Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Wisdom - Vipassanā, Ñāṇa, Paññā and Tevijjā -from the Early Suttas
A presentation by
Dhammadāsa Bhikkhu
April 2014, Santi Forest Monastery
What are the Vipassanā Ñāṇas?
If Insight Knowledges are those experiential knowledges thatlead to liberation, then, you may have heard of:
• the 16 Insight Knowledges, which are taught byBuddhaghosa,
but have you heard of:
• the 12 Insight Knowledges taught by the Buddha?
You probably have, but you may not know them as InsightKnowledges.
1
The 12 Insight Knowledgesfrom the Dhammacakkappavatana Sutta
2
SN (by truth) SA (by phase)
First Truth First Truth
First Truth is to be known Second Truth
First Truth has been known Third Truth
Fourth Truth
Second Truth
Second Truth is to be known First Truth is to be known
Second Truth has been known Second Truth is to be known
Third Truth is to be known
Third Truth Fourth Truth is to be known
Third Truth is to be known
Third Truth has been known First Truth has been known
Second Truth has been known
Fourth Truth Third Truth has been known
Fourth Truth is to be known Fourth Truth has been known
Fourth Truth has been known
The 12 Insight Knowledges by PhaseCompared with other Teachings
3
By Phase: Noble Ones Ten Fetters Eradicated
First Truth
Second Truth
Third Truth
Fourth Truth
1st to be known
2nd to be eliminated
3rd to realised
4th to be cultivated
1st has been known
2nd has been eliminated
3rd has been realised
4th has been cultivated
Understanding
Duty
Accomplishment
One Who Has
Heard and
Understood -
the Stream-
Winner
The Once-
Returner and
Non-Returner
The Conqueror
Indentity View, Doubt,
Superstition
Desire or Revulsion for Sense
Stimulus, Desire for Forms or
for Formlessness, Distraction
Conceit, Ignorance
Suffering and Its EndingThe First Noble Truth defines the term “dukkha”, which is usually
translated as “suffering”.
Interestingly “dukkha” is used for bodily sensations, which are identifiedas three types: pleasant (sukha), painful (dukkha) and neutral. So, here,dukkha relates to the body.
Another term used in the First Noble Truth is domanassa and this refers tomental pain.
The 1st Noble Truth therefore covers both bodily and mental pain, but itseems the body is dismissed in modern practice. We can see fromĀnāpānasati Sutta that bodily pleasant feelings should be developedand there is awareness of the body right to the end.
4
5
5 Aggregates
one word
summary:
1. Mindful he breathes in; mindful he breathes out in/out
2. Breathing in/out long/short, he discerns that he is
breathing in/out long/short
long/short
3. sensitive to the whole body body
4. relaxing the body relax
5. sensitive to zest zest
6. sensitive to happiness happy
7. sensitive to emotion x emotion
8. calming the emotion calming
9. sensitive to thought (caught it again!) thinking
10. gladdening thought (good work!) glad
11. concentrating thought (perception of light) light
12. releasing thought (May all beings be well and happy!) happy
13. contemplating inconstancy (of the hindrances) changing
14. contemplating fading away (of the hindrances) weaker
15. contemplating cessation (of the hindrances) stopped
16. contemplating relinquishment (of the hindrances) free
16 Steps of Mindfulness of Breathing
right aspiration: renunciation (go to a quiet place), non-ill will (intend to
practice meditation), non-harming (sit with a straight back)
FormKnowing
only:
He trains
himself to
breathe
in/out:
Sensation
Emotion
Thought
Awareness
Ānāpānasati - Samatha and Vipassanā
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness are generally all taught as thepractice of Vipassanā, but I suggest only the last one is. The otherthree would seem to be the practice of Samatha.
The last four steps (13-15) of Ānāpānasati are identified by theBuddha as “contemplation of Dhamma”, the last of the FourFoundations of Mindfulness.
It is generally understood that contemplating impermanence(inconstancy) is Vipassanā.
6
7
8
The 3rd Jhāna may include Vipassanā!
Only the simplified version of the first four jhānas, with only fivefactors, as taught by Buddhaghosa, is generally known,because people do not pay attention to the Buddha’s words inthe suttas.
If we have a close look at the Buddha’s description of the firstfour jhānas, we can see there are at least 11 factors.
Regarding Vipassanā we should pay attention to all of the factorsof the third jhāna.
9
Tatiyajjhānaŋ
Puna caparaŋ, mahārāja, bhikkhu pītiyā ca virāgāupekkhako ca viharati sato sampajāno, sukhañcakāyena paṭisaŋvedeti, yaŋ taŋ ariyā ācikkhanti –‘upekkhako satimā sukhavihārī’ti, tatiyaŋ jhānaŋupasampajja viharati.
10
The Suttas show Samatha and Vipassanā go together
So, you can see that the suttas say there are four factors of thethird jhāna:
1. Upekkhā – equanimity
2. Sati – mindfulness (?)
3. Sampajañña – clear comprehension
4. Sukkha – happiness
Buddhaghosa says there are only two:
1. Sukha – happiness (yes)
2. Ekaggatā – onepointedness (no)11
The Suttas show Samatha and Vipassanā go together
We can see that concentration is in the second jhāna.
If sati – mindfulness (?) and sampajañña – clear comprehension arepart of the practice of Vipassanā, then we have to say thatVipassanā practice is IN the third jhāna, not done AFTER thefourth (vis comy), but we still see that Vipassanā (3rd) FOLLOWSSamatha (2nd).
That the last factor of the fourth jhāna is parisuddhi – completepurity, is very interesting, as we will see later.
12
The 13 Factors and the 4 (Rūpa) Jhānas
13
Pāli English
1 viveka-> seclusion ]-1st ] ] ]
2 vitakka initial thought ]
3 vicāra sustained thought ]
4 pīti zest/rapture ] ]-2nd
5 sukha-> happiness/pleasure ] ] ] ]
6 sampasāda tranquility ]
7 ekodibhāva / samādhi becoming one/concentration ]
8 upekkhā / adukkhamasukha equanimity/neutral feeling ]-3rd ]-4th
9 sati recollection/mindfulness ] ]
10 sampajañña clear comprehension ]
11 parisuddhi complete purity ]
FACTOR LEVEL
The Suttas show Samatha and Vipassanā go together
One problem is, thinking calming alone is enlightenment, as theBodhisatta’s teachers did.
I have given a few examples of how the suttas show Samatha andVipassanā go together.
There is one sutta in which the Buddha teaches the only way to thepurification of beings. So it must talk about Vipassanā! It is not theSatipaṭṭhāna Sutta. Hardly anyone knows about this, because theydon’t focus on the words of the Buddha.
14
Majjhima Nikāya Sutta Number 61
This sutta was spoken to Rāhula. (M I 414-420)
At the end the Buddha says:
“Rāhula, all those priests and contemplatives in the course of thepast (present and future), who purified (purify, will purify) theirbodily, verbal and mental acts, purified (purify, will purify) themthrough repeated reflection on their bodily, verbal and mentalacts in just this way.”
(the sutta gives three paragraphs in full)
15
What kind of reflection?
Bodily, verbal and mental acts are to be done with repeated reflection.Whenever you want to do, are doing, or have done a: bodily, verbal, ormental act, you should reflect on it: This act I want to do…, would… itlead to self-affliction, to the affliction of others or to both? Is it anunwise act, with painful consequences, painful results?
If, on reflection, you know that it would… lead to self-affliction, afflictionto others or both… then any act of that sort is absolutely not to be done(future), should be given up (present), or should be confessed (past).
16
What kind of reflection?So you see, we should reflect on action (kamma) and its
consequences (vipāka).
This is the practical teaching about action and consequence.
This is an essential feature of the Buddha’s teaching and cannotbe left out!
Understanding moral kamma-vipāka is said to be a part of RightView, the Four Noble Truths are an example of the Cause-Effect teaching, so is Dependent Origination.
People want to put other ideas or experiences as the essence ofthe Buddha's teaching – often experiences of deepmeditation. 17
Reflect with a calm clear mind…
We should first develop a calm clear mind (2nd jhāna) and thendo the reflection (3rd jhāna). Otherwise we could get caught incircular negative thought and feelings of guilt and depression.
This is why Samatha is important first!
18
This calls forPersonal Responsibility
Many times we may feel frustrated at thesuffering/injustice/corruption in the world. Things may notseem to be changing for the better.
We need to calm down. In the state of frustration, we will dofoolish things, like civil riots. If we do this reflection properly,this will not happen…
This is also why Samatha is important first!
19
Joyful…
“But if on reflection you know that it did not lead to affliction... itwas a wise bodily, verbal, or mental act with happyconsequences, happy results, then you should stay mentallyrefreshed and joyful (somanassa), training day and night inwise practices.”
We are told this practice leads to the purification of beings andwe saw that the last factor of the fourth jhāna is “completepurity” (parisuddhi). Very interesting!
20
The Famous Summary of Dhamma
Dhammapada Verse 183
Refrain from all evil,
develop the wholesome.
Purify one’s mind,
this is the teaching of all Awakened Ones.
21
Vipassanā - Insight
On the one hand it is commonly taught that one doesn’t need deepconcentration (taught as all 4 rūpa jhāna!), but on the other hand,practice for Vipassanā – Insight, is mainly done in meditation retreats.
In Vipassanā retreats, people are encouraged to do sitting meditationmany hours a day. Doing so, one will definitely develop concentrationthat is deeper than what we have in everyday life.
The advice from the Buddha to Rāhula, did not mention many hours ofsitting meditation at all! Maybe because the Buddha was only teachingthe Vipassanā method! This type of Vipassanā seems to be more usefulfor everyday life.
22
Three Time Periods
The reflection on actions of body, speech and mind, taught to Ven. Rāhulacovers three time periods: future, present and past, in that order.
Often the Buddha refers to these periods in the opposite order to this:past, present, future. Why is the order presented the other way to Ven.Rāhula?
I think it is because the Buddha is putting the ultimate practice first –avoiding harmful actions. If we can’t do that, then stop them as we aredoing them, if we can’t do that, then reflect on the completed action.
23
Three Time Periods
The Tisso Vijjā or Tevijjā – the Three Knowledges the Buddhadeveloped on the night of his enlightenment, are also aboutthe three times:
1. Knowledge of recollection of past births (not “lives”)
2. Knowledge of the rise and fall of beings (not “other” beings;present tense verbs, so as they occur) according to theiractions
3. Knowledge of freedom from the taints (from that moment on,no more birth) = purity.
24
Weaved Links
Links between the Three Knowledges and the practice taught toVen. Rāhula:
• The three time periods are covered in both teachings.
• The second knowledge specifically speaks of action, thetopic of the teaching to Ven. Rāhula.
• The third knowledge is about purity, which is the outcomeof the teaching to Ven. Rāhula.
25
Weaved Links
The use of the term “births” in the first knowledge.
This term is usually interpreted as “physical birth,” but we havemany examples of the Buddha reinterpreting terms used inan physical/ external sense to have an spiritual/ internalmeaning: world, brahmin, kamma…
One discourse clearly shows that the Buddha did not use theterm “birth” in the physical sense.
26
Weaved Links
27
(M II 103) “…you should… Angulimāla, go into Sāvatthī and say to that woman: ‘Sister,
since I was born, I do not recall that I have ever intentionally deprived a living being of life.
By this truth, may you be well and may your infant be well!’ “
“Venerable sir, wouldn’t I be telling a deliberate lie, for I have intentionally deprived many
living beings of life?”
“Then, Angulimāla, go into Sāvatthī and say to that woman: ‘Sister, since I was born with the
noble birth, I do not recall that I have ever intentionally deprived a living being of life. By
this truth, may you be well and may your infant be well!’ ’’
Weaved Links
The use of the term “beings” in the second knowledge.
This term is usually interpreted as “beings external to oneself,”(other beings), but we have many examples of the Buddhareinterpreting terms used in a physical/external sense tohave a different meaning; “other” is also not in the text.
One discourse clearly shows that the Buddha did not use theterm “being” in the external sense.
28
Weaved Links
In the Dona Sutta (A II 37) the Buddha is asked if he is:
• A deva (god, divine being)
• A gandhabba (? heavenly musician)
• A yakkha (monster)
• A human being.
To all of these he said “No, because I have eradicated thedefilements that would enable me to be classed as such abeing.”
29
The Three Knowledgesfor This Very Life!
If we apply this spiritual understanding of “birth” and “being”,then the Three Knowledges all apply to the Buddha himself,his internal world, and they deal with the three time periodswithin his own lifetime of 80 years.
The advice to Rāhula is seen to have these two characteristicstoo: his internal world and that very life.
Any other links?
30
Sati - Sampajañña
Looking back at the factors of the third jhāna:
There is one meaning of “sati” that few people know about. Itseems to be an older meaning that is being forgotten(semantic shift).
“to remember and call to mind what was said and done longago” (A IV 3-4, A III 9-10).
This is about past action.
31
Sati - Sampajañña
The explanation of sampajañña that makes it clear that it isabout present action is in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta:
32
(D II 292) “… a mendicant, when:
going forward or back, looking forward or back, bending and stretching, carrying his inner
and outer robe and his bowl, eating, drinking, chewing and savouring, passing excrement or
urine, walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep and waking up, speaking or staying silent,
… is clearly aware of what he is doing.”
Advice to Rāhula Three Knowledges
3rd and 4th Jhāna
Reflect on past action (harmful?)
Recollection of past birth
Sati – Memory
Reflect on present action – harmful to self or others or not?
Recollection of rising and falling of beings according to their actions
Sampajañña – clear comprehension
Reflect on future (intended) action (harmful?)
Recollection of the cessation of the taints
Parisuddhi – complete purity
33
Sampajañña – clear comprehension
The very important thing to notice from this study is that clearcomprehension must incorporate the consideration whether it isharmful to oneself or others (= akusala) or not.
The idea that meditation in the Buddha’s teaching is aboutsimply “bare awareness” – just knowing and not judging, iswrong. We cannot take Kamma-Vipāka and concern forourselves and others, out of the Buddha’s teaching!
Yet other interpretations want to focus on the ThreeCharacteristics and promote them as UNIVERSAL. Unfortunatelyit is only the Five CLINGING aggregates that are dukkha,according to the First Noble Truth. 5A are anicca and anattā only.34
The Future and the Third Knowledge
35
(M I 465) The Buddha has abandoned the taints that defile, bring renewal of
being, give trouble, ripen in suffering, and lead to future birth, ageing, (no
sickness here!) and death; he has cut them off at the root, made them like a palm
stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to future arising.
Just as a palm tree whose crown is cut off is incapable of further growth, so too,
the Buddha has abandoned the taints that defile...cut them off at the root, made
them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject
to future arising.
Special Meanings
To understand the Buddha’s teaching properly we mustapply the meanings he gave to words, because his teachingis subtle.
Many of us would know some of the words the Buddhagave different meanings to.
36
Word Special Meaning
World - loka "In this fathom (~2m) long body with its perceptionsand mind (mano), lies the world (loka), the origin ofthe world, the cessation of the world and the pathleading to the cessation of the world." (S I 61: A II 49)
Brahmin One is not a Brahmin by birth, but by action (Dh Ch26)
Bhikkhu A Bhikkhu is known not simply known by the wearingof the robe, but by right livelihood. (Dh Ch 25)
Kamma “Monks, I call intention action. Having intention oneacts by body, speech and thought." (A III 415; A I 104,292)
Birth - jāti (mentioned above)
A psychological birth (M II 103)
Being – satta(mentioned above)
A psychological existence (A II 37)
God, angel – deva(mentioned b4)
"I call 'god' those people who are moral." (A II 58-9)
37
Semantic Shift
In the study of languages (Linguistics), semantic shift is seenover as short a time as two generations (40 years).
Semantic shift is when a new meaning is given to a word andthe old meaning gets lost.
It is sure that the meanings of words in the Pāli languagechanged over the 400 years (ten generations) before they werewritten down.
This study shows that the meanings of words associated withdifferent teachings have changed.
38
Semantic Shift
Idea Original Word Later Word(and Meaning)
Insight Ñāṇa – understanding Kamma-Vipāka, kusala/akusala
Ñāṇa – sixteen insight knowledges, starting with separation of body-mind
Memory Sati Anussaraṇa, Dhāraṇā
Death –maraṇa
“For this, mendicants, is death in the Noble One's Discipline: that one gives up the training and returns to the lower life." (S II 271)
The end of life
kāyassa bhedā The end of life of one fully awake (D I 46)
Death
39
Dependent Origination
The tradition teaches that the Buddha discovered DependentOrigination on the Night of His Enlightenment. There aremany different versions of Dependent Origination in thesuttas. Why do we only hear about one (and it’s reverse)….?Dogma!
Both the standard and a more realistic and relatable version arein found in the Upanisa Sutta. Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu alsotaught about the more relatable version.
40
41
The Way In The Way Out
Ignorance Conviction
Formations Joy
Consciousness Zest
Name-form Serenity
Six Sense Bases Happiness
Contact Concentration
Sensation Knowledge and vision of
things [the five aggregates]
as they actually are
Clinging Disenchantment
Craving Dispassion
Becoming Release
Birth, aging, death and all
other dukkha
Knowledge of ending [of
dukkha]
Dependent Origination from the Upanisa Sutta (S II 29-33)
The Way Out
As you can see, the second version is not just the reverse of thestandard version. The second version also shows clearly theplace of wholesome emotions in practice.
Since it starts with Stress and ends with Freedom, I’ve called it“the way out”. Since most discourses of the Buddha areteaching “the way out”, we should be able to compare thisversion of Dependent Origination with other presentations ofthe Path.
42
43
The Way Out (Dependent
Origination)Ten Fetters 3 Trainings
4 Types of
Noble
DisciplesIdentity view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi)
Conviction Doubt or uncertainty (vicikicchā)
Joy Attachment to rites and rituals
(sīlabbata-parāmāsa)
Zest
Serenity Sensual desire (kāmacchanda)
Happiness Ill-will (vyāpāda or byāpāda)
Lust for form (rūparāga)
Lust for formlessness (arūparāga)
Concentration Restlessness, distraction (uddhacca)
Knowledge and vision of things [the
five aggregates] as they actually are
Disenchantment
Dispassion
Release Conceit, arrogance (māna)
Knowledge of ending [of dukkha] Ignorance (avijjā)
Morality
Concentration
Wisdom
Stream-Enterer
Once-Returner
Non-Returner
Conquerer
Many things have come alive for me in my study and practice ofthe Buddha’s teaching. Through this study method theBuddha has taught me the real meaning of:
“Whoever sees Dependent Origination sees the Dhamma,whoever sees the Dhamma sees Dependent Origination.”(M I 191)
Any authentic sutta is a version of Dependent Origination and itteaches a step by step path!
44
Dependent Origination
Thank you for your kind attention.
Action is the refuge.Kamma paṭisaraṇo.
A copy of this presentation may be obtained by emailing me at:
