PART III: SAMĀDHI
Topic 15: SAMATHA AND VIPASSANĀ MEDITATION
(391 words)
We, human beings, want to get rid of sorrow, suffering and attain true happiness. For this reason, all of us are struggling to earn our own living everyday, to get enough food, clothing, and shelter. However, we are never satisfied and contented with what we have. Our desires never come to an end. Consequently, we are certainly to face worry, anxiety, sorrow, pain, grief, lamentation and despair, etc… so if we wish to release from all these sufferings, we need a remedy. This remedy is nothing but meditation (bhāvanā).
Meditation is a method of repeated contemplation on various objects, namely, body (kāya), sensations (vedanā), consciousness (citta) and mental objects (dhamma). There are two kinds of meditation: Samatha (tranquillity meditation) and Vipassanā (Insight meditation). Samatha bhāvanā leads to concentration of mind (samādhi) and Vipassanā bhāvanā leads to wisdom (paññā).
Samatha means tranquillity, calm or quietness that makes mental defilements cool. When a yogi fixed the mind on a single object, his mind gradually becomes calm and concentrated. At that time, defilements have no chance to arise and his mind become peaceful and tranquil. At this state, one can temporarily suppress five hindrances, i.e. craving (lobha), hatred (dosa), sloth and torpor (thīna-middha), restlessness (uddhacca) and doubts (vicikiccā) and develop five jhāna factors, namely, initial application (vitakka), sustained application (vicāra) appreciate joy (pīti), bliss (sukha) and one-pointedness of mind (ekaggatā).
Vipassanā literally means Insight or seeing in various ways. In other words, practising Vipassanā means we see things as they truly are. Through persistent practice, we come to see this body and all phenomena are nothing but only mind (nāma) and matter (rūpa). They all are subject to impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and non-substantiality (anatta). However, most of us misunderstand these and claim impermanent as permanent, suffering as pleasant and non-substantial as substantial. But as for a good Vipassanā yogi, he knows clearly all are the aggregate (khandha) of materiality and mentality and comprehend their real nature.
Vipassanā meditation can be practised in any posture, anytime and anywhere. Of course practice in the meditation centers with experienced masters is always the best. The main point we have to keep in mind is whatever we are doing, walking, etc we have to be mindful or aware of it. By means of vipassanā, one can deeply understand the real nature of mind and matter and gradually eradicate defilements and finally attain Nibbāna.
Topic 16: Man Now Needs Meditation More Than Ever
(328 words)
Questions: What can Vipassanā do for you? When is Vipassanā needed? / Write a short essay on Vipassanā meditation and modern society or Why is this world always engaged in turmoil, distress and suffering? Suggest some solutions to this problem. / Do you believe that meditation is a means of happiness in our life? Give ample reasons for your answers.
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According to the Pāli texts, primitive people were reincarnated from the Brahman world, so they obscured morality without any prompting. They lived in the four sublime abodes, i.e. loving-kindness (mettā), compassion (karuṇā), sympathetic joy (muditā) and equanimity (upekkhā). As a consequence, no problems and conflicts arose among them. They were on amicable terms with one another. Luckily they happened to taste the earth-essences and craving arose in their minds. Thus, greed (lobha), hatred (dosa) and delusion (moha) become manifested in their minds.
Driven by these unwholesome states of mind, people become inclined to do misdeeds. Some people, nowadays, steal other’s properties; some kill other beings; some commit sensual misconducts, some tell lies and some become indulgent in intoxicants. Murders occur everywhere. Wars often break out between countries. The whole world is now burning with the fire of greed, hatred and delusion. People have to suffer from endless miseries. They become overcome with mental sufferings such as worry, anxiety, pain, grief, lamentation, despair, etc. Scientists have invented the medicine to cure physical diseases. Nonetheless, no remedy has yet been invented to cure mental sufferings. The people overwhelmed with mental sufferings are helpless. So they come to seek ways and means to eliminate their sufferings. At last, they find Buddhist meditation able to cure their mental sufferings. According to the Buddha, meditation is a means to keep one’s mind quiet or calm, not let it go away here and there, and developing it stage by stage for the progress of mental purity. In this way, meditation can make one’s mind calm, tranquil, peaceful, strong and wise.
There are two types of meditation: Samatha and Vipassanā. Samatha can reduce mental defilements (kilesa) to some extent, while Vipassanā can totally eradicate all mental defilements. Today more problems are arising in the world more than ever before. Most people fall prey to mental sufferings. We can cure these sufferings by practising meditation only. Therefore, undertaking meditation becomes more popular among the world people at present.
Composed by U Saw Mra Aung
Topic 17: My Own Experience in Buddhist Meditation
(425 words)
When I was a child, my master had taught me how to practice Vipassanā meditation. At that time, I liked it very much although I did not know what meditation is and I only learnt by heart the Buddha’s teaching:
“Don’t be sorry for the past,
Don’t worry about the future too.
But if you can keep your mind attentive,
Concentrating just on the present,
Your mind will be free from impurities.
And so you will be really happy.”
I am a new meditator now. I don’t have special experiences. I only contemplate on the body (kāya), feelings (vedāna), consciousness (citta) and the mental factors (dhamma) as instructed by Sayādaw Tejaniya at Shwe-Oo-Min Meditation centre. I keep my mind on the in-breath and out-breath to make the mind calm down and try to live in the present moment. I make an extensive effort to be aware of whatever arises in the mind such as: thinking, remembrance, etc. I am aware of everything coming, going within me and happening around me. I watch my mind in any posture: sitting, standing, walking, lying down, etc. My mind often has a tendency to wander here and there. At that time, I am aware that my mind is wandering and I bring it back. Afterwards I turn to the main object and observe it persistently.
Sometimes, my mind is lost in wandering thoughts and fell sorry for the past or worry for the future. During meditation, sometimes my legs or back are painful. I can bear it but most of times I cannot bear. I change the posture in gentle and try to be aware the breath out and in.
As instructed by Sayādaw, it is difficult to attain right mindfulness persistently within a short time, so I am patient and patient. Day by day, I realize what is called “breath” is just the wind element with the characteristics of pushing and pulling.
In my opinion, such a meditation practice is very good but it is not sufficient. For an ideal life, I have to study other subjects such as Vinaya, Abhidhamma and so on and devote my life to spreading the Buddha-sāsana for the sake of others. This is the reason I take exam to the ITBMU this year. Although I know that it is difficult to join this University, I am always longing for an opportunity to study Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar. I believe that studying at this University could help me improve my Buddhist knowledge and enhance my spiritual life day better day.
Topic 18: Loving-kindness Meditation (Mettā Bhāvanā)
(259 words)
There are forty objects for Tranquillity Meditation (Samatha Bhāvanā). Mettā bhāvanā (Loving-kindness meditation) is one of them and it belongs to the four Brāhma-vihāras (Mettā, Karuṇā, Muditā and Upekkhā) that a good yogi should practise in daily life.
Mettā means loving-kindness or benevolence for the welfare of others. Those who practise the radiation of Loving-kindness (Mettākammaṭṭhāna) will be protected from grief (soka) in this life. A person, who wants to radiate loving-kindness, must consider the evil consequences of anger as well as the benefits of forbearance.
Before radiating loving-kindness to others, one must radiate it to oneself, repeatedly as follow:
“May I be happy, be free from pain, be free from enmity, be free from all sufferings both mentally and physically. May I be able to strive for my happiness.”
After cultivating loving-kindness repeatedly on oneself, one must radiate loving-kindness to beloved ones, such as venerable teachers or parents by repeating: “May these venerable teachers / parents be happy. May they be free from physical and mental sufferings.” In the same way, one must keep on radiating loving-kindness to intimate friends, neither beloved nor unbeloved ones, and later on even to the so-called enemies.
One can radiate loving-kindness effectively to all beings without specification (anodhissapharana mettā), to all beings with specification (odhisaphasaṇa mettā). The method of radiating loving-kindness in 528 modes as described in the Pati-saṃbhidhā Magga. It can be practised effectively, only those who have attained jhānas.
A person, who radiates loving-kindness, will enjoy the following benefits: (1) he enjoys sound sleep, (2) wakes up peacefully, (3) does not have bad dream, (4) is loved by human and celestial beings, (5) and develop concentration quickly.
Therefore, everybody should practise radiating loving-kindness in daily life for the benefits of themselves and the others.
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