of the Graduate School, for his concern and guidance.
I offer my gratitude also to Phrakhru Baidika Sanan Dayarakkho for his
support in lending texts for study and research.
I would like to express my gratitude to Stephen Evans for his
guidance in academic writing, useful comments, and editing in spite of
his heavy workload. I am grateful to all the lecturers of the International
Programme at Mahachulalongkornrajavidayalaya University for sharing
their knowledge of Buddhist Studies with me and the other students. My
thanks go also to Programme Secretaries Khun Sudarat Bantaokul and
Mae Chee Amphai Tansomboon for their encouragement and advice on
the procedures of producing the thesis. Sincere thanks also extended to
my classmates, especially Khun Warrin Rattanamalai and Khun
Phassarabha Phaisarnariyasub for their unfailing encouragement and for
their advice in handling texts and data.
I extend my profound gratitude to Phra Achan Khamkhian
Suvao, Abbot, Wat Phukhaothong, Chaiyabhum and to Phra Achan
Khammai hittaslo, Head Meditation Master, Samnak Thab Ming
Khwan, Loei, who generously gave of their time for interviews and
assisted me in locating texts and accessing information in electronic
storage. They provided many useful insights into Dynamic Meditation
Page 7 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
8/147
Practice. I thank Phra Achan Khammai particularly for his support during
meditation retreats both at Samnak Thab Ming Khwan.
Many thanks also to the monks and laypersons of Wat Sanam
Nai for their kindness in providing texts and for providing for my
physical needs during my retreat there.
I am profoundly grateful to Phra Achan Charles Nirodho, a close
disciple of Luangpor Teean, for his kindness, in spite of illness, in taking
time to explain many facets of Dynamic Meditation and recounting
experiences of Luangpor Teean. His explanations made important
contributions to my understanding and to the thesis. My apologies to himfor not including his interview in the body of the text as the recording
device failed to function properly. I am grateful to Dr. Vatana
Supromajakr, General Surgery, Bumrungrad Hospital, for giving his
precious time for an interview and providing much information about
Luangpor Teean.
Finally, I would like to thank my mother, my husband and my
daughter for their patience and encouragement, and for giving me the
opportunity of completing my studies.
Any merit in the present thesis is due to the assistance, advice,
and wisdom of my many mentors. However I am solely responsible formistakes, misunderstandings, omissions, and other failings of the work.
I humbly offer whatever merit that may have accrued to me from
the past to the present for the benefit of the Triple Gem, Luangpor Teean
Jittasubho, all of my Dhamma and Meditation Teachers, my father, mymother, and all who have assisted in the production of this thesis.
Mrs. Venica Pookgaman
17 April 2007/2550 BE
Page 8 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
9/147
Abbreviations
Canonical sourcesA AguttaranikyaD DghanikyaM MajjhimanikyaS SayuttanikyaSv Sumagalavilsin (Dghanikya Commentary)
Sn SuttaniptaUd UdnaVibh VibhagaVin VinayaVism Visuddhimagga
Other abbreviations
PTS Pali Text Society
PED Pali-English Dictionary, Rhys Davids and Stede, PTS
References to Pali sources are to the volume and page number of
the PTS edition.
Page 9 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
10/147
Table of Contents
PageApproval Page i
Abstract ii
Acknowledgements v
Abbreviations vii
Chapter I: Introduction 1
1.1 Background and Significance of the Problem 1
1.2 Objectives of the Research 5
1.3 Research Questions and Problems 5
1.4 Definitions of the Terms Used in this Thesis 5
1.5 Review of Literature and Relevant Research 6
1.6 Methodology 81.7 Advantages Expected from the Research 9
Chapter II: Meditation in Theravda Buddhism: Theory and
Practice 10
2.1 Buddhist Meditation 10
2.1.1 Meditation as Cultivation 11
2.1.2 Two Types of Meditation: Samathaand
Vipassan 13
2.1.2.1 SamathaMeditation 13
2.1.2.1.1 Levels of Concentration 14
2.1.2.2 VipassanMeditation 16
2.2 Doctrinal-Theoretical Framework 17
2.2.1 The Four Noble Truths 18
2.2.2 Mind: the Driving Force ofDukkhaand of
Rebirth 19
2.2.3 The Noble Eightfold Path 22
2.3 Satipahna(The Foundations of Mindfulness) 24
2.3.1 One Path 26
Page 10 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
11/147
2.3.2 Sati 28
2.3.3 Sampajaaand tpa 29
2.3.4 Rising and VanishingJust to the Extent 302.3.5 The Method of the Four Foundations of
Mindfulness 30
2.3.5.1 Contemplation of the Body
(Kynupassan) 30
2.3.5.1.1 Major and Minor
Postures/Movements 31
2.3.5.2 Contemplation of Feeling
(Vedannupassan) 33
2.3.5.3 Contemplation of Mind(Cittnupassan) 34
2.3.5.4 Contemplation ofDhammas
(Dhammnupassan) 34
2.3.6 Summary 36
2.4 Results and Benefits 37
Chapter III: The Dynamic Meditation of Luangpor Teean
Jittasubho 413.1 Background 41
3.1.1 Sources 43
3.1.2 Possible Sources of Dynamic Meditation 443.2 Theory 45
3.2.1 Epistemology and Metaphysics 45
3.2.2 Broad Framework 463.3 Practice 49
3.3.1 The Initial Stage 51
3.3.1.1 Bodily Movement 51
3.3.1.2 Rpa-Nma 533.3.2 Destroying Unawareness: the First Jhna 55
3.3.3 Destroying Clinging and Grasping:the Second Jhna 58
3.3.4 Being Ordinary: the Third Jhna 59
3.3.5 Completion and Truth: beyond PuaandPpa: the Fourth Jhna 60
3.4 Discussion 61
3.4.1 The Ordinary 61
3.4.2 The Existence of the Defilements,Avijj, andthe Mind 62
Page 11 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
12/147
3.4.3 Sati, Sampajaa, and tpa 64
3.5 Results and Benefits 64
3.5.1 Published Reports 643.5.2 Interviews 67
3.5.2.1 Phra Achan Khamkhian Suvao 68
3.5.2.2 Phra Achan Khammai hittaslo 69
3.5.2.3 Dr. Vatana Sopromajakr 71
3.5.3 Summary 76
Chapter IV: A Review of Luangpor Teean Jittasubhos Dynamic
Meditation in Light of the Satipahnasutta 774.1 Method and Technique 77
4.1.1 Rising and VanishingJust to the Extent 79
4.1.2 The Body in the Body 79
4.2 The Stages and the Four Foundations 80
4.2.1 Contemplation of the Body (Kynupassan) 80
4.2.2 Contemplation of Feeling (Vedannupassan) 82
4.2.3 Contemplation of Mind (Cittnupassan) 83
4.2.4 Contemplation ofDhammas
(Dhammnupassan
) 844.3 Stages of Enlightenment 84
4.4 Samathaversus Vipassan 86
4.5 Concept, Theory, and Practice 874.5.1 Rpa andNma 87
4.5.2 Dukkha-Anicca-Anatt 89
4.5.3 The Existence of Defilements, Thoughts, and
Avijj 89
4.5.4 The Objectivity of Thoughts and other MentalPhenomena 91
4.6 Results 934.6.1 Promised Results 934.6.2 The Attainment of Vipassan 96
Chapter V: Conclusions and Recommendations 99
5.1 Conclusions 99
5.1.1 The Technique 99
5.1.2 The Doctrinal Content of the Teachings 100
5.2 Recommendations for Further Research 1015.2.1 The Role of Samatha 102
Page 12 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
13/147
5.2.2 The Stages of Dynamic Meditation 102
5.2.2.1 TheJhnas 102
5.2.2.2 The Sayojanas 1035.2.3 Interpreting the Satipahnasutta 103
5.2.4 Terminology 104
5.2.5 Translation 104
5.2.6 Published Presentation of Luangpors
Teachings 105
5.2.7 Results of Dynamic Meditation 105
Bibliography 107Appendix A: Dynamic Meditation Positions 113
Appendix B: Biography of Luangpor Teean Jittasubho 128
Biography of Researcher 134
Page 13 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
14/147
Chapter IIntroduction
1.1 Background and Significance of the Problem
The researcher has noticed that people practice Buddhist
meditation for two reasons. Firstly, they want to follow the Buddhasteaching, which aims for the end of suffering. Secondly, they want to
develop their minds in such a way as to gain happiness in daily life. TheBuddha offers a great variety of methods of meditation suited to a variety
of individual needs, temperaments and capacities. These methods may be
classified, according to Nyanaponika Thera,1 into two categories: the
cultivation of tranquillity, samathabhvanand the cultivation of insight,
vipassanbhvan.
Samathabhvan aims at the full concentration of mind attained
in the meditative absorptions,jhna. Samathabhvanamay be helpful in
the pursuit of the end of suffering, but alone it cannot lead to the highest
goal, liberation.2However, people who practice this kind of meditation
gain the benefits of tranquillity and happiness in their lives.
Vipassanbhvanaims at the intuitive light revealing the truth
of the three characteristics of all corporeal and mental phenomena. That is
insight wisdom (vipassanpa) the decisive liberating factor in
Buddhism. The cumulative results of Vipassanbhvanlead directly the
highest goal, liberation.3
The Buddhist Nikyas most frequently describe samatha and
vipassan meditation as a combined practice. However, a method of
meditation leading directly to liberation, apparently without attainment of
thejhnas, is described in the Satipahnasutta.The importance of the
1Nyanaponika Thera,The Heart of Buddhist Meditation,(ChannelIslands: Guernsey Press, 1987), p. 102.
2Ibid.3Ibid.
Page 14 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
15/147
2
satipahna (foundations of mindfulness) method is suggested by the
inclusion of the Satipahnasutta in nearly identical form in two
Nikyas.4
The introductory words of the two Suttas, stating the highpurpose, claim that this method makes for overcoming of sorrow and
misery for the destruction of pain and grief. It may be said that the
satipahna method is the fundamental method for cultivating insight
leading to the highest goal. However, along the path of practice, and short
of that goal, one may also decrease suffering and gain happiness in daily
life. In the method, there are four foundations, or categories of
contemplation: contemplation of the body, of feelings, of the mind, and ofdhammas(fundamental phenomena).
In Thailand, most Theravda Buddhist meditation schools
employ these four satipahnas in their method. Most of them begin
with mindfulness of the body. At least three leading meditation schools
represent this teaching: the school of Suan Mokkha Balarama, the
Vipassana Centre of Wat Mahadhatu, and Wat Nong Pah Pong.
Apart from these, there are a number of meditation schools that
employ alternative methods within the frame of Buddhism. These include
the school of Achan Porn Rattanasuwan, Achan Dr. Siri Karinchai, andAchan Naeb Mahanirananda. The school of Luangpor Teean may be
considered one of the alternative schools. It nevertheless bears strongresemblances to the satipahna method, and is well accepted as an
effective form of Buddhist meditation.
Luangpor Teean Jittasubho5was recognized as one of the great
meditation masters in the year 2500 BE. His meditation technique, now
known as Dynamic Meditation, is unique among various schools ofcontemporary Thai Buddhism in that it utilises continual rhythmic bodily
movement as a way to cultivate mindfulness. When mindfulness isstrong, it can destroy the thought processes that are defiled by the kilesas,
4M I 55-63; D I 290-315.5I follow here the most common Romanization of his name. Jittasubho is
a non-standard Romanization of the Thai spelling of the Pali cittasubho(brilliant
mind). The standard Romanization from Thai of his title and name would be Luang
Pho Thian Chittasupho, following the Royal Thai General System of Transcription
(available at www.royal.go.th/upload/246/FileUpload/416_2157.pdf). Many different
Romanizations are to be found in the literature.
Page 15 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
16/147
3
lobha, dosa, and moha, which are the causes of human suffering.6
According to Luangpor Teean, observing the precepts and practicing
samatha cannot bring the end of suffering. The only way to overcomesuffering is by cultivating awareness and insight. Luangpor Teean talked
about developing insight as follows:
Developing the Awareness or Insight is different from practicing
concentration, because the method of practice is different from the
beginning till the end. You dont close your eyes for developing the
awareness; you have to know, to feel the movement of the body and
also have to see thought when it arrives. When the body moves, you
have to know/to feel the movement continuously; when the thoughtarrives, you have to know it/to see it every time. This is the meaning
of awareness of body and mind.
Developing the awareness does not resist any thought, but
on the contrary, the mind is wide opened to face everything bravely.
Thought is free to arise, but you always have to know it/to see it and
to understand it with mindfulness. Thoughts will become shorter
and shorter, and you will come to the end of suffering. Developing
the awareness of body and mind continuously, you will have theliberation knowledge. Because you clearly see, clearly know and
really know. Its the knowledge that comes from a clean,
illuminated and calm mind. This kind of knowledge, it knows byitself, it does not have to think or contemplate. People who know
and understand Dhamma (The Truth) by own liberating knowledge(pa) will know and understand step by step the same Truth.7
The meditation method of Luangpor Teean is easy to practice,and limited neither by place nor by time. It can be practiced in daily life.
At home one can practice his 15-step method in a sitting position. Whenone is sitting in a public area one can practice by turning the palm up anddown or by running the thumb over the finger tips. Whenever or
wherever one sits, eats, drinks, stands, walks or lies down, one can
practice. Luangpor said:
6Tavivat Puntarigvivat, Luangpor Teean: The Dynamic Practice of a Thai
Meditation Master, in Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Journal of SoutheastAsian Studies,Vol. 7, Number 1, 1992, p. 79.
7Luangpor Teean Jittasubho, Concentration-Insight, tr. by AnchaleeThaiyanond, (Bangkok: Thammasat University Press, 2532 BE), pp. 20-22.
Page 16 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
17/147
4
Do it as nothing special, do it without hurry, without doubt, without
speculation, do it without expectation of result. Be simple, and just
move, one moment at a time, and know. When you dont know, letit pass; when you know, let it pass. Sometimes you know,
sometimes you dont know: so it goesbut know. When the body
moves, know it. When the mind moves, know it. This practice is
twenty-four-hours-a-day practice, so relax and just be natural, just
be normal8
Luangpor Teeans determination to reach the end of suffering
was indicated by his years of practice, trying many different methods
with many different masters. Finally, he left home, informing his wifethat he would not return until he had found the way. In time he
discovered his own method, Dynamic Meditation. Luangpor Teean
claimed that he achieved the end of suffering through this practice and he
dared to guarantee the same result to anybody who practiced his method
properly and continuously. He said:
If you practice continuously and seriously as I have taught, in at
most 3 years, suffering will end. It may take one year. It may take
only one to ninety days. The result is that suffering will decrease or
cannot disturb you any more.9
Luangpor taught Dhamma and meditation practice from his own
actual experience. Dynamic Meditation was a new technique in 2500 BE.
Dynamic Meditation centres teaching this unique method, with the ease
and effectiveness of practice, were established in many parts of Thailand
and abroad. Though Luangpor passed away 16 years ago, those schools,
both inside and outside the country, are still functioning and staffed by
his followers. Given this background, the researcher has embarked on a
study of the details of Dynamic Meditation including the principles,methods and techniques of practice, how it was brought into practice,
how this method leads to the end of suffering, to what extent Dynamic
Meditation is consistent with the method put forth in theSatipahnasutta, and what the results of this practice are in terms of
the highest goal and of decreasing suffering in everyday life.
8Luangpor Teean Jittasubho, To One That Feels: The Teaching of
Luangpor Teean Jittasubho,tr. ed. by Tavivat Puntarigvivat and Bhikkhu Nirodho(Kuala Lumpur: W. A. V. E. reprints, 2000/2543 BE), p. 48.
9Luangpor Teean Jittasubho,Manual of Self Awareness,tr. Unknown,(Bangkok: Luangpor Teean Jittasubho Foundation, 1994), p. 11.
Page 17 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
18/147
5
This topic has not been studied before. The researcher expects
that one outcome of this research will be accurate information for thoseseeking a method of ending or decreasing suffering, whether their goals
are mundane or supramundane.
1.2 Objectives of the Research
1.2.1 To study meditation in Theravda Buddhism, especially
as presented in the Satipahnasutta.
1.2.2 To conduct a study of Dynamic Meditation practice and
its results and benefits for Luangpor Teean and his followers.1.2.3 To conduct a study of Dynamic Meditation in light of
the methods of the Satipahnasuttaand the Noble Eightfold Path.
1.3 Research Questions and Problems
1.3.1 What is Buddhist meditation and what is its purpose?1.3.2 What is the meaning of mindfulness meditation and
what is its significance in achieving the Buddhist highest goal?
1.3.3 What are the, theories, methods and results ofmindfulness meditation practice as described in the Satipahnasutta?
1.3.4 What is Dynamic Meditation as taught by Luangpor
Teean Jittasubho? What are its concepts, theories, methods, andtechniques? How is it brought into practice?
1.3.5 What significant results and benefits have Luangpor
Teean and his followers received from practicing Dynamic Meditation?
1.3.6 Is Dynamic Meditation consistent with the Eightfold
Path and the Satipahnasutta in concept, theory, method, and
technique of practice?
1.4 Definitions of the Terms Used in this Thesis
Dynamic Meditation:The meditation method taught by Luangpor Teean Jittasubho.
The method is characterised by rhythmic bodily movements as a meansof cultivating self-awareness, leading thereby to insight and wisdom. See
Chapter III.
Page 18 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
19/147
6
Samatha/Tranquillity Meditation:Meditation methods that conduce to states in which
consciousness and its concomitants remain evenly and rightly on a singleobject, undistracted and unscattered. Samatha aims at the full
concentration of mind attained in the meditative absorptions (jhnas).
Vipassan/Insight Meditation:Methods conducing to the intuition of the truth of the
impermanency, suffering, and impersonal and unsubstantial nature of all
corporeal and mental phenomena, that is, to the insight and wisdom that
is the decisive liberating factor of Buddhism. Vipassan practice leads
directly to enlightenment.
1.5 Review of Literature and Relevant ResearchThere has been no completed research work on this topic. The
following provide material resources for the present study.
1.5.1 Variya Chinnavanno et al, Samadhi as appears in theTipitaka.
10
Chinnavanno et al found that there are several methods ofmeditation taught and practiced in Thailand. They classified these into
five categories: (1) npnasati consisting of reciting Bud-dho in
coordination with inhalation and exhalation. This is a traditional method
and appears among the teachings of Achan Mun, Luangpor Cha and
Buddhadsa Bhikkhu. (2) Dutaga Kammahna is also based onnpnasati and is typically practiced by wandering monks of the
Northeast region. (3) The School of Wat Mahadhatu received its method
from the Burmese. This is a method of cultivating the mind through
awareness of the rising and falling of the abdomen when breathing in and
breathing out. This method has been spread through the line of
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University and is considered one of the
major methods practiced in Thailand. (4) The School of the
Dhammakaya, following Luangpor Sod of Wat Paknambhasijaroen. This
method includes concentration on a crystal image appearing about the
centre of the body. (5) Alternative methods. These are methods that are
10Variya Chinnavanno et al, Samadhi as appears in the Tipitaka: The
Development on Hermeneutic of the Teaching of Samadhi in TheravadaBuddhism in Thailand, (Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Press, 2543 BE),
pp. 83-84, p. 77.
Page 19 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
20/147
7
based on the Buddhas teachings, but which appeared to be modified in
different ways. Examples include the methods of Santi Asoke, of Achan
Porn Ratanasuwan, and of Luangpor Teean Jittasubho. In spite of thealternative or modified nature of these methods, the ultimate
objective of all of them is the elimination of kilesafrom ones mind. This
book describes Luangpor Teean as almost illiterate but exhibiting very
clear wisdom in responding to every question. His answers were simple,
deeply meaningful, precise and clearly understandable to his followers at
every level, and for this reason he was respected by all, whether from
Thailand or abroad. His teaching, according to this study, relied on his
own experience and the practice was effective. It was a short cut to the
realisation of Dhamma.
1.5.2 Phramaha Narong Cherdsungnoen, A Study of Sati
(Mindfulness) in Buddhism: Theory and Practice in Thai Tradition.11
Phramaha Narong Cherdsungnoen concluded that sati
(mindfulness) is necessary for all activities but that only right
mindfulness generates beneficial results. Satipahna, in his view, is the
main meditation method for both samatha and vipassan. Achieving the
highest goal requires that the practice be carried out with right effort,clear comprehension, and without covetousness and grief. Regarding
meditation practice in the Thai tradition, the thesis points out that
meditation practice and the application of sati to both samatha andvipassanmeditation is common among well known Theravda schools
in Thailand.
1.5.3 Phramaha Nibhon Mahadhammarakkhito, A Comparative
Study of Teaching on Meditation Practices Between Luangpor TianCittasubho and Buddhadsa Bhikkhu.12
Phramaha Nibhon has produced a comparative study of theprinciples and methods of the Tipiaka, of Luangpor Teean Jittasubho,
and of Buddhadsa Bhikkhu. The thesis found that Luangpor Teean
11Phramaha Narong Cherdsungnoen, A Study of Sati (Mindfulness) in
Buddhism: Theory and Practice in Thai Tradition, Doctoral Thesis, University of
Delhi, 1993.12Phramaha Nibhon Mahadhammarakkhito, A Comparative Study of
Teaching on Meditation Practices Between Luangpor Tian Cittasubho and
Buddhadsa Bhikkhu, Masters Thesis, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University,
2546 BE.
Page 20 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
21/147
8
Jittasubho taught that thoughts without awareness brought on suffering,
and that full self-awareness would cut off the chain of thoughts. In order
to eliminate suffering, he introduced a process of cultivating awarenessthrough Dynamic Meditation. Both Luangpor Teean Jittasubho and
Buddhadsa Bhikkhu maintained that the mind is fundamentally of pure
nature and only secondarily defiled by the kilesas. It is ones duty, they
taught, to clean the mind by practicing meditation, thus ridding it of
defilements. They held that awareness is the only important thing in the
meditation. Although Buddhadsa Bhikkhu employed npnasatias the
means to access the path, both of them pointed out that the benefit
received from practicing is useful for purifying the mind and reducing or
eliminating suffering in daily life.
1.5.4 Tavivat Puntarigvivat,Luangpor Teean: The Dynamic Practice
of a Thai Meditation Master.13
According to Tavivat Puntarigvivat, Luangpor Teeans teaching
and his way of cultivating awareness by rhythmic motion is a new
satipahnamethod. It is a new method not only for Thais, both monks
and laity, but also for Buddhism throughout the world. It is not connected
with any religion, with any tradition, or with the beliefs of any nation.Dynamic Meditation, he writes, is a direct way to cultivate awareness.
When the practice is done continuously, the trained awareness will
confront thoughts. Once thoughts are firmly seized by awareness, otherthoughts are incapable of presenting themselves. This will cut off the
stream of thoughts which are infected by the kilesas: desire, anger, and
delusion. When sammsati governs thoughts, genuine sla is present.Luangpor Teean repeats again and again that it is sla that protects the
person, not the person who protects sla. Whenever sati rules thethoughts, genuine samdhiandpaappear.
1.6 Methodology
This is a textual research by way of investigation and analysis as
follows:
1.6.1 Primary sources include the Pali Canon and
Commentaries, especially the Majjhimanikya, the Dghanikya, the
13Puntarigvivat, Luangpor Teean: The Dynamic Practice of a Thai
Meditation Master, pp. 69-89.
Page 21 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
22/147
9
commentary on the Satipahnasutta, and the Visuddhimagga. Both
Thai and English translations are consulted, as well as the Pali texts
themselves in consultation with available Pali scholars. Many ofLuangpor Teeans Dhamma talks and teachings were recorded,
transcribed and edited in book form. I have consulted these books, both in
Thai and in English translation; I have also utilized the audio and visual
recordings themselves.
1.6.2 Secondary sources: research works, books, journals,
articles in a variety of media, including print, electronic storage, and the
Internet are utilized. Further information was collected in interviews of
Dynamic Meditation practitioners and teachers, including some whoknew Luangpor Teean personally.
1.6.3 The Satipahnasuttais analysed and systematised in
order to construct a clear picture of the concepts, theories, methods,
techniques, results and benefits of satipahna meditation. Such
analysis and systematisation are performed with the Eightfold Path and
with Dynamic Meditation in such a way as to facilitate an analytical study
of Dynamic Meditation using the Sutta and the Noble Eightfold Path as
the standard.
1.6.4 Conclusions, identifying significant results and
suggestions for further study.
1.7 Advantages Expected from the Research
1.7.1 A better understanding of meditation in the Theravda
tradition, especially as described in the Satipahnasutta.
1.7.2 A better understanding of Dynamic Meditation and the
results and benefits of the meditation practice of Luangpor Teean and his
followers.
1.7.3 Understanding to what extent Dynamic Meditation isconsistent with the meditation described in the Satipahnasutta and
with the Eightfold Path.
Page 22 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
23/147
Chapter IIMeditation in Theravda Buddhism: Theory and Practice
Meditation is a central and essential feature of Theravda
Buddhism. In the present chapter, I discuss the doctrinal context and the
theory and practice of meditation, as presented in the Canon and itsaccepted traditional commentaries. I present a sketch of accepted doctrine
and of accepted practice as a standard for the analytical evaluation of the
teaching and practice of Luangpor Teean. Accordingly, I do not reviewthe entire field of either doctrine or practice, but only those portions most
relevant to the task at hand.
2.1 Buddhist Meditation
In the Nikyas, meditation is presented as a central component
in the pursuit of enlightenment, or the achievement of Nibbna. While it
may be that a few individuals are said to have achieved full
enlightenment without meditation (for example, Yasa et al1
), suchachievements are rare, and when the Buddha discourses on the path to
enlightenment, meditation is always included (for exampleSmaaphalasutta2). In any case, the primary purpose of meditation in
the Nikyas is the pursuit of Nibbna.
There are other benefits to be derived from meditation,
however, and thus other possible purposes for practising it, such as peace
of mind and enhanced self-control. Traditionally, the benefits of
meditation are classified as:
1. Benefits in the present lifetime (dihadhammikattha) that
include freedom from anxiety over worldly concerns, thereby leading
to social harmony.
1Vin I 14ff.2D I 47ff.
Page 23 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
24/147
11
2. Benefits in a future lifetime (samparyikattha) that include
spiritual advancement from lifetime to lifetime, as the mind is trained
and developed, gaining higher qualities.
3. The supramundane benefit (paramattha) of the attainment of
Nibbna, that is, the annihilation of suffering and consequent
attainment of perfect bliss. It is the end of the otherwise endless
repetition of birth and subsequent death.3
2.1.1 Meditation as Cultivation
In a Buddhist context, the Pali term, bhvan is generallytranslated as meditation. As a general term, bhvanmay, according to
the Pali-English Dictionary, be rendered into English as producing,
acquiring, mastering, developing, cultivating and the like. It is
nearly always used to refer to some form of mental cultivation, as, for
example in asubhya citta bhvehi4 (cultivate the mind via the
revolting5), or kusala citta bhveti (one cultivates a good mind
6).
Bhvan is often qualified by a term indicating the type of practice, for
example jhnabhvan, samdhibhvan, and mettbhvan (the
cultivation of absorption, concentration, and friendliness, respectively),each of these being clearly described as a form of mental cultivation.
Buddhaghosa derives bhveti from the root bh, to be or to
become, quoting the Canon to support his claim that bhveti indicates
producing (uppdana) and increasing (vahana).7Bhvan also refers
to mental activity that edifies the good in oneself.8Bhvan is a mental
activity that produces within oneself the essential quality or the reality of
the object of that activity. When one practises mettbhvan, for
example, the purpose is not simply to meditate upon friendliness, but to
make friendliness come into being and to grow increasingly strong so as
3Ven. Phra Tepvisuddhikavi, Mind Development, (Bangkok:
Mahamakuta Rajavidyalaya Foundation, 1999), p. 4.4Sn 341.5My translation. For the sake of consistency, unless otherwise stated, the
translations of Pali terms and short phrases are my own, made in consultation with
Stephen Evans.6Paravahera Vajiranana Mahathera, Buddhist Meditation in Theory and
Practice, (Colombo: M. D. Gunasena Co. Ltd., 1962), p. 26.7Ibid, p. 27.8Ibid.
Page 24 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
25/147
12
to eradicate enmity, malice, aversion, and so on from the mind, ultimately
to become friendly towards all beings.9Bhvan, then, produces mental
phenomena or states. In a word, bhvan is mental cultivation, inparticular the production and accumulation of good mental qualities
making one apt for enlightenment.
Walpola Rahula accordingly defines bhvanas:
mental culture in the full sense of the termcleansing the mind of
impurities and disturbancesand cultivating such qualities as
concentration, awarenessleading finally to the attainment of
highest wisdom which sees things as they are, and realizes theUltimate Truth Nirva.10
A word closely associated with bhvanin the commentaries is
kammahna, which might be translated as working ground and is
used to refer both to the subject of meditation and to the meditation
method. According to the entry in the Encyclopedia of Buddhism11
kammahna means meditation as mental and bodily discipline
associated with systematic methods of self-cultivation while the entry in
the Thai Buddhist Encyclopedia12
holds that kammahna is expedient
dhamma for purifying the mind of the nvaraa, or hindrances.Buddhaghosa, however, uses the term to refer to the classical list of forty
subjects of meditation.13
In the Abhidhammatthasagaha, the word
signifies both subjects and methods. Finally, P. A. Payutto, in hisDictionary of Buddhism,
14 defines the word as station for mental
exercise.
To summarize, Buddhist meditation is mental cultivation and
development, aiming beyond temporary tranquillity to the purification of
9Ibid.10Walpola Sri Rahula, What The Buddha Taught, (New York: Grove
Weidenfeld, 1987), p. 68.11Robert E. Buswell, Jr. (ed), Encyclopedia of Buddhism, (New York:
The Gale Group Inc., 2004).12HRH the Late Supreme Patriarch Prince Vajiraavarorasa, Thai
Buddhist Encylopedia, (Bangkok: Mahamakuta Rajavidyalaya Foundation,
1986/2529 BE).13Vism I 89.14P. A. Payutto, Dictionary of Buddhism, (Bangkok: Suetawan Co Ltd,
2002/2545 BE).
Page 25 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
26/147
13
the mind of defilements and negative influences, such as sensual desire,
hatred, envy, and ignorance. Meditation aims at perfecting such positive
qualities as faith, compassion, mindfulness and wisdom. Dhamma andNibbna can be realized through meditation, but it also yields fruit at the
level of ordinary daily life.
2.1.2 Two Types of Meditation: Samathaand Vipassan
There are many methods of meditation taught and practised in
Buddhism. Within the Theravda tradition, it is customary to classify
these under the broad headings of samatha, or tranquillity meditation, and
vipassan, or insight meditation. Samathameditation cultivates a narrowmental focus on a single object, leading potentially to states of trance and,
traditionally, to paranormal powers. Vipassan meditation cultivates
mindfulness and a broader awareness leading potentially to the direct
experience of things as they really are. Although many meditation
masters today sharply distinguish the two, relegating samathaas, at best,
a preliminary practice, the Nikyas and commentaries tend to treat them
as different aspects of the same practice. For example, when asked how to
develop samdhi (mental concentration, a synonym for samatha), or
cittassa ekaggat (one-pointedness of mind) Bhikkhun Dhammadinnresponds that samdhi is to be cultivated through the foundations of
mindfulness, or satipahna.15
The foundations of mindfulness practice,
however, is today almost universally identified with vipassan rather than
with samatha meditation. Nevertheless, and especially since we are
concerned here with a modern school of meditation, it will be useful to
treat samathaand vipassan separately.
2.1.2.1 SamathaMeditation
Samatha16
is identified in Buddhist doctrine with samdhi,
cittekaggat, and avikkhepa, concentration, one-pointedness of mind, and
non-distraction, respectively. The Dhammasagai defines one-
pointedness of mind, in turn, as,
stability, solidity, absorbed steadfastness of thought which on that
occasion is the absence of distraction, balance, unperturbed mental
15M I 301.16See Nyanatiloka, Buddhist Dictionary: Manual of Buddhist Terms
and Doctrines, (Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1980), sv.
Page 26 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
27/147
14
procedure, quiet, the faculty and the poser of concentration, right
concentration.17
Samdhiis a positive state rather than a passive or unconscious
trance, or a hypnotic state of mind.18
It is characterized by the absence of
mental wandering and agitation, its function being to unify the mind and
its manifestation tranquillity and knowledge. In the state of samdhi,
passion is displaced by clarity of insight.19
.
Samathameditation, then, aims at a unified, tranquil, and one-
pointed state of mind.
The technique is one of concentrating the attention on a
particular object. Traditionally there are forty such objects, with one
being selected for the meditator to suit his temperament and stage of
progress. The most common object of meditation, and one repeatedly
referred to by the Buddha himself, is the breath. When concentration has
become sufficiently strong, the physical object is replaced by a mental
image and a state called jhna, or absorption, is attained. The quality of
the concentration onthe object is first refined, and then the mental image
is manipulated and consciousness is turned back on itself in such a way
so as to lift the consciousness into higher and higher states.20
2.1.2.1.1 Levels of Concentration
The commentaries identify three levels of concentration. The
first is parikamma samdhi (momentary concentration). This is the
ordinary level of concentration necessary for everyday tasks. The second
level is upacra samdhi (proximate concentration) the level of
concentration that has nearly entered the state of jhna (absorption) and
at which the mental image replaces the physical thing as object of
17C. A. F. Rhys Davids, tr., A Buddhist Manual of Psychological Ethics(Dhammasagai), (London: Pali Text Society, 1974), 11.
18Paravahera Vajiranana Mahathera, op cit, p. 19.19Ibid, p. 18f.20Cp Bhikkhu Bodhi, A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma: The
Abhidhammattha Sangaha of chariya Anuruddha, (Kandy: Buddhist Publication
Society, 1993, pp. 333-342; see also Bhikkhu amoli, The Path of Purification,2nded., (Colombo: A. Semage, 1964), pp. 105ff.
Page 27 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
28/147
15
consciousness. Third is appan samdhi (attainment concentration) the
level of concentration in the state of absorption.21
While in the state ofjhna, the mind is free of the five nvaraa
(hindrances) and thus able to advance to higher states. These higher states
are grouped into, first, the rpajjhna (form absorptions) in which the
quality of the concentration is refined, and, second, the arpajjhna
(formless absorptions) in which the mental image is manipulated and the
consciousness turned back on itself.
Because Luangpor Teean refers in his teachings to the form
absorptions, we list them here.
The Abhidhamma and the Nikyas list the form absorptions in
slightly different ways. Consciousness in the first form absorption is
characterized by five qualities: vitakka, vicra, pti, sukha, and ekaggat.
Bhikkhu Bodhis translation of these is: initial application, sustained
application, zest, happiness, and one-pointedness.22
The list of qualities
is simplified at each higher stage. At the highest stage, sukhais replaced
by upekkh (equanimity or neutral feeling). In the system found in the
Nikyas, bothvitakka
andvicra
are stripped off in advancing to thesecond stage, while in the Abhidhamma system those two are stripped off
in separate stages, giving the Abhidhamma a system of five stages rather
than the four stages of the Nikyas. They may be listed as follows:
Stage
Nikyas Abhidhamma Qualities
1 1 vitakka, vicra, pti, sukha,
ekaggat
2 vicra, pti, sukha, ekaggat
2 3 pti, sukha, ekaggat
3 4 sukha, ekaggat
4 5 upekkh, ekaggat
It is generally accepted that the Buddhas enlightenment came
while he was in the state of form absorption, and the path and fruition
21Vism III.22Bhikkhu Bodhi, op cit, p. 53.
Page 28 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
29/147
16
moments on attainment of enlightenment are generally considered asjhnamoments, although there is no necessary correlation to the four/five
jhnastages.23
The formless absorptions may be pursued from the fourth (fifth)
fifth form absorption, but these need not detain us here.
2.1.2.2 VipassanMeditation
Vipassan meditation aims directly at vipassan. The word
vipassanis derived frompassati, to see or to realize, and the prefix viis
used in its intensifying sense (PED) and is thus usually translated asinsight, though PED also has inward vision and intuition.
According to Paravahera Vajiranana, the Nikyas and Abhidhamma
associate vipassanclosely with pa(wisdom) and withadassana
(knowledge and vision) especially the direct apprehension of anicca
(impermanence), dukkha, (suffering), and anatt(non-self). According to
Paravahera Vajiranana Mahathera, vipassan meditation leads to such
insight with or without the practice of the Samadhi method.24
Again, it
is not entirely clear that the Buddha and the commentators treated these
as wholly distinct methods. It is clear, nevertheless, that vipassanincludes direct intuition of dukkha, anicca, and anatt and, hence, in
Nyanatilokas words, leads to entrance into the supramundane
statesand to final liberation.25
The Visuddhimagga also associates vipassan with pa,
holding that it surpasses sa (perception/memory/recognition) and
via (consciousness/awareness), and approaches final liberation. The
development of pa is said to destroy the savas (mental impurities),
and to bring about enjoyment of the noble path, and final release from all
suffering,26 in a word, to Nibbna. The Visuddhimagga holds, in turn,
that pa is cultivated through understanding the dhammas or
fundamental aspects of existence. These include, for example, nma
(roughly, mind: consciousness of something), rpa(roughly, physicality:
the material objects of consciousness), the five aggregates
(pacakkhandha), the sense objects, the senses, and processes such as the
23Ibid, p. 73.24Paravahera Vajiranana Mahathera, op cit, p. 22.25Nyanatiloka, op cit, sv vipassan.26Paravahera Vajiranana Mahathera, op cit, p. 345.
Page 29 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
30/147
17
Four Noble Truths and Dependent Origination.27
As we shall see, these
are included as objects of contemplation in the satipahna method
iscussed in detail below.
pically aims at
ultivating awareness of some or all of these dhammas.
reserve a more detailed discussion ofipassanmeditation for later.
28
.2 Doctrinal-Theoretical Framework
eory necessary for any thorough
iscussion of satipahnameditation.
things, in the mechanics of sasra and of escape from it. Precisely
d
Vipassan meditation, as taught today, ty
c
Vipassanmeditation is typically associated, or identified, with
the satipahnamethod of the Nikyas and it is with that method that I
am concerned here. I thereforev
2
Buddhist meditation is taught and practised within a doctrinal
and theoretical context outside of which it cannot be fully understood,
and perhaps not correctly practised.29
In this section, I sketch out a
minimum of Theravda doctrine and th
d
Like other Indian religions originating in the same era,Buddhism assumes the framework of rebirth and kamma, or sasra.
That is, individual beings are born, live, and die but then are reborn, each
as perhaps quite a different sort of creature. They live and die repeatedly,
perhaps without end and perhaps without beginning. Individual identity is
preserved from lifetime to lifetime, and what sort of creature one is born
as, and under what circumstances, is deeply influenced, perhaps
determined, by that individuals actions (kamma) in previous lives.
Certain kinds of action contribute to pleasant rebirths, and those kinds of
action are considered good. Other kinds of action, considered bad,
contribute to painful rebirths. The potentially infinite cycle of rebirth is
considered to be undesirable, and while people typically strive to perform
the kinds of actions that will lead to a pleasant rebirth, the ultimate goal is
exit the cycle: not to be reborn. Indian religions differ, among other
27Ibid.28Section 2.3, Satipahna (The Foundations of Mindfulness) below.29I do not mean that non-Buddhists cannot practice Buddhist meditation,
but only that the doctrine cannot be discarded without further ado, without profoundly
altering the meaning and goals of the practice.
Page 30 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
31/147
18
which actions lead to pleasant rebirths, and which to painful? What is the
driving force of rebirth itself? How is escape effected?
2.2.1 The Four Noble Truths
The Buddhas answers to these questions, as is well known, are
outlined in the Four Noble Truths, the central teaching of all sects of
Buddhism. The following is from the formulation in theDhammaccakkapavattanasutta.
30
The First Noble Truth, the truth of suffering, or dukkha, affirms
the essential suffering of existence, significantly, even pleasure andhappiness are suffering in that they are temporary. Because dukkha is
suffering in a special sense, I shall continue to use the Pali dukkha.
The Second Noble Truth, the truth of arising, or samudaya,
names tahas the cause of dukkha. Tahmeans thirst but is clearly a
metaphor for desire: Thirst for sensual experience, for being, and for
non-being all cause dukkhato arise. The implication here is important: it
is desire, not the results of actions, kamma, as such, that is the driving
force of rebirth. This is reflected as well in the central doctrine of thepaiccasamuppda, or Dependent Origination, where tahis the critical
link driving grasping, becoming, and birth.In other words, whetherone is
reborn is determined by the presence or absence of tah. If one is
reborn, then the conditions of that rebirth are determined by past kamma.
Thirst, here, is shorthand for what is elsewhere in the Nikyas and
commentaries termed kilesas, defilements, or generally, the three
unwholesome roots: lobha, dosa, and moha, typically translated into
English as greed, hatred, and delusion. To help preserve the special
sense of desire meant here, I shall continue to use the Pali tah.
I should like to emphasize here that in the Buddhist
understanding, it is strictly mental attitudes that give rise to dukkhaand to
rebirth: the mind of the individual fully determines that individuals
ultimate fate.
The Third Noble Truth, cessation, or nirodha, is that if tahcan
be made to cease, then dukkhawill cease as well. If tahis eliminated,
there will be no more rebirth. This escape from rebirth is variously
30S V 420.
Page 31 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
32/147
19
referred to as vimutti, emancipation, or Nibbna, extinction (ofdukkha, of rebirth, or of the three unwholesome roots etc.). Nibbna can
be achieved at four different levels. At the lowest level, that ofsotpanna, one may be reborn as many as seven more times before fully
escaping rebirth. At the highest level, that of the arahant,the individual
will not be reborn.
The Fourth Noble Truth, path, or magga, is the way, or the
programme, for eliminating tah. As there are eight parts to the path, it
is referred to as the Noble Eightfold Path. Because of its importance to
the understanding of meditation, I shall treat it in detail in a separate
section below. First, however, given the importance of the mind both incausing dukkhaand in achieving Nibbna, I discuss the Buddhist concept
of mind.
2.2.2 Mind: the Driving Force ofdukkhaand of Rebirth
The first two verses of the Dhammapada begin with the words:
Manopubbagam dhamm manoseh manomay
Manas ce paduhena bhsati v karoti v
Nrada31
translates: Mind is the forerunner ofstates. Mind is chief;
mind-made are they.
Similarly, in the commentarial literature the mind is
characterized as forerunner indicating that the mind determines the
state of being, or: the being, orients itself about the mind.32
The
Dhammapada verses continue to note that actions, i.e. kamma, originate
in the mind, and that hence the future of an individual, inasmuch as it is
influenced by kamma, is, in fact determined by the present stateof mind.
Similarly the Buddha said famously that intention is action.33
In other
words, though actions have future results, it is the mental act of volition,
or intention, that is decisive: an accidental movement is not kammically
effective. Similarly, as we have seen, it is a mental state, and not overt
31Dhp 1, 2. All translations of Dhp are from, Narada Thera, The
Dhammapada, (Kuala Lumpur: Buddhist Missionary Society, 1978).32Bhikkhu Bodhi, op cit, p. 29.33A III 415: Cetanha, bhikkhave, kamma vadmi. Cetayitv kamma
karotikyena vcya manas.
Page 32 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
33/147
20
actions that drive rebirth or that bring about escape from it. This is, of
course, why Buddhist meditation is specifically mentalcultivation. It will
be well, therefore to explore the Buddhist concept of mind.
The term translated as mind from the Dhammapada was mano,
whereas the Abhidhamma literature tends to use citta. These, along with
viaare taken by the commentators to be more or less synonymous.34
The concept is not of an enduring entity, or as something that exists in
itself, but rather as a process (santna)of consciousness ofsomething or
thought about something (vijnana). Mind, moreover, depends for its
existence on name and form (nmarpa).35
It is momentary arising and
falling moment to moment along with cetasika, or mental qualities,36
andcontingent, depending upon senses, sense objects, and prior
consciousness.
The term citta also means heart, thus the emotional and
intellectual focus of human existence.37
The Vibhaga defines citta as
experiencing through the sense organs, or doors: eye, ear, nose, tongue,
body and mind-door. What are experienced are the corresponding objects
(rammaa): visual forms, sounds, odours, tastes, tactile sensations, and
mental objects such as ideas and images.
38
But not only are sense organsand their objects necessary for the arising of citta, cittaitself is required.
This can only be understood as saying that the prior moment of citta
comes to the conjunction of sense organ and object, to give rise to anew moment of citta. Or, that attention is turned to the conjunction of
sense organ and object, thus producing a conscious sense impression.39
This three-way conjunction is termedphassa(contact). Withoutphassa
there is no citta, no consciousness, no mind. This means that cittaalways
34Nyanatiloka, op cit, sv citta.35Bhikkhu Bodhi, op cit. What nmarpameans in this context has, in my
opinion, not been adequately explored by scholars. To translate it as mind-and-
matter as Bhikkhu Bodhi does (op cit, p. 29), is inadequate, since nmais therebytreated as another synonym for mind, and mind is then made to depend on mind.
Nevertheless, whatever nmarpasignifies, we can understand that mind iscontingent, not an absolute, self-contained entity.
36Bhikkhu Bodhi, op cit, p. 76.37PED, sv.38Vibh 70; the idea of a mind-door may seem strange, but the concept is
that ideas and images are not inthe mind but in frontof it in a manner analogous tothe objects of the physical senses. Since the idea/image is not inthe mind there must
be some door or medium of access to it.39M I 111.
Page 33 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
34/147
21
grows out of its own past, it is a series, a continuity: though momentary,citta has a history. That interpretation accords fully with the
Abhidhamma tradition.40
Mind, again, is not an enduring entity, but a contingent process
of awareness of things outside itself.
It should not be surprising, then, that the Buddha characterized
the mind as restless, vacillating, difficult to control and advised
straightening it, as a fletcher straightens an arrow.41
He repeatedly
stressed the possibility of straightening and controlling the mind, and the
value of doing so: Those who subdue [the mind] are freed from the bondof Mra.
42But only the mind itself could subdue or straighten the
mind. Buddhist practice, then, appears to be based on the capacity of the
mind to rectify itself. That, in turn implies that the mind is free. Such a
conclusion is clearly supported by the Abhidhamma inclusion of cetan,
(intention), as a universal feature of citta.43
Consciousness, mind, always
and at every moment intends, or chooses, its response to the objects
presented to it.
Mind, we may say then, is a continually renewed response to theobjects it encounters. That response is free, yet profoundly influenced by
its past responses, and each response profoundly influences its future.
With this understanding of mind, we can see how mind
reproduces its own dukkha through tah, contaminated, as it were byown past responses grounded in greed, hatred and delusion. Moreover,
because it is free, the mind could at any moment relinquish greed, hatred,
and delusion, respond without tah, and thus break the cycle of dukkha.Mind in other words is the key, or, again, the forerunner of all states of
being.
Why does it not do so then? The answer is ignorance (avijj). In
its ignorance, the mind thirsts for what is not dukkha, is permanent, and is
self-existent. In particular it thirsts after (tah) these qualities in itself. Ifit could be made to see things, including itself, as they really are, dukkha,
40See, for example, Bhikkhu Bodhi, op cit, p. 149.41Dhp 33.42Dhp 37.43Bhikkhu Bodhi, op cit, p. 77.
Page 34 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
35/147
22
impermanent (anicca) and non-self (anatt), then it might cease to thirst,
and achieve emancipation, Nibbna. It does not see things as they really
are, however, although they are perpetually in front of it, because itcontinually engages in thoughts that reinforce its delusions and its thirsts.
Rather than simply looking atthings, it looks at its thoughts aboutthem.
2.2.3 The Noble Eightfold Path
But then how can the mind train itself? How can the mind gain
the knowledge that all things are dukkha, impermanent, and non-self, and
cease to respond to things with tah? The answer is the Fourth Noble
Truth: the Noble Eightfold Path. This is also known as the middle path(majjhimpaipad) a balanced path, between the extremes of sensual
pleasure and self-mortification. Traditionally, the eight parts of the path
are grouped into three categories of development:44
1. sammditthi right view
2. sammsakappa right thoughtpa Wisdom
3. sammvc right speech
4. sammkammanta right action
5. sammjva right livelihood
sla Morality
6. sammvyama right effort
7. Sammsati right mindfulness
8. sammsamdhi rightconcentration
samdhi concentration
The eight items of the Path are explicated in many places in the
Nikyas.45
Right view is view in accordance with the Four Noble
Truths. Right view is said to lead the way, as through right view one
may understand the other elements of the path.46
Right thought is
thoughts of renunciation of sensuality, hatred and violence. Rightspeech is refraining from lies, slander, abusive speech, and frivolous
speech. Right action is the avoidance of taking life, of stealing, and of
sexual misconduct. Right livelihood is avoiding wrong ways of making
a living. Right effort is to endeavour to resist the arising of
unwholesome qualities of mind, to eliminate existing unwholesome
qualities, to cause to arise wholesome qualities of mind, and to sustain
and further develop existing wholesome qualities. Right mindfulness is
44See Nyanatiloka, op cit, sv magga.45See, D II 311ff; A II 76ff; etc.46M III 71, 76.
Page 35 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
36/147
23
equated with contemplation of the body, feeling, mind, and dhammas.
That is, the four satipahnas, discussed below. Right Concentration,
is the practise of the rpajjhnas, the form absorptions discussed above.
In spite of the statement in the Nikyas that the first item in the
path leads the way, these are not traditionally thought of as steps to be
taken one after the other, but as mutually reinforcing and mutually
dependent qualities to be developed simultaneously.47
Thus, for example,
perfected right view is not possible without perfected right mindfulness,
and perfected right thought would not be possible without perfected right
effort. In practice, if any of the items should be done first it would seem
to be those concerned with morality: we teach children not to steal beforewe teach them that all is dukkha. The three categories, wisdom, morality,
and concentration, are said to contain the whole of the Buddhas
teachings.48
Morality is the foundation without which no progress along
the path to emancipation is possible. Wisdom and concentration are
mutually supporting. A passage in the Dghanikya has it that:
This is morality, this is concentration, this is wisdom.
Concentration, when imbued with morality brings great fruit and
profit. Wisdom, when imbued with concentration, brings great fruit
and profit. The mind imbued with wisdom becomes completely free
from the corruptions, that is, from the corruption of sensuality, of
becoming, of false views and of ignorance.49
In keeping with the centrality of mind in the Buddhist project,
and without in any way denying the ethical significance of overt actions,
the Abhidhamma tradition interprets the eightfold path as a set of mental
qualities that, when perfected, constitutes the enlightened mind. That is, a
mind in which these qualities are perfected is pure of defilements, no
longer responds with tah, and is able to see Nibbna. In this sensethe enlightened mind is defined as one with the qualities of perfect:
47Nyanatiloka, op cit, sv magga.48Nyanatiloka Mahathera, Fundamentals of Buddhism: Four Lectures,
(Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1994), p. 58.49Maurice Walshe, tr., The Long Discourses of the Buddha
(Dghanikya), (London: Wisdom Publications, 1987), p. 254f.
Page 36 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
37/147
24
1.pa wisdom2. cetan intention3. sammvc right speech4. sammkammanto right action5. samm-jvo right livelihood6. viriya energy7. sati mindfulness8. ekaggat one-pointedness
where right speech, action, and livelihood refer to themental attitudes of
restraint (virati) from the respective wrong behaviour.50
The Noble Eightfold Path remains rather abstract. There are
throughout the Nikyas and in the tradition many concrete instructions, or
techniques, for pursuing the path and perfecting its elements. Because we
are concerned with evaluating a vipassanmeditation technique, we shall
explore only one such technique, that of the foundations of mindfulness,
or satipahna.
2.3 Satipahna(the Foundations of Mindfulness)
Most, perhaps all, teachers of vipassan meditation within the
Theravda tradition today claim to teach satipahnapractice. This is a
practice referred to many times in the Nikyas and indeed the seventh
element of the noble path sammsati refers explicitly to the four
satipahna. These are given a full and detailed exposition in theSatipahnasutta of the Majjhimanikya and the
Mahsatipahnasutta of the Dghanikya. These Suttas are the same
except that theMahsatipahnasuttaincludes an extended a discussion
of the Four Noble Truths. The npnasatisutta and theKyagatasatisuttaof the Majjhimanikya give very similar expositions in
the context of instructions for breathing meditation.
In the compound satipahna, sati, of course means
mindfulness. Pahna may be upahna, placing near, thus
keeping present, remaining aware.51
The commentaries suggest that it
may be frompadhnahna, principal place, the domain (gocara) of
50Bhikkhu Bodhi, op cit, pp. 76-90, 272.51Nyanaponika Thera, The Heart of Buddhist Meditation, p. 10.
Page 37 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
38/147
25
mindfulness.52
In any case, hna is a place, a site, often upon which
items are set53
and it is generally accepted that a satipahna is a base
on which mindfulness may be established. Foundations of mindfulnesshas become the generally accepted translation.
The four foundations of mindfulnessare kya, vedan, citta, and
dhamma: body, feeling, mind, and dhamma.54
The wording of the Sutta is
interesting, and open to significantly different interpretations and variant
translations. The initial list of the foundations is, in Pali:55
Katame cattro? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu kye kynupass
viharati tp sampajno satim vineyya loke abhijjhdomanassa,vedansu vedannupass viharati tp sampajno satim, vineyyaloke abhijjhdomanassa, citte cittnupass viharati tp
sampajno satim vineyya loke abhijjhdomanassa, dhammesu
dhammnupass viharati tp sampajno satim vineyya lokeabhijjhdomanassa.
Soma Thera translates kye kynupass as: contemplating the
body in the body56
with the same construction repeated for feeling,
mind and dhamma.
Walshe has: contemplating body as body57
We may note first that the word translated as contemplation,
anupass, is more like looking at seeing deeply than it is like
thinking about. Keeping that in mind, I shall continue to usecontemplation.
52Ibid.53Cp PED sv.54There simply is no short English translation for dhammaused in this
way. The typical translation here of mental objects is misleading. The term refers
rather to the fundamental aspects/qualities/constituents/phenomena of being. I shall
continue to use the term dhammaand revisit the meaning of the term under the
respective foundation of mindfulness.55D II 290.56Soma Thera, tr., The Way of Mindfulness(Satipahnasutta and
Commentary), Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 1981), p. 1.57Maurice Walshe, op cit, p. 335.
Page 38 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
39/147
26
Somas may be the more literal translation. Walshe, citing the
commentaries and amoli, argues that the wording, body in the body,
indicates that the meditator is to meditate on the body as such, and clearlydistinguishing body, feeling, mind, and dhammasfrom each other.
58We
may say: the actual body rather than an idea or image of the body. This
interpretation is supported by the short instruction given in the Udna to
Bhiya: in the seen there must be just the seen, in the heard, just the
heard, and so forth.59
The commentary has more, indicating that in the body indicates
also an analytical gaze upon the constituent parts of the body.60
This,
rather strengthens than diminishes the sense that one should contemplatethe bodyas suchrather than an idea or image of it, i.e. rather than to think
about it.61
2.3.1 One Path
Early in the Sutta, the Buddha says that the four foundations of
mindfulness constitute ekyano aya bhikkhave maggo:62
monks, this is
the one [or only] path for the destruction of suffering and the attainment
of Nibbna. It may be debated whether or not the Buddha meant that themethod is the only path to Nibbna, but clearly the four foundations are
here presented as an effective method. The commentary gives several
possible interpretations, for example that one here signifies that the
way itself is singular, or that the way is traversed by one individual,
one without a companion,63
or that it is the way of the one, the
Buddha, or that its goal, Nibbna, is unitary. The sub-commentary adds
that while sati constitutes only one of eight elements of the noble path,
the other seven are implied by sati; indeed, it holds that the other seven
are analytically derived from sati, which is therefore in itself the one
whole path.64
58Ibid, p. 590.59Ud 8.60Soma Thera, op cit, p. 32.61Pali scholar Peter Masefield has noted in private conversation that the
locative case (kye)does not necessarily imply inside, and that the phrase could just
as literally be translated as regards the body.62D II 290.63Soma Thera, op cit, p. 18.64Ibid, pp. 18-19.
Page 39 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
40/147
27
We may take it that the methods of this Sutta are central to the
Buddhist pursuit of Nibbna, and that practised fully and properly these
methods will lead to enlightenment.
This one path is presented as the way to: the purification of
beings, the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, the destruction of
suffering and grief, reaching the right path, the attainment of
Nibbana (Somas translations), which the commentary interprets as
clearing the mind of greed, hatred, and delusion, overcoming sorrow,
eliminating physical and mental pain, perfecting the Noble Eightfold
Path, and the extinction of suffering.65
The centrality and presumed effectiveness of the method is
moreover indicated by the Buddhas promise at the end of the Sutta that
any one who practises the satipahna method will achieve
enlightenment either as an arahant or as an angm. He begins by
saying that the result will be obtained within seven years, but
progressively reduces the requisite time down to seven days.
But why is the cultivation of mindfulness so central and why is it
said to be effective? We have seen that it is the activity of the mind thatgenerates suffering and bondage to the cycle of rebirths. In particular,
intention is the essence of kamma, and tah, thirst, or more precisely,
greed, hatred, and delusion, is the cause of dukkhaand the driving forcein rebirth. The mind, however, does not easily cease these self-destructive
activities, but needs a course of discipline, of purification, ofstraightening. The mind is hard to check, swift, flits wherever it
listeth.66
Through constant flitting, the mind avoids seeing things as
they really are: dukkha, impermanent, non-self. Through thinking aboutthings rather than observing them it sustains the delusion of pleasure,
permanence, and self. As the Buddha advised in the Dantabymisutta,Fare along contemplating the body in the body, but do not applyyourself to a train of thought connected with the body; [and so on for
feelings, mind, and dhamma]67
65Ibid, pp. 21-27.66Dhp 35.67M III 136; I. B. Horner, tr., The Middle Length Sayings (Majjhima-
Nikya) Vol. III, (Oxford: Pali Text Society, 1990), p. 182.
Page 40 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
41/147
28
Again, in the Udna story, Bhiya became fully enlightened, an
arahant, immediately the Buddha advised him that in the seen is only
what is seen etc. The full instruction, in Masefields translation,68
is:
Therefore, Bhiya, you should so train yourself that with respect to
the seen there will be merely the seen, that with respect to the heard
there will be merely the heard, that with respect to the sensed there
will be merely the sensed, that with respect to the cognised there
will be merely the cognisedso should you, Bhiya, train yourself.
When for you, Bhiya, with respect to the seen there will be merely
the seen, with respect to the heard there will be merely the heard,
with respect to the sensed there will be merely the sensed, withrespect to the cognised there will be merely the cognised, then you,
Bhiya, will not be therewith. When you, Bhiya, are not therewith,
then you, Bhiya, will not be therein. When you, Bhiya, are not
therein, then you, Bhiya, will be neither here nor there nor,
additionally, in boththis alone is the end of dukkha.
2.3.2 Sati
Sati (mindfulness) is just this sort of direct awareness of theobject that does not distort its vision with discursive thought about the
object: it looks at the object itself, rather than its ideas about the object.
But it also has an element of self-awareness, a regulative function over
the mind, such that sati has sometimes been translated conscience.69
That is to say, mindfulness is just the faculty of mind wherein it
disciplines itself. Or rather, with the strengthening of mindfulness, the
mind sees more and more clearly and directly as it becomes more and
more self-disciplined, approaching the stage at which it abolishes
delusion and relinquishes greedand hatred, letting go its hold on sasra.
To quote Nyanaponika Thera,70mindfulness is:
the unfailing master key for knowing the mind, and is thus the
starting point;
the perfect tool for shapingthe mind, and is thus the focal point;
68P. Masefield, tr., The Udna, (Oxford: Pali Text Society, 1994), p. 8.69C. A. F. Rhys Davids, op cit, p. 14, note 1.70Nyanaponika Thera, op cit, p. 24.
Page 41 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
42/147
29
the lofty manifestation of the achieved freedomof the mind and is
thus the culminating point.
The method of the four foundations of mindfulness is a
systematic and deliberate program for generating and strengthening
mindfulness.
2.3.3 Sampajaaandtpa
I should like to highlight two factors in addition to satithat are
emphasized in the Sutta, and elsewhere in the Nikyas, and which
supplement sati.71
Sampajaa is variously translated clearcomprehension
72, clearly knowing
73 etc. Walshe, in the translation I
am using has clearly aware. Anlayo Bhikkhu argues for clearly
knowing, by which he means clear awareness of the objects of
consciousness with also a clear understanding of what those objects are
and of what is happening.74
One of Anlayos examples of sampajaais
the meditators knowing that a long breath is a long breath.75
He also
cites the Mahsatipahnasutta at D II 313, in support of saying that
satiand sampajaaare required to overcomeptiin advancing from the
second to the thirdjhna. He further cites Vism 163 where it commentsthat sati and sampajaaeliminate desire for pti, presumably, because
with sampajaa one sees the pti clearly for what it is,76
an intense
happiness, but not the goal.
The Nikyas repeatedly call for tpa on the part of those
pursuing enlightenment. Anlayo argues convincingly for a translation of
diligence. Walshe has ardent, which is convenient as an adjective in
its usage in the Sutta. I shall use diligent and diligence largely
because the convenience of the adjective and noun forms. After a long
discussion of etymology and differing cultural connotations of the term,
Anlayo concludes that tpa, indicates a strong and unwavering
71Bhikkhu Anlayo, Satipahnathe Direct Path toNibbna,(Doctoral Thesis, University of Peradeniya, 2001), p. 11.
72Nyanaponika Thera, op cit.73Anlayo, op cit.74Ibid, p. 17.75Ibid.76Cp Vism IV 152.
Page 42 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
43/147
30
commitment, and a balanced effort,77
keeping up ones
contemplation,78
that is perseverance. In a word: diligence.
2.3.4 Rising and VanishingJust to the Extent
Before getting into the details of the Sutta, it may be valuable
here to discuss an instruction that is repeated at the end of each
foundation of mindfulness. At the end of the first it reads:
So he abides contemplating body as body internally
externallyHe abides contemplating arising phenomena in thebodyvanishing phenomena in the bodyOr else, mindfulness thatthere is body is present to him just the extent necessary forknowledge and awareness. And he abides independent, not clinging
to anything in the world.79
The same is repeated at the end of the other foundations, substituting the
respective foundation for body. One is therefore not simply to observe
the objects themselves, but also their arising and falling, their coming to
be and their ceasing to be. The repetition of the phrase emphasises its
importance.
Second, the awareness is not to lock in on any object, but to
focus only as much as necessary for knowing it. Followed by not
clinging to anything in the world, it seems clear that the meditator is alsonot to cling to the objects of awareness. At the cittaand dhamma levels
(see below) that would suggest that the meditator allows thoughts to arise
and pass away as objects, as it were in front of him, to which he does notbecome attached and with which he does not identify.
2.3.5 The Method of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness
2.3.5.1 Contemplation of the body (kynupassan)
This section begins with a description of breathing meditation.
Sitting cross-legged and erect in a solitary place:
77Anlayo, op cit, p. 15.78Ibid p. 16.79Maurice Walshe, op cit, p. 339.
Page 43 of 147
8/14/2019 A STUDY OF THE DYNAMIC MEDITATION
44/147
31
having established mindfulness before him. Mindfully he breathes
in, mindfully he breathes out. Breathing in a long breath, he knows
that he breathes in a long breath, and breathing out a long breath, heknows that he breathes out a long breath. Breathing in a short
breath, he knows that he breathes in a short breath, and breathing
out a long breath, he knows that he breathes out a long breath.80
The commentary indicates that establishing mindfulness before him
simply means being mindful of the object of meditation, in this case the
breath.
The meditator is then instructed to be conscious of the wholebody (sabbakyapaisaved) while inhaling and while exhaling, and to
calm the bodily activities (passambhaya kyasakhra)while inhaling
and while exhaling, as a skilled artisan, in executing his craft, knows
exactly what he is doing at every moment.
The meditator is then instructed to contemplate the body both
internally and externally. The commentary takes internally to mean
ones own breathing body (asssapasssakye) and externally to mean
the breathing body of others.81
The meditator is to be aware of:
arising and vanishing phenomena [dhamma] in the body. Or else,
mindfulness that there is body is present to him just to the extent
necessary for knowledge and awareness. And he abides
independent, not clinging to anything in the world.82
2.3.5.1.1 Major and Minor Postures/Movements
Although this section of the Sutta began with a description of
formal sitting meditation, it now extends the method to apply much morebroadly. First it addresses the four major postures/movements. When
the monk is walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, he must know that
he is walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. In whatever way his body
is disposed, he knows that that is how it is.83
These postur
top related