1. The Path¶
1.1. (Path)¶
In Buddhist tradition the term “Path” has two senses, one being “Pakati maggo” or an ordinary path, i.e. a byway for men and animals, and another “Patipadā maggo” or the path of good or bad behaviour for men alone, traversed through deeds, words and thoughts.
Patipadā maggo is divided into five kinds:
The Descending Path, brought about by offences against the normal Code, and based on Greed, Hatred and Delusion.
The Human path, the path of five moralities or the 10-fold wholesome course of action (Kusala-Kamma-Patha).
The Path to the Six Classes of Heaven, which comprises eight classes of moral consciousness, culminating in Moral Shame (Hiri) and Moral Dread (Ottappa), resulting in alms-giving, attending sermons, building chapels, temples, ecclesiastical schools, hospitals and ordinary schools.
The Path to the Abode of Brahma which is the development of tranquility of mind (Samatha bhavana) by means of meditation upon any of the forty traditional subjects; very briefly, these are classified technically as the ten “Kasina” (Contemplation devices), ten “Asubhas” (Impurities), ten Anussatis“ (Reflections), four ”Brahma-Vihāras“ (Sublime States), one ”Ahārepatikūlasaññ a“ (Reflection one the loathsomeness of food), one ”Catudhātu Vavatthāna“ (Analysis of the four elements), and four ”Arupakammatthāna“ (Stages of arūpa-jhāna).
The Path to Nibbāna, Pali; (Sanskrit:Nirvāna), which is the development of Insight (Vipassana bhavana), having Nāmarūpa, or mental and physical states, as the objects of meditation. Of these five paths, the fifth is the one under consideration and is known as “ekāyana magga” (The Only Way). It is so called because of the following qualities:
It is a straight path, never branching into byways.
It is the path for a person who leaves society and retires into a secluded place to practise.
It is the path of the Buddha himself, as He was the discoverer of this path by his own effort.
It is a path found in Buddhism only, and not explicitly in other religions.
It is the path leading to Nibbāna, as set out in the Pali Scriptures:
“Cattārome bhikkhave satipatthānā bhavitā bahulikata ekantanibbitāya virāgāya nirothāya upasamāya abhiññaya sambodhaya nibbanāya samvattati”
“Brethren! These four Foundations of Mindfulness, (Satipatthānā), when fully practised, produce detachment, freedom from craving, complete release, perfect bliss, perfect wisdom, enlightenment, Nibbāna.”
“Seyyathāpi bhikkhave gamganadipācinaninnā pācinaponā pācinapabbharā evameva kho bhikkhave cattāro satipatthāne bhavento satipatthāne bahulikarōnto nibbānaninno hoti nibbānapono nibbānapabbhāro.”
“Brethren! As the Ganges flows, rushes and races towards the West, so does a bhikkhu who develops and practises the Four Foundations of Mindfulness tend towards Nibbāna.”
1.2. Questions and Answers¶
Q. Where and when do the five Aggregates (Khandha) of the present moment, which are reducible to matter and mind (rūpa dhamma and nama dhamma) arise and cease?
A. They arise at the six internal sense-bases (āyatana), namely: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind-base, and at the six external sense-bases : visible object, sound, odour, taste, body-impression and mind object, whenever one’s eyes see a form, ears hear a sound, nose senses a smell, tongue experiences a taste, body contacts something cold, hot, soft, or hard, or one’s mind seizes upon an idea; and they cease whence they arise, being born and perishing instantly.
Q. Whence and when do greed, hatred and delusion arise and cease?
A. They also arise at the internal and external sense-bases, for example, when one’s eyes see a form, grasping at it is greed (lobha) and hatred (dosa)“ lack of mindfulness in acknowledging the reality behind the form is unawareness. The same applies to the other kinds of perception.
Q. While greed, hatred and delusion can still arise, can Man be free from the Descending Path?
A. He cannot.
Q. If that is so, what can one do to avoid the Descending Path?
A. One has to carry out the path to Nibbāna.
Q. What is the path to Nibbāna?
A. It is based on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness by means of Insight Meditation (Vipassanā Bhavanā):
Contemplation of the Body (Kāyānupassana),
Contemplation of Feelings (Vedanānupassanā),
Contemplation of States of Consciousness (Cittanupassanā),
Contemplation of Mind-objects (Dhammānupassanā).
During the Buddha’s Ministry, while the Exalted One stayed at a village called Kammasadamma in the state of Kuru, He mentioned the people of Kuru as the inspirers of His talk and thereupon gave a sermon on the practice of the Foundations of Mindfulness, which will be condensed below.
(The people of Kuru state, no matter whether they were Bhikkhus, Bhikkhunis or lay disciples were of quick understanding as their environment and social conditions were good, and all of them possessed healthy bodies and minds suitable for deep Contemplation. Knowing this, and having a gathering of the Kuru people before Him. Lord Buddha at once delivered the profound sermon, on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, to them.)
The Kuru followers of Buddhism used to practise the Foundations of Mindfulness regularly. Even the slave labourers talked to one another on the Foundations of Mindfulness. At the waterfronts or the workshops, or wherever else they happened to be, they all discussed this subject. Whenever any person was asked which one of the four Foundations he has been practising, if he answered he had not, the others would reprove him by saying’ that, though he was alive he was really behaving as if dead. They would exhort him not to be negligent and instruct him to practise one of the Foundations of Mindfulness. Should the person addressed answer that he had been practising one of the Foundations of Mindfulness, the Kuru people would praise him three times with the words, “That is good” and commend him for living an excellent life and achieving conduct worthy of a human being, the Buddha having been bom into the world for the benefit of such as he. Considering that we have encountered Buddhism, it is therefore appropriate that all of us should practise the Dhammas of liberation without letting the time go by uselessly. If we have done great merit in the past, we shall be able to obtain Path and Fruition according to our latent disposition, as set out in the following:
“Ekadhammo bhikkhave bhāvito bahulikato Sotāpattiphalasacchikiriyāya samvattati sakadāgamiphalasac-chikiriyāya samvattati,”
meaning, “Brethren! This incomparable Dhamma, practised fully by any person, would result in Sotāpattiphala, Skādagāmiphala, Anāgāmiphala, and Arahattaphala. What is this incomparable Dhamma? It is Kāyagatāsati, Mindfulness of the Body.”
“Amatante bhikkahave na paribhuñjanti ye Kāyagatasatim na paribhuñjanti amatante bhikkhave paribhuñjanti ye Kāyagatasatim paribhuñjanti,”
“Brethren! Those who do not practise mindfulness of the body, will never taste immortality; those who so practise mindfulness of the body, will certainly enter into immortality.”
Q. Are there any preparations which the practitioner should make beforehand?
A. Certain necessary conditions are :
To live near a capable instructor.
To keep the six guiding-faculties (indriya) healthy.
To keep the mind fixed upon the Four Foundations.
Duties to be performed by the practitioner :-
Make a positive resolution that one will not be discouraged as long as one has not yet attained the exalted Dhamma through great effort, diligence and perseverance.
Eat less, sleep less and speak less, but practise more.
Control one’s eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind
Perform all actioas slowly and with constant awareness.
Perform all actions under the guidance of the following three healthy mental components, energy, mindfulness and awareness. The practitioner should endeavour to walk mindfully and to acknowledge the various perceptions without wishing to discontinue. This is the arousing of energy. Acknowledge every movement beforehand. This is the practice of mindfulness. When performing even the least of actions be conscious of every movement. This is the development of awareness.
Activities to be avoided by the practitioner.
Busying oneself with various jobs, such as cleaning, writing, and reading.
Indulging in much sleep with consequent loss of effort. The practitioner should sleep at the most four hours a day.
Indulging in talking and searching after friends, thus losing one’s practice of mindfulness.
Seeking company.
Lacking restraint of the senses.
Immoderation in eating. The proper course is to stop eating when five more mouthfuls would prove sufficient.
Failing to acknowledge mental activity when the mind seizes on or loses hold of an idea.
When the mind is concentrated :
Walk mindfully for one hour, then sit down and acknowledge the various trends of body and mind as they arise, increasing the time for this practice form thirty minutes to one hour or more according to one’s capability.
Here is must be said in warning that if the energy exerted is great while the concentration is insufficient, distraction will arise. For example, when one acknowledges one’s awareness, “Rising,” “falling,” “sitting,” “touching,” if one cannot acknowledge the activity at that moment and yet continue, the energy exerted to try to do so will be too great and distraction will arise.
If concentration is too strong while energy is insufficient, apathy and weariness will ensue.
If faith is too great while reason is weak, greed will seize hold of the mind.
If reason is too strong while faith is insufficient, doubt and delusion will result.
And so the practitioner must learn through the practice of mindfulness how to bring about a balance of faith, reason, energy and concentration.
This is the way to bring these faculties or indriyas inbalance:
While practising the walking exercise, do it slowly and acknowledge the various movements at every moment. Your gaze should be about 4 feet in front of you, when looking down however, pain may arise at the back of the neck. If that occurs fix your gaze at a point about two metres in front of your feet. In so doing, one will not lose control of one’s mind and will also attain good concentration in the sitting posture. Truth will then be revealed when the mind has spent a certain period in deep concentration.
After the performance of the mindful walking, begin to acknowledge the rise and fall of the abdomen in the sitting posture. In doing so, do not restrain the mind and body too much or use too much effort. For example, there is a form of over-exertion which arises when one feels sleepy and tries to keep awake, or when one cannot acknowledge the constant changes in one’s mind and body, but still keeps up the effort. One should also never be too slack in practice and allow the mind to act under the sway of various unhealthy tendencies whenever it has the inclination. One should practise according to one’s capacity without too much restraint or effort and without yielding to the power of latent tendencies. This is the Path of Moderation.
Keep one’s mindfulness constant; for example, after performing the mindful walk, acknowledge in the sitting posture every activity of the body and mind without letting mindfulness slip. Do this slowly and without agitation.
Preliminary arrangements and how to begin the practice of Insight Meditation (Vipassana).
The monks should make confession first, while the lay disciples should ask for the precepts before practice. Most of them observe the eight precepts.
Pay homage to the Triple Gem and one’s instructor thus: “Imaham Bhagavā attabhavam Tumhākam pariccajami” “Master, May I pay you homage for the purpose of practising insight meditation (Vipassanā) from this moment!”
Ask for the exercises as follows: “Nibbānassa me bhante sacchikaranatthaya Kammatthānam dehi” “Master, Will you give me instruction for in sight meditation (Vipassana) so that I may comprehend the Path, the Fruition and Nibbāna later?”
Extend your friendship to all beings in some such way as this:
“May I and all beings be happy, free from suffering, free from longing for revenge, free from troubles, difficulties and dangers and be protected from all misfortune. May no being suffer loss! All beings have their own Kamma, have Kamma as origin; have Kamma as heredity; have Kamma as refuge; whatever Kamma one performs be it good or bad, returns to one.
Practise the exercise of mindfulness of death thus: Our lives are transient and death is certain. That being so, we are fortunate to have entered upon the practice of insight meditation (Vipassanā) on this occasion as now we have not been born in vain and have not missed the opportunity to practise the Dhamma.
To the Buddha and his disciples, take a vow, as follows: “The path which all Buddhas, their venerable left-hand and right-hand disciples.their eighty great disciples and their Arahat disciples have taken to Nibbana, the path which is known as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness and is the path comprehended by the wise, I solemnly promise that I will follow in sincerity to attain that Path, the Fruition, and Nibbāana, according to my own initiative from this occasion onwards.”
“May I offer the Buddha this practice of Dhamma worthy of Dhamma!”
“I am certain to cross over suffering from birth, suffering from decay, suffering from diseases and suffering from death by this practice.
The instructor then gives advice to those beginning the practice as he sees fit.
1.3. Advice to the Practitioner¶
Now that we have been fortunate enough to meet the Dhamma, the doctrine of the Buddha, it is most appropriate to cultivate the precepts, concentration, and insight in one’s own self to the point of perfection. Those perfect in the precepts are certain to achieve happiness in the present and future lives; nevertheless these precepts are mundane (lokiya-silas) and it is not guaranteed that they can help people to be absolutely free from the descending path. As a result we have to cultivate precepts leading to the supra-mundane, to greater perfection. These are precepts for the attainment of the Path and Fruition. If we practise the exercise up to the precepts for attainment of Fruition, we are certain to be free from the Descending Path. It is, therefore, very advantageous to cultivate the precepts for the Path and Fruition in this life. If we practise the exercise with great carefulness we will be successful, but if we ignore the opportunity to practise, we cannot attain to freedom. On this occasion there still remains an opportunity for the demerits latent from the previous life to become effective, and demerits not yet performed are liable to be performed. Those already performed are liable to accumulate. Every human life is to be considered as having been bom of merits and as a wonderful opportunity.
To enter the practice of Insight Meditation (Vipassana) means the cultivation of such potentialities as perfection and the development of the Precepts, Concentration and Wisdom from the lower to the higher levels. As we have already seen, the precepts fall into two classes: mundane, consisting of the ordinary moral codes for laymen and bhikkhus, and supra-mundane, which are developed only in persons practising Insight Meditation (Vipassana) up to attainment of the Path. Concentration also falls into the same two classes, the mundane concentration of practitioners who have not yet attained the levels of Path and Fruition, and supra-mundane concentration, arising in persons practising Insight Meditation (Vipassana) up to these levels. The same applies to the faculty of Wisdom, mundane wisdom comprising insight into what is meritorious or demeritorious, beneficial or detrimental, profitable or unprofitable, and some understanding of the nature of mental and physical states and the “three characteristics” while supra-mundane or developed wisdom arises in those practising Insight Meditation (Vipassana) up to the levels of the Path, the Fruition and Nibbana.
Those who practise Insight Meditation (Vipassana) do so in order to learn to live a holy disciplined life to the point of perfection. It is, therefore, to be condidered our great advantage, but those who let the opportunity slip by, will realise afterwards that they met with Dhamma in letter only and missed the spirit. However, those who have practised and acquired the eyes of Wisdom will be greatly rewarded and are to be thought of as having paid the only real form of homage to the Buddha. And they are also to be condidered the true disciples of the victorious One, as may be seen from the following quotation: “Bhikkhave mayi sasenho tissasadito va hotu” meaning “Brethren! whoever has love for me, let him be like Tissa. Not those who offer me flowers, incense, candles and all kinds of perfumes are to be considered as having paid me true homage, but those who have practised the Dhamma worthy of Dhamma,”
Also, those who have practised Insight Meditation are to be reckoned as having furthered the cause of Dhamma as set out in Pali:
“Yāva hi ima catasso parisā mam imāya patipatti-pūjāya pūjessanti”, meaning, “For however long the four assemblies pay me homage with this practice of Dhamma, just so song will my religion endure, as even the full moon hangs suspended conspicuously amidst the sky at night”
Those deserving persons who have joined in the practice should be considered as having done enormous benefit to themselves and to others, even including the nation, the faith, the King and the Constitution.
“Vuddhim virulhim vepullam pappotu Buddhasā sane.” “Finally may you all be prosperous, flourishing and fortunate in Dhamma; in other words, may you attain the Path, the Fruition and Nibbhāna.”
Having given such advice, the Instructor should being to give exercises to those entering the practice, thus:
Instruct them to walk mindfully, and to acknowledge the movements in their mind in some such way as “Right moves thus, Left moves thus.” Teach them also to be mindful while standing and turning around.
Instruct them how to concentrate in the sitting position, i.e. to meditate on the rising and falling of the abdomen, acknowledging the movement: “Rising, Falling,” and teach them how to recline in a posture suitable for concentration. (Note of the translator: In meditating on the rising and falling of the abdomen one has to employ what is called in physiology,’ diaphragm breathing which is the sinking in and bulging out of the abdomen in succession. Meanwhile the chest is kept at rest. Diaphragm breathing is employed when the body is at rest and the mind is not to emotional. In the sitting or reclining posture meditate on the rising and falling of the abdomen only, and not oh the passage of air through the nostrils. This kind of diaphragm breathing in itself prevents strong emotions from arising and is a physiological key to the prevention of the various defilements (Kilesa) from entering the mind.)
Instruct them to meditate on various feelings (Vedana) and acknowledge them accordingly. For example, when one is in pain, acknowledge the pain, “Painful, painful,” etc.
Instruct the students to meditate on thought when various ideas arise. For example, when one is thinking, acknowledge the thought (citta) “Thinking, thinking.”
Instruct them to meditate on the six doors of the senses, the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, and acknowledge the perceptions thus:
While seeing, acknowledge the sight, “Seeing.”
While hearing acknowledge the sound, “Hearing.”
While smelling, acknowledge the smell, “Smelling.”
While tasting, acknowledge the taste, “Tasting.”
While experiencing a cold, hot, soft or hard touch, acknowledge the touch, “Touching.”
While thinking, acknowledge the thought, “Thinking.” (or imagining)
Instruct the student of Insight Meditation (Vipassana) to meditate on the movements of the body and acknowledge them as described; for example; to step forward, to step backward, to turn right, to turn left, to crouch, to stretch, to hold the begging bowl, to dress, to cover the body with a blanket, to eat, to think, to chew, to taste, to discharge excretion and urine, to walk, to stand, to sit, to lie, to sleep, to wake up, to speak and to keep quiet.
Note
On the first day the instructor should examine those who are beginning the practice. If they know the Doctrine only a trifle or are old people, then he should instruct them to walk mindfully, to acknowledge the rise and the fall of the abdomen and to acknowledge various feelings and thoughts. This is enough. Subsequently the instructor can give them more instruction after again examining the state of their perceptions and mental states (or making psycho-analysis). This procedure applies also to young people and chidren.
The practitioners should then prostrate themselves before their instructor in salutation and retire to their cells to begin the practice.
The instructor must go and see the students to examine their perceptions and mental states every day and give further instruction in practice according to the stage of knowledge or awareness achieved. For example when the practitioners have achieved the knowledge of discriminating mental and physical states (nāmarūpaparicchedañāna), the instructor should give further exercises, i.e. teach them to acknowledge their thoughts from then on whenever they want to crouch, to stretch or to rise.
When the practitioners have achieved the knowledge of discriminating cause and effect (paccayapariggahañana), acknowledgement of the movements while walking is increased two steps, to include, “Lifting, Treading”. In the sitting posture the practitioners should now acknowledge both the rising and falling of the belly and the posture. The important point is not to increase the number of exercises by more than two in the same day.
Question: What should the practitioners be taught?
Answer: They should perform various exercises as follows:
