The Great Discourse on the Wheel of Dhamma

1. Wrong view which denies the reality of kamma and its

results is ducarita micchdditthi.

2. Right view which accepts the reality of kamma and its

results is sucarita sammdditthi.

Sucarita sammdditthi otherwise called kammassakata sammdaditthi forms the root of all good actions. Based on this root, evil deeds are avoided and simple good deeds such as ddna and sila can be performed. The meritorious deeds of tranquility meditation and insight meditation can also be cultivated. For this reason, this sammditthi and sila are stated to be the preliminaries to the good deeds of samadhi and panna.

"Bhikkhu, since you have asked for a brief teaching on meditation which you wish to practise in solitude, I urge you to work first for the purification of those dhammas which form the starting points for development of samadhi and panna. And what are these preliminary requirements ? They are purified sila and straight view.

"Bhikkhu, when you have purified your sila and maintained the straight view, then leaning on your sila and standing on it, you may go'on to developing the four foundations of mindfulness in three modes: contemplating on intemal objects, contemplating on extemal objects and then contemplating on intemal, external objects."

From these words of the Blessed One, it is obvious that kammassakata sammdditthi and sila magga are preliminary foundations which have to be set up before a yogi starts practising meditation. It is clear also that for the development of vipassana, jhana samGdhi and upacara samadhi are prerequisites to achieve the initial purification of mind. Further, it is evident that in order to establish Ariya magga, vipassand magga otherwise called pubbabhaga magga which is precursory to it, must be developed first. we have, therefore, described the full Path in three stazes: (a) basic mula magga (2) pubbabhaga vippassana magga (3) Ariya magga.

Basic, precursor, Anya Paths,

Developing them leads to Nibbana.

THE PATH IN THREE STAGES

The good Buddhists are in the habit of wishing for speedy realization and attainment of Nibbana whenever they accomplish any meritorious deed. The ssammum bonum will not of course be attained immediately by their mere wishing. It will be attained only in one of the higher planes which they will reach by virtue of their good deed; and then only if they actually practise developing the Eightfold Noble Path. So, why wait till future existence ? Why not start now and work for liberation in this very—life? And how may liberation be achieved ?

Liberation may be achieved by developing the Eightfold Noble Path which must be preceded by its precursor, namely, the pubbabhdga vipassand magga. But to develop this magga, basic requirements must first be fulfilled, that is, the development of kammassakata magga, the three sila magga and samd&dhi magga.

For people who take refuge in Buddha's dispensation, kammassakata sammdditthi has already been established. As to the sila magga, the laity, if not yet alteady established in it, may accomplish it by observance of the precepts on the eve of starting the meditation practices. If a Bhikkhu yogi entertains any doubt about the purity of his sila, he should, at the very outset, strive for its purification by undergoing the parivarsa and manatta punishments. If he happens to have in possession impermissible properties, he should discard them and gain purity by confession of his offence. After thus ensuring the purity of his sila, the Bhikkhu should strive for attammment of one, two, three or all four jhdnas. If unable to do so, he should work for gaining at least the access concentration in the neighbourhood of jhdnas. If he cannot work separately for the jhanic concentrations, he must try to achieve the vipassand khanika samadhi (which has the same characteristics of suppressing the hindrances as the access concentration) by contemplating on the four primaries, etc..This does not involve establishment of concentration (samadhi) as such but by keeping close awareness of the true nature of ndma, rupa, vipassana concentration automatically arises.

But by having the attention dispersed over many objects or having it fixed on ‘objects which are not easily discemable, concentration takes a long time to come about. Confining to limited objects which can be distinctly noted will facilitate and hasten development of concentration.

Therefore we are instructing our yogis to start with noting vdyo dhdtu, the charactristics of which, namely, stiffness, pressure, motion are becoming evident in the region of the abdomen. As the abdomen rises, note ‘rising’, as it falls, note ‘falling’. Begin by noting just these two motions, rising and falling. But this does not comptise all that has to be done. While noting the rising and falling of the abdomen, if thinking arises, note that too as ‘thinking and then tevert back to noting of rising and falling. If some painful feeling appears in the body, note that too; when it subsides or when it has been noted for sometimes, go back to nsing and falling. If there is bending, stretching or moving of the limbs, you must note ‘bending,', ‘stretching’ or ‘moving’. Whatever bodily movement there is, you have to note it. Then revert back to the 'nsing’ and ‘falling’ of the abdomen. When you see or hear anything clearly, note 'seeing’ or ‘hearing’ for some moment and then retum to 'nsing’ and ‘falling’.

By thus taking note of every phenomenon attentively, the mind becomes distinctly calm and concentrated. At every moment of awareness, the object observed, rupa, will appear separately from the mind (ndma), that coginzes it. It is the beginning of development of special vipassand ndna, insight knowledge, which distinguishes nama from rupa by virtue of the concentrated, calm mind. This special insight knowledge was meant when the Blessed One said "cakkhu karani ndna karani, etc. ... vision arose, insight arose .." Bhikkhuni theris meant the same thing when they uttered "Pubben@param visesam sanjdnanti..... Preceding knowledge -is superseded by the knowledge following it."

HOW JHANA-LABHIS DEVELOP INSIGHT

If the yogi strives hard, in the manner stated above, till attainment of Jhdna, the knowledge that accompanies the Jhdnic concentration is jhdna sammdditthi, which is not noteworthy for purposes of vipasand. What is noteworthy is jhdna concentration which is useful for purification of mind and as jhdnic basis for vipassana meditation. Employing the jhdna one has attained, as a base, the yogi emerges from the jhdnic state and starts contemplating on the mental states involved at the moment of jhdnic attainment, namely, vitakka; vicdra, piti, sukha, ekaggaté, phassa, cetanda, manasikara, etc. These mental states become very clear to him; so also the physical states on which jhdna depends. Each moment of their existence presents itself clearly, followed at once by its dissolution. He knows easily that because of incessant passing away, it is just impeermanent, unsatisfactory and ego-less phenomenon.

The yogi alternately goes into jhanic state and emerges from it to contemplate on the mental and physical phenomena involved in it. While he repeats this altemate performance several times, the Vipassandé maggas become strongly developed, soon leading to the realization of Nibbana. The possibility of such realization is described thus in the Jhana sutta, Navaka nipata of Anguttara Pali text: "Bhikkhus, in this Teaching, the Bhikkhu enters and stays in the first jhdna. When he rises from that state, he contemplates on the physical body, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness that exist during the jhdnic moment and he sees them as transitory, painful and insubstantial. Seemg thus he stays with the Vipassana knowledge so gained and attams the Arahatta phala state, the cessation of all dsavas.”

This is how a Jhdna-labhi attams Ariyan Path by vipassand meditation ‘on jhdnic mind and mental concomitants, and ndma, rupa phenomena that actually have arisen and passed away in his own body-continuum. Here serious consideration should be given to the fact that it is not mere reflection on what one has leamt form books, but actually watching and seeing the phenomena of arising

and perishing away of rupa and ndma as it actually happens inside his body-contiuum.

It is obvious, therefore, that just as Jhdna-labhis after entering into and rising from jhdnic states, have to meditate on the arising and passing away of mental states etc. that have actually occurred in the immediate preceding moment, so also yogis not endowed with jhdna, or a-jhdna-labhis, have to contemplate on the ansing and passing away of sensuous desires etc. as they happen in the immediate preceding moments.

It is indeed very clear. Therefore, A-jhdna-labhis should note firmly that true vipassand ndna cannot be developed by mere reflection on book-knowledge leamt by rote; it can be developed only by watching closely every action of touching, thinking, hearing, seeing, smelling in one's won body-contimuum and disceming the phenomena of their arising and passing away as it happens in the ummediate preceding moment.

CONTEMPLATING ON MISCELLANEOUS VOLITIONAL

ACTIVITIES PAKINNAKA SANKHARA METHOD

There is another method of meditation employed by jhdnalabhis. He enters into the jhdnic states and arising from it, he meditates, as already explained, on jhdnic mind and mental states, and rupa, whatever becomes easily discemable. He then gives his attention to acts of touching seemg, hearing as they occur. This is known as contemplation on miscellaneous volitional activities. This is the same method as employed by sudda vipassana ydnikas, yogis devoid of jhdnic attainments. The difference lies in his utilizing his jhdnic attainments as a base for msight meditation and in the ease in which he can accomplish the task of contemplating rupa, ndma wherever they make their appearance, by virtue of the sound base of his jhdnic concentration. These are the only differences between the two methods.

When fatigue overtakes the yogi by contemplating on the miscellaneous objects that anpear at the sense-doors, he reverts back

to the jhdnic state. After gaining recuperation there, he goes on with the contemplation of rupa and ndéma wherever they appear. In this way, based on his jhdna, he develops vopassand ndna until it is strong enough to lead him to realization of Nibbana, through Ariyamagga_ ndna.

This method of contemplation is described in exposition on DwedhAvittakka sutta in the commentary to Mula pannasa as follows:

"In these words the Buddha talked about the time when Bodhisatta developed insight meditation based on jhdna. Truly, when both samadhi and vipassand of a yogi are not yet fully mature, if he sits very long developing insight meditation fatigue overwhelms him, there is buming sensation in the body as if flames are bursting, sweat oozing out from the arm-pits; he feels as if hot steamy gas is rushing forth from the top of his head. The tortured mund twitches and struggles. The said yogi reverts back to the jhanic state to reduce the mental and physical strain to get relief from them; and thus refreshing himself, he retums to the task in hand of meditation. By sitting long at it he again fatigues himself. Then he seeks relief once more by re-entry into jhdnic state. Indeed he should do so. Entering the jhdnic state is greatly beneficial to vipassana meditation.

This is how miscellaneous volitional activities are used as objects for meditation starting with jhadnd which the yogi maintains as his base. Yogis, not endowed with jhdna, contemplates only on the miscellaneous volitional activities such as touching, thinking, hearing, seeing, etc. When fatigue overtakes them while doing so, they cannot, of course, seek relief by entry to jhdna state. They revert to the limited objective of noting the rise and fall of the abdomen. By limiting the object of meditation, mental and physical fatigue and strain are alleviated.

Thus refreshed they go back to the contmuous observation of the miscellaneous volitional activities. In this way when vipassand samadhi ndna becomes strengthened, the yogi can engage himself in

continuous meditation day and night without physical or mental discomfort or distress. The meditational objects seem to arise in the mind of themselves. With effortless mindfulness, the process of knowing the reality as it is, flows on smoothly. The truth about anicca, dukkha, anatta dawns upon him spontaneously. As_ this knowledge gains pace and gathers speed, both the sense-obyects and the knowing mind plunge into the state of dissolution and cessation. This is rushing headlong into the Nibbana by means of the Noble Path, ariva magga. We have summarised, therefore, that

Basic, precursor, Ariya paths,

Developing them leads to Nibbana.

BEGINNIG OF VIPASSANA MAGGA

As has been stated above, of the three stages of the path the basic path comprising of kammassakata sammddithi and sila has to be accomplished before the start of the meditation practices. Samatha ydnika yogi who has his base samatha sam@dhi has to develop first, before he starts on Vipassana meditation, either of the two basic paths. Access concentration or Absorption concentration. Suddha vipassG ydnika, on the other hand, accomplishes this basic samadhi magga while contemplating on the four Primaries, etc. by virtue of fixed attention being placed on every sense-object under contemplation. Then the mind does not wander about to other objects; solely occupied with the task of contemplation, the mind gets purified and after this punfication of mind every act of contemplation is development of vipassand magga.

HOW VIPASSANA SAMADHI MAGGAS ARE DEVELOPED

Effort which is put forth to take note of each phenomenon of nsing, falling, sitting, touching, thinking, knowing, feeling hot, feeling painful, constitutes Sammd vayama magga, Mindfulness placed on bodily actions, feelings, mind and mental-objects involved in the practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness is sammd sati magga. Having the mind fixed on the sense-object under contempla-

on is sammd samadhi also called vipassandé khanika samadhi. These three Paths, namely, sammd vayama, sammda sati and samma samadhi are the three constituents of samadhi magga.

HOW VIPASSANA PANNA MAGGAS ARE DEVELOPED

Knowing the sense-object under contemplation according to its true nature is Sammd ditthi magga. Just after attaining the purity of mind, knowledge, which is capable of distingushing the senseobjects from the knowing mind, arises. This clear knowledge of disceming ndéma and rupa distinctly as they really are constitutes the Punfication of View. This is followed by discemment of the nature of cause and effect while in the course of contemplation. There is bending because of the desire to bend, stretching because ot the desire to stretch movement, because of the desire to mve. One sees because there is the eye and the object to see. One hears because there is the ear and the sound to hear. There is wealth because of good kamma etc. thus discerning clearly the law of cause and effect as it truely is.

As meditation continues, the yogi discerns with each noting the origination as well as the dissolution of every phenomenon. This results in his realization of the truth of impermanence with respect to both the sense-object and the knowing mind. This phenomenon of incessant arising and passing away without any break leads to the conviction that it is all fearful suffering, unpleasant suffering mere insubstantiality, not amenable to one's will or control. Such clear conviction constitutes the path of nght view, sammdditthi magga. Iherefore the Buddha had said that knowledge of the real truth of suffering is the path of mght view. When the truth of suffering is discemed at every contemplation by means of the three characteristics of anicca, dukkha and anatta, the task of comprehending the remaining three truths 1s accomplished. How this is accomplished will be dealt with later in the section on magga saccd.

Bending the mind to know the true nature of ndma and rupa, their origination and dissolution by way of the three charac-