[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Tissa who was an expert in skeleton-meditation. He always
practised internal skeleton-meditation as repulsiveness up to the
first jhana, and always practised Vipassana based on that jhana.
He discerned mentality-and-materiality, their causes, and their
nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self. This was his
usual way of practice.
One day he went for alms-round (pindapata), from Anu-
raddhapura to Mahagama village. On the way he met a woman
who tried to attract his attention with loud laughter. When he
heard the sound he paid attention to that sound. Immediately he
saw her teeth and paid attention to his skeleton-meditation with
her teeth as object. Because of previous constant practice he saw
her as a whole skeleton and did not see woman . He saw only
skeleton. Then he paid attention to his internal skeleton and at-
tained the first jhana. Based on the first jhana he practised Vi-
passana quickly. He attained arahant path on the road in the
standing posture.
That woman had quarrelled with her husband and had left her
husband s house to go to her parents house. On the way she
met Maha Tissa Mahathera. Her husband followed her. On the
131
Knowing and Seeing
way he also met Maha Tissa Mahathera. He then asked Maha
Tissa Mahathera, Bhante, did you see a woman go this way?
The Mahathera answered, Oh, lay-supporter (dayaka), I did not
see man or woman, I saw only skeleton going this way. This
story is mentioned in the Visuddhimagga in the Virtue Section.
So this is one example. Any bhikkhu who has practised
skeleton-meditation thoroughly like Maha Tissa Mahathera may
be able to see the skeleton of another with eyes open.
132
Talk 5
How To Discern Mentality
Introduction
In my last talk I explained how to develop four-elements
meditation and also how to analyse the particles of materiality
called rupa kalapas. In this talk I would like to explain a little
about the method for discerning mentality (nama-kammatthana)
which is the next stage in the development of Vipassana medita-
tion.
Let me begin by explaining briefly the basic principles of Ab-
hidhamma that are necessary to understand the discernment of
mentality.
In Buddhist Abhidhamma the mind is seen as consisting of a
consciousness which knows its object, and mental-concomitants
which arise with that consciousness. There are fifty-two such
mental-concomitants, for example: contact (phassa), feeling
(vedana), perception (sabba), intention (cetana), one-
pointedness (ekaggata), life-faculty (jivitindriya), and attention
(manasikara).
There are a total of eighty-nine types of consciousness which
are classified according to whether they are wholesome, un-
wholesome, or indeterminate, and also according to their plane
of existence, sensual plane (kamavacara), fine-material plane
(rupavacara), immaterial plane (arupavacara), or supramundane
(lokuttara).
Consciousness occurs in six types of sequence, each one called
a thought-process (vithi). Five of them are sequences that occur
when one of the objects of the five senses is known by the mind.
These sequences of consciousness enable the mind to know ob-
jects at each of the five sense-doors, such as visible objects seen
by the eye, or sounds heard by the ear. The sixth sequence is
one that occurs when the mind has a mental object as its object.
This means that there are five five-door thought-processes
133
Knowing and Seeing
(pabcadvara-vithi), and one mind-door thought-process
(manodvara-vithi), which make a total of six thought-processes.
The analysis of mentality is made up of four parts. The first
three are:
1. The analysis of all the types of consciousness that oc-
cur internally.
2. Discernment of all the individual mental formations
present in each consciousness.
3. The discernment of the sequences of consciousness,
each one called a thought-process (vithi), that occur at
the six sense-doors.
When you want to discern mentality, you must have completed
the development of concentration beginning with either mindful-
ness-of-breathing, some other Samatha meditation subjects, or
the four-elements meditation. You should also have finished the
discernment of materiality (rupa-kammatthana). Only then
should you attempt to discern mentality (nama-kammatthana).
How to Discern the Jha
ana Thought Process
If you have attained jhana concentration using mindfulness-of-
breathing, or another object, then the best place to start to dis-
cern mentality is to discern the consciousness and mental-
concomitants associated with that jhana state.
There are two reasons for this. The first reason is that you ob-
served the five jhana factors when developing jhana, and so you
have some experience already in discerning the mental-
concomitants associated with jhana. The second reason is that
the jhana impulsion consciousnesses (jhana-javana-citta) that
are present during jhana occur many times in succession, and are
therefore prominent and easy to discern. This is in contrast to
the normal sensual plane thought-process (kamavacara-vithi) in
which impulsion (javana) only occurs seven times before a com-
pletely new thought-process occurs.
134
How to Discern Mentality
So if you have attained jhana, such as anapana-jhana, and
wish to discern mentality, begin by entering the first jhana.
Emerging from the first jhana, you discern bhavavga, the mind-
door, and anapana patibhaga-nimitta together. When the ana-
pana patibhaga-nimitta appears in bhavavga, you discern the five
jhana factors according to their individual characteristics. Prac-
tise until you can discern the five factors all at once in each first
jhana impulsion consciousness (javana-citta). The five factors
are:
1. Applied thought (vitakka): directing and placing of the
mind on the object, the patibhaga-nimitta.
2. Sustained thought (vicara): maintaining the mind on
the object, the patibhaga-nimitta.
3. Joy (piti): liking for the patibhaga-nimitta.
4. Bliss (sukha): pleasant feeling or happiness associated
with experiencing the patibhaga-nimitta.
5. One-pointedness (ekaggata): one-pointedness of mind
on the patibhaga-nimitta.
After you have discerned these five mental formations, you
should attempt to discern each of the other mental formations
present in the first jhana impulsion consciousness. You should [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szkicerysunki.xlx.pl
Tissa who was an expert in skeleton-meditation. He always
practised internal skeleton-meditation as repulsiveness up to the
first jhana, and always practised Vipassana based on that jhana.
He discerned mentality-and-materiality, their causes, and their
nature of impermanence, suffering, and non-self. This was his
usual way of practice.
One day he went for alms-round (pindapata), from Anu-
raddhapura to Mahagama village. On the way he met a woman
who tried to attract his attention with loud laughter. When he
heard the sound he paid attention to that sound. Immediately he
saw her teeth and paid attention to his skeleton-meditation with
her teeth as object. Because of previous constant practice he saw
her as a whole skeleton and did not see woman . He saw only
skeleton. Then he paid attention to his internal skeleton and at-
tained the first jhana. Based on the first jhana he practised Vi-
passana quickly. He attained arahant path on the road in the
standing posture.
That woman had quarrelled with her husband and had left her
husband s house to go to her parents house. On the way she
met Maha Tissa Mahathera. Her husband followed her. On the
131
Knowing and Seeing
way he also met Maha Tissa Mahathera. He then asked Maha
Tissa Mahathera, Bhante, did you see a woman go this way?
The Mahathera answered, Oh, lay-supporter (dayaka), I did not
see man or woman, I saw only skeleton going this way. This
story is mentioned in the Visuddhimagga in the Virtue Section.
So this is one example. Any bhikkhu who has practised
skeleton-meditation thoroughly like Maha Tissa Mahathera may
be able to see the skeleton of another with eyes open.
132
Talk 5
How To Discern Mentality
Introduction
In my last talk I explained how to develop four-elements
meditation and also how to analyse the particles of materiality
called rupa kalapas. In this talk I would like to explain a little
about the method for discerning mentality (nama-kammatthana)
which is the next stage in the development of Vipassana medita-
tion.
Let me begin by explaining briefly the basic principles of Ab-
hidhamma that are necessary to understand the discernment of
mentality.
In Buddhist Abhidhamma the mind is seen as consisting of a
consciousness which knows its object, and mental-concomitants
which arise with that consciousness. There are fifty-two such
mental-concomitants, for example: contact (phassa), feeling
(vedana), perception (sabba), intention (cetana), one-
pointedness (ekaggata), life-faculty (jivitindriya), and attention
(manasikara).
There are a total of eighty-nine types of consciousness which
are classified according to whether they are wholesome, un-
wholesome, or indeterminate, and also according to their plane
of existence, sensual plane (kamavacara), fine-material plane
(rupavacara), immaterial plane (arupavacara), or supramundane
(lokuttara).
Consciousness occurs in six types of sequence, each one called
a thought-process (vithi). Five of them are sequences that occur
when one of the objects of the five senses is known by the mind.
These sequences of consciousness enable the mind to know ob-
jects at each of the five sense-doors, such as visible objects seen
by the eye, or sounds heard by the ear. The sixth sequence is
one that occurs when the mind has a mental object as its object.
This means that there are five five-door thought-processes
133
Knowing and Seeing
(pabcadvara-vithi), and one mind-door thought-process
(manodvara-vithi), which make a total of six thought-processes.
The analysis of mentality is made up of four parts. The first
three are:
1. The analysis of all the types of consciousness that oc-
cur internally.
2. Discernment of all the individual mental formations
present in each consciousness.
3. The discernment of the sequences of consciousness,
each one called a thought-process (vithi), that occur at
the six sense-doors.
When you want to discern mentality, you must have completed
the development of concentration beginning with either mindful-
ness-of-breathing, some other Samatha meditation subjects, or
the four-elements meditation. You should also have finished the
discernment of materiality (rupa-kammatthana). Only then
should you attempt to discern mentality (nama-kammatthana).
How to Discern the Jha
ana Thought Process
If you have attained jhana concentration using mindfulness-of-
breathing, or another object, then the best place to start to dis-
cern mentality is to discern the consciousness and mental-
concomitants associated with that jhana state.
There are two reasons for this. The first reason is that you ob-
served the five jhana factors when developing jhana, and so you
have some experience already in discerning the mental-
concomitants associated with jhana. The second reason is that
the jhana impulsion consciousnesses (jhana-javana-citta) that
are present during jhana occur many times in succession, and are
therefore prominent and easy to discern. This is in contrast to
the normal sensual plane thought-process (kamavacara-vithi) in
which impulsion (javana) only occurs seven times before a com-
pletely new thought-process occurs.
134
How to Discern Mentality
So if you have attained jhana, such as anapana-jhana, and
wish to discern mentality, begin by entering the first jhana.
Emerging from the first jhana, you discern bhavavga, the mind-
door, and anapana patibhaga-nimitta together. When the ana-
pana patibhaga-nimitta appears in bhavavga, you discern the five
jhana factors according to their individual characteristics. Prac-
tise until you can discern the five factors all at once in each first
jhana impulsion consciousness (javana-citta). The five factors
are:
1. Applied thought (vitakka): directing and placing of the
mind on the object, the patibhaga-nimitta.
2. Sustained thought (vicara): maintaining the mind on
the object, the patibhaga-nimitta.
3. Joy (piti): liking for the patibhaga-nimitta.
4. Bliss (sukha): pleasant feeling or happiness associated
with experiencing the patibhaga-nimitta.
5. One-pointedness (ekaggata): one-pointedness of mind
on the patibhaga-nimitta.
After you have discerned these five mental formations, you
should attempt to discern each of the other mental formations
present in the first jhana impulsion consciousness. You should [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]