[영문 오디오북][앎과 봄]26-30

[웨싼따라]

26. THE NIMITTA_2

At this stage the nimitta may appear, but if you are able to do this calmly for about one hour, and no nimitta appears, you should move on to the third stage:

[1]        Experiencing the whole [breath] body        , I shall breathe in

:' thus he trains.

Experiencing the whole [breath] body        , I shall breathe out :' thus he trains.

Here The Buddha is instructing you to be aware of the whole breath from beginning to end. As you do this the nimitta may now appear. If it does, do not immediately shift your mind to it, but stay with the breath.

If you are calmly aware of the breath from beginning to end for about  an hour, and no nimitta appears, you should move on to the fourth stage:

[2]        Tranquillizing the body-formation , I shall breathe in : thus he trains.

Tranquillizing the body-formation  , I shall breathe out ': thus he trains.

To do this, you should decide to make the breath tranquil, and go on being continuously aware of the breath from beginning to end. You should do nothing else, otherwise your concentration will break and fall away.

The Visuddhi-Magga gives four factors for making the breath tranquil:

1)        Concern

2)        Reaction

 3)       Attention         

4)        Reviewing        

And they are explained first with a simile:

Suppose a man stands still after running or after descending from a hill, or putting down a load from his head; then his in-breaths and out-breaths are gross, his nostrils become inadequate, and he keeps on breathing in and out through his mouth. But when he has rid himself of his fatigue and has bathed and drunk and put a wet cloth on his chest, and is lying in the cool shade, then his in-breaths and out-breaths eventually occur so subtly that he has to investigate whether they exist or not.

Likewise, says the Visuddhi-Magga, the bhikkhu's in&out-breaths are gross to begin with, become increasingly subtle, after which he has to investigate whether they exist or not.

To further explain why the bhikkhu needs to investigate the in&out- breaths, the Visuddhi-Magga           says:

Because previously, at the time when the yogi had not yet discerned the [in&out breath]

there was no concern in him, no reaction, no attention, no reviewing, to the effect that [he knew]: I am progressively tranquillizing each grosser bodily formation [the in&out breath].' But once he has discerned [the in&out breath], there is. So his bodily formation [the in&out breath] at the time when he has discerned [it] is subtle in comparison with what it was at the time when he had not [discerned it].

1)        Concern : you pay initial attention to the breath, you apprehend the breath, you advert the mind towards the breath, to the effect: I will try to make the breath tranquil.'

2)        Reaction : you continue to do so, i.e. you pay sustained attention to the breath that way, do it again and again, keep the breath in the mind, to the effect: I will try to make the breath tranquil.'

3)        Attention : literally deciding to make the breath tranquil'. Attention is the mental factor that makes the mind advert towards the object. Attention makes the mind conscious of the breath and know the breath.

4)        Reviewing : you review  the breath, make it clear to the mind, to the effect: I will try to make the breath tranquil.'

So all you need to do at this stage is to decide to tranquil the breath, and to be continuously aware of it. That way, you will find the breath becomes more tranquil, and the nimitta may appear.

Just before the nimitta appears, a lot of yogis encounter difficulties. Mostly they find that the breath becomes very subtle and unclear; they may think the breath has stopped. If this happens, you should keep your awareness where you last noticed the breath, and wait for it there.

A dead person, a foetus in the womb, a drowned person, an unconscious person, a person in the fourth jhàna, a person in the attainment of cessation, and a brahmà: only these seven types of person do not breathe. Reflect on the fact that you are not one of them, that you are in reality breathing, and that it is just your mindfulness which is not strong enough for you to be aware of the breath.

When it is subtle, you should not make the breath more obvious, as the effort will cause agitation, and your concentration will not develop. Just be aware of the breath as it is, and if it is not clear, simply wait for it where you last noticed it. You will find that, as you apply your mindfulness and wisdom in this way, the breath will reappear.

27. HOW YOU BALANCE THE FIVE CONTROLLING FACULTIES_1

To avoid dropping into bhavaïga and to develop further, you need the help of the five controlling faculties to push the mind and fix it on the pañibhàga-nimitta. The five controlling faculties are:

1)        Faith     (saddhà)

2)        Effort    (vãriya)

3)        Mindfulness      (sati)

4)        Concentration    (samàdhi)

5)        Understanding   (pannà)

The five controlling faculties are the five powers that control the mind, and keep it from straying off the path of samatha (tranquillity) and vipassanà (insight) that leads to Nibbàna. If one or more of the controlling faculties are in excess, there will be an imbalance.

The first controlling faculty is faith in what one should have faith in, such as the Triple Gem, or faith in kamma and its results. It is important to have faith in the enlightenment of The Buddha, because without it, a person will regress from his work in meditation. It is also important to have faith in the teaching of The Buddha, namely the Four Paths, the Four Fruitions, Nibbàna, etc. The teaching of The Buddha shows us the way of meditation, so at this stage it is important to have complete faith in it.

Let us say the yogi thinks, Can jhàna really be attained by just watching the in-breath and out-breath? Is it really true that the uggaha-nimitta is like white cotton wool, and the pañibhàga-nimitta like clear ice or glass?' If these kinds of thought persist, they result in views such as, Jhàna cannot be attained in the present age,' and the yogi's faith in the teaching will decline, and he will be unable to stop himself from giving up the development of samatha.

So a person who is developing concentration with a meditation subject like anapanasati needs to have strong faith. He should develop anapanasati without any doubts. He should think, Jhàna can be achieved if I follow the instructions of The Fully Enlightened Buddha systematically.'

If, however, a person lets his faith become excessive, and here it is faith in the meditation pañibhàga-nimitta, his concentration will decrease. Excessive faith contains excessive joy , which leads to emotions. This means the yogi's mind is disturbed by joyful excitement, and wisdom is unable to understand the pañibhàga-nimitta. Then, because excessive faith has decided on the object, wisdom is not clear and firm, and also the remaining faculties, effort, mindfulness and concentration are weakened: effort is unable to raise associated mental formations to the pañibhàga- nimitta, and keep them there; mindfulness is unable to establish know- ledge of the pañibhàga-nimitta; concentration is unable to prevent the mind from going to another object; and wisdom is unable to see the pañi- bhàga-nimitta penetratively. Thus excessive faith leads actually to a decrease in faith.

If effort is too strong, the remaining faculties, faith, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom, will be unable to respectively decide, establish, prevent distraction, and develop penetrative discernment. Thus excessive effort causes the mind not to stay calmly concentrated on the pañibhàga- nimitta.

This can be illustrated by the case of the Venerable Soõa. In the city of Ràjagaha, he heard the Buddha teach, and winning faith, he got his parents' consent and ordained. The Buddha taught him a subject for meditation, and he went to the monastery Sãtavana. He worked very hard, but pacing up and down in meditation with great energy, he developed painful sores on his feet. He did not lie down and sleep, and when he could no longer walk, he crawled on his hands and knees. He worked so hard that his meditation path was stained with blood. Even so, he won no attainment and was filled with despair.

28. HOW YOU BALANCE THE FIVE CONTROLLING FACULTIES_2

The Buddha, on Gijjha-Kuta, became aware of his despair and visited him. And The Buddha reminded him that when he as a layman had played the vãõà (a type of Indian lute), the lute was not tuneful or playable if the strings were strung either too tight or too loose: they had to be strung evenly. The Buddha explained that in the same way, too much energy or effort ends in flurry, and too little energy or effort ends in idleness. The Venerable Soõa profited from the lesson, because not long afterwards, having reflected on the lesson, he became an Arahant.

To balance faith with wisdom, and concentration with effort, is praised by the wise. If, for instance, faith is strong and wisdom is weak, a person will develop faith in, and respect for objects without use and essence. For instance, he will develop faith in, and reverence for objects revered and respected by religions outside orthodox Buddhism, such as guardian spirits or protective deities.

If, on the other hand, wisdom is strong and faith is weak, a person can become quite crafty. Without meditating, he will spend his time simply passing judgements. This is as difficult to cure as to cure a disease caused by an overdose of medicine.

If faith and wisdom are balanced, however, a person will have faith in objects he should have faith in: the Triple Gem, kamma, and its effects. He will believe that if he meditates in accordance with The Buddha's instructions, he will be able to attain the pañibhàga-nimitta, and jhàna.

Again, if concentration is strong and effort is weak, a person can be- come lazy. For example, if, when the yogi's concentration improves, he pays attention to the an-apana patibhaga-nimitta with a relaxed mind, without knowing it penetratively, he may become lazy. The five jhàna- factors will in that case not be strong enough to maintain the high level of concentration, which means his mind will very often fall into bhavaïga.

But if effort is strong, and concentration weak, however, he can become agitated. When concentration and effort are balanced, he will become neither lazy, nor agitated, and will be able to attain jhàna.

When a person wishes to cultivate a samatha subject, it is in any case good to have very strong faith. If he thinks, I will certainly reach jhàna, if I develop concentration on the pañibhàga-nimitta', then by the power of that faith, and by concentrating on the pañibhàga-nimitta, he will definitely achieve jhàna. This is because jhàna is based primarily on concentration.

For a person developing vipassanà it is good that wisdom be strong, be- cause when wisdom is strong he will be able to know and see the three characteristics of impermanence, suffering, and non-self penetratively.

Only when concentration and wisdom are balanced can mundane jhànas arise. The Buddha taught that this applies equally to supra-mundane jhànas, which further require that concentration and wisdom be balanced with effort and faith.

Mindfulness is necessary under all circumstances, because it protects the mind from agitation due to excess faith, effort, or wisdom, and from laziness due to excess concentration. It balances faith with wisdom, concentration with effort, and concentration with wisdom.

So mindfulness is always necessary, as is the seasoning of salt in all sauces, and a prime minister for all the king's affairs. Hence the ancient commentaries say The Blessed One said, Mindfulness is always necessary in any meditation subject.' Why? Because it is a refuge and protection for the meditating mind. Mindfulness is a refuge, because it helps the mind arrive at special and high states it has never reached or known be- fore. Without mindfulness the mind is incapable of attaining any special and extraordinary states. Mindfulness protects the mind, and keeps the object of meditation from becoming lost. That is why to one discerning it with vipassanà knowledge, mindfulness appears as that which protects the object of meditation, as well as the mind of the yogi. Without mindfulness, a person is unable to lift the mind up or restrain the mind, which is why The Buddha said it is necessary in all instances.

29. HOW YOU BALANCE THE SEVEN ENLIGHTENMENT-FACTORS

If one is to achieve jhàna using anapanasati , it is also important to balance the seven enlightenment-factors           . They are:

1)        Mindfulness (sati): remembers the pañibhàga-nimitta and discerns it again and again.

2)        Investigation of Phenomenaga-nimitta penetratively.   understands the pañibhà-nimitta penetratively

3)        Effort (vãriya): brings the enlightenment factors together, and balances them on the pañibhàga-nimitta; and especially reinforces itself, and the Factor of Investigation of Phenomena.

4)        Joy (pãti): gladness of the mind when experiencing the pañibhàga-nimitta.

5)        Tranquillity (passaddhi): tranquillity of the mind and associated mental factors, that have the pañibhàga-nimitta as their object.

6)        Concentration (samàdhi): one-pointedness of the mind on the pañibhàga-nimitta.

7)        Equanimity (upekkhà): evenness of mind that neither becomes excited, nor withdraws from the pañibhàga-nimitta.

A yogi must develop and balance all seven enlightenment factors. With insufficient effort the mind will fall away from the object of meditation, in this case the pañibhàga-nimitta. Then one should not develop tranquillity, concentration, and equanimity, but instead develop investigation of phenomena, effort, and joy. That way the mind is raised up again.

When there is too much effort, however, the mind will become agitated and distracted. Then one should do the opposite, and not develop investigation of phenomena, effort, and joy, but instead develop tranquillity, concentration, and equanimity. This way the agitated and distracted mind becomes restrained and tranquillized.

This is how the five controlling faculties, and seven enlightenment- factors are balanced.

30. HOW YOU ATTAIN JHâNA_1

When the five controlling faculties, faith, effort, mindfulness, concen- tration, and understanding are sufficiently developed, concentration will go beyond access, up to jhàna, absorption concentration. When you reach jhàna, your mind will know the pañibhàga-nimitta without interruption. This can continue for several hours, even all night, or for a whole day.

When your mind stays continuously concentrated on the pañibhàga-ni- mitta for one or two hours, you should try to discern the area in the heart where the bhavaïga consciousness rests, that is the heart materiality. The bhavaïga consciousness is bright and luminous, and the commentaries explain that it is the mind door . If you try many times, again and again, you will eventually discern both the mind door (bhavaïga), and pañibhàga-nimitta as it appears there. You should then discern the five jhàna factors one at a time. With continued practice, you will be able to discern them all at once. In the case of anapanasati, the five jhàna factors are:

1)        Application (vitakka): directing and placing the mind on the anapana

pañibhàga-nimitta.

2)        Sustainment (vicàra): maintaining the mind on the pañibhàga-nimitta.

3)        Joy (pãti): liking for the an-apana patibhaga-nimitta 

4)        Bliss (sukha): happiness about the an-apana patibhaga-nimitta         

5)        One-pointedness: one-pointedness of mind on the an-apana patibhaga-nimitta.

6)        The jhàna factors are together called jhàna. When you are just begin- ning to practise jhàna, you should practise entering jhàna for a long time, and not spend too much time discerning the jhàna factors. You should develop mastery of the jhànas.

There are five masteries:

1)        To enter jhàna whenever desired.

2)        To resolve  to stay in jhàna for a determined duration, and- carry out the resolve.

3)        To emerge from jhàna at the determined time.

4)        To advert to the jhàna factors.

5)        To review the jhàna factors.

In the  Pabbateyya-Gavi' sutta of the Anguttara-Nikaya, The Buddha says one should not try going to the second jhàna before mastering the first jhàna. He explains that if one does not master the first jhàna completely, and tries to go to higher jhànas, one will lose the first jhàna, as well as be unable to attain the other jhànas. One will lose all the jhànas.

When you have mastered the first jhàna, you can try to progress to the second jhàna. You need to enter the now familiar first jhàna, emerge from it, reflect on its faults, and reflect on the advantages of the second jhàna. That is: the first jhàna is close to the five hindrances, and has the gross jhàna factors of applied and sustainment, making it less tranquil than the second jhàna, which is without them. So, with no desire now for those two jhàna factors, a desire for only joy, happiness, and one-pointedness, you should again concentrate on the pañibhàga-nimitta, and attain the first jhàna. When you now emerge from the first jhàna, and again review the jhàna factors with mindfulness and full awareness, the two jhàna factors of application and sustainment will appear gross to you, while joy, happi- ness or bliss and one-pointedness appear peaceful. So, in order to aban- don the gross factors and obtain the peaceful factors, you should again concentrate on the pañibhàga-nimitta.

26. THE NIMITTA_2

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27. HOW YOU BALANCE THE FIVE CONTROLLING FACULTIES_1

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28. HOW YOU BALANCE THE FIVE CONTROLLING FACULTIES_2

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29. HOW YOU BALANCE THE SEVEN ENLIGHTENMENT-FACTORS

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30. HOW YOU ATTAIN JHâNA_1

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