this fathom-long body

It is in just this fathom long body that one makes known the world, the origin of the world, the cessation of the world, and the way leading to the cessation of the world

By resting more fully in our own world of experience (right now, not by traveling), it is possible to see how the world of experience is composed, how it comes to be, and how it can fall away completely.

Above are excerpts from Entering the Path

integrity in conversation

A basic skill in developing wisdom and personal integrity, not to mention peace of mind, is speaking and listening skillfully, often remaining quiet, and limiting the topics we discuss.

Gotama Buddha lists several topics to avoid (AN 10:69):

Conversation about kings, robbers, & ministers of state; armies, alarms, & battles; food & drink; clothing, furniture, garlands, & scents; relatives; vehicles; villages, towns, cities, the countryside; women & heroes; the gossip of the street & the well; tales of the dead; tales of diversity, the creation of the world & of the sea;talk of whether things exist or not

Topics he recommends:

Talk on modesty,on contentment, on seclusion, on non-entanglement, on arousing persistence, on virtue, on concentration, on discernment, on release, and on the knowledge & vision of release.

highest blessing 10

Sutta Nipāta   the Maṅgla Sutta  258-272


With a mind that does not waver
Even among the worldly things—
Sorrowless, stainless, and secure.
—This is the highest of blessings.

highest blessing 9

Sutta Nipāta   the Maṅgla Sutta  258-272


Ardor, spiritual behavior,
Seeing the truths that are noble,
And experiencing nibbāna.
—This is the highest of blessings.

highest blessing 8

Sutta Nipāta   the Maṅgla Sutta  258-272

Patience, a gentle character,
And the seeing of ascetics,
Discussing dhamma when timely.
—This is the highest of blessings.

highest blessing 7

Sutta Nipāta   the Maṅgla Sutta  258-272


Respectfulness, humility,
Contentment and gratitude too,
Hearing the dhamma when timely,
—This is the highest of blessings.

highest blessing 6

Sutta Nipāta   the Maṅgla Sutta  258-272


Abstinence from intoxicants,
Diligence among mental states,
—This is the highest of blessings.


The primary reason for being careful about mind altering substances is the impact they may have on consciousness and ability to skillful thinking. Our minds are already vulnerable to manipulation and other causes of delusion. An important defense and gift to our relationships and civic responsibilities is clear thinking.

highest blessing 5

Sutta Nipāta   the Maṅgla Sutta  258-272


Generosity, doing right,
And the helping of relatives,
Doing actions that are blameless.
—This is the highest of blessings.


Doing the right thing does not mean giving yourself away, certainly not compromising your life, health, and well being. To be blameless and generous does not mean fixing anyone else, but offering only what is needed in the moment, usually simply listening, hearing, and being present for others.

highest blessing 4

Sutta Nipāta the Maṅgla Sutta  258, 272

Support for mother and father,
And helping both wife and children,
Spheres of work that bring no conflict.
—This is the highest of blessings.


Our personal practices of developing awareness, kindness, and wisdom involve others, those in our immediate circles: family and in work settings. Though we focus on personal transformation, on the one being we can impact, such transformation includes enriching our ability to be present to and with others. There is no problem that can be fully resolved through conflict or force.

Without justice, [patience, and listening] there is no peace.

highest blessing 3

Sutta Nipāta   the Maṅgla Sutta  258-272

Learning a lot, and craftsmanship,
And being well-trained in one’s practice,
Well-spoken in all that is said.
—This is the highest of blessings.


Letting go or realizing nonself does not mean annihilation. One still walks the planet and contributes organically to all communities in which one embedded. It is wise to master a craft. Having the basics skills well established, frees one to flow in the work, to let right action or right speech emerge because the skills are already in place when the call/need arises.

highest blessing 2

Sutta Nipāta 258, 260

To live in a suitable place,
To have done good deeds in the past,
And having one’s own proper goal.
—This is the highest of blessings.

What is a proper goal?

I've often done what I thought I should do or what ought to be done. These choices have sometimes led to entrapment within my own creations - all done with good intentions, but also not necessarily kind to my self. And maybe not that useful to others.

Simple things are really so beautiful - and satisfying.

practicing high blessing 1

Sutta Nipāta: the Maṅgla Sutta  258, 259

Many gods and many humans
Have thought a lot about blessings,
Wishing for profound well-being.
—Tell us the highest of blessings;

Not consorting with the foolish,
Consorting only with the wise,
And honoring the honorable.
—This is the highest of blessings.

Comment:

The basics of a good life begin with knowing what and who to pay attention to.
Who are the wise and the honorable?
Am I a good companion? Wise? Honorable?

The Buddha advised good companions, kindness to all, of course. But we need to make careful selection of who we 'live' with. Every interaction matters. Our minds are highly impressionable, taking in whatever is around us before we have even a chance to decide if we will be exposed. In fact, the most powerful impacts are usually unnoticed, powerful because they are unnoticed. With attention we can choose what to foster and what to dismiss.  We are not as separate as we think we are, but we can tip the balance toward wise and honorable by making choices about what influences we intentionally foster.

Here and Now

Commentary by Andy Olendzki on the Words of the Buddha

The direct experiencing of nibbāna. 

Here the text is stating very plainly that insight meditation practice is capable of leading the practitioner to experiencing awakening in this lifetime. At this stage of the Buddhist tradition this was not a far-off goal, as it becomes later on, but was something accessible to anyone who practiced diligently and was willing to make the necessary commitment. Many people were said to have experienced nibbāna during the Buddha’s lifetime. ~ Andy Olendzki

Words of the Buddha: Middle Length Discourses (Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta) Majjhima 10

This is a direct path
for the purification of beings,
for the overcoming of sorrow and despair,
for the going to rest of suffering and sadness,
for the accomplishment of the method,
for the direct experiencing of nibbāna,
that is, the four establishments of mindfulness.

Here a person abides
observing body as body…
observing feeling as feeling…
observing mind as mind…
observing mental objects as mental objects…
ardent, fully aware, and mindful,
leading away worldly yearning and sadness.


Here, a person who has
gone to the forest, or
gone to the root of a tree, or
gone to an empty place,
sits down,
and having folded the legs around the ankles,
and set the body erect,
one establishes the presence of mindfulness.

establishing mindfulness

"...properly undertaking satipaṭṭhāna does seem to require that mindfulness is established with continuity, corresponding to the quality of being "diligent" or more literally "ardent." Such mindfulness needs to be combined with an element of "clear knowing" or  "clear comprehension" that understands what is being held present in the mind through mindfulness. Such a combination should lead to a balanced mental attitude that is not shaken by desires, worries, or dejection in regard to the world."
Anālayo (2013) p. 15

Anālayo makes a very clear statement in his new book, Perspectives on Satipaṭṭhāna, about how to develop one's mind. This new book offers not only succinct information on how to practice skillfully, but brings these suggestions forward from the earliest buddhist teachings -- thought and practice before major transformations into socio-cultural applications. These early teachings, simple and direct, lie at the roots of all Buddhist traditions.

He also makes clear the convergence of all practice is not mindfulness but wisdom. This is not a small point. We easily will be side-tracked and miss the most important benefits of meditation practice by thinking mindfulness is the ultimate goal. 

hindrances

"Hindrances" are qualities of mind that reduce clarity of mind. Recognizing hindrances is part of an intentional transformation of consciousness. Through awareness we begin to realize that the mind produces much more than we intend. Thoughts and sensations arise due to current circumstances, past history, and not just from our internal experience, but through our environment. We react or respond to these qualities depending on our level of awareness and the attitude we take toward the experience. Can we greet what we do not like with kindness and acceptance?

We are not responsible for what arises, we are responsible for what unfolds. But seeing what is happening in usually enough.

I've posted this passage before, but in abbreviated form because in the past we attended more to the presence of the hindrances or their absence. Very often simply recognizing the presence of a hindrance is a sufficiently skillful response. It may remain, but noticing its presence or its absence reinforces ongoing clarity and gradually reduces the intensity or frequency of repeated arisings. This is a very slow process! We are seeing deep grooves of conditioning that can gradually be softened.

If we pay close attention, noticing the arising and passing of hindrances in a detailed way, we can enhance our mental development using, still simply through awareness, but awareness to more subtle nuances of experience. We begin to see not only the presence of the hindrance, but also the moment it shows up in consciousness and its disappearance. We can begin to recognize the causes and conditions that create the mind quality and even see the potential that it may not arise again. This awareness of arising and passing is addressed in the insight refrain as well, but is brought forward in a more explicit way regarding these qualities of mind in this part of the sutta.


Working with the hindrances Nīvarana  (M 10)


A person abides observing mind-objects / dhammā / dhammas /phenomena among five hindrances.
And how does one do so?

When sensual desire (kāmacchanda) is internally present one is aware:
   'Sensual desire is internally present for me'
Or, when sensual desire is not internally present, one is aware;
   'Sensual desire is not internally present for me'
When arising of unarisen sensual desire occurs--one is aware of that.
When the abandoning of arisen sensual desire occurs--one is aware of that.
And when the non-arising in the future of abandoned sensual desire occurs--one is aware of that.


When ill-will (byāpāda) is internally present one is aware:
   'Ill-will is internally present for me'
Or, when ill-will is not internally present, one is aware;
   'Ill-will is not internally present for me'
When arising of unarisen ill-will occurs--one is aware of that.
When the abandoning of arisen ill-will occurs--one is aware of that.
And when the non-arising in the future of abandoned ill-will occurs--one is aware of that.


When sloth and torpor (thīnamiddha) are internally present one is aware:
   'Sloth and torpor are internally present for me'
Or, when sloth and torpor are not internally present, one is aware;
   'Sloth and torpor are not internally present for me'
When arising of unarisen sloth and torpor occurs--one is aware of that.
When the abandoning of arisen sloth and torpor occurs--one is aware of that.
And when the non-arising in the future of abandoned sloth and torpor occurs--one is aware of that.


When worry and flurry (uddhaccakukkucca) are internally present one is aware:
   'Worry and flurry are internally present for me'
Or, when worry and flurry are not internally present, one is aware;
   'Worry and flurry are not internally present for me'
When arising of unarisen worry and flurry occurs--one is aware of that.
When the abandoning of arisen worry and flurry occurs--one is aware of that.
And when the non-arising in the future of abandoned worry and flurry occurs--one is aware of that.


When doubt (vicikicchā) is internally present one is aware:
   'doubt is internally present for me'
Or, when doubt is not internally present, one is aware;
   'doubt is not internally present for me'
When arising of unarisen doubt occurs--one is aware of that.
When the abandoning of arisen doubt desire occurs--one is aware of that.
And when the non-arising in the future of abandoned doubt occurs--one is aware of that.

dhammā insight refrain

In the sutta the insight refrain is included after every new topic introduced in the sutta with only a small change to address the particular experience being explored.  I posted this refrain it a few years ago. It will open in a new window: http://maryrees.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html

 Our online groups are working now with the fourth foundation of mindfulness, I have posted the refrain again here with the simple change of focusing, not on the body, but on dhammas or dhammā (for a discussion on dhammā see another earlier post - again a new window).

In this way, in regard to dhammā s/he abides contemplating dhammā internally, or s/he abides contemplating dhammā externally, or s/he abides contemplating dhammā both internally and externally.

S/he abides contemplating the nature of arising of dhammā, or s/he abides contemplating the nature of passing away of dhammā, or s/he abides contemplating the nature of both arising and passing away of dhammā.  

Mindfulness that 'there are dhammā' is established in her/him to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and continuous mindfulness. 

And s/he abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. "That is how in regard to the dhammā s/he abides contemplating the dhammā.

Goenka

From Pariyatti Books

Goenka peacefully breathed his last on Sunday, September 29th at his home in Mumbai, India. He was in his 90th year.

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Real wisdom is recognizing and accepting that every experience is impermanent. With this insight you will not be overwhelmed by ups and downs. And when you are able to maintain an inner balance, you can choose to act in ways that will create happiness for you and for others.
Living each moment happily with an equanimous mind, you will surely progress toward the ultimate goal of liberation from all suffering.

S.N. Goenka


Atta-dīpā viharatha,
atta-saraṇā, anañña-saraṇā.
Dhamma-dīpā viharatha,
Dhamma-saraṇā, anañña-saraṇā.

Make an island of yourself,
make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge.
Make Dhamma your island,
make Dhamma your refuge; there is no other refuge.

Mahā-Parinibbāna Sutta, Dīgha Nikāya, 16

dhammā

The word dhammā, unlike Dhamma or Dharma, is often translated as phenomena.

According to Bhikkhu Bodhi, dhammā, as used in the fourth foundation of mindfulness (the fourth satipatthana), has "two interconnected meanings." The first has to do with mental factors, the second meaning refers to "elements of actuality, the ultimate constituents of experience as structured in the Buddha's teaching." The term "elements of actuality" does not mean these elements exist substantially. Rather, they are the lenses of our experience, ways we experience life.

"The point of the Buddha's teaching of anattā, egolessness, is that the basic constituents of actuality are bare phenomena (suddha-dhammā) occurring without any noumenal support."

Quotations above from Bhikkhu Bodi in The Noble Eightfold Path, pp. 89 - 90.

Our online groups for experienced meditators will be exploring these phenomena in weekly sessions between now and Thanksgiving. For more information or to join us see the Citta101 website under cybersittings.

Insight

Insight, wisdom, is a natural outcome of a skillful meditation practice.

Insight is not knowledge in the general sense, but penetrative knowledge acquired as a result of not looking at but looking through things.

Anālayo quoting Nanyakkara

I think this is a great way to describe an experience of insight. Is it your experience, too? Can you think of specific times when the capacity showed up for you? In your meditation practice? In your daily life?

letting go and going on

Quotations below are from Ajahn Cha

The Buddha did not teach to fix things, but to see according to the truth. If you want to change things, that is not Dharma, that is not truth; it is just the habit of someone who wants to create and manipulate. If you do not see the truth of the way things are, there is no path to practice, and you are outside of the noble truth of suffering, its causes, its cessation, and the path. (p.20, Being Dharma)

This does not mean there is no place for creating. In fact a lay life requires it. We not only need to recognize the truth of insubstantiality and the hollowness of our constructions, but we must learn to dance within them, aware of their benifits to our personal life and the good of our culture as well as their limitations.

Since the very beginning of the Buddha's dispensation, for those who hear and practice there has not been any requirement to adjust or modify things, only to know and surrender....[conditioned phenomena] have their nature to arise and pass away. Any other view of things is impure dharma, the teaching of ignorance embedded in the heart. There will be no cessation, the wheel turning endlessly: no soloution, no end, no way to stop.  (p.20, Being Dharma)

There is a time to step off the wheel. That time is always right now...and yet we go on. The stepping off has to happen over and over again as we navigate daily life, as we play in the constructions, but by also not being trapped in them. Surrendering again and again to things as they are, but also putting one foot in front of the other to face the changing moment and the truth that whatever we create will not last. Everything we build is like a sandcastle on the beach. Beautiful for a time (or useful depending on what we construct), but temporary. Suffering is in the ignorance of the nature of things - in the clinging to anything as it is in the moment.

Its like insects crawling on the rim of a water barrel. They are always moving, but they aren't going anywhere, only traveling around and around the rim. The thoughts of ordinary benighted beings are the same. We may think we are headed far away, but we are only going around in circles, always, coming back to the same place. We don't see this cycle in the heart because there is no wisdom to see. ..In Dharma we want to see..that there is no solution, nothing to change or adjust, because the Dharma is always complete as it is. So we give up trying. (p.20, Being Dharma)

Until we choose or are confronted with an ultimate cessation, we live on with as much wisdom as possible of things as they are. We can change things within the constructions we have created, our own or our societies - and we should, but we also recognize our personal limitation and a broader scope from which our constructions have arisen. Ultimate reality does not need fixing.

____________

Living skillfully