22 June 2008 : Learning what to do to develop insight wisdom

The Buddhist Hour Radio Broadcast Archives

Buddhist Hour
Radio Script No 531
Broadcast live on 3MDR 97.1FM
4 PM to 5 PM
On Sunday 22 June 2008 CE 2552 Buddhist Era
4.00pm -5.00pm

This Script is entitled:
"Learning What to do to Develop Insight Wisdom - Part 1"

On 6th to 9th of June this year we held a four-day bhavana course at our Centre. Bhavana means mind development or mind cultivation or meditation. The goal of this course was for each student to understand the meaning of insight wisdom and how to develop it each for themselves.

The following definitions were found in the Oxford English Dictionary:

Insight: with the eyes of the mind or understanding; notion of penetrating into things or seeing beneath their surface with the eyes of the understanding.

Internal sight, mental vision or perception; discernment, understanding, intelligence, wisdom; mental looking to or upon something; the sudden perception of the solution to a problem or difficulty;

Wisdom : capacity of judging right in matters relating to life and conduct, soundness of judgment in the choice of means and ends, sometimes less strictly, sound sense specially in practical affairs; wise to show the way (to a person) to guide and direct.

I : as a metaphor - the subject or object of self consciousness; that which is conscious of itself, as thinking, feeling and willing, the ego; that which is symbolised by the pronoun 'I'; the conscious thinking judgment as opposed by the non-ego or object; the part of the mind that is most conscious of itself.

The inherited instinctive impulse of the individual, forming part of the conscious and Freudian psychology with the ego and super-ego.

Develop: a gradual unfolding, a bringing into full disclosure or working out of the details of anything; that which the; gradual advancement through progressive stages

Doing: the action verb 'do'; action proceeding conduct, performance or execution of something; that does, activity engaged or occupied, busy, energetic

To develop insight wisdom the student needs to prompt certain qualities from their side. These are, to have a clean mind, calm mind, be in the present and wish to learn. The student needs to have merit and morality. Students made merit through actions of the body in maintaining the Centre, offering food and drinks to others, washing dishes, cleaning altars, general cleaning, gardening, hearing the Dhamma and meditating.

To create the right internal conditions students practiced mindfulness and morality. They kept ten training precepts that are: to not kill, to not steal, to not commit sexual misconduct, to not take intoxicants, no harsh speech, no idle chatter, no slander, no divisive speech and no flattery and practiced being mindful of their body actions and thoughts, letting go of unwholesome thoughts and prompting wholesome thoughts.

We practiced Samatha bhavana – one pointed concentration on the breath by practicing sitting meditation and insight meditation called Vipassana by meditating on the five groups as instructed by the Buddha in the satipattanasutta.

Once the students started the practice, they were surprised how simple it was and that they could do it. The first stage to develop insight is to know the present time. This is achieved by being mindful of your body. We practiced developing mindfulness of the body in sitting, standing and walking postures.

The Buddha tells us how to wake up by ourselves, that means with our own mind, with our own effort, with our own body.

We do not need anything else from outside – no flash car, no special clothes, no ticket, no discount.... We can do this wherever we are if we have a few basic conditions.

We do need to create the conditions of: a quiet place, a clean place, have few duties, have a healthy body and mind, have time to sit and learn. Do not become too fanatical about this – clean does no mean sterile – just clean, remember to do things in the middle way, do not go to extremes.

We give up looking for something amazing, some 'big bang' experience – that is not it. Developing insight is a slow gentle process and we progress according to our individual kamma. Some of us gain a lot of insights within a short time, others develop one insight at a time over a long period. We are all different. However, what we realise is the same- it is the same path.

In the book A Still Forest Pool, Achaan Chah gives teachings on insight wisdom. Achaan says on page 175, called Underground water:

The Dhamma belongs to no one; it has no owner. It arises in the world when a world manifests, yet stands alone as the truth. It is always here, unmoving, limitless, for all who seek it. It is like water underground whoever digs a well finds it. However whether or not you dig, it is always here underlying all things. In our search for the Dhamma we search too far, we over reach, overlooking the essence. The Dhamma is not out there to be gained by a long voyage viewed through a telescope. It is right here nearest to us, our true essence, our true self, no self. When we see this essence, there are no problems, no troubles. Good, bad, pleasure, pain, light, dark, self, others, are empty phenomena. If we come to know this essence, we die to our old sense of self and become truly free.

We practice to give up, not to attain. But before we can give up mind and body, we must know their true nature. Then detachment naturally arises.

Nothing is me or mine, all is impermanent. But why can't we say nirvana is mine? Because those who realise nirvana do not have thoughts of me or mine. If they did they could not realise nirvana. Although they know the sweetness of honey, they do not think, "I am tasting the sweetness of honey".

The Dharma Path is to keep walking forward. But the true Dharma has no going forward, no going backward and no standing still.

On page 21, titled Thieves in Your Heart, Achaan says :

The purpose of meditation is to raise things up and put them to the test, to understand their essence. For example, we see the body as something fine and beautiful, whereas the Buddha tells us it is unclean, impermanent and prone to suffering. Which view accords with the truth?

We are like visitors to a foreign country; not knowing the language, we cannot enjoy ourselves. But once we have learned the language, we can laugh and joke with others. Or we are like children who have to grow up before we can understand what the grown ups are saying.

The normal view is that the elements of our life, beginning with the body are stable. One child plays with his balloon until it catches on a branch or a thorn and bursts, leaving him in tears. Another child, smarter than the first, knows that his balloon can burst easily and is not upset when it does. People go through life blindly, ignoring the fact of death like gourmets feasting on fine foods, never thinking they will have to excrete. Then nature calls, but having made no provision, they do not know where to go.

There is danger in the world- danger from the elements, danger from thieves. These dangers have their counterparts in the temples too. The Buddha taught us to investigate these dangers and gave the name bhikkhu to one who ordains. Bhikkhu had two meanings: one who begs and one who sees danger in the round of samsara, of grasping. Beings experience greed, hatred and delusion. Succumbing to these defilements, they reap the results, increase their bad habits, make yet more karma, and again succumb to defilements.

Why can't you get rid of greed, hatred and delusion? If your thinking is wrong, you will suffer; If you understand correctly, you can end suffering.

Know the workings of karma, of cause and effect. Attachment to pleasure brings suffering in its wake. You gorge yourself on good food, but stomach trouble and intestinal discomfort follow.

Or you steal something and are happy with it, but later the police come around to arrest you. When you watch, you can learn how to act, you can learn to end grasping and sorrow. The Buddha, seeing this, wanted to escape from the real dangers of the world, which we have to overcome within ourselves. External dangers are not as frightening as the dangers within: What are the elements of this inner danger?

Wind: Things come at the senses, causing compulsion, lust, anger and ignorance to arise, destroying what is good in us. Normally, we see the wind only as that which blows the leaves about, not seeing the wind of our senses, which, unwatched, can cause the storms of desire.

Fire: Our temple may never have been struck by fire, but greed, hatred and delusion burn us constantly. Lust and aversion cause us to speak and do wrong; delusion leads us to see good as bad, and bad as good, the ugly as beautiful, the valueless as valuable. But one who does not meditate does not see this and is overcome by these fires.

Water: Here the danger is the flood of defilement in our hearts submerging our true nature.

Thieves: The real thieves do not exist outside us. Our monastery has seen thieves only once in twenty years, but inwardly the five gangs of attachment, the aggregates, are ever robbing, beating and destroying us. What are these five aggregates?

1. Body: It is a prey to illness and pain; when it does not accord with our wishes, we have grief and sorrow. Not understanding the natural aging and decay of the body, we suffer. We feel attraction or repulsion toward the bodies of others and are robbed of true peace.

2. Feelings. When pain and pleasure arise, we forget that they are impermanent, suffering and not self; we identify with or emotions and are thus tortured by our wrong understanding.

3. Memories and perceptions. Identifying with what we recognise and remember gives rise to greed, hatred and delusion. Our wrong understanding becomes habitual, stored in the subconscious.

4. Volitions and other elements of mind. Not understanding the nature of mental states, we react, and thoughts and feelings, likes and dislikes, happiness and sorrow arise. Forgetting that they are impermanent, suffering and selfless, we cling to them.

5. Consciousness. We grasp that which knows the other aggregates. We think, " I know, I am, I feel," and are bound by this illusion of self, of separation.

All these thieves, this wrong understanding, leads to wrong action. The Buddha had no desire for this; he saw that there was no true happiness to be found here. Thus he gave the name bhikkhu to those who also see this danger and seek a way out.

The Buddha taught his monks the true nature of the five aggregates and how to let go of them without clinging to them as me or mine. When we understand them, we will see that they have potential for great harm or great value, but they do not disappear. They simply no longer are grasped as our own.

After his enlightenment the Buddha still had physical ills, had feelings of pain and pleasure, had memories thoughts and consciousness. But he did not cling to them as being self, as being me or mine. He knew them as they were, and the one who knew was also not I, not self.

Separating the five aggregates from the defilements and from clinging is like clearing the brush in the forest without destroying the trees.

There is just a constant arising and falling away; defilement cannot gain a foothold. We are simply being born and dying with the aggregates; they just come and go, according to their nature.

If someone curses us and we have no feelings of self, the incident ends with spoken words, and we do not suffer. If unpleasant feelings arise, we should let them stop there, realising that the feelings are not us. "He hates me, he troubles me, he is my enemy". A bhikkhu does not think like this, nor does he hold views of pride or comparison.

If we do not stand up in the line of fire, we do not get shot; if there is no one to receive it, the letter is sent back. Moving gracefully through the world not caught in evaluating each event, a bhikkhu becomes serene. This is the way to nirvana, empty and free.

Investigate the five aggregates, then; make a clean forest. You will be a different person. Those who understand emptiness and practice accordingly are few, but they come to know the greatest joy. Why not try it? You can abolish the thieves in your heart and set everything right.

It is easy to start by developing mindfulness with walking. Walking meditation is as simple as breathing. While walking know that you are walking. Keep your mind in your body. Be aware of the path in front of you and know that you are walking.

Know your breathing. Know the lifting and placing of your foot as you perform each step. Know the movements of your hips and legs. Know how your shoulders and arms are. Just walking only. Bring your mind back to walking.

Stop and stand. There is nothing else to do but stand and breath. Watch how you stand. Where is the weight on your feet, become aware of how your legs and body stay erect? Note where there is tension in the muscle. Be aware of your breathing,

Can your mind do this, just standing only? Just watch what happens to see what your mind does.

If anything arises in your mind as you stand, just watch it and label it and come back to standing only. If it is irritation – say okay, irritation is arising. Let go of irritation by gently focusing on your standing. If it is sound – label what it is – breathing sound, heart sound, bird sound, car sound and let it go – and let go by returning to your standing meditation. If it is feeling – label it – pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. If it is thought – label it wholesome, unwholesome or neutral. If it is memory label it past or future. Label and then bring your mind back to your standing meditation.

We will now read the Satipatthanasutta Establishing Mindfulness. This is a discourse given by the Buddha to his Sangha, the community of Monks that had gathered there at that time. This is a translation from Pali by Venerable Sister Upalawana, given to our Centre in 1998.

I heard thus:

At one time the Blessed One lived in the hamlet named Kammaassadhamma in the Kuru country. From there the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus "Bhikkhus, there is only one way for the purification of beings, for ending grief and lament, to overcome unpleasantness and displeasure and to realize extinction and that is this fourfold establishment of mindfulness.

What four:

Abiding reflecting the body in the body, mindful and aware to dispel covetousness and displeasure for the world.

The footnote reads: Abiding reflecting the body in the body, in pali 'kaaye kaayaanupassii viharati' "In the body" is referring to the material body of the four primary elements, "the body" consists of the six internal and external spheres, It is this six internal and external spheres that help the body to co-exist. These together work as a living person.

Abiding reflecting the feeling in feelings, mindful and aware to dispel covetousness and displeasure for the world.

The footnote reads: Abiding reflecting the feeling in feelings. "Vedanaasu vedanaanupassii viharati" In feelings. These are the forever present feelings that arise with every sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and idea. This is a non-stop process. On account of some of these feelings certain other feelings arise, eg. When one is hurt, or when one is pleased. There arises the feeling in feelings. .

Abiding reflecting the mental state in the mind, mindful and aware to dispel covetousness and displeasure for the world.

The footnote reads: Abiding reflecting the mental states in the mind. "citte cittaanupassii viharati" The various mental states are the mind with anger, without anger, etc. So we have to reflect how they rise, fade, and fade for good.

Abiding reflecting the thought thoughts, mindful and aware, to dispel covetousness and displeasure for the world.

The footnote reads: Abiding reflecting thoughts in the thought, in pali "dhamme dhammaanupassii viharati" With the arising of a thought a train of thoughts follow, so thoughts in the thought are thoughts and thought processes.

Bhikkhus, how does the bhikkhu abide reflecting the body in the body. Here the bhikkhu gone to the forest, to the root of a tree, or to an empty house sits cross-legged, the body erect and mindfulness established in front. He mindfully breathes in and out. Breathing in long knows I breathe in long. Breathing out long knows I breathe out long. Breathing in short knows I breathe in short. Breathing out short knows I breathe out short. He trains, feeling the whole body I breathe in. Feeling the whole body I breathe out.

He trains, calming the bodily determination I breathe in, calming the bodily determination I breathe out. Just as a clever turner or his apprentice, pulling the bellows long knows, I pull them long, and pulling the bellows short knows I pull them short.

In the same manner, breathing in long, knows I breathe in long, breathing out long, knows I breathe out long. Breathing in short knows I breathe in short, and breathing out short knows I breathe out short.

He trains, calming the bodily determination I breathe in, calming the bodily determination I breathe out. Thus he abides reflecting the body in the body internally, or he abides reflecting the body in the body externally. Or he abides reflecting the body in the body internally and externally.

Or he abides reflecting the arising of thoughts in the body. Or he abides reflecting the fading of thoughts in the body. Or he abides reflecting the arising and fading of thoughts in the body, Or he establishes mindfulness, there is a body, and abides not supported on anything in the world. Thus too the bhikkhu abides reflecting the body in the body.

Again, the bhikkhu, going knows, I go, standing knows I stand, sitting knows I sit, lying knows I lie. What and whatever posture the body maintains, that and that he knows.

Thus he abides reflecting the body in the body internally, or he abides reflecting the body in the body externally. Or he abides reflecting the body in the body internally and externally.

Or he abides reflecting the arising of thoughts in the body. Or he abides reflecting the fading of thoughts in the body. Or he abides reflecting the arising and fading of thoughts in the body. Or he establishes mindfulness, there is a body, and abides not supported on anything in the world.

Thus too the bhikkhu abides reflecting the body in the body.

Again the bhikkhu becomes aware, going forward or turning back, looking on, or looking about, bending or stretching, Becomes aware bearing the three robes and bowl,

Becomes aware enjoying, drinking, eating or tasting. Becomes aware going, standing, sitting, lying, speaking, or keeping silence. Thus he abides reflecting the body in the body internally.

Or he abides reflecting the body in the body externally. Or he abides reflecting the body in the body internally and externally.

Or he abides reflecting the arising of thoughts in the body. Or he abides reflecting the fading of thoughts in the body. Or he abides reflecting the arising and fading of thoughts in the body.

Or he establishes mindfulness there is a body, abides not supported on anything in the world. Thus too the bhikkhu abides reflecting the body in the body.

That is half of the Sattipattanasutta. We will continue with the rest of the sutta next week, please join us then.

The above instructions are put into practice and soon the student will start to see the real nature of the body. If you become sleepy while meditating, get up and practice walking meditation, then sit down and practice sitting meditation.

Be interested in finding out the nature of the phenomena arising in your mind. If dullness comes, like a fog, give your mind this instruction 'brighten the mind'. Re-collect your precepts. Then go back to meditation.

Dedicate your merits from hearing this Dhamma to developing insight wisdom.

May you be well and happy

May you develop insight wisdom.

This script was written and developed by participants of the course: Trish Allen, Julian Bamford, Anita Carter, Frank Carter, Tanya Poynton and Adam Richards.

References

Chah Achaan, 1985. A Still forest Pool. The Insight Meditation of Achaan Chah. The Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton, Illinois, U.S.A.

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