Now, the word peace has many levels: A mind infused with virtue has one level of peace and happiness; a mind stilled through concentration has another level of peace and happiness; a mind at peace through the power of discernment has still another level of happiness; and the peace of a mind that is released is yet another level, with a happiness completely apart from the rest. In these matters, though, meditators tend to prefer the results to the causes. They arent as interested in abandoning their own defilements through the principles of the practice as they are in standing out among society at large. They appropriate the ideas and observations of other people as being their own, but by and large their wisdom is composed of bahira pañña — remembered outsights, not true insight. So when you want the reality of the principles taught by the Buddha, you should first lift your mind to this principle — Right Concentration — because its an excellent gathering of the energies of your mind. All energy in the world comes from stopping and resting. Motion is something that destroys itself — as when our thinking goes all out of bounds. Take walking for instance: When we walk, energy comes from the foot at rest. Or when we speak, energy comes from stopping between phrases. If we were to talk without stopping, without resting between phrases, not only would it waste energy, but the language wed speak wouldnt even be human. So it is with practicing the Dhamma: Release comes from concentration and discernment acting together. Release through the power of the mind (ceto-vimutti) requires more concentration and less discernment; release through discernment (pañña-vimutti), more discernment and less concentration — but there is no way that release can be attained without the stillness of concentration. Thus, resting the mind provides the strength needed to support all the qualities developed in the practice, which is why its such an essential part of Right Concentration. It forms a well-spring and a storage place for all knowledge, whether of the world or of the Dhamma. If you arent acquainted with this basic principle, skilled awareness wont arise. And if you dont have skilled awareness, how will you be able to let go? Youll have to go groping around in unskilled awareness. As long as the mind is in the grips of unskilled awareness, its bound to be deluded by its fashionings. Unskilled awareness is a brine in which the mind lies soaking; a mind soaked in its juices is like wet, sappy wood that, when burned, gives off smoke as its signal, but no flame. As the smoke rises into the air, you imagine it to be something high and exalted. Its high, all right, but only like smoke or overcast clouds. If theres a lot of it, it can obscure your vision and that of others, so that you cant see the light of the sun and moon. This is why such people are said to be groping. Those who train their own hearts, though, will give rise to skilled awareness. When skilled awareness penetrates the heart, youll come to realize the harmful potency of mental fashionings. The arising of skilled awareness in the heart is like the burning of dry, sapless wood that gives off flame and light. Even though there may be some smoke, you dont pay it any mind, because the firelight is more outstanding. The flame of skilled awareness gives rise to five sorts of results: 1. Rust (the defilements) wont take hold of the heart. 2. The heart becomes purified. 3. The heart becomes radiant in and of itself (pabhassaram cittam). 4. The heart develops majesty (tejas). 5. The three skills^, the eight skills#, and the four forms of acumen* will arise. All of these things arise through the power of the mind. The nature of the mind is that it already has a certain amount of instinctive intuition — the times when it knows on its own, as when you happen to think of a particular person, and then he or she actually shows up. All good qualities, from the mundane to the transcendent, are always present in each of us. These qualities — the Dhamma — arent the exclusive possession of any particular group or person. We all have the right to develop them and put them into practice. For these qualities to yield results, we have to develop them in conjunction with the following four principles: 1. Chanda: feeling an affinity for the practice. 2. Viriya: being persistent in the practice. 3. Citta: being intent on the practice. 4. Vimansa: being circumspect in what we do, i.e., circumspect before we do it, circumspect (mindful and aware) while were doing it, and circumspect with regard to the results that arise from what weve done. These four principles form the foundation for success in all areas, whether in matters of the world or of the Dhamma. Once theyre actualized within us and focused together on a single goal, were bound to succeed in line with our aspirations. The results they yield, briefly put, are of two sorts: 1. Iddhiriddhi: certain mundane powers that accrue to meditators. 2. Puññariddhi: power in terms of the Dhamma that will accrue to meditators, providing means for settling issues that relate to the world and the heart, or for liberating the mind from all mundane influences. This is termed: Vimutti — release, Visuddhi — purity, Santi — peace, Nibbana — the disbanding of all stress. *********************************** ^The Three Skills 1. Pubbenivasanussati-ñana: the ability to remember past lives. 2. Cutupapata-ñana: the ability to know where living beings are reborn after death. 3. Asavakkhaya-ñana: the ability to do away entirely with the effluents of defilement. *********************************** # The Eight Skills 1. Vipassana-ñana: clear insight into the elements (dhatu), the aggregates (khandha), and the sense media (ayatana). 2. Manomayiddhi: the ability to project mind-made images. 3. Iddhividhi: supernormal powers. 4. Dibba-sota: clairaudience. 5. Cetopariya-ñana: knowledge of the thoughts and minds of others. 6. Dibba-cakkhu: clairvoyance. 7. Pubbenivasanussati-ñana: knowledge of past lives. 8. Asavakkhaya-ñana: knowledge which does away with mental effluents. *********************************** *The Four Forms of Acumen 1. Attha-patisambhida: acumen with regard to meaning. 2. Dhamma-patisambhida: acumen with regard to mental qualities. 3. Nirutti-patisambhida: acumen with regard to linguistic conventions. 4. Patibhana-patisambhida: acumen with regard to expression. Basic Themes, by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo (Phra Suddhidhammaransi Gambhiramedhacariya), translated from the Thai by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 30 November 2013, accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/lee/themes.html
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 11:20:08 +0000
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