Feb 6, 2014

My Vipassana Journey Within


        

from Most Compassionate Sayagyi U Goenka's article 'Why Vedana and What is Vedana?'

Dhamma eradicates suffering and gives happiness. Who gives this happiness? It is not the Buddha but the Dhamma, the knowledge of anicca (impermanence) within the body, which gives this happiness. 
That is why you must practice Vipassana and be aware of anicca continually.
- Sayagyi U Ba Khin
 
The first time I met my Vipassana teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin, I had gone with great attachment to my beliefs and misgivings about the Buddha's teachings.

Sayagyi knew I was a leader of the local Indian Hindu community in Rangoon (Burma). So he asked me: "Do Hindus have any objection to sila- a life of morality, to samadhi- mastery over the mind. and to panna- wisdom to purify the mind?" Certainly not, sir. 
"Well then, this is what the Buddha taught. This is all I am interested in, and this is all that I am going to teach you." Sayagyi had made clear that Vipassana is beneficial for all.
 
My first 10-day Vipassana course changed my life forever. I experienced how much the Buddha's teaching is logical, practical, pragmatic, universal and non-sectarian. 

Religious sermons ask people to avoid committing unwholesome actions. But how to actually remove impurities of the mind that result in harmful actions? Only when I started observing bodily sensations during Vipassana practice that I realized: here is the actual practice to purify the mind, not merely preaching.


Mere intellectual discussions could not have attracted me to the Buddha's teaching of Vipassana; I was content with beliefs of my tradition. It was only the here-and-now benefits of Vipassana practice that convinced me. I experienced how the process of objectively observing bodily sensations removes garbage from the mind.


More I practiced Vipassana, more I was convinced that the Buddha was foremost scientist of mind and matter, foremost analyst of the truth about suffering and its eradication.



Global Vipassana Pagoda, Mumbai, India.
The landmark Dhamma facility to enable practice and sharing of Vipassana, as taught by Sammasambuddha Gotama 


What makes the Buddha the most unique scientist in human history? It is his re-discovery(*) that tanha (the suffering of craving) arises in response to vedana (bodily sensations). The Buddha revealed that it is only apparent reality that we crave for objects in the outside world; the actual truth is we crave, or have aversion, for a particular bio-chemical flow of sensations in the body.

Spiritual teachers before and after the Buddha understood that tanha (craving) as the cause of misery. But this was partial truth that tanha arises due to sense objects outside. That tanha arises with vedana (bodily sensations) inside is Buddha's unparalleled gift of truth to humanity. He gave us the self-dependent key to open the doorway of liberation within.


"Samahito sampajano, sato Buddhassa savako;

vedana ca pajanati, vedanananca sambhavam.
Yattha ceta nirujjhanti, magganca khayagaminam;
vedananam khaya bhikkhu, nicchatonicchato parinibbuto'ti."(1)

"A practitioner of the Buddha's teachings, with concentration, right awareness and constant thorough understanding of impermanence, knows with wisdom the sensations, their arising, their cessation and the path leading to their end."


A Vipassana meditator who has experienced the entire field of sensations and gone beyond, is free from craving, is one who has fully purified the mind, and experiences immeasurable, infinite benefits.


Hence the Buddha practiced and taught Vipassana - objective awareness of mind and matter (nama and rupa), at the level of bodily sensations. 
Without generating craving or aversion towards sensations, a meditator maintains upekkha (equanimity) based on understanding of anicca (impermanence).

My Vipassana journey within revealed to me how the mind generates impurities such as ego, anger, passion etc. One continually reacts, 
knowingly or unknowingly, with craving and aversion to bodily sensations.

The mind becomes a prisoner of its own behaviour pattern of blindly reacting to sensations, and generating impurities. The Buddha called these strongly entrenched impurities anusaya kilesa (sleeping volcanoes) dormant deep within the mind. They erupt from time to time, and overpower intellectual understanding at the surface level of the mind. One again commits unwholesome actions.


The Buddha's most beneficial discovery of Vipassana destroys these sleeping volcanoes of impurities. We are free from generating craving and aversion - and generating misery.



Inside the Global Pagoda dome - the Dhamma hall enabling over 8,000 students to practice Vipassana, and to share merits thereby gained with all beings

Among many other meditation techniques I have come across or have heard about, there is none that goes to the root cause of impurities in the mind, and eradicates the root cause. In no other practice other than Vipassana is the way to eradicate even the latent tendencies of craving, aversion and ignorance so clearly spelled out.

"Sukhaya, bhikkhave, vedanaya raganusayo pahatabbo, dukkhaya vedanaya patighanusayo pahatabbo, adukkhamasukhaya vedanaya avijjanusayo pahatabbo."(2)


" Eradicate the latent tendency of craving using pleasant sensations (by equanimous observation of the pleasant sensations understanding their changing nature), eradicate latent tendency of aversion using unpleasant sensations, and eradicate the latent tendency of ignorance using neutral sensations." 


Impurities of the mind can be fully uprooted only at the junction where they were formed - blind reaction to sensations. The harmful conditioning of the mind is therefore de-conditioned by simply not reacting to these sensations. This is the most beneficial truth of nature the Buddha discovered.

Observing impermanence, arising and passing of bodily sensations with equanimity (sampajanna) is core practical essence of  Buddha's teaching. And Buddha's teaching of Vipassana is subtlest, deepest experiential understanding of science of mind and matter.


Studying Buddha's teachings, I realized how much importance he gave to experiencing the truth for oneself, rather than blind acceptance because someone said so. This is highest scientific tradition: personal investigation of the truth; no delusions, blind beliefs. All my misconceptions, misgivings about the Buddha's teaching melted away.


The Buddha repeatedly said, "jana, passa"- know thyself, with your own experience. 


The actual experience of the truth, as it is, from moment to moment, ensures there are no illusions or delusions, no imagination, dogma, cult and personality worship on this path of Vipassana. 

I no longer had any doubt that objectively observing arising, passing of physical sensations (Vipassana) is the way to liberation from all suffering.

The Buddha explains:

"Katamanca, bhikkhave, dukkham? Yam kho, bhikkhave, kayikam dukkham kayikam asatam kayasamphassajam dukkham asatam vedayitam, idam vuccati, bhikkhave, dukkham."(3)

"What now, O monks, is pain? If there is, O monks, any kind of bodily pain, any kind of bodily unpleasantness or any kind of painful or unpleasant feeling as a result of bodily contact - this, O monks, is called pain."


"Katamanca, bhikkhave, domanassam? Yam kho, bhikkhave, cetasikam dukkham cetasikam asatam manosamphassajam dukkham asatam vedayitam, idam vuccati, bhikkhave, domanassam."(4)


"What now, O monks, is grief? If there is, O monks, any kind of mental pain, any kind of mental unpleasantness or any kind of painful or unpleasant feeling as a result of mental contact- this, O monks, is called grief."


This again makes it clear that when the Buddha describes dukkha vedana, he is talking about bodily sensations.

 
"Kathanca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajano hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno vidita vedana uppajjanti, vidita upatthahanti, vidita abbhattham gacchanti. Vidita vitakka uppajjanti, vidita upatthahanti, vidita abbhattham gacchanti. Vidita sanna uppajjanti, vidita upatthahanti, vidita abbhattham gacchanti. Evam kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajano hoti. Sato, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vihareyya sampajano. Ayam vo amhakam anusasani'ti."(5)

"And how, O monks, does a monk understand thoroughly? Here, monks, a monk knows sensations arising in him, knows their persisting, and knows their passing away; he knows each initial application of the mind on an object arising in him, knows its persisting and knows its passing away; he knows perceptions arising in him, knows their persisting, and knows their passing away. This, meditators, is how a meditator understands thoroughly. A monk should abide mindful and composed. This is our instruction to you."


The clear, practical and result-oriented practice of Vipassana leaves no scope for intellectual games or blind faith. 


Sometimes arguments arise about why I give so much importance to bodily sensations. I explain I do so because the Buddha gave all importance to bodily sensations. Vipassana - observing impermanence of the bio-chemical flow of bodily sensations - is the Buddha's teaching [not a 'Goenka technique' or a 'U Ba Khin technique' ]. I then very humbly request him or her to come and give a trial to a 10-day Vipassana course, to experience and examine whether this is in accordance with the Buddha's teaching.

Objectively observing arising, passing of bodily sensations (Vipassana), one directly experiences the Buddha's teaching of how to come out of all suffering. The real happiness of deep-rooted impurities going away is experienced. Then, all doubts too go away.


With deeper benefits gained with more intensive practice of Vipassana, I realized how much the Buddha is the greatest scientist of mind and matter, the most compassionate physician of mind the world has ever produced.


Let us waste no time in making best use of Vipassana - of objectively observing impermanence of bodily sensations - and experiencing true happiness.


May all be happy, be peaceful, be liberated.
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(*) Sammasambuddha Gotama declared after full enlightenment that his discovery of Vipassana is not of something new, and this was the teaching of Sammasambuddhas before him. The law of nature (Dhamma) is there, timeless, whether beings are there or not. The Dhamma destiny of a Sammasambuddha is to receive, nurture within the practice of Vipassana through innumerable lifetimes across countless eons - and in his final lifetime, to re-discover from within and share the most precious of all that was lost to all.
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Notes: (All references Vipassana Research Institute edition of the Tipitaka)
1. Samyutta Nikaya 2.4.249
2. Samyutta Nikaya 2.4.251
3. Digha Nikaya 2.393
4. Digha Nikaya 2.394
5. Samyutta Nikaya 3.5.401

Jan 23, 2014

Live in the Present Moment, Live in Reality



(From The Munificent Nature of Dhamma and other articles in Vipassana Research Institute newsletters) 

Idaṃ pure cittamacāri cārikaṃ,
yenicchakaṃ yatthakāmaṃ yathāsukhaṃ.
Tadajjahaṃ niggahessāmi yoniso,
hatthippabhinnaṃ viya aṃkusaggaho.
This mind that wanders wherever it wishes, desires, wherever it sees pleasure, I will first make it steadfast. I will train it thoroughly like a mahout with a goad trains a wild elephant.
Dhammapada 326


To live in the present moment is to live in reality. Moments that have passed are no longer real, only memory. Similarly, moments yet to come are unreal; you can only have expectations, fears and hopes of the future.

Living in the present moment means to be fully aware of whatever you experience at this very moment, now - by objectively observing the reality within yourself.

Pleasant, unpleasant memories and hopes, insecurity, fears of the future takes you away from reality of the present moment. This wandering habit pattern of the mind causes problems.

A life not lived in reality, i.e, in the present, is a life of delusion. Delusions defile the mind, causing difficulties in life. 

The wandering, impure mind leads to suffering anxiety, tension, dissatisfaction and frustration.

Strong determined efforts are needed to change this habit pattern of the mind. Stop the mind constantly wandering into the past or future. You train your own mind to remain in reality of the present.

A Vipassana meditator become aware how much the mind rolls in thoughts – past or future. Thoughts are agreeable or disagreeable. You  relish agreeable thoughts, disagreeable thoughts causes suffering. But a Vipassana meditator is with reality when the mind is with sensations, or the natural breath - not with the mind wandering in thoughts.

Sometimes before a thought is completed, another thought arises. Before that thought is completed, a third thought arises. Thoughts arise without sequence or meaning.

An example: 
Out of compassion, someone serves food to a mentally ill person who is very hungry. He accepts the food and feels very happy. But before he eats, he thinks -"I am in the bathroom, and this is a cake of soap," and he rubs the food over his body. Then another thought arises-"This person before me has come to kill me. Let me kill him first. How can I kill him? These are hand-bombs..." So he throws the food. No sane sequence of thoughts. No reality. Such a person is called mad.

A Vipassana meditator realizes how a wandering mind too suffers from a similar mad habit pattern of rolling randomly in thoughts of past or future – generating craving or aversion, and becoming restless, agitated, unhappy. 

The wonderful practice of Vipassana enables us to live in the present moment. 

Be master of this present moment, and be master of your future. 

Attā hi attano nātho, attā hi attano gati. 
You are your own master, you make your own future

Every thought arises with a sensation in the body, a pleasant or unpleasant bio-chemical reaction. The deepest part of the mind – where conditioning takes root – is constantly reacting to these sensations, and has nothing to do with objects in contact with sense organs.

By bare observation of sensations, without blindly reacting with craving and aversion, the mind starts getting purified at the deepest level. 

There is no more ego ' I ' of the observer, only the observed. Only the phenomena of mind-matter, at level of sensations, arising, passing away. 

This is Vipassana - the Buddha’s unique, infinitely beneficial discovery: blindly reacting to bodily sensations is real cause of our suffering, not external objects, persons, or happenings. The real cause of happiness or misery is within, not outside.

Vipassana is objective awareness of constantly changing bodily sensations, from moment to moment. 

By experiencing this inner reality of sensations arising, passing away, Vipassana trains us to be aware – with equanimity - of the true, impermanent nature of things, every moment. This is  experiencing impermanence or anicca (*), the practice of Vipassana.

For a relative beginner of Vipassana, there may be only a few moments of remaining purely in the present, not rolling in thoughts of past or future. The mind is fully concentrated in the truth of the present moment – at the level of physical sensations. No delusion, no ignorance. 

A moment of purity from Vipassana practice has a strong impact on old impurities accumulated in deeper levels of the mind. Accumulated impurities and this moment of purity come in explosive contact as negative and positive forces - like eruption of a volcano within. As a result, some deep-rooted impurities may surface as various physical or mental discomforts - such as pain in the legs or in the head, or fear or agitation. What seems a problem is actually signs of progress in meditation. When cutting open an abscess, pus is bound to surface. Similarly, during this Vipassana surgery of the mind, some underlying pus is coming out of the wound. Although unpleasant, this is the only way to get rid of the pus, to remove impurities that for long are cause of one's misery.

By working correctly - exactly according to instructions received during a residential Vipassana course - initial difficulties gradually fade away. 

Vipassana is training for the mind to be balanced in all situations. Equanimity is purity. And purity of the mind is real happiness in life.

With longer periods of continuous awareness of sensations with equanimity, the Vipassana practitioner gradually becomes free from fears caused by attachments, lust, craving for sensual pleasures. You free yourself from reacting to memories of the past and anxieties of the future. Gradually, the mind becomes calm, peaceful and pure - by living in this moment.

Living in the present moment, by observing impermanence of sensations, is living without fear, anxiety.

This present moment is nothing but a child of past moments. Whatever we are now, at this present moment, is nothing but sum total and result of our accumulated past actions, or kamma.

Whatever one has done in the past is done. Start again.

Become master of the present moment. Try not to generate a single moment that brings misery. 

The future is child of the present moment. When the present moment is full of wisdom, the future will be full of happiness.

For the mind to be still, in the present moment, the body has to be perfectly still during Vipassana practice. No small, impulsive movements of the body. 

Develop this mastery of the present moment, by objectively observing sensations arising and passing away, moment to moment. 

The mind has to be fully attentive to subtler sensations continuously,  their arising and passing away, without interruption of thoughts, for longer periods. This is Vipassana. 

This does not mean that Vipassana practice makes you forget the past completely or lose capacity to plan for the future. Oh no! After one learns this art of living in the present, you can easily recall things of the past consciously, when needed, and more effectively make wiser decisions about the future.

With deeper peace and happiness through Vipassana practice, we feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude.... but this gratitude is true gratitude only when one works hard to acquire the same qualities of purity and compassion. Such a practical gratitude does not become blind devotion, blind belief, nor turn into bondage; it becomes a factor of enlightenment. This factor of enlightenment makes the mind tender, which greatly helps in further process of purification through Vipassana.

You become not only happier and more peaceful, but also become an instrument for serving others in Dhamma, so others too can work for their own happiness.

May the munificent, benevolent, universal nature of Vipassana practice reach all suffering beings, thereby bringing peace, happiness and liberation.

May all beings be happy!
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