Buddhist Meditation

BUDDHIST MEDITATION Clear Path to a Radiant Mind

Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORDS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CHAPTER 1 HISTORY OF MEDITATION CHAPTER 2 PRACTICING BUDDHIST MEDITATION CHAPTER 3 MIND AND ENLIGHTENMENT CHAPTER 4 MEDITATION AND THE BRAIN CHAPTER 5 MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS IN THAILAND CHAPTER 6 PLACES TO PRACTICE MEDITATION IN THAILAND APPENDIX 1 GREAT QUOTES ON MIND AND MEDITATION APPENDIX 2 GLOSSARY BIBLIOGRAPHY ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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FOREWORDS Because I had been ordained for ten years since I was 13: 7 years as a novice and 3 years as a monk, the idea of writing a handbook for practicing Buddhist meditation has also occupied a large part of my mind for several years. When I was in monkhood I studied and practiced the Buddha’s teachings extensively as a novice, a monk, and a student at Mahachula Buddhist University in Bangkok. I still remember practicing meditation, as a compulsory practicum for the 4th year students, at the Pine Camp at Khao Khor Mountain in Petchaboon Province, northern Thailand, under the strict instructions and supervision of the late Acharn Phorn Rattanasuban, then one of the famous meditation masters in Thailand.

I, personally, have found that meditation in the Buddhist tradition is beneficial for gaining personal peace of mind and for social development, advantageous for our brain in maintaining its health and vibrancy, and useful for medical treatment of some diseases, most importantly, for achieving global peace and harmony.

I believe this guidebook, which includes both Mahayana and Theravada approaches to meditation, provides all interested readers and keen practitioners with a solid and sound basis for practicing meditation the Buddha’s way. May all sentient beings be healthy, happy, and enlightened under the blessings of the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. May this globe be a better place for everyone to lead a peaceful and harmonious coexistence.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Above all else, I would like to express my profound gratitude to my first and second spiritual gurus, the late Luangpoh Gon (Phrakhru Sathornkhanarak) and Acharn Ngern (Phrakhru Sutthisilakhun) of Wat Ban Huay, Sakaerat Subdistrict, Pakthongchai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. Both have nursed and nurtured my knowledge of and experience in Buddhism when I was a novice and a full-fledged Buddhist monk, without whom I would not have come this far. Next, my deep gratitude goes to the late Acharn Phorn Rattanasuban of Pine Camp at Khao Khor Mountain in Petchaboon Province, northern Thailand, who instructed, supervised and trained me in the Buddhist meditation. Then I wish to thank Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya Buddhist University in Bangkok for providing me with a great chance to study Buddhism in all its spectrums and gain deep experience in practicing the Buddhist meditation.

I thank the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Government of India, for granting me the scholarship to study for my Ph.D. at the University of Delhi where I could spend much time and energy learning and reflecting more on Indian religions and philosophy. The Tibetan government and spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Laureate of 1989, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, whom I met once when I was studying in Delhi, has played an important part in educating me through his numerous writings on Mahayana approach to Buddhist meditation and knowledge. I also learned a great deal from Jiddu Krishnamurti, a great Indian spiritual philosopher, Thich Nhat Hanh, a well-known Vietnamese meditation master who now lives in Plum Village, France. The great Thai masters of meditation I learned through their writings and audio-visuals include Luang Pho Chah (Phra Bhodhiyana Thera, Wat Nong Pa Pong), Luang Pho Sod (Phra Mongkoldebmuni, Wat Pak Nam, Founder of Dhammakaya Meditation Tradition), and Buddhadasa Bhikkhu (Phra Dhammagosajarn, Suan Mokhapalaram).

Last but not least, I express my deep gratitude to all those contributors, scholars, experts, who have enriched my understanding and knowledge of Abhidhamma, mind, meditation, brain, and neuroscience from various angles; and web sites which contribute a great deal to my knowledge of the definitions, history, multiple techniques, and various practices of meditation in Thailand and around the world.

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CHAPTER 1 HISTORY OF MEDITATION Introduction Broadly speaking, meditation refers to any of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize benefit.

Meditation is generally an inwardly oriented, personal practice, which individuals can do by themselves. Prayer beads or other ritual objects may be used during meditation. Meditation may involve invoking or cultivating a feeling or internal state, such as compassion, or attending to a specific focal point. The term can refer to the state itself, as well as to practices or techniques employed to cultivate the state. There are dozens or more specific styles of meditation practice; the word meditation may carry different meanings in different contexts.

Meditation has been practiced since antiquity as a component of numerous religious traditions.

The English meditation is derived from the Latin meditatio, from a verb meditari, meaning "to think, contemplate, devise, ponder, meditate".

In the Old Testament hāgâ (Hebrew: ‫)הגה‬, means to sigh or murmur, but also to meditate. When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, hāgâ became the Greek melete. The Latin Bible then translated hāgâ/melete into meditatio. The use of the term meditatio as part of a formal, stepwise process of meditation goes back to the 12th-century monk Guigo II. The term meditation was introduced as a translation for Eastern spiritual practices, referred to as dhyāna in Buddhism and in Hinduism, which comes from the Sanskrit root dhyai, meaning to contemplate or meditate. The term "meditation" in English may also refer to practices from Islamic Sufism,[ or other traditions such as Jewish Kabbalah and Christian Hesychasm. An edited book about "meditation" published in 2003, for example, included chapter contributions by authors describing Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, and Taoist traditions. Scholars have noted that "the term 'meditation' as it has entered contemporary usage" is parallel to the term "contemplation" in Christianity. The history of meditation is intimately bound up with the religious context within which it was practiced.[ Even in prehistoric times civilizations used repetitive, rhythmic chants and offerings to appease the gods. Some authors have even suggested the hypothesis that the emergence of the capacity for focused attention, an element of many methods of meditation, may have contributed to the final phases of human biological evolution. References to meditation with Rishabha in Jainism go back to the Acaranga Sutra dating to 500 BC. Around 500-600BC Taoists in China and Buddhists in India began to develop meditative practices.

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In the west, by 20BCE Philo of Alexandria had written on some form of "spiritual exercises" involving attention (prosoche) and concentratio and by the 3rd century Plotinus had developed meditative techniques.

The PÄ li Canon, dating back to 1st century BCE, considers Indian Buddhist meditation as a step towards salvation. By the time Buddhism was spreading in China, the Vimalakirti Sutra which dates to 100CE included a number of passages on meditation, clearly pointing to Zen. The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism introduced meditation to other oriental countries, and in 653 the first meditation hall was opened in Japan. Returning from China around 1227, DĹ?gen wrote the instructions for Zazen.

The Islamic practice of Dhikr had involved the repetition of the 99 Names of God since the 8th or 9th century. By the 12th century, the practice of Sufism included specific meditative techniques, and its followers practiced breathing controls and the repetition of holy words. Interactions with Indians or the Sufis may have influenced the Eastern Christian meditation approach to hesychasm, but this can not be proved. Between the 10th and 14th centuries, hesychasm was developed, particularly on Mount Athos in Greece, and involves the repetition of the Jesus prayer.

Western Christian meditation contrasts with most other approaches in that it does not involve the repetition of any phrase or action and requires no specific posture. Western Christian meditation progressed from the 6th century practice of Bible reading among Benedictine monks called Lectio Divina, i.e. divine reading. Its four formal steps as a "ladder" were defined by the monk Guigo II in the 12th century with the Latin terms lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio (i.e. read, ponder, pray, contemplate). Western Christian meditation was further developed by saints such as Ignatius of Loyola and Teresa of Avila in the 16th century.

By the 18th century, the study of Buddhism in the West was a topic for intellectuals. The philosopher Schopenhauer discussed it, and Voltaire asked for toleration towards Buddhists. The first English translation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead was published in 1927.

Secular forms of meditation were introduced in India in the 1950s as a Westernized form of Hindu meditative techniques and arrived in the United States and Europe in the 1960s. Rather than focusing on spiritual growth, secular meditation emphasizes stress reduction, relaxation and self improvement. Both spiritual and secular forms of meditation have been subjects of scientific analyses. Research on meditation began in 1931, with scientific research increasing dramatically during the 1970s and 1980s. Since the beginning of the '70s more than a thousand studies of meditation in English-language have been reported. However, after 60 years of scientific study, the exact mechanism at work in meditation remains unclear.

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Definitions and Scope As early as 1971, Naranjo noted that "The word 'meditation' has been used to designate a variety of practices that differ enough from one another so that we may find trouble in defining what meditation is." There remains no definition of necessary and sufficient criteria for meditation that has achieved universal or widespread acceptance within the modern scientific community, as one study recently noted a "persistent lack of consensus in the literature" and a "seeming intractability of defining meditation".

In popular usage, the word "meditation" and the phrase "meditative practice" are often used imprecisely to designate broadly similar practices, or sets of practices, that are found across many cultures and traditions.

Some of the difficulty in precisely defining meditation has been the need to recognize the particularities of the many various traditions. There may be differences between the theories of one tradition of meditation as to what it means to practice meditation. The differences between multiple various traditions, which have grown up a great distance apart from each other, may be even more stark. The defining of what 'meditation' is has caused difficulties for modern scientists. Scientific reviews have proposed that researchers attempt to more clearly define the type of meditation being practiced in order that the results of their studies be made more clear. Taylor noted that to refer only to meditation from a particular faith (e.g., "Hindu" or "Buddhist") is not enough, since the cultural traditions from which a particular kind of meditation comes are quite different and even within a single tradition differ in complex ways. The specific name of a school of thought or a teacher or the title of a specific text is often quite important for identifying a particular type of meditation.

Within a specific context, more precise meanings are not uncommonly given the word "meditation." For example, 'meditation', is sometimes the translation of meditatio in Latin, which is the third of four steps of Lectio Divina, an ancient form of Christian prayer. 'Meditation' may also refer to the second of the three steps of Yoga in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, a step called dhyÄ na in Sanskrit.

Meditation may refer to a mental or spiritual state that may be attained by such practices, and may also refer to the practice of that state.

Western Typologies Ornstein noted that "most techniques of meditation do not exist as solitary practices but are only artificially separable from an entire system of practice and belief". This means that, for instance, while monks engage in meditation as a part of their everyday lives, they also engage the codified rules and live together in monasteries in specific cultural settings that go along with their meditative practices. These meditative practices sometimes have similarities (often noticed

by Westerners), for instance concentration on the breath is practiced in both Zen, Tibetan and Theravadan contexts, and these similarities or 'typologies' are noted here.

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Progress on the "intractable" problem of defining meditation was attempted by a recent study of views common to 7 experts trained in diverse but empirically highly studied (clinical or Eastern-derived) forms of meditation.The study identified "three main criteria... as essential to any meditation practice: the use of a defined technique, logic relaxation, and a self-induced state/mode. Other criteria deemed important [but not essential] involve a state of psychophysical relaxation, the use of a self-focus skill or anchor, the presence of a state of suspension of logical thought processes, a religious/spiritual/philosophical context, or a state of mental silence".However, the study cautioned that "It is plausible that meditation is best thought of as a natural category of techniques best captured by 'family resemblances'... or by the related prototype model of concepts".

In modern psychological research, meditation has been defined and characterized in a variety of ways; many of these emphasize the role of attention. .

In the West, meditation is sometimes thought of in two broad categories: concentrative meditation and mindfulness meditation. Note that these two categories cover a small scope of the broad variety of meditation techniques.

These two categories are discussed in the following two paragraphs, with concentrative meditation being used interchangeably with focused attention and mindfulness meditation being used interchangeably with open monitoring, direction of mental attention... A practitioner can focus intensively on one particular object (so-called concentrative mediation), on all mental events that enter the field of awareness (so-called mindfulness meditation), or both specific focal points and the field of awareness.

One style, Focused Attention (FA) meditation, entails the voluntary focusing of attention on a chosen object. The other style, Open Monitoring (OM) meditation, involves non-reactive monitoring of the content of experience from moment to moment.

An example of concentrative meditation is anapanasati, and an example of mindfulness meditation is, of course, mindfulness meditation.

Other typologies have also been proposed, and some techniques shift among major categories.

Evidence from neuroimaging studies suggests that the categories of meditation, defined by how they direct attention, appear to generate different brainwave patterns. Evidence also suggests that using different focus objects during meditation may generate different brainwave patterns.

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Religious and Spiritual Meditation Bahá'í Faith In the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith meditation, along with prayer, is one of the primary tools for spiritual development, and it mainly refers to one's reflection on the words of God. While prayer and meditation are linked where meditation happens generally in a prayerful attitude, prayer is seen specifically as turning toward God, and meditation is seen as a communion with one's self where one focuses on the divine.

The Bahá'í teachings note that the purpose of meditation is to strengthen one's understanding of the words of God, and to make one's soul more susceptible to their potentially transformative power, and that both prayer and meditation are needed to bring about and to maintain a spiritual communion with God. Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion, never specified any particular form of meditation, and thus each person is free to choose their own form. However, he specifically did state that Bahá'ís should read a passage of the Bahá'í writings twice a day, once in the morning, and once in the evening, and meditate on it. He also encouraged people to reflect on one's actions and worth at the end of each day. The Nineteen Day Fast, a nineteen-day period of the year, during which Bahá'ís adhere to a sunrise-to-sunset fast, is also seen as meditative, where Bahá'ís must mediate and pray to reinvigorate their spiritual forces.

Buddhism Buddhist meditation refers to the meditative practices associated with the religion and philosophy of Buddhism. Core meditation techniques have been preserved in ancient Buddhist texts and have proliferated and diversified through teacher-student transmissions. Buddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward Enlightenment and Nirvana. The closest words for meditation in the classical languages of Buddhism are bhāvanāand jhāna/dhyāna.

Buddhist meditation techniques have become increasingly popular in the wider world, with many non-Buddhists taking them up for a variety of reasons. While there are some similar meditative practices — such as breath meditation and various recollections (anussati) — that are used across Buddhist schools, there is also significant diversity. In the Theravāda tradition alone, there are over fifty methods for developing mindfulness and forty for developing concentration, while in the Tibetan tradition there are thousands of visualization meditations.

Most classical and contemporary Buddhist meditation guides are school-specific.

The Buddha is said to have identified two paramount mental qualities that arise from wholesome meditative practice: 

"serenity" or "tranquillity" (Pali: samatha) which steadies, composes, unifies and concentrates the mind;

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

"insight" (Pali: vipassana) which enables one to see, explore and discern "formations" (conditioned phenomena based on the five aggregates).

Through the meditative development of serenity, one is able to suppress obscuring hindrances; and, with the suppression of the hindrances, it is through the meditative development of insight that one gains liberating wisdom.

Christian Meditation is a term for form of prayer in which a structured attempt is made to get in touch with and deliberately reflect upon the revelations of God.The word meditation comes from the Latin word meditari which means to concentrate. Christian meditation is the process of deliberately focusing on specific thoughts (e.g. a biblical scene involving Jesus and the Virgin Mary) and reflecting on their meaning in the context of the love of God. Christian meditation contrasts with cosmic styles of eastern meditation as radically as the portrayal of God the Father in the Bible contrasts with discussions of Krishna or Brahman in Indian teachings. Unlike eastern meditations, most styles of Christian meditations do not rely on the repeated use of mantras, but are intended to stimulate thought and deepen meaning.

Christian meditation aims to heighten the personal relationship based on the love of God that marks Christian communion.

In Aspects of Christian meditation, the Catholic Church warned of potential incompatibilities in mixing Christian and eastern styles of meditation. In 2003, in A Christian reflection on the New Age the Vatican announced that the "Church avoids any concept that is close to those of the New Age".

Christian meditation is sometimes taken to mean the middle level in a broad three stage characterization of prayer: it then involves more reflection than first level vocal prayer, but is more structured than the multiple layers of contemplation in Christianity.

Hinduism The earliest clear references to meditation in Hindu literature are in the middle Upanishads and the Mahabharata, which includes the Bhagavad Gita.

According to Gavin Flood, the earlier Brihadaranyaka Upanishad refers to meditation when it states that "having becoming calm and concentrated, one perceives the self (Ä tman) within oneself".

The practices of yoga help one to control the mind and senses so the ego can be transcended and the true self (atman) experienced, leading to moksha or liberation. According to PataĂąjali's ashtanga yoga practice includes ethical discipline (yamas), rules (niyamas), physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), withdrawal from the senses (pratyahara), onepointedness of mind (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and eventually 10

samadhi, which is often described as the union of the Self (atman) with the omnipresent (Brahman), and is the ultimate goal of all Hindu yogis.

Meditation in Hinduism is not confined to any school or sect and has expanded beyond Hinduism to the West. Today there is a new branch of yoga which combines Christian practices with yogic postures known popularly as Christian Yoga.

The influential modern proponent of Hinduism who first introduced Eastern philosophy to the West in the late 19th century, Swami Vivekananda, describes meditation as follows: Meditation has been laid stress upon by all religions. The meditative state of mind is declared by the Yogis to be the highest state in which the mind exists.

When the mind is studying the external object, it gets identified with it, loses itself. To use the simile of the old Indian philosopher: the soul of man is like a piece of crystal, but it takes the colour of whatever is near it. Whatever the soul touches ... it has to take its colour. That is the difficulty. That constitutes the bondage.

Islam A Muslim is obliged to pray five times a day: once before sunrise, at noon, in the afternoon, after sunset, and once at night. During prayer a Muslim focuses and meditates on God by reciting the Qur'an and engaging in dhikr to reaffirm and strengthen the bond between Creator and creation, with the purpose of guiding the soul to truth. Such meditation is intended to help maintain a feeling of spiritual peace, in the face of whatever challenges work, social or family life may present.

The five daily acts of peaceful prayer are to serve as a template and inspiration for conduct during the rest of the day, transforming it, ideally, into one single and sustained meditation: even sleep is to be regarded as but another phase of that sustained meditation.

Meditative quiescence is said to have a quality of healing, and—in contemporary terminology—enhancing creativity. The Islamic prophet Muhammad spent sustained periods in contemplation and meditation. It was during one such period that Muhammad began to receive the revelations of the Qur'an.

Following are the styles, or schools, of meditation in the Muslim traditions: 

Tafakkur or tadabbur, literally means reflection upon the universe: this is considered to permit access to a form of cognitive and emotional development that can emanate only from the higher level, i.e. from God. The sensation of receiving divine inspiration awakens and liberates both heart and intellect, permitting such inner growth that the apparently

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mundane actually takes on the quality of the infinite. Muslim teachings embrace life as a test of one's submission to God.  Meditation in the Sufi traditions is largely based on a spectrum of mystical exercises, varying from one lineage to another. Such techniques, particularly the more audacious, can be, and often have been down the ages, a source of controversy among scholars. One broad group of ulema, followers of the great Al-Ghazzali, for example, have in general been open to such techniques and forms of devotion, while another such group, those who concur with the Ibn Taymiya, reject and generally condemn such procedures as species of bid'ah (Arabic: ‫ )ﺑﺪﻋﺔ‬or mere innovation.

Numerous Sufi traditions place emphasis upon a meditative procedure similar in its cognitive aspect to one of the two principal approaches to be found in the Buddhist traditions: that of the concentration technique, involving high-intensity and sharply focused introspection. In the OveyssiShahmaghsoudi Sufi order, for example, this is particularly evident, where muraqaba takes the form of tamarkoz, the latter being a Persian term that means concentration.

Jainism In Jainism, meditation has been a core spiritual practice, one that Jains believe people have undertaken since the teaching of the Tirthankara, Rishabha. All the twenty four Tirthankaras practiced deep meditation and attained enlightenment. They are all shown in meditative postures in the images or idols. Mahavira practiced deep meditation for twelve years and attained enlightenment. The Acaranga Sutra dating to 500 BC, addresses the meditation system of Jainism in detail.[25] Acharya Bhadrabahu of the 4th century BC practiced deep Mahaprana meditation for 12 years. Kundakunda of 1st century BCE, opened new dimensions of meditation in Jain tradition through his books Samayasāra, Pravachansar and others.

Jain meditation and spiritual practices system were referred to as salvationpath. It has three important parts called the Ratnatraya "Three Jewels": right perception and faith, right knowledge and right conduct. Meditation in Jainism aims at realizing the self, attaining salvation, take the soul to complete freedom. It aims to reach and to remain in the pure state of soul which is believed to be pure consciousness, beyond any attachment or aversion. The practitioner strives to be just a knower-seer (Gyata-Drashta).

Jain meditation can be broadly categorized to Dharmya Dhyana and Shukla Dhyana.

There exists a number of meditation techniques such as pindāstha-dhyāna, padāstha-dhyāna, rūpāstha-dhyāna, rūpātita-dhyāna, savīrya-dhyāna, etc. In padāstha dhyāna one focuses on Mantra. A Mantra could be either a combination of core letters or words on deity or themes. There is a rich tradition of Mantra in Jainism. All Jain followers irrespective of their sect, whether Digambara or Svetambara, practice mantra. Mantra chanting is an important part of daily lives of Jain monks and followers. Mantra chanting 12

can be done either loudly or silently in mind. Yogasana and Pranayama has been an important practice undertaken since ages. Pranayama – breathing exercises – are performed to strengthen the ten Pranas or vital energy.

Yogasana and Pranayama balances the functioning of neuro-endocrine system of body and helps in achieving good physical, mental and emotional health.

Contemplation is a very old and important meditation technique. The practitioner meditates deeply on subtle facts. In agnya vichāya, one contemplates on seven facts - life and non-life, the inflow, bondage, stoppage and removal of karmas, and the final accomplishment of liberation. In apaya vichāya, one contemplates on the incorrect insights one indulges into and that eventually develops right insight. In vipaka vichāya, one reflects on the eight causes or basic types of karma. In sansathan vichāya, when one thinks about the vastness of the universe and the loneliness of the soul.

Acharya Mahapragya formulated Preksha meditation in the 1970s and presented a well-organised system of meditation. Asana and Pranayama, meditation, contemplation, mantra and therapy are its integral parts.

Numerous Preksha meditation centers came into existence around the world and numerous meditations camps are being organized to impart training in it.

Judaism There is evidence that Judaism has had meditative practices that go back thousands of years. For instance, in the Torah, the patriarch Isaac is described as going "‫( "לשוח‬lasuach) in the field—a term understood by all commentators as some type of meditative practice (Genesis 24:63), probably prayer.

Similarly, there are indications throughout the Tanach (the Hebrew Bible) that meditation was used by the prophets. In the Old Testament, there are two Hebrew words for meditation: hāgâ (Hebrew: ‫)הגה‬, which means to sigh or murmur, but also to meditate, and sîḥâ (Hebrew: ‫)שיחה‬, which means to muse, or rehearse in one's mind.

The Jewish mystical tradition, Kabbalah, is inherently a meditative field of study. Traditionally Kabbalah is only taught to orthodox Jews over the age of forty. The Talmud refers to the advantage of the scholar over the prophet, as his understanding takes on intellectual, conceptual form, that deepens mental grasp, and can be communicated to others. The advantage of the prophet over the scholar is in the transcendence of their intuitive vision. The ideal illumination is achieved when the insights of mystical revelation are brought into conceptual structures.

For example, Isaac Luria revealed new doctrines of Kabbalah in the 16th Century that revolutionised and reordered its teachings into a new system.

However, he did not write down his teachings, which were recounted and 13

interpreted instead by his close circle of disciples. After a mystical encounter, called in Kabbalistic tradition an "elevation of the soul" into the spiritual realms, Isaac Luria said that it would take 70 years to explain all that he had experienced. As Kabbalah evolved its teachings took on successively greater conceptual form and philosophical system. Nonetheless, as is implied by the name of Kabbalah, which means "to receive", its exponents see that for the student to understand its teachings requires a spiritual intuitive reception that illuminates and personalises the intellectual structures.

Corresponding to the learning of Kabbalah are its traditional meditative practices, as for the Kabbalist, the ultimate purpose of its study is to understand and cleave to the Divine. Classic methods include the mental visualisation of the supernal realms the soul navigates through to achieve certain ends. One of the most well known types of meditation in early Jewish mysticism was the work of the Merkabah, from the root /R-K-B/ meaning "chariot" (of God).

New Age Meditation New Age meditation is often influenced by Eastern philosophy, mysticism, Yoga, Hinduism and Buddhism, yet may contain some degree of Western influence. In the West, meditation found its mainstream roots through the social revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, when many of the youth of the day rebelled against traditional belief systems as a reaction against what some perceived as the failure of Christianity to provide spiritual and ethical guidance. New Age meditation as practiced by the early hippies is regarded for its techniques of blanking out the mind and releasing oneself from conscious thinking. This is often aided by repetitive chanting of a mantra, or focusing on an object.

At its core, meditation is about touching the spiritual essence that exists within us all. Experiencing the joy of this essence has been called enlightenment, nirvana, or even rebirth, and reflects a deep understanding within us. The spiritual essence is not something that we create through meditation. It is already there, deep within, behind all the barriers, patiently waiting for us to recognize it. One does not have to be religious or even interested in religion to find value in it. Becoming more aware of your self and realizing your spiritual nature is something that transcends religion.

Anyone who has explored meditation knows that it is simply a path that leads to a new, more expansive way of seeing the world around us.

Sikhism In Sikhism, the practices of simran and NÄ m JapĹ? encourage quiet meditation. This is focusing one's attention on the attributes of God. Sikhs believe that there are 10 'gates' to the body; 'gates' is another word for 'chakras' or energy centres. The top most energy level is called the tenth gate or Dasam Duaar. When one reaches this stage through continuous practice meditation becomes a habit that continues whilst walking, talking, eating, 14

awake and even sleeping. There is a distinct taste or flavour when a meditator reaches this lofty stage of meditation, as one experiences absolute peace and tranquility inside and outside the body.

Followers of the Sikh religion also believe that love comes through meditation on the lord's name since meditation only conjures up positive emotions in oneself which are portrayed through our actions. The first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev Ji preached the equality of all humankind and stressed the importance of living a householder's life instead of wandering around jungles meditating, the latter of which being a popular practice at the time. The Guru preached that we can obtain liberation from life and death by living a totally normal family life and by spreading love amongst every human being regardless of religion.

In the Sikh religion, kirtan, otherwise known as singing the hymns of God is seen as one of the most beneficial ways of aiding meditation, and it too in some ways is believed to be a meditation of one kind.

Taoism Taoism includes a number of meditative and contemplative traditions, said to have their principles described in the I Ching, Tao Te Ching, Chuang Tzu and Tao Tsang among other texts. The multitude of schools relating to Qigong, Neigong, Internal alchemy, Daoyin and Zhan zhuang is a large, diverse array of breath-training practices in aid of meditation with much influence on later Chinese Buddhism and with much influence on traditional Chinese medicine and the Chinese as well as some Japanese martial arts. The Chinese martial art T'ai Chi Ch'uan is named after the well-known focus for Taoist and NeoConfucian meditation, the T'ai Chi T'u, and is often referred to as “meditation in motion”.

"The Guanzi essay 'Neiye' 內業 (Inward training) is the oldest received writing on the subject of the cultivation of vapor and meditation techniques.

The essay was probably composed at the Jixia Academy in Qi in the late fourth century B.C." Often Taoist Internal martial arts, especially Tai Chi Chuan are thought of as moving meditation. A common phrase being, "movement in stillness" referring to energetic movement in passive Qigong and seated Taoist meditation; with the converse being "stillness in movement", a state of mental calm and meditation in the tai chi form.

In a form of meditation using visualization, such as Chinese Qi Gong, the practitioner concentrates on flows of energy (Qi) in the body, starting in the abdomen and then circulating through the body, until dispersed.

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Jiddu Krishnamurti Indian-born philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti used the term "meditation" to mean something entirely different from the practice of any system or method to control the mind, or to consciously achieve a specific goal or state: Man, in order to escape his conflicts, has invented many forms of meditation.

These have been based on desire, will, and the urge for achievement, and imply conflict and a struggle to arrive. This conscious, deliberate striving is always within the limits of a conditioned mind, and in this there is no freedom. All effort to meditate is the denial of meditation. Meditation is the ending of thought. It is only then that there is a different dimension which is beyond time.

For Krishnamurti, meditation was "choiceless awareness" in the present: Meditation is a state of mind which looks at everything with complete attention, totally, not just parts of it. And no one can teach you how to be attentive. If any system teaches you how to be attentive, then you are attentive to the system and that is not attention. Meditation is one of the greatest arts in life - perhaps the greatest, and one cannot possibly learn it from anybody, that is the beauty of it. It has no technique and therefore no authority. When you learn about yourself, watch yourself, watch the way you walk, how you eat, what you say, the gossip, the hate, the jealousy - if you are aware of all that in yourself, without any choice, that is part of meditation.

Meher Baba The Indian spiritual teacher Meher Baba emphasized the importance of personal meditation or meditation on a spiritual master: Personal meditation is directed towards persons who are spiritually perfect.

Just as a man who admires the character of Napoleon and constantly thinks about him has a tendency to become like him, so an aspirant who admires some spiritually perfect person and constantly thinks about him has a tendency to become spiritually perfect. A suitable object for personal meditation is a living Master or Avatar or Masters and Avatars of the past. It is important that the object of meditation be spiritually perfect. If the person selected for meditation happens to be spiritually imperfect, there is every chance of his frailties percolating into the mind of the aspirant who meditates upon him. If the person selected for meditation is spiritually perfect, however, the aspirant has taken to a safe and sure path.

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Secular Meditation

As stated by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a U.S. government entity within the National Institutes of Health that advocates various forms of Alternative Medicine, "Meditation may be practiced for many reasons, such as to increase calmness and physical relaxation, to improve psychological balance, to cope with illness, or to enhance overall health and well-being."

Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School conducted a series of clinical tests on meditators from various disciplines, including Transcendental Meditation and Tibetan Buddhism. In 1975, Benson published a book titled The Relaxation Response where he outlined his own version of meditation for relaxation.

Biofeedback has been used by many researchers since the 1950s in an effort to enter deeper states of mind.

Mindfulness Over the past 20 years, mindfulness-based programs have become increasingly important to Westerners and in the Western medical and psychological community as a means of helping people, whether they be clinically sick or healthy. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who founded the MindfulnessBased Stress Reduction program in 1979, has defined mindfulness as 'moment to moment non-judgmental awareness.'Several methods are used during time set aside specifically for mindfulness meditation, such as body scan techniques or letting thought arise and pass, and also during our daily lives, such as being aware of the taste and texture of the food that we eat Scientifically demonstrated benefits of mindfulness practice include an increase in the body's ability to heal and a shift from a tendency to use the right prefrontal cortex to a tendency to use the left prefrontal cortex, 17

associated with a trend away from depression and anxiety and towards happiness, relaxation, and emotional balance.

Jacobson's Progressive Muscle Relaxation was developed by American physician Edmund Jacobson in the early 1920s. In this practice one tenses and then relaxes muscle groups in a sequential pattern whilst concentrating on how they feel. The method has been seen to help people with many conditions especially extreme anxiety.

Modern Cross-cultural Dissemination Methods of meditation have been cross-culturally disseminated at various times throughout history, such as Buddhism going to East Asia, and Sufi practices going to many Islamic societies. Of special relevance to the modern world is the dissemination of meditative practices since the late 19th century, accompanying increased travel and communication among cultures worldwide. Most prominent has been the transmission of numerous Asianderived practices to the West. In addition, interest in some Western-based meditative practices has also been revived, and these have been disseminated to a limited extent to Asian countries.

Ideas about Eastern meditation had begun "seeping into American popular culture even before the American Revolution through the various sects of European occult Christianity," and such ideas "came pouring in [to America] during the era of the transcendentalists, especially between the 1840s and the 1880s." But The World Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago in 1893, was the landmark event that increased Western awareness of meditation. This was the first time that Western audiences on American soil received Asian spiritual teachings from Asians themselves. Thereafter, Swami Vivekananda... [founded] various Vedanta ashrams... Anagarika Dharmapala lectured at Harvard on Theravada Buddhist meditation in 1904; Abdul Baha ... [toured] the US teaching the principles of Bahai, and Soyen Shaku toured in 1907 teaching Zen...

More recently, in the 1960s, another surge in Western interest in meditative practices began. Observers have suggested many types of explanations for this interest in Eastern meditation and revived Western contemplation.

Thomas Keating, a founder of Contemplative Outreach, wrote that "the rush to the East is a symptom of what is lacking in the West. There is a deep spiritual hunger that is not being satisfied in the West." Daniel Goleman, a scholar of meditation, suggested that the shift in interest from "established religions" to meditative practices "is caused by the scarcity of the personal experience of these [meditation-derived] transcendental states - the living spirit at the common core of all religions."

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Another suggested contributing factor is the rise of communist political power in Asia, which, "set the stage for an influx of Asian spiritual teachers to the West," oftentimes as refugees.

In a Western Context

In the late 19th century, Theosophists adopted the word "meditation" to refer to various spiritual practices drawn from Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and other Indian religions. Thus the English word "meditation" does not exclusively translate to any single term or concept, and can be used to translate words such as the Sanskrit dhāraṇā, dhyana, samadhi and bhavana.

Meditation may be for a religious purpose, but even before being brought to the West it was used in secular contexts. Beginning with the Theosophists meditation has been employed in the West by a number of religious and spiritual movements, such as Yoga, New Age and the New Thought movement.

Meditation techniques have also been used by Western theories of counseling and psychotherapy. Relaxation training works toward achieving mental and muscle relaxation to reduce daily stresses. Jacobson is credited with developing the initial progressive relaxation procedure. These techniques are used in conjunction with other behavioral techniques.

Originally used with systematic desensitization, relaxation techniques are now used with other clinical problems. Meditation, hypnosis and biofeedback-induced relaxation are a few of the techniques used with relaxation training. One of the eight essential phases of EMDR (developed by Shapiro), bringing adequate closure to the end of each session, also entails the use of relaxation techniques, including meditation. Multimodal therapy, a technically eclectic approach to behavioral therapy, also employs the use of meditation as a technique used in individual therapy.

From the point of view of psychology and physiology, meditation can induce an altered state of consciousness. Such altered states of consciousness may correspond to altered neuro-physiologic states.

Religion, Drugs and Meditation Many traditions in which meditation is practiced, such as Transcendental Meditation, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other religions, advise members not to 19

consume intoxicants, while others, such as the Rastafarian movements and Native American Church, view drugs as integral to their religious lifestyle.

The fourth of the five precepts of the Pancasila, the ethical code in the Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions, states that adherents must not ingest, "intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness."

On the other hand, the ingestion of psychoactives has been a central feature in the rituals of many religions, in order to produce altered states of consciousness. In several traditional shamanistic ceremonies, drugs are used as agents of ritual. In the Rastafari movement, cannabis is believed to be a gift from Jah and a sacred herb to be used regularly, while alcohol is considered to debase man. Bob Marley 'meditated' daily on his long hammock in a corridor-like room with wooden floor and shutters. Salvia divinorum had a long history of use amongst the Mazatec shamans, who used it to produce visionary states of consciousness in spiritual healing rituals. Native Americans are known to use peyote, as part of religious ceremony, continuing today. In India, the soma drink has a long history of use alongside prayer and sacrifice, and is mentioned in the Vedas.

During the 1960s, eastern meditation traditions and psychedelics, such as LSD, became popular in America, and it was suggested that LSD use and meditation were both means to the same spiritual/existential end. Many practictioners of eastern traditions rejected this idea, including many who had tried LSD themselves. In The Master Game, Robert S de Ropp writes that the "door to full consciousness" can be glimpsed with the aid of substances, but to "pass beyond the door" requires yoga and meditation. Other authors, such as Rick Strassman, believe that the relationship between religious experiences reached by way of meditation and through the use of psychedelic drugs deserves further exploration.

Physical Postures Various postures are taken up in meditation. Sitting, supine, and standing postures are used. The bodily positions applied during yoga are described at the Wikipedia page Asana.

Popular in Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism are the full-lotus, half-lotus, Burmese, and kneeling positions. Meditation is sometimes done while walking, known as kinhin, or while doing a simple task mindfully, known as samu.

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CHAPTER 2 PRACTICING BUDDHIST MEDITATION Since meditation is a method to transform ourselves into the person we would like to be; don't forget what you want to be like, we need to set the motivation which gives perseverance in the practice. Keep relaxed, don't push yourself and don't expect great experiences. A dedication at the end directs positive energy towards results.

In practicing Buddhist meditation, we try to develop wisdom, learn to observe our own mind, decrease negative mind states and develop positive mind states.

To develop wisdom and insight, we need a calm, clear and concentrated mind. To observe our own mind, we need to develop a kind of inner "spy" - a part of our attention that checks our state of mind.

To decrease negative mind states we need to understand where they come from and transform them into positive energy with the wisdom developed from observing our own mind. To develop positive mind states, we need to focus away from selfishness and again develop wisdom by observing our own mind or become your own therapist.

In order to find the right state of mind for meditation, we need concentration instead of being scattered, and clarity of mind instead of dullness. We need to observe our own thoughts and mind states instead of getting lost in emotions or becoming prejudiced. We need to be honest towards ourselves instead of fooling ourselves and walk away from unpleasant problems. Furthermore, we need to be patient (one does not become a meditation master over night), generate selfacceptance, confidence and enthusiasm to make the mind peaceful.

All these factors need to be in balance: we need to be somewhat relaxed as well as concentrated, we need to avoid both sleepiness and excitement.

Another misunderstanding about meditation is that we should stop thinking. I assume this comes from the emphasis in many Zen schools to "stop thinking" which I understand to mean that one cannot realise or experience emptiness when being only caught up in conceptual thoughts about it. That would be similar to trying to experience a beautiful sunset while discussing with yourself, "Is it the colour of the clouds that make it beautiful, or is it the quietness; why does the sun turn red etc."

As the late Ajahn Chah said: "Try to be mindful, and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool. All kinds of wonderful, rare animals will come to drink at the pool, and you will clearly see the nature of all things. But you will be still. This is the happiness of the Buddha."

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His Holiness the Dalai Lama explains in 'An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life': "Though not physical, our states of mind also come about by causes and conditions, much the way things in the physical world do. It is therefore important to develop familiarity with the mechanics of causation. The substantial cause of our present state of mind is the previous moment of mind. Thus, each moment of consciousness serves as the substantial cause of our subsequent awareness. The stimuli experienced by us, visual forms we enjoy or memories we a react to, are the cooperative conditions that give our state of mind its character. As with matter, by controlling the conditions, we affect the product: our mind. Meditation should be a skillful method of doing just this, applying particular conditions to our minds in order to bring about the desired effect, a more virtuous mind."

Samatha (Calming Meditation) The definition of samatha is: the ability to hold our minds on the object of meditation with clarity and stability for as long as we wish, conjoined with mental and physical pliancy. It is also called single pointed concentration. With samatha, the mind becomes extremely flexible and drastically reduces the power of disturbing attitudes, gross anger, attachment, jealousy etc. do not arise.

As mentioned in Yuan-hsien (1618-1697) - "The Teaching of Zen" edited by Thomas Cleary: "People learning the way should first empty and quiet their minds. This is because the mind must be empty before it can mystically understand the subtle principle. If the mind is not emptied, it is like a lamp in the wind, or like turbulent water, how can it reflect the myriad forms?"

Prerequisites to achieve full-blown Samatha: 1. Agreeable place: easy to obtain food without wrong livelihood, powerful place (blessed by holy persons) and quiet, not disease-ridden, proper companions and one should have heard and studied the teachings.

2. Have few desires in terms of food, clothes etc.

3. Knowing satisfaction: acceptance of what you haven and who you are.

4. Pure ethics: try to prevent any negative actions.

5. Forsaking commotion/excitement: few purposes outside meditation, reduce any other activities 6. Abandoning thoughts of desire and lust: contemplating faults of desire and impermanence.

As you may understand from the above, the achievement of samatha is not a small task. It is said that if one is completely focused on the practice in solitary retreat, some people can achieve it in 6 months. There are not many people

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around who can claim to have mastered samatha. To seriously engage in this practice, the advice of a teacher should be sought.

Venerable Ajahn Chah (Phra Bhodinyana Thera) has this warning: "Samadhi is capable of bringing much harm or much benefit to the meditator, you can't say it brings only one or the other. For one who has no wisdom it is harmful, but for one who has wisdom it can bring real benefit, it can lead him to Insight. That which can be most harmful to the meditator is Absorption Samadhi (Jhana), the samadhi with deep, sustained calm. This samadhi brings great peace.

Where there is peace, there is happiness. When there is happiness, attachment and clinging to that happiness arise. The meditator doesn't want to contemplate anything else, he just wants to indulge in that pleasant feeling. When we have been practicing for a long time we may become adept at entering this samadhi very quickly. As soon as we start to note our meditation object, the mind enters calm, and we don't want to come out to investigate anything. We just get stuck on that happiness. This is a danger to one who is practicing meditation.

We must use Upacara Samadhi. Here, we enter calm and then, when the mind is sufficiently calm, we come out and look at outer activity. Looking at the outside with a calm mind gives rise to wisdom. This is hard to understand, because it's almost like ordinary thinking and imagining. When thinking is there, we may think the mind isn't peaceful, but actually that thinking is taking place within the calm. There is contemplation but it doesn't disturb the calm. We may bring thinking up in order to contemplate it. Here we take up the thinking to investigate it, it's not that we are aimlessly thinking to investigate it, it's not that we are aimlessly thinking or guessing away; it's something that arises from a peaceful mind. This is called "awareness within calm and calm within awareness." If it's simply ordinary thinking and imagining, the mind won't be peaceful, it will be disturbed. But I am not talking about ordinary thinking, this is a feeling that arises from the peaceful mind. It's called "contemplation." Wisdom is born right here."

Vipassana (Insight Meditation) Vipassana is defined as: the correct discernment of the object of meditation, coupled with single-pointed concentration: a combination of analytical meditation and calm abiding. To develop it, we need to learn to analyse the meditation object. But not only conceptual; it is a more fully understanding the object. Our conceptual understanding will eventually turn into direct, nonconceptual experience.

The Buddha said: "Like fire arises from two pieces of wood rubbed together, so does analytical wisdom arise from the conceptual state. And just like the fire increases and burns away all the wood, analytical wisdom increases and burns away all conceptual states."

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Two types of analytical meditation should be distinguished: 1. To transform our attitude. For example, by understanding the problems and misunderstanding of anger, we can reduce and ultimately eliminate anger.

2. Analysis of the meditation object to understand and perceive it directly.

When doing analytical meditation, never take for granted the first quick answer that comes up. When you ask "why, how and when" again regarding your initial answers, you may discover the "real", underlying answers. Also, the answers should not only come just from the intellect, also check your feelings and emotions, as long as you don't get caught up in them..

As an example, in meditation on dying you can think of death. When you ask, "Will I die?" the immediate answer will be "Yes", and it seems you are finished.

But take some time to check with yourself if you really live your life consciously in the realisation that you can die any minute. Asking yourself, "How would it feel to die right now?" will get you into another level of the mind. Ask, "How will I die?" and "How will I feel?" and the simple question about death becomes intensely acute and serious.

Analytical meditation is not just about giving the instant logical answers from the books, but verifying what your OWN answers are. For me personally, often the real answers appear to be stowed away in emotions and is hiding behind the logical straightforward answers.

After doing the analysis in a very slow and calm way, one should single-pointedly focus on the conclusion made in the end, without analysis, just "look at the conclusion". This really works to let your own conclusions "sink in", and make them part of your understanding and wisdom.

As example using above meditation, you may conclude that you are really not so sure whether you believe in karma. The conclusion may well be something like: "I have to check about karma more" or "I need to check why I often don't act as if I believe in karma". Personally, this is the kind of stuff that makes me more sensitive and aware about my state of mind, and it stimulates to meditate more on the subjects of philosophy and psychology.

Combining Samatha and Vipassana According to the Buddha and the many great masters following in his footsteps, we need to practice both single-pointed concentration and special insight.

"In the Anguttara Nikaya Sutta (4.170): Venerable Ananda (one of the main disciples of the Buddha) says that monks and nuns who informed him that they had attained arahantship all declared that they did so by one of the four categories, i.e. there are only these four ways to arahantship (liberation):

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Samatha followed by vipassana - after which the path is born in him/her,

Vipassana followed by samatha - after which the path is born in him/her, Samatha and vipassana together, simultaneously - after which the path is born in him/her, and The mind stands fixed internally (i.e. on the cognizant consciousness or 'self') until it becomes one-pointed - after which the path is born in him/her.

Charity (dana) and morality (sila) are the positive and negative aspects of doing good (actively doing good and refraining from doing bad actions.). Likewise, samatha and vipassana can be said to be the positive and negative aspects of meditation. Samatha is the positive aspect which brings one closer to Nibbana.

Vipassana is the negative aspect, because one sees everything in the world as it is with proper wisdom thus: 'This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self' -- as a result, one will naturally withdraw from and let go of the sensory world. In other words, samatha meditation pulls one towards Nibbana, in contrast to vipassana meditation, which pushes one away from the world."

Meditation-The Way to Do It His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from ' A Policy of Kindness' : "The most important thing is practice in daily life; then you can know gradually the true value of religion. Doctrine is not meant for mere knowledge, but for the improvement of our minds. In order to do that, it must be part of our life. If you put religious doctrine in a building and when you leave the building depart from the practices, you cannot gain its value."

Before starting meditation, ideally we need to do and take care of a few things: - A quiet place (using music is nice for relaxing, but not really meditation), switching off the phone will help.

- Make sure you are not too tired, early morning is generally said to be the best time.

- Sit comfortable; most people like a cushion under their behind, the room is best not too warm or cold.

- Wear loose, comfortable clothing.

- Try to create continuity in time and place to become habituated to the circumstances of meditation.

Your Body: - Keeping the back straight, in whichever posture you meditate is most essential.

- Try to be comfortable and physically relaxed, and avoid moving too much.

- Keep the head straight, slightly bent forward, keep the teeth slightly apart, the 25

tip of the tongue against the upper pallet.

- The eyes are best kept half-open (without really looking), but many beginners find that too distracting and close them.

- The shoulders should be relaxed and the hands can be put in one's lap.

- The legs can be in the full lotus (which not many Westerners manage), but also simply crossed. In fact, other positions like sitting on one's knees or on a bench are good as well. If all of these are too difficult, you can also use a chair, but remember to sit only on the front half of the seat, not leaning against the back rest to avoid a bent back, and keep the feet flat on the floor. Keeping the knees warm may help to avoid numbness of the legs.

- Try belly-breathing; not breathing with the chest, but from the navel.

- Always remember that the posture should enhance meditation, not be an obstacle! The Buddha even taught one of his disciples who had many problems with his posture to lie down with his back on a bed, and then he quickly made progress; however, most people tend to fall asleep - so it will not be suitable for everyone...

Your Mind: - Be relaxed but at the same time awake and attentive: finding your balance here is not easy!

- Be a careful observer of your own mind and thoughts; sometimes called the 'little spy inside': Remember what Ani Tenzin Palmo mentions in his Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Teachings on Practical Buddhism: "As we begin to develop awareness of the mind, the mind itself appears to divide into two. A new aspect of the mind arises. This is referred to variously as the witness, the seer, the knower, or the observer. It witnesses without judgment and without comment. Along with the arrival of the witness, a space appears within the mind. This enables us to see thoughts and emotions as mere thoughts and emotions, rather than as 'me' and 'mine.' When the thoughts and emotions are no longer seen as 'me' or 'mine', we begin to have choices. Certain thoughts and emotions are helpful, so we encourage them. Others are not so helpful, so we just let them go. All the thoughts and emotions are recognized and accepted.

Nothing is suppressed. But now we have a choice about how to react. We can give energy to the ones, which are useful and skillful and withdraw energy from those which are not."

The Session: 1. Try and set yourself a minimum time that you want to meditate and try to stick to that as a minimum, but also stop before you get completely tired.

2. Motivation - to know what you are doing, most Buddhists will start with a refuge prayer, generating bodhicitta (for example using the prayer of the four immeasurables) and the seven-limb prayer (this contains the aspects of respectfulness towards the teachers, making (mental) offerings, admitting one's past mistakes, rejoicing in positive actions, asking the teachers to remain, requesting them to teach and dedicating the practice to full enlightenment). See the example meditations for a set of these prayers.

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3a. Calming and clearing the mind - often using a simple (but often not easy) breathing meditation - see below.

3b. Optional for an analytical meditation: take specific object or technique and stay with that - avoid excuses to change the subject.

4. Conclusion and dedication - to make impression on the mind In Tibetans tradition, the '6 Preparatory Practices' are advised prior to the first traditional meditation session of the day:

1. Sweep and clean the room and arrange the altar.

2. Make offerings on the altar, e.g. light, food, incense, water bowls, etc..

3. Sit in a comfortable position and examine your mind. If there is much distraction, do some breathing meditation to calm your mind. Then establish a good motivation. After that, take refuge and generate the altruistic intention by reciting the appropriate prayers.

4. Visualise the 'merit field' in front of you with your Teachers, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, etc. If this is too difficult, visualise Shakyamuni Buddha alone and consider him the embodiment of all Buddhas, Dharma (teachings) and Sangha (community).

5. Offer the seven limb prayer and do the mandala offering by reciting the prayers.

6. Make requests to the lineage teachers for inspiration by reciting the requesting prayers. It is also good to review the entire graduated path to enlightenment by reciting for example, "Foundation of All Good Qualities". This helps you to understand the purpose of the particular meditation that you will do in the overall scheme of training the mind in the gradual path. It also plants the seed for you to obtain each realisation of the path.

Setting Your Motivation Before you begin any practice, first think very carefully about your motivation.

When we are engaged in the threefold process of study, contemplation and meditation, we should be very specific, very clear about why we are doing it. We should remind ourselves, "I am doing this to transcend my negative emotions and my ego-clinging." This is a general example of a specific intention. However, to be more precise, we need to consider the unique make-up of our own individual kleshas [intense states of suffering, and ignorance]. Once we have identified our strongest emotion, then we can focus on the practices that will alleviate it. We begin with whichever emotion is strongest for us and then we move on to the next strongest, followed by the next, and so on.

It is important for us to prioritize our practice in this way. We have to keep our intention very clear in all three phases--in our study, in our contemplation and in our meditation. During samatha or other practices, when thoughts come up, we recall that our purpose is to overcome our disturbing emotions. We have to have a sense of willpower or determination in our minds. In order for the remedy to work, we must tell ourselves, "Yes, I am going to transcend this anger. I am going to work with it." Otherwise, if we do not have a clear idea, if we simply sit there 27

with an indefinite or vague intention, then the effect also will be vague. We may have sat for one hour and although that time will not have been wasted, because it was not directed in an intentional way, the experience will not be so sharp, to the point or effective."

In Mind Beyond Death, Dzogchen Ponlop states: "We should think about how we can make the best use of our practice so that we get the most out of it in the short time we have in this life. We do not have the leisure of wasting our time here by delaying the benefits of our practice. We have to use these situations as effectively as we can.�

Common Problems during Meditation Pain Physical pain is a common experience, especially when you are not yet used to the position. Instead of immediately moving at the first note of discomfort, remain seated, do not move and study yourself and the pain. How does pain really feel? Give yourself time to discover and explore the feeling. You can visualise your body as completely empty, or feel remote from the body, as if you are observing yourself from outside. When the pain is very strong and comes every session again, check your posture; experiment if you like to sit on a higher cushion or without, try different positions etc. Also yoga exercises can help a lot.

Take a physical brief break by standing up, but try to keep in the meditative state of mind.

A note on numbness and 'falling asleep' of the legs When Westerners first try to sit crossed legged for extended periods, usually we feel a prickling and later numbness in the legs. When unfolding your legs after some time, you may feel considerable discomfort - maybe your legs don't even want to support you for a few seconds. Don't worry about this: contrary to popular belief, this is not caused by a limited blood supply to the legs, which could be very harmful. Instead, this is a sign that nerves have been squashed a while; that is the reason for the prickling sensation; the nerve signals are coming through again. So numbness and 'sleeping' legs are no problem. I have heard occasionally of people damaging their knees while pushing themselves too hard (like can happen in intense Zen retreats) for much too long. If you really feel serious returning pains in the knees during sitting, you may want to go for a different sitting position (if need be a chair) as it is possible to damage your knees if you ignore body signals too much.

Sensual desire, attachment A common disturbance is being drawn to someone or something; it is often not easy to forget about your lover or a piece of chocolate once the thought has come up. But you can try some of the following: realising that these things are so brief and come with problems attached. Fulfilling one desires is never enough, the next one will come soon.

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Distraction, restlessness, worry The best way is not to give it attention, notice it but don't get involved. If it persists, usually it helps to add in a short period of breathing meditation as described above. Check with yourself if you are maybe pushing too hard, if so, relax a bit. You can remember that past and future don't exist, there is only the here and now. Restlessness from the past and worry for the future are illusions.

Sometimes it helps to get the energy down from the head and to remember bellybreathing or focus on a spot just below the navel. You can also focus on an imagined black spot between the eyebrows. Persistent matters can be given a very short attention and the promise to deal with it later. It may even help to have a pen and paper at hand to make a very short note. However, make sure you don't start to write an essay - then it just becomes an escape from meditation. If everything else fails, try an analytical meditation on the problem or situation that distracts.

Suzuki Roshi in Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, explains: "When you are practicing Zazen meditation, do not try to stop your thinking. Let it stop by itself. If something comes into your mind, let it come in and go out, it will not stay long. When you try to stop your thinking, it means you are bothered by it. Do not be bothered by anything. It appears that the something comes from outside your mind, but actually it is only the waves of your mind and if you are not bothered by waves, gradually they will become calmer and calmer...Many sensations come, many thoughts or images arise but they are just waves from your own mind, Nothing comes from outside your own mind...If you leave your mind as it is, it will become calm. This mind is called big mind."

Lethargy, drowsiness, sleepiness Remember that death is certain, and this chance for meditation should not be missed. There is only the here and now, past and future are imaginations. Check your motivation for meditating. You can concentrate on a visualised white light between the eyebrows. Take a couple of deep breaths. If you are really tired, take a rest and continue later.

Despite of all these problems, do not let yourself get discouraged to easily; meditation is about habituation, so it may take a while to get used to. Don't condemn yourself when a session did not go well, rather try to find the cause and avoid it next time.

B. Alan Wallace inTibetan Buddhism from the Ground Up says: "Cultivating the mind is very much like cultivating a crop. A farmer must know the proper way to prepare the soil, sow the seed, tend to the growth of the crop, and finally harvest it. If all these tasks are done properly, the farmer will reap the best harvest that nature allows. If they're done improperly, an inferior harvest will be produced, regardless of the farmer's hopes and anxieties.

Similarly, in terms of meditation it is crucial to be thoroughly versed in the proper method of our chosen technique. While engaged in the practice, we must 29

frequently check up to see whether we are implementing the instructions we have heard and conceptually understood. Like a good crop, good meditation cannot be forced, and requires cultivation over time."

Depression caused by meditation on suffering In Balancing the Mind: A Tibetan Buddhist Approach to Refining Attention, B. Alan Wallace mentions: "In discursive (analytical) meditations it is imperative that one's growing disenchantment with mundane existence is complemented with growing confidence in the real possibility of true freedom and lasting joy that transcends the vicissitudes of conditioned existence. Without this faith and the yearning for such liberation, the meditations may easily result in profound depression, in which everything seems hollow, unreal, and futile. Thus instead of polarizing one's desires towards the single-pointed pursuit of nirvana, one is reduced to a debilitating kind of spiritual sloth."

This may not actually happen very often. Strange enough, dealing with our problems in life and giving them full attention in meditation will often provide a bit more space and clarity, away from worries and leading towards ways of dealing with them. You may find that usually the not-dealing with our problems causes long-term frustrating and depressing situations. We cannot avoid problems, but we can change our reaction to them.

Ajahn Chah, most revered Thai meditator, says: "So don't be in a hurry and try to push or rush your practice.

Do your meditation gently and gradually step by step.

In regard to peacefulness, if you become peaceful, then accept it; if you don't become peaceful, then accept that also.

That's the nature of the mind.

We must find our our own practice and persistently keep at it."

Not too tight, not too lose.

Once the monk named Sona came to the Buddha with a question on why he was not having success in his practice, the Buddha answered (slightly adapted from Anguttara Nikaya by Nyanaponika Thera): "Tell me, Sona, in earlier days were you not skilled in playing stringed music on a lute?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"And, tell me, Sona, when the strings of that lute were too taut, was then your 30

lute tuneful and easily playable?"

"Certainly not, my Lord."

"And when the strings of your lute were too loose, was then your lute tuneful and easily playable?"

"Certainly not, my Lord."

"But when, Sona, the strings of your lute were neither too taut nor too loose, but adjusted to an even pitch, did your lute then have a wonderful sound and was it easily playable?"

"Certainly, Lord."

"Similarly, Sona, if energy is applied too strongly, it will lead to restlessness, and if energy is too lax, it will lead to lassitude. Therefore, Sona, keep your energy in balance and balance the Spiritual Faculties and in this way focus your intention."

Meditation Is Not That Easy Beginners with meditation often get the feeling that they can't meditate; "I meditate for a week now, and still see no change", "I can't control my mind", "My mind is only getting crazier, I cannot get rid of my problems and thoughts".

Meditation requires patience - a few sessions will not undo a lifetime of opposite habits of excitement and confusion.  

None of us can control our mind unless we train ourselves to do it - have you ever seen anyone playing the violin nicely without practice?

If it seems that our mind is getting worse, it usually means we just see our 'madness' better than before - the first step towards success!

You may recall a mini-poem that catches a lot of the essence below : "Too young to meditate...

Too bad to meditate...

Too in love to meditate...

Too busy to meditate...

Too worried to meditate...

Too sick to meditate...

Too excited to meditate...

Too tired to meditate...

Too late to meditate!"

Thich Nhat Hanh and The Five Mindfulness Training First Training: Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life.

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Second Training: Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I am committed to cultivate loving kindness and learn ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am committed to practice generosity by sharing my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth.

Third Training: Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivate responsibility and learn ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society. I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without love and a long-term commitment. To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of others. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct.

Fourth Training: Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I am committed to cultivate loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I am committed to learn to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self-confidence, joy, and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to criticise or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or the community to break. I will make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.

Fifth Training: Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practising mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I am committed to ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant or to ingest foods or other items that contain toxins, such as certain TV programs, magazines, books, films, and conversations. I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness with these poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society, and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger, and confusion in myself and in society by practising a diet for myself and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and for the transformation of society.

Post Meditation "Be on guard against thinking of Enlightenment as a thing to be grasped at, lest it, too, should become an obstruction."

(The Buddha)

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"Meditation is not to escape from society, but to come back to ourselves and see what is going on. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. With mindfulness, we know what to do and what not to do to help." (Thich Nhat Hanh)

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CHAPTER 3 MIND AND ENLIGHTENMENT Abhidhamma and Vipassana 'Abbhidhamma' means dhamma which is exceedingly subtle, deep, difficult to comprehend, and vast in scope. 'Dhamma' means reality and truth. It means the law of cause and effect, the essence of things and the way things are by nature. It means knowable reality; a reality in which there are no beings, and which is fixed in the order of its manifestations. In short, 'Dhamma' means Reality and Truth in the absolute sense.

That exceedingly subtle, deep, difficult, excellent and wide Abhidhamma, which is real and correct because it speaks of the selflessness of beings and the natural essential condition of things, was taught by the Buddha in the realm of the gods.

Because no distracting objects or hindrances interrupted the mental continua of the gods, they could immediately listen to this very difficult dhamma with undivided attention and fully comprehend it. In the human realm, the nuisances of having to eat, sleep and defecate, etc., interrupt and obstruct the performance of every task. And because whenever we focus our thoughts upon any given endeavor, physical weariness, the call of nature, and hunger and thirst always intervene, our concentration becomes broken even while we work. For this reason, there would have been no benefit in teaching piecemeal a doctrine so deep as the Abhidhamma in the realm of human beings.

The Abhidhamma which the Venerable Sariputta heard in brief from the Buddha he preached to his five hundred disciples in a way that was neither brief nor extended. The monks who learned the Abhidhamma from the Venerable Sariputta were newly ordained, having entered the Order on the day the Buddha ascended to Tavatimsa heaven. These five hundred sons-of good-family took ordination at that time - the full moon day of 'Waso' - because they were inspired to faith by a display of miracles performed at the foot of a white mango tree. On the following day, they listened to the Abhidhamma; and it was this Abhidhamma which became for those monks their Vipassana.

The Buddha first assembled the entire Dhamma and taught it all together (as the Dhammasangani). He then analyzed it into separate parts and taught (the Vibhanga). He further analyzed it in detail according to elements (producing thereby, the Dhatukatha). Again he assembled it together and again analyzed it into minute parts, this time in relation to individuals, (and so taught the Puggalapannati). After that, the Buddha examined and compared the different doctrines existing in the world and taught (the Kathavatthu). Thereupon, he examined and taught the Dhamma in pairs (Yamaka); and finally, taught the doctrine of causal relations in detail (Pathana).

The seven methods of examining Dhamma presented in the seven books of the Abhidhamma; that is to say, 1) the analysis of mind (citta), mental factors (cetasika) and matter (rupa) when taken together, 2) the analysis of the same 34

when distinguished into parts, 3) the analysis of elements, 4) the analysis of individuals, 5) the comparison of doctrines, 6) the analysis of Dhamma into pairs, and 7) the examination of causal relations, are in truth none other than seven exceedingly deep methods of Vipassana practice. For this reason it can be said that the day the five hundred monks mastered the Abhidhamma - this being the teaching of Abhidhamma-Vipassana they had listened to since their ordination was the very day they mastered the practice of Vipassana.

Vipassana is a method of wisdom that searches for truth and peace in diverse ways by observing, inquiring into, and penetrating the nature, the essence, the set order, the absence of being, the selflessness and the ultimately reality of mind and matter. For example, one method of Vipassana accomplishes this goal through ten kinds of knowledge whereby one comes to understand the nature of matter as producing effects in mutual dependence on matter; and similarly, the nature of mind as producing effects in mutual dependence on mind. Another method which achieves the same end; that is, the seeking out and penetration of reality, relies on an ascent through the seven purifications. In both instances, Vipassana and Abhidhamma are identical.

Since Vipassana meditation takes the Abhidhamma as its sole object of contemplation, Vipassana and Abhidhamma cannot be separated. And while it may not be said that one can practice Vipassana only after one has mastered the Abhidhamma, Vipassana meditation and the study of Abhidhamma remain one and the same thing. Because mind, mental factors and matter are forever bound up with this fathom-long body, the study and learning of this subject, and the concentrated observation of the nature of mind, mental factors and matter are tasks which cannot be distinguished.

Since at the very least one would have to say that there can be no Vipassana without an understanding of mind and matter, surely then it is not possible to separate Abhidhamma and Vipassana. It is explained in the Abhidhamma that the root causes giving rise to the seven elements of mind and matter are ignorance (avijja), craving (tanha) and volitional action (kamma). It is further pointed out that the supporting conditions for these same seven elements are kamma, mind, climate (utu) and nutriment (ahara). Only by grasping these abhidhammic truths will one possess the knowledge which comprehends conditional relations (paccayapariggahanana), and achieve the purification of mind necessary for overcoming doubt. These excellent benefits are pointed out by paticcasamuppada and pathana. Therefore, since it is the case that Vipassana and Abhidhamma are not separate but are mutually dependent, it is rightly submitted that Vipassana yogis ought not let go of that wise method of learning about the human condition called the Abhidhamma.

(Note: - This is a summary of the talk, Sitagu Sayadaw gave on a special occasion of Abhidhamma, translated into English by the Department of Research and Compilation, International Buddhist Academy, Sagaing Hill, Myanmar )

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Elements in Abhidhamma The Buddha spoke about realities as elements in order to remind us that they are impermanent and not self. When we speak about elements we usually think of the elements in chemistry or physics which have each their own characteristics.

In chemistry and physics matter is analysed into elements, but it may seem strange to us to regard the eye or seeing as elements. We are not used to consider them as elements because we are inclined to take them for 'self'.

What we take for self are only nama-elements and rupa-elements which arise because of their appropriate conditions and then fall away again. Eyesense is only an element which has its own characteristic and is devoid of self ; it is rupa which arises because of conditions and then falls away again. Seeing is only an element which has its own characteristic and is devoid of self ; it is nama which arises because of conditions and falls away again. ln the Buddha's teachings realities are classified as elements, some of which are rupa and some of which are nama. When they are classified as eighteen elements; they are as follows: The five senses: 1. eye-element (cakkhu-dhatu) 2. ear-element (sota-dhatu) 3. nose-element (ghana-dhatu) 4. tongue-element (jivha-dhatu) 5. body-element (kaya-dhatu) which is the body-sense The five objects (experienced through the five senses): 6. visible object-element (rupa-dhatu) 7. sound-element (sadda-dhatu) 8. smell-element (gandha-dhatu) 9. taste-element (rasa-dhatu) 10. element of tangible objects (photthabba-dhatu), comprising the following three kinds of rupa: earth-element (solidity), appearing as hardness or softness fire-element (temperature), appearing as heat or cold windelement, appearing as motion or pressure.

The dvi-panca-vinnanas (experiencing the five sense objects): 11. seeing-consciousness-element (cakkhu-vinnana-dhatu) 12. hearing-consciousness-element (sota-vinnan-adhatu) 13. smelling-consciousness-element (ghana-vinnana-dhatu) 14. tasting-consciousness-element (jivha-vinnana-dhatu) 15. body-consciousness-element (kaya-vinnana-dhatu) Three more elements: 16. mano-dhatu or mind-element 17. dhamma-dhatu 36

18. mano-vinnana-dhatu or mind-consciousness-element The five elements which are the five sense-doors are rupa and the five elements which are the objects experienced through the sense-doors are rupa as well. The five elements which are the dvi-panca-vinnanas, experiencing these objects, are nama. There are two cittas which are cakkhu-vinnana-dhatu, since seeingconsciousness can be kusala vipaka or akusala vipaka. It is the same with the other panca-vinnanas. Thus there are 'five pairs' of citta which are pancavinnana-dhatu.

The element which is mano-dhatu or mind-element is nama. Mano-dhatu comprises the panca-dvaravajjana-citta (five-sense-door-advertingconsciousness) and the two types of sampaticchana-citta (receivingconsciousness) which are kusala vipaka and akusala vipaka. Thus three kinds of citta are mano-dhatu.

Dhamma-dhatu comprises both nama and rupa. Dhamma-dhatu is the cetasikas, the subtle rupas (sukhuma-rupas) and nibbana.

Mano-vinnana-dhatu or mind-consciousness-element is nama. It comprises all cittas which are not the dvi-panca-vinnanas and not mano-dhatu. For example, santirana-citta (investigating-consciousness), mano-dvaravajjana-citta (minddoor-adverting-consciousness) and the cittas performing the function of javana such as lobha-mula-citta are mano-vinnana-dhatu.

Panca-vinnana-dhatu (seeing-consciousness-element, etc.), the mano-dhatu (mind-element) and the mano-vinnana-dhatu (mind-consciousness-element) are: vinnana-dhatu (consciousness-element).

Dhamma-dhatu is not identical with dhammarammana (mind-objects). Cittas are included in dhammarammana, but not in dhamma-dhatu, since dhamma-dhatu is: cetasikas, subtle rupas and nibbana. When cittas are classified as elements they are the seven classes of vinnana-dhatu, namely: Panca-vinnana-dhatu (which are five classes), mano-dhatu (mind-element), mano-vinnana-dhatu (mind-consciousness-element).

Concepts and conventional terms (pannatti) which are included in dhammarammana are not dhamma-dhatu, because they are not paramattha dhammas. Only paramattha dhammas are classified as elements.

Sometimes the Buddha spoke about six elements ; or he classified realities as two elements. There are many different ways of classifying realities, but no matter in which way realities are classified, as khandha, by way of arammana (objects), or in any other way, we should remember the purpose of classifying realities : realizing that what we take for self are only nama-elements and rupa-elements.

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In the 'Satipatthana-sutta' (Discourse on the Applications of Mindfulness, Middle Length Sayings I, No.10) we read in the section about mindfulness of the body, that the Buddha spoke about the body in terms of elements. The text states: And again, monks, a monk reflects on this body according to how it is placed or disposed in respect of the elements, thinking: 'In this body there is the element of extension (solidity), the element of cohesion, the element of heat, the element of motion.' Monks, even as a skilled cattle-butcher, or his apprentice, having slaughtered a cow, might sit displaying its carcass at a cross-roads, even so, monks, does a monk reflect on this body itself according to how it is placed or disposed in respect of the elements, thinking: 'In this body there is the element of extension, the element of cohesion, the element of heat, the element of motion'. Thus he fares along contemplating the body in the body internally...and he fares along independently of and not grasping anything in the world. It is thus too, monks, that a monk fares along contemplating the body in the body...

The 'Visuddhimagga' (XI, 30) states: What is meant? Just as a butcher, while feeding the cow, bringing it to the shambles, keeping it tied up after bringing it there, slaughtering it, and seeing it slaughtered and dead, does not lose the perception 'cow' so long as he has not carved it up and divided it into parts ; but when he has divided it up and is sitting there, he loses the perception 'cow' and the perception 'meat' occurs ; he does not think 'I am selling cow' or 'They are carrying cow away', but rather he thinks 'I am selling meat' or 'They are carrying meat away'; so too this bhikkhu, while still a foolish ordinary person--both formerly as a layman and as one gone forth into homelessness--, does not lose the perception 'living being' or 'man' or 'person' so long as he does not, by resolution of the compact into elements, review this body, however placed, however disposed, as consisting of elements. But when he does review it as consisting of elements, he loses the perception 'living being' and his mind establishes itself upon elements....

The Buddha reminded people of the truth in many different ways. Sometimes he spoke about the body as a corpse in different stages of dissolution. Or he spoke about the 'parts of the body' and he explained how the body is full of impurities, 38

in order to remind people that what we take for our body are only elements which are devoid of beauty, which are dukkha, impermanent and not self.

The 'Satipatthana-sutta', in the section about mindfulness of the body, says: Monks, it is like a double-mouthed provision bag that is full of various kinds of grain such as hill-paddy, paddy, kidneybeans, peas, sesame, rice; and a keen-eyed man, pouring them out, were to reflect: 'That's hill-paddy, that's paddy, that's kidneybeans, that's peas, that's sesame, that's rice.' Even so monks, does a monk reflect on precisely this body itself, encased in skin and full of various impurities, from the soles of the feet up and from the crown of the head down...

Not only the body, but also the mind should be considered as elements. There is nothing in our life which is not an element.

In the 'Discourse on the Manyfold Elements' (Middle Length Sayings III, 115), the Buddha, while he was staying in the Jeta Grove, in Anathapindika's monastery, said to the monks that fears, troubles and misfortunes occur to the fool, not to the wise man. He said to the monks: '...Monks, there is not fear, trouble, misfortune for the wise man. Wherefore, monks, thinking, 'Investigating, we will become wise', this is how you must train yourselves, monks.'

When this had been said, the venerable Ananda spoke thus to the Lord: 'What is the stage at which it suffices to say, revered sir: 'Investigating, the monk is wise'?'

'Ananda, as soon as a monk is skilled in the elements and skilled in the (sense) fields and skilled in conditioned genesis and skilled in the possible and the impossible, it is at this stage, Ananda, that it suffices to say, 'Investigating, the monk is wise.''

'But, revered sir, at what stage does it suffice to say, 'The monk is skilled in the elements'?'

'There are these eighteen elements, Ananda: the element of eye, the element of material shape, the element of visual consciousness; the element of ear, the element of sound, the element of auditory consciousness ; the element of nose, the element of smell, the element of olfactory consciousness ; the element of tongue, the element of taste, the element of gustatory consciousness; the element of body, the element of touch, the element of bodily consciousness; the element of mind, the element of mind-objects, the 39

element of mental consciousness. When, Ananda, he knows and sees these eighteen elements, it is at this stage that it suffices to say, 'The monk is skilled in the elements.' ' 'Might there be another way also, revered sir, according to which suffices to say, 'The monk is skilled in the elements'?'

'There might be, Ananda. There are these six elements, Ananda: the element of extension, the element of cohesion, the element of radiation, the element of mobility, the element of space, the element of consciousness. When, Ananda, he knows and sees these six elements, it is at this stage that it suffices to say, 'The monk is skilled in the elements.''

'Might there be another way also, revered sir, according to which it suffices to say, 'The monk is skilled in the elements'?'

'There might be, Ananda. There are these six elements, Ananda: the element of happiness, the element of anguish, the element of gladness, the element of sorrowing, the element of equanimity, the element of ignorance. When, Ananda, he knows and sees these six elements, it is at this stage that it suffices to say, 'The monk is skilled in the elements.''

The Buddha then explained still other ways of being skilled in the elements and further on we read that Ananda asked again: 'Might there be another way also, revered sir, according to which it suffices to say, 'The monk is skilled in the elements'?'

'There might be, Ananda. There are these two elements, Ananda: the element that is constructed and the element that is unconstructed. When, Ananda, he knows and sees these two elements, it is at this stage that it suffices to say, 'The monk is skilled in the element.

The element which is constructed is all conditioned realities (the five khandhas), and the element which is unconstructed is nibbana. Also nibbana is an element, it is devoid of self. Nibbana is not a person, it is anatta.

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The Essence of the “MIND” in Buddhism?

Mind or nama in Pali refers to mental phenomena which in Abhidhamma means mind and mental concomitants. All living beings, from Brahmas and Devas, humans down to the tiniest insects, are mere compound things of mind and matter, having arisen due to appropriate causes. Whether in man or deva or brahma or animals, there are only 28 kinds of material qualities and 89 classes of consciousness (i.e., mind or mental state). Each of these kinds or classes stands close analysis. And there are 52 kinds of mental concomitants. Nibbana is the unique element standing apart from the three other ultimate realities. This is a brief description of the four ultimate realities or paramattha dhammas. In our present discussion we are going to focus our attention on mind: how it is formed and the essential role of the mental concomitants in the arising of the states of mind.

“Citta” means consciousness. What is it conscious of? It is conscious of sense objects. Sense object is called Arammana in Pali, which has been adopted and called 'a-yon' in Myanmar. Great teachers of yore did not try to translate arammana, lest there should occur inaccuracies in meaning. So they have simply used a like-sounding word. (Note: The Pali 'r' consonents take on the lighter and easier consonantal sound of 'y', so that although in written Myanmar language, arammana is spelt as 'a-ron', in spoken language we pronounce it 'a-yon'.

Buddhists have long been acquainted with Abhidhamma parlance so much so that daily use of such terms as 'rupa-yon' (ruparammana), sadda-yon, gandhayon, rasa-yon, photthabba-yon, dhammayon, for the six sense-objects have come into vogue as though they belong to our mother tongue. Even if these terms were to be used in translation, such as eye-object, ear-object, nose-object, tongueobject, body-object and mind-object, they might sound strange to the ear (though these are correct renderings). The hybrid Pail words (rupa-yon, etc.,) are readily accepted as the six sense-objects. Their pure vernacular terms as: visible objects, sound, smell, taste, tangible object and thought, might be used. Yet they also strike one as pedantic. So the hybrid words (rupa-yon, etc.) have become popular usage with us since the times of our forebears.

When consciousness arises, that is, when the mind becomes aware of a senseobject, other mental factors also arise together with it: they are called cetasika, mental concomitants. This word also has been adopted and is called ''cetatheik' which is simply a clever twist in Myanmar Orthography.

There are four characteristic properties of a cetasika, namely: i: Cetasika arises together with consciousness; ii: It perishes together with consciousness; iii: It has an identical object with consciousness; iv: It has a common basis with consciousness.

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2. The Seven 'Universals' There are seven mental concomitants or cetasika that are common to every consciousness: they are: (1) Contact (phassa), (2) Sensation (vedana), (3) Perception (sanna), Volition (cetana) , (5) One-pointedness of mind (ekaggata), (6) Faculty of life (jivitindriya) and Attention (manasikara). They are invariably present in all types of consciousness. They bear, so to speak, equal responsibility for the arising of any consciousness. Hence they are called 'Universals' or sabbacittasadharana cetasika.

(Source: THE BUDDHA'S ANALYSIS OF MIND By U Tin U (Myaung), Yangon being a translation from his original. Myanmar book) 1361 M.E.,

September, 2000, www.triplegem.net) Lokuttara Cittas (Supramundane Mind) The Abhidhamma teaches us about different kinds of wholesome cittas. There are kāmāvacara kusala cittas (kusala cittas of the sensuous plane of consciousness, mahā-kusala cittas), rūpāvacara kusala cittas (rūpa-jhānacittas) and arūpāvacara kusala cittas (arūpa-jhānacittas). All these types of citta are kusala, but they do not eradicate the latent tendencies of defilements. Only lokuttara kusala cittas, magga-cittas (1), eradicate the latent tendencies of defilements. When all defilements are eradicated completely there will be an end to the cycle of birth and death. We may wonder whether lokuttara kusala cittas really eradicate defilements so that they never arise again. There are many defilements. We are full of lobha, dosa and moha. We have avarice, jealousy, worry, doubt, conceit and many other defilements. The clinging to the self is deeply rooted: we take our mind and our body for self. It is hard to understand how all these defilements can be eradicated. Defilements can be eradicated and there is a Path leading to it, but we have accumulated defilements to such an extent that they cannot be eradicated all at once. Ditthi, wrong view, has to be eradicated first; so long as we take realities for self there cannot be eradication of any defilement.

There are four stages of enlightenment: the stages of the sotāpanna (streamwinner), the sakadāgāmī (once-returner), the anāgāmī (no-returner) and the arahat. At each of these stages the lokuttara kusala citta, the magga-citta, arises which experiences nibbāna and eradicates defilements. The sotāpanna, the ariyan who has attained the first stage of enlightenment, has eradicated “ditthi” completely, so that it can never arise again, but he has not eradicated all defilements. Defilements are eradicated stage by stage and only when arahatship has been attained all defilements have been eradicated.

People may wonder how one can know that one has attained enlightenment. The lokuttara citta is accompanied by paññā (wisdom) which has been developed in vipassanā. One does not attain enlightenment without having developed insightwisdom, vipassanā. There are several stages of insight-wisdom. First, doubt about the difference between nāma and rūpa is eliminated. It may be understood in theory that nāma is the reality which experiences an object and rūpa is the 42

reality which does not know anything. However, theoretical understanding, understanding of the level of thinking, is not the same as direct understanding which realizes nāma as nāma and rūpa as rūpa. When there is, for example, sound, which is rūpa, there is also hearing, which is nāma, and these realities have different characteristics. There can be mindfulness of only one characteristic at a time and at such a moment right understanding of the reality which presents itself can develop. So long as there is not right mindfulness of one reality at the time there will be doubt as to the difference between nāma and rūpa. There has to be mindfulness of the different kinds of nāma and rūpa which appear in daily life in order to eliminate doubt. When the first stage of insight, which is only a beginning stage, is attained, there is no doubt as to the difference between the characteristics of nāma and rūpa. The characteristics of nāma and rūpa have to be investigated over and over again until they are clearly understood as they are and there is no more wrong view about them. The realization of the arising and falling away of nāma and rūpa is a higher stage of insight which cannot be attained so long as the characteristic of nāma cannot be distinguished from the characteristic of rūpa. All the different stages of insight have to be attained in the right order (2). Paññā should continue to investigate the characteristics of realities as they appear through the six doors so that the three characteristics of conditioned realities, namely: impermanence (anicca), dukkha and non-self (anattā), can be penetrated more and more. When paññā has clearly understood these three characteristics enlightenment can be attained; paññā can then experience nibbāna, the unconditioned reality. When paññā has been developed to that degree there cannot be any doubt as to whether one has attained enlightenment or not.

The English word enlightenment can have different meanings and therefore it may create confusion. The Pāli term for enlightenment is ""bodhi"". Bodhi literally means knowledge or understanding. The attainment of enlightenment in the context of the Buddhist teachings refers to paññā which has been developed to the degree that it has become "lokuttara" paññā, "supramundane paññā", which accompanies lokuttara cittas experiencing nibbāna. Enlightenment is actually a few moments of lokuttara cittas which do not last. Nibbāna does not arise and fall away, but the lokuttara cittas which experience nibbāna fall away and are followed by cittas of the sense-sphere; in the case of the ariyans who have not yet attained the fourth stage of enlightenment, also akusala cittas are bound to arise again. However, the defilements which have been eradicated at the attainment of enlightenment do not arise anymore.

Only the right Path, the eightfold Path, can lead to enlightenment. If one develops the wrong path the goal cannot be attained. In the Abhidhamma defilements are classified in different ways and also different kinds of wrong view are classified in various ways. For example, different kinds of wrong view are classified under the group of defilements which is clinging (upādāna). Three of the four kinds of clinging mentioned in this group are clinging to various forms of ditthi; these three kinds of clinging have been completely eradicated by the sotāpanna. One of them is: "clinging to rules and ritual" (sīlabbatupādāna), which includes the wrong practice of vipassanā. Some people think that they can attain

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enlightenment by following some path other than the eightfold Path but this is an illusion. There are no other ways leading to enlightenment.

The eightfold Path is developed by being mindful of the nāma and rūpa which appear in daily life, such as seeing, visible object, hearing, sound, thinking, feeling, attachment, anger or the other defilements which arise. If the eightfold Path is not developed by being mindful of all realities which appear in one's daily life, wrong view cannot be eradicated and thus not even the first stage of enlightenment, the stage of the "sotāpanna", can be attained. Therefore, there is no way leading to enlightenment other than the development of right understanding of realities, which is the wisdom (paññā) of the eightfold Path.

So long as one has not become a sotāpanna one may deviate from the right Path, there can be wrong practice. There is wrong practice, for example, when one thinks that there should be awareness only of particular kinds of nāma and rūpa, instead of being aware of whatever kind of nāma or rūpa appears. People may for example believe that lobha, dosa and moha should not or cannot be objects of mindfulness.

However, akusala cittas are realities which arise because of their appropriate conditions, they are part of one's daily life. If one selects the objects of awareness, one will continue to cling to a concept of self who could exert control over one's life. Some people believe that vipassanā can only be developed when sitting in a quiet place, but then they set rules for the practice, and thus, they will not be able to see that mindfulness too is anattā.

The sotāpanna has eradicated other defilements as well. He has eradicated doubt or vicikicchā. Doubt is classified as one of the "hindrances"; it prevents us from performing kusala. We may doubt about the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha, about the right practice. The sotāpanna has no more doubt.

Another akusala cetasika, eradicated by the sotāpanna, is stinginess, macchariya.

The Visuddhimagga (XXII, 52) mentions five kinds of avarice: The kinds of avarice are the five, namely, avarice about dwellings, families, gain, Dhamma and praise, which occur as inability to bear sharing with others any of these things beginning with dwellings.

The Atthasālinī (Expositor, Book II, part II, chapter II, 374, 375) gives an explanation of these five kinds of avarice concerning the monk's dwelling-place, the family he is used to visiting in order to receive the four requisites (robes, food, shelter and medicines), the four requisites themselves (mentioned as "gain"), knowledge of the Dhamma and praise (concerning personal beauty or virtues).

It is explained that there is stinginess if one does not want to share any of these things with others. However, there is no stinginess if one does not want to share these things with someone who is a bad person or someone who would abuse these things. For instance, if one does not teach Dhamma to someone who will 44

abuse Dhamma, there is no stinginess as to Dhamma. Thus we see that the eradication of stinginess does not mean sharing everything one has with anybody. The sotāpanna has eradicated stinginess; the five kinds of stinginess just mentioned do not arise anymore.

Furthermore, the sotāpanna has eradicated envy, issā. Envy can arise with dosamūla-citta (citta rooted in aversion). The Visuddhimagga (XIV, 172) states concerning envy: Envying is envy. It has the characteristic of being jealous of others' success. Its function is to be dissatisfied with that. It is manifested as averseness from that. Its proximate cause is another's success...

The sotāpanna is an ariyan, a "noble person", although not all defilements are eradicated by him. He is an ariyan, because at the moment of enlightenment, when the magga-citta arose, he became a different person; he is no longer a "worldling", puthujjana. There are no more latent tendencies of wrong view, di hi, and doubt, vicikicchā, accumulated in the citta, and there are no more inclinations to stinginess, macchariya, or envy, issā.

What is a latent tendency? When we desire something we have lobha. When the lobha-mūla-cittas have fallen away, there are other kinds of citta which are not accompanied by lobha. However, the lobha which arose before has been accumulated, it remains latent. When there are conditions for its arising, it can arise again with the akusala citta. Latent tendencies lie dormant in every citta, even in the bhavanga-citta (life-continuum) which does not experience an object through one of the sense-doors or the mind-door.

The sotāpanna has not eradicated all defilements. One may wonder whether he can still talk in an unpleasant way to others. Of the ten kinds of akusala kammapatha (unwholesome courses of action) there are four akusala kamma-patha through speech which are: lying, slandering, rude speech and idle, useless talk.

The sotāpanna has eradicated lying. He can still speak in an unfriendly way to others or use harsh speech, but not to the extent that it would lead to rebirth in a woeful plane. The sotāpanna cannot be reborn in a woeful plane anymore.

At the moment of enlightenment nibbāna is the object which is experienced by the lokuttara citta. Some people think that nibbāna is a place which one can reach, a plane of life. In order to have more understanding of what nibbāna is, we have to consider what our life now is: nāma and rūpa arising and falling away.

Our life is dukkha, because what arises and falls away is unsatisfactory. If nibbāna would be a plane where we would continue to live, there would be no end to the arising and falling away of nāma and rūpa, no end to dukkha. Nibbāna, however, is the unconditioned dhamma, it does not arise and fall away. Nibbāna is therefore the end of the arising and falling away of nāma and rūpa, the end of birth, old age, sickness and death. Nibbāna is the end to dukkha. When one has 45

attained the first stage of enlightenment, the stage of the sotāpanna, it is certain that there will eventually be an end to the cycle of birth and death, an end to dukkha.

When the person who is not an arahat dies, the last citta of his life, the cuti-citta (dying-consciousness) is succeeded by the patisandhi-citta (rebirthconsciousness) of the next life and thus life goes on. So long as there are defilements life has to continue. The fact that we are here in the human plane is conditioned by defilements. Even if there is birth in a heavenly plane, in a rūpabrahma plane or in an arūpa-brahma plane, it is conditioned by defilements.

The arahat has no more defilements, he does not have to be reborn in any plane.

The arahat has to die, because he was born and birth has to be followed by death.

However, for him the cuti-citta will not be succeeded by a patisandhi-citta. Thus, for him there will not be the arising of nāma and rūpa in a new life any more, and this means the end to the cycle of birth and death.

The development of wisdom brings a kind of happiness which is different from what one used to take for happiness. Our defilements are the real cause of disturbance, worry and restlessness, they are the cause of all sorrow. Nibbāna is the end of lobha, dosa and moha, and thus the end of all sorrow.

Nibbāna can be experienced at the attainment of enlightenment, but enlightenment cannot be attained unless paññā has been developed to the degree that it can experience the conditioned dhammas as they are: impermanent, dukkha and non-self (anattā).

At the attainment of enlightenment the magga-citta (lokuttara kusala citta) directly experiences nibbāna. When the magga-citta has fallen away, it is succeeded immediately by the phala-citta (lokuttara vipākacitta) which experiences the same object. Kāmāvacara kusala kamma may produce vipāka in the same lifespan but never in the same process. Rūpāvacara kusala citta and arūpāvacara kusala citta produce vipāka only in a next life as rebirthconsciousness and bhavangacitta. It is different in the case of the magga-citta which is followed immediately, in the same process, by the phala-cittas, which are two or three moments of vipākacitta, depending on the individual.

When someone attains enlightenment of the stage of the sotāpanna, the maggacitta and the phala-cittas of the sotāpanna arise. The magga-citta of the sotāpanna eradicates the defilements which are to be eradicated at that stage, and this is once and for all. Thus, the magga-citta of the sotāpanna can arise only once in the cycle of birth and death.

The phala-citta can arise again in other processes of citta if enlightenment has been attained with lokuttara jhānacitta. Someone who has developed jhāna and acquired "mastery" in jhāna (Vis. IV, 131) and also develops insight can attain enlightenment with lokuttara jhānacitta, lokuttara citta accompanied by jhānafactors of one of the stages of jhāna. It is extremely difficult to acquire "mastery" in jhāna; one should be able, for example, to determine when one 46

enters jhāna and when one emerges from jhāna. Only if mastery has been acquired, jhāna can be a "base" for insight, that is, an object of mindfulness in vipassanā. In that way the clinging to a self who attains jhāna can be eliminated.

Those who attain enlightenment have different accumulations and according to one's accumulations the lokuttara jhānacittas are accompanied by jhāna-factors of different stages of jhāna. The phala-citta which is accompanied by jhānafactors can arise many times again, experiencing nibbāna (5).

Cittas can be counted as eighty-nine or as hundred and twenty-one. When cittas are counted as hundred and twenty-one, there are, instead of eight lokuttara cittas (6), forty lokuttara cittas, and these are lokuttara cittas accompanied by the jhāna-factors of the different stages of jhāna. As we have seen, there are five stages of rūpa-jhāna and at each stage jhāna-factors are successively abandoned (7), until at the fifth stage (or at the fourth stage of the fourfold system) there are the remaining factors of samādhi (concentration) and upekkhā (indifferent feeling) which arises instead of sukha (pleasant feeling). Lokuttara cittas can be accompanied by jhāna-factors of each of the five stages of jhāna. For example, when lokuttara cittas are accompanied by jhāna-factors of the fifth stage of rūpajhāna, it means that they are accompanied by samādhi and upekkhā.

As regards arūpa-jhānacittas, they have meditation subjects which are different from the meditation subjects for rūpa-jhāna, but the jhāna-factors which accompany them are the same as the jhāna-factors of the fifth stage of rūpajhāna, namely samādhi and upekkhā. Thus, the jhāna-factors of the five types of rūpa-jhāna have to be taken into account when we classify lokuttara jhānacittas, lokuttara cittas accompanied by jhāna-factors of the different stages of rūpajhāna and arūpa-jhāna. Consequently, each one of the eight lokuttara cittas can be reckoned as fivefold and then there are forty lokuttara cittas.

When cittas are counted as eighty-nine, they can be summarised as follows: * 12 akusala cittas * 18 ahetuka cittas * 8 mahā-kusala cittas * 8 mahā-vipākacittas * 8 mahā-kiriyacittas Above are 54 kāmāvacara cittas (cittas of the sensuous plane of consciousness) * 15 rūpāvacara cittas * 12 arūpāvacara cittas * 8 lokuttara cittas

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When cittas are counted as 121, there are, instead of 8 lokuttara cittas, 40 lokuttara cittas.

Enlightenment Apparently, the way to Nibbāna or Enlightenment seems to be extremely long and we may wonder how we could ever reach the goal. We should not be impatient and wish for a result that is far off. Instead, we should consider what has to be done at the present moment: the development of right understanding of the nāma and rūpa appearing right now. In this way there will be conditions eventually to attain nibbāna.

One cannot attain enlightenment without having cultivated the right conditions.

We read in the Kindred Sayings (V, Mahā-vagga, Book XI, Kindred Sayings on Streamwinning, chapter I, paragraph 5, Sāriputta) about four conditions for becoming a sotāpanna (streamwinner). The sutta states: Now the venerable Sāriputta went to see the Exalted One, and on coming to him saluted him and sat down at one side. To the venerable Sāriputta so seated the Exalted One said this: " `A limb of stream-winning! A limb of stream-winning!' is the saying, Sāriputta. Tell me, Sāriputta, of what sort is a limb of stream-winning."

"Lord, association with the upright is a limb of stream-winning.

Hearing the good Dhamma is a limb of stream-winning. Applying the mind is a limb of stream-winning. Conforming to the Dhamma is a limb of streamwinning."

"Well said, Sāriputta! Well said, Sāriputta! Indeed these are limbs of stream-winning.

Now again, Sāriputta, they say: `The stream! The stream!' Of what sort is the stream, Sāriputta?"

"The stream, lord, is just this ariyan eightfold way, to wit: Right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration."

"Well said, Sāriputta! Well said, Sāriputta! The stream is just this ariyan eightfold way.

Now again, Sāriputta, they say, `Streamwinner! Streamwinner!' Of what sort is a streamwinner, Sāriputta?"

"Whosoever, lord, is blessed with this ariyan eightfold way - such an one of such a name, of such and such a clan, is called `Streamwinner'."

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The first condition, association with the righteous person, is most important. It would not be possible to find the right path by oneself. Only Buddhas have accumulated such wisdom that they can find the Path by themselves, without the help of a teacher. Other people, however, need the teachings of a Buddha in order to find the right path, because ignorance has been accumulated for an endlessly long time. We need association with the right person, the good friend in Dhamma, who can point out to us the right path, because our defilements prevent us from finding the right path. Our friend in Dhamma can encourage us to develop right understanding of nāma and rūpa.

When we have heard the Dhamma from the right person, we should "apply the mind"; this is the third condition. We should not blindly follow the person who teaches us Dhamma, but we should investigate the scriptures ourselves, ponder over the Dhamma, and consider it carefully, in order to test the truth.

The real test of the truth is the practice itself. Therefore, the fourth condition is "conforming to the Dhamma", which is the development of the eightfold Path. By being mindful of the phenomena appearing through the six doors we can find out ourselves whether it is true that these phenomena are only nāma and rūpa, arising because of conditions. We can investigate ourselves whether they are impermanent or permanent, whether they are dukkha or happiness, whether they are non-self, anattā, or "self". We can find out through the practice itself whether we really understand the teachings. If we practise in the wrong way we may eventually find out that this does not lead to right understanding of the realities of our daily life. Through the development of the eightfold Path we will have more confidence (saddhā) in the Buddha's teachings. We will have more confidence when we experience that through right understanding of nāma and rūpa in daily life there will be less clinging to "self".

Lokuttara cittas cannot arise without the cultivation of the right conditions.

Some people wish for an end to dukkha but they do not develop understanding in daily life. They hope that one day lokuttara cittas will arise. The Buddha pointed out that the realization of the four noble Truths is difficult, and he said this, not in order to discourage people, but in order to remind them not to be heedless.

In the Kindred Sayings (V, Mahā-vagga, Book XII, Kindred Sayings about the Truths, chapter V, paragraph 5, The keyhole), it states when the Buddha was staying at Vesālī in Great Grove, Ānanda went into Vesālī on his rounds for almsfood. In Vesālī he saw the Licchavi youths practising archery. He then went to see the Buddha and said: "Here, lord, robing myself in the forenoon and taking bowl and outer robe I set out for Vesālī on my begging rounds. Then, lord, I saw a number of Licchavi youths in the gymnasium making practice at archery, shooting even from a distance through a very small keyhole, and splitting an arrow, shot after shot, with never a miss. And I said to myself, lord: `Practised shots are these Licchavi 49

youths! Well practised shots indeed are these Licchavi youths, to be able even at a distance to splinter an arrow through a very small keyhole, shot after shot, with never a miss!' " "Now what think you, Ānanda? Which is the harder, which is the harder task to compass: To shoot like that or to pierce one strand of hair, seven times divided, with another strand?"

"Why, lord, of course to split a hair in such a way is the harder, much the harder task."

"Just so, Ānanda, they who penetrate the meaning of: This is dukkha, this is the arising of dukkha, this is the ceasing of dukkha, this is the practice that leads to the ceasing of dukkha, pierce through something much harder to pierce.

Wherefore, Ānanda, you must make an effort to realize: This is dukkha. This is the arising of dukkha. This is the ceasing of dukkha. This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of dukkha."

If one develops the right Path, not the wrong Path, one will realize the four noble Truths; one will attain enlightenment. The way to realize the four noble Truths is to be mindful of the realities which appear now: seeing, visible object, lobha, dosa or any other reality. We should not be discouraged when we do not seem to make rapid progress. Most people cling to a result and they become impatient when they do not notice an immediate result; clinging to a result, however, is not helpful for the development of wisdom, it is akusala.

Some people may feel that the development of samatha can give a more immediate result. Samatha, when it has been developed in the right way, has tranquillity as its result. When jhāna is attained, lobha, dosa and moha are temporarily eliminated. However, the attainment of jhāna is extremely difficult and many conditions have to be cultivated. When one is developing samatha, the hindrances may still arise: there will be sensuous desire, ill-will, sloth and torpor, restlessness, worry and doubt, until "access-concentration" or jhāna has been attained.

The aim of vipassanā is not tranquillity, but the eradication of wrong view and eventually of all defilements. This goal may seem far off, but each short moment of right awareness of nāma and rūpa is very fruitful; it will help to eliminate clinging to the concept of self. While one is mindful, there are no lobha, dosa or moha. Although tranquillity is not the aim of vipassanā, at the moment of right mindfulness there is kusala citta, and kusala citta is accompanied by calm.

Vipassanā or insight is the development of right understanding of all nāmas and rūpas which present themselves in daily life. Insight is developed in different stages and in the course of its development the characteristics of nāma and rūpa

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will be understood more clearly, and their arising and falling away will be known through direct experience.

When insight has been developed stage by stage, the nāma and rūpa which present themselves through the six doors can be clearly seen as impermanent, dukkha and non-self, anattā. When paññā has been developed to the degree that enlightenment can be attained, the unconditioned reality, nibbāna, is directly experienced. The direct experience of nibbāna is different from thinking about nibbāna.

Nibbāna is directly experienced during a mind-door process of cittas. Nibbāna cannot be experienced through any of the five senses, it can be experienced only through the mind-door.

In the process during which enlightenment is attained, the manodvārāvajjanacitta (the mind-door-adverting-consciousness) takes as its object one of the three characteristics of reality: impermanence, dukkha or anattā. This means that the reality presenting itself at that moment is seen either as impermanent, or as dukkha or as anattā. Anicca, dukkha and anattā are three aspects of the truth of conditioned realities. Thus, if one sees one aspect, one also sees the other aspects. However, the three characteristics cannot be experienced at the same time, since citta can experience only one object at a time. It depends on one's accumulations which of the three characteristics is realized in the process of cittas during which enlightenment is attained: one person views the reality appearing at that moment as impermanent, another as dukkha, and another again as non-self, anattā.

The mano-dvārāvajjana-citta, mind-door-adverting-consciousness, of that process adverts to one of these three characteristics and is then succeeded by three or four cittas which are not yet lokuttara cittas, but mahā-kusala cittas (kusala cittas of the sense-sphere) accompanied by paññā (1). The first mahākusala citta, which is called parikamma or preparatory consciousness, still has the same object as the mano-dvārāvajjana-citta. Whichever of the three characteristics of conditioned realities the mano-dvārāvajjana-citta adverted to, the parikamma realizes that characteristic. The parikamma is succeeded by the upacāra or proximity consciousness which still has the same object as the manodvārāvajjana citta. This citta, the second mahā-kusala citta in that process, is nearer to the moment the lokuttara cittas will arise. The upacāra is succeeded by the anuloma, which means conformity or adaptation. This citta still has the same object as the mano-dvārāvajjana-citta. Anuloma is succeeded by gotrabhū which is sometimes translated as change of lineage. This citta is the last kāmāvacara citta in that process. Gotrabhū is the last kāmāvacara citta in a process before a citta of another plane of consciousness arises. The other plane of consciousness may be rūpāvacara, arūpāvacara or lokuttara. In samatha, gotrabhū is the last kāmāvacara citta before the rūpa-jhānacitta or the arūpa-jhānacitta arises. In vipassanā, gotrabhū is the last kāmāvacara citta of the non-ariyan before the lokuttara citta arises and he becomes an ariyan. The object of the gotrabhū arising before the lokuttara cittas is different from the object of gotrabhū in 51

samatha; the gotrabhū preceding the lokuttara cittas experiences nibbāna. It is the first citta in that process which experiences nibbāna, but it is not lokuttara citta. At the moment of gotrabhū the person who is about to attain enlightenment is still a non-ariyan. Gotrabhū does not eradicate defilements. Gotrabhū is succeeded by the magga-citta which eradicates the defilements that are to be eradicated at the stage of the sotāpanna. The magga-citta is the first lokuttara citta in that process of cittas. When it has fallen away it is succeeded by two (or three) phala-cittas (fruition-consciousness) which are the result of the maggacitta and which still have nibbāna as the object. As we have seen, the magga-citta is succeeded immediately by its result, in the same process of citta . The maggacitta cannot produce vipāka in the form of rebirth, such as the kusala citta of the other planes of consciousness. The phala-cittas are succeeded by bhavangacittas.

Summarising the cittas in the process during which enlightenment is attained, they are the following: * mano-dvārāvajjana-citta * parikamma (preparatory consciousness; for some people not necessary) * upacāra (proximity consciousness) * anuloma (conformity or adaptation) * gotrabhū (change of lineage) * magga-citta * phala-citta (two or three moments, depending on the individual)

Nibbāna can be the object of kāmāvacara cittas which arise after the lokuttara cittas have fallen away. Before someone becomes an ariyan there can only be speculation about nibbāna. For the ariyan, however, it is different. Since he has directly experienced nibbāna, he can review his experience afterwards. We read in the Visuddhimagga (XXII,19) that the person who attained enlightenment reviews, after the lokuttara cittas have fallen away, the path, the fruition, the defilements which have been abandoned, the defilements which are still remaining and nibbāna. He reviews these things in different mind-door processes of citta.

In the Discourse to Dīghanakha (Middle Length Sayings II, no. 74), it mentions that the Buddha taught Dhamma to the wanderer Dīghanaka on Vulture's Peak near Rājagaha. He taught him about the getting rid of wrong views and about the impermanence of conditioned realities. Sāriputta, who was an ariyan but had not yet attained arahatship, was also present at the time of that discourse. We read: 52

Now at that time the venerable Sāriputta was standing behind the Lord, fanning the Lord. Then it occurred to the venerable Sāriputta: "The Lord speaks to us of getting rid of these things and those by means of super-knowledge, the Well-farer speaks to us of casting out these things and those by means of superknowledge". While the venerable Sāriputta was reflecting on this, his mind was freed from the cankers without clinging. But to the wanderer Dīghanakha there arose the stainless, spotless vision of dhamma, that whatever is of the nature to arise all that is of the nature to stop...

Sāriputta attained arahatship, but he did not go into solitude in order to attain it; he was fanning the Buddha. Dīghanakha listened to the Buddha and then became a sotāpanna.

We read in the Kindred Sayings (III, Khandhā-vagga, Middle Fifty, chapter 4, paragraph 89, Khema) that Khemaka, who was an anāgāmī, attained arahatship while he was preaching and monks who were listening attained arahatship as well. We read: Now when this teaching was thus expounded the hearts of as many as sixty monks were utterly set free from the āsavas, and so was it also with the heart of the venerable Khemaka...

If one is on the right Path, paññā can be developed, no matter what the circumstances are, even to the degree of enlightenment. People may wonder whether it would be possible to notice it when a person attains nibbāna. But can one see whether someone else is mindful or not mindful? Who knows the cittas of other people? We cannot know when someone else is mindful of nāma and rūpa or when he attains nibbāna.

The question may arise whether all four stages of enlightenment (the stages of the sotāpanna, the sakadāgāmī, the anāgāmī and the arahat) can be attained in the course of one life. We read in the suttas about disciples of the Buddha who attained the ariyan state but not yet arahatship and realized arahatship later on in life. Ānanda, for example, did not attain arahatship during the Buddha's life, but he became an arahat after the Buddha had passed away, the evening before the first great council was to start (the "Illustrator of Ultimate meaning", commentary to the "Mangala-sutta" or "Good Omen Discourse", Minor Readings, Khuddaka Nikāya).

The arahat has eradicated all defilements and thus he has reached the end of the cycle of birth, old age, sickness and death; he has realized the end of dukkha. The arahat will not be reborn, but he still has to die and therefore one may ask whether he really has attained the end of dukkha at the moment he realizes 53

arahatship. Even the arahat is subject to death, since he was born. He can also experience unpleasant results of akusala kamma committed before he became an arahat. However, he has no more defilements and cannot accumulate any more kamma which might produce vipāka, he is really free from dukkha.

In Itivuttaka, The Twos, chapter II, paragraph 7, Khuddaka Nikāya, two "conditions (4) of nibbāna" are explained. In this sutta Sa-upādi-sesa-nibbāna (5), one "condition" of nibbāna, pertains to the arahat who has eradicated all defilements but for whom the five khandhas are still remaining. For the arahat who has not finally passed away yet, there are still citta, cetasika and rūpa arising and falling away. An-upādi-sesa-nibbāna (6), the other "condition" of nibbāna, pertains to the arahat who has finally passed away; for him there are no khandhas remaining, there are no longer citta, cetasika and rūpa arising and falling away.

The verse of this sutta is this: These two nibbāna-states are shown by him Who sees, who is such and unattached.

One state is that in this same life possessed With base remaining, though becoming's stream Be cut off. While the state without a base Belongs to the future, wherein all Becomings utterly do come to cease.

They who, by knowing this state uncompounded (7) Have heart's release, by cutting off the stream, They who have reached the core of dhamma, glad To end, such have abandoned all becomings.

When someone has become an arahat there will be no more rebirth for him.

When someone has attained enlightenment to the stage of the sotāpanna, he has become an ariyan, but he has not reached the end of rebirth. The sotāpanna will be reborn, but not more than seven times; thus, eventually there will be an end to rebirth for him. If we do not develop vipassanā, the number of rebirths will be endless. It was out of compassion that the Buddha spoke about the dangers of rebirth; he wanted to encourage people to develop right understanding. We read in the Kindred Sayings (V, Mahā-vagga, Book XII, Kindred Sayings about the Truths, chapter V, paragraph 6, Gross darkness) that the Buddha said to the monks: "Monks, there is a darkness of interstellar space, impenetrable gloom, such a murk of darkness as cannot enjoy the splendour of this moon and sun, though they be of such mighty magic power and majesty."

At these words a certain monk said to the Exalted One: "Lord, that must be a mighty darkness, a mighty darkness indeed!

Pray, lord, is there any other darkness greater and more fearsome than that?"

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"There is indeed, monk, another darkness, greater and more fearsome. And what is that other darkness?

Monk, whatsoever recluses or brahmins understand not, as it really is, the meaning of: This is dukkha, this is the arising of dukkha, this is the ceasing of dukkha, this is the practice that leads tothe ceasing of dukkha, such take delight in the activities which conduce to rebirth. Thus taking delight they compose a compound of activities which conduce to rebirth. Thus composing a compound ofactivities they fall down into the darkness of rebirth, into the darkness of old age and death, of sorrow, grief, woe, lamentation and despair. They are not released from birth, old age and death, from sorrow, grief, woe, lamentation and despair. They are not released from dukkha, I declare.

But, monk, those recluses or brahmins who do understand as it really is, the meaning of: This is dukkha, this is the arising of dukkha, this is the ceasing of dukkha, this is the practice that leads to the ceasing of dukkha, such take not delight in the activities which conduce to rebirth...They are released from dukkha, I declare.

Wherefore, monk, an effort must be made to realize: This is dukkha. This is the arising of dukkha. This is the ceasing of dukkha. This is the practice that leads to the ceasing of dukkha."

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CHAPTER 4 MEDITATION AND THE BRAIN To date, over 1,000 publications on meditation have appeared. Many of the early studies lack a theoretically unified perspective, often resulting in poor methodological quality. A review of scientific studies identified relaxation, concentration, an altered state of awareness, a suspension of logical thought and the maintenance of a self-observing attitude as the behavioral components of meditation; it is accompanied by a host of biochemical and physical changes in the body that alter metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain activation. Meditation has been used in clinical settings as a method of stress and pain reduction. Meditation has also been studied specifically for its effects on stress.

More recent research suggests that meditation may increase attention spans. A recent randomized study published in Psychological Science reported that practicing meditation led to doing better on a task related to sustained attention.

David Benner, in his article Meditation and the Brain, states that religions, especially Buddhism, stress the role of meditation in one's spiritual growth.

Meditation has tangible psychological and physiological benefits, though, which can be explained strictly in neurobiological terms. Understanding of how meditation affects the brain, and, by extension, human behavior, also gives insight into consciousness, the role of feedback loops, and the nature of the Ifunction.

In addition to claiming spiritual benefits, meditation has tangible physiological effects. Studies of Transcendental Meditation reveal that during meditation, there is "an increase in the areas of the [cerebral] cortex taking part in perception of specific information and an increase in the functional relationship between the two hemispheres". These observations support the cognitive claims of the "mindful state" in Zen by showing an increase in functional awareness.

Additionally, TM practice results in increased EEG coherence, blood flow to the brain, muscle relaxation, and a decrease in stress hormones ". Similarly, in Zen practice, some masters can lower the respiration rate from 12-15 breaths per minute to a mere 3. Long term TM practice results in greater EEG coherence; increased efficiency of information transfer in the brain; lower baseline levels of heart and respiration rates; increased stability of the autonomic nervous system; faster recovery from stress; faster reactions; and faster reflex responses. These data suggest that relaxation techniques can alter set-points and negative feedback loops which the I-function cannot alter. "Mindfulness" involves the awareness and control of physical operations that we cannot have through a structure that purports to separate "us" from some of our functions. Overreliance on the "I-function" constitutes an attachment to certain types of behavior which we then privilege over others, falsely supposing the "I" to have a permanence over and above brain functions.

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The psychological effects of meditation reinforce how mind and body affect each other, as well as support the theory that we have set-points and feedback loops in moods and mental states. For example, some drug addiction centers have used meditation techniques to help counter the strong attachment for drugs and alcohol and to empower the struggling addict to recognize the source and nature of the craving and to counter it with "right mindfulness". While controversial, Zen meditation has been used in conjunction with psychoanalysis. In one case study, a woman with manic depression and schizophrenia was told to watch the second hand of a clock, and to name any distractions that may arise. She came to understand that her distractions were related to the past. With "mindfulness," she learned to identify herself with the objective watcher of her disturbing thoughts instead of the depressed thinker.

A number of scientists have begun to study the medicinal effects of meditation, specifically in reducing stress-related ailments. According to Dr. Herbert Benson, 60-90% of doctor's office visits are caused by stress ". Dr. Benson notes that the neurochemical effects of meditation directly oppose the "fight-or-flight" mechanism, due to the effects meditation has on the autonomic nervous system.

As a result, the effect of meditation or, in this study, prayer, on the brain is called the "relaxation response." The amygdala, part of the limbic system, controls this response. This part of the brain is also associated with religious faith since when it or the hippocampus is stimulated in surgery, patients raised in Western cultures can experience visions of angels and devils. The amygdala gives rise to both the relaxation brought about by Zen meditation and the general sense of serenity associated with spirituality. For this reason, many scientists are starting to believe that belief in religion in virtually all human societies can be explained as an evolutionary adaptation rather than an anthropological truth or the result of divine revealed truth. If this claim is true, meditation makes productive use of whatever pathways are associated with religious experience, giving a right view of experience as we are genetically disposed to see it.

Both Freudianism and Neurobiology have, in large measure, looked at religion and spirituality as things to be replaced with either psychoanalysis or eliminative materialism. However, recent studies of meditation and prayer demonstrate that they are compatible with modern science and 20th Century psychology. Additionally, the areas of the brain affected by the altered consciousness-states in meditation give insight into "where" consciousness is located, even though a definition for what consciousness is remains elusive.

Finally, many of the precepts of Buddhism, especially the transitory nature of our selves, support the ideas that the brain, as well as our understanding, is a "work in progress," and that the "I-function," is simply a function, not a defining notion of self.

Marc Kaufman, Washington Post Staff Writer, wrote the article, “ Meditation Gives Brain a Charge, (Washington Post, Monday, January 3, 2005; Page A05) says study finds that brain research is beginning to produce concrete evidence for something that Buddhist practitioners of meditation have maintained for centuries: Mental discipline and meditative practice can change the workings of 57

the brain and allow people to achieve different levels of awareness. Those transformed states have traditionally been understood in transcendent terms, as something outside the world of physical measurement and objective evaluation.

But over the past few years, researchers at the University of Wisconsin working with Tibetan monks have been able to translate those mental experiences into the scientific language of high-frequency gamma waves and brain synchrony, or coordination. And they have pinpointed the left prefrontal cortex, an area just behind the left forehead, as the place where brain activity associated with meditation is especially intense.

Before, scientists used to believe the opposite - that connections among brain nerve cells were fixed early in life and did not change in adulthood. But that assumption was disproved over the past decade with the help of advances in brain imaging and other techniques, and in its place, scientists have embraced the concept of ongoing brain development and "neuroplasticity."

Brain plasticity (Neuroplasticity) In recent years, scientists have found meditation affects brain functions. For instance, research into Tibetan monks trained in focusing their attention on a single object or thought revealed they could concentrate on one image significantly longer than normal when shown two different images at each eye.

Another study of people who on average meditated 40 minutes daily found that areas of their brains linked with attention and sensory processing became thicker.

When Davidson first met His Holiness the Dalai Lama nearly a decade ago, the exiled leader of Tibet encouraged Davidson to conduct scientific research into meditation and I recognized it was a very appropriate time to begin such research, because the methods we have available now to study the brain have improved dramatically and the scientific community is significantly more receptive to such ideas.

Davidson and his colleagues investigated the impacts of Vipassana, a roughly 2,500-year-old discipline that is the oldest form of Buddhist meditation and focuses on reducing mental distraction and improving sensory awareness.

Davidson has practiced Vipassana and other forms of Buddhist meditation for more than 30 years.

The researchers investigated 17 volunteers before and after they completed three months of rigorous training in Vipassana. T hey meditated for 10 to 12 hours a day. The researchers also studied 23 novices who received a one-hour meditation class and then meditated for 20 minutes daily for a week.

The scientists asked volunteers to look for numbers flashed on a video screen amongst a series of distracting letters. Their brain activity was monitored using 58

electrodes placed on their scalps.

Davidson and his colleagues found the brains of volunteers who received the intense mental training apparently needed less time to spot details than before.

The training also improved their ability to detect the second number within the half-second attentional blink time window.

Other avenues of research Davidson and his colleagues are currently pursuing include the impacts of meditation on pain, inflammation regulation, and emotions and the brain circuits that handle feelings.

Mental training through meditation can itself change the inner workings and circuitry of the brain.

The new findings are the result of a long collaboration between Davidson and Tibet's Dalai Lama, the world's best-known practitioner of Buddhism. The Dalai Lama first invited Davidson to his home in Dharamsala, India, in 1992 after learning about Davidson's innovative research into the neuroscience of emotions. The Tibetans have a centuries-old tradition of intensive meditation and, from the start, the Dalai Lama was interested in having Davidson scientifically explore the workings of his monks' meditating minds. Three years ago, the Dalai Lama spent two days visiting Davidson's lab.

The Dalai Lama ultimately dispatched eight of his most accomplished practitioners to Davidson's lab to have them hooked up for electroencephalograph (EEG) testing and brain scanning. The Buddhist practitioners in the experiment had undergone training in the Tibetan Nyingmapa and Kagyupa traditions of meditation for an estimated 10,000 to 50,000 hours, over time periods of 15 to 40 years. As a control, 10 student volunteers with no previous meditation experience were also tested after one week of training.

The monks and volunteers were fitted with a net of 256 electrical sensors and asked to meditate for short periods. Thinking and other mental activity are known to produce slight, but detectable, bursts of electrical activity as large groupings of neurons send messages to each other, and that's what the sensors picked up. Davidson was especially interested in measuring gamma waves, some of the highest-frequency and most important electrical brain impulses.

Both groups were asked to meditate, specifically on unconditional compassion.

Buddhist teaching describes that state, which is at the heart of the Dalai Lama's teaching, as the "unrestricted readiness and availability to help living beings."

The researchers chose that focus because it does not require concentrating on particular objects, memories or images, and cultivates instead a transformed state of being.

The results unambiguously showed that meditation activated the trained minds of the monks in significantly different ways from those of the volunteers. Most important, the electrodes picked up much greater activation of fast-moving and 59

unusually powerful gamma waves in the monks, and found that the movement of the waves through the brain was far better organized and coordinated than in the students. The meditation novices showed only a slight increase in gamma wave activity while meditating, but some of the monks produced gamma wave activity more powerful than any previously reported in a healthy person.

The monks who had spent the most years meditating had the highest levels of gamma waves, he added. This "dose response" -- where higher levels of a drug or activity have greater effect than lower levels -- is what researchers look for to assess cause and effect.

In previous studies, mental activities such as focus, memory, learning and consciousness were associated with the kind of enhanced neural coordination found in the monks. The intense gamma waves found in the monks have also been associated with knitting together disparate brain circuits, and so are connected to higher mental activity and heightened awareness, as well.

Davidson's research is consistent with his earlier work that pinpointed the left prefrontal cortex as a brain region associated with happiness and positive thoughts and emotions. Using functional magnetic resonance imagining (fMRI) on the meditating monks, Davidson found that their brain activity -- as measured by the EEG -- was especially high in this area.

Davidson concludes from the research that meditation not only changes the workings of the brain in the short term, but also quite possibly produces permanent changes. That finding, he said, is based on the fact that the monks had considerably more gamma wave activity than the control group even before they started meditating. A researcher at the University of Massachusetts, Jon KabatZinn, came to a similar conclusion several years ago.

Researchers at Harvard and Princeton universities are now testing some of the same monks on different aspects of their meditation practice: their ability to visualize images and control their thinking. Davidson is also planning further research. They say that what we found is that the trained mind, or brain, is physically different from the untrained one, and that in time we will be able to better understand the potential importance of this kind of mental training and increase the likelihood that it will be taken seriously.

Charles Q. Choi (Date: 07 May 2007 Time: 07:39 PM ET) writes , in his article, Meditation Sharpens the Mind, that three months of intense training in a form of meditation known as "insight" in Sanskrit can sharpen a person's brain enough to help them notice details they might otherwise miss.

These new findings add to a growing body of research showing that millenniaold mental disciplines can help control and improve the mind, possibly to help treat conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He confirms,

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"Certain mental characteristics that were previously regarded as relatively fixed can actually be changed by mental training," University of Wisconsin neuroscientist Richard Davidson said. "People know physical exercise can improve the body, but our research and that of others holds out the prospects that mental exercise can improve minds."

In his paper, “Buddhist Meditation and the Brain: The Neural Basis for Mystical Insight”, Derek Ellerman presents theoretical model for understanding Buddhist meditation and experience based on neurological function. The sections elaborate on the biological basis of the brain-mind, providing a theory for consciousness and higher-order processing based on neurological function. From this foundation he examines the hypotheses of the neurological correlates to Buddhist meditation, and by the end arrives at a clearer understanding of the nature and origin of Buddhist insight. His paper was based in the assumption that in time an equally adequate intellectual explanation of Buddhist insight can be achieved using a scientific framework as can be achieved using traditional textual sources. Here are some excerpts: In regard to its secularism, Buddhism has proved highly compatible with the advancement of science, and may be the first of the major religious practices to be integrated into the mainstream scientific world. Most Buddhists would not attribute the insight gained in meditation and practice to a supernatural entity, as some Christians may. This leaves a subset of epistemological possibilities that are compatible with modern science. The question is to what extent is our knowledge and in particular Buddhist insight is tied to the biological medium we are using to “know”? For math, most mathematicians would assert that there is very little, in that while our brains are necessary of course, the mathematics operates as it does regardless of the particular make-up of our brain. There are, however, different types of knowledge, and some are more dependent on the make-up of our brain-mind and the evolutionary forces that shaped it. How we “know” love or desire, for instance, or even the parameters of our sense of Self, are examples of this type of experiential knowledge. These forms of experience would differ greatly if our brain had been shaped by other evolutionary pressures.

The question is whether or not particularly Buddhist insights like the perception of impermanence or that all beings possess Buddha-nature are based on 1) some form of abstract deduction (logic-based for instance) 2) a privileged understanding of the state of basic reality (corresponding to physical reality as some have hypothesized), or 3) the particular process of consciousness 61

itself. Most would probably agree that while Buddhists can of course arrive at the first basis for deduction, it is not primary. The second, while growing increasingly popular with the linkages made to physics, is deceptive. The temptation to conclude that a privileged understanding is achieved through meditation ignores the embodied state of the understanding. It is assuming that the knowledge functions like deductive or propositional knowledge (a piece of knowledge based on an objective truth sharable by multiple subjects, not necessarily human), and that the understanding can be divorced from its medium (like some would say math can be, in that the math is valid whether used by a brain or by a computer). This paper attempts to show that the insight that results from certain meditation practices, prior to intellectual reflection, is embodied, in that the nature of the knowledge and experience is a direct reflection of the process in which it is embedded. In this manner, meditational insight is the process of consciousness “knowing� itself devoid of the synthetic construct of the Self. This does not, of course, preclude the possibility that the understanding of direct experience is later used to build on or supplement language-based knowledge. While we are just now arriving at an appreciation of this embodied understanding, Buddhists and other mystics have been intensely aware of this distinction for millennia.

The Neural Basis for the Consciousness and the Self Gerald M. Edelman is a Nobel Laureate currently developing cutting edge models of the how consciousness and mental functions arise from neural processes. The centerpiece of his work is the Neuronal Group Selection (NGS) theory. At the heart of the NGS theory is the hypothesis that the brain operates as a selectional process, using homeostatic guides and other value systems to select upon a diversity of behaviors and internal states represented in functional neuronal groups. (Edelman, 1992) The value systems are embodied in what has been called the diffusely projecting modulatory system and other structures like the hypothalamus and amygdala that help serve homeostatic functions.

(Edelman, 1989; Bear, et al., 1996; Hamann, et al., 1999) The modulatory system is composed of brain areas like the locus coeruleus and the dopiminergic systems that project diffusely to many areas of the brain, and release neurotransmitters that, among other functions, modulate the strengthening or weakening of the synaptic connection patterns associated with the adaptive value of a particular behavior or internal state. (Bear, et al., 1996)

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The analogue to a diverse gene pool in natural selection is the tremendous diversity of synaptic connection patterns that arises during brain development and during neurogenesis in the mature brain. The variability is a necessary result of the randomness inherent in neuron migration and cell-process wiring that cannot possibly be directed or instructed by genetics alone. New variability is introduced into the system of the mature brain through the novel patterns of activation between neuronal groups and through neurogenesis in hippocampal and cortical areas, as well as through LTP/LDP-based competition in the case where multiple neuronal groups possess overlapping connectivity (Edelman and Tononi, 2000; Ericksson, et al., 1998; Gould, et al., 1999).

Connections within and between the neuronal groups associated with a behavior are selectively strengthened based on the input of the value system that evaluates the overall state of the organism as well as by LTP. This leads to a ‘memory’ of functional activation patterns represented in the strengthened synaptic connectivity. (Edelman, 1989) There is some evidence that the brain continually activates in cycles or reverberations these connection patterns, helping

to

preserve

their

relative

strength.

(Tsodyks,

1999)

NGS theory provides a convincing alternative to the computer model by arguing that the brain selects a subset of neural functioning from the huge diversity of potential brain states (synaptic connection patterns) while adaptively matching it

to

certain

value

criteria

in

the

absence

of

a

superordinate

coordinator. Because NGS theory provides a theory for the operation of consciousness that lacks a superordinate coordinator or homunculus to read “encoded data,” it lends itself immediately to the Buddhist perspective. Buddhist insight has found that there is no essential self; it is an illusion. NGS theory arrives at the same conclusion, one that is necessary to any adequate explanation of the mind. ..

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Meditation and the Creation and Maintenance of the Self.

The normal state of the human mind contains fairly high degrees of automation of mental and physical behaviors and reactions, which through neural selection tend to only further stabilize themselves. NGS theory would support the observation that repeat performances encourage repeat performances rather than innovation unless there are specific competing factors. This is just as true on the level of self-centered cognition. I wish to propose, however, that there is another process at work in the creation and maintenance of a Self, and it is one that Soto Zen practice purposely thwarts.

By continually returning the attention to the present moment, the brain is controlling which neuronal groups are active in the dynamic core. Essentially, it is excluding most areas except for the currently active sensorimotor maps. When the brain begins to automatically react to sensorimotor input with thinking or value-categorizations, the meditator gently returns attention to the sensorimotor maps. By doing this the self-referencing and self-validating process is interrupted, weakening it and allowing the mind to see a thought as just a thought (instead of a “reality”). Concepts of good, bad and neutral which the mind normally tacks onto any object are not allowed to rise into consciousness, being replaced instead with value-neutral sensorimotor input. This is very possibly the mechanism behind the use of attention to reduce attachment and aversion. If the above process is responsible for the path to enlightenment, then it also helps explain why concentratative and awareness practices are both effective, because both interrupt the self-referential process, though in different manners. It would also explain why cultivation of concentration is necessary even in a shikantaza type of sitting.

Meditation practice as described above relies on the capacity limitation attribute of the dynamic core. Edelman describes the capacity limitation as, “the upper limit on how many partially independent sub-processes can be sustained within the core without interfering with its integration and coherence.” The human ability to willfully control which areas are active seems to be the foundational element in meditation practices.

The above explanation also accounts for

gradual and sudden insight. Due to the powerful conditioning and strong predisposition of the human mind for thinking, the de-conditioning process in 64

general is long and very gradual, as the synaptic strength of the reentrant circuits between the language and conceptual areas weaken. This process corresponds to the polishing of the mirror. Sudden insight, however, depends on a critical failure in the Self process. With this insight we understand, as Huang Po phrased it, that there is no mirror to polish. A Self process can be weaker or stronger based on its stability, as in adolescence versus adulthood (for some anyway). We can also posit that at some point in early development, a “critical mass”, so to speak, is reached in the complexity and coherence of self-referencing and selfvalidation where the Self takes on a tangible reality. We can perhaps also posit a point of critical failure, where even the residual illusion of reality left from conditioning breaks down as the entire process is weakened. Years of gradual practice would help lay the foundation for this failure. This failure may be accompanied by or related to a release of neurotransmitters from the valuesystem (possibly serotonin), as evidenced by the euphoria and somewhat permanent effects on neural activity. This is further supported by the enlightenment-like experience that drugs like LSD can induce, which effects the serotonergic system.[34] Interestingly, serotonin is also one of the primary neurotransmitters implicated in the regulation of wakefulness and the controlling of aggression.

The insight that all sentient beings possess the Buddha-nature is based on perceiving that the Self process is a synthetic creation depending on its own inner coherence for a sense of “reality.” Perception of the false nature of the Self process reveals the substratum of consciousness that is present regardless, in those who possess higher order thinking and those who only possess primary consciousness. However, because Buddha-nature is the absence of the Selfprocess, ALL things possess the Buddha-nature, including rocks, grass, sound and a non-enlightened person.

Another conclusion of this study is one that Buddhists have been making for hundreds of years: that Buddhist meditation is first and foremost a study of the human mind¾the normal functioning of the human mind, but it entails and embodies understanding that changes the process of the Self. Therefore we should not view the study of meditation as an examination of some “special” mind state, an “altered state of consciousness.” Meditation and Buddhist insight concerns the normal function (or dysfunction) of the human mind.

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Arthur J. Deikman, M.D. in his paper, Spirituality Expands a Therapist's Horizons, argues the goal of psychotherapy is the relief of psychological suffering and the removal of obstacles to functioning in the world. Normally, this means focusing on such experiences as anxiety, depression, self-defeating behaviour, destructiveness, and interferences with work and love.

The spiritual disciplines are concerned with knowing - by experience - the answer to the questions, Who am I? What am I? Why am I? Although it is expected that many symptoms with which psychotherapy is concerned will resolve in the process of spiritual development, such improvement is regarded as a secondary by-product, not the primary aim or effect.

Nevertheless, unless individuals can satisfy their needs for work, intimacy, and social acceptance, they are likely to have a hard time progressing on the spiritual path, for they will be unconsciously seeking to meet those needs through activities that have another goal. Here, psychotherapy can be considered complementary to spirituality because, by resolving psychodynamic conflicts that interfere with everyday functioning, it can decrease the pressure to use spiritual pursuits in the wrong way.

Thus, if patients wish to practice meditation, he helps them explore their motivation: what they hope to obtain, what problems they hope to solve, how realistic their expectations are. Sometimes the idea is dropped because their need calls for a different remedy than meditation. Sometimes the idea is pursued, in which case he refers them to a source of meditation teaching. But he does not himself give instruction in meditation or any other spiritual technique

From the spiritual perspective, it is quite a different matter. At the very least, the question remains open, for the nature of "I" eludes science, and the mystic's insistence on another way of knowing resonates with our sense that "something is there." If the therapist engages another human being in an extended therapeutic process, the problem of meaning will eventually arise. Then, the spiritual has much to offer the psychotherapeutic. And what the therapist understands of both will play an important part in the outcome.

Research on the processes and effects of meditation is a growing subfield of neurological research. By scanning the brain using modern technology such as fMRI and EEG scientists, working together with meditators, have helped to further our understanding of how meditation occurs. Meditation changes the brain and the body. It is similar to learning to ride a bike or play an instrument in 66

that there are structural and functional changes that occur in the brain with repeated practice over an extended period of time.

Meditation has entered the mainstream of health care as a method of stress and pain reduction. As a method of stress reduction, meditation has been used in hospitals in cases of chronic or terminal illness to reduce complications associated with increased stress that include depressed immune systems. There is growing agreement in the medical community that mental factors such as stress significantly contribute to a lack of physical health, and there is a growing movement in mainstream science to fund research in this area. There are now several mainstream health care programs which aid those, both sick and healthy, in promoting their inner well-being, especially those mindfulness based programs.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction A 2003 meta-analysis found that mindfulness-based stress reduction, which involves continuous awareness of consciousness, without seeking to censor thoughts, concluded that the form of meditation may be broadly useful for individuals attempting to cope with clinical and nonclinical problems. Diagnoses for which MBSR was found to be helpful included chronic pain, fibromyalgia, cancer patients and coronary artery disease. Improvements were noted for both physical and mental health measures.

Mindfulness meditation, anapanasati, and related techniques, are intended to train attention for the sake of provoking insight. A wider, more flexible attention span makes it easier to be aware of a situation, easier to be objective in emotionally or morally difficult situations, and easier to achieve a state of responsive, creative awareness or "flow". Research from Harvard medical school also shows that during meditation, physiological signals show that there is a decrease in respiration and increase in heart rate and blood oxygen saturation levels.

Meditation and stress According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), "Practicing meditation has been shown to induce some changes in the body...Some types of meditation might work by affecting the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system." The sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system are two divisions of the autonomic nervous system of the body. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for our reaction to stress or fear and is colloquially known as the "fight-or-flight" system. The parasympathetic nervous system is active during times of rest and associated with "rest and digest". The NIH goes on, "It is thought that some types of meditation might work by reducing activity in the sympathetic nervous system and increasing activity in the parasympathetic nervous system."

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Goleman: Amygdala and Pre-frontal Cortex Daniel Goleman & Tara Bennett-Goleman suggests that meditation works because of the relationship between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. In very simple terms, the amygdala is the part of the brain that decides if we should get angry or anxious, and the pre-frontal cortex is the part that makes us stop and think about things.

The prefrontal cortex is very good at analyzing and planning, but it takes a long time to make decisions. The amygdala, on the other hand, is simpler (and older in evolutionary terms). It makes rapid judgments about a situation and has a powerful effect on our emotions and behaviour, linked to survival needs. For example, if a human sees a lion leaping out at them, the amygdala will trigger a fight or flight response long before the prefrontal cortex responds.

But in making snap judgments, our amygdalas are prone to error[citation needed], such as seeing danger where there is none.[citation needed] This is particularly true in contemporary society where social conflicts are far more common than encounters with predators, and a basically harmless but emotionally charged situation can trigger uncontrollable fear or anger — leading to conflict, anxiety, and stress.

Gray and White Matter Studies done by Yale, Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital have shown that meditation increases gray matter in the brain and slows down the deterioration of the brain as a part of the natural aging process.

The experiment included 20 individuals with intensive Buddhist "insight meditation" training and 15 who did not meditate. The brain scan revealed that those who meditated have an increased thickness of gray matter in parts of the brain that are responsible for attention and processing sensory input. The increase in thickness ranged between .004 and .008 inches (3.175 x 10−6m 6.35 x 10 −6m) and was proportional to the amount of meditation. The study also showed that meditation helps slow down brain deterioration due to aging.

A study involving the participation of a group of colleges students, who were asked to use a meditation technique called integrative body-mind training, concluded that "meditating may improve the integrity and efficiency of certain connections in the brain" through an increase in their number and robustness.

Brain scans showed strong white matter changes in the anterior cingulate cortex.

Dr. James Austin, a neurophysiologist at the University of Colorado, reported that meditation in Zen "rewires the circuitry" of the brain in his book Zen and the Brain (Austin, 1999). This has been confirmed using functional MRI imaging, a brain scanning technique that measures blood flow in the brain.

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Meditation and EEG Electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings of skilled meditators showed a significant rise in gamma wave activity in the 80 to 120 Hz range during meditation. There was also a rise in the range of 25 to 42 Hz. These meditators had 10 to 40 years of training in Buddhist-based mental[clarification needed] training. EEG done on meditators who had received recent training demonstrated considerably less rise.

Meditation and Perception Studies have shown that meditation has both short-term and long-term effects on various perceptual faculties.

In 1984, Brown et al. conducted a study that measured the absolute threshold of perception for light stimulus duration in practitioners and non-practitioners of mindfulness meditation. The results showed that meditators have a significantly lower detection threshold for light stimuli of short duration.

In 2000, Tloczynski et al. studied the perception of visual illusions (the MĂźllerLyer Illusion and the Poggendorff Illusion) by zen masters, novice meditators, and non-meditators. There were no statistically significant effects found for the MĂźller-Lyer illusion, however, there were for the Poggendorff. The zen masters experienced a statistically significant reduction in initial illusion (measured as error in millimeters) and a lower decrement in illusion for subsequent trials.

The Relaxation Response Dr. Herbert Benson of the Mind-Body Medical Institute, which is affiliated with Harvard University and several Boston hospitals, reports that meditation induces a host of biochemical and physical changes in the body collectively referred to as the "relaxation response�. The relaxation response includes changes in metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry. Benson and his team have also done clinical studies at Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayan Mountains.[citation needed.

Adverse effects The following is an official statement from the US government-run National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Meditation is considered to be safe for healthy people. There have been rare reports that meditation could cause or worsen symptoms in people who have certain psychiatric problems, but this question has not been fully researched.

People with physical limitations may not be able to participate in certain meditative practices involving physical movement. Individuals with existing mental or physical health conditions should speak with their health care providers prior to starting a meditative practice and make their meditation instructor aware of their condition.

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Both positive rewards and potential benefits of meditation have been noted in academic literature. Adverse effects have been reported, and may, in some cases, be the result of "improper use of meditation". The NIH advises prospective meditators to "ask about the training and experience of the meditation instructor... [they] are considering."

As with any practice, meditation may also be used to avoid facing ongoing problems or emerging crises in the meditator's life. In such situations, it may be helpful to apply mindful attitudes acquired in meditation while actively engaging with current problems. According to the NIH, meditation should not be used as a replacement for conventional health care or as a reason to postpone seeing a doctor.

NCCAM studies A comparison of the effect of various meditation techniques on systolic blood pressure.

In June, 2007 the United States National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) published an independent, peer-reviewed, metaanalysis of the state of meditation research, conducted by researchers at the University of Alberta Evidence-based Practice Center. The report reviewed 813 studies involving five broad categories of meditation: mantra meditation, mindfulness meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong, and included all studies on adults through September 2005, with a particular focus on research pertaining to hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and substance abuse.

The report concluded, "Scientific research on meditation practices does not appear to have a common theoretical perspective and is characterized by poor methodological quality. Firm conclusions on the effects of meditation practices in healthcare cannot be drawn based on the available evidence. Future research on meditation practices must be more rigorous in the design and execution of studies and in the analysis and reporting of results." (p. 6). It is noted that there is no theoretical explanation of health effects from meditation common to all meditation techniques.

A further analysis of this data set in 2008 reaffirmed the weaknesses of the research, finding that "Most clinical trials on meditation practices are generally characterized by poor methodological quality with significant threats to validity in every major quality domain assessed". This was the conclusion despite a statistically significant increase in quality of all reviewed meditation research, in general, over time between 1956-2005. Of the 400 clinical studies, 10% were found to be good quality. A call was made for rigorous study of meditation.[40] These authors also noted that this finding is not unique to the area of meditation research and that the quality of reporting is a frequent problem in other areas of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) research and related therapy research domains.

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In 2006 NCCAM revised their definition of meditation, emphasizing the experience of the “suspension of thought activity". This definition led to the possibility of comparing mental silence oriented meditation with resting alone and studies have found significant physiological differences between the two.[41] It has been found that all approaches to meditation can achieve some non-specific benefits however the mental silence approach may be associated with additional specific benefits which are clinically beneficial.

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CHAPTER 5 MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS IN THAILAND Meditation is central to Buddhist practice. It is a method to develop the mind.

The emphasis is on concentration, focus, clarity, calmness, and insight. There are different techniques; most of them are easy to learn and very useful in daily life.

The following is an introduction to samatha-vipassana meditation in the Thai Theravada tradition (adapted with minor amendments from the Bung Wai Forest Monastery, Thailand).

Introduction to Insight Meditation The purpose of Insight Meditation is not to create a system of beliefs, but rather to give guidance on how to see clearly into the nature of the mind. In this way one gains first-hand understanding of the way things are, without reliance on opinions or theories - a direct experience, which has its own vitality. It also gives rise to the sense of deep calm that comes from knowing something for oneself beyond any doubt.

The term Insight Meditation (samatha-vipassana) refers to practices for the mind that develop calm (samatha) through sustained attention and insight (vipassana) through reflection. A fundamental technique for sustaining attention is focusing awareness on the body; traditionally, this is practised while sitting or walking.

This guide begins with some advice on this technique.

Reflection occurs quite naturally afterwards, when one is 'comfortable' within the context of the meditation exercise. There will be a sense of ease and interest, and one begins to look around and become acquainted with the mind that is meditating. This 'looking around' is called contemplation, a personal and direct seeing that can only be suggested by any technique.

Sustaining Attention Focusing the mind on the body can be readily accomplished while sitting. You need to find a time and a place which affords you calm and freedom from disturbance. A quite room with not much in it to distract the mind is ideal.

Timing is also important. It is not especially productive to meditate when you have something else to do or when you're pressed for time. It's better to set aside a period - say in the early morning or in the evening after work-when you can really give your full attention to the practice.

Begin with fifteen minutes or so. Practice sincerely with the limitations of time and available energy, and avoid becoming mechanical about the routine.

Meditation practice, supported by genuine willingness to investigate and make peace with oneself, will develop naturally in terms of duration and skill.

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Awareness of the Body The development of calm is aided by stability, and by a steady but peaceful effort.

If you can't feel settled, there is no peacefulness; if there is no effort, you tend to daydream. One of the most effective postures for the cultivation of the proper balance of stillness and energy is the sitting posture.

Use a posture that will keep your back straight without strain. A simple upright chair may be helpful, or you may be able to use the lotus posture. These postures may look awkward at first, but in time they can provide a unique balance of gentle firmness that gladdens the mind without tiring the body.

If the chin is tilted very slightly down this will help but do not allow the head to loll forward as this encourages drowsiness. Place the hands on your lap, palm upwards, one gently resting on the other with the thumb-tips touching. Take your time and get the right balance.

Now, collect your attention, and begin to move it slowly down your body. Notice the sensations in each part of your body. Relax any tensions, particularly in the face, neck and hands. Allow the eyelids to close or half close.

Investigate how you are feeling. Are you expectant or tense? Then relax your attention a little. With this, the mind will probably calm down and you may find some thoughts drifting in - reflections, daydreams, memories, or doubts about whether you are doing it right! Instead of following or contending with these thought patterns, bring more attention to the body, which is a useful anchor for a wandering mind.

Cultivate a spirit of inquiry in your meditation attitude. Take your time. Move your attention, for example, systematically from the crown of the head down over the whole body. Notice the different sensations - such as warmth, pulsing, numbness, and sensitivity - in the joints of each finger, the moisture of the palms, and the pulse in the wrist. Even areas that may have no particular sensation, such as the forearms or the earlobes can be "swept over" in an attentive way.

Notice how even the lack of sensation is something the mind can be aware of.

This constant and sustained investigation is called mindfulness (sati) and is one of the primary tools of Insight Meditation.

Mindfulness of Breathing - Anapanasati Instead of "body sweeping," or after a preliminary period of this practice, mindfulness can be developed through attention on the breath.

First, follow the sensation of your ordinary breath as it flows in through the nostrils and fills the chest and abdomen. Then try maintaining your attention at one point, either at the diaphragm or - a more refined location - at the nostrils.

Breath has a tranquilising quality, steady and relaxing if you don't force it; this is helped by an upright posture. Your mind may wander, but keep patiently returning to the breath.

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It is not necessary to develop concentration to the point of excluding everything else except the breath. Rather than to create a trance, the purpose here is to allow you to notice the workings of the mind, and to bring a measure of peaceful clarity into it. The entire process - gathering your attention, noticing the breath, noticing that the mind has wandered, and re-establishing your attention develops mindfulness, patience and insightful understanding. So don't be put off by apparent "failure" - simply begin again. Continuing in this way allows the mind eventually to calm down.

If you get very restless or agitated, just relax. Practice being at peace with yourself, listening to - without necessarily believing in - the voices of the mind.

If you feel drowsy, then put more care and attention into your body and posture.

Refining your attention or pursuing tranquillity at such times will only make matters worse!

Walking and Standing Many meditation exercises, such as the above "mindfulness of breathing", are practised while sitting. However, walking is commonly alternated with sitting as a form of meditation. Apart from giving you different things to notice, it is a skilful way to energise the practice if the calming effect of sitting is making you dull.

If you have access to some open land, measure off about 25-30 paces' length of level ground (r a clearly defined pathway between two trees), as your meditation path. Stand at one end of the path, and compose your mind on the sensations of the body. First, let the attention rest on the feeling of the body standing upright, with the arms hanging naturally and the hands lightly clasped in front or behind.

Allow the eyes to gaze at a point about three meters in front of you at ground level, thus avoiding visual distraction. Now, walk gently, at a deliberate but 'normal' pace, to the end of the path. Stop. Focus on the body standing for the period of a couple of breaths. Turn, and walk back again. While walking, be aware of the general flow of physical sensations, or more closely direct your attention to the feet. The exercise for the mind is to keep bringing its attention back to the sensation of the feet touching the ground, the spaces between each step, and the feelings of stopping and starting.

Of course, the mind will wander. So it is important to cultivate patience, and the resolve to begin again. Adjust the pace to suit your state of mind - vigorous when drowsy or trapped in obsessive thought, firm but gentle when restless and impatient. At the end of the path, stop; breathe in and out; 'let go' of any restlessness, worry, calm, bliss, memories or opinions about yourself. The 'inner chatter' may stop momentarily, or fade out. Begin again. In this way you continually refresh the mind, and allow it to settle at its own rate.

In more confined spaces, alter the length of the path to suit what is available.

Alternatively, you can circumambulate a room, pausing after each

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circumambulation for a few moments of standing. This period of standing can be extended to several minutes, using 'body sweeping'.

Walking brings energy and fluidity into the practice, so keep your pace steady and just let changing conditions pass through the mind. Rather than expecting the mind to be as still as it might be while sitting, contemplate the flow of phenomena. It is remarkable how many times we can become engrossed in a train of thought - arriving at the end of the path and 'coming to' with a start! - but it is natural for our untrained minds to become absorbed in thoughts and moods.

So instead of giving in to impatience, learn how to let go, and begin again. A sense of ease and calm may then arise, allowing the mind to become open and clear in a natural, unforced way.

Lying Down Reclining at the end of a day, spend a few minutes meditating while lying on one side. Keep the body quite straight and bend one arm up so that the hand acts as a support for the head. Sweep through the body, resting its stresses; or collect your attention on the breath, consciously putting aside memories of the day just past and expectations of tomorrow. In a few minutes, with your mind clear, you'll be able to rest well.

Cultivating the Heart Cultivating goodwill (metta) gives another dimension to the practice of Insight.

Meditation naturally teaches patience and tolerance or at least it shows the importance of these qualities. So you may well wish to develop a more friendly and caring attitude towards yourself and other people. In meditation, you can cultivate goodwill very realistically.

Focus attention on the breath, which you will now be using as the means of spreading kindness and goodwill. Begin with yourself, with your body. Visualise the breath as a light, or see your awareness as being a warm ray and gradually sweep it over your body. Lightly focus your attention on the centre of the chest, around the heart region. As you breath in, direct patient kindness towards yourself, perhaps with the thought, "May I be well", or "Peace". As you breathe out, let the mood of that thought, or the awareness of light, spread outwards from the heart, through the body, through the mind and beyond yourself. "May others be well".

If you are experiencing negative states of mind, breathe in the qualities of tolerance and forgiveness. Visualizing the breath as having a healing colour may be helpful. On the out-breath, let go of any stress, worry or negativity, and extend the sense of release through the body, the mind, and beyond, as before.

This practice can form all or part of a period of meditation - you have to judge for yourself what is appropriate. The calming effect of meditating with a kind attitude is good for beginning a sitting but there will no doubt be times to use this approach for long periods, to go deeply into the heart.

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Always begin with what you are aware of, even if it seems trivial or confused. Let your mind rest calmly on that-whether it's boredom, an aching knee, or the frustration of not feeling particularly kindly. Allow these to be; practice being at peace with them. Recognise and gently put aside any tendencies towards laziness, doubt or guilt.

Peacefulness can develop into a very nourishing kindness towards yourself, if you first of all accept the presence of what you dislike. Keep the attention steady, and open the heart to whatever you experience. This does not imply the approval of negative states, but allows them a space wherein they can come and go.

Generating goodwill toward the world beyond yourself follows much the same pattern. A simple way to spread kindness is to work in stages. Start with yourself, joining the sense of loving acceptance to the movement of the breath. "May I be well." Then, reflect on people you love and respect, and wish them well, one by one. Move on to friendly acquaintances, then to those towards whom you feel indifferent. "May they be well." Finally, bring to mind those people you fear or dislike, and continue to send out wishes of goodwill.

This meditation can expand, in a movement of compassion, to include all people in the world, in their many circumstances. And remember, you don't have to feel that you love everyone in order to wish them well!

Kindness and compassion originate from the same source of good will, and they broaden the mind beyond the purely personal perspective. If you're not always trying to make things go the way you want them to: if you're more accepting and receptive to yourself and others as they are, compassion arises by itself.

Compassion is the natural sensitivity of the heart.

Dhammakaya Meditation At its Retreat Center, you will learn the Middle Way Meditation, one of the most ancient techniques of meditation in the world. Its simplicity, originality and effectiveness have made the Middle Way Meditation method among the most popular meditation techniques in Thailand, and its international popularity is growing fast. It is about self-discovery, relaxation and purification of the mind. As such, the practice of this technique is not in conflict with any religion or creed, and is open to anyone to try for themselves.

This proven technique dates back to more than 2,500 years and was lost to the world about 500 years after the passing of the Lord Buddha. It was rediscovered in 1917 by the Most Venerable Phramongkolthepmuni, a Renowned Buddhist Monk.

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The late Phra Mongkolthepmuni, a celebrated meditation master The uniqueness of the Middle Way Meditation is that it is the only meditation technique in the world that teaches about the center of the body as the natural home of the human mind as well as the inner gateway to enlightenment. The closer your mind is to its natural home, the closer or deeper you are in the natural state of the mind – Happiness. This kind of happiness is self-sustainable and independent of personal circumstances and external factors.

The Middle Way Meditation also has moral impact on the mind. It cleanses the mind so that regular meditators become gentler, kinder, and feel increasingly uncomfortable to harm anyone either by speech or action. Their bad habits will decline in degree or are even dropped altogether while their good habits grow in intensity. Anyone who wishes to quit any unpleasant habit or acquire a new good habit for their personal development or career progress should try The Middle Way Meditation.

Meditation Benefits Emotional pain and discomfort are something none of us can avoid—regardless of our age, social background and religious belief. While we cannot prevent death, illnesses, rejection, separation and a host of other unwanted events, we can strengthen our mind with regular practice of meditation so that it is less susceptible to pains brought on by all these uncontrollable events.

This does not mean that meditation will harden your mind so that you become a heartless person. Rather, it cleanses the mind so that regular Middle Way meditators become calmer, gentler and kinder, and feel increasingly uncomfortable about harming anyone either by speech or action.

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During the retreat, we provide lessons on The Middle Way Meditation as it is the only technique in the world that teaches about the center of the body as the natural home of the human mind and an unlimited source of joy.

Many have found regular practice of this meditation method helped them overcome physical ailments and emotional issues. Others have expressed satisfaction from an increased self-esteem, better work performance, and improved relationship with colleagues and family members.

Whether you are happy or sad, looking for the real meaning of life, or wishing to discover more about yourself, The Middle Way Meditation has the answer for you.

The Middle Way Meditation: Balancing Your Life

Meditation for Beginners Start by sitting cross-legged position, placing your right leg on your left leg and your right hand on your left hand. If you find this position uncomfortable or difficult, you can sit on a cushion or a chair. In any case, your right index should touch your left thumb. Close your eyes very gently as if you are about to sleep.

Empty your mind of all thoughts. Breathe in deeply and gently exhale a few times. Relax every muscle in your body.

Imagine that the inside of your body is hollow —with no internal organs. Rest your mind at the center of the body, which is located at two-finger width above the navel.

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If you find it hard to bring attention to the center of the body, you can rest your mind elsewhere inside the body where you feel most comfortable. Calmly and silently observe whatever image that arises-- whether it is darkness, bright light or anything else, just accept it without any thought.

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When resting your mind at the center of the body or anywhere else inside the body, make sure not to strain the eyes. In meditation, we see with the mind, not with the physical eyes; that’s why we close them.

If your mind wanders, you can use visualization to help keep your mind still. To do so, imagine that a crystal ball is floating in the middle of your stomach. You can use other neutral objects that you’re familiar with such as an orange, a football or the moon. You can also repeat the mantra ‘Samma Arahang’ which means purify your mind, so that you will be free from the suffering of life.

Continue to rest mind at the center of the body and make no judgment or emotional response to whatever you experience. For beginners, we suggest that you practice meditation for 15 to 30 minutes in the morning and near bedtime, and increase the length of time, say up to one hour, as you feel more comfortable.

Depending on the degree of stillness and clarity of your mind, after a while you will experience a sense of peacefulness and refreshing joy as if you’ve just come out of an inner spa.

If you feel tense afterwards, chances are you might be trying too hard. Open your eyes, adjust your sitting position until you feel comfortable, and start over again. If you feel asleep, perhaps you need to focus more on the center of the body. Take a few deep breaths and silently repeat the mantra ‘samma arahang.’ If sleepiness persists, perhaps you are physically tired, just allow yourself to doze off a bit before starting over again.

Stilling the mind is an art, and it is the key to mastering The Middle Way Meditation. There are many other ways to still the mind, which suit different individuals for different reasons. If you would like to explore other alternatives in detail, we’d suggest that you come to learn meditation and receive personalized guidance that best fits your unique character from experienced teaching monks at our meditation retreat.

Applicant Qualifications 1.

Male or female, ages 20 – 50 years old, with strong physical and mental health.

2.

Possess a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent. In cases where the educational background is less than a Bachelor’s degree, applicants must obtain preliminary approval from the program committee.

3.

Be consistent on meditation practice and meditate everyday for at least one hour per day on a regular basis.

4.

Have the strong intention to spread peace throughout the world.

5.

Embrace the Triple Gem, the supreme knowledge of meditation, and the Great Teachers of meditation.

6.

Observe the Five Precepts on a daily basis.

7.

Be committed to the practice of self-development in all forms and is a team player.

8.

Be able to communicate effectively in English, Chinese or Japanese.

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Code of Conduct To maximize the benefits of learning The Middle Way Meditation for the attainment of the Dhammakaya as formulated according to the experiences of thousands of meditation practitioners, MMC Trainees are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct.

All applicants should familiarize themselves with this Code of Conduct and contact the program staff about any concerns or for further clarification.

1. Staying for the entire course Trainees are required to stay for the entire program in order to learn the Middle Way Meditation in its entirety and to familiarize themselves with meditating in an environment dedicated solely to that purpose – important for any further practice in the Middle Way Meditation.

2. Mindfulness training Living in a meditation community is an essential experience in learning to live harmoniously and to exercise a positive attitude for the benefit of all.

Trainees are encouraged to practice basic mindfulness training as follows: -Abstain from killing any living creature The thought of the destruction of any life even as small as a mosquito, can give rise to negative attitudes that will negatively affect your meditation experiences.

-Abstain from taking things without permission This encourages us to be satisfied with what we have. We will be content and would like to share belongings or help in communal activities, i.e., washing dishes and preparing meals, etc. Sharing your kindness will create a very harmonious atmosphere. Generosity softens our mind, and peaceful thoughts are very conductive to meditation.

-Abstain from all sexual activity When we meditate, your mind is supposed to be with you. If you are stimulated in a sexual manner, your mind will be affected from such distraction. A wandering mind or a mind preoccupied with attachments is impossible to settle down to a station of stillness.

-Abstain from false speech False speech includes the telling of lies, harsh speech, divisive speech, and idle chatter. Endearing speech, truthfulness and honesty bring the community happiness. The words that encourage or inspire others to find inner peace are the most wonderful words in the world. By being mindful and abstaining from false speech, your meditation practice will progress.

-Abstain from the use of intoxicants There is no doubt that intoxicants weaken both physical and mental health, including spurring lapses in consciousness. These substances can be a major hindrance to your progress in meditation. To practice meditation together in a group, it is necessary to cultivate and preserve peace, a real sense of well-being and joy.

Trainees are asked not to bring alcoholic beverages or cigarettes to the program. For those who do smoke or drink alcohol regularly, we request that you refrain from the use of both. Additionally, the MMC program is 81

not suitable for those who are withdrawing from substances such as alcohol.

-Abstain from having a meal after mid-day Reducing the number of meals eaten will result in a body that is light and fit for meditation practice, and can cut down on the sluggishness experienced after an evening meal. Trainees will be expected to be content with two non-vegetarian meals: breakfast and lunch. However, refreshments are provided in the evenings.

Please be aware that it is not possible to satisfy the special food preferences and requirements of individual meditators. If your doctor has prescribed a special diet, let us know and we will see whether we can provide what you need. If the diet is too specialized or would interfere with meditation, we may ask you to wait until you can be more flexible before applying. Trainees are therefore kindly requested to make do with the simple meals provided.

-Abstain from sensual entertainment and bodily decoration This is to keep the mind, speech and body away from distractions. It is also to eliminate vanity and conceit arising by way of the body.

-Abstain from using high or luxurious beds This is a way to avoid the possibility of emotions that may lead to lust or excitement. In addition, sleeping in a bed that is luxurious may make it more difficult to get up in the morning.

3. Separation of men and women Trainees join the program with the intent to learn meditation. Trainees’ meditation experiences will be adversely affected if s/he cannot control inappropriate feelings or emotions. Sexually oriented thoughts can cause unmindful actions affecting the quality of the meditation retreat. The separation of men and women helps trainees move towards calmness and self-realization.

4. Outside contacts Trainees should refrain from interacting with individuals outside the program or training facilities throughout the training program. To make the most of your valuable time spent at the retreat, please stay within the boundaries throughout the training program. Permission to leave the program may be granted to trainees only upon approval by the program staff.

5. Communication devices It is very difficult to sacrifice and leave the hectic world behind in search of true happiness and peace of mind. Therefore, we believe this very special time should not be interrupted. Communication devices such as computers and mobile phones may not be used during the training program. Those who bring such devices will be asked to store them with the program staff for safe-keeping.

6. Books, card and board games, or music Reading materials (books, magazines), card and board games (electronic or on game board), or music that will create a distraction to meditators 82

are not allowed in the training program. Reading and writing materials not provided by the program are not allowed as well.

7. Clothing For your comfort when meditating, clothing should be loose, simple and comfortable. Light colors are highly recommended. Sleeveless shirts, shorts, tights and leggings, see-through, tight-fitting, or revealing clothing should not be worn or brought to the program.

8. Voice recorders Voice recording is not permitted during the training program.

9. Adherence and adaptation Trainees should be willing to adapt themselves to the accommodations and simple living conditions provided. In addition, trainees are expected to observe any additional program guidelines as well as the teacher’s guidance throughout the duration of the program.

Frequently Asked Questions Q: Where is the center of our body and mind?

A: In this meditation technique, the center of the body and mind is two finger widths above the level of the navel, deep in the center of the body. The center of the mind is the awareness itself. We bring the awareness to the center of the body so that the mind and the body will be in balance. Through the point at the center of the body, we have found that there are numerous dimensions of the body and mind overlaid on top of each other so that all of them have a common center. We can think of this point at the center of the body as a doorway through which, with meditation, we can explore the multitudinous dimensions of ourselves, to find the true peace and happiness. By placing the body and mind together, so that they share the same center, we can create the highest amount of concentration in all dimensions of ourselves, and multiply peace and happiness without limit.

Q: What is the meaning of "samma-araham", and why repeat it?

A: Samma-Araham is a compound term derived from ancient Indian philosophy.

Samma is a prefix which means the righteous one. In ancient Indian philosophy, there was the belief that all human beings, regardless of nationality or faith, have their own goal of highest achievement. This goal they called the arahant and the one who achieves it they called arahanta. The compounded term SammaAraham means the righteous absolute of attainment of a human being. SammaAraham needs to be repeated because we use the term as a mantra to prevent the mind from wandering from one idea to another during meditation. Using the mantra, the mind can be trained to rest at the center of the body, because the sound of the words produces a slight vibration in the mind which helps the awareness to move in the direction of happiness and peace. You can use other words instead but any word which is chosen to be used should have positive associations and should not lead to passion, hatred or delusion. It should be repeated until the mind is calm and peaceful. After this stage, the sound of the mantra will fade away by itself, leaving just the crystal ball shining and still at the center of our body. Our reason for using the mantra is just a technique for training the mind to rest at the center of the body, inside the crystal ball.

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Q: Why is the crystal ball used as the object of meditation in the middle way meditation technique?

A: First of all, we don't need to use a crystal ball. Any object of meditation will do as long as you have a positive feeling towards it, or at least a neutral one. Also, the object of meditation should be chosen which does not increase the level of passion, hatred or delusion in your mind. Meditating upon the image of your husband or wife will not make for very good meditation because it will increase your level of passion and this will destroy any degree of calm which you had already attained.

By contrast, a flower is a good object of meditation, as is the moon or the sun, because for most people these things arouse a positive feeling. If you can think of nothing better, why not try visualizing the pillow which you use to sleep each night?

The important thing is to bring the object to rest at the center of the body, because this is where the most successful degree of concentration can be developed. You will find that whatever the object you originally chose, it will turn to become a crystal ball, in the course of meditation progress, if it is maintained at the center of the body. This is natural law of meditation.

In our tradition, we recommend all people to meditate upon a crystal ball at the center of the body because firstly, it gives the meditator a shortcut, to put the crystal ball at the center of the body from 'day one'. It saves time from being wasted with many transformations of the visualized image (parikamma-nimitta).

Secondly, across all cultures, the crystal ball is received with a positive, or at least a neutral feeling. In no culture do you find that the crystal ball has any associations which are unwholesome.

Thirdly, the crystal ball is bright, clear and pure. When the mind concentrates upon these qualities, it tends to become a mind of brightness, clarity and purity: the qualities of the mind which lead to success in meditation.

Q: With meditation aren't we supposed to free our mind of all attachment? why then do we attach to a crystal ball?

A: Yes, we are supposed to free our mind of all attachment, but the word "nonattachment" can also be an attachment. If we have no specific object of concentration, we can no longer ascertain in our meditation whether we are attached to something or not. So, we contemplate on the crystal ball, which is an acquired attachment which we use as a "vehicle for crossing over". It carries our awareness to a higher state. It is like using a raft to get across a river. Once we have crossed the river, we no longer have to carry the raft. We use the crystal ball in the beginning just to make our mind clear and bright. The quality of the mind is uplifted. Once its purpose has been fulfilled, we don't continue with the crystal ball, but carry on with something else.

Q: When I meditate, I'm not sure if I'm focusing exactly at the center of the body two finger breadths above the navel or not. How can I be certain?

A: It is not necessary to be too exact when finding the point at the center of the body. If you like, you can imagine that the point at the center of your body is so enlarged that it fills your entire stomach. This way you can feel more certain that you’re at the right position. In actual fact, as soon as your mind comes to a 84

standstill within this approximate area, it will automatically adjust to the exact point by itself.

Q: Is the middle way meditation compatible with mindfulness of breathing?

A: Certainly! You can do this by placing your awareness at the center of your body. You can feel the full extent of the breath, from the beginning to the end.

Anapanasati means the awareness of in-and-out breathing. So you can call The Middle Way Meditation, anapanasati or mindfulness of breathing.

Q: Does the food you eat influence meditation?

A: Yes, the amount and quality of the food you eat both have an influence on meditation. To begin with, if you eat too much you will feel sleepy easily; however, if you don't consume enough food your health will be affected and you will feel continuously tired and weak. The quality of the food has an effect too.

Substances like alcohol and non-medical drugs are addictive; compromising one’s awareness and reducing the ability to meditate.

Spicy food may sometimes disturb you by irritating the digestive system, making you feel unwell and unfit for meditation. One should have a balanced diet which contains every type of nutrient known to nature. In this way, you will maintain a healthy body and live a healthy life so that you may attain the full potential of meditation.

Q: Are there any prohibitions which the meditator should observe ?

A: There are no prohibitions, but there is a baseline of decency towards all sentient life, which all meditators should observe. They are called the "Five rules of training" or the "Five Precepts," and they are: 1.

To abstain from killing or taking the lives of any living creature 2.

To abstain from taking things without permission 3.

To abstain from all mental, verbal, or physical/sexual misconduct 4.

To abstain from false speech 5.

To abstain from using intoxicants.

Besides following these rules of training, you should be kind and ready to help others. This should be your baseline of normal behavior as a sentient human being. If you follow these natural norms of behavior, you will find that your meditation will improve.

Q: How does meditation increase one's intelligence?

A: It increases one’s intelligence by reducing the level of defilements in the mind.

As an analogy - the nature of the mind is clear and bright but it has defilements in it which, like the mud and pollutants in clear water, make it cloudy and murky.

Meditation is a process which allows the impurities to settle out. Meditation precipitates the defilements of the mind, and allows the nature of the mind, which is bright and clear, to reveal itself. One of the natural qualities of the mind is 'intelligence', in the absence of a combination with anxiety, passion, enmity, folly or hatred. The natural mind is full of wisdom and compassion.

Q: Can meditation replace sleep?

A: Meditation can help sleep to become more effectively. It can help us to sleep deeper. In a very short period of time, one can refresh one’s awareness through meditation and allow us to make the most of our time of sleep. Together with meditation, sleep can be minimized.

However, there are still some people who require no sleep at all, but only need meditation to keep their body and mind refreshed all the time. Even the Lord 85

Buddha himself spent four hours sleeping each night. However, there were some of his disciples who spent most of their time during the night contemplating in meditation without going to bed.

In true meditation, the object of concentration is inside the body and the more you meditate, the more the self-awareness increases.

Q: I am physically quite ill. How can meditation help?

A: As with any disease or illness, meditation can help you to get rid of stress. The doctor can be responsible for your disease, but there is no one who can be responsible for your mind other than yourself. No one else can take responsibility for this. This responsibility can be the motivating factor for you to meditate.

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CHAPTER 6 PLACES TO PRACTICE BUDDHIST MEDITATION IN THAILAND Understandly, many of us have at one time or another found the toll of living in the modern world hard to bear. Stress, depression and disillusionment are some of the diseases of modern times that leave us yearning for a solution, a cure, so to speak. More and more people are turning to meditation as they fail to find the answer through worldly paths.

Meditation is found in some form or other in all major religious traditions. Even those who are not religious use it to focus the mind, to hone it, so that it works better. In Buddhism, meditation is the integral to the eight-fold path to enlightenment. One trains one’s mind so that it can see the four-point Supreme Truth that forms the core of Buddha’s teachings: suffering, what causes it, the end of suffering, and the path to that end. Even if you are not interested in Buddhism, meditation is a valuable training that can be applied to daily life, for it helps with concentration and when done correctly can lead to a state of peace and calmness that’s beyond worldly joys.

There are two main branches in Buddhist meditation: samatha (calmness, concentration) and vipassana (insight), which stresses mindfulness. This does not mean that the two are entirely separate, since you cannot be mindful unless you have at least some level of concentration.

The techniques of samatha meditation are many, some older than Buddhism, others developed after the time of the Buddha. Among the most commonly practiced here is anapanasati, or “mindfulness with breathing.” This technique was advocated by the Venerable Buddhadasa Bhikku (1903-1993), founder of Suan Mokkh Forest Monastery in Surat Thani. Meditators at Suan Mokkh (Garden of Liberation), follow the 16 steps of anapanasati as laid down in Pali texts.

Mantra meditation, in which you repeat a few words over and over, is also widely practiced. Followers of this technique may chant “Buddh” as they inhale, and 87

“dho” as they exhale. The words may vary, but the purpose of chanting is really to get the mind focused. Yet another widely taught technique is kasinas, where meditators concentrate on an object outside themselves, such as the flame of a candle, or a crystal ball.

Sati, or mindfulness, is key to vipassana meditation. You train yourself to be aware of the body’s action, the rise and fall of your chest as you inhale and exhale, the movement of your feet and legs as you walk, as well as your feelings, your thought, and finally, the state of mind you are in. Walking, sitting and lying meditation are but a few of vipassana techniques. When the mind is untrained, concentration can be shattered by the slightest stimuli -noise, smell, heat, hunger, pain, etc. The key is to become aware of what happens, but not dwell on it. Still, a novice can only ward off so much distraction, and that’s one reason why vipassana retreats are usually held in peaceful and isolated settings.

Meditation teachings are widely available and accessible in Thailand. You can attend a class at one of the teaching monasteries for an afternoon or evening.

Wat Mahadhatu near the Grand Palace, for example, has two meditation training centers open to locals and tourists. Or you may join a vipassana retreat, which usually takes a weekend or longer. A number of retreat centers, most of them located in the provinces, run intensive courses of up to four weeks on an ongoing basis. All vipassana retreats require you to follow the Five Buddhist Precepts.

These include refraining from harming all living beings, from taking what is not given, from improper sexual behavior, from lying and incorrect speech, and from taking liquors and drugs that will cloud the mind. Some retreats may require that you take you take the Eight Precepts, which in addition to the first five include refraining from dinner, from all forms of entertainment and bodily decoration, and from sleeping on high mattresses.

Respect for one’s teacher is inherent in Thai culture. At the start of a vipassana session, you must attend an opening ceremony, where you pay respect to the meditation masters and present them with traditional Buddhist offerings of incense sticks, candles and flowers - usually three lotuses or a hand garland.

There is also a closing ceremony, where you thank your teachers and bid them a formal farewell. Even if you cannot stay for the duration of the course, be sure to perform this ritual before you leave, since not doing so is considered very rude.

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Once you get enrolled in a course, be sure to follow only the technique taught there. Mixing techniques will only confuse you. Usually, you are given instructions daily, and required to report your progress - or lack of it-to your meditation master on the following day. After the interview you will be given advice and new instructions, or old ones to repeat.

All-white, modest clothing is required at vipassana retreats. Check ahead if there is a shop on the compound, or if you have to bring your own. At most monasteries, simple accommodation and food are provided, usually free of charge. Talking, reading and writing are discouraged, as they will distract you from your meditation. And meditators are not allowed to leave the retreat compound unless absolutely necessary, so be sure to bring enough change of clothes, toiletries and personal items for the duration of the course.

For first-time meditators, it might help to attend a day session or two before you join a long retreat. Bangkok has a number of meditation centers offering day classes in English. Many temples around the country also teach samatha and vipassana meditation. Contact the nearest office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand for a list of local temples where English-speaking classes can be arranged.

International Buddhist Meditation Center (IBMC) Dhamma Vicaya Hall, Wat Mahadhatu, Tha Prachan, Bangkok Tel: (662) 623-6326, 623-6328 (Afternoons only, 1-7.30 p.m.

IBMC is the vipassana teaching center of Mahachulalongkorn Buddhist University, one of the highest seats of Buddhist learning in the country.

Mindfulness meditation classes in English are held daily, from 1-6 p.m. except on Buddhist holidays and Sundays. Bring flowers, nine sticks of incense and a candle for the opening ceremony. The Center also organizes vipassana retreats at Buddha Monthon in Nakhon Pathom, usually on major Buddhist holidays and long weekends. Dhamma talks to groups can be arranged by request.

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Section Five, Wat MahadhatuTha Prachan, Bangkok Tel: (662) 222-6011 Thais and foreigners have long come to Section Five of Wat Mahadhatu to learn mindfulness meditation. Classes are held from 7-10 p.m., 1-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.

These are mixed; at any given session there will be beginners and advanced meditators, monks and laymen, locals and tourists. English-speaking instruction is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You can come for a retreat of three days or longer. Meals and accommodation are provided on the compounds free of charge. Bring enough sets of clothes, toiletries and personal items, and an offering of flowers, a candle and nine sticks of incense for the opening ceremony.

Donations are accepted but not solicited.

Wat Bhaddanta Asahba Theravada & Sommitre Pranee Vipassana Center 118/1 Moo 1, Baan Nong Pru, Nong Pai Kaiw, Baan Bung, Chonburi 20220 Tel: (66-38) 292-361, 01 455-2360, 01-343-7295, email: wat_asabha@yahoo.com Capacity: 30 persons (Recommend booking in advance) Meditation Master : Ajahn Bhaddanta Asabha, Ajahn Somsak Sorado The retreat is widely open for both beginner and experienced meditators. On the retreat, all meditators are expected to keep silence at all times except when giving meditation reports. All meditators must keep the eight training precepts.

Meditators need only bring conservative clothing (preferably white colored clothing), personal hygiene accessories and essential medication.

Ajahn Asabha was Head Meditation Master at Vivek Asom Meditation Center (Chonburi, Thailand), where he taught vipassana meditation for 37 years. In 1999, Ajahn Asabha became President of Wat Bhaddanta Asabha Theravada and Head Meditation Master at Sommit Pranee Vipassana Meditation Center, where he now resides.

Ajahn Somsak Sorado, a disciple of Ajahn Asabha, has been teaching vipassana meditation at Vivek Asom Meditation Center for over 5 years. He was in the United States on Buddhist missionary duties for 2 years and is now permanently stationed at Wat Bhaddanta Asabha Theravada.

Northern Insight Meditation Center at Wat Rampoeng (Tapotharam) Tumbon Suthep, Amphoe Muang, Chiang Mai Tel/Fax: (66-53) 278-620 The Northern Insight Meditation Center has been teaching mindfulness meditation to thousands of tourists and locals for more than 20 years. It has English-speaking monks, nuns and volunteer facilitators on staff. The center offers a 26-day basic course on an ongoing basis. After you have completed this course you can join the 10-day Insight Meditation Retreat. Tourists are required to present two passport photos, two copies each of a valid passport and visa with entry stamp. Modest white clothing is required; this can be bought at the

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Temple’s store. Dormitory-style accommodation and meals are provided free of charge. Donations are accepted but not solicited.

Wat Phra Dhatu Sri Chomthong Tumbon Baan Luang, Amphoe Chomthong, Chiang Mai Tel: (66-53) 826-869 This temple is headed by the monk who founded the Northern Insight Meditation Center at Wat Rampoeng. Meditation retreats are held on an ongoing basis.

Meditators must present identification card or valid passport, and inform the temple of their intended length of stay. Then they can choose whether to follow the Five or Eight Precepts. The temple provides meals and simple, dormitorystyle lodgings, most with their own bathroom. Proper clothing is available at a shop next door to the monastery. Bookings are advised, since the retreats draw large crowds during major Buddhist holidays and Chinese vegetarian festival.

Suan Mokkh Forest Monastery Amphoe Chaiya, Surat Thani Tel: (66-77) 431-596-7 Fax:(66-77) 431-597 e-mail: santikaro@suanmokkh.org website: http://www.suanmokkh.org/ Founded in 1932 by the late Venerable Buddhadasa Bhikku, meditation master and Buddhist scholar, Suan Mokkh holds a 10-day meditation course on an ongoing basis. During the course participants will explore two inter-related subjects: dhamma and meditation. Meditation instruction focuses on mindfulness with breathing (anapanasati), a system of training used and taught most often by the Buddha. Dhamma talks are held daily, and everyone is encouraged to participate. English-speaking facilitators called “Friends” offer guidance on meditation practice and all other aspects of the course.

The Middle Way Meditation Retreat in Pathumtani POP House, about 40 minutes drive form the city of Bangkok Tel: 089-109-9219 e-mail :pophousemeditation@gmail.com website: http://www.pophouse.info/ The Power of Peace House (POP House) welcomes you to join our meditation course. During your 3 days with us, you will learn how to meditate to relax both the mind and body amidst the peaceful, natural environment and family atmosphere. The program will introduce meditation concept and meditation practice to participants. The meditation method we use at POP house is the Middle Way meditation technique (Dhammakaya), one of the most ancient techniques of meditation in the world. Its simplicity originality and effectiveness has made the Middle way method among the most popular meditation techniques in Thailand and its international popularity is growing fast. Middle way meditation is all about self-discovery relaxation and purification of the mind. This meditation will have no conflict with any religion or creed, a

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meditation that you can use in your everyday activities that will create peace in your life.

The Middle Way Meditation Retreat in Chiang Mai Dhamma Research for Environment Foundation Tel: 09-109-9219, 04-661-5057 or (6653) 211-424 E-mail : info@meditationthai.org website: http://www.meditationthai.org/ Surrounded by picturesque hills and lofty mountains at 1,120 meters above sea level, the Middle way Meditation Village has magnificent vistas, fresh cool mountain air and our facilities provide immaculate and comfortable accommodations, all designed to enable you to learn and practice Meditation while living in close touch with the natural beauty that will surround you. There you will learn the Dhammakaya method of Meditation which is both the simplest and the oldest known technique in the world, taught by ordained highly trained Buddhist Monks expert Meditation instructors!

Young Buddhists Association of Thailand (YBAT) 58/8 Soi Petchkasem 54, Petchkasem Road, Bangkok Tel: (662) 413-3131, 413-1706 Sthiradhamma Sthana 24/5 Soi Watcharapol, Ramindra Soi 55, Bangkok Tel: (662) 510-6697, 510-4765 Fax: (662) 519-4633 Sorn-Thawee Meditation Center, Chachoengsao Tel: (66-38) 541-405 Wat Kow Tham International Meditation Center Ko Phangan, Surat Thani 84280 House of Dhamma (Vipassana) Insight Meditation Center 26/9 Chompol Lane, Lat Phrao Soi 15 Chatuchak, Bangkok Tel: (662) 511-0439 (weekends or evenings only) Fax: (662) 512-6083 Vivek Ashram Vipassana Meditation Center, Chonburi Tel: (66-38) 283-766 Wat Pah Nanachart (International Forest Monastery) Ban Bung Wai, Amphoe Warin, Ubon Ratchathani 34310 The Middle Way Meditation Retreat in Koh Samui The Samudra Retreat Samui 24/73, Moo 5, Bo Phut, Koh Samui, Suratthani, 84320, Thailand.

Tel: 01-694-0193, 01-375-0212 or (6677) 428-100 Fax: (6677) 428-133 E-mail : samuipeace@yahoo.com The Middle Way Meditation Retreat in Chiang Mai Dhamma Research for Environment Foundation Boluang, Hod, Chiang Mai, 50240, Thailand.

Tel: 09-109-9219, 04-661-5057 or (6653) 211-424 E-mail : info@meditationthai.org

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Donald, Merlin. A Mind So Rare : The Evolution of Human Consciousness. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Dyer, Wayne W. 1996. Everyday Wisdom. Delhi: Excel Books. _________________. 2010. The Shift. Australia: Hay House.

Gyatso, G.K. 2005. Mahamudra Tantra: The Supreme Heart Jewel Nectar. Ulverston, England: Tharpa Publications.

H.H. The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. 2008. How to See Yourself As You Really Are : A Practical Guide to Self Knowledge, translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins.

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Kalam,Abdu. 2011. Indomitable Spirit. Delhi: Rajpal & Sons Khema, Ayya. 1997. Who Is Myself? : A Guide to Buddhist Meditation. Boston: Wisdom Publications.

Hanh, Thich Nhat. The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching : Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation. London: Rider. __________. 2007. The Art of Power. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. _____________. 2003. Creating True Peace : Ending Conflict in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community and the World. London: Rider. _______________. Happiness : Essential Mindfulness Practices. Berkeley: Parallax Press. ________________. 2010. Keeping the Peace : Mindfulness and Public Service.

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www.metamorpha.com/Default.aspx?tabid=113 -David G. Benner About the Author David G. Benner is Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Spirituality at the Psychological Studies Institute in Atlanta, ...

David Benner profiles | LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/David/Benner -Marc Kaufman, Washington Post Staff Writer, wrote the article, “ Meditation Gives Brain a Charge, (Washington Post, Monday, January 3, 2005; Page A05) www.livescience.com/1488-meditation-sharpens-mind.html -Charles Q. Choi. Date: 07 May 2007 Time: 07:39 PM ET ... Paying attention to facts requires time and effort, and since everyone only has a limited amount of ...

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2006. ISSN 1051-127X, OCLC 21878732 -"NCAAM, Meditation: An Introduction "Uses of Meditation for Health in the United States". nccam.nih.gov. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm#research. -Ospina MB, Bond K, Karkhaneh M, et al. (June 2007). "Meditation practices for health: state of the research" (pdf). Evid Rep Technol Assess (Full Rep) (155): 1–263.

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-A clinical guide to the treatment of human stress response by George S. Everly, Jeffrey M. Lating 2002 ISBN 0306466201 -Joseph, M. 1998, The effect of strong religious beliefs on coping with stress Stress Medicine. Vol 14(4), Oct 1998, 219-224.[clarification needed] Wallace, B. Alan (2006). The attention revolution: Unlocking the power of the focused mind. Boston: Wisdom. ISBN 0861712765. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip065/2005037195.html.

-Zen Buddhism : a History: India and China by Heinrich Dumoulin, James W. Heisig, Paul F. Knitter 2005 ISBN 0941532895 -Spiritual Psychology by Akbar Husain 2006 ISBN 8182200954 page 109 -An introduction to the Christian Orthodox churches by John Binns 2002 ISBN 0521667380 page 128 -Abelson, Peter (April 1993) Schopenhauer and Buddhism. Philosophy East and West Volume 43, Number 2, pp. 255-278. University of Hawaii Press. Retrieved on: 12 April 2008.

-Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion by David A. Leeming, Kathryn Madden, Stanton Marlan 2009 ISBN page 559 -Murphy, Michael. "1". The Physical and Psychological Effects of Meditation: Scientific Studies of Contemplative Experience: An Overview. http://www.noetic.org/research/medbiblio/ch1.htm.

-Roger Walsh & Shauna L. Shapiro (2006). "The meeting of meditative disciplines and western psychology: A mutually enriching dialogue". American Psychologist (American Psychological Association) 61 (3): 227–239. doi:10.1037/0003066X.61.3.227. ISSN 0003-066X. PMID 16594839.

-R. Jevning, R. K. Wallace & M. Beidebach (1992). "The physiology of meditation: A review: A wakeful hypometabolic integrated response". Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 16 (3): 415–424. doi:10.1016/S0149-7634(05)80210-6.

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-Claudio Naranjo (1972, originally published 1971), in: Naranjo and Orenstein, On the Psychology of Meditation. New York: Viking.

-Kenneth Bond, Maria B. Ospina, Nicola Hooton, Liza Bialy, Donna M. Dryden, Nina Buscemi, David Shannahoff-Khalsa, Jeffrey Dusek & Linda E. Carlson (2009).

"Defining a complex intervention: The development of demarcation criteria for "meditation"". Psychology of Religion and Spirituality (American Psychological Association) 1 (2): 129–137. doi:10.1037/a0015736. (a journal published by the American Psychological Association) -Lutz, Dunne and Davidson, "Meditation and the Neuroscience of Consciousness: An Introduction" in The Cambridge handbook of consciousness by Philip David Zelazo, Morris Moscovitch, Evan Thompson, 2007 ISBN 0521857430 page 499551 (proof copy) (NB: pagination of published was 499-551 proof was 497-550).

-"John Dunne's speech". http://ccare.stanford.edu/node/21.

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"Introduction". The physical and psychological effects of meditation: A review of contemporary research with a comprehensive bibliography 1931-1996 (Sausalito, CA: Institute of Noetic Sciences): 1–32. http://www.noetic.org/research/medbiblio/index.htm.

-Robert Ornstein (1972, originally published 1971), in: Naranjo and Orenstein, On the Psychology of Meditation. New York: Viking. LCCN 76149720 -Antoine Lutz, Heleen A. Slagter, John D. Dunne & Richard J. Davidson (2008).

"Attention regulation and monitoring in meditation". Trends in Cognitive Sciences 12 (4): 163–169. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2008.01.005. PMC 2693206.

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-Dietrich Lehmann, P. L. Faber, Peter Achermann, Daniel Jeanmonod, Lorena R. R. Gianotti & Diego Pizzagalli (2001). "Brain sources of EEG gamma frequency during volitionally meditation-induced, altered states of consciousness, and experience of the self". Psychiatry Research 108 (2): 111–121. doi:10.1016/S0925-4927(01)00116-0. PMID 11738545.

-Smith, Peter (2000). "Meditation". A concise encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith.

Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. 243–44. ISBN 1-85168-184-1.

-Smith, Peter (2000). "Prayer". A concise encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. 274. ISBN 1-85168-184-1..

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- Randall Collins, The Sociology of Philosophies: A Global Theory of Intellectual Change. Harvard University Press, 2000, page 199.

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-Wheeler, Deborah (22 July 2010). "Yoga with a Christian twist". waltonsun.com. http://www.waltonsun.com/news/christian-5144-practice-yoga.html. Retrieved 28 November 2010.

-"Swami Vivekananda. Complete Works Vol 4". http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/V olume_4/Lectures_and_Discourses/Meditation.

-Dwivedi, Kedar Nath. Review:Freedom from Self, Sufism, Meditation and Psychotherapy. Group Analysis, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 434-436, December 1989 -The Final Testament by Rashad Khalifa, Appendix 28 - Muhammad Wrote God's Revelations With His Own Hand submission.org. Retrieved on: January 8, 2009.

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APPENDIX 1 GREAT QUOTES ON MIND AND MEDITATION ****************************************************************************** RELIGIOUS QUOTES 1. My teaching can be compared to a raft that is used to cross a river. Only a fool would still cling to the raft once he has landed – Buddha 2. Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well the path that leads you forward and what will hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom – Buddha 3. Self-actualization is an exalted state of inner attainment which transcends all…illustrations – Buddha 4. Who is serene & tranquil in body, speech & mind, concentrated & above allurements of the world is called one blessed with peace within –Buddha 5. Those who are calm, mindful, concentrated, and ignore sensual pleasures will rightly understand the true nature of all things - Buddha 6. The Truth itself…can only be self-realized within one’s own deepest consciousness - Buddha 7. The objective world rises from the mind itself – Buddha 8. All such notions as causation, succession, atoms, primary elements… are all figments of the imagination ad manifestations of the mind – Buddha 9. UIVERSAL MIND IS LIKE A GREAT OCEAN, ITS SURFACE RUFFLED BY WAVES AND SURGES BUT ITS DEPTH REMAINING FOREVER UNMOVED – BUDDHA 10. By becoming attached to names and forms, to releasing that they have no more basis than the activities of the mind itself, error arises and the way to emancipation is blocked – Buddha 11. If a man becomes attached to the literal meaning of words and holds fast to the illusion that words and meaning are in agreement, especially in such things as Nirvana which is unborn and undying…then he will fail to understand the true meaning and will become entangled in assertions and refutations - Buddha 12. Transcendental intelligence rises when the intellectual mind reaches its limit ad if things are to be realized in their true and essential nature, its processes of thinking must be transcended by a appeal to some higher faculty of cognition – Buddha

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13. The external world is only a manifestation of the activities of the mind itself, and …the mind grasps it as an external world simply because of its habit of discrimination and false-reasoning - Buddha 14. Abandoning worldly desires, he dwells with a mind freed from worldly desires, and his mind is purified of them– Buddha 15. Abandoning ill-will and hatred… and by compassionate love for the welfare of all living beings, his mind is purified of ill-will and hatred – Buddha 16. Abandoning slot-and-torpor,…perceiving light, mindful and clearly aware, his mind is purified of slot-and-torpor – Buddha 17. Abandoning worry-and-flurry… and with an inwardly calmed mind his heart is purified of worry-and flurry – Buddha 18. Abandoning doubt, he dwells with doubt left behind, without uncertainty as to what things are wholesome, his mind is purified of doubt - Buddha 19. There is only one moment in time when it is essential to awaken. That moment is now – Buddha 20. Live like the strings of a fine instrument-not too taut but not too loose – Buddha 21. We carry inside us the wonders we seek outside us. ~Buddha 22. Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.

Buddha 23. PEACE IS THE HIGHEST BLISS – Buddha 24. Men, driven on by thirst, run about like a snared hare; let therefore the mendicant drive out thirst, by striving after passionlessness for himself Buddha 25. There is no blissful peace until one passes beyond the agony of life and death – Buddha 26. A jug fills drop by drop – Buddha 27. Mastery of the world is achieved by mastery of the pure self: Buddha 28. We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. -Buddha 29. All things appear and disappear because of causes and conditions – Buddha 111

30. As sculptors carve wood, the wise shape their minds – Buddha 31. Of all of the worldly passions, lust is the most intense – Buddha 32. Peace comes from within; do not seek without – Buddha 33. What we think, we become – Buddha 34. Monk, you and you alone are your refuge; you and you alone are your pathway - Buddha 35. If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change - Buddha 36. PEACE IS THE HIGHEST AND NOBLEST HAPPINESS - BUDDHA 37. Thousands of candles can be lighted by a single candle – Buddha 38. The masters only point the way. But if you meditate and follow the dharma you will free yourself from desire.- Buddha 39. The Dharma is the same for all, and all are one in the eyes of the Dharma Buddha 40. MIND is defined in Buddhism as a non-physical phenomenon which perceives, thinks, recognises, experiences and reacts to the environment – Abhidhamma 41. All phenomena in and around ourselves are only nama and rupa (names and forms) which arise and fall away – Abhidhamma 42. Concepts are the object of our consciousness – Abhidhamma 43. Should there be no mind, then there would be no matter at all – Zen Buddhism 44. It is the Middle Path between extremes that lead to liberation – Noble Eightfold Path 45. Free yourself of views and attitudes that block the path of understanding Noble Eightfold Path 46. Knowing the differences between what is a good action and what is a bad deed is right understanding - Noble Eightfold Path 47. Right understanding leads to willing the good through actions of body, speech and mind - Noble Eightfold Path 48. Avoid any action of the mind that can cause harm to oneself or others Noble Eightfold Path 112

49. Avoid any thought or action that causes harm to others - Noble Eightfold Path 50. Unwholesome intentions must be grasped and extinguished at the root Noble Eightfold Path 51. Mind control means denying what is not good for one’s spiritual development and replacing it with its opposite - Noble Eightfold Path

52. Delusions lead to more and more evil - Noble Eightfold Path 53. Right thought means right intentions or right motives that set the mind moving toward achievement of wholesome goals - Noble Eightfold Path 54. Right intention is the forerunner of right action - Noble Eightfold Path 55. Eliminate obstruction, and open the path to wisdom - Noble Eightfold Path 56. Knowing what is good is not the same as doing what is good - Noble Eightfold Path 57. Working on yourself is the most difficult and painful discipline - Noble Eightfold Path 58. The unwholesome thought is like a rotten peg lodged in the mind - Noble Eightfold Path 59. The wholesome thought is like a new peg suitable to replace it - Noble Eightfold Path 60. Purify yourself in accordance with good intentions as a preparation to deeper insight through meditation - Noble Eightfold Path 61. Arouse the energy of the mind, and focus it on cleansing the mind of its impurities through self-discipline - Noble Eightfold Path 62. Through intense self-discipline, liberate the mind, so it is free to work on the supramundane level - Noble Eightfold Path 63. Stem the five hindrances of sensual desire, ill-will, dullness of the mind, restlessness before they arise - Noble Eightfold Path

64. Lust for sensual pleasures, sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches or for wealth and power, position and fame block the path to purification Noble Eightfold Path

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65. Hatred, anger, resentment and repulsion block the path to purification Noble Eightfold Path 66. Mental inertia, drowsiness and dullness of mind block the path to purification - Noble Eightfold Path 67. Restlessness, worry, stress, agitation, excitement and frenzy keep the mind from focus - Noble Eightfold Path 68. Watch and observe the working of the mind - Noble Eightfold Path 69. Buddhists do meditation exercises practicing renunciation and compassion as a way of going against the stream - Noble Eightfold Path 70. FOLLOW THE EIGHTFOLD PATH, BEING SURE TO PURIFY YOURSELF IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOOD KARMA AS A PREPARATION TO DEEPER INSIGHT THROUGH MEDITATION – NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH 71. Without accomplishing moral purity, you will encounter great difficulty in going forward - Noble Eightfold Path 72. Counteract dullness and drowsiness through concentration on a great ball of light to energize your mind - Noble Eightfold Path 73. Calm the agitated mind through breathing meditation - Noble Eightfold Path 74. Investigative observation and analysis of the mind helps allay doubt, uncertainty, indecision and lack of resolution - Noble Eightfold Path

75. Direct the mind away from an unwholesome thought, as you might look away from an undesirable sight - Noble Eightfold Path 76. THE SEVEN STEPS OF ENLIGHTENMENT ARE MINDFULNESS, INVESTIGATION, ENERGY, RAPTURE, TRANQUILITY, CONCENTRATION AND EQUANIMITY - NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH 77. Through meditation, clear the mind of wandering and delusion and focus on objects clearly in the now - Noble Eightfold Path 78. See the true nature of things as they really are - Noble Eightfold Path 79. Tranquility brings concentration on one-pointed unification of mind Noble Eightfold Path

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80. Equanimity comes when the mind through deepening concentration becomes free from inertia and excitement and remains balanced on its own - Noble Eightfold Path 81. The mind in equanimity, without effort or restraint, watches and observes the play of phenomena - Noble Eightfold Path 82. Keeping the balance of the mind takes constant practice - Noble Eightfold Path 83. RIGHT MINDFULNESS IS THE QUALITY OF AWARENESS - NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH 84. Right mindfulness is complete awareness of all activities of the mind as they occur and complete awareness of all mental objects - Noble Eightfold Path 85. They who have no control over the mind cannot fix steadily on a subject of meditation - Noble Eightfold Path 86. Mind is a sequence of momentary acts unconnected to a sense of self or belonging to self - Noble Eightfold Path 87. Mind is a bare state of consciousness free of subjective association - Noble Eightfold Path

88. Focus on contemplation of the body, of feeling, of the mind and of the mind objects - Noble Eightfold Path 89. So penetrating and powerful is the sense of awareness that every single minute activity of the mind is observed and considered - Noble Eightfold Path 90. Realize total awareness of the true nature of the way things really are Noble Eightfold Path 91. Meditation fixes the flighty mind through focus and concentration - Noble Eightfold Path 92. Mindfulness does nothing but note, watching each experience as it arises, stands and passes away - Noble Eightfold Path 93. Breathing meditation allows us to quiet and calm the mind, so it is in a stable state to contemplate - Noble Eightfold Path 94. Clearing up the cognitive field is the task of right mindfulness - Noble Eightfold Path

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95. Calming the body function, breathe in; calming the body function, breathe out - Noble Eightfold Path 96. Mindfulness of breathing tranquilizes and calm the body function - Noble Eightfold Path 97. Mindfulness of breathing is preparatory to achieve higher states, called Jhana or absorptions, and preparatory to the development of insight wisdom - Noble Eightfold Path 98. The mind is a sequence of momentary mental acts unconnected to a sense of self or belonging to self - Noble Eightfold Path 99. Mind is a bare state of consciousness free of subjective association - Noble Eightfold Path

100.

As meditation practice deepens, the observer becomes more and more detached until there is only detached mind - Noble Eightfold Path 101.

As contemplation deepens, the contents of the mind become more and more purified and rarified - Noble Eightfold Path 102.

THE BUDDHA ONLY POINTS OUT THE STEPS IN THE PATH; NO ONE CAN TAKE THESE STEPF FOR YOU – NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH 103.

RIGHT MINDFULNESS MEANS MAINTAINING CLARITY AND BALANCE SO THE MIND CAN CONCENTRATE PURELY ON THE PATH NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH 104.

Right concentration ensures one-pointedness of the mind. It is the ability to focus one’s mind, steadily, on any one object only, to the exclusion of others - Noble Eightfold Path 105.

The purpose of developing the right concentration is to make use of its penetrative power, to understand existence, and thereby, realize the highest wisdom - Noble Eightfold Path 106.

RIGHT CONCENTRATION MUST BE DIRECTED TO HIGHER PURPOSES AND RIGHT UNDERSTANDING, SO THE DISCIPLE SHOULD AVOID CONCENTRATION ON THE BODY OR OTHER UNWHOLESOME STATES – NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH 107.

RIGHT CONCENTRATION REFLECTS THE CULMINATION OF ALL THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE FACTORS OF THE EIGHTFOLD PATH WORKING SIMULTANEOUSLY TO OBTAIN THE RIGHT POINT OF ONE-MINDEDNESS - NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH

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108.

RIGHT CONCENTRATION REFLECTS ON THE FOUR FOUNDATIONS OF MINDFULNESS: CONTEMPLATION OF THE BODY, CONTEMPLATION OF FEELINGS, CONTEMPLATION OF MIND, AND CONTEMPLATION OF MIND OBJECTS - NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH 109.

Right concentration looks back upon right understanding, right effort, right intention, and right mindfulness – Noble Eightfold Path 110.

The flickering, fickle mind, Difficult to guard, difficult to control, The wise man straightens, As a fletcher straightens an arrow – Dhammapada

111.

Like a fish drawn its watery abode And thrown upon land, Even so does the mind flutter, Hence should the realm of passions be shunned – Dhammapada

112.

Good is it to control the mind Which is hard to check and swift And flits wherever it desires.

A subdued mind is conducive to happiness – Dhammapada

113.

Hard to perceive and extremely subtle is this mind, It roams wherever it desires.

Let the wise man guard it; A guarded mind is conducive to happiness – Dhammapada

114.

Faring afar, solitary, incorporeal Lying in the body, is the mind.

Those who subdue it are freed From the bond od Mara – Dhammapada

115.

He whose mind is inconstant, He who knows not the true doctrine,

117

He whose confidence wavers The wisdom of such a one is never fulfilled – Dhammapada

116.

He who is vigilant, He whose mind is not overcome by lust and hatred, He who has discarded both good and evil or such a one there is no fear –Dhammapada

117.

Realizing that body is fragile as a pot, Establishing one's mind as firm as a fortified city, Let one attack let one guard one's conqust And afford no rest to Mara –Dhammapada

118.

Soon, alas! will this body lie Upon the ground, unheeded, Devoid of consciousness, Even as useless log – Dhammapada

119.

Whatever harm a foe may do to a foe, Or a hater to a hater, An ill-directed mind Can harm one even more – Dhammapada

120.

What neither mother ,nor father, Nor any other relative can do, A well-directed mind does And thereby elevates one - Dhammapada 121.

Whose conquest is not turned into defeat, Whom not even a bit of conquered passion followsThat trackless Buddha of infinite range, By which way will you lead him? – Dhammapada

122.

Whom no entangling and poisonous Passions can lead astrayThat trackless Buddha of infinite range, By which way will you lead him? – Dhammapada

118

123.

Absorbed in meditation pratice, Delighting in the peace of Nibbana Mindful, wise and fully enlightenedSuch men even the gods hold dear – Dhammapada

124.

Hard is it to be born as a man, Hard is the life of mortals, Hard is it to hear the Truth Sublime, Hard as well is the Buddha's rise – Dhammapada

125.

Abstention from all evil, Cultivation of the wholesome, Purification of the heart; This is the Message of the Buddhas – Dhammapada

126.

To speak no ill, To do no harm, To observe the Rules, To be moderate in eating, To live in a secluded abode, To devote oneself to meditationThis is the Message of the Buddhas – Dhammapada

127.

If you speak or act with a calm, bright mind, then happiness follows you, like a shadow that never leaves - Dhammapada 128.

Look not for recognition, but follow the awakened, and set yourself free – Dhammapada 129.

When your mind shall rest unshaken in divine contemplation, then the goal of unions is yours - Bhagavad Gita, 1st-2nd century BC. 130.

The secret of human freedom is to act without attachment to the results - Bhagavad Gita 131.

Everything existing in the universe is the fruit of chance and necessity -Democritus

119

132.

If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold onto - Tao Te Ching 133.

Mere suffering exists, no sufferer is found. The deed is, but no doer of the deed is there - Buddhaghosa 134.

The greatest meditation is the mind that lets go - Atisha (11th century Tibetan Buddhist master) 135.

MEDIUM TENUERE BEATI (LATIN): THOSE WHO TAKE ALL THINGS IN MODERATION ARE HAPPHY AND BLESSED 136.

MENS SANA IN CORPORE (LATIN) : Sound Mind in a Sound Body 137.

Most people still don’t know the essence of meditation practice.

They think that walking meditation, sitting meditation and listening to Dhamma talks are the practice. The real practice takes place when the mind encounters a sense object. That’s the place to practice, where sense contact occurs – Ajahn Chah 138.

The practice of Dhamma isn’t something you have to go around for or exhaust yourself over. Just look at the feelings which arise in your mind – Ajahn Chah 139.

Observing the mind is like this. Closing off the eyes, ears, nose, thongue, and body, we leave only the mind. To “close off” the senses means to restrain and compose them, observing only the mind.

Meditation is like catching the lizard. We use Sati to note the breath. Sati is the quality of recollection, as in asking yourself, “What am I doing?”

Sampajanna is the awareness that “now I am doing such as such.” We observe the in and out breathing with Sat and Sampajanna – Ajahn Chah 140.

Some people think that meditation means to sit in some special way, but in actual fact standing, sitting, walking and reclining are all vehicles for meditation practice. You can practice at all times Ajahn Chah 141.

Samadhi is the firm mind, the one-pointed mind. It’s fixed onto the point of balance… You don’t have to make it stop, that’s not the point.

Where there is movement is where understanding can arise – Ajahn Chah 142.

Meditation is like a single stick of wood. Insight (Vipassana) is one end of the stick and serenity (Samatha) is the other. Insight has to proceed from peace and tranquility. The entire process will happen naturally of its own accord. We can’t force it – Ajahn Chah

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143.

The mind isn't born belonging to anyone. It doesn't die as anyone's. This mind is free and brilliantly radiant - Ajahn Chah 144.

The mind is merely the mind. It is a natural, selfless process. It does not belong to us or anyone else. It's not anything - Ajahn Chah.

145.

Theoretical descriptions of the MIND and its workings are accurate, but this type of knowledge is relatively useless - Ajahn Chah 146.

Everything experienced with a peaceful mind confers greater understanding - Ajahn Chah.

147.

In theory, virtue comes first, then samadhi and then wisdom, but when I examined it I found wisdom is the foundation stone - Ajahn Chah 148.

In my own search I tried nearly every possible means of contemplation. I sacrified my life for the Dhamma, because I had faith in the reality of enlightenment and the Path to get there…But to realize them takes practice. It takes pushing yourself to the limit. It takes the courage to train, to reflect and to fundamentally change. It takes the courage to actually do what it takes – Ajahn Chah 149.

In reality there is no “I”. But in absence mind, “I” pop up like a ghost. With mindfulness, “I” has gone. No more “I” is such a good time.

Friends, try best to leave “You” and “I” . Just keep only “wisdom” and “mercy”. High responsibility for one’s duties is enough - Buddhadasa Bhikkhu 150.

The mind immediately loses its purity when it is possessed by the sense of being 'I' and 'My' - Buddhadasa Bhikkhu 151.

The mind is like sea water; when free from disturbance, it becomes sooth and calm – Buddhadasa Bhikkhu 152.

The extinction of ‘self’ means the extinction of other thing; the mind becomes ‘empty’. A new term arises: a void mind. The mind is void or empty because there is no more mental defilement left in it to give rise to attachment. Therefore, it is considered as void or empty of ‘self’, free from the mental defilements that lead to suffering. It will end up in the attainment of Nibbana (Nirvana) – Buddhadasa Bhikkhu 153.

To practice Anapanasati meditation is to practice moral precepts, mental concentration and insight wisdom to the fullest _ Buddhadasa Bhikkhu

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154.

In Anapanasati meditation, one may choose any posture as one sees fit: sitting, lying, standing and walking. The most convenient posture is that of sitting – Buddhadasa Bhikkhu 155.

Anapanasati meditation helps to make the mind function well. It enhances the tranquility of the mind, thus enabling it to think well and also perform other duties well. The mind is gentle and tranquil and is most suitable to carry out its functions – Buddhadasa Bhikkhu 156.

Anapanasati is the true foundation of mindfulness – Buddhadasa Bhikkhu 157.

Meditation is useful even in matters not relating to religion or Dhamma – Buddhadasa Bhikkhu 158.

DHAMMA: Nature, Law of Nature, Duty according to Nature, and Results from Performing Duty - Buddhadasa Bhikkhu 159.

Spiritual death is more intimidating than physical death Buddadhasa Bhikkhu 160.

Sabbhe Dhamma Nalam Abhinivesaya - No One Should Get Attached To All Things As Being One's Own Self Or Belonging to One's Self – Buddhadasa 161.

It is very hard to find monks who serve as pillars of faith providing cool and calmness to people on the side of meditation - Ven. Luangta Maha Bua 162.

Awareness and equanimity – This is Vipassana meditation. When practiced together, they lead to liberation from suffering … The meditator must develop both awareness and equanimity together in order to advance along the path – S.N. Goenka 163.

We must become aware of the totality of mind and matter in their subtle nature. For this purpose, it is not enough merely to be mindful of superficial aspects of body and mind, such as physical movements or thoughts. We must develop awareness of sensations throughout the body and maintain equanimity toward them – S.N. Goenka 164.

The goal of meditation is to liberate the mind from ignorance and suffering – Matthieu Ricard.

165.

There is no peace. Peace is the way – A.J. Muste.

166.

Men are disturbed, not by things, but by the principles and notions which they form concerning things - Epictatus

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167.

The universe is a communion of subjecs, and not a collection of objects - Thomas Berry.

168.

Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods-Confucius.

169.

The perfect man has no SELF- Chuang Tzu

170.

Total Knowledge is lively within the nature of the Self. - Maharishi

171.

The subtle energy of your food becomes your mind. - The Upanishads 172.

There the eye goes not, not words, not mind. We know not, we cannot understand, how he can be explained – The Upanishads 173.

There the eye goes not, Speech goes not, nor the mind. We know not, we understand not How one would teach it – The Upanishads 174.

Empty yourselves of everything. Let your mind be at peace - Lao Tzu, c. 604-c.531 BC 175.

The universe, like a giant bellows, is always emptying, always full; the more it yields the more it holds – Lao Tzu 176.

As long as belief in the reality of the aggregates endures,

Belief will endure in the reality of the “I.” – Jeweled Necklace.

177.

Liberation is the deed of the exhaustion of karma and of the negative emotions. Karma and negative emotions result from discursive thoughts. The discursive thoughts flow from the constructions of the concept. But the constructions of the concept cease owing to vacuity – Nagarjuna 178.

With volition as its condition, consciousness enters transmigration – Nagarjuna 179.

What language expresses is undone because the object of mind is undone. Unborn and unceased, like nirvana, this is the suchness of things – Nagarjuna 180.

Neither from itself nor from another, nor from both, nor from no cause, does anything whatever ever arise at all anywhere – Nagarjuna (Fundamental Stanzas on the Middle Way) 181.

To Gautama I render homage,

Who, having received me in his love, Teach me the Dharma real, 123

That may deliver myself from all the philosophies - Nagarjuna 182.

The subjects of meditation are but foods for the mind, and just as the human being is nourished by various foods, the mind does not turn away from the variety of tastes of what sustains it. In analytical meditation, we reflect on all sorts of subjects, which especially must not lose their freshness. By contrast, when one meditates in quietude, one must hold to the object of concentration alone – Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama 183.

When the mind that has recognized its real mode, emptiness, is actually habituated to this truth, the realism whose perception of the real mode of the mind is distorted is found purified in the absolute dimension of the mind itself - Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama 184.

In order for meditative recollection to integrate quietude and the higher vision, the factors of quietude must be cultivated. An increase in the power of attention and watchfulness permits the attainment of quietude of mind - Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama 185.

The mind that analyzes the nature of form and the other phenomena seeks their nature alone. The mind that seeks the real mode of form and of the other phenomena finds none of these phenomena Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama 186.

The mind concentrated on an analysis of the real mode of things does not perceive things that do not exist in a real mode - Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama 187.

The consciousness that perceives a rope as a serpent is held to be a distortion - Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama 188.

Our own brain, our own heart is our temple - Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama 189.

Good conduct is the way in which life becomes more meaningful, more constructive and more peaceful - Dalai Lama 190.

I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance - Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama 191.

When one meditates, the position of the body is essential. One crosses one’s legs in a lotus, or half lotus, position - Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama 192.

On inhaling and exhaling, there are also some essential points: One must breathe softly, without forcing it, and not in an irregular rhythm Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama 124

193.

Consciousness proceeds from instant to instant even on the level of the gross consciousness. Yesterday’s consciousness no longer exists today, and what happened yesterday is today no more than a memory within the same continuum - Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama 194.

Becoming’s germ is consciousness,

And its field of activity, the objects of consciousness, When the insubstantiality of these objects is perceived, The germ of becoming is blocked – Aryadeva 195.

Meditation is to bring, without effort, without any form of compulsion, the mind and the brain to their highest capacity, which is intelligence, which is to be highly sensitive - Krishnamurti 196.

The mind that is really in meditation is a very silent mind-it comes when the mind has completely understood itself – Krishnamurti 197.

The mind, both conscious and unconscious, is a bundle of memories – Khrishnamurti 198.

In meditation, several things are involved: prayer, concentration, the search for truth, or what we call understanding, the desire to seek consolation, and so on – Krishnamurti 199.

A mind that is caught in symbols is not a simple mind. Only a simple mind, unpolluted, and a clear heart, uncorrupted, can find the real – Krishnamurti 200.

Without self-knowledge there is no basis for thought and action.

Self-knowledge is the foundation for all thought and action – Krishnamurti 201.

A mind that is the product of time can be free of time, not eventually, but immediately; and that freedom comes into being via meditation –Krishnamurti 202.

Belief in a future life is the result of one's desire for comfort Krishnamurti 203.

The brain-repository of the past, evolved through a million years, continuously and incessantly active-is quiet - Krishnamurti 204.

Meditation is to bring the mind and the brain to their highest capacity-intelligence, which is highly sensitive - Krishnamurti 205.

The mind is the result of the past; without the past, there is no thought. Without the background, there is no thought - Krishnamurti 125

206.

If I do not know myself, I have no foundation for thought – Krishnamurti 207.

Truth is something living every day. Therefore, the mind must be emptied to look at truth – Krishnamurti 208.

I have only one goal in life: Set human beings completely free from all suffering conditions - Krishnamurti 209.

Convergence of science and technology with spirituality is touted to be the future for both science and technology, and spirituality – Abdul Kalam 210.

A primary MIND or CONSCIOUSNESS has 5 parts: feeling, discrimination, intention, contact, and attention - Geshe Kelsang Gyatso 211.

Our mind is not an independent entity, but an ever-changing continuum that depends upon many factors - Geshe Kelsang Gyatso 212.

The main trouble with the human mind is that while it is capable of creating concepts in order to interpret reality it hypostatizes them and treat them as if they were real things – Dr. Suzuki 213.

Personal experience is…the foundation of Buddhist philosophy. In this sense Buddhism is radical empiricism or experimentalism – Dr. Suzuki 214.

Emptiness is the result of an intuition and not the outcome of reasoning… It is the Praja that sees into all the implications of Emptiness, and not the intellect – Dr. Suzuki 215.

The real meaning of the Dharma … must be directly experienced – Siddha Nagarjuna 216.

The wave, the foam, the eddy and the bubble are all essentially water. Similarly, the body and the ego are really nothing but pure consciousness. Everything is essentially consciousness – Shankara 217.

Everything is essentially consciousness, purity, and joy – Shankara

218.

Separated from the mind there are no objects of sense – Ashvaghosa 219.

I fact, what is called the world is only a thought- Sri Ramaa Maharishi

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220.

Mental formations with regard to objects and mind agitate the fundamental consciousness like waves on the water – Kongtrul Lodro Taye 221.

The mind and fear together create your misery; meditation and love together create all that you have always dreamed of and longed for – Osho 222.

The mind and fear together create your misery; meditation and love together create all that you have always dreamed of and longed for – Osho 223.

In a mindful state mistakes are not committed – not that you control them, but in a mindful state, in an alert, aware state, voices many voices cease; you simply become one, and whatever you do comes from the very core of your being – Osho 224.

Man never comes to fulfillment through desire; man comes to fulfillment only by transcending desire – Osho 225.

The deeper you live, the longer you live. The length of your life depends on your depth. The quality of your life depends on your quality – Osho 226.

Awareness is a pure presence, a centred consciousness. Buddha’s whole effort is how to make you centered, grounded, a flame without smoke, a flame which knows no wavering. In that light, everything becomes clear and all illusions disappear and all dreams become nonexistential. And when the dreaming mind stops, there is truth – Osho 227.

Life exists in time, but it does not belong to time. It penetrates time, and one day it disappears from time – Osho 228.

Every one of us has the seeds of mindfulness, concentration, and insight; they are the energy of the Buddha in us. We can cultivate these three energies for our own liberation and healing, and for the transformation and healing of the world – Thich Nhat Hanh 229.

If we practice mindfulness of the present moment, we can transform our mind and our heart and become a bodhisattava. We will be in a position to help others to transform, even those we have considered to be oppressors, abusers, those who discriminate against us, who try to suppress us, kill us, and so on – Thich Nhat Hanh 230.

Mindfulness is like a tree. The roots of the tree of mindfulness are how we take care of our breath, how we spend time to get to know our breath; how we take care of our steps, how we enjoy our steps; how we 127

do things in our daily life mindfully, like closing our car door – Thich Nhat Hanh 231.

Mindful Breathing: Breathing in, I am aware of my in-breath.

Breathing out, I am aware of my out-breath. Breathing in, I am aware of my body. Breathing out, I release the tension in my body – Thich Nhat Hanh 232.

Breathing in, I am aware of my heart. Breathing out, I smile to my heart. This is the practice of mindfulness. It is a practice of peace, of reconciliation. When we bring our attention to our heart, we realize that our heart is wonderful – Thich Nhat Hanh 233.

Without mindfulness, it is impossible to achieve the insight that makes one beneficial, superior being – Sayadaw U Pandita 234.

Meditators who observe the rising and falling of the breath at the abdomen will come to see that experience in great detail. They will see that the rising movement consists of a series of segments: it is not one thing. The concept of “breath,” of ‘rising and falling,” and even of “abdomen” will be put into the context of wisdom. The actual nature of life will become clearer – Sayadaw U Pandita 235.

At the outset, meditators must use force to align the mind with objects of experience. Later, during the insight knowledge of arising and passing away, no special effort is required. The mind will feel malleable, agile, workable – Sayadaw U Pandita 236.

The practice of Vipassana or Insight Meditation is the effort made by the meditator to understand correctly the nature of the psychophysical phenomena taking place in his body – Mahasi Sayadaw Agga Maha Pandita U Sobhana 237.

Every time one sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches, or thinks, one should make a note of the fact - Mahasi Sayadaw Agga Maha Pandita U Sobhana 238.

In Vipassana meditation, what you name or say doesn’t matter.

What really matters is to know or perceive - Mahasi Sayadaw Agga Maha Pandita U Sobhana 239.

Meditation is the science of the mind. Because it is a science, it is explainable and repeatable, but it has to include all possible dimensions – Ayya Khema 240.

Mindfulness has 4 aspects: body, emotions, underlying mood, and content of thought…It is essential to practice mindfulness in our everyday 128

life, not simply during our meditation periods, there will be none within it. The two go hand in hand – Ayya Khema 241.

Mindfulness means we watch our steps, literally and figuratively, under all circumstances – Ayya Khema 242.

The mind is a mechanism that has the genius to allocate many levels of priorities. It prioritizes subjects according to the degree of urgency they pose to our survival or security. It rearranges things into levels of acknowledgement so that the lowest priorities are set aside at the back of the mind, relegated to the most remote sector of consciousness, farthest from the present moment of awareness. The mind is always under constant preparedness to respond to any crisis or emergency-always on the edge and ready for action – Sumano Bhikkhu 243.

The sense of awareness within our mind operates on the basis of its own unique classification system within the field of infinite variables – Sumano Bhikkhu 244.

A meditative MIND maintains a vision for the future that can actualize our life ENERGY into becoming everything we can be - Sumano Bhikkhu 245.

Spiritual education means to pull the MIND out of the darkness of ignorance and into the light of knowing and understanding - Sumano Bhikkhu 246.

Meditation, particularly that which is used in Buddhist practice, can produce an automatic upgrade in brain gigabites that you never knew was possible – Sumano Bhikkhu 247.

Three types of persons are found in the world. What three? There is one with a mind like an open sore, one with a mind like lightening, one with a mind like a diamond – Bhikkhu Yogacara Rahula 248.

Let your mind get on with the job of being in the present moment.

Don’t keep interfering with it. Give the mind clear instructions and then let go and watch. If you establish mindfulness in this way, you will find that your mind will do what it’s told. It will still make mistakes now and again, but the instructions that you’ve given will ensure that as soon as it starts to wander off into the past or the future, mindfulness will remember to return to the present moment – Ajahn Brahm 249.

The quality of your mind determines the quality of your life Vajiramedhi.

250.

Substance of all things is "nothing" - Vajiramedhi 129

251.

Knowledge beyond one's 'self' leads to more chaos. Knowledge of one's 'self' leads to more calm. -Vajiramedhi.

252.

Merit at its highest, in its consummation, is to really know oneself, to be without dukkha or suffering - Luangpor Teean 253.

Awareness is the root of merit; ignorance is the root of evil Luangpor Teean 254.

The Buddha is everybody for the seed that will make a person a Buddha is inherent in every individual, without exception - Luangpor Teean 255.

Those who empty themselves will be exalted, and those who exalt themselves will be emptied – Jesus 256.

The man whose mind is vigilant and alert has thereby a valuable equipment in the achievement of his aims - James Allen 257.

All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts – James Allen 258.

A man can only rise, conquer, and achieve by lifting his own thoughts. He can only remain weak, and abject, and miserable by refusing to lift up his thoughts – James Allen 259.

Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results – James Allen 260.

A man only begins to be a man when he ceases to whine and revile, and commences to search for the hidden justice which regulates his life – James Allen 261.

Happiness, health, and prosperity are the results of a harmonious adjustment of the inner with the outer, of the man with his surroundings – James Allen 262.

A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances – James Allen 263.

The world is your kaleidoscope, and the varying combinations of colors which at every succeeding moment it presents to you are the exquisitely adjusted pictures of your moving thoughts – James Allen 264.

Sympathy is a universal spiritual language which all, even the animals, instinctively understand & appreciate - James Allen

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265.

A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts - James Allen 266.

A man's mind may be likened to a garden, which may be intelligently cultivated or allowed to run wild - James Allen 267.

Self-control is strength; right thought is mastery; calmness is power. Say unto your heart, "Peace, be still" - James Allen 268.

Think lovingly, speak lovingly, act lovingly, and every need shall be supplied - James Allen.

269.

"A man is not rightly conditioned until he is a happy, healthy, and prosperous being." - James Allen 270.

Without strength of mind, nothing worthy of accomplishment can be done - James Allen 271.

A Buddha always observes his own thoughts with detachment and is always aware of their automatism - Giulio Cesare Giacobbe 272.

Non-attachment is the psychological key that opens the door to liberation from suffering - Giulio Cesare Giacobbe 273.

A Buddha always observes his own thoughts with detachment and is always aware of their automatism - Giulio Cesare Giacobbe 274.

Non-attachment is the psychological key that opens the door to liberation from suffering - Giulio Cesare Giacobbe 275.

A Buddha is someone who has attained serenity & maintains it in every situation, & every human being has the nature of a Buddha Giacobbe.

276.

277.

A Buddhist is someone who practises Buddhism, not someone who talks about it - Giulio Cesare Giacobbe 278.

The state of Buddha-ness can be achieved by anyone who follows the Noble Eightfold Path - Giulio Cesare Giacobbe 279.

Meditation shatters the illusion of your separateness and gives you an opportunity to come to know your invisible self – Wayne Dyer 280.

Peaceful mind brings peaceful world. Keep peace, love peace, protect peace. Without it we will not survive – Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn 281.

I stop thinking; therefore, I am –Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn

131

282.

Time leaves mind behind, and nobody knows where the mind goes – Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn 283.

Mind in mind is delusion of another kind – Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn.

284.

Remember: Once you have passed the door, there is no door any more – Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn 285.

Man is a self-contained organism; he is provided with everything necessary for survival. The only thing left is higher levels of consciousness – Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn 286.

The greatest mind is the mind that lets go, the mind that has completely and perfectly understood itself – Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn 287.

Samatha(Calming) meditation is found in all major religious traditions of the world. Vipassana(Insight) meditation, however, is only to be found in the Buddhist tradition – Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn 288.

Meditation is the practice of controlling the mind to bring about a shift from self-centeredness to truth, love, compassion & peace – Dhirawit Pinyonathagarn 289.

To understand others, you look outside; to understand yourself, you look inside – Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn 290.

Look out with your mind’s eye into endless space beyond the planet, and you”ii understand life and nature better – Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn 291.

Awareness is the greatest agent for change - Eckhart Tolle

292.

The ESSENCE of who you are is CONSCIOUSNESS - Eckhart Tolle 293.

Mind, in a way I use the word, is not just thought. It includes your emotions as well as all unconscious mental-emotional reactive patterns.

Emotion arises at the place where mind and body meet. It is the body’s reaction to your mind – or you might say a reflection of your mind in the body – Eckhart Tolle 294.

Those who empty themselves will be exalted, and those who exalt themselves will be emptied – Jesus Christ 295.

The worst prison is the closed heart – John Paul II

132

296.

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin – Mother Teresa 297.

The soul that is attached to anything, however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of divine union - St. John Cross 298.

Both religion and science are cultural mythologies with partial glimpse of reality, one subjective, the other objective –Deepak Chopra 299.

When one withdraws all desires as a tortoise withdraws its limbs, then the natural splendour of the world soon manifests itselfMahabharata 300.

The end of birth is death, and the end of death is a new birth. All these things are ordained - Bhagavadgita 301.

All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything - Swami Vivekananda 302.

Man cannot be perfected without trials – Confucius

303.

Only the wisest and stupidest men never change – Confucius

304.

The common man thinks of comfort, the superior man of virtue – Confucius 305.

The gem cannot be polished without friction – Confucius

306.

The superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions - Confucius 307.

By 3 methods may we learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is the noblest; second, by imitation, which is the easiest; and, third, by experience which is the most bitter - Confucius 308.

The perfect man uses his mind as a mirror. It grasps nothing. It regrets nothing. It receives but it does not keep – Chuang Tzu 309.

The still mind of the sage is a mirror of heaven and earth—the glass of all things – Chuang Tzu 310.

He who pursues learning will increase every day; He who pursues Tao will decrease every day – Lao Tzu 311.

Perseverance is the foundation of all action – Lao Tzu

312.

Tzu

Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, and have few desires – Lao

313.

He who knows does not speak, 133

He who speaks does not know – Lao Tzu 314.

Time, space, and causation are like the glass through which the Absolute is seen …. In the Absolute there is neither time, space, nor causation _ Swami Vivekananda 315.

If we speak of the space-experience in meditation, we are dealing with an entirely different dimension…. In this space-experience the temporal sequence is converted into a spontaneous coexistence, the sideby-side existence of things… and this again does not remain static but becomes a living continuum in which time and space are integrated – Lama Govinda 316.

It is believed by most that time passes; in actual fact, it stays where it is. The idea of passing may be called time, but it is an incorrect idea, for since one sees it only as passing, one cannot understand that it stays just where it is – Zen Master Dogen 317.

Patience is the companion of wisdom – Saint Augustine

318.

A tree is known by its fruits, a man by his deeds – Saint Basil

319.

Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him - Saint Padre Pio. 320.

Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring – Saint Catherine 321.

You need fear no enemy except yourself – Saint Francis

322.

There is no limit to realization, because Truth is an infinite sky. – Ramakrishna 323.

You lend an ear, wisdom will be yours - The Bible, Ecclesiasticus 66:33 324.

There would be more peace in the world if there were more peace in the mind. – Chip Esajian 325.

My LIFE is my MESSAGE. What I have done will endure, not what I have said or written - Mahatma Gandhi 326.

327.

When the EGO dies, the SOUL awakes. When the SOUL awakes, all SORROW vanishes - Mahatma Gandhi 328.

We cannot do two conflicting things at the same time; nor can we think like that - Mahatma Gandhi 329.

TO SERVE IS MY RELIGION - Mahatma Gandhi 134

330.

Happiness comes only from within. It is not a commodity to be bought from outside - Mahatma Gandhi 331.

In matter of CONSCIENCE, law of MAJORITY has no place Mahatma Gandhi 332.

There is no limit to realization, because Truth is an infinite sky. – Ramakrishna 333.

In deep meditation, the mind is completely alert. In addition to the nonsensory apprehension of reality it also takes in all sounds, sights, and other impressions of the surrounding environment, but it does not hold the sensory images to be analyzed or interpreted.

They ar not allowed to distract the attention – Fritjof Capra 334.

In meditation, on the other hand, the mind is emptied of all thoughts and concepts and thus prepared to function for long periods through its intuitive mode - Fritjof Capra 335.

Eastern mysticism is based on direct insights into the nature of reality, and physics is based on the observation of natural phenomena in scientific experiments. In both fields, the observations are then interpreted, and the interpretation is very often communicated by words - Fritjof Capra 336.

Leaves falling

337.

Lie on one another; The rain beats the rain – Haiku (Zen poem) At dusk the cock announces dawn;

At midnight, the bright sun – Haiku (Zen poem) 338.

All of the great teachers have left us with a similar messages: Go within, discover your invisible higher self – Wayne W. Dyer PHILOSOPHICAL QUOTES 339.

Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence – Aristotle 340.

Excellence is not an act; it is a habit – Aristotle

341.

Happiness belongs to the self-sufficient – Aristotle

342.

Well begun is half-done – Aristotle

343.

A man who will not reason about anything is no better than a vegetable – Aristotle 135

344.

All is flux. Nothing stands still – Heraclitus

345.

The way up and the way down are one and the same – Heraclitus

346.

You can never step into the same river twice – Heraclitus

347.

Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul-M. Aurelius.

348.

Knowledge of what is possible is the beginning of happiness – Santayana 349.

Those who do not remember the past are bound to repeat it – Santayana 350.

We often redouble our effort when we have forgotten our aim – Santayana 351.

Aliudque cupido mens aliud suadet (Latin): The heart and the head send different signals - Plutus c.250-184 BC 352.

Freedom is what you do with what you have been done to you – Satre 353.

Like all dreamers, I confuse disenchantment with the truth – Satre

354.

Human felicity is lodged in the soul, not in the fresh – Seneca

355.

The most powerful is he who has himself in his own power – Seneca 356.

What you have not matters much more than what you have – Seneca 357.

No man ever becomes wise by chance – Seneca

358.

A thought is an idea in transit – Pythagoras

359.

No one is free who has not obtained the empire of himself – Pythagoras 360.

All truth passes thru 3 stages: 1) It is ridiculed, 2) it is violently opposed, & 3) it is accepted as being self-evident - Schopenhauer.

361.

A man can be himself only so long as he is alone - Schopenhauer.

362.

Whatever the heart resists, the head does not let it – Schopenhauer

363.

Compassion is the basis for morality – Schopenhauer

136

364.

Absurdity and perversity remain the masters of the world – Schopenhauer 365.

To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly - Henri Bergson 366.

Mind is a ghost in the machine –Gilbert Ryle

367.

Knowledge is power – Bacon

368.

What is mind? No matter. What is matter? Never mind - T.H. Key 369.

Metaphysics means nothing but an unusually obstinate effort to think clearly - William James.

370.

What is mind? No matter. What is matter? Never mind - T.H. Key 371.

Metaphysics means nothing but an unusually obstinate effort to think clearly - William James.

372.

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, deruber muB man schweigen What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence – Wittgenstein 373.

Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language – Wittgenstein 374.

A great many worries can be diminished by realizing the unimportance of the matter which is causing anxiety - Bertrand Russell.

375.

We have 2 kinds of morality side by side: one which we preach but do not practice, &the other which we practice but seldom preachBertrand Russell 376.

I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong – Bertrand Russell 377.

If 50 million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing – Bertrand Russell 378.

The stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full-of-doubt – Bertrand Russell 379.

The mind of each man is the man himself – Cicero

380.

A happy life consists in tranquility of mind – Cicero

381.

The function of wisdom is to discriminate against good and evil Cicero 382.

If you gaze for long enough into the abyss, it also gazes into you – Nietzsche 137

383.

The ascetic makes a necessity of virtue – Nietzsche

384.

Truth is a woman – Nietzsche

385.

Truth is an interpretation – Nietzsche

386.

Man is a bridge and no end - Nietzsche

387.

There are no facts, only interpretations – Nietzsche

388.

Whatever does not destroy me makes me stronger – Nietzsche

389.

Wisdom sets bounds even to knowledge – Nietzsche

390.

Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. Scratch where it itches – Friedrich Nietzsche 391.

Nin

We don’t see things as they are; we see things as we are – Anais

392.

Ignorance is the mother of all evils – Montaigne

393.

The heart has its reasons which the heart knows not of – Pascal

394.

All truth passes thru 3 stages: 1) It is ridiculed, 2) it is violently opposed, & 3) it is accepted as being self-evident - Schopenhauer.

395.

A man can be himself only so long as he is alone - Schopenhauer.

396.

Whatever the heart resists, the head does not let it – Schopenhauer

397.

Compassion is the basis for morality – Schopenhauer

398.

Knowledge of what is possible is the beginning of happiness – Santayana 399.

Those who do not remember the past are bound to repeat it – Santayana 400.

Freedom is what you do with what you have been done to you – Satre 401.

Like all dreamers, I confuse disenchantment with the truth – Satre

402.

Human felicity is lodged in the soul, not in the fresh – Seneca

403.

The most powerful is he who has himself in his own power – Seneca

138

404.

What you have not matters much more than what you have – Seneca 405.

No man ever becomes wise by chance – Seneca

406.

The mind is not a vessel to be filled with but a fire to be kindled Plutarch, AD 46-120.

407.

He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe - Marcus-Aurelius 408.

The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well as the greatest virtues – Descartes 409.

The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook – William James 410.

The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it – William James 411.

THE AIM OF LIFE IS TO ATTAIN WISDOM, ENLIGHTENMENT, & VIRTUE - Aristotle 412.

Envy is the ulcer of the soul – Socrates 413.

It is not living that matters but living rightly – Socrates

414.

People learn more on their own than from being force-fed – Socrates 415.

The greatest way to live in honor is to be what you pretend to be – Socrates 416.

The unexamined life is not worth living – Socrates

417.

What is unbecoming to do is unbecoming to speak of – Socrates

418.

Mental and morel excellence require peace and quietness – Tactitus 419.

Once you are out of danger, watch for trouble – Sophocles

420.

Wisdom is the supreme part of happiness – Sophocles

421.

What cannot be cured must be endured – Spencer

422.

Peace is not an absence of war; it is a state of mind – Spinoza

423.

He who would distinguish true from false must have an adequate idea of what is true and false -Spinoza

139

424.

Peace is not an absence of war; it is a state of mind – Spinoza

425.

Perform every action such that it ought to become a universal law – Kant 426.

Don’t forget to love yourself – Kierkegaard

427.

Take away paradox from a thinker, and you have a professor – Kierkegaard 428.

Only the just men enjoy peace of mind – Epictatus

429.

Men are not disturbed by things but by the view they take of things – Epictatus 430.

He who is calm disturbs neither himself nor others – Epictatus

431.

He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe - Marcus-Aurelius 432.

Men exist for the sake of one another - Marcus-Aurelius

433.

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page – saint Augustine 434.

THE AIM OF LIFE IS TO ATTAIN WISDOM, ENLIGHTENMENT, & VIRTUE – Aristotle 435.

Many people think they are thinking when they are just rearranging their prejudices – William James 436.

Our normal waking consciousness, rational consciousness as we call it, is but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted from it by filmiest of screens, there lie potential forms of consciousness entirely different – William James 437.

The supreme paradox of all thought is the attempt to discover something that thought cannot think – Kierkegaard 438.

A crash of doctrines is not a disaster, it is an opportunity – Whitehead 439.

Seek simplicity and distrust it – Whitehead

440.

It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees – Zapata

441.

He who would distinguish true from false must have an adequate idea of what is true and false –Spinoza 442.

Ignorance is the root and stem of all evils – Plato 140

443.

Pleasure is the bait of sin – Plato

444.

Thinking: the talking of the soul to itself – Plato

445.

Moderation in all things, including moderation – Petronius

446.

The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled – Plutarch 447.

The man who is completely wise and virtuous needs no glory – Plutarch 448.

Things don’t change, our wishes change – Proust

449.

Practice is the best of all instructors – Pubillus Syrus

450.

It is not permissible to know everything – Horace

451.

Subdue your passion, or it will subdue you – Horace

452.

When life’s path is steep, keep an even mind – Horace

453.

Wisdom is not wisdom when it is derived only from books – Horace 454.

The limits of my language mean the limits of my world - Ludwig Wittgenstein 455.

The limits of my language mean the limits of my world - Ludwig Wittgenstein 456.

The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts – John Locke 457.

He who is calm disturbs neither himself nor others – Epictetus

458.

Go where there is no path and leave a trail – Emerson

459.

We have 2 ears & 2 eyes so we can listen twice as much as we talk – Epictetus 460.

Aliudque cupido mens aliud suadet (Latin): The heart and the head send different signals - Plutus c.250-184 BC 461.

Envy is the ulcer of the soul – Socrates

462.

It is not living that matters but living rightly – Socrates

463.

May the outward and the inward man be as one – Socrates

141

464.

People learn more on their own than from being force-fed – Socrates 465.

The greatest way to live in honor is to be what you pretend to be – Socrates 466.

The unexamined life is not worth living – Socrates

467.

What is unbecoming to do is unbecoming to speak of – Socrates

468.

Mental and morel excellence require peace and quietness – Tactitus 469.

Once you are out of danger, watch for trouble – Sophocles

470.

Wisdom is the supreme part of happiness – Sophocles

471.

A tree is known by its fruits, a man by his deeds – Saint Basil

472.

Through the study of books one seeks God; by meditation one finds him - Saint Padre Pio. 473.

Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring – Saint Catherine 474.

You need fear no enemy except yourself – Saint Francis

475.

Mystery is the oxygen of truth as well as elixir of faith – Pascal

476.

Cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I exist) - Descartes

LITERARY QUOTES 477.

The mind is a tool, a machine, moved by spiritual fire – Fyodor Dostoevsky.

478.

The mind is always fooled by the heart – La Rochefoucauld.

479.

Wisdom is to the mind what health is to the body – La Rochfoucauld 480.

Life is a pure flame, and we live by an invisible Sun within us. - Sir Thomas Browne 481.

The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives – Schweitzer 482.

Be great in act as you are in thought – Shakespeare

483.

Dreams are but thoughts until their efforts be tried – Shakespeare 142

484.

To thine own self be true, and thou cans’t not be false to any man – Shakespeare 485.

There’s nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so -Shakespeare

486.

Be great in act as you are in thought – Shakespeare

487.

Dreams are but thoughts until their efforts be tried – Shakespeare

488.

To thine own self be true, and thou cans’t not be false to any man – Shakespeare 489.

There’s nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so – Shakespeare 490.

All great truths begin as blasphemies – George B. Shaw

491.

Simplify your life, and the law of the universe will seem simpler – Thoreau 492.

It takes 2 to speak the truth, one to speak and one to listen to – Thoreau 493.

A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are – Ara Paraheghian 494.

Reexamine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your soul – Walt Whitman 495.

Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy – Florence Scovel Shinn 496.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started – Mark Twain

497.

All great truths begin as blasphemies – George B. Shaw

498.

Knowledge without wisdom is a load of books on the back of an ass - Japanese Proverb.

499.

When in doubt, tell the truth – Mark Twain.

500.

What cannot be cured must be endured – Spencer

501.

We live under the same sky, but we don’t have the same horizon – Konrad Adenauer 502.

Tranquility is the old man’s milk – Thomas Jefferson

503.

Great works are performed not by strength but perseverance – Samuel Johnson 143

504.

Knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful – Samuel Johnson 505.

There is no wisdom in useless and hopeless sorrow – Samuel Johnson 506.

Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside awakened – Carl Jung

507.

In the history of the collective as in the history of the individual, everything depends on the development of consciousness – Carl Jung 508.

The pendulum of the mind oscillates between sense and nonsense – Carl Jung 509.

The hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thinking – Goethe 510.

There is only one corner of the universe you can improve and that is yourself – Aldous Huxley 511.

There is nothing that will not reveal its secrets if you love it enough - George Washington Carver, 1864-1943.

512.

tibi seris, tibi metis (Latin): As ye sow, so shall ye reap.

513.

Nothing is impossible, we just don't know how to do it yet. - L.L. Larison Cudmore 514.

Sua cuique sunt vitia (Latin): Every man has his vices.

515.

Veritas nunquam perit (Latin): Truth never dies.

516.

Simplify your life, and the law of the universe will seem simpler – Thoreau 517.

It takes 2 to speak the truth, one to speak and one to listen to – Thoreau 518.

Learn before you die what you are running from – James Thurber

519.

Accident is the greatest of all inventors – Mark Twain

520.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started – Mark Twain

521.

Time is too slow for those who wait – Van Dyke

522.

Every man is guilty of all the good he didn’t do – Voltaire

523.

Love truth but pardon error – Voltaire

144

524.

One great use of words is to hide our own thoughts – Voltaire

525.

Do all the good you can in all the ways you can – John Wesley

526.

I can resist anything except temptation – Oscar Wilde

527.

Most people are other people – Oscar Wilde

528.

Nothing worth knowing can be taught – Oscar Wilde

529.

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change - Wayne Dyer" 530.

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers -Lord Alfred Tennyson, 1809-92, England.

531.

The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being - Jung.

532.

Make compassion the essential foundation of your personal philosophy - Dr Wayne Dyer 533.

Calm of mind, all passion spent – John Milton

534.

I believe the first test of a great man is his humility – John Ruskin

535.

I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires – John Stuart Mill 536.

When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad – Lincoln

537.

Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of finishing – Longfellow 538.

Virtue is like a rich stone; it is best plain set – Bacon

539.

Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration and inspiration - Evan Esar 540.

He who has a thousand friends Has not a friend to spare, While he who has one enemy shall meet him everywhere - Ralph Waldo Emerson 541.

In youth and beauty, wisdom is but rare – Homer

542.

You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you mad – T.H. Huxley The man who sees both sides of a question is a man who sees absolutely nothing at all - Oscar Wilde 543.

Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain cool and unruffled under all circumstances-T. Jefferson 145

544.

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change - Wayne Dyer" 545.

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers -Lord Alfred Tennyson, 1809-92, England.

546.

Zeal without knowledge is like fire without light – T.H. Huxley

547.

Think like a man of action; act like a man of thought – Henry Bergson 548.

Only the pure of heart can make good soup – Beethoven

549.

Virtue alone can make you happy, not gold - Beethoven

550.

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars – C.A. Beard

551.

Life is ten percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it - Lou Holtz 552.

The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear. — Brian Tracy 553.

A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool - William Shakespeare.

554.

A mind at peace, a mind centered and not focused on harming others, is stronger than any physical force in the universe - Wayne Dyer.

555.

The mind of a man is capable of anything, because everything is in it, all the past as well as the future – Joseph Conrad 556.

Genius does what it must; talent what it can – Bulwer-Litton

557.

The purpose of man is action, not thought – Thomas Carlyle

558.

From a little spark, a frame may burst – Dante

559.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication – Leonardo Da Vinci

560.

A loving heart is the truest wisdom – Charles Dickens

561.

Nurture your mind with great thoughts – Disraeli

562.

Everything is possible when you open your mind - Limitless (Movie) 563.

Be like a full moon, living aloft and shining everywhere - Fernando Pessoa

146

564.

I applied my heart to what I observed and I learned a lesson from what I saw - Proverb.

565.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are - Theodore Roosevelt 566.

Wisdom and understanding can only be reached by traveling the old road of observation, attention, perseverance and industry - Coleridge 567.

"Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom." -Hermann Hesse 568.

The most powerful factors in the world are clear ideas in the minds of energetic men of good will - J. Arthur Thomson 569.

Keep off your thoughts from things that are past and done; For thinking of the past wakes regret and pain -Arthur Waley, British 570.

The mind can also be an erroneous zone – Raquel Welch.

571.

The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances - Martha Washington 572.

One cannot live well, love well, or sleep well unless one has dined well - Virginia Woolf.

573.

The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness – Wordsworth 574.

The beauty of the world has 2 edges: one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder - Virginia Wolf 575.

Language can be seen as distinctive because of its intricate association with the human mind and with human society - H.G. Widdowson, 1996.

576.

Education is an admirable thing, but nothing that is worth knowing can be taught. - Oscar Wilde 577.

A life without love is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead - Oscar Wilde 578.

What is uttered from the heart alone, will win the hearts of others to your own - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 579.

What is uttered from the heart alone, will win the hearts of others to your own - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

147

580.

You need a plan to build a house. To build a life, it is even more important to have a plan or goal.- Zig Ziglar 581.

You cannot dream yourself into a character: you must hammer and forge yourself into one. Henry D. Thoreau 582.

I have tasted the hidden honey of a lotus - Rabindranath Tagore

583.

When in doubt, tell the truth - Mark Twain

584.

So love wisdom as to live according to its dictates a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust – Thoreau 585.

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds - Franklin D. Roosevelt 586.

Leadership is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration - Ronald A. Heifetz 587.

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant. Robert L Stevenson 588.

Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards - Vernon Law 589.

When truth speaks through me I am invincible - Mahatma Gandhi.

590.

Where there is PEACE, GOD is - Mahatma Gandhi.

591.

It is unwise to be too sure of your wisdom – Mahatama Gandhi

592.

Purity of mind and idleness are incompatible – Mahatma Gandhi

593.

Remove the blemishes of others without thinking evil of them – Mahatma Gandhi 594.

Truth never damages a cause that is just – Mahatma Gandhi

595.

Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration and inspiration - Evan Esar 596.

Do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do - Steve Jobs 597.

Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us worthy evidence of that fact - George Eliot.

598.

You cannot pour happiness on others without getting a few drops on yourself - Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-1882.

148

599.

"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." - Ralph Waldo Emerson" 600.

Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future - Charles F. Kettering 601.

My life is my message…What I have done will endure, not what I have said or written – Mahatma Gandhi SCIENTIFIC QUOTES 602.

Imagination is more important than knowledge – Albert Einstein 603.

The monotony of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind – Albert Einstein 604.

In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity – Albert Einstein

605.

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits - Albert Einstein.

606.

Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them - Albert Einstein 607.

Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds – Albert Einstein 608.

I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in years of maturity – Albert Einstein 609.

No one can deny that mind is the first and most direct thing in our experience, and all else is remote inference – Sir Arthur Eddington 610.

We can only reason from data and the ultimate data must be given to us by a non-reasoning process – a self-knowledge of that which is in our consciousness – Sir Arthur Eddington 611.

The common root from which scientific and all other knowledge must aris…is the content of my consciousness – Sir Arthur Eddington 612.

The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained to liberation from the self – Albert Einstein 613.

Truth is what stands the test of experience – Albert Einstein

614.

All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered – Galileo

149

615.

No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess – Isaac Newton 616.

The beginning of every act of knowing, and therefore the starting point of every science, must be in our own personal experience – Max Planck 617.

The universe can be best pictured… as consisting of pure thought – Sir James Jeans 618.

We find that we can best understand the course of events in terms of waves of knowledge – Sir James Jeans 619.

Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration - Thomas Alva Edison 620.

The physical world is entirely abstract and without “actuality” apart from its linkage to consciousness – Sir Arthur Eddington 621.

Every man’s world picture is and always remains a construct of his mind and cannot be proved to have any other existence- Erwin Schrodinger 622.

I quantum theory, we are beyond the reach of pictorial visualization – Neils Bohr 623.

Matter is like a small ripple on this tremendous ocean of energy, having relative stability and being manifest… And in fact beyond that ocean may be still a bigger ocean…The ultimate source is immeasurable and cannot be captured within our knowledge – David Bohm 624.

A essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail – Isaac Newton 625. " Many people think they are thinking when they are just rearranging their prejudices" - William James.

626.

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does" - William James

627.

"Action may not bring happiness but there is no happiness without action" - William James 628. " Many people think they are thinking when they are just rearranging their prejudices" - William James.

629.

We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us - Albert Einstein

150

630.

A life directed chiefly toward the fulfillment of personal desires sooner or later always leads to bitter disappointment - Albert Einstein 631.

Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value. - Albert Einstein 632.

In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity - Albert Einstein

633.

You cannot realize your dreams unless you have one to begin with -Thomas Alva Edison 634.

Eastern mysticism is based on direct insights into the nature of reality, and physics is based on the observation of natural phenomena in scientific experiments. In both fields, the observations are then interpreted, and the interpretation is very often communicated by words - Fritjof Capra 635.

Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it - Albert Einstein 636.

A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be - Albert Einstein 637.

The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking - Albert Einstein 638.

The world is a dangerous place because of those who look on and do nothing - Albert Einstein 639.

"I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn." -Albert Einstein 640.

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge – Albert Einstein 641.

I start where the last man left off - Thomas Edison

642.

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.

Albert Einstein 643.

To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk - Thomas Edison 644.

If the FACTS don't fit the THEORY, change the FACTS - Albert Einstein 645.

No idea is conceived in our mind independent of our five senses – Albert Einstein 151

646.

The idea of a personal god is quite alien to me and seems even naïve - Albert Einstein 647.

Morality is of the highest importance but for us, not for God – Albert Einstein 648.

To assume the existence of an unperceivable being…does not facilitate understanding the orderliness we find in the perceivable world – Albert Einstein 649.

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality – Albert Einstein 650.

My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God – Albert Einstein ************************************************************************* *********************************************************************** My teaching can be compared to a raft that is used to cross a river.

Only a fool would still cling to the raft once he has landed – Buddha

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APPENDIX II: GLOSSARY Glossary of Pali Terms A abhinna supernormal power. adosa non-aversion or kindness. ahetuka rootless, not accompanied by beautiful roots or unwholesome roots . ahetuka ditthi the wrong view of there being no cause of what arises. akasanancayatana sphere of boundless space, the meditation subject of the first immaterial jhanacitta. akincannayatana sphere of nothingness, the meditation subject of the third immaterial jhanacitta. akusala unwholesome, unskillful. alobha non-attachment or generosity. amoha wisdom or understanding. anagami non-returner, the noble person who has realized the third stage of enlightenment. anatta not self, without abiding substance. anicca impermanent. anuloma adaptation, the third of the four javana-cittas of the sense-sphere, arising before jhana, absorption, is attained, or before enlightenment is attained. anupadi-sesa nibbana final nibbana, without the khandhas, aggregates or groups of existence, remaining, at the death of an arahat. anusaya latent tendency or proclivity. apo-dhatu element of water or cohesion. appana absorption. arahat perfected one, noble person who has attained the fourth stage of enlightenment. arammana object which is known by consciousness. ariyan noble person who has attained enlightenment. arupa-bhumi plane of existence of immaterial beings. For them birth was the result of arupa-jhana. arupa-brahma plane plane of existence of immaterial beings. arupavacara belonging to the immaterial plane of consciousness, thus, arupajhanacitta. arupa-jhana immaterial absorption. asankharika not instigated, not induced, neither by oneself nor by someone else. asavas cankers, influxes or intoxicants, group of defilements. asobhana not beautiful, not accompanied by beautiful roots. asubha foul. asuras demons, beings of one of the unhappy planes of existence. atita bhavanga past life-continuum, arising and falling away shortly before a process of cittas experiencing an object through one of the sense-doors starts. avajjana adverting of consciousness to the object which has impinged on one of the six doors.

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avijja ignorance. ayoniso manasikara unwise attention to an object.

B bhavana mental development, comprising the development of calm and the development of insight. bhavangacitta life-continuum, citta which does not arise within a process but in between processes. bhavanga calana vibrating bhavanga, arising shortly before a sense-cognition process starts. bhavangupaccheda arrest bhavanga, last bhavangacitta before a process starts.

The bhavangupaccheda which arises before a mind-door process is the minddoor of that process. bhinkkhu monk. bhikkhuni nun bhumi plane of existence. brahma-viharas the four 'divine abidings', meditation subjects which are lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity.

C cakkhu eye. cakkhu-dhatu eye element. cakkhu-dvara eyedoor. cakkhuppasada rupa rupa which is the organ of eyesense, capable of receiving visible object. cakkhuvinnana seeing-consciousness. cetana intention or volition. cetasika mental factor arising with consciousness. citta consciousness, the reality which knows or cognizes an object. cuti-citta dying-consciousness.

D dana act of generosity, liberality. dassana kicca function of seeing. dhamma-dhatu element of dhammas, realities, comprising cetasikas, subtle rupas, nibbana. dhammarammana all objects other than the sense objects which can be experienced through the five sense-doors, thus, objects which can be experienced only through the mind-door. ditthi wrong view, distorted view about realities. ditthigata sampayutta accompanied by wrong view. domanassa unpleasant feeling. dosa aversion or ill-will. dosa-mula-citta citta rooted in aversion. dukkha suffering, unsatisafactoriness of conditioned realities. dukkha vedana painful feeling or unpleasant feeling.

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dvara doorway through which an object is experienced, the five sense-doors or the mind-door. dvi-panca-vinnana the five pairs of sense-cognitions, which are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and the experience of objects through the bodysense. Of each pair, one is kusala vipaka and one akusala vipaka.

E ekaggata cetasika one-pointedness which makes citta focus on one object.

G ghana-dhatu nose element. ghanappasada rupa rupa which is the organ of smelling-sense, capable of receiving odour. ghandharammana odour. ganthas bonds, a group of defilements. ghayana kicca function of smelling. gotrabhu adaptation or change of lineage, the last citta of the sense-sphere before jhana, absorption, is attained, or enlightenment is attained.

H hadaya-vatthu heart-base, place of origin of the cittas other than the sensecognitions. hasituppada citta smiling-consciousness of the arahat. hetu root, which can be beautiful or unwholesome.

I indriya faculty. Some are rupas such as the sense organs, some are namas such as feeling. Five 'spiritual faculties' are wholesome qualifies which should be cultivated, namely: confidence, energy, sati, concentration and wisdom. A faculty is 'leader' in its own field. issa jealousy.

J jati nature, class (of cittas). jhana absorption which can be attained when one develops calm. jivha-dhatu tongue-element. jivhappasada rupa rupa which is the organ of tasting-sense, capable of receiving flavour.

K kama bhumi sensuous plane of existence. kamacchanda sensuous desire. . kama-sobhana cittas beautiful cittas of the sense-sphere.

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kamavacara cittas cittas of the sense-sphere. kamma intention or volition which may be wholesome or unwholesome; it is also the deed motivated by volition. kamma-patha course of action, which is wholesome or unwholesome. kasina disk, as meditation subject in the development of calm. kaya body. It can also stand for the 'mental body', the cetasikas. kaya-dhatu element of bodysense. kayappasada rupa bodysense, the rupa which is capable of receiving tangible object. It is all over the body, inside or outside. kayavinnana body consciousness, the experience of bodily impressions. kaya-vinnatti bodily intimation, such as gestures, facial expression, etc. khandha aggregate or group of existence. There are five khandhas, one of them being physical phenomena, one feelings, one perception or remembrance, one cetasikas other than feeling and perception, and one consciousness. Thus, there are five khandhas, groups of conditioned realities. karuna compassion. kicca function (of citta). kilesa defilement. kiriyacitta inoperative citta (neither cause nor result). kukkucca regret or worry. kusala wholesome.

L lobha attachment or greed. lobha-mula-citta citta rooted in attachment. lokiya citta citta which is mundane, not experiencing nibbana. lokuttara citta supramundane citta, experiencing nibbana. lokuttara dhammas the unconditioned dhamma ,which is nibbana and the cittas which experience nibbana.

M macchariya stinginess. magga path (Eightfold Path). magga-citta path-consciousness, lokuttara citta which experiences nibbana and eradicates defilements. maha-bhuta-rupas the rupas which are the four great elements of earth or solidity, water or cohesion, fire or temperature and wind or motion. maha-kiriyacitta inoperative citta of the sense-sphere accompanied by beautiful roots. maha-kusala citta wholesome citta of the sense-sphere. maha-vipakacitta citta of the sense-sphere which is result, accompanied by beautiful roots. mano mind, consciousness. mano-dhatu mind-element, comprising the five-sense-door advertingconsciousness and the two types of receiving-consciousness. mano-dvaravajjana-citta mind-door adverting consciousness. mano-dvara-vithi-cittas cittas arising in a mind-door process.

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mano-vinnana dhatu mind-consciousness element, comprising all cittas other than the sense-cognitions (seeing, etc.) and mind-element. metta lovingkindness. middha torpor. moha ignorance. moha-mula-citta citta rooted in ignorance. mudita sympathetic joy.

N nama mental phenomena, including those which are conditioned and also the unconditioned nama which is nibbana. natthika ditthi wrong view of annihilation, assumption that there is no result of kamma. n'eva-sanna-n'asannayatana sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, the meditation subject of the fourth immaterial jhana. nibbana the unconditioned reality which is freedom from suffering, or the deathless. nimitta mental image one can acquire of a meditation subject. nirodha-samapatti attainment of cessation of consciousness. nivaranas the hindrances, a group of defilements. nana wisdom.

O oja the rupa which is nutrition. olarika rupas gross rupas (sense-objects and sense-organs) p pancadvaravajjana-citta five sense-door adverting-consciousness. pancavinnana (or dvi-pancavinnana) the sense-cognitions (seeing, etc.) of which there are five pairs. panna wisdom or understanding. pannatti conventional term or idea represented by it. It is not a reality which can be directly experienced. paramattha dhammas absolute or ultimate realities, which can be directly experienced through one of the six doors. parikamma preparatory consciousness, the first javanacitta arising in the process during which absorption or enlightenment is attained. pasada-rupas sense-organs, the rupas which are capable of receiving senseobjects. patibhaga nimitta counterpart image, more perfected mental image of a meditation subject acquired in the development of calm. patigha aversion or ill-will. patisandhi-citta rebirth-consciousnessphala-citta fruit-consciousness, experiencing nibbana. It is the result of maggacitta, path-consciousness. phottabbarammana tangible object, experienced through bodysense.

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phusana kicca function of experiencing tangible object. piti enthusiasm or rapture. puthujjana worldling or ordinary person, not a noble person who has attained enlightenment.

R rasarammana object of flavour. rupa physical phenomena which cannot experience anything. rupa-bhumi plane of beings whose birth was the result of rupa-jhana, finematerial jhana. rupa-brahma plane fine material plane of existence. rupa-jhana fine material absorption, developed with a meditation subject which is still dependent on materiality. It is less refined as immaterial jhana, arupa-jhana, developed with a meditation subject which is independent on materiality. rupakkhandha aggregate or group of physical phenomena. rupavacara citta consciousness of the fine-material sphere, rupa-jhanacitta.

S saddarammana object of sound. saddha faith or confidence in wholesomeness. sahetuka accompanied by roots. sakadagami once-returner, noble person who has attained the second stage of enlightenment. samadhi concentration or one-pointedness. samatha the development of calm. sampaticchana-citta receiving-consciousness. sampayutta associated with. sankharadhamma conditioned realities. sankarakkhandha aggregate or group of all cetasikas other than feeling and perception or remembrance. sanna perception or remembrance. santirana-citta investigating-consciousness. sasankharika induced, instigated, either by oneself or someone else. sati mindfulness or awareness; non-forgetfuIness of what is wholesome or nonforgetfulness of realities which appear. satipatthana application of mindfulness. It can be the cetasika sati or the object of mindfulness. sa-upadi-sesa nibbana arahatship with the khandhas or groups of existence remaining, thus not final nibbana at death of an arahat. savana-kicca function of hearing. sayana-kicca function of tasting. sila morality (in action or speech). silabbatupadana wrong practice which is clinging to certain rules (rites and rituals) in one's practice. sobhana (citta and cetasikas) beautiful, accompanied by beautiful roots. somanassa pleasant feeling.

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sota-dhatu element of ear. sota-dvara-vithi-cittas ear-door process cittas. sotapanna noble person who has attained the first stage of enlightenment. sota-vinnana hearing-consciousness. sukha-vedana pleasant feeling.

T tadalambana tadarammana } retention or registering, last citta of a complete process. tatra-majjhattata equanimity or even-mindedness. tejo-dhatu element of fire or heat. thina sloth.

U uddhacca restlessness. upacara access or proximatory consciousness, the second javana-citta in the process in which absorption or enlightenment is attained. upada rupa derived rupas, the rupas other than the four great elements. upadana clinging. upadanakkhandha the aggregates or groups which are objects of clinging. upekkha indifferent feeling. It can stand for even-mindedness or equanimity, and then it is not feeling.

V vaci-vinnatti the rupa which is speech intimation. vatthu base, physical base of citta. vayo-dhatu element of wind or motion. vedana feeling. vicara sustained thought or discursive thinking. vicikiccha doubt. vinnana consciousness. vinnana-dhatu element of consciousness, comprising all cittas. vinnanakkhandha aggregate of consciousness, comprising all cittas. vinnanancayatana sphere of boundless consciousness, meditation subject for the second stage of immaterial jhana. . vipakacitta citta which is the result of a wholesome deed (kusala kamma) or an unwholesome deed (akusala kamma). vipassana insight, wisdom which sees realities as they are. vippayutta unaccompanied by. visankharadhamma unconditioned dhamma, nibbana. vitakka applied thought, a cetasika which directs the citta to the object. vithicittas cittas arising in processes. vithi-vimutti-cittas process freed cittas, cittas which do not arise within a process. votthapana-citta determining consciousness. vyapada ill-will 159

Y yoniso manasikara wise attention to the object.

Glossary of Abhidhamma Terms `abhidhamma'- the higher teachings of Buddhism, teachings on ultimate realities. `Abhidhammattha Sangaha' -an Encyclopedia of the Abhidhamma, written by Anuruddha between the 8th and the 12th century A.D. `abhiññā' - supernormal powers.

`adosa'- non aversion. `ahetuka cittas'- not accompanied by “beautiful roots” or unwholesome roots. `ākāsānañcāyatana'- sphere of boundless space, the meditation subject of the first immaterial jhānacitta. `akiñcaññāyatana'- sphere of nothingness, the meditation subject of the third immaterial jhānacitta. `akusala' - unwholesome, unskilful. `alobha' - non attachment, generosity. `amoha' - wisdom or understanding. `anāgāmī' - non-returner, person who has reached the third stage of enlightenment, he has no aversion (dosa). `anattā' - not self. `anicca' impermanence. `anuloma' - conformity or adaptation. `anusaya’- latent tendency or proclivity. `anupādisesa nibbāna'- final nibbāna, without the khandhas (aggregates or groups of existence) remaining, at the death of an arahat. `apo-dhātu' - element of water or cohesion. `appanā' - absorption.

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`arahat' - noble person who has attained the fourth and last stage of enlightenment. `ārammaṇa' - object which is known by consciousness. `ariyan' - noble person who has attained enlightenment. `arūpa-bhūmi'- plane of arūpa jhānacitta. `arūpa-brahma' - plane plane of existence attained as a result of arūpa-jhāna.

There are no sense impressions, no rūpa experienced in this realm. `arūpa-jhāna'- immaterial absorption.

`asaṅkhārika' - unprompted, not induced, either by oneself or by someone else. `asaṅkhata dhamma'- unconditioned reality, nibbāna. `āsavas' - influxes or intoxicants, group of defilements . `asobhana' - not beautiful, not accompanied by beautiful roots. `asubha' - foul. `asura'- demon, being of one of the unhappy planes of existence. `atīta-bhavanga' - past life-continuum, arising and falling away shortly before the start of a process of cittas experiencing an object through one of the sense-doors. `Atthasālinī' - The Expositor, a commentary to the first book of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka. `āvajjana' - adverting of consciousness to the object which has impinged on one of the six doors. `avijjā' - ignorance. `ayoniso manasikāra' - unwise attention to an object. `bhāvanā' - mental development, comprising the development of calm and the development of insight. `bhavanga'- life-continuum. `bhavanga calana' - vibrating bhavanga arising shortly before a process of cittas experiencing an object through one of the six doors.

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`bhavangupaccheda' - arrest bhavanga, last bhavanga-citta before a process of cittas starts. `bhikkhu' - monk. `bhikkhunī' - nun. `bhūmi' - plane of existence or plane of citta. `brahma-vihāras' - the four divine abidings, meditation subjects which are: loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity. `Buddha' - a fully enlightened person who has discovered the truth all by himself, without the aid of a teacher and can proclaim Dhamma to the world. `Buddhaghosa' - commentator on the Tipiṭaka, author of the Visuddhimagga in 5 A.D. `cakkhu' - eye. `cakkhu-dhātu'- eye element. `cakkhu-dvāra'- eyedoor. `cakkhu-dvārāvajjana-citta' - eye-door-adverting-consciousness. `cakkhuppasāda rūpa'- rūpa which is the organ of eyesense, capable of receiving visible object. `cakkhu-viññāṇa' - seeing-consciousness. `cetanā' - volition or intention. `cetasika' - mental factor arising with consciousness. `citta' -consciousness, the reality which knows or cognizes an object. `cuti-citta'- dying-consciousness. `dāna' -generosity, giving. `dassana-kicca'- function of seeing. `dhamma' -reality, truth, the teachings. `dhamma-dhātu' -element of dhammas, realities, comprising cetasikas, subtle rūpas, nibbāna.

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`dhammārammaṇa' -all objects other than the sense objects which can be experienced through the five sense-doors, thus, objects which can b experienced only through the mind-door. `Dhammasangaṇi'- the first book of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka. `Dhātukathā' -Discussion on the Elements, the third book of the Abhidhamma. `diṭṭhi' - wrong view, distorted view of realities. `diṭṭhigata sampayutta' - accompanied by wrong view. `domanassa' -unpleasant feeling. `dosa' -aversion or ill will. `dosa-mūla-citta'- citta (consciousness) rooted in aversion. `dukkha'- suffering, unsatisfactoriness of conditioned realities. `dukkha vedanā'-painful feeling or unpleasant feeling. `dvāra' -doorway through which an object is experienced, the five sense-doors or the mind door. `dvi-pañca-viññāṇa' -the five pairs of sense-cognitions, which are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and body-consciousness. Of each pair one is kusala vipāka and one akusala vipāka. `ekaggatā' - concentration, one-pointedness, a cetasika which has the function to focus on one object. `ganthas' - bonds, a group of defilements. `ghāna-dhātu' -nose element. `ghānappasāda rūpa'- rūpa which is the organ of smelling sense, capable of receiving odour. `ghāna-viññāṇa' -smelling-consciousness. `ghāyana-kicca' -function of smelling. `gotrabhū' - change of lineage, the last citta of the sense-sphere before jhāna, absorption, is attained, or enlightenment is attained. `hadaya-vatthu'- heart-base, rūpa which is the plane of origin of the cittas other than the sense-cognitions.

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`hasituppāda-citta' - smile producing consciousness of an arahat. `hetu' - root, which conditions citta to be “beautiful” or unwholesome. `indriya' - faculty. Some are rūpas such as the sense organs, some are nāmas such as feeling. Five ’spiritual faculties’ are wholesome faculties which should be cultivated, namely: confidence, energy, awareness, concentration and wisdom. `issā' -envy. `jāti' - birth, nature, class (of cittas). `javana-citta' - cittas which ’run through the object’, kusala citta or akusala citta in the case of non-arahats. `jhāna' - absorption which can be attained through the development of calm. `jhāna-factors'- cetasikas which have to be cultivated for the attainment of jhāna: vitakka, vicāra, pīti, sukha, samādhi. `jivhā-dhātu' - tongue element. `jivhāppasāda rūpa' - rūpa which is the organ of tasting sense, capable of receiving flavour. `jivhā-viññāṇa'- tasting-consciousness. `kāma' - sensual enjoyment or the five sense objects. `kāma-bhūmi' - sensuous plane of existence. `kāmacchandha' - sensuous desire. `kāma-sobhana cittas' -beautiful cittas of the sense sphere. `kāmāvacara cittas' -cittas of the sense sphere. `kamma' -intention or volition; deed motivated by volition. `kammapatha' - course of action performed through body, speech or mind which can be wholesome or unwholesome. `karuṇā' - compassion. `kasiṇa'- disk, used as an object for the development of calm. `kāya' -body. It can also stand for the “mental body”, the cetasikas.

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`kāya dhātu' - the element of bodysense. `kāyappasāda rūpa' - bodysense, the rūpa which is capable of receiving tangible object. It is all over the body, inside or outside. `kāya-viññatti'- bodily intimation, such as gestures, facial expression, etc. `kāya-viññāṇa' -body-consciousness. `khandhas' - aggregates of conditioned realities classified as five groups: physical phenomena, feelings, perception or remembrance, activities or formations (cetasikas other than feeling or perception), consciousness. `kicca'- function. `kilesa' -defilements. `kiriya citta' -inoperative citta, neither cause nor result. `kukkucca'- regret or worry. `kusala citta'- wholesome consciousness. `kusala kamma' -a good deed. `kusala' -wholesome, skillful. `lobha' -attachment, greed. `lobha-mūla-citta' -consciousness rooted in attachment. `lokiya citta' - citta which is mundane, not experiencing nibbāna. `lokuttara citta' -supramundane citta which experiences nibbāna. `lokuttara dhammas'- the unconditioned dhamma which is nibbāna and the cittas which experience nibbāna. `macchariya'- stinginess. `magga' - path (eightfold Path). `magga-citta'- path consciousness, supramundane citta which experiences nibbāna and eradicates defilements. `mahā-bhūta-rūpas'- the rūpas which are the four great elements of “earth” or solidity, “water ” or cohesion, “fire” or temperature, and “wind” or motion.

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`mahā-kiriyacitta'- inoperative sense-sphere citta of the arahat, accompanied by “beautiful” roots. `mahā-kusala citta' - wholesome citta of the sense sphere. `mahā-vipākacitta'- citta of the sense sphere which is result, accompanied by “beautiful” roots. `manāyatana'- mind-base, including all cittas. `mano' - mind, citta, consciousness. `mano-dhātu' -mind-element, comprising the five-sense-door adverting consciousness, and the two types of receiving-consciousness. `mano-dvārāvajjana-citta' -mind-door-adverting-consciousness. `mano-dvāra-vīthi-cittas'- cittas arising in a mind-door process. `mano-viññāṇa-dhātu'- mind-consciousness element, comprising all cittas other than the sense-cognitions (seeing, etc.) and mind-element. `māra'- “the evil one”—all that leads to dukkha `mettā'- loving kindness. `middha' -torpor or languor. `moha' - ignorance. moha-mūla-citta citta rooted in ignorance. `muditā'- sympathetic joy. `nāma' -mental phenomena, including those which are conditioned and also the unconditioned nāma which is nibbāna. `natthika diṭṭhi' -wrong view of annihilation, assumption that there is no result of kamma. `n’eva-saññā-n’āsaññāyatana' -sphere of neither perception nor no perception, the meditation subject of the fourth immaterial jhāna. `nibbāna'- the unconditioned reality, the reality which does not arise and fall away.The destruction of lust, hatred and delusion. The deathless. The end of suffering. `nimitta' - mental image one can acquire of a meditation subject in tranquil meditation. `nirodha-samāpatti' -attainment of cessation of consciousness.

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`nīvaraṇa' -hindrances, a group of defilements. `ñāṇa' - wisdom, insight. `ojā' -the rūpa which is nutrition. `oḷārika rūpas' - gross rūpas (sense objects and sense organs). `Pacceka Buddha - Silent Buddha, an enlightened one who has found the truth by himself but does not proclaim Dhamma to the world. `paṭibhāga nimitta' - counterpart image, more perfected mental image of a meditation subject, acquired in tranquil meditation. `paṭigha' - aversion or ill will. `Paṭṭhāna' -Conditional Relations, the seventh book of the Abhidhamma. `paṭisandhi citta' - rebirth consciousness. `Pāli' - the language of the Buddhist teachings. `pañcadvārāvajjana-citta' - five-sense-door-adverting-consciousness. `pañcaviññāṇa' (or dvi-pañcaviññāṇa) - the sense cognitions (seeing etc.) of which there are five pairs. `paññā' - wisdom or understanding. `paññatti' - concepts, conventional terms. `paramattha dhamma'- truth in the absolute sense: mental and physical phenomena, each with their own characteristic. `parikamma' -preparatory consciousness, the first javana citta arising in the process during which absorption or enlightenment is attained. `pasāda-rūpas' -rūpas which are capable of receiving sense-objects such as visible object, sound, taste, etc. peta ghost. `phala-citta' -fruition consciousness experiencing nibbāna. It is result of magga- citta, path-consciousness. `phassa' -contact. `phoṭṭhabbārammaṇa'- tangible object, experienced through bodysense. `phusanakicca' - function of experiencing tangible object.

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`pīti' - joy, rapture, enthusiasm. `Puggalapaññatti' -Designation of Human Types, the fourth book of the Abhidhamma. `puthujjana'- “worldling”, a person who has not attained enlightenment. `Rāhula' -the Buddha’s son. `rasārammaṇa' - object of flavour. `rūpārammaṇa' - visible object. `rūpa' -physical phenomena, realities which do not experience anything. `rūpa-brahma'- plane rūpa-bhūmi, fine material realm of existence attained as a result of rūpa-jhāna. `rūpa-jhāna'- fine material absorption, developed with a meditation subject which is still dependant on materiality. `rūpa-khandha' aggregate or group of all physical phenomena (rūpas). `rūpāvacara cittas'- rūpa-jhānacittas, consciousness of the fine-material sphere. `saddārammaṇa'- sound. `saddhā' - confidence. `sahagata'- accompanied by. `sahetuka' - accompanied by roots. `sakadāgāmī' -once-returner, a noble person who has attained the second stage of enlightenment. `samādhi' - concentration or one-pointedness, ekaggatā cetasika. `samatha' - the development of calm. `sammā'- right. `sampaṭicchana-citta'- receiving-consciousness. `sampayutta' -associated with. `Sangha' - community of monks and nuns. As one of the triple Gems it means the 168

community of those people who have attained enlightenment. `saṅkhāra dhammas' -conditioned dhammas that arise together depending on each other. `saṅkhata dhamma' - what has arisen because of conditions. `saṅkhāra-kkhandha' - all cetasikas (mental factors) except feeling and memory. `saññā' -memory, remembrance or “perception”. `saññā-kkhandha'- memory classified as one of the five khandhas. `santīraṇa-citta'- investigating-consciousness. `Sāriputta'- chief disciple of Buddha. `sasaṅkhārika' -prompted, induced, instigated, either by oneself or someone else. `sati'- mindfulness or awareness: non-forgetfulness of what is wholesome, or non-forgetfulness of realities which appear. `satipaṭṭhāna sutta' - Middle Length Sayings 1, number 10, also Dīgha Nikāya, Dialogues, no. 22. `satipaṭṭhāna'- applications of mindfulness. It can mean the cetasika sati which is aware of realities or the objects of mindfulness which are classified as four applications of mindfulness: Body, Feeling Citta, Dhamma. Or it can mean the development of direct understanding of realities through awareness. `sa-upadi-sesa nibbāna' -the attainment of nibbāna with the khandhas remaining by the arahat, thus not final nibbāna at death of an arahat. `sāyana-kicca' - function of tasting. `savana-kicca' -function of hearing. `sīla' - morality in action or speech, virtue. `sīlabbatupādāna' -wrong practice, which is clinging to certain rules (“rites and rituals”) in one’s practice. `sobhana-hetus' -beautiful roots. `sobhana kiriya cittas' - kiriyacittas accompanied by sobhana (beautiful) roots.

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`sobhana(citta and cetasika)' -beautiful, accompanied by beautiful roots. `somanassa' -happy feeling. `sota-dhātu' - element of earsense. `sota-dvārāvajjana-citta' - ear-door-adverting-consciousness. `sota-dvāra-vīthi-cittas' - ear-door process cittas. `sotāpanna' - person who has attained the first stage of enlightenment, and who has eradicated wrong view of realities.

`sota-viññāṇa' -hearing-consciousness. `sukha' -happy, pleasant. `sukha-vedanā'- pleasant feeling. `sukhuma' -subtle. `sutta' -part of the scriptures containing dialogues at different places on different occasions. `suttanta' - a sutta text. `tadālambana' -retention or registering, last citta of a complete process of the sense-sphere. `tadārammaṇa' -as above. `Tathāgata' - literally “thus gone”, epithet of the Buddha. `tatramajjhattatā' - equanimity or evenmindedness. `tejo-dhātu'- element of fire or heat. `Theravāda Buddhism' -`Doctrine of the Elders', the oldest tradition of Buddhism. `thīna' - sloth. `Tipiṭaka' - the teachings of the Buddha contained in the Vinaya, the Suttanta and the Abhidhamma. `uddhacca' - restlessness. `Udāna' -Verses of Uplift from the Minor Anthologies.

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`upacāra' -access or proximity consciousness, the second javana-citta in the process in which absorption or enlightenment is attained. `upacāra-samādhi' -access-concentration. `upādā-rūpa'- “derived rūpas” the rūpas other than the four Great Elements. `upādāna' -clinging. `upādāna-kkhandhas' - khandhas of clinging. `upekkhā'- indifferent feeling. It can stand for evenmindedness or equanimity and then it is not feeling. `vacīviññatti' -the rūpa which is speech intimation. `vatthu' -base, physical base of citta. `vāyo-dhātu' -element of wind or motion. `vedanā' -feeling. `vedanā-kkhandha' -group of all feelings. `Vibhaṅga' -“Book of Analysis”, second book of the Abhidhamma. `vicāra' -sustained thinking or discursive thinking. `vicikicchā' -doubt. `vinaya'- Book of Discipline for the monks. `viññāṇa' -consciousness, citta. `viññāṇa-dhātu' -element of consciousness, comprising all cittas. `viññāṇa-kkhandha' -group of all cittas (consciousness). `viññāṇañcāyatana' -sphere of boundless consciousness, meditation subject for the second stage of immaterial jhāna. `vipākacitta' citta which is the result of a wholesome deed (kusala kamma) or an unwholesome deed (akusala kamma). It can arise as rebirthconsciousness, or during life as the experience of pleasant or unpleasant objects through the senses, such as seeing, hearing, etc. `vipassanā' -wisdom which sees realities as they are.

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`vippayutta' - dissociated from. `viriya'- energy. `visaṇkāra dhamma' -unconditioned dhamma, nibbāna. `Visuddhimagga'- an Encyclopaedia of the Buddha’s teachings, written by Buddhaghosa in the fifth century A.D. `vitakka' - applied thinking. `vīthi-cittas' - cittas arising in a process. `vīthimutta-cittas' -process freed cittas, cittas which do not arise within a process. `votthapana-citta' -determining consciousness. `vyāpāda'- ill-will. `Yamaka' - the Book of Pairs, the sixth book of the Abhidhamma. `yoniso manasikāra - wise attention to the object.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn had been ordained as a novice and a monk for 10 years. He graduated with B.A. (Education) from Mahachula Buddhist University (Bangkok, in 1979, M.A.(Linguistics), M.Phil.(Linguistics), and Ph.D. (Linguistics) from The University of Delhi, India, in 1981, 1983, and 1990, respectively, with the scholarship for Ph.D. from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Government of India. In the past, he worked at several places in different positions, for examples: The US Library of Congress (Cataloger), The Nation(Rewriter), Thammasat University(Instructor), Chulalongkorn University(IUP Coordinator), Prince of Songkhla University(Instructor).

He has attended a number of national and international conferences, seminars, and workshops, as both participant and presenter. In 1995, he was invited as Visiting Fellow at Thai Studies Center, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. In 1999, he visited Goldsmiths College, University of London, and in the same year, he presented a paper and chaired a session in the UNESCO-UNISPAR International Conference on University-Industry Cooperation, held in Lodz, Poland. He was also a member of the Editorial Board for Senzor Journal, University of Kosic, Slovak Republic. In 2002, he was invited as a Visiting Professor at Northern Illinois University. While in USA, he visited MIT, Harvard University, and Wat Thai Dhammaram in Chicago.

Dhirawit Pinyonatthagarn, though a linguist by education, has a lifelong interest in all religions, especially Buddhism, and all schools ofphilosophy.

He is currently a Senior Lecturer, School of English, and Head of 173

Translation and Interpretation Unit, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

He is on Twitter (www.twitter.com/LiveDhirawit) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/family/Pinyonatthagarn). He can be contacted via email at dhirawit99@yahoo.com and dhirapin@gmail.com

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