AN INSIGHT TAOSHOBUDDHA
VIPASHYANA MEDITATION - TAOSHOBUDDHA
MEDITATION LEADS TO ULTIMATE FLOWERING
VIPASHYANA MEDITATION TECHNIQUES Š 2009, Taoshobuddha All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written
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TAOSHOBUDDHA MEDITATIONS.
Printed and Published by: TAOSHOBUDDHA and TAOSHOBUDDHA MEDITATIONS
Cover design and graphics: Anand Neelamber
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TAOSHOBUDDHA The word ‘Taoshobuddha’ comes from three words, ‘tao,’ ‘sho,’ and ‘Buddha’. The word Tao was coined by the Chinese master, Lau Tzu. It means that which is and cannot be put into words. It is unknown and unknowable. It can only be experienced and not expressed in words. Its magnanimity nimity cannot be condensed into finiteness. The word Sho implies, that which is vast like the sky and deep like an ocean and carries within its womb a treasure. It also means one on whom the existence showers its blessings. And lastly the word Buddha implies es the Enlightened One; one who has arrived home. Thus, TAOSHOBUDDHA implies one who is existential, on whom the existence showers its blessings and one who has arrived home. THE ENLIGHTENED ONE!
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VIPASHYANA MEDITATION TECHNIQUES WHEN INTELLECT IS UNDULY ACTIVE WE CANNOT ATTAIN THE EMPTINESS OF THE MIND.
BRIEF HISTORY
A
flower that never knew about the sun and a flower
that has experienced the sun are not the same. Indeed they cannot be. Because a flower that has never witnessed the rising sun can never feel the rising sun within! Such a flower is dead. It has the potentiality but the potentiality has not attained fruition. It has never known its own spirit. However, a flower that has witnessed the sunrise has also seen something arise within itself. It has discovered its own soul. Now this flower is no more a flower. The flower has known a deep happening within.
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To create this inner sun of awareness within, Buddha invented a technique of meditation almost twenty-five centuries ago. This technique not only creates the inner sun of awareness, but at the same time it also allows the awareness to penetrate into every cell of the body and then to the entire being. The technique that Buddha invented is known as Anapana Sati Yoga. This is the yoga of incoming and outgoing breath awareness. It is also known as Vipashyana meditation. The word Vipashyana has two words put together – Vi and Pashyana. Vi means neutral and Pashyana means to see. Thus, Vipashyana means to look at everything with a neutral attitude. Vipashyana is also known as Insight Meditation. It was discovered by Buddha to unravel the questions arising in his mind to know the truth. When Buddha was born, his father was of a well-advanced age. Astrologers were called in. One of the younger astrologers said that Buddha would leave the kingly splendor in search of Truth. While the other astrologers suggested ways to change the destiny, it was suggested that he be married. Also it was made sure that nothing unusual be allowed to happen around him as metaphysical questions would arise in him seeing the leaves turning yellow and then falling etc. So he was married to Yashodhara and around the palace where he was living, all dried leaves were picked up before sunrise. All arrangements were made so that no unusual questions would arise in his mind. However, Buddha had not come
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to rule any kingdom. One night he first saw an old man, then a sick person, and finally a dead body. That was the destined night. It is said that these three men were the Enlightened masters of the past, who came to guide and pave the path for Buddha. He questioned his charioteer about these events. He was told that such is the destiny of each human being. Buddha did not return to the palace that night. He decided to seek the answer to these questions. So he embraced the life of a wandering ascetic. Then it was believed that there were two major techniques of meditation. First of these techniques was of concentration. This involved experiencing various stages of meditative absorption. This is called jhana or dhyana. Buddha went to two masters of the time to learn this. In the process he attained the highest state of jhana. Yet still he was far from the Truth or Dhamma, so he asked his teachers if they had anything more to offer. But they were honest enough to say no. Buddha did all that was needed to attain the highest spiritual state and then left. Then he came across the other form of meditative practice which was also used. This was the practice of self-mortification or self-torture. It was believed then, that by tormenting the body the self or ego would vanish. This could be accomplished in several ways, including fasting or lying on a bed of nails. Buddha went through all these techniques. For six years he wandered.
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His last master was Alarkalam. For six months Buddha lived on one grain of rice. He practiced the fasting intensely. Nothing happened! After a long period of fasting he became very frail and weak. He had no energy to live. He was lying half unconscious under a banyan tree when he was discovered by a cowherd boy. The young boy realized that the recluse must have been fasting for a long time and that had weakened his body. But Buddha did not see the boy. The boy was wise enough to give milk to Buddha but Buddha was so weak that he could not open his mouth. The boy hesitated to touch Buddha as he belonged to a lower caste but realizing the situation he decided that even though it was a sin to touch Buddha, it was more important to save him. He could ask for forgiveness afterwards. Buddha felt better after drinking the milk and was finally able to move. He saw the boy sitting next to him respectfully, so Buddha enquired who he was. The boy said that he was a cowherd and asked for forgiveness. Buddha consoled the boy; he told him that he had done the right thing and there was no need to ask for forgiveness. Further Buddha said, “We are not good or bad simply because we are born in a low or high family. Our goodness depends on our actions.� So Buddha stayed under the tree. In the evening he heard a song coming from the nearby forest. The song
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was being sung by a group of girls who were collecting firewood in the forest. The song meant that if the strings of the musical instrument were too tight they would break on being used. Also if the strings were too loose the instrument would not make the right sound. The strings would have to be neither too tight nor too loose. Thus, Buddha saw the futility of the extreme paths and also the dangers of attachment to them. So he decided to pursue the middle path himself. He realized the significance of the middle path. He then went to Niranjana River and sat on the bank to meditate and discover the middle path. It is said that Buddha wanted to cross the river Niranjana but he was so weak that he fell into it; it was a shallow stony river. He held on to the branch of a tree leaning from the other shore. He thought about the futility of his actions of the past few days. He thought, “now that I am so weak, what would I be able to do even if Enlightenment happened?� He could not sleep. He remained awake the whole night watching the stars disappear in the sky. Somehow he came out of the river! He made a seat of grass under a Bodhi tree and sat for meditation. Then a woman came by to offer him some food as offering of her good fortune. She thought that God had come to her in this human form of a holy man sitting under the Bodhi Tree. She offered Buddha excellent food in forty-nine pieces on a beautiful platter. Buddha ate all that was offered and then again began to meditate without any further need for nourishment. It
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was now sunset. He decided not to move again until Enlightenment happened. That night, at near about midnight, Buddha was strongly tempted by Mara or Maya or illusion. It is the symbol of all obstructing forces. The three daughters of Mara – Desire, Lust, and Aversion came to persuade him to leave the path of meditation and return to the palace and become the king. This did not affect Buddha who was tranquil. This made Mara angry, so he sent his armies by land and air to frighten Buddha. He became afraid; he opened his eyes and raised his hand to ward off the attack. But then he realized there was no one. They were, in fact, his hallucinations. Buddha continued his meditation. He was tranquil and restful. He meditated watching his mind until dawn when each star in the sky had disappeared. With this, something dawned on him. Buddha got a clear insight and inner understanding of all the phenomena, both within and without. Enlightenment happened at that very moment! The thing which Buddha was waiting for years, happened that precise moment. It was during meditation Buddha discovered the technique of Vipashyana or Insight Meditation. The meditation is such that it not only creates an inner awareness, but simultaneously allows the awareness to penetrate to the very cells of the body, to the whole of
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one’s being. It is also called Anapana Sati Yoga. It is a meditation. That brings awareness of incoming and outgoing breath. It is based on constant or attentive awareness. We attach various meanings to awareness. We have to be clear about its meaning. When Buddha spoke of breath awareness, he meant to look attentively without applying any knowledge or information. It means that we simply look with a quiet mind, without making any comment or applying knowledge, interpretation, or explanation! The art of neutral observation is not so easy. By doing so, we can see that the mind can be emptied of its contents. Then we can understand the way the mind works and also examine the contents of the mind. This is the way to meet everything – fully with the whole being and with all the energy that you have. Then there is no more dissipation of energy. And it can be directed for looking at what is going on. This is looking beyond appearance. It is significant to understand that we are simply looking ‘at’ and not looking ‘for’. There is a vast difference between looking at and looking for. When we are looking ‘at’ there is no more expectation, which is an aspect of looking ‘for’. If we look for something in meditation and there is expectation, the disappointment is bound to come. This will lead to clinging, loss of energy, and mental imbalance. It is important to look attentively and silently. This will bring clear understanding and insight into the nature and the contents of the mind. Buddha
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explained the same in Satipatthana Sutra. These sutras are related to mindfulness. Buddha explained that awareness is only for intuitive understanding and awareness itself, not for anything else. Intuitive insight gradually develops along the path of awareness. We may see that this incorporates three main factors namely: attention, awareness, and watchfulness. These three words explain the techniques of insight. Insight is developed if we follow this properly, in other words when the meditation is done in the right way. However, in the early stages, insight is closely connected with intellect. This is mainly because of conflicts within and the knowledge that we have. But with insight, we come to understand what we know; insight gets deeper. And thus is revealed the difference between insight itself and the function of intellect. The two go on cooperating in deep meditation. But this is quite different from what we have known originally. Intellect gets still and becomes receptive when insight operates. Now intellect will pick up the signals given by the insight – words and concepts. We need to allow intellect to be quiet and passive. Then intellect becomes subservient to insight. It can no more remain active all the time. When intellect is unduly active we cannot attain the emptiness of the mind. We cannot come to total silence. When we attain stillness,
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then we can see without obstruction. This seeing is insight! And thus the meaning of the method of Vipashyana! To begin the process we need to cultivate our attention. And in developing this attention, we need some primary object as focus. In Vipashyana we use the rise and fall of breath as the preliminary object. We need not regulate the breath. Just let it be as it is. Let the breath move in and out as naturally as possible without any interference of the mind. As the breath moves in and out, observe the rise and fall. This is the first step for the mind, to see the nature of the rising and the passing away in the physical sense of breathing. As an individual we go on breathing unconsciously. Breath is Prana. Breath is ĂŠlan vital. Yet still breathing is unconscious. We are unaware of it. And if we were to be aware of breathing in order to breathe, we would die. Sooner or later we would forget. Thus, we cannot remember anything continuously. Breathing establishes a connection between our voluntary and nonvoluntary systems. We can, however, control our breathing to some extent. At times we can even stop breathing for a while. But no way can we stop breathing permanently. It goes on without any effort on our part. One can be in coma for months, yet still breathing goes on. Breathing is an unconscious mechanism.
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There are two aspects of breathing – the Incoming breath and the Outgoing breath. When you breathe in and pause, there is a gap, and then you breathe out. After you breathe out, there comes another gap, before you start breathing in or inhaling again. Therefore, there are two gaps. The first one happens within you after the breath comes in. This creates a Center within. This is known as your Soul or Inner Center. The other happens when the breath is out and waiting to come in. This gap is called Parmatman or Cosmic Center. If the breath that has gone out does not come in, it is referred to as Death while the gap within is called Life.
Vipashyana Buddha used breath as a vehicle for two things simultaneously. First to create consciousness and second to allow this consciousness to penetrate to the very cells of the body1 “Breathe consciously,” was Buddha’s message. Buddha never meant pranayama. It was meant to make breath an object of awareness. But not changing it. There is no need to change the breath. Leave it as it is. Just natural! The only necessary thing is, breathe consciously. As the breath comes in, allow the consciousness to move in. And let the consciousness move out with the outgoing breath. Let there be total attention on breath. Move with it. Flow with it. Never forget even a single breath. Buddha is reported to have
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said that if you can be aware of your breath for even one hour, you are already Enlightened. But never let a single breath be missed. Definitely, one hour seems like a small fragment of time. But it is not so. When you are trying to be aware, one hour seems like a millennium. It is so because generally you cannot be aware of your breath for more than five of six seconds. Only a very alert person can be aware even for that long. We miss awareness every moment. You can start awareness with incoming breath, but no sooner the breath has come in you are somewhere else. And suddenly you realize that you were to breathe consciously but the breath has gone out and you were somewhere else. To be conscious of the breath simply means that no thought can be allowed. Thoughts distract your attention. Buddha never said to stop thinking. His only emphasis was on ‘conscious breathing’. And when you breathe consciously, thoughts cease automatically. You cannot breathe consciously and think at the same time. As a thought comes in your mind, your attention is withdrawn from breathing. A single thought is more than enough to make you unconscious of breathing. This technique seems very simple, but it is vital. Buddha told his monks to do whatever but not to forget one simple thing: the incoming and the outgoing breath.
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As you continue to do this frequently, you will grow in consciousness. It is difficult. But once you have done this you can no longer remain the same person. You will be a different person and a different being. As you begin to breathe in and out consciously, by and by you move to your center. It is so because each time you breathe in, your breath and with the breath the life force touches the very center of the Being. Physiologically you think that breath just purifies the blood. This is a bodily function. But when you begin to be aware of your breathing, by and by you go deeper than physiology. Then one day you will begin to feel your center, right near your navel. You can feel your center only when you move with the breath continuously. You have to continue, because as you reach nearer the center, it will be even more difficult to remain aware. You can start when the breath is entering. When it is almost touching the nostrils, be aware of it. As it move inwards, awareness will be more difficult. A thought may come in or a sound or something else may happen and you move away from the awareness. If you can reach to the very center, for a brief moment breath stops and then comes in a gap. The breath comes in and then goes out, between these two there is a subtle gap. This gap is your center – the center of the being. It is only after practicing this breath awareness for a sufficiently long time you will be able to remain
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with the breath. You can be aware of the gap only when there is no breath movement. Now the breath is neither coming in nor going out. Between these subtle gaps, between two breaths, you are at your center. Thus, breath awareness was used by Buddha as a means of reaching to the center. Be conscious when you breathe out. Again there is a gap. In fact, there are two gaps; one gap comes after the breath comes in and before it goes out. Another gap comes in when the breath is out and before it comes in. This second gap is more difficult to be aware of. And between these incoming and outgoing breaths lies your center. However, there is another center – the Cosmic Center. You may call this as God. The Cosmic center lies between when the breath goes out and before it comes in. However, these two centers are not two different things. In the process first you become aware of your inner center and then you become aware of your outer center or the cosmic center. Then one day ultimately you know that these two centers are one. Thus, the outer and the inner lose their significance. Buddha says, move consciously with the breath. Then you will create a center of awareness within yourself. As this center is created, awareness will begin to move to your very cells and provide nourishment to the cells as every cell needs oxygen. It can be said that each cell breathes. Even the earth breathes, say scientists. With the universe breathing in, the earth expands and when
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the universe breathes out, the earth contracts. According to Hindu scriptures, creation is Brahma’s single incoming breath and destruction or dissolution is Brahma’s outgoing breath. There are three aspects of anything that is going on. They are rising, existing, and falling away. In case of breathing, it can be said that there is a cessation of breath. This can lead to a silence and therefore, it is possible for us to transcend the consciousness of breathing. It seems that breathing automatically stops but in reality it is not so. Breathing gets deeper and even. Then you breathe internally and do not feel the movement. When we do not see the gentle movement it is said that breathing has stopped. So when silence becomes more significant then you can transcend the consciousness of breathing. In that case do not cling to the object. The preliminary object is only to start with. Naturally you tend to pay attention to the immediate object which is evident. Thus, there is no set object. Everything that enters the consciousness eventually becomes the object of meditation. We identify with attention, awareness, and watchfulness. In this process we are not the observer. And when we begin with meditation, both the mind and the body discharge. However, we have to know what is happening, knowing just for the sake of knowledge and not for doing anything. Awareness is at work, but we are no more.
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When you sit in meditation for long, your legs tend to go to sleep. You will get concerned about it; let the legs go to sleep, but keep the body in an upright position. Sometimes the legs may wake up, but you should remain unconcerned. And do not move because of pain or discomfort. If you move, you cannot observe all that is going on in the mind. The body will certainly feel the discomfort. In that situation go on looking constantly. A point will come when knowing happens. So no more doing, instead seeing alone! Also when you are sitting in the rain let the rain drops fall and just observe what is happening in your body and the mind. Feel your attitude. When a situation arises do not look for any technique to get out of that situation. Be in that situation completely, because without it you cannot learn. Life is always open. Life has both shallow and deeper moments. Go through every aspect of life. Expect nothing, but take things as they are and as they come. In this form of meditation keep your eyes closed. Keep your attention steady and focus on the rise and fall of. In the Eastern monasteries, before meditation begins, a bell is rung three times. One has to listen to the sound from the beginning to the end, follow the sound, and be aware of the continuity of hearing. When meditation begins there are fears and uncertainties. Buddha narrated a story to his monks to
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help them in practice. It is said, once a man came across four poisonous snakes, symbolic of water, earth, fire, and wind. He became afraid. To escape them he ran into a village expecting some help. There he did not find anyone. This made him more fearful and uncertain as well. He ran until he came across a vast stretch of water. He did not know what to do. There was no boat to take him to the other shore. He became even more frightened. He decided to make a raft. He collected some reeds and branches and made a raft. Then he started his journey. On reaching the other shore he abandoned the raft. He was now free to enjoy himself on this new island. Something like the above happens in meditation. In the beginning it maybe like trying to escape from these poisonous snakes. Sooner or later we shall arrive at a challenging situation. And in that situation we cannot rely on anything. Nothing is available. But then when we look into ourselves, we can bring about everything we need and build a raft. Buddha told the monks that this raft was for crossing the ocean of life, not to cling to it. When there is clinging, grasping, and attachment then you may stay in the ocean or you may even drown. Also, you cannot carry it with you as you set foot on the other shore. Then it will become an unnecessary burden. All techniques and teachings are for help to flow. When you try to hold on to them, you become rigid and fixed.
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Then no movement is possible. All such techniques are useful but never fix yourself on them. When you are fixed to any specific teaching then you become narrowminded. When you are sick you takereatment and medicine. Also you follow a particular pattern of treatment and take precautions. But once you are cured you do not carry the prescription anymore. All your prescriptions, treatments, and medicines are dropped then. So when you are fixed you are narrow-minded. No more openness! No flexibility or adaptability! When you want to move from one position to another, be always open. In that case awareness becomes stronger. In Buddhism this is self-reliance.
UPSURGE OF ENERGY IN VIPASHYANA MEDITATION Quite often it happens when you are doing Vipashyana Meditation, there is an upsurge of energy. And because of this you feel very sensual. You are so silent and energy is not dissipated. Generally, much energy is dissipated unnecessarily. This makes you feel exhausted. So when you are sitting ideally, you automatically become a reservoir of energy. This goes on getting bigger and bigger and then there comes a point when it begins to overflow. This makes you feel sensuous. Sensitivity arises. It appears as if all senses are now fresh and alive. You feel as if you have taken a bath. This happens.
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For this very reason, Buddhist monks who have been doing this meditation for a long time do not eat much. It is not that they suppress appetite. There is no need. They eat once, a very small meal. It is almost like a breakfast. Even sleep gets less, but there is no loss of energy. They go on working hard. They naturally engage in works like wood cutting, gardening, and field work. In fact, they work the whole day, but still there is no dissipation of energy. Also, the sitting posture is very energy consuming. The lotus posture Buddha uses is such that all ends of the body meet – feet upon feet, and hands upon hands. From these points energy moves and flows out. Energy always moves from the nerve ends. That is the reason the male sex organ has a particular shape so that energy leaks out. When too much energy is flowing within and you are unable to do anything, it gets released through the sex center. During a sexual act, a woman never releases energy. This is the reason that a woman can go on making love to many persons in one night but a man cannot. A woman can even conserve energy, if she learns the technique of conservation. She can even get energy. No energy is released through the head because of its rounded shape. Thus, the brain never loses energy, instead it conserves it. Energy never leaks from any rounded shape. This is the reason all planets and stars
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are round in shape. So when you sit in the lotus posture you become rounded. Therefore, when one end releases energy the other receives it. Instead of going out, the energy moves within almost like a circle! Energy is conserved, and thus the body becomes a reservoir of energy. Because of this you feel full; you may not have eaten but there is certain fullness. This is a good sign, enjoy it!
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VIPASHYANA MEDITATION A technique of breath awareness To create this inner sun of awareness within, Buddha invented a technique of meditation almost twenty-five centuries ago. This technique not only creates the inner sun of awareness, but at the same time it also allows the awareness to penetrate into every cell of the body and then to the entire being. The technique that Buddha invented is known as Anapana Sati Yoga. This is the yoga of incoming and outgoing breath awareness. It is also known as Vipashyana meditation.
The word Vipashyana has two words put together – Vi and Pashyana. Vi means neutral and Pashyana means to see. Thus, Vipashyana means to look at everything with a neutral attitude.
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