Friday, November 27, 2015

Buddhist Meditation - Preparatory Stage

If you sincerely desire to devolop contemplation and attain insight in your present life, you should give up worldly thoughts and actions during the meditation training. This course of action is for the purification of conduct, the essential preliminary step towards the proper devolopment of contemplation. You must also observe the rules of discipline prescribed for laymen, for they are important in gaining insight. For layfolk, these rules comprise the Eight Precepts which Buddhist devotees observe on Poya Days and during the period of meditation.


Eight Precepts are given bellow.


1. I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures (Pali word: Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami )
2. I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given (Pali word: Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami)
3. I undertake the precept to refrain from sexual activity (Pali word:  Abrahmacariya veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami)
4. undertake the precept to refrain from incorrect speech (Pali word: Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami)
5. I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness (Pali word: Suramerayamajja pamadatthana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami)
6. I undertake the precept to refrain from eating at the forbidden time (i.e., after noon) (Pali word: Vikalabhojana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami )
7. I undertake the precept to refrain from dancing, singing, music, going to see entertainments, wearing garlands, using perfumes, and beautifying the body with cosmetics (Pali word:  Nacca-gita-vadita-visukkadassana mala-gandha-vilepana-dharana-mandana-vibhusanathana
veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami )
8. I undertake the precept to refrain from lying on a high or luxurious sleeping place (Pali word: Uccasayana-mahasayana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami)


An additional rule is not to speak with contempt, in just, or out of malice to or about any of the Noble Ones who have attained states of sanctity. If you have done so , then personally apologize to him or her or make the apology through your meditation instructor. If in the past you have spoken contemptuously to a Noble One who is presently unavailable or deceased, confess this offence to your meditation instructor or introspectively to yourself.


The Old Masters of the Buddhist tradition suggest that your entrust yourself to the Enlightened One, the Buddha, during the training period, for you may be alarmed, if it happens that you own state of mind produces unwhole-some or frightening visions during contemplation.
Also place yourself under the guidance of your meditation instructor, for then he can talk you frankly about your work in contemplation and give you the guidance he thinks necessary. These are the advantages of placing trust in the Enlightened One, the Buddha, and practicing
under the guidance of your instructor. The aim of this practice and its greatest benefit is release from greed, hatred and delusion, which are the roots of all evil and suffering. This intensive course in insight training can lead you to such release. So work ardently with this end in view so that your training will be successfully completed. This kind of training in contemplation, base on the foundations of mindfulness (Satipatthana), has been taken by successive Buddhas and Noble Ones who attained release. You are to be congratulated on having the
opportunity to take the same kind of training they had undergone.


It is also important  for you to begin your training with a brief contemplation on the "Four Protections" which the Enlightened One, the Buddha, offers you for reflection. It is helpful for your psychological welfare at this stage to reflect on them. The subjects of these four
protective reflections are the Buddha him self, Loving kindness, the loathsome aspects of the body, and death.


First, Devote yourself to the Buddha by sincerely appreciating his nine chief qualities in the way: Truly, The Buddha is holy, Fully enlightened, Perfect in knowledge and conduct, a welfarer, World-knower, the incomparable leader of men to be tamed, Teacher of gods and mankind, the Awakened and Exalted One.


Second, reflect upon all sentient beings as the receivers of your loving kindness, be fortified by your thoughts of loving kindness, and identify  yourself  with sentient beings without distinction.


Third, reflection upon the repulsive nature of the body to assist you in diminishing the unwholesome attachment that so many people have for the body. Dwell upon some of its impurities, such as stomach, intestines, phlegm, pus, blood. Ponder these impurities so that the absurd
fondness for the body may be eliminated.


The fourth protection for your psychological benefit is to reflect on the phenomenon of ever-approaching death. Buddhist teaching stress that life is uncertain, but death is certain, life is precarious, but death is sure. Life has death as its goal. There is birth, disease, suffering, old
age, and existence.

Friday, November 20, 2015

Practical Insight Meditation

It is a truism that nobody likes suffering and everybody seeks happiness. In this world of ours, human beings make all possible efforts to prevent and alleviate suffering and enjoy happiness.
Nevertheless, their efforts are mainly directed to obtaining their physical well-being by material means. Happiness however, is conditioned by attitudes of mind, and yet only a few persons give
real thought to mental devolopment, while fewer still practice mind-training in earnest.


To illustrate this point, attention may be drawn to the commonplace habits of cleaning and tidying up one's body, the endless pursuits of food, clothing and shelter, and the tremendous
technological progress achieved to raise the material standard of living, to improve the means of transportation and communication, and to prevent and cure diseases and ailments. All those
striving are, in the main concerned with the care and nourishment of the body, and it must be recognized that they are essential. However, these human efforts and achievements can not possibly
alleviate or eradicate the suffering associated with old age and death, domestic infelicity and economic troubles, in short, with non-satisfaction of wants and desires. Suffering of this nature can
not be overcome only by mind-training and mental development.


It thus becomes clear that the right way must be sought to train, stabilize, and purify the mind.   This way is found in the "Maha satipattana Sutta " a well known discoures of the BUDDHA,
delivered well over 2600 years ago.   The Buddha declared thus: This is the sole way for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the destroying of pain and
grief, for reaching the right path, for the realization of Nibbana, namely the four foundations of mindfulness.


 The four foundations of mindfulness are :

1. The contemplation of the body
2. The contemplation of feelings
3. The contemplation of mind
4. The contemplation of mind objects.


Obviously, this way should be followed by those in search of happiness, with a view to getting rid of the impurities of mind, which are the cause of their suffering.

If a person were asked whether he wished to overcome sorrow and lamentation, he would surely say "Yes". Then he indeed everybody should practice the four foundations of mindfulness.


If a person were asked whether he wished to destroy pain and grief, he would not hesitate to say "Yes". Then he - indeed everybody- should practice the four foundations of mindfulness.


If he were asked whether he wished to reach the right path and realize "Nibbana", absolute freedom from old age, decay and death and from all suffering, he would certainly say "Yes". 
Then he - indeed everybody- should practice the four foundations of mindfulness.


How should one practice the four foundations of mindfulness?? In the "Maha Satipattana sutta" the Budda said: "Dwell practicing body contemplation , felling contemplation, mind
contemplation, mind- object contemplation," Without the guidance of well-qualified teacher, however, it will not easy for an average person to practice these contemplation in a systematic
manner in order to make progress towards development of concentration and insight.