Samatha (tranquillity) and Vipassana (insight) Meditation: The bottom line is don't debate, just do it!

There has been so much discussions and debates between Samatha (tranquillity) and Vipassana (insight) meditation methods. Ajahn Brahm says "it is like the two sides of the same hand."  Ajahn Chah once said it is like "two ends of the same stick, if you pull from one end the other end invariably moves." This means they are closely related and hard to separate as two distinct techniques. Buddha briefly talks about these two paths in Yuganaddha Sutta. In this post I propose a map to show how they are intricately related. I have used the stages as shown in Ajahn Brhams book "Mindfulness bliss and beyond" to outline path of breath meditation that leads to The Right Concentration (Jhanas, 1-4). The Last two factors of The Noble Eightfold Path after The Right Concentration, The Right Wisdom (knowledge) and The Right Release is also shown here to complete the tenfold path as shown in Maha-chttarisaka (The great Forty) Sutta.

The bottom line is don't debate, Just do it!

P.S. Here is a related podcast from Ajahn Brahm from his recent visit to Toronto, in November 2012.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

November 6, 2012 – Public Talk: “Samatha and Vipassana meditation practices: Are these two different methods or two aspects of the same technique?”

How the Mind Works -A Model Based on Buddhist Texts

Figure 1 (A new mind works model #3)

Figure 2 (A new mind works model #4)

This is a revised version of the model of the mind works model (Figure 1). I have added a few more items to original version of the mind works model. White arrows and lines are the activity of the mind in the present life. Yellow arrows and lines are the activities in the future life. Pink dotted arrows are proposed activity which I have not yet read in sutta and are to be confirmed.

This is how it works:

Through the six senses we communicate and connect with things around us. In fact this is our whole "World". When an eye (blue) meets and an object (red) eye-consciousness (purple) arises (Figure 1). With the union of these three, eye contact arises which is shown in green. The exact same process occurs in the other five senses too. The sense is in shown blue and the sensory stimuli are shown in red and the respective consciousness is shown in purple. Sense consciousness from eye, ear,nose, tongue, body end up in the mind as a mental object. The individual six contacts (eye-contact, ear-contact...) here is shown as one common contact of the to make the model less complex. With contact feeling, perception and mental formations arises (all shown in orange). It is the change in the contact changes our feelings, perceptions and mental formations (thoughts). Here again the feelings, perceptions and mental formation are also shown as one common feeling, perception and metal formation for the purpose of this model. However individual feelings perceptions and mental formations happen at each sensory level. For xeample, eye-contact-feeling, ear- contact-feeling and so on.

Mental formations will give rise to applied and sustained thoughts. They may also give rise to mental proliferation (conceptual proliferation) of the thoughts about the past present and the future. This is a feedback loop back into the mind as mind objects so it can continue as a vicious cycle. There are also thoughts that can be retrieved from memory in mind consciousness back into the mind. Mind consciousness may leave imprints of your past memory as sort of "auto save copy" in memory of your computer. The past memory in turn can influence your feelings, perceptions and thoughts. It is also important to note that consciousness is present in each of them (for cognition of these) as contact which gave rise to feeling, perception and mental formations has consciousness included in it. See the post consciousness grows like a tree.

With unwise attention the accumulated craving (red) arises, the main bait being feeling. It is important note that craving arises at all these six senses too although in the model it is shown as one common craving. From craving clinging arises (dark orange). The main form of clingining generated here is the clinging for sensual pleasures. Other three forms of clinging (see the link in clinging) will arise as thoughts starts to generate. From clinging becoming (purple) arises. Becoming is the resultant karma formation for the future birth (pink). The main cause for kamma is volition as a part of mental formation. Volition also leads to bodily (purple oval) and verbal(blue oval) action and leads to more kamma formation for resultant future birth (pink). Kamma also generates at the level of clinging when thoughts arises about the four types of clinging.

When the present body dies the rebirth consciousness (sometimes called "the stream of consciousness") descends into a fertile mother after sexual union and birth arises. Name-and-form (not shown here but discussed elsewhere) has to be present with the rebirth consciousness for the further development of the fetus. Birth is defined as appearance of five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, consciousness) and acquisition of six senses and all are seen in the mind works model (Figure 1). Then birth once again go through the same as present mind works model ending with old age, sickness and death. This model indicates that not seeing how the six senses work, we recycle ourselves in the samsara.

This process is self sustained as long as there are nutriments for the body (form) and the mind. This are the nutriments for the maintenance of beings and for those seeking a new existence. If you investigate this process deeply you will realize there is no actual person or being controlling this entire process. For example you can contemplate as this body not "mine", not "me" and not "myself". The same applies to your feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness. From this model you can clearly see It is a just a process or chain of self sustained events fueled by nutriments.

Please note that the twelve step conventional Dependent Origination formula is not used here. This model starts with the six senses as we experience the world right now, for example as you read this blog right now. Apply this model to your mind and test this out as a practical exercise. For example when your eyes meet this post, eye consciousness will arise. From that eye contact will arise. From that feeling about the post, pleasant (nice post), unpleasant (I hate this post), or neutral (whatever) will arise. Then your perception about it and your mental formations (thoughts) and so on. You can work out the rest from the model from here following the flow diagram (Figure 1).

Now how do we get out from the relentless cycle of rebirth ?

The Figure 2 shows the possible points of action that can be applied to this model. The Foundations of Mindfulness: (Satipatthana Sutta), the contemplation of the body (kayanupassana), feeling (vedananupassana), mind (cittanupassana), and mental objects (dhammanupassana) which is shown in yellow bubbles in the flow chart (Figure 2), is the training that will enable us to see things clearly. With wise attention (Yoniso manasikara), we can now contemplate onThe Three Characteristics (ti-lakkha.na), Impermanence (Anicca), Suffering or Unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) and Not-self or Insubstantiality (anattaa) and this is the is final common pathway of contemplation of insight. The craving is completely destroyed by by insight or vipassana meditation.

You are welcome to post any comments to further improve this model. As I said in my preliminary model I may further modify this model as I go on examining more sutta. For the moment at least I have a basic model that will help me as an anchor and to examine Dhamma more deeply. Hope it will be useful to you too in some way.

Why do people live in hostility, violence, rivalry and ill will?

Figure 1

Figure 2 (Model #1)

Figure 3 (Model #2)

Figure 4 ( A new proposed Model)

This is a another sutta which talks about mental proliferation and I decided to explore this and relate this to my mind woks model.

Sakka, came and asked Buddha some important questions. At the beginning they look like worldly questions but later he gets deeper into the workings of the mind. I made a flow chart (Figure 1) to summarize the first part of the sutta that pertains to craving, perception, mental proliferation and how to stop unskilful mental proliferation and perception. I will try to apply this to the mind works model and see if the model is compatible with this sutta.

Also please note that I have used the word craving instead of desire, mental formations instead of thinking and mental proliferation instead of categories of objectification (papañca.) in the flow chart compared to the sutta for easy comparison of terms. I also plan to confirm these terms with the original Pali sutta.

Points to note in this sutta are:

1. Carving can be a cause of mental formations. This is some new information not found in the mind works model. (I also think mental formations and perceptions can also positively influence craving, just like feeling does and should be included in the flow chart. However we all know that feeling is regarded as the main bait for craving and this is often cited in suttas that deals mainly with dependent origination). Also if craving can influence mental formations, it is possible that craving can change our perception. For example the famous quote "we see what we only want (crave) to see." I therefore have now proposed a new version of mind works model. (Figure 4).

2. Mental formations results from perception as said in the Madhupindika Sutta: The Ball of Honey and this is compatible with the mind works (Figure 2, Figure 4).

3. Mental proliferations too here is regarded as result of mental formations and is also compatible with the mind works model (Figure 2, Figure 4).

4. To stop unskillful mental proliferations and perception, wise attention to all three types feelings (pleasant, unpleasant and neutral) should be applied. Here what one should be pursue the activities that produce the pleasant, unpleasant or neutral feelings that should decline the unskillful mental qualities and increase the skillful mental qualities. Example of pleasant activity that would increase skillful mental qualities would be contemplation of the feeling as in the The Foundations of Mindfulness: Satipatthana Sutta/attainment of Jhanas (higher mental absorptions) or insight meditation or vipassana where you contemplate three characteristics (Three Basic Facts of Existence), impermanence, suffering and not -self. This again is compatible with the mind works model #2 (Figure 3).

To read the full sutta:

Sakka-pañha Sutta: Sakka's Questions

(excerpt)

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.21.2x.than.html

Also read: Categories of unwise attention (see MN 2)

A model- how the mind works and more...

Model #1

Model #2

These are two preliminary models designed by me after researching Buddhists texts (suttas). I am open to any suggestions to edit these models. I may keep editing these models as I go along researching more Suttas. The model#1 shows how a mind works in an ordinary person. Yellow bubbles in Model#2 shows the points of application of TheFoundations of Mindfulness: (Satipatthana Sutta) and how it may work in a fully enlightened being. The green bubble shows The Three Basic Facts of Existence (The Three Characteristics (ti-lakkha.na), Impermanence (Anicca), Suffering or Unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) and Not-self or Insubstantiality (anattaa). This is the final common pathway of contemplation to insight (vipassana).

( Please see labels for more posts on these subjects)

Please Note:

*Yoniso manasikara - translated in English as wise attention. This can be broken down to (Yo+Nisi+Manasikara) Yoniso manasikara means the correct understanding of how the mind works. This is reason for the name I chose for my model "the mind works."

Wise attention (Yoniso manasikara) is a critical point in the flow chart in the model.

Buddha has treated dependent origination many ways. In some suttas has started examining it from the middle. In my flow chart too I am not using the conventional 12 step formula. However I am treating the organism as is and start I from the 6 sense bases as they are ones that connect us to the external world. Please see other posts for detail examinations of dependent origination (se labels on dependent origination).

What is impermanence ?

Impermanence is one of the key teachings of the Buddha. Mindfulness of impermanence is fundamental to Buddhist insight meditation.

It is also like a "door way" to understand, suffering and non-self.

Impermanence is something that looks so "obvious" but yet sometimes it is very hard to see.

All conditioned things (sankaras) are impermanent. If something is impermanent, it is subject to change, and therefore is suffering (non-satisfactory). If something is impermanent, suffering and subject to change is it wise to call it me, mine and myself?

The correct answer is, NO.

BUT do we realize this as a direct knowledge? Or is it merely a logical argument that makes sense?

If NOT how do we contemplate to arrive at this as a direct knowledge?


1. May be we can start with a stanza.

"With these flowers I venerate the Buddha,
By this merit may I gain liberation.
As these flowers fade and wither
So will this body be destroyed"

This is a common stanza Buddhists recite mindfully when offering flowers to Buddha. This may be a good way of reflecting on impermanence in your daily practice.

2. There are two similes in the suttas (my favorites) that you can read and contemplate (mindfully reflect upon):

(i) Simile of the burning oil lamp
"Just as when the oil in a burning oil lamp is inconstant & subject to change, its wick is inconstant & subject to change, its flame is inconstant & subject to change, its light is inconstant & subject to change. If someone were to say, 'The oil in that burning oil lamp is inconstant & subject to change, its wick is inconstant & subject to change, its flame is inconstant & subject to change, but as for its light, that is constant, everlasting, eternal, & not subject to change': would he be speaking rightly?"
"No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because the oil in that burning oil lamp is inconstant & subject to change, its wick is inconstant & subject to change, its flame is inconstant & subject to change, so how much more should its light be inconstant & subject to change."

(ii) Simile of the tree
"Just as when the root of a great, standing tree — possessed of heartwood — is inconstant & subject to change, its trunk is inconstant & subject to change, its branches & foliage are inconstant & subject to change, its shadow is inconstant & subject to change. If someone were to say, 'The root of that great, standing tree — possessed of heartwood — is inconstant & subject to change, its trunk is inconstant & subject to change, its branches & foliage are inconstant & subject to change, but as for its shadow, that is constant, everlasting, eternal, & not subject to change': would he be speaking rightly?"
"No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because the root of that great, standing tree — possessed of heartwood — is inconstant & subject to change, its trunk is inconstant & subject to change, its branches & foliage are inconstant & subject to change, so how much more should its shadow be inconstant & subject to change."

"In the same way, sisters, if someone were to say, 'My six external media are inconstant, but what I experience based on the six internal media — pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor pain — that is constant, everlasting, eternal, & not subject to change': would he be speaking rightly?"
"No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because each feeling arises dependent on its corresponding condition. With the cessation of its corresponding condition, it ceases."
- Nandakovada Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.146.than.html

3. How about impermanence as a subject of meditation ?

"And what, Ananda, is contemplation of impermanence? Herein, Ananda, a monk having gone to the forest or to the foot of a tree or to an empty house (lonely place) contemplates thus: 'Matter (visible objects) is impermanent; feeling or sensation is impermanent; perception is impermanent; formations are impermanent; consciousness is impermanent. Thus he dwells contemplating impermanence in these five aggregates.' This, Ananda, is called contemplation of impermanence.
-Girimananda Sutta-Discourse to Girimananda Thera
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an10/an10.060.piya.html

4. How about applying it to situations in day to day normal life?

I am sure we all can see lot of examples of these everyday, if you really are mindful enough. This is likely the most practical way to reflect upon this subject, which you may already have contemplated through the practice of insight meditation (above). This will help you further to make it as your own (direct) knowledge.

It is a sticky business !

Suffering arises when the mind becomes too "sticky" to the sensory "foods" (five sensors and their respective stimuli). The practice of Insight meditation will help us to "let go" of these "foods" with ease. The contemplation of the three characteristics (impermanence, suffering and non-self) is the key to it's success.

I guess that is why it is called "Crazy Glue" (Crazy=delusion)!

craving is "the glue"

"impermanence" - it is hard to see

Flowers in a.m. (left) The same flowers in p.m. (right)

Impermanence is one of the key teachings of the Buddha. Mindfulness of impermanence is fundamental to Buddhist insight meditation.


"With these flowers I venerate the Buddha,
By this merit may I gain liberation.
As these flowers fade and wither
So will this body be destroyed"

This is a common stanza Buddhists recite mindfully when offering flowers to Buddha. This may be a good way of reflecting on impermanence in your daily practice.

There are two similes I like to share with you from a sutta that helped me a lot to contemplate on this subject:

Simile of the burning oil lamp

"Just as when the oil in a burning oil lamp is inconstant & subject to change, its wick is inconstant & subject to change, its flame is inconstant & subject to change, its light is inconstant & subject to change. If someone were to say, 'The oil in that burning oil lamp is inconstant & subject to change, its wick is inconstant & subject to change, its flame is inconstant & subject to change, but as for its light, that is constant, everlasting, eternal, & not subject to change': would he be speaking rightly?"
"No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because the oil in that burning oil lamp is inconstant & subject to change, its wick is inconstant & subject to change, its flame is inconstant & subject to change, so how much more should its light be inconstant & subject to change."

Simile of the tree

"Just as when the root of a great, standing tree — possessed of heartwood — is inconstant & subject to change, its trunk is inconstant & subject to change, its branches & foliage are inconstant & subject to change, its shadow is inconstant & subject to change. If someone were to say, 'The root of that great, standing tree — possessed of heartwood — is inconstant & subject to change, its trunk is inconstant & subject to change, its branches & foliage are inconstant & subject to change, but as for its shadow, that is constant, everlasting, eternal, & not subject to change': would he be speaking rightly?"
"No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because the root of that great, standing tree — possessed of heartwood — is inconstant & subject to change, its trunk is inconstant & subject to change, its branches & foliage are inconstant & subject to change, so how much more should its shadow be inconstant & subject to change."

"In the same way, sisters, if someone were to say, 'My six external media are inconstant, but what I experience based on the six internal media — pleasure, pain, or neither pleasure nor pain — that is constant, everlasting, eternal, & not subject to change': would he be speaking rightly?"
"No, venerable sir. Why is that? Because each feeling arises dependent on its corresponding condition. With the cessation of its corresponding condition, it ceases."

Nandakovada Sutta

The party is cancelled!

Imagine you invite people to a party in your house. Your house has six doors. Unfortunately for some reason you had to cancel the party last minute. You still have to be at the door to tell people the party is cancelled. If you get too involved in long conversations with your guests at one door, you might even get carried away and forget the purpose of meeting people at the door. Subsequently people may enter your house from the other five doors as well. They may not even be your friends you invited, they may overwhelm you and may even cause lots of problems. So what you have to do is to quickly greet the person at the door, explain the situation and swiftly move to the other guests as soon as they appear at that door. If you are very mindful and work hard you may be able to keep your house free from all the guests.

This is something like what you do in vipassana meditation. The house is your mind. The six doors are your six senses. Greeting people at the door is similar to the six senses meeting their respective stimuli. Talking to your guests at each door and not letting them in is like reflecting on the impermanence, suffering, and non-self nature of this process and letting them go. The same way you keep your house free from trouble as in the above metaphor, you can keep your mind free from suffering during meditation.

Note: This metaphor about the house was originally taken from one of Ajahn Chah's books. I have slightly modified it here.

"Life is like a dew drop on a blade of grass"

Buddha said "life is like a dew drop on a blade of grass"seen in the morning. When the sun shines the dew drop disappears. Buddha repeatedly encouraged us to contemplate in the impermanence of life.

See other related posts:

Life is just like a "Morning Glory"- Mindfulness about life

Mindfulness About Life- "A Lesson From The Garden"

Mindfulness About Life- "A Lesson From The Garden"

Have you ever wondered why some die young and some live for a long time? When a young person dies people have questions like.....why now ?...... why him?......... Isn't he too young to die? These questions have been bothering me for a while. So, I decided to explore some of these question from a Buddhist perspective.



Today I went to my vegetable garden in the backyard and I saw something that got me thinking.....Since I wanted to share it with you I took a picture of it (see the picture above). The previous day there was a bad storm and some of the tomatoes were on the ground. But when I examined them very closely I saw many old, rotting tomatoes on the ground. Among them was a baby tomato, perhaps only few days old (red circle), and one young tomato beginning to be ripe. On the tomato plant there were many baby, young and mature tomatoes. When I examined carefully to my surprise I found there were still very few old tomatoes hanging on to the plant (not shown in the picture).



This made me to contemplate about life. As a physician I see this all the time. Very young kids die as soon as they are born. Young children and teenagers die of illnesses and other causes like accidents. Some people go on to live long lives. To death, age is no barrier. Buddha said "life is like a dew drop on a blade of grass"seen in the morning. When the sun shines the dew drops disappears. Buddha repeatedly encouraged us to contemplate in the impermanence of life. This may sound depressive but in reality if you mindfully contemplate it helps you to understand the true nature of our existence. In fact it makes us stronger and makes it easier for us to cope when a disaster strikes our lives.



There is a classic story that came to my mind about death, that took place in Buddha's time. This is the story of Kisa Gothami. When her new born son died she did not know the baby was really dead. So she ran to Buddha asking him to cure her son as she had heard that Buddha was a very compassionate person with a lot of powers. Buddha at once knew that the baby was dead. But he wanted to teach Kisa Gothami a lesson about death. He asked Kisa Gothami to find a handful of mustard seeds from a household where there had been no death in the past. She went knocking on all the doors in the village but she could not find a single house without a death in the family. Soon she realized the lesson Buddha was trying to teach her that no family is spared the occurrence of death.

The question that will come to your mind at this time is why some people die young and others go on to have long lives? Who or what determines this? What is the Buddhist explanation to this? Buddha said this does not happen just by chance or by a will or an act of a omnipotent power like a "God". Buddha explained the Karmic factors linked to premature death and other differences we see in people. This is like a "cause and effect" law. These karmic factors may determine why some people are always sick and why some people are healthy, and why some people are born rich and some people are born poor etc. If you want to learn more about this please click the following links.


Culakammavibhanga Sutta
Vipaka Sutta

Also see related posts:
Life-is-just-like-morning-glory