On Kamalashila's Bhavanakrama: The Practice of Meditation According To the Yogacara

Tradition of Buddhism

Introduction
Establishing the Initial State of Mind
Requisites for Meditation
How to begin and Sit during Meditation
How to practice Calm-Abiding
How to practice Applied-Insight
Conclusion

Introduction

In today's world there is a great interest in the practice of meditation. While there seems to be
many different systems and styles of meditation being taught by different individuals, it is hard
for someone who wants to learn about meditation, to know what method would suit them best.
In the Dharma Fellowship we practice according to a well designed system that comes down to
us in an unbroken lineage of Wisdom-Masters from the ancient Yogacara Tradition. Each
school, each group has its own method of approach. Ours is known as the Yogacara method.

Here, "yoga" means mystical union; "cara" means a spiritual practice. This is the "practice
tradition" of Buddhist Yoga.

Why is the Yogacara method significant? When Buddhism was founded, the emphasis of the
teaching focused on the personal Enlightenment of the Buddha. In what perhaps is unlike other
religious teachings around the world, Siddartha Guatama, the founder of Buddhism, did not
state that he was a unique saviour, far above what people can aspire to become themselves.
Instead, he claimed to be an ordinary man, who had realized an extraordinary experiencethe
direct experience of an ultimate reality, an Absolute Intelligence (i.e., buddha). Thus, early
Buddhism was concerned in demonstrating how anyone, male or female, could follow a definite
path of spiritual exercises and meditation, so as to come to the same realization. In his own
lifetime many of Siddartha's followers realized Enlightenment. After his death, the lineage of
realization continued, and down through the centuries thousands have likewise won through to
the awakened state. Buddhism is therefore a teaching which aims to explain how realization can
be acquired.

However, after several hundred years had gone by, less and less practicing Buddhists went into
the forest to meditate. Instead, they started to gather in monastic and university institutions,
where individuals were prized for their great scholarship and intellectual talent. It was at this
time that our Yogacara Tradition arose. The Buddhist Yogacara movement was an effort at
reform, a return to the direct practice of mystical (yoga) experience and a revolt against the
overly scholastic, non-contemplative monastic Buddhism which then existed.

So, what is significant about Yogacara is its emphasis on spiritual practice. The masters of the
Yogacara Tradition, starting with Maitreyanatha, Asanga, and Vasubandhu in the third and
fourth century AD., exhaustively researched and recorded everything to do with the subject of
meditation. They explained how meditation should be applied, how it works, and what takes
place in the human mind when various techniques and spiritual exercises are performed. Thus,
over some seventeen hundred years, a vast archive of information about meditation has been
gathered. The epitome of that store house of data was translated and transferred to Tibet years
ago, and although much was lost during the terrible communist invasion in this century,
nevertheless the essential teaching has been preserved. The tradition is communicated today
from master to disciple, in a teaching method based on direct experience.

While it is true that to learn the Yogacara method means to practice the stages of meditation
step by step, under the oral guidance of a master, there are many treatises and manuscripts
which encapsulate the process in written form.

A fundamental text which explains the Yogacara method is a short treatise called The Stages of
Spiritual Evolution (Bhavanakrama II) written in the 8th century by the Buddhist monk
Kamalashila. A leading disciple of Abbot Santarakshita, Kamalashila founded the first monastic
establishment in Tibet. Shantarakshita was largely responsible for introducing Buddhism from
Nepal into Tibet. After the death of Abbot Shantarakshita, his disciple Kamalashila came to
Tibet so as to continue his Master's work. At that time he composed three short treatises on
meditation, to guide the new Tibetan monks who were studying at Samye Academy south of
Lhasa. Kamalashila's method of practicing meditation encapsulates the teachings of the
Yogacara Tradition.

To outline our way of spiritual practice, we will in the following give you some short
translations of various passages from the "Stages of Spiritual Evolution" (Bavanakrama),
written by Acarya Kamalashila. Each translated passage will then be explained in the context of
outlining our method of practicing meditation and the spiritual Path.

Establishing the Initial State of Mind Suitable for Meditation Practice

Prior to everything else, Kamalashila describes the initial state of mind and motivation, which
must be present in someone who has a wish to accomplish the practice of meditation. Acarya
Kamalashila says: Motivated by compassion, those aspiring to Enlightenment should make an
affirmation to work for the betterment of all sentient beings. There is a very definite reason why
we should establish correct motivation and a suitable state of mind before engaging in
meditation. By willfully doing so, we turn away from our natural self-centeredness; we begin to
focus on love for others. If this is done consistently, it implies a very great change within
ourselves. But we have to approach this with determination; we have to really want to love
others.

Thus, by a turning around of one's self-centre (narcissistic) nature, one engages with interest
and persistence in the very difficult "spiritual practice" (sadhana) of acquiring holiness (punya)
and realization (jnana).

In other words, the initial step in meditation is to develop love. This is a whole practice, an
ongoing lifetime sadhana. Gradually through such a sadhana, or daily spiritual practice, the
seeker of truth will develop "holiness" and "realization".

Kamalashila actually describes realization by a special word, Gnosis (Skt: jnana). What is the
meaning of this special term here? Basically realization is an unique kind of knowing. Ordinary
knowing involves a knower, the act of knowing, and that which is known. The knower is not
what is known. But in deep meditation, these three separate thingsmind, perception, and the
object of perceptioncollapse into an indescribable Unity. Knower, knowing and known
become one. This unique and nondual (adwaita) state of pristine awareness is called Gnosis.
Here, you see, we have to use a special word, because any ordinary word would still refer to
something belonging to ordinary mind. When considering the idea of "realization", it is good to
have in mind that this refers to the emergence of a non-dual or unified awareness an absolute
Gnosisunlike anything in the ordinary world.

The Stages of Spiritual Evolution says:

In teaching the method of meditation, the development of compassion comes first of all. This
requires that one start by meditating on impartiality towards all, letting go of any preferment or
aversion towards one being or another. Therefore those setting out on a course of meditation
should from the very beginning utterly immerse themselves in the thought of bettering the world
around them, and in doing so, they should look on every being as equal. This may sound easy,
but it is a very hard thing to do. We naturally prefer our friends, or those who have no ill will
towards us, and cannot help but feel averse to people involved in doing harm. The yogin cannot
take sides. He or she must learn to embrace all beings, regardless. This means that an impartial
or even-minded state of mind has to be developed. It means that someone seeking the Truth has
to first become an all-rounded individual.

After the Yogin has developed even-mindedness (madhyastha-bhava) towards all, he can then
begin to develop real love for sentient beings. When the seed of compassion (karuna) is watered
with affection (maitri), then the mental continuum will become a fertile ground where the seed
that one has planted will actually germinate, grow and finally blossom.

This is not all. Besides working to experience an even-minded or impartial love and compassion
towards all beings, the Yogi is warned that he must clean his heart of any neurotic defilements
that may lie buried therein. This means the one has to develop moral ethics. If someone is all
tied up with little obsessions, hates, ego-issues, sexual problems, or deviant desires, it is hard to
imagine how they can go far on the spiritual Path. So, along with developing a mind of love, the
yogini and yogi is cautioned to work on his or her moral foundation too.

Kamalashila, quoting from the Arya-ratnakuta-sutra, reminds us that:

The achievement of meditative trance (samadhi) rests on a basis of moral ethics (shila).
Wisdom (prajna) rests on the attainment of meditative trance (samadhi). Un-obscured Gnosis
(jnana) derives from the acquisition of wisdom. Thus, starting with a foundation of confirmed
moral ethics, one arrives at un-obscured Gnosis.

This describes the initial state of mind which the Bodhisattva should develop prior to actually
starting out in the spiritual life. So as to guide students in a truly well-rounded way, the Dharma
Fellowship, like other Buddhist groups all over the world, requires that "beginners" start with a
series of preliminary exercises that are intended to assist in establishing the right frame of mind
that Kamalashila speaks of here

Requisites for Meditation Practice

In the "Stages of Spiritual Evolution" Kamalashila also outlines a number of requisites that are
essential if successful meditation practice is to occur. We shall very briefly review what these
are.

At the beginning, the yogini and yogi must seek to put in place the requisites that will assist him
to efficiently actualize Calm-abiding (shamatha) and Applied Insight (vipasyana) meditation.
The yogin then first lists the requisites for Calm-abiding meditation practice, after which he or
she names those requisites necessary for successful Applied Insight meditation.

The requisites for actualizing Calm-abiding: it is necessary to reside in a conducive

environment, to limit one's needs to the bare minimum, to practice contentment, to have few
activities, to maintain wholesome conduct, and to be free of attachments or obsessive thinking.

Now, what is a conducive environment? Basically this means easy access to food and shelter,
free of people who would disturb one's practice, an isolated place, not troubled by visitors or
social interactions. In the Dharma Fellowship we have been taught that meditation outdoors, in
the forest or amongst nature, is particularly conducive to good meditation. Also, unlike some
other Buddhist organization, we do not encourage "group meditation."

Many Dharma centers in the West tend to get people involved in group sitting. Everyone
gathers together in a meditation hall, and sits in silence, while trying to meditate together. This
might be very helpful for beginners. But for the more advanced yogin, we follow the oriental
tradition and tell students to go out into the forest alone. Sit privately. Meditate alone in the
midst of nature!

Kamalashila also says, that during the period when the yogin is doing a meditation retreat, he
should abstain from meat and fish, and also take only limited quantities of food. He should try
to eat such food as is most conducive to health. In the Dharma Fellowship, when someone
chooses to stay in a meditation retreat for a week or more at a time, we ask them to adopt the
old Buddhist tradition of not eating solid food after noon. This means that the digestive work of
the body is dealt with early on, and energy can be better spent devoted to meditation, rather than
with a concern for food preparation and eating.

Limiting one's needs? This means that when one takes up a course of meditation it is important
not to be attached to external objects. Let go of the world around one. If there are sounds or
noises, ignore them. Let go of fussing about such things as clothes, religious robes, shrines,
books, or spiritual status. Likewise, forget all about one's worldly responsibilities. Involve
oneself wholeheartedly with the job at hand, namely, the meditation practice. Consider
everything else a distraction.

Contentment means, according to Kamalashila, accepting conditions as they are, once that one
has got a realization-conducive situation set in place. Just sit in meditation. Do not fuss about
whether it is too cold or too hot. Just make do the best that one can.

Few Activities, of course, means [to] free oneself from all other forms of activity, other than
meditation practice itself. Put aside all work, business activities, housework, social
engagements, etc. When one goes into a retreat situation, for the purpose of committing oneself
to meditation practice, she or he should take no books or writing material with them. They
should avoid all distractions which might involve them in activities other than the job at hand.

Finally, put aside all thoughts of personal incompetence, failure, regret or guilt over past
actions.

The requisites for Applied Insight meditation are: relying on holy persons, a prior philosophical
study (bahusruta) of Buddhist Wisdom, and extensive time spent pondering (yonisa
manasikara) the meaning.
Kamalashila explains what he means by a holy person. A holy person, he says, is someone who
is well versed in the Teachings, who expresses himself well, who is compassionate in nature
(and interested in one's improvement), and who himself is able of undergoing the same
discipline that he imposes on the student.

Prior philosophical study of wisdom implies spending time intellectually searching into both the
surface and deeper meaning of experience. It means studying the Teachings, the Wisdom of
Buddhism, so as to prepare the mind to gain actual experience of Reality. It is just as valid also
to study all the other religions of mankind, or the thought of the world's great philosophers and
scientists. Through such a study as this, the mind will be made reception to contemplative
insight, when the time is right.

To ponder the meaning of what one has studied means to arrive at some definite understanding
of what the Buddhist teachings say.

How to begin and Sit during Meditation Practice

Kamalashila advises the yogin to begin each meditation session with some preliminary prayers
or spiritual practices. Pay homage to the Buddha, he says, and to all the saints throughout the
world.

"Let the yogin set up an image of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, such as a painting, in front of
himself. He should make then make as many offerings and praises as he can to all the
Enlightened-ones, all the saints and sages of the world. He should confess his misdeeds and
rejoice in the goodness of others."

To perform meditation, it is best to sit in either what is known as the full "lotus posture"
(paryanka-asana) like the Buddha, or in a semi-lotus posture. This assures steadiness and
composure. One should, however, ensure that one is comfortable.

The eyes should, according to Kamalashila, not be too open nor too closed. The gaze should
incline downward, at an angle parallel with the nose.

The spine should be straight. The body should not be bent forward or backward, but perfectly
upright and relaxed. This means that the shoulders should be likewise relaxedlet them
"drop"and the head held straight. The attention is turned inwards.

The meditator should allow the jaw and lips to rest in a natural manner, with the teeth slightly
parted but the mouth closed. The tongue should lightly touch the upper palate.

Inhalation and exhalation should be neither too strong nor too weak. Let the breathing occur
naturally, calmly and somewhat slowly.

At the end of each sitting, the yogin should always conclude meditation practice by dedicating
the "good" (punyam) obtained from the practice to others. He should make a solemn prayer that
the good accumulated through the practice of his meditation go immediately to enlighten others
who are wandering for a time in this world of impermanence and suffering. That is always how
he should end each meditation session

How to practice Calm-Abiding Meditation

Calm-abiding meditation must be achieved first, before one can successfully proceed to
Applied-insight meditation. All the ancient treatises and meditation manuals emphasize this
point. In the Bhavanakrama, Kamalashila likewise insists on this. However, many modern
"instructors" in meditation are either ignorant of this fact, or they ignore it, not understanding
that this is the only way to proceed if one wants definite, authentic results. Do not begin with
Vipasyana meditation. Instead, put all one's energy into developing Calm-abiding first, and only
when one has attained a level of actual Samadhi through that means, turn to the practice of
Applied-insight.

The old Sanskrit name for Calm-abiding meditation is Samatha. In Tibetan we say "Shi-ney"
"shi" means peace, and "ney" means to "abide in" that state of peace or tranquility. Calm-
abiding is arrived at by stilling the activity of the mind, transcending the activity of thinking,
and resting in quietude. Kamalashila says that Calm-abiding consists of that mind which, having
overcome distractions to external objects, spontaneously and continuously stays on the object-
of-meditation (alambana) with ecstatic feeling (priti) and serenity (prasrabdhi).

The old Sanskrit name for Applied-insight meditation is Vipasyana. In Tibetan we say "lhag-
tong." Applied-insight consists of applying a mind that has first attained Calm-abiding in such a
way as to seek the meaning of reality. The Arya Ratna-megha-sutra declares: "Calm-abiding is
a single-pointed consciousness; Applied-insight is seeing into the nature of things."

"The yogi who wishes to develop Calm-abiding," says the Master Kamalashila, "may fix his
mind on one or other of mental and physical complex, as an object that investigates phenomena.
He may fix his mind on a Buddha-image.... Or he may choose the inhalation-exhalation of the
breath as an object. Or let him fix his mind on whatever object he might choose. Once having
fixed his mind on the meditation-object (alambana) of his choice, he should observe to see
whether the attention remains focused on the object or not."

The yogin should also catch the mind the instant it becomes distracted by some external sense-
stimuli. She or he must check for mental dullness. If the mind is perceived to be slipping into
dullness or mental torpor, or if the yogin fears that such a state is approaching, then the mind
can be energized by thinking about something which is a source of religious Inspiration (e.g.,
the Buddha), or turn the attention to a visualization of Light.

Likewise, Kamalashila says, if the mind seems to get restless and begins to seek distractions in
thought, or the mind starts to gets excited, or seeks stimulation from the outer sensory domain,
then the yogin should reflect on the frightful condition of suffering which exists in the world.
Considering that pain, disease and death might come at any time, the need to win through to
Liberation will cause him to persevere with discipline in his meditation practice.

Having taken control of the ups and downs [of meditation practice], the elephant-like mind
needs be tethered to the chosen "object" with the rope of remembrance (smrti) and
introspection (samprajnaya)," says the Master. "When [the twin poles of] depression (lena) and
excitation (audhitya) are finally balanced and the mind is at last calmly abiding on its object,
then relax the effort and abide with detachment for as long as one can.

Calm-abiding is a state of extraordinary quiescence. The body usually experiences such a state
only during deep sleep. However if this state can be attained while maintaining consciousness,
the meditator gains a sense of oceanic tranquility and bliss, in which no thoughts, feelings or
bodily sensations intrude upon the awakening mind. It is initially takes determined effort to
concentrate the mind and separate it from distraction. But to arrive at perfect quiescence, the
effort has to be relaxed and the meditator has to abide with complete detachment. When,
however, this extraordinary state of quiescence is reached, we say that the yogi has accessed
Upacara Samadhi, the beginning level of the profound Samadhi experience.

As long as the yogin continues with the pacification of the mind, dwelling in perfect calm, or in
other words, as long as the yogin persists in what is called "effortless" abiding, Upacara
Samadhi will eventually break through into an even more profound level called Arapana
Samadhi. The first phase is "Entrance Samadhi", and the second we can call "Full Samadhi."

The trigger which seems to take the meditator from the entrance stage of Samadhi to its full
blown state, is bliss. In meditation, powerful quiescence will invariably result in overwhelming
sensations of rapture (priti) and bliss (sukha), causing an exhilarating up-rush of energy. The
yogini and yogi, experiencing this conscious arousal of the depth of theirs being, while
concentrating upon his chosen "object," will feel that they are being absorbed into the object
itself. Subject (the observer) and object (the observed) merge together into a meaningful unified
whole. It is this deeper level of absorption which Buddhists call Arapana Samadhi. The
resultant trance-like condition is experienced as an orgasmic, ecstatic state of higher
consciousness. Here the consciousness becomes truly oceanic. It is in such an altered state of
mind that Applied-insight can be taken up as a means to acquire realization into the nature of
the mind itself. To experience the nature of mind directly, is to realize the implicate structure of
phenomena and grasp the meaning of Reality.

How to practice Applied-Insight

Therefore, once that Samadhi has been attained, or in other words once that the aim of Calm-
abiding meditation has been reached, to a lesser or greater degree, the yogin should begin to
implement the tools of authentic Vipasyana practice. This means that, once the yogini and yogi
have attained the fruit of Calm-abiding practice, they then possess a "higher consciousness" able
to gain direct insight into the Enlightened condition. Through that insight they shall experience
the full continuity of mind and integrate the whole of their being as one.

Kamalashila says:

"After realizing Calm-abiding, then the meditation of Applied-insight may be implemented as

follows. The vastly perfect teachings of all the Sages, when studied, directly or indirectly reveal
profound insights into Reality. Taking those insights and applying them to meditation, the
absolute nature of Reality will be intuitively grasped, disposing of all one's [previously held]
conceptual views, just as the light of the sun at dawn dispels night's darkness.

"Calm-abiding alone will not lead to the absolute Gnosis, nor can it get rid of the super-
impositions which obscure Reality," continues Kamalashila. "It is only by a meditation upon
Reality (tattva) through applying wisdom (prajna, i.e., the yogi's higher state of consciousness)
that realization may be accomplished. Hence one should think, "Having arrived at Calm-
abiding, I must now apply this wisdom so as to penetrate the meaning of Reality. I should not
rely on Calm-abiding alone."

Kamalashila remarks that the yogin must study the words of all the Sages. Gather information
and understanding. Then, in the depth of meditation, apply these insights toward a direct
examination of the mind and the nature of existence. Investigate what the essence of the mind
is. This can not be accomplished by discursive thought or reasoning. It can only be done by
direct sensation and experience, once that the yogin has acquired a consciousness transformed
by Samadhi. Thus, on the one hand, taking all the teachings of the Buddha concerning the
nature of the human condition, and on the other hand, applying direct experience of the mind in
its own state, the yogi will make a breakthrough into clear understanding. Yogini and yogi will
come to know who they are, in the core of their being; they will come to experience the non-
local unified field of intelligence in and of itself, and know Reality face to face.

The wise distance themselves from bias and from the stains of human negativity. Their thirst for
knowledge is unquenchable like an ocean. They separate truth from fiction, like the supreme
swans (paramhamsa) who are said to be able to extract milk from water. Recognizing this,
scholars should put aside all divisive attitudes and bigotry against other's faiths or religions,
and instead apply themselves strictly to the yogi's path. Good words can be uttered even by the
ignorant.

Conclusion

This, in essence, is Kamalashila's teachingthe Bhavanakrama, or way to develop, through

meditation, the Stages of Spiritual Evolution. Herein we have only taken a few passages from
Kamalashila's elaborate treatise, but enough to give the general gist of what he says. This
therefore is a brief but clear description of the method according to the Yogacara tradition.

Zhiyi and Bodhidharma

There is a beautiful translation of the Mohechikuang available. The translation was done
by Bhikkhu Dhammapala who was also working on the Gandhara texts some time. In case you
dont know who Zhiyi was, here a little Buddhist history:

A contemporary of Bodhidharma (the Indian monk who founded Chan/ZEN in China) Zhiyi was
a Chinese monk who practice samatha-vipassana, in the very spirit of the Tipitaka, well, in
accordance with the Prakrit-Sanskrit-Chinese translation of the same. He went into the
mountains and practiced with some friends for years and then wrote a couple of books on
proper samatha-vipassana meditation still kept in high regard in china.

Vipassana has several meanings around the common field of observation, insight,
introspection, intuition, etc. It is often translated as insight meditation. One thing that
bothers me is that some American Insight Meditation teachers seem to have tried to separate
vipassana from samatha. Samatha-vipassana is the traditional meditation method of Buddhism.
In Chinese they are translated as , written in our alphabet as zhiguan in Pinyin and
shikan in Japanese. In the Mahayana (zhi, shi) is stopping or cessation and (guan, kan)
is observation or introspection. Bodhidharma taught wall gazing meditation which is a
metaphor for zhiguan, wall meaning stopping (calming, cessation, samatha) and gazing
meaning introspection (insight, observation, vipassana).

In Chinese Zen, zhi-guan was seen as the method of meditation and samadhi-prajna were the
respective outcomes or realizations from the method, That is, zhi/samatha is realized in
samadhi, and guan/vipassana is realized in prajna. The Sixth Ancestor Huineng made a point to
instruct that samadhi and prajna are inseparable and one cannot be realized without the other. At
that time there was debate in Buddhist circles that argued that samadhi was a prerequisite for
prajna with the idea of first samadhi then prajna. Others argued that prajna was not related to
samadhi and prajna could be realized without samadhi and only after prajna was realized would
one know real samadhi This is like saying vipassana could be realized without samatha, that is,
that one can practice insight meditation without practicing cessation meditation or vice versa.
Huineng cut off all such claims and said samadhi and prajna could not be separated.

In Chinese Zen, zhi-guan was seen as the method of meditation and samadhi-prajna were the
respective outcomes or realizations from the method, That is, zhi/samatha is realized in
samadhi, and guan/vipassana is realized in prajna. The Sixth Ancestor Huineng made a point to
instruct that samadhi and prajna are inseparable and one cannot be realized without the other. At
that time there was debate in Buddhist circles that argued that samadhi was a prerequisite for
prajna with the idea of first samadhi then prajna. Others argued that prajna was not related to
samadhi and prajna could be realized without samadhi and only after prajna was realized would
one know real samadhi This is like saying vipassana could be realized without samatha, that is,
that one can practice insight meditation without practicing cessation meditation or vice versa.
Huineng cut off all such claims and said samadhi and prajna could not be separated.

The Platform Sutra, Chapter 4 wrote:The master instructed the assembly saying, Learned and
virtuous ones, In this Dharma door of ours samadhi and prajna are considered to be the root.
Great assembly, do not be confused. The words samadhi and prajna are different, but
samadhi and prajna are one substance and are not two. Samadhi is the substance of prajna;
prajna is the function of samadhi. Immediately at the time of prajna, samadhi is in prajna.
Immediately at the time of samadhi, prajna is in samadhi. If one knows this meaning, then
samadhi and prajna are equally learned. You various people who study the Way, do not say,
First samadhi, then comes prajna, or First prajna, then comes samadhi, to separate them.
Those with this view make the Dharma have the characteristic of duality.

Dogen, the creator of designating shikantaza () as a method of meditation, was trained

in the Tendai branch of Buddhism that centered its meditation practice on the traditional method
and practices of shikan () as expounded by the Tiantai Master Zhiyi whose teaching was
edited by his disciple Kuan-ting in the classic Chinese opus treatise on samatha-vipassana called
Mohezhiguan (Maha Samatha-Vipassana, , Moho Chih Kuan). Ive never seen
scholarly discussion about this but it has always been my position that it was no coincidence
that Dogen named his method of shikantaza using the same homonym of shikan (, only
minding) as the shikan (, samatha vipassana) of the traditional Tendai meditation
method. I see this as Dogens sly pun saying Im talking about the real shikan here.

But Dogens protestations aside, there is less difference than similarity between his shikantaza
and the shikan he was trained with in either his Japanese Tendai training or Chinese Chan/Zen
training. In his introduction to Zhiyis Mohezhiguan, Kuan Ting says that Zhiyi passed on the
teaching transmitted from his teacher Hui-su the three kinds of zhiguan that are responsive to
the three degrees of capacity in practitioners: (1) gradual and sequential, (2) variable
(indeterminate) and (3) complete and sudden. These are not three different types of zhiguan as
they are three avenues or ways of approaching zhiguan. The complete and sudden zhiguan is the
core of Zhiyis teaching and Kuan Ting summarizes it saying within the Dharmadhatu there is
not a single sight nor smell that is not the middle way, no suffering that may be discarded, no
path that may be cultivated, no path that may be cultivated, no being of the world, and no
leaving the world, Realizing the serene tranquility of the nature is called cessation (samatha,
zhi) and the illumination of the serene tranquility is called insight (vipassana, guan).

The method of Dogens shikantaza is notoriously elusive to direct description. Mostly people
describe it by what it is not, rather than what it is. Shikantaza is not really a beginners method
because it is more akin to the complete-sudden shikan (zhiguan) than to the gradual or variable
shikan stages of the beginner or intermediate capacity practitioners. It is generally characterized
as goalless meditation, that is, it is the methodless method of meditation or the method of no
method. I have neither read nor seen anything written by Dogen that actually and substantially
distinguishes Dogens shikantaza from the complete and sudden zhiguan (shikan) of Zhiyi nor
from the themeless concentration of awareness of the Pali canon. What does distinguish it is
only the manner of talking about it as if it is distinguishable. That is, Dogen distinguishes
shikantaza from shikan in the same manner that Zhiyi distinguishes the complete and sudden
zhiguan from the gradual zhiguan.

So I would conclude that to the degree that vipassana is not the complete and sudden samatha-
vipassana, i.e., the unified samadhi-prajna of the Sixth Ancestor, then vipassana is different
from shikantaza, but to the degree that vipassana is the complete and sudden samatha-vipassana
of the themeless concentration of awareness that has gone beyond the eight jnanas of form and
the formless and is the realization of the unification of samadhi and prajna and actualization of
the meditation of no method, then there is no substantial difference or distinction between
vipassana and skikantaza.

Sources:

http://www.zenforuminternational.org/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=5422&p=71590
http://wonderwheels.blogspot.com/2009/07/samadhi-and-prajna.html
http://www.bupedu.com/lms/admin/uploded_journal/In%20the%20quiet%20of%20the%20mon
astery.pdf
http://tkwen.theravada-
chinese.org/A%20Study%20of%20Sukkihavipassaka%20in%20Pali%20Buddhism_final.pdf
http://tkwen.theravada-chinese.org/http://wonderwheels.blogspot.com/2009/07/samadhi-and-
prajna.html

The Development and Significance of Meditation in Buddhism

by Kenryo Minowa

There exists in Buddhism a tradition of scrutinizing the mind, a concern inherited from ancient
India. Here, I would first like to describe meditation as it has been transmitted within Theravada
Buddhism and then touch on how it entered Mahayana Buddhism. Finally, I will take the
opportunity to offer my own views regarding the significance of meditation as it has been
handed down in Buddhism.

Meditation in Theravada Buddhism can basically be classified into two major categories:
samatha (calm), which quietens the workings of the mind, and vipassan (insight), which
observes things as they actually are. These methods are presumed to date back to the Indus
Valley civilization (ca. 2600 BCE-ca. 1900 BCE), and at root both are related to fixing the mind
on some single object. This must have been knowledge derived from personal experience.
Fixing the mind on something is known as yoga, which the Yoga Sutra, the scripture of the
Yoga school of Indian philosophy, defines as "control over the actions of the mind." This means
to calm the workings of the mind by fixing it on some object.
As Shakyamuni himself told us, during the period before he attained supreme enlightenment, he
practiced this method to quieten the mind. One of his teachers, Ar?a Klma, taught him how
to achieve the sphere of nothingness, where what is sensed is only that nothing at all exists,
while another, Uddaka Rmaputta, taught him to reach the sphere of neither perception nor
nonperception, where only the minutest workings of the mind remain. These two states were
later combined as one of the "nine stages of mental abiding" to calm the mind, set out in a
meditation text called Yogcra-bhmi.

The important point in observing the mind, then, is to fix it on a single thing. Buddhism calls
this samdhi (concentration). The famed Chinese monk Xuanzang (602-64), translator of the
Yogcra-bhmi, said that samdhi was, essentially, making the mind one-pointed (ekgrat)
by fixing it on a single object.

Observing the Mind: the Basis

The simplest method of meditation is to focus the mind on breathing in and breathing out. This
is called "mindfulness of inhalation and exhalation" and is the most basic method. The human
mind views thinking about something as being its job, and so in reality it quickly starts thinking
about a variety of things. Not to do so is the epitome of "easier said than done." Even if the
mind wanders, it is still possible to bring it back and resume full observation of the object. (It
does not even matter if it does not come back - there is a method for continually observing that
as well.) With repeated practice the mind gradually calms until it eventually arrives at a mental
state where there is a sense of seeking something as well as there being feelings of joy and
comfort. These stages are called in Pali jhnas (states of concentration) that lead ultimately to
the stage of a cessation of perception and feeling (nirodha-sampatti) where nothing at all stirs
in the mind. But if one asks if this then solves the problem of the cycle of rebirth, the answer is
no.

Although it is good to dwell within these states of concentration, when one returns to normal
circumstances, various mental actions start up, just as before. Therefore, Shakyamuni thought
that there must be another way to overcome suffering and distress, and he moved further along
the path with a method of observation of the mind slightly different in direction. Present-day
Theravada Buddhism teaches that this became what is known as vipassan (insight).

However, a comparison of the form of meditation practiced in Theravada Buddhism today with
descriptions in the Pali Mahasatipatthana Sutra is actually a method of observation called the
"foundation of mindfulness" (satipahna).

Fundamentally, I believe we can safely say that what is nowadays called vipassan (insight
meditation) is the same as this satipahna. However, the various methods for identifying in
the mind concepts such as "all is emptiness," "all is impermanent," and "all is nonself" are also
referred to as "insight." I will discuss this in further detail below.

The objects on which the mind focuses when observing its workings were called kammahna
(bases of action), that is, objects of meditation. In the early period, they were divided into four
types - the workings of the physical body (kya), feelings or sensations such as pleasure and
pain (vedan), the workings of the mind (citta), and mental phenomena common to all
(dhamm, generally the five hindrances and the five aggregates). The workings of the body
include all movements, including breathing. Movement may seem a strange object of
observation, but in fact all actions, starting with that of walking, were treated as objects that
could be used. Basically, anything could be used to fix the mind on some object; people even
placed an earthen disk directly in front of their eyes and fixed their mind on that. Eventually
words also came to be used as objects, and reciting short words and attaching the mind to
phrases were seen as being basically the same as this. The reciting of Amida's name (nembutsu)
or chanting the o-daimoku, so prevalent in East Asia, serves the same sort of function.

Two Types of Insight

Let us now look at insight in a bit more detail. Insight (Pali, vipassan) means to observe
closely and involves watching all the actions of the mind. This method is essentially no different
from samatha meditation, but what we should realize is that here the objects of meditation
(kammahna) are not restricted to just one thing.

It seems that the Indic word for insight was at first only a verb. In the Upanishads, a collection
of spiritual and philosophical texts, there are examples of the construction "to regard A as B,"
and it is thought that this way of observation was also introduced into Buddhism. A method
called "mindfulness of emptiness," to which Mahayana Buddhism was later to attach great
importance, and which consisted of contemplating the phrase "all is emptiness" over and over
again, can be considered an extension of this. Since this actually fixes the mind on the concept
of the mind itself being the object, functionally it is none other than the working of samatha.

What then is vipassan (insight) in relation to samatha (quietening)?

We can talk about the contemplation that leads to enlightenment, but when that contemplation
progresses to distinguishing between mind (nma) and material form (rpa), it is called insight
meditation. To distinguish between mind and form means making a distinction between the
object that is grasped and the workings of the mind that are doing the grasping. This comes, for
example, the moment - when you are observing your breathing and following the inhalation and
exhalation - that you are visited by the thought, "This air flowing like the wind is the object I
am aware of, and this awareness is a working of the mind that seems to have a name." Here
nma is certainly a faculty of language and is a mental action that judges, understands, and
discriminates, and rpa is the object being captured, both appearance and form.

In fact, it now becomes possible to observe the divisions of the subtlest workings of the mind
and perceive those known as the five aggregates. These are the functions or aspects that
constitute sentient beings: material form (rpa), sensation (vedan), perception (sa), mental
formations (sakhra), and consciousness (via). We become aware of things as we receive
stimulus from the outside world. Images form as objects that can be grasped by the mind, and it
becomes clear that we are determining that they are such and such.

What then becomes a problem is the workings of the mind that determine this as "such and
such." Immediately before this mental action (that is, thought) arises, we can perceive that
thoughts from the past, of memories or studies, are exerting some sort of influence (if not, we
would not be able to say what these images are). At any rate, the perceived object is pictured in
the mind and the language faculty is activated, triggering the judgment that it is such and such.

In fact, these mental actions of determining, comprehending, and discriminating that something
is such and such were understood to bring about the next reaction of the mind. Let us say, for
example, that someone has said something bad about you. First you comprehend the details of
what was said and determine it was an insult. Then you feel something unpleasant that you don't
like it, or perhaps you feel a spurt of anger and respond, "What did you just say?" These
reactions triggered in us all are a daily occurrence. Thus our everyday troubles and suffering
arise from the mental actions of determining, comprehending, and discriminating. The Sutta
Nippata (verse 734) tells us "All suffering grows out of consciousness; with the cessation of
consciousness, there is no more pain." We know therefore that consciousness was understood to
be the cause of our troubles and suffering.

Insight to Prevent Consciousness from Arising

How then do we ensure that such consciousness - in other words, the actions of determining,
comprehending, and discriminating - does not arise? It is here we find the true value of
vipassan - to make everything that's registered through the five sense organs the object of
mindfulness.

A small note of caution is necessary here. Two practices exist for when you become aware of an
object. You do so by either using words or not using them. Not using words means not causing
the faculty of language to be brought into play; so it is more accurate to describe becoming
aware of something without using words as turning the mind to it, or directing the attention to it.
This is exactly what is now called vipassan and what was called satipahna in the early
Buddhist writings.

In this connection, it was Buddhist scholars who asserted that one could perceive something
without using words. There is a large discrepancy here with the Vaisheshika and Nyanya
schools of Hinduism, which understood cognition to always be accompanied by the language
faculty. At any rate, all objects are perceived by being registered through the five sense organs.

Whereas samatha was a practice to calm the mind through single-minded attention to one
object, in vipassan attention is focused on multiple objects, one after another. Ultimately all
the sense functions registered by the physical body are the objects of meditation, and if we are
able to direct the mind, a mysterious condition comes into being within it, where judgment,
comprehension, and discrimination do not arise, yet an awareness of seeing and hearing exists.
This is to enter the mental state known as "nondiscriminating." At such a time we experience
the feeling that there is no distinction between ourselves and the world, that we have become
one with all others. Now we are rid of all self-centered thoughts, and an attitude of compassion
and loving-kindness toward others arises naturally.

The most important point about vipassan meditation is this directing of attention ("being
mindful" may be a better way of putting it). The "mindfulness" that so many people associate
with Buddhist meditation these days is actually an expression of this.

Vipassan Practice through an Awareness of Words

As it happens, words are usually at work in our daily lives, and even when we are being
mindful, words intervene. In fact, at such times we become aware of how we are judging,
comprehending, and discriminating things. For example, if we have pain we are aware of
"pain," and if we itch we are aware of "itch." When we become mindful of things in this way,
we can overcome the ensuing emotions and lessen the extent to which they can dominate us,
just as we can when words do not intervene.

This is where the practical benefits of vipassan meditation exist. That is to say, by making the
feelings that arise in our daily lives the objects of our attention, we are enabled to remove
ourselves, little by little, from the domination of the emotions.
This also means temporarily stopping the mind from judging, comprehending, and discerning.
In the Arrow Sutra, Shakyamuni speaks of being struck painfully by two arrows. The first arrow
refers to the painful experiences we encounter in the course of our lives, while the second
represents our reaction to them. It is possible to avoid the second arrow. In other words, if we
hear something unpleasant, we might limit ourselves to understanding it without allowing it to
make us feel unpleasant. Or if we see something beautiful, we might merely accept its beauty
without yearning to possess it. This is clearly a position from which we can rid ourselves of
anxiety and suffering.

In the Indian world, the objects of observation were called the four foundations of mindfulness:
mindfulness of the body (kya), mindfulness of feelings such as pleasure and pain (vedan),
mindfulness of the mind or consciousness (citta), and mindfulness of mental phenomena
common to all (dhamm, generally the five hindrances and the five aggregates). In any case, the
goal was to condition the mind by practicing vipassan so as not to give rise to anxiety or
suffering. Strictly speaking, the practice had the intention of overcoming both pain and pleasure.
Actually, conditioning the mind that way is not easy. Even the Pali scriptures do not say that
emotions, such as pain and pleasure, will disappear through vipassan practice. They state only
that this practice enables people to endure them. This is indicative of the profundity of
Buddhism, based on reality and a deep insight into the human mind.

Mahayana Meditation

I would now like to turn from Theravada meditation to look at how meditation is practiced in
Mahayana Buddhism. The optimum materials for understanding Mahayana meditation are
early-period sutras known from ancient times, the so-called contemplation sutras and meditation
sutras. The contemplation sutras include the Samadhi Sea Sutra (Ch., Guan fo sanmei hai jing),
translated by Buddhabhadra (359-429); the Sutra on the Contemplation of Maitreya
Bodhisattva's Ascent to Rebirth in the Tushita Heaven (Ch., Guan Mile pusa shangsheng
Doushuaitian jing), translated by Juqu Jingsheng (fifth century); and the Samantabhadra
Contemplation Sutra (Ch., Guan Puxian pusa xingfa jing) translated by Dharmamitra (356-
442). The meditation sutras were those such as the Dharmatla Meditation Sutra (Ch.,
Damoduoluo chanjing), translated by Buddhabhadra, and the Sutra of Sitting Dhyana Samadhi
(Ch., Zuochan sanmei jing), translated by Kumrajva (344-413).

I do not believe that the fundamental principles of meditation in Mahayana Buddhism differ
from those in Theravada. To preempt my conclusion, the Theravada traditions of vipassan
(insight) and samatha (calming) remain fundamentally alive and intact. So does this mean there
are absolutely no features unique to meditation in Mahayana?

Mahayana practices directing the mind toward a single object, the principle of samdhi, without
change. In the case, too, of samatha, a meditation to calm the workings of the mind, the mind is
joined to a single object, as it is also with vipassan. As far as choosing an object for meditation
and directing the attention toward it, there is absolutely no difference between Theravada and
Mahayana.

However, from the standpoint of the objects of meditation, it is clear that new developments
were introduced. Breathing techniques to exercise qi (life force, energy) existed in East Asia
before the introduction of Buddhism and added new elements to Buddhist practices. I would
therefore like to survey Mahayana meditation from two standpoints: the development of objects
of meditation and the addition of new elements belonging to the East Asian world.
New Objects of Meditation

1. The Form of the Buddha as an Object of Meditation

I will first consider the evolution of objects of meditation following the advent of Mahayana
Buddhism. Typical of those used in Theravada were the forty objects (kammahna) introduced
in the Pali Visuddhimagga (Path of Purification) by Buddhaghosa (fifth century). The first of
the "ten reflections" (anussati) listed there is that of the Buddha, the object being specifically
mindfulness of his virtues through his ten epithets. The meditator recollected and affirmed
these, but however deep his reflection, it never took form as the figure of the Buddha. In
Mahayana, however, the form of the Buddha itself became an object of meditation. There was a
great leap here from recollecting the specific words that are the ten epithets of the Buddha to
contemplating the form of the Buddha itself in the mind.

This means that the figure of the Buddha came to be used as an object to direct the mind. The
object of meditation has thus changed from words to a specific representation. A description of
what is thought to be its earliest occurrence appears in the Pratyutpanna Samdhi Sutra (Sutra of
the Meditation to Behold the Buddhas), representative of the contemplation sutras. It probably
originated around the first century BCE in Central Asia and was the first to teach that the
Buddha manifests himself in the minds of practitioners using the distinguishing features of the
Buddha's form as an object of meditation.

The sutra speaks of calling to mind the Buddha Amitbha in the Western Pure Land and states,
"The Buddha's body is endowed with all the thirty-two marks, he radiates light, he is fine and
upstanding beyond compare" (Taish Tripiaka [hereafter T] 13, 905b). In other words,
practitioners are to hold a concrete figure of the Buddha in mind.

Stimulated by this interest in a concrete form of the Buddha, it was only to be expected that this
form would develop into a produced physical object. This is considered to be a factor in the
origin of Buddha images, though asking which came first is rather like asking whether the
chicken came before the egg.

Nevertheless, research into art history suggests that Buddha images were first produced around
the first century CE, which means that the period when distinguishing features of the Buddha's
physical body were used as objects of meditation predated it.

The practice of using the form of the Buddha as an object of meditation gradually spread
eastward. New sutras appeared at this time that use not just the form of the Buddha but also
depictions of the Pure Land where the Buddha resides. Representative of them is the Sutra on
the Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life, also known as the Meditation Sutra.

This sutra introduces sixteen visualizations as objects of meditation: the sun, water, the ground
of the Pure Land, the jeweled trees of the Pure Land, and so on. Practitioners envision with all
of their attention the setting sun; the entire western direction as water; Amitbha's Pure Land of
Sukhavati; and the trees, branches, leaves, and fruits that grow there. It is a method to focus the
mind by holding objects clearly in the mind. The Visuddhimagga speaks of "concentration
[samdhi] that may be extended" and mentions "concentration where the earth is seen to
extend" and "concentration where the water is seen to extend." The sun and water visualizations
are a direct extension of the Theravada extended concentration, and the visualizations of
Amitbha's realm and the trees that grow there are merely limitations of the objects to which the
mind is attached.
However, we should keep in mind that in the Chinese translation of the sutra - though the
Chinese character used to express visualization is the same as that used to translate vipassan -
the object to which the mind is attached, the object of meditation, is a single thing and is
functionally the action of samatha, not vipassan. We must be careful here. When we speak of
samatha and vipassan, we think of vipassan as having as its basis a state of mind where
judgment, comprehension, and discernment do not arise, the mental state known as
"nondiscriminating," and where the mind continues to observe the object of meditation,
bypassing the language faculty. When limiting the object being observed to just one thing
involves samatha, considered somewhat different from vipassan, there is a clear contrast
between the two. Therefore I will clearly distinguish between vipassan in the strict sense and
visualization.

2. The Practice of Chanting the Name of a Buddha

One of the changes that occurred in Buddhism when it was transmitted to China was the
introduction of reciting the name of a buddha over and over again (Jpn., shmy nembutsu).
While Huiyuan (334-416), of Donglin Temple on Mount Lu, is thought to have been the first
exponent of Pure Land teachings in China, it was Shandao (613-81) who popularized them, and
nembutsu practice is generally thought to have begun with him. Whatever the exact story, it was
at this time that there appeared the practice of reciting the Buddha's name and keeping the form
of the Buddha in the mind.

This may be considered a new form of the mindfulness training that appears in the
Visuddhimagga, and we can conjecture a continuity with the recollection of peace
(upasamnussati), the last of the ten recollections, where the practitioner is inclined to recite
good words such as nirvana and enlightenment.

I believe, therefore, that reciting the name of a buddha and affirming it in the mind may be
called a form of this recollection of peace. Since this is, of course, included in the category of
samatha, reciting the nembutsu can also be regarded likewise.

However, we must not forget the manner in which those good words were recited. It is thought
that in East Asia they were recited slowly in a relatively quiet voice. I believe there is a special
characteristic at work here. The mind becomes excited if, when the same phrase is repeated over
and over, the tempo rises and the chanting gets louder. The slow recitation was probably
employed to prevent this.

3. Breathing as an Object of Meditation

Buddhism was transmitted to China around the first century BCE and the first century CE.
There already existed in China an interest in the human body, linked with medical ideas and
Daoism, and the body was believed to possess qi (life force).

The earliest text we have concerning qi, the Circulating Qi Inscription, dates from the Warring
States period (475-205 BCE). It reveals an awareness of breath moving up and down through
the body. Qi is what moves up and down through the body, and breathing is the intermediary
that consolidates it. To be more precise, when we draw a breath, there is a sensation of
something coming up from below, and when we exhale there is a sensation of something going
downward. Qi, then, was something that was recognized as being tied to breathing.
Thus training to recognize the qi circulating through the body was tied to breathing. When the
Indian practice of observing the breaths was introduced with Buddhism, it was no doubt
accepted as being akin to the Chinese understanding of qi. Observing qi rising and falling in the
body in concert with breathing was probably understood to be the same as the Buddhist
practice.

This may be how the practice of observing qi as an object of meditation first appeared.
Conversely, it was precisely because of a realization of a connection between qi and the
Buddhist practice of observing the breath that the foreign creed of Buddhism came to be
genuinely accepted in East Asia.

Sutras Related to Meditation Circulating During the Southern and Northern Dynasties

The Northern and Southern Dynasties period (220-589) was an epochal time for the translation
of Buddhist texts. Kumrajva, a monk, scholar, and translator, arrived in China from Kucha in
Central Asia and set about creating a new Buddhist terminology. It did not depend on existing
philosophical or religious terms and adopted and developed the translation theories of the
Chinese monk Dao'an (312-85). Kumrajva also translated sutras relating to samatha and
vipassan, using a compound term, changuan (Jpn., zenkan). This term remains commonly used
in East Asia. Chan (Jpn., zen) is an element in terms that transliterate the Sanskrit word dhyna
(Pali, jhna), which functions as the action of calming the workings of the mind and so comes
under the category of samatha. Thus, changuan may mean either a meditation practice called
Chan (Zen) or samatha, as opposed to vipassan. Here I would like to understand chan and
guan as two separate things, with the former meaning practically the same as samatha and the
latter, vipassan.

The Sutra of Sitting Dhyana Samadhi is a representative example of a meditation sutra from this
period. Although its translation is attributed to Kumrajva, it is thought that it was actually a
compilation by his disciples of several works about meditation very popular at the time and
translated as a single volume under their master's authority.

This sutra became widely accepted in China. It contains many references to samatha,
demonstrating Theravada-type meditation at the beginning, but later it has additions of a
Mahayana type. Overall it is very interesting, and I would next like to look at some of its
expressions.

1. Meditation as Depicted in the Sutra of Sitting Dhyana Samadhi

The Sutra of Sitting Dhyana Samadhi is a short sutra in two volumes. The first deals with the
various kinds of people who may wish to practice meditation and assigns subjects of meditation
to each accordingly. Those who tend to suffer from neuroses should observe their inhalations
and exhalations, those who are prone to anger should be mindful of compassion, and so on.
Since this approach existed in Theravada meditation as well, it was not a particularly new thing.
Furthermore, it became associated with the stages of practice. Toward the end of the first
volume we find the teaching that the three poisons (greed, anger, delusion) are equally
distributed and that the subjects of meditation are the thirty-two distinguishing marks and the
eighty minor marks of the buddhas. It says, "Focus your mind on the buddhas. . . . In this way, if
[your mind] does not become scattered, you will see one buddha, two buddhas, and even
all physical bodies of buddhas in endless worlds throughout the ten directions" (T15, 277a).
The sutra states that the buddhas themselves can be seen from their physical features - the
thirty-two distinguishing marks and the eighty minor marks - and that the form of the buddhas
will emerge in the mind from their physical characteristics.

In the second volume, we find contemplation on the four foundations of mindfulness, called
here "stopping thoughts" (at a particular point): "The various aspects of the body are full of
suffering. Born as a result of causes and conditions, it is impermanent, and because of the
afflictions associated with it, there is suffering. Containing thirty-six objects, it is therefore
impure. Without true freedom, there is no true self. Practice this contemplation. . . . This is
called 'Stopping Thoughts about the Body'" (T15, 278c).

This contemplation involves observing impermanence, suffering, impurity, and absence of self
with regard to the body. It is next applied to the feelings, the workings of the mind, and mental
phenomena (dharma). In the section "Stopping Thoughts about the Mind," we find the
understanding that where there is no true freedom, there is no host, and because there is no host,
there is emptiness. Now impermanence, suffering, impurity, and nonself are represented by the
expressions impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and nonself.

In other words, contemplation of the four subjects - the body, the feelings, the mind, and the
dharmas - is described as observing that they are all marked by impermanence, suffering,
emptiness, and nonself. Describing the course of the contemplation in this way can be
considered a characteristic of Mahayana Buddhism. Judging, too, from the expression "stopping
thoughts about the body," this contemplation clearly falls within the category of samatha. Since
it is seen in the same way as making verification with words, it has the effect of calming the
workings of the mind.

Further, the sutra instructs those seeking the path to buddhahood to "focus your minds on the
physical bodies of all the buddhas throughout the ten directions in the three periods of time"
(T15, 281a). Here, observing the features of the bodies of the buddhas is essential. Cultivating a
compassionate mind and contemplating the twelve links of causation are also mentioned, among
others. The latter is also a training method in Theravada and can be regarded as a further
characteristic in common.

Zhiyi (538-97), founder of the Tiantai school and an important figure in Chinese understanding
of samatha and vipassan, recognized that contemplation practices that confirmed the workings
of the five aggregates and aimed at preventing the rise of the distinctions of determining,
comprehending, and discriminating (in other words, nondiscriminative wisdom) were
vipassan.

The Benefits of Samatha and Vipassan

This has been both a rapid and a broad investigation of the course of meditation from early
Buddhism through to Mahayana, but it has shown the existence of a clear commonality.
Looking at it in terms of its benefits, the following points can be made.

First, we can say that, as propounded by early Buddhism, our minds change so as not to give
rise to distress and suffering. When, during meditation, we experience a state in which there is
no judging, comprehending, or discriminating (the state of nondiscriminative wisdom), a feeling
of great joy arises in our mind, and we could even say that the barriers between ourselves and
others fall away. This state also encourages compassionate thoughts toward others.
However, in actuality, such an experience is temporary, and most people quickly revert to their
normal state. But even so, after we experience the state of nondiscriminative wisdom, many of
our thoughts go away. The sutras say that even if feelings of distress and suffering arise, "one
shall become able to endure them."

I believe the benefit of the Buddhist meditation known as samatha and vipassan has a major
purpose here. What insight contemplation does is show us how we can free ourselves from the
distress and suffering that we experience in our daily lives.

Furthermore, since in meditation we focus the mind on one thing, there is no doubt at all that we
will enjoy an increased power of concentration. This is a very useful ability to have in daily life.
Whether it is samatha or vipassan, we become aware of the present moment just as it is,
allowing the mind to focus on the now.

Again, in the practice of samatha and vipassan, there is a big difference between using words
or not. Yet even if words are used, it is still possible to be freed from distress and suffering.
Even if we do not attain nondiscriminative wisdom, the workings of our mind stop at the point
of recognition and go no further. For example, if we are out walking and someone bumps into
us, by stopping at the sensation of "it hurts" and going no further, things change such that anger
and hatred do not arise.

Moreover, if we are able to put the emotions that arise in the mind into words, we can escape
from being controlled by them. Being controlled by emotions is itself a type of forgetting
oneself. I believe that everyone has experienced this at one time or another. But being able to
arrest an emotion that has arisen in our mind is in some respect like observing our own mind
from the perspective of a third party. Certainly at such a time we are no longer controlled by our
emotions.

Furthermore, we will grow able to gaze dispassionately at the emotions that arise in our mind,
feeling neither liking nor disliking. That makes it possible to be freed of emotions that have
been seized by some trauma. This is described as having a neutral mind, a mind that can let go.
It is by means of such a mind that separating from trauma becomes possible.

And with that I have, although simply, stated the benefits of observing the mind.

Bibliography

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Motilal Banarsidass, 1993. (Reprint: 2000.)
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Sankib Busshorin, 2001.
Mahamuni, Ven. Phra Dhamma Theerarach. The Path to Nibbana. 8th ed. Bangkok: Mahadhatu
Monastery, 1989.
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O L TU TP (the way for Dhamma Practice)

c Pht thuyt ging o Pht mt cch rt khoa hc. Ta c th phn ra hai phn r rng Php Hc
(Pariyatti) v Php Hnh (Patipatti), cng ging nh cc nghnh khoa hc c hai phn L Thuyt v Thc Hnh.
Phn thc hnh nhm chng minh bng tri nghim rng phn gio thuyt l ng. Php Hnh ca o Pht
s chng minh c th rng, ngi tu s thc s dit c kh, thot khi v thng v s an tr c trong bn
o qu v Np Bn. Php hc (ci bit) cn phi chuyn su thc hin php hnh. Php Hnh (ci thy)
quan trng hn v ch c Php Hnh mi em li s chng ng trn vn. S gic ng em li li ch thc
s ngay trong kip sng ny. Khi cp n Php hnh ta nht thit phi tm hiu qui trnh tu tp hp l v hp
vi gio hun ca c Pht. l vn v o L Tu Tp (the way for Dhamma Practice) trong gio php
nguyn thy.

Vai tr quan trng ca o L trong vic tu tp

1. i vi ngi tu tp:

Mt o l minh bch c vch ra vi cc giai on tu tp r rng theo th t l mt iu v cng cn thit.

o l s gip ngi tu nhn thu sut trn vn con ng mnh s phi i qua. o l gip ngi tu bit c

mnh ang ng ti ch no, ti giai on no trn con ng tu tp. Mt ngi nhn thy o l cng c

ngha l ngi y nhn thy gio php.

2. i vi mt trng phi hay php mn:

Khng g mnh m v thuyt phc hn nu mt trng phi hay php mn khng nh cho ngi tu bit c

s tu tp bt u t u, i qua cc giai on no v s t c cu cnh no? Vic vch ra c mt o l

tu tp tc l khng nh c phng thc tu tp ca trng phi hay php mn . i vi o Pht

nguyn thy, o l tu tp cn phi ph hp v thng nht vi kinh in ca o Pht. Ch c kinh v lun l

chun mc cho mi trng phi v ch c kt qu tu tp l gi tr nh gi o l l ng hay cha ng!

Kinh Devadaha (Devadaha sutta) Tm tt l trnh tu tp

Kinh Ganaka Moggallna (Ganakamoggallna sutta)-( tm tt l trnh tu tp)

Kinh Hu hc (Sekha sutta)