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Buddha sasanam clram titthatuReligious Publication Permission
No. 31198 (3)
Cover Design Permission No. 22/98 (5)
FIRST PRINTINGNovember - 1998
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DEDICATIONI dedicate this booklet ana humbly pay
respect to -Those who have liberated themselves,Those who are
still working for liberation,And those who are about to attain
libera tionfrom all suffering,
* * *As well as those who were my parents, myteachers, my
relatives and friends in many,many, past lives.
* * *Ialso pay my humble respect to -
my parents, my teachers, my relatives andfriends of this present
life.
* * *"May they enjoy peace of mind and theybefore from all
suffering".-- MgHla Paw
Namo Tassa Bhagavato ArahatoSamma Sambuddhassa
INTRODUCTION
This writer somehow came into contact with andarrived at the
Maha Bodhi Vipassana MeditationCentre, Mandalay, on the Full Moon
Day ofDazaungmon, 1337 Myanmar Era (13-11-75). It wasnot to
practise meditation, but as fate would have it, totake refuge at
the centre while doing odd jobs for thecommunity there. Thus I had
a chance to learn aboutmeditation and actually participate in the
Vipassanapractices as carried out at the centre.
After I had discovered the value and benefit ofVipassana
meditation through my own personalexperienc, I explained it to my
relatives and friends asbest as I could and encouraged them to try
it out forthemselves. In trying to do this I had different kinds
ofexperiences, and came across different kinds of people
.::. in different situations.(1) Some people have no idea
whatsoever of what
meditation is all about.(2) Some people can't spare the time to
practise
meditation at fixed hours although they areinterested in
meditation practice.
(3) Some people go in for meditation and find timeto practise
it, but they don't do it the right way.
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6
(4) Some people have a prejudice against religiouspractices and,
therefore, they keep clear ofmeditation practice.Thus I have
discovered four kinds of people
through experience. .I do believe that the first type of people
WIll
definitely practise meditation if they can only beconvinced of
the true worth and value of insightmeditation.
Ialso believe that the second type of people whofor various
reasons cannot find time for meditation,will take up meditation
practice once they realize theworth of meditation and the actual
time it requires.
It is also my belief that the third type of peoplewill
definitely find the right path once they discoverthe right method
and accurate procedure in medita-tion.
The fourth type of people will still be far re-moved from
meditation practice unless they acquire aclear understanding and
arrive at the. right view ofthings.
This treatise j~ the result of such experience andbelief and is
the combination of my personal findings
, °
from my own meditation practice and my theoreticalknowledge from
books.
This is the easiest, clearest, and shortest way to
7
insight meditation for (1) those who are indifferent,thinking
that meditation practice is difficult becausethey are not familiar
with it, (2) those who say theycan't spare the time because they
are occupied withworldly matters such as social obligations and
busi-ness matters, and (3) those who are unhappy and wishto seek
escape from the tribulations of life.
Since this meditation guide is meant for 'thedeliverance from
suffering' of all intelligent peoplewho breathe in and breathe out,
it tries to avoidprejudices as much as possible in crderto be free
fromracial or religious distinctions.
As every meditator will benefit from insightmeditation,
differences in race, religion or personalbeliefs should not be an
obstacle to the practice ofinsight meditation. Anyone with proper
understand-ing regardless of age, race or religion, can practise
thisform of meditation. It is hoped that you will go in forit and
benefit from it. But Imust frankly admit that thismedita tion
techniq ue has been adopted from the teach-ings of Theravada
Buddhism.
As you will experience and see for yourself thebeneficial
results when you actually practise medita-tion, I don't wish to say
much except that you willdefinitely be rewarded with
8
(1) Tranquillity (calm and quiet state of mind)(2) Retentive
Memory (ability to remember things
better)(3) Complete Relaxation (being free from anxiety
and weariness - a peaceful state of mind)(4) Endurance (ability
to endure or bear pain, hard-
ship, etc.)(5) Clear Thinking (thinking good thoughts
clearly)(6) Ability to Make Right Decisions(7) Perception of
Concepts (clear and correct under-
standing of ideas)Even a short duration of time, such as an
hour, a
minute or a second, is very precious. This treatise orbooklet
tells you how you could make the best use ofyourprecious time in a
very practical way. -
We should know how to use useful things.Oh friend! Usejust FIVE
MINUTES out of your
precious day in a practical way.A CALL TO ACTIONJust five
minutes-It's of short duration.If you can concentrate your mind,The
seed f contemplationWill clearly reveal its' worth.A tiny banyan
seedMakes a big banyan tree;A small act of meditationCan be a
powerful deed.
9
Section 1
THE -FIRST STEPMake a firm decision to practise meditation
for
just five minutes. You may find yourself in one of thefollowing
situations when you make this decision.(1) You may be walking on
the road.(2) You may be seated at your office table, at your
writing desk, on a bench, on a train, in a car, ona plane or on
a boat.
(3) You may be on your feet while"getting a jobdone.
(4) You may be reclining quietly or relaxing onyour bed or
couch.Whatever the situation you are in, you should
prepare yourself to meditate for only five minutes.Note the time
using your watch or the clock nearby.Somuch the better if there is
an electric clock that showsminutes and seconds accurately. Next
think of thosewho have attained liberation from all suffering.
Ad-mire their bliss and inner peace. Consider how theymust have
practised meditation in order to reach theirhappy state which is
free from all suffering. Be eagerto attain a similar state of mind.
After that, recite inasoft whisper or mentally the following.
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1110
* 1pay my respect to those personages who havebeen liberated
from all suffering.
* 1 pay my respect to those practices that bringabout the end of
all suffering.
* 1 pay my respect to those persons who arecapable of showing
the way leading to the end ofall suffering. Buddhists may recite
the prayer:'Namo Buddhassa, Namo Dhamassa, NamoSanghassa.
'Meanwhile, consider yourself as being pure and
stainless in body, speech and mind. Next, repeat threetimes 'I
am pure in body, speech and mind'. Doingthese two things will take
you about one minute. Withpractice you will be able to -do these
two thingstogether in just half a a minute or sixty seconds.
Theseare the preliminary things you have to do before youstart your
meditation practice.
Section 2
Basic Meditation PracticeTo begin your meditation, concentrate
on the in-
coming and out-going breaths as they flow in ~r out ofthe
nostrils. Be fully aware of your breath as It flowsin and out
gently brushing the flesh at the tip of yournostrils. When you
become aware of the breath flow-ing in say to yourself mentally '1
know'. Similarly,when you breathe out, be aware of it and mark it
with'I know'. Thus you will be repeating '1 know', 'Iknow', 'I
know' as you keep on breathing normally. Ifyou time your breathing
rate by means of an accurateelectric clock, you will find that it
takes three secondsto breathe in and then breathe out "once" at
normalspeed, that is, 'one and a half second' for each in-breath or
out-breath. Thus in the period of 4minutesor240 seconds that is
left, you will be marking 'I know'80 times for in-breath and 80
times for out-breath.
At first you might not be able to do all thisexactly in 4
minutes because you have to do severalthings all at once at the
same time, fixing your mind onyour breathing, repeating mentally
'1know', '1know',and looking at the clock. Moreover,you are very
eagerto be perfect. Don't worry too much about that; it's
LINES TO REMEMBERThe first thing you must doTo be free from
suffering,Pay respect where it's due -Trusting and
believing.Consider yourself being pureIn thought, word and
deed.
12 13
quite natural that you will find it a bit difficult at
first.Gradually,with constant practice and after manyrepetitions
you will be able to do all this precisely in5 minutes.
You are perfectly successful in your 5-minutemeditation practice
if you meditate in this way for just5 minutes, once a day. If this
goes on day after day,without a break for twelve days,at the end of
thatperiod you will have meditated for exactly 'one hour'.Soon you
will come to know for yourself the effective-ness of this form of
meditation. After some time, whileyou are meditating you will
definitely experiencepeace of mind, calmness and a cheerful
disposition.You may practise your meditation quietly and withease
in any of these' four postures - walking,standing, sitting or lying
down. If you are clearabout the instructions, you can begin
yourmeditation practice soon after reading this. With dailypractice
the result will become more effective andnoticeable.
In order to notice the in-coming or out-goingbreath, deep
concentration and diligence are espe-cially needed. Try and
meditate with a calm and quietmind. Control your emotions or your
feelings of de-light due to excessive confidence. Don't be too
eageror excited. You will be able to visualize the gentlebrushing
of the air as it enters or leaves the nostrilssomewhat like the
gentle breeze from outside touching
your body. As the out-going- breath comes fromwithin your body
it will be somewhat warm. If yournatural breath is not very
noticeable, breathe a littleharder. Place your finger, or palm, or
back of yourhand close to your nostrils and observe. You
willclearly feel the touch of the out-going air. When thebreathing
in and the breathing out are clearly noticed,relax your strong
breathing and gradually return tonormal breathing.
While meditating, don't let any thought aboutthe past or the
future enter your mind. Just be aware ofthe in-coming or out-going
breath and mark eachbreath with 'I know'. As you close your eyes
lightlyand meditate, you may have visions of bright
lights,different kinds of pictures, scenes, signs, shapes
andfigures. But don't take notice of them. Guard yourselfagainst
such visions. They will appear and disppear.Don't be carried away
by them. Just go on concentrat-ing on your breath. When you can
feel or notice thebrush of the passing air as you breathe in and
breatheout, then you have successfully completed the basicstage of
meditation.
LINES TO REMEMBERThe thing to rememberIn the basic stageIs to
observe the passing air,Obvious and clear
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14At the nostrils' tips.As you breathe in and out,Be fully
awareWith constant care,Just for five minutes.
Section 3Higher Meditation (First Stage)
If you can observe and note the in-coming andout-going breath
effectively whenever you meditate,after you have practised
meditation for twelve days,then you can switch over to higher
meditation.
Before you change over to this method, first ofall, you have one
more thing to do. To clear yourconscience and to establish perfect
peace, there mustbe 'asking for forgiveness' and 'forgiving'. You
mayhave offended some people at some time or at someunknown time in
the past, by thought, word or action.In the same way, people may
have offended you bythought, word or action. Therefore, there
should beforgiveness for offences on both sides. You
seekforgiveness and you forgive. In this way, you areclearing your
moral debts and purifying your mind formeditation. To do this,
recite the following silently oraloud.
'I humbly ask for forgiveness from those I haveoffended by
thought, word or action, knowingly orunknowingly, at some time or
at some time unknown
15
to me. I also forgive those who have offended me inthe same
way'.
After that, firmly believing that this meditationcan free you
from all suffering, recite the followingthree times.
'I shall soon be free from all suffering'. Now youare ready to
start your higher meditation.
I.n b~sic meditation, you meditated on yourbr~athmg m and
breathing out, marking each breathWIth 'I know'. Now you just
switch over to' imperma-nent' to mark your brea ths. In other
words, you replace'~kno,:' with' impermanent'. Meditate-in this way
forfive ?IlOutes. If you can do this whenever you can findthe
tlll~e, ~ou have successfully completed your firststage of higher
meditation. While meditating in this~ay, you must realize the fact
that everything isimpermanent, everything is passing away,
everythingISchangmg, and everything is subject to decay.. During
the period of constant practice of this
hlg~er me?it~tio~ (first stage) with understanding,while
meditating 10 periods of just five minutes or forlonger pe~iods
(depending on the time available), dayafter day 10 unbroken
succession; for those who areg~f~edwith special abilities, special
wisdom, specialdiligence, or inborn talents, the nature of the
natural~nd impermanent process of 'becoming' and 'break-mg down'
can be perceived both internally within thebody as well as in the
form of external sensations.
16But only an exceptional individual, perhaps one
in a hundred, one in a thousand, one in ten thousand orone in a
hundred thousand-only an individual assistedby karmic forces from
previous lives - canreally perceive, come to know and understand
thisphenomenon.
Although one may not attain insight perceptionwhilepractising
this meditation, present karmic forces .may endow one with faith,
confidence, mindfulnessand concentration strong enough to enable
one toattain insight perception. Those with determinationand a
strong power of concentration can also gain thisinsighteasily and
definitely.
LINES TO REMEMBERTo advance a step higherIn your meditation
practice,Plead for forgiveness and forgive;Seek freedom from all
suffering.Then, from 'I know', you switch overTo 'impermanent' when
you meditate,To mark your in and out breathing.
Section 4Higher Meditation (Second Stage)
To perceive the true nature of your physicalbody, you can
practise Higher Meditation (Second
17Stage). Before you practise this higher meditation,there are
essential things you need to understandroughly. According to the
view of those who haveovercome suffering and attained perfect
bliss,· theworld we live in, has two kinds of truth, namely,(1) The
truth of non-reality, being just recognition
and naming (the. truth of no real existence),and
(2) The truth of true reality (the truth of realexistence)
-I. Conventional Truth or the Truth of
Non- Existence
'The truth of non-existence' means naming andrecognizing
particular places or regions, periods orages, races or
nationalities according to certaindifferences by all humanity all
over the world frombirth till death. Such names used in speech and
re-corded by means of symbols, letters and words inwriting -
accepted, recognized and used by everyone- are actually
non-existent. These non-existing reali-ties are not permanent
things. They are just whatpeople imagine to be true. They do not
remain fixedforever. They may change from time to time. They
arejust names given and used by intelligent people merely(or
communication among men. This is non-existentreality or
Conventional Truth.
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1918
2. Ultimate Truth or Actual RealityUltimate Truth cannot be
perceived by the natu-
ral sense of sight. Ultimate truth consists of basicrealities
which can 'only be perceived by the delicatemind and through deep
contemplation. Such realitiesnever change or get distorted or move
away from theirusual course in any way but remain the same for
any-one, any creature, everyone and every creature at alltimes.
They remain fixed and constant without everchanging in any way.
This is something that can beperceived or experienced by anyone
regardless of sex,race, religion or nationality in any place or
region atany time as it really exists in nature. Although peoplewho
have perceived this ultimate truth may expresstheir observations
and experiences differently in dif-ferent languages and
expressions, what they haveperceived or experienced remains the
same for every-one. Only such elements of consciousness are
thebasic realities in this world. Only when you perceivethese
realities you see the real truth. This right view ofreality or
truth should be experienced by means of theunusual mind or unusual
consciousness and deepcontemplation.
That ultimate truth can roughly be divided intothree parts.(1)
The concept of impermanence (matter)(2) The concept of
consciousness (mind)(3) The concept of the cessation of all
things,
consciousness. and impermanence (mind andmatter), (inner
peace).
I. Matter - Matter is distinguished by its componentsor
elements. These components are the basic elementswhich characterize
matter or material. They are roughlyof four kinds.
(1) Pathavl (Solidity) - Anything that is resistant,hard, soft,
fine or delicate to touch is solidity (Pathavi),This is Earth
element. The characteristics of soliditysuch as hardness, softness
or fineness can be felt andrecognized by the sense of touch when
handl ing things.
(2) Apo (Cohesion) - Anything that flows or stickstogether has
cohesion or fluidity. This is Water ele-ment. Fluidity (ability to
flow, as gases and liquids do)cannot be clearly recognized by the
sense of touch orby handling. Only by observing and feeling the
fluid-ity, flow and cohesion of the elements can we recog-nize and
understand this water element.
(3) Tejo (Heat) - Anything that heats up or burns isTejo or Fire
element. It can be felt and recognized bythe sense of touch in the
sensation of heat, cold orwarmth when touched or handled.
(4) Vayo (Motion) - Anything that moves about,supports, resists
or whirls is Vayo or Air element. Thisclement is characterized by
its buoyancy or liveliness.We can feel and recognize its
characteristics such asmotion, rush, jumpiness and vibration.
20
Of these four elements, with the exception ofApo (Cohesion), the
remaining three can be clearlyrecognized and observed within one's
physical body.
II. Mental PhenomenonThe consciousness-element (the mental
phe-
nomenon) is of two kinds.
(1) Mind -Mind or consciousness is the perceptionof all sense
impressions received through the senseorgans.
(2) Cetasika - Cetasika refers to the different fac-tors that
accompany consciousness according to senseimpressions.
Nama (Mind), strictly speaking, applies toconsciousness
(Vinnana), Feeling (Vedand), Percep-tion (Sanrla) and Volitional
Energies (Sankhdra}. Allthese together with Rupa (Matter) make up
thephysical and mental phenomena of existence which inreality is a
continuum of Mind and Matter co-existing.
III.Nibbanic Peace Within - This unique experience,which is free
from the changeable nature of matter andmind, and which puts an end
to it, is the ceasing of allsuffering. Matter and mind are
intermixed with suf-fering whereas 'nibbanic peace within' is
totally free
21from suffering. This Peace Within may be experi-:enced through
concentration for brief moments in thepresence of mind and matter.
Only in the total abse~ceof mind and matter and at the cessation of
all suffenngcan one enter this nibbanic bliss once and for all.
It is necessary to have a clear idea of these threethings -
matter, mental phenomenon and nibbanicpeace within.
In higher meditation (first stage), you markedyour
in-coming/out-going breath as 'imperm~ne~t'.Now in the second
stage, you must give up meditatingon the in-coming and out-going
breath. You mustcompletely stop marking your breaths with 'I
know~or'impermanent'. Instead, switch over the concentrationyou
acquired while meditating on your breath, to thetop centre of your
head, or to the middle of your chest,or to some place where the
pulse beat is clearlynoticed. Fixing your concentration on one of
thesethree areas which can easily be observed, mentallyrepeat
'phyit-pyet' ('becoming - vanishing'). As youmeditate in this way,
do not think of the parts of thebody in conventional terms such as
head, hip, body,hand, leg, flesh and blood, bone, nerve,
stomach,intestine, kidney, heart, gall bladder, etc because theyare
just conventional truths or unrealities.. You must only select and
observe the naturalcharacteristics of the basic elements of the
ultimaterealities mentioned earlier. You must meditate on the
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22salient features of Pathavi (solidity), Tejo (heat) andVayo
(motion). Stiffness, tightness, aches and painsare the natural
manifestations of Pathavi (the elementof solidity). Heat, cold,
chilling, warming up, burningsensations are the natural
manifestations of Tejo (theheat element). Characteristics such as
movements,motion, agitations, swellings, vibrations, etc
aremanifestations of Va yo ( motion). Itching is one of thenatural
manifestations of Va yo and perpiration is anatural manifestation
of Apo (Cohesion). You canonly observe the outward manifestation of
Apo. Youcannot meditate on the Apo element within your body.You
should only contemplate the obvious manifesta-tion on your body
while mentally repeating 'phyit-pyet' ('becoming - breaking down'
or 'appearing -disappearing'). When you experience something,
beaware of that sensation and concentrate. Don't let itslip your
mind. Observe the workings of the elements ethoroughly. Next
stretch your awareness widely to allparts of the body. Extend your
concentration to coveryour entire body, from top to bottom, from
bottom to -top. The top centre of the head, the chest, and the
areaof pulsation are indications of parts of the body.Concentrate
onl; )ll the workings of the elements.Depending on your
concentration and calmness ofmind, you will clearly recognize the
natural workingsof the elements in the physical structure of the
body asa whole-throbbing, vibrating, jerking and ceaselessly
23
breaking down. You will also feel your entire bodygetting heated
up, cooling down or warming up. Youwill realize that your whole
physical structure isnothing but a mass of elements, a ball of
components,a lump of material substance, a body of solidity.
If you are aware of this, if you realize this, if youhave
discovered this, or if you have experienced this,then you have been
successful in your higher medita-tion (second stage). If your
mental repetition of 'phyit-pyet' in your meditation, coincides
with the destruc-tion and disintegration of the basic elements
withinyour body, then you have been successful in yourhigher
meditation (second stage).
At this stage, it is necessary to distinguishbetween the two
terms 'impermanence' and 'phyit-pyet'. 'Impermanence' implies that
things and objectsare all the time changing, moving, stirring,
breakingdown, and getting destroyed.
'Phyit-pyet' is a phrase made up of 'phyit'which means
'becoming, forming or coming intoexistence', 'pyet' meaning'
breaking down or gettingdestroyed'. 'Becoming' is one thing and
'getting de-stroyed' is another thing. They are different.
'Impermanence' is a term that combines the twoprocesses
'becoming' and 'destruction'. 'Phyit-pyet'reveals the two component
processes' of 'imperma-nence'.
Therefore, one must meditate in order to be fully
24 25aware of the behaviour of the basic elements as
theydisintegrate or disappear, 'becoming' at the start
and'disintegrating' in the end. 'Becoming this instant,breaking up
the next moment, - this 'phyit-pyet'process must be clearly
observed while you meditate.
You must be able to distinguish between con-templating upon the
out-breathing/in-breathing proc-ess and meditating on the
'phyit-pyet' process of thebasic elements.
If your mind is not at rest due to weak concen-tration you will
not be able to recongnize the naturalbehaviour and characteristics
of the basic elementsclearly. At such a time, to regain full
concentration,you must go back and contemplate upon the in -
and-out breaths at the nostrils. This will restore tranquillityof
the mind for better concentration.
The awareness of the becoming and destructionprocesses of the
elements is the realization of true
eality or the ultimate truth. You will become fullyaware of the
real mind and matter processes of be eo m-ng and disintegrating
within your body, precisely ashey truly are, depending on your
period of meditationnd your force of concentration.
The true rp 'ity of the appearance and disap-arance of the
vibrating manifestations of matter isrceived by the true reality of
the existence of mind
or awareness. Matter is the thing that is perceived andmind is
the entity that perceives. A substance is cut
with a knife. The substance is that which is cut andtheknife is
the thing that cuts. As both the material that iscut and the knife
that cuts are subject to the law ofimpermanence, both are mere
impermanent entitiessubject to 'phyit-pyet'. In the same way, the
mattethat is perceived and the mind that perceives are bothmere
impermanent entities subject te the swiftlychanging process of
'phyit-pyet' .This analytic per-ception of the true nature of the
basic elements ob-jectively and truthfully is the insight acquired
by themeditators of higher meditation.
LINES TO REMEMBERGo up another step higher;Of the two-true
reality and non-reality,Concentrate precisely on the formerFix
your' mind on head's top centre,Or choose the mid-chest area.Be
aware of the obvious beats or movementWhile marking them with
'phyit-pyets'.
-
26 27ticking of the clock, chirping of crickets, etc.
, First of all, mark the sound that stands out fromamong these
various sounds. If you concentrate on thisparticular sound the
other sounds will fade away. Youmay also pick out and fix your
awareness on the song,music or tune you may hear over a loudspeaker
or acassette if that is loud and overpowering. Repeat"phyit-pyet'
('arising' and 'passing away') mentally~s you observe the song or
music. (At this moment, itis not at all necessary to observe your
in-and-outbreaths or the behaviour of the basic elements withinyour
body).
Depending on your concentration, observationand tranquillity of
mind, you will perceive thatparticular sound entering your ears in
pieces, one afteranother, jn succession. You will perceve gaps or
cutsbetween the pieces. You will notice the song, musicor tune
disintegrating as broken pieces hop orjump outone after another.
You will become aware of the factthat as these bits of sound appear
in an unbrokensuccession one after another, from second to
second,or from moment to moment, they instantly disintegrateand
disappear.
Thus sound is also impermanent, meaninglessand subject to
destruction. You will realize that theprocess of 'phyit-pyet' also
applies to the soundelement.
In the same way, it can be seen that sensations
Section 5Higher Meditation (Third Stage)
If you can concentrate and perceive the naturalmanifestations of
becoming and disintegrating in yourbody, you must go on to
concentrate and perceive thesensations (sight, sound, smell, taste,
contact) fromoutside. Just as you marked the inner sensations
youperceived with 'phyit-pyet', you must also learn tomark the
sensations from outside with 'phyit-pyet'.
In this meditation practice, you must first haveas your focus of
attention the sensatior that is mostdistinguished from among those
perceived by the fivesenses, namely, those of sight, sound, smell,
taste andcontact. Except when you are fast asleep, you are
inconstant contact with the sound element which is oneof the
oustanding sensations that you receive fromoutside. Even if you
keep your eyes shut you still hearthe sound.
If you keep the sound element as the focus ofattention, you must
close your eyes and shut out thesensation of sight. This is to have
a better concentra-tionon the sound. Thus you will be concentrating
onlyonthe sound element. You may hear different kinds ofsounds from
outside, such as chatting of people,twittering of birds, barking of
dogs, passing of cars, the
28
arising from sight: smell, taste and contact are alsoimpermanent
and subject to 'phyit-pyet'. You canalso discover that what seems
to be common matter,object,thing, people or creatures are actually
elementsvibrating, bouncing, disintegrating, shifting,
moving,whirling and changing according to the law of
'phyit-pyet'.
You will need special care in observing thematter 'smell'.
Although smells differ from one an-other from being fragrant,
pleasant, pleasing to beingfoul, pungent, putrid and revolting,
they are delicateand may fade away as you fix your mindfulness
onany of them. You will need grea t care in order toperceive the
'phyit-pyet' process in the smell element.
You can be mindful of the obvious 'taste' onlywhile you are
eating or drinking. You will have to bespecially careful when
observing taste (matter) or thelittle taste element on your soft
and delicate tongue.You already know the nature of the various
tasteelements such as those in food or drink -sweet, sour,hot,
salty, acrid, bitter, tasty, etc. Great care must betaken in trying
to perceive the appearance and passingawayof-those taste elements.
They are things that canbe clearly perceived in proportion to your
power ofconcentration.
When meditating on 'contact' matter, you maystart with the touch
of the brushing air from outsideincluding the touch of the clot~es
you are wearing.
29You should meditate also to be able to become mindfulof the
arising and vanishing .process in the actualsensations of heat,
cold, warmth, stiffness, tendernessarising from physical contacts
between individuals. Ifyou practise concentra tion on the various
outer sensa-tions one after another in this way, you will be able
tomeditate effectively.
At this stage, whenever you medita te, from timeto time, you
will perceive all sensations arising fromwhat you see, what you
hear, what you smell, whatyou eat and the sensations from physical
contactsbreaking down into bits and pieces, into heaps andmasses in
a disorderly manner. Depending on yoursharpness of concentration,
you will perceive both theinner and outer processes of the mind and
matterelements - at times distinctly, at times not so
distinctly,now in slow motion, again in rapid succession, in
allforms and manners.
As you advance in your meditation practice andbecome skilful in
concentrating effectively on the truer ality concerning the basic
natural processes of theelements within your body as well as those
comingfrom outside, you will be able to analyse and acquirea true
understanding of your present life condition, theworld or
environment you live in, your relationshipsand dealings .as well as
their causes and effectsincluding both the good and the bad.
Thus you will perceive and understand'suffering'
-
30and the true nature of suffering. After that you willcertainly
discover for yourself the right meditatioripractice that leads to
the end of suffering.
LI ES TO REMEMBERAfter mastering inner contemplationMove on to
outer concentration.Meditate with sharp awarenessThe elem ents of
sight and sound,Smell, taste and contact all roundOnce again, mark
your contemplationWith' phyit- pyet' or 'arise - break down'.
CO CLUSIOParting Remarks
Among the stages of meditation dealt with inthis treatise, only
the basic meditation and the firststaze of higher meditation have
the prescribed time::. . .limit in terms of minutes. Time allotment
IS not giveninthe other stages of higher meditation ..This is to
urge vthe meditator in the early stages to start his meditation
.•practice ith awareness of time limit and- value oftime. After
completing those preliminary stages ofpractice with interest, it is
no longer neces~ar~ to havetimeallotments in the higher stages of
meduanoo. Youcan now use your own discretion.You have got intothe
swing of things in meditation practice.
You should read he instructions given in this
31
book step by step in order to understand them clearlyand then
make an effort to practise meditation to gainpractical experience
and insight into true reality. Inthese instructions the observance
of basic morality(moral precepts for behaviour) based on the purity
ofmind, speech and action during the period of medita-tion, was not
mentioned.
Interest and confidence in the meditation ,maintaining an honest
heart and mind, having a bodyand mind healthy enough for
meditation, will contrib-ute toward promoting this meditation
practice andgaining insight. In these instructions, you were
in-structed to meditate only on the inner physical bodyand the
sensations received from outsi t. You werenot asked to be mindful
of the shapes and shadows,lights and colours and the different
forms and imaze::.that may appear in your mental vision depending
onyour strength of concentration and tranq uillity of mind.Such
mental images or symbolic manifestations aremerely temporary
visions resulting from tranquillityof mind and leanings or
attachments of the distant past.They are not actual or lasting
objects te be observed.So it is not necessary for you to observe or
perceivethese objects of vision. If these visions become
toodistinct and overpowering due to your intense concen-tration and
tranquillity of mind, observe them with the
32
awareness of 'phyit-pyet' or 'impermanence'. De-pending on your
power of observation you will findthese visions disintegrating and
tumbling down topsyturvy.
As this meditation practice begins by observingthe natural
behaviour and characteristics of the promi-nent and tangible
elements, and then moving on to theobservation ofthe entire
physical body as an entity, thenature and characteristics of the
mind have not beenclearly described. If the nature of matter can be
ob-served effectively the nature of mind will also beobserved and
understood through personal experi-ence. Actually, this is just the
beginning of the medi-tation practice (for inner peace and
happiness) whichaims at freedom from suffering and pain. After
youhave successfully completed the different stages ofyour
meditation practice,you will come to perceive thetruemeditation
practice for inner peace and happiness.By practising this
meditation just for five minuteseach day, you can honourably
acquire the pricelesstreasure of inner peace and happiness which is
the endof all suffering as well as true insight and wisdom.Ifyou
wish to learn more about meditation practice,clearly and in greater
detail,after you have practisedthe meditation methods described
here, you may goon to study the meditation practices described
in'Theravada Pitaka'.
33
You will gladly come to realize that you haveperceived and
understood the basic principles of thevarious meditation practices
through your own per-sonal experiences (both physical and
mental).
May you acquire right meditation practice, rightknowledge and
right view.
May you actually attain happiness and tranquil-lity of mind
which is free from all suffering, and trueinsight even in this
present life.
LINES TO REMEMBERIf parting words I must impartI wish you would
immediately startPractising meditation with determination;Note with
keen observationThe 'arising' and 'passing' of elements;Impermanent
are mind and matterImpermanent things both inner and
outer,Ceaselessly forming, changing, decayingYour body is nothing
but sufferingSo work now for total liberation.
Mg Hla Paw (Mahabodhi)"MEDITATE NOW FOR IMMEDIATE PEACE OF
MIND."
Tran ated from yanmar byVen. Candobhasa M.A (Instructor in
English)Abbot Training hool, (Mandalay Division),
MANDALAY,MYANMAR.