Cổ Ngữ Pāli Bài 05 - Chùa Giác Ngộ - Ngày 18/07/2020

Quán tưởng về thọ vật dụng - SC. TN Diệu Hiếu

Quán tưởng về thọ vật dụng - SC. TN Diệu Hiếu giảng tại chùa Từ Nghiêm, Quận 10, TP.HCM ngày 09/07/2020.

The Meaning of Satipatthana

Introduction

The Ven. Sayadaw U Pandita talks frequently about the meaning of satipatthana. He uses etymology to explain the proper way to note and observe the arising physical and mental objects in the practice of meditation.

This detailed and practical exposition of the term satipatthana goes to the Sayadaw's credit. It is a formula or recipe for success in meditation. If applied meticulously to one's practice, the dhamma will unfold in no time.

The seven benefits of mindfulness

The practice of satipatthana meditation leads to the purification of the mind, the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, the complete destruction of physical pain and mental distress, the entering of the right path and the attainment of nibbana.

The etymology of satipatthnna The Pali term satipatthana is generally rendered as the 'Four foundations of mindfulness'. However, its fulI meaning can be revealed by breaking up the compound word into its parts and examining these elements both individually and in combination. sati + patthana or sati+pa+(t)thana

The word sali derives from the root meaning 'to temember' (sant sarati), but as a mental factor it signifies 'presence of mind, attentiveness to the present, awareness, wakefulness and heedfulness', rather than the faculty of memory of the past. Pqtthqna means 'close, firm and steadfast establishment, application, setting up'. Combining these two elements, the meaning of the compound becomes 'close, firm and steadfast establishment of awareness on the object of observation'. This kind of awareness is also called nrppatitthi ta sati,' steadfast mindfulness'. The four foundations of mindfulness The four foundations of mindfulness have a single essence - mindful contemplation of raa*ural , phcnom€na. They are differentiated insofar as this mindful contemplation is applied to four objects: l. the body (kaya);2. the feelings (vedana);3. states of consciousness (citta); and 4. mental objects (dhamma). The latter comprise such factors as the five hindrances, the five aggregates, the six sense bases and six sense objects (general activities), the seven factors of enlightenment and the four noble truths. Sati 'Mindfulness' has come to be the accepted English translation of the term sati. However, this is an incomplete rendering. 'Observing power' is a more adequate translation. The full scope of its meaning will be explained by examining its various aspects, such as characteristic, function, manifestation, proximate cause and the further diptinguishing factors of mindfulness. Non-superficiality Sati has the characteristic of not wobbling; that is, of not floating away from the object (apilapana lakkhana). The commentators have give the simile of a dried, hollow pumpkin thrown into water. The cork or pumpkin will pop up and down on the surface of the water. In the same way, the noting and observing mind should not skim over the object in a superficial manner. Instead, the mind should sink or plunge into the object of observation, just as when a stone is thrown into water it will sink or plunge to the bottom. 2 Suppose you are watching your abdomen as the object of your satipatthana practice. You try to be very firm, focusing your attention on the main object so that the mind will not skip off. Instead, the mind will sink deeply into the process of rising and falling. As the mind penetrates this process, you can comprehend its true nature: tension, pressure, movement and so on. Keeping the object in view The function of sati is the absence of confusion, or nonforgetfulness (asamnrosa rasa). This means that the noting and observing mind should neither lose sight of, nor miss, nor forget, nor allow the object of observation to disappear. To express this aspect positively, the function of sati is to keep the object always in view. Just as a footballer never loses sight of the football, a badminton player the shuttlecock and a boxer his opponent's movements, so too the yogi never loses sight of the object of mindfulness. Confrontation and protection There are two nnnifestations of sati, namely: coming face-to-face with the object; and protection o Face-to-face with the object The chief manifestation of sati is confrontation - it sets the mind direotly, face-to-face, with the object of observation (t,isayabhimukha bhava pacapatthana). Sati manifests as the mind in a state (bhava) of confronting, face-to-face (abhimukha) with an object or objective field (visaya). It is said that the human face is the index of character. Therefore, if you want to 'size up' a person, you have to be face-to-face with that person and examine his or her face carefully. Then your judgement will be correct. But if you stand at an angle, behind or far away from that other person, then you will not be able to distinguish the distinctive features of his face. 3 Similarly, when you are observin! the rising nlovement of your abdomen, if the mind is really face-to-face with the rising movement, you will notice different sensations in the rising such as tension, pressure, heat, coolness or movement. o Protection If the noting and observing mind remains face-to-face with the object of observation for a significant period of time, the yogi can discover a great purity of mind due to the absence of kilesas (mental defilements). This purity is the result of the second manifestation of sati - guardianship or protection from attack by the kilesas (amkkha paccupatthana). With sati present, mental defilements have no chance to enter the stream of consciousness. Sati is likened to a doorkeeper because it guards the six sensedoors. A doorkeeper dose not admit bad and destructive people; he admits only good and useful people. Sati does not admit unwholesomeness (akusala); it admits only wholesomendss (kusala). By not accepting akusala, the mind is protected. The proximate causes of mindfulness The proximate causes for the arising of sati are: strong perception (thirasanna padat.thana); and the four foundations of mindfulness (kayadi sati patthana padatthana). o Strong perception In order to be mindful of an object, strong and firm (thira) perception of it is necessary. As much as perception (sarrra) is firm, strong and steadfast, mindfulness will also be firm, strong and steadfast. The two functions of perception are the recording and the recognition of formations (sankhara), irrespective of their wholesome or unwholesome nature. Sanna is compared to the recording of talks with the help of a tape or video recorder. The 4 recording takes place regardless of the content or quality of the talks. A clear, high quality recording, such as a state-of-the-art digital recording on CD of a classical concert or opera, is the cause for a clear, strong, impressive listening experience (mindfulness) when replaying the recording. Similarly, in the meditation practice a strong, clear-cut perception (noting or labelling) of the arising objects of observation is very supportive of strong, clear-cut, steadfast mindfulness. o Four foundations of mindfulness Another proximate cause for the arising of sati is the four foundations of mindfulness (kayadi satipatthana padatthana). That is, mindfulness itself is the cause of mindfulness. In fact, the development of mindfulness is the result of continuous momentum, one moment of mindfulness causing the next. This can be compared to the process of acquiring an education, assuming that the sludent is studious and does his homework respectfully. Lessons learnt in the lower grades are a cause for learning lessons in the higher grade. Primary school education is a cause for high school education, and this in turn serves as a cause for tertiary and university education. In a nutsheli, mindfulness leads to ever greater and stronger mindfulness. Immediacy Immediacy in the awareness of an object of observation is very important. Nothing should come between the presently arising object and the noting and observing. The arising object and the noting mind should not be separated in time. The observation of the presently arising object should happen at once, without any delay. It should be instant. As soon as the object of observation arises it should be noted and observed. If one's noting and observing is delayed, then the object will have already passed by the time one's awareness turns to it. Objects of the past and future cannot be known correctly, and if the attention cannot remain with objects as they arise, then it is no longer vipassana practice. It is no longer dwelling in the reality. I Concurrence When two or more processes occur at the same time, it is the phenomenon of 'concurrence'. Concurrence of the noting and observing mind and the object of observation is an important aspect of sati. For example, when an object arises, the mind falls on the object simultaneously with its arising, synchronically with it. Extraordinary mindfulness The particle pa of sati-pa-(t)thana specifies that the mindfulness should be of an extraordinary or outstanding nature (tisittha); excessive, intensive and persistent (bhusattha). Ordinary mindfulness is out of place in intensive satipatthana meditation. It is this nature of the particle pa, and its practical aspects, which we shall now explore. Rrrs h in g Qt akk han ditva p avcrttttt i) The particle pa of sati-pa-(t)thano can also be interpreted as pa- (k)khandana: rushing, leaping, plunging. As soon as the object of observation arises, the mind has to rush forward towards and into the object of observation with great force, with courage. It attacks 6 lt the object without hesitation, without thinking, reflecting, analysing, imagining, questioning, considering, speculating or fantasising. Thus, several aspects are involved in'rushing': o Sudden, impetuous, quick and swift movement with violence, speed or great force, strength and dynamism. Simile: like rushing somebody to the hospital. o Capturing, catching or arresting by sudden attack; to make a swift attack or assault; to charge. Simile: The soldiers capture and defeat the enemy troops in a sudden, forceful attack. o An eager movement of many people to get to a particular place. Simile: The crowds rush the gates of the football stadium just before the garne begins. o To move urgently, with excessive speed, haste, or hurry. Simile: A person at work may say, 'I'm in a dreadful rush'; or, in accordance with the saying, 'Strike while the iron is hot', one notes and observes the object while it is 'fresh' or 'hot'. Yogis should not be noting and observing in a stop-and-go manner. The awareness should not be slack, sluggish, casual; not lagging behind or late; not gazing. It should be without wandering mind, with no room for thoughts. The noting and observing should not be in a cool and hesitating manner; instead, it must be rushing in a systematic and orderly manner. Firmly grasping or seizing the object (upagganhihta puvuttati) A rice farmer when harvesting paddy needs to firmly grasp or seize a bushel of rice. Only then will he be able to cut it with a sickle. Similarly, a meditator has to firmly grasp the object of observation so that the mind will neither slip off nor lose the object under observation. As mindfulness becomes steadfast, the yogi will be able to firmly seize coarse objects. With more practice, attention can hold on to more refined objects and eventually even very subtle objects can be firmly grasped by the mind. Therefore, a yogi should first try to grasp physical objects before attempting to seize the more subtle type of mental objects like intentions, thoughts, etc. Covering the object completely Qtattharih,n pavattati\ The noting and observing mind must cover the object of observation completely, spreading over the entire object, enveloping it, grasping it in its entirety. Not just a part of the object must be observed, but the object should be noted and observed from the beginning, through its middle, to its end. Unbroken continuity Qt avattati) In the practical sense, this aspect means that the noting and observing of the arising objects of observation should be continuous;,that is, one moment of mindfulness connected to the next moment of mindfulness, moment after moment. The preceding moment of mindfulness should be connected with the succeeding moment of mindfulness. In brief, mindfulness should be sustained. Similes: o If there is a gap between two floor planks, dust and sand may enter. If there is no continuity of mindfulness and there is a gap, defilements may enter. I F:- / o In the past one had to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together. If one fails to rub continuously, but instead takes a rest and resumes rubbing later, no fire will start Similarly, if mindfulness is not continuous, the fire of wisdom will not ignite. To reaffirm this aspect negatively, the noting and observing, or mindfulness, of the objects should not have gaps but be continuous; it should not proceed in a stop-and-go manner. People who practise in fits and starts, resting occasionally and then starting again, being mindful for a stretch and then stopping to daydream, are known as 'chameleon yogis'. Non-mnnipulating The universal characteristic of 'not-self (anatta) can be applied to the process of noting and observing the arising physical and mental objects. A meditator must take great care to watch the objects of observation without manipulating, controlling or governing them. He should simply observe what is there - not what he expects or wants to be there. Conclusion What can we now say satipatthana is? Satipatthana is mindfulness of any noted object by rushing to, entering into and spreading ot,er it, so that the mind stays closely and firmly vith it. When noting 'rising', the mind enters the noted object; that is, the rising movement of the abdomen. The mindfulness rushes into it and spreads over it so that the mind stays closely and firmly on this object or phenomenon. The process is then repeated when noting 'falling', and so on for all other objects that arise in the body and mind. Therefore in conclusion, sati or mindfulness must be dynamic and confrontational. Mindfulness should leap forward onto the object, covering it completely, penetrating into it and not missing any part of it. If your mindfulness has these qualities, then swift progress in meditation is guaranteed and, with the fulfilment of the practice, seeing nibbana is assured. Satipatthana at a glance o close and firm establishment; o non-superficiality; . keeping the object in view; o face-to-face with the object; o protection of the mind from attack by kilesas; o strong perception; o mindfulness is the cause of mindfulness. . rushing and plunging; o firmly grasping the object; o completely covering, or spreading over, the object; . immediacy; o continuity, o poncurrence; o non-manipulating

Buddha and his teachings - Narada

Venerable Nārada Mahāthera The Buddha Chapter 1 From Birth to Renunciation “A unique Being, an extraordinary Man arises in this world for the benefit of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, benefit, and happiness of gods and men. Who is this Unique Being? It is the Tathāgata, the Exalted, Fully Enlightened One.” – Anguttara Nikāya. Pt. I, XIII P. 22. Birth On the full moon day of May, in the year 623 b.c.2 there was born in the Lumbini Park3 at Kapilavatthu,4 on the Indian borders of present Nepal, a noble prince who was destined to be the greatest religious teacher of the world. His father5 was King Suddhodana of the aristocratic Sākya6\
clan and his mother was Queen Mahā Māyā. As the beloved mother died seven days after his birth, Mahā Pajāpati Gotami, her younger sister, who was also married to the King, adopted the child, entrusting her own son, Nanda, to the care of the nurses. Great were the rejoicings of the people over the birth of this illustrious prince. An ascetic of high spiritual attainments, named Asita, also known as Kāladevala, was particularly pleased to hear this happy news, and being a tutor of the King, visited the palace to see the Royal babe. The King, who felt honoured by his unexpected visit, carried the child up to him in order to make the child pay him due reverence, but, to the surprise of all, the child’s legs turned and rested on the matted locks of the ascetic. Instantly, the ascetic rose from his seat and, foreseeing with his supernormal vision the child’s future greatness, saluted him with clasped hands.7 The Royal father did likewise. The great ascetic smiled at first and then was sad. Questioned regarding his mingled feelings, he answered that he smiled because the prince would eventually become a Buddha, an Enlightened One, and he was sad because he would not be able to benefit by the superior wisdom of the Enlightened One owing to his prior death and rebirth in a Formless Plane (Arūpaloka).